Home.

After three long years at sea, I was finally going home. It was both exciting-...and terrifying. I didn't know if I'd actually be able to go home. I had the Avatar, but...there was this nagging feeling that I still may not be accepted. Up until now, I'd been sure that my father would let me come home. But, now that it's really the moment of truth, I was getting less and less sure by the second.

After confirming with the helmsman what to do, I went down to get Iroh and Katara. I walked into the kitchen, and they both looked at me.

"We're here." I said simply.

"Perfect timing, my nephew. We were just going to taste Katara's first brew!" Iroh said. I took a cup, and found she did fairly well. However, she herself seemed sick with fear

"Katara, are you okay?" I asked her. Her eyes began to water, and suddenly she ran out of the room, and up the stairs. I looked to uncle with a bit of an "I-told-you-so" face and went after her. What in the world made me think she'd be okay with this? Uncle Iroh, that's what! "Katara, wait!" I called after her. I saw her turn onto the second level and heard a door slam shut.

I stood in front of the door for a moment. I heard violent sobbing on the other side of it, but I wanted to give her a few moments to calm down. After the short gasps from the crying got a little quieter, I gently pushed on the door and entered. "Katara?" I said quietly. She looked up a moment, and tried to quickly calm herself.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's okay." she said before I could say anything else.

I sat down on her bed next to her, and said comfortingly, "It's okay if your scared, Katara. I can understand if you are."

She sighed. "Alright...Well I am. Very." she said.

"That's fine. But I just want to help you, that's all. I promise you that I will protect you in there. I won't let my father hurt you, and my sister won't be getting anywhere near you." I comforted.

She smiled at me through the tears, "Thank you, Zuko. You know, you're really kind of nice..."

I smiled back, "I try." Katara laughed, and we went back down. Aang and Sokka were already being brought out in chains. Upon seeing Sokka, I grabbed him from the guards without a word. I found Lieutenant Buijing and told him to get Sokka into a guard's uniform and to find me again.

I turned to Katara and said, "You may go say good-bye to Aang if you'd like." She ran over to him and hugged him tightly. I tried not to get angry and looked away. After about five minutes, she came back, wiping tears from her eyes. "You alright?" I asked, and she nodded. I braced myself for her reaction, and pulled the shackles out of my pocket.

She groaned and whined, "Why do I need those?"

"It's got to be done this way. I'm sorry." I said. She sighed and held out her arms.

"Fine." she said flatly, irritably. I chained her arms together in front of her body, trying to hold back a grin. By that time, Buijing came down with what looked to be a completely average guard. Until, of course, he slide off the face-mask. "Can I be sure to trust you?" I said cautiously, to confirm it before I let Buijing release him. Sokka nodded soberly, and I eyed him. "Just remember, if I see you doing anything...'out of character,' Katara's at stake."

"What?" Katara shrieked.

"Don't worry, Katara." Sokka said, smiling protectively at her, "I'll do whatever he says. I won't let him hurt you."

"Well...thanks, but I wasn't really worried about you. I...was just surprised." She looked at me, angry and confused.

"I'm sorry, but...I just have a lot balancing here, and I can't let anything fall." I leaned in closer to Katara and said too quietly for Sokka to hear, "I probably wouldn't back up that claim, I just need keep Sokka in line. I would never hurt you." I flashed her a mischievous grin as I signaled Buijing to let Sokka go. Katara rolled her eyes and smiled. She wasn't mad, she just thought I was nuts. I found myself wondering if I really was.

I turned to Sokka and said, "You will hold Katara as 'our' prisoner and walk into the Fire Lord's Throne Room with me." Both Katara and Sokka gulped nervously. I shrugged helplessly, and they nodded understandingly.

After a few moments of final preparations of the ship, crew, and prisoners, we were ready. The four of us -Aang, Sokka, Katara, and I- began walking to the Palace. When we were stopped by the guards outside, I said firmly, "I am Crown Prince Zuko, and I have captured the Avatar. I request an audience with my father." The two guards let us in, but I could hear them chuckling to each other about it as we walked away.

All four of us paused at the enormous door and looked at each other nervously. I knew my three prisoners were extremely frightened; I figured I would be the only one to step up. So I nodded confidently and said, "Here we go."

"Yeah." said Sokka, "Good-bye, Aang. I'll miss ya."

Aang nodded. "I'll miss you, too, Sokka. Katara? I...guess this is good-bye. I...I love you."

"I love you too, Aang. I'll miss you more than ever." Katara said, smiling brightly.

I said, "I'm sorry about this. It's just how it's got to be. Good-bye, Aang." He nodded, but gave no clue as to whether he cared at all. But that didn't matter; I had a father to face. So, with Aang in chains in my arms, and Katara in Sokka's, we entered the Throne Room.

Fire Lord Ozai raised his chin from his crossed fingers as we entered. "Hello, Zuko."

When we were about ten feet from the Throne, we stopped. I roughly pushed Aang to the floor, and Sokka did the same with Katara, as planned. (The three of them, of course, didn't like the idea of it, but we had an act to keep up.) I, too, fell to my knees beside the Avatar and put my head to the floor, as did Sokka next to Katara. After a moment, however, Sokka lifted his head and torso. As a guard, he didn't have to stay down, according to the Fire Nation Laws of Respect.

Finally, my father spoke again, "I take it this boy...he is the Avatar?" Since my father asked me a question, I knew I was allowed now to rise.

I lifted my torso and answered from my knees, "Yes, sir." I was careful not to call him my father; not yet. He had not accepted me, and I did not want to offend him.

"I am suspicious of the truth of this statement, considering your apparently desperate desire to come home." he replied levelly.

I nodded, "I understand your wariness. However, I can prove that he is the Avatar, if you will allow it."

"Very well. Avatar, you may rise and prove yourself." Ozai replied, not batting an eye. I suspected he didn't trust that this was the Avatar, but I was all too ready to prove him wrong.

Aang also lifted his torso now, and looked to me. Nervously, I nodded, and tried to make it as inconspicuous as possible. I wasn't sure what my father would think of the Avatar looking to me for approval. Aang turned his head to the floor, and blew an enormous gust of wind down. This propelled his body upward about twenty feet, and the Fire Lord's eyes widened and he flinched backward into his throne. Aang kept the air going and stayed about fifteen feet up.

Regaining his composure, Ozai said firmly, "Alright, now come down!" Upon Aang's gentle landing, I grabbed the arm that was facing me roughly. He tried to shake me off for a moment, but when I squeezed his upper arm tighter, he stopped. Meanwhile, my father was looking at me in awe. "You...You've done it, Zuko. You have, after three years, captured the Fire Nation biggest threat!" He stood up and clapped his hands once. In an instant, two of his guards came in and grabbed Aang's shoulders. "Take the Avatar to our most secure prison cell." Ozai said to them. I saw Aang look at Katara briefly, and stood up, walking away with the guards.

When I turned back around, my father was standing a couple feet in front of me, so I dipped my head to the floor again. "I am proud of you, Zuko. I am proud because after all these years, you have still remained faithful to the Fire Nation. After three long years, you never gave up. Anad now, you have captured the Avatar, something neither I nor your grandfather could accomplish. You have done well, my son." I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. His son. "Welcome home."

He put his hand on my shoulder, and I rose. Katara shifted, and it occurred to me that after all this time, her back must be aching like crazy. "And who is this?" my father asked.

"She was traveling with the Avatar when I captured him, Father." I replied, relishing at the fact that I could again call this man my father.

"Really?" He cocked his head, "And...you have brought her here?"

"Well...I, um...I-..." I trailed off, not wanted to seem too rude after just now being accepted thirty seconds ago.

"Go on, my son. I will not think poorly of you, whatever it is you are nervous about."

"Thank you, Father. It's just...I was hoping that you would allow her to be my personal servant." I said, still feeling a bit awkward.

"Well of course, Zuko! You deserve it, after three years away from home. Besides, I suppose you are in need of one, seeing as I gave your old maid to your sister." I cringed at the sound. Ozai continued, "Speaking of things you require...Recently, I have grown a bit wary of our safety here. I have heard from some of my most trusted guards that there are a few people who do not support this war. I fear I may be overthrown. So, I have decreed that your sister, yourself, and I will have a personal guard with us as much of the time as possible. As well as a maid, of course, but that's obvious." I heard Katara breath out irritably, but, thankfully, my father didn't hear. "Girl, you may rise. What is your name?"

Katara now lifted, and I saw she looked a lot more fearful than I had predicted. Katara...she'd just always seemed so brave and determined. But now that she was face-to-face with the Fire Lord, she looked extremely frightened. I wanted desperately to comfort her; to take her away from this horrible situation for her. "K-K-Katara." she stuttered.

Ozai chuckled, and I almost went to her. But I held back, and I hated myself for it. "Don't fear me, Katara. I won't hurt you. At least...not yet." he said. Katara shut her eyes tightly. My father continued, "You will attend to my son as his maid and do whatever it is he tells you to do, understand?" She nodded quickly. Her fear was killing me; I could hardly stop myself from wrapping my arms around her and protecting her. "You will also be sharing a room with him, in case he needs anything during the night, understand?" Again, Katara quickly nodded her head. I suddenly remembered what I'd said: "I promise you that I will protect you in there."

"Father, please, you're frightening her!" I jumped to her side, and put my arm around her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around my torso and began crying into my chest.

"Oh..." Ozai said awkwardly, "Well...my apologies, Katara. I-...it's just a little automatic."

Katara calmed herself a little and said, "It's alright. C-Can I g-go now?" It was obvious that she was still pretty traumatized.

"Yes, in a moment." the Fire Lord turned his attention to me, "Will this man do as your guard?"

I tried not to grin at my secret as I replied, "Yes, he will do."

"Alright, then you may go to your old room, it's still clear. Oh, and...if this happens often," he gestured to Katara, "she'll have to go." I nodded understandingly; fortunately Katara was still too traumatized to hear. I noticed Sokka looking at me. I couldn't see his expression through the mask, but I could guess he wasn't too happy. So, I turned Katara over to him and walked out, with the two of them trailing behind.

My room looked exactly as it did three years ago, except there was an extra little sleeping mat by the door. "Guess that's for you." I said to Sokka as he sat Katara down on my bed and I closed the door.

"But where will Katara sleep?" he asked in reply.

"My bed, I guess. There's no other beds here." I said.

"What?" Sokka exclaimed, "No! Katara is not sleeping in the same bed as you!"

I rolled my eyes, "That bed must be ten feet long! It'll be fine." I put on a more sober face as I continued, "I promise you, Sokka, I respect your jurisdiction over Katara. I wouldn't try anything like that without your acceptance."

Sokka smiled, the mask now off, and said, "Thank you, Zuko. I hate to admit it, but...you're really being good to us, considering we're your prisoners."

I smiled back and said, "Your welcome. It's the least I could do, considering all I've put you through." I gestured to Katara, who had now fallen asleep. "Now...I've got some unfinished business with a certain little sister..."

Sokka chuckled, "Good luck with that."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get too cocky, there." I warned jokingly, "Watch Katara when I'm gone. If she wakes up, tell her she's got to change into that." I pointed to a maid's outfit lying on Sokka's mat. I thought about it for a moment, then added, "And she can keep the necklace on for now. We'll see what my father says."

I walked out the door and knocked on the one across the hall, ready to face Azula. And to, hopefully, finally be on an equal level with her.