A week and a half had gone by since the incident. And since it happened, Katalina had been spending everyday working on the construction of the city. Working kept her mind off the incident, which was exactly what she wanted. And she was sure to work far away from Jet, Yolanda, Hakara, Jin, and Shion. She didn't want any of them getting caught in a possible crossfire.

She couldn't stay away forever, though. And every evening she returned to the Jasmine Dragon. Then it was there she was reminded of the incident because Zuko kept bringing it up.

"So it's been one week now," he stated once she got back that night.

She froze before shaking her head and continuing to clean the dirty dishes from the day. "Yeah, it's been a week," she confirmed.

Jet, Mai, and Iroh looked back and forth from Kairi to Zuko. They knew what was coming, but they refused to leave. After all, they were less prone to argue when others were around.

"How have you been holding up?" he checked.

"I'm constantly looking over my shoulder," she admitted.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't constantly be alone."

"I'm not."

"You know what I mean, Lina."

"Maybe you should stop bringing it up every damn single day."

He sighed. "I'm trying to help you move past this. I mean, this isn't something you can just ignore."

"I'm not ignoring it," she denied. "My paranoia won't let me. Trust me, if I could ignore it I would."

"Well, trust me when I say that ignoring a situation doesn't help and it definitely doesn't make it go away."

"Like you would know."

"Excuse me? Don't you think I wanted to ignore what my father did to me? Don't you think I wanted to ignore the fact that he burned me? Of course I did! I couldn't, though, because he left a permanent reminder on my face!" He pointed to the scar covering his left eye. "I got through it, though, because I was able to accept what happened and move past it."

"Yeah, three years later," she muttered.

He clenched his jaw. "You're doing it again, Lina." He turned to the others. "Could you three please leave?"

"No," Mai denied shortly.

"Yes we can," Jet replied.

The three of them then headed upstairs, Jet practically dragging Mai along with him.

Zuko turned back on Katalina. "Listen," he began, "I know what it feels like to be ambushed and attacked like that. So I know it's hard and I know it's painful, but you have to realise that it wasn't just some nightmare. Two people tried to kill you. That memory won't go away; it'll haunt you for the rest of your life. And I know what I'm saying to you now may not seem helpful, but I'm just trying to face you against reality. And if that means having to say flat out that two people tried to kill you, then I will say it." He paused. "You almost died, Lina, because two people tried to kill you."

She suddenly turned on her heel and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back.

"You're right," she whispered. "All week I've been trying to convince myself that it didn't really happen; that it was just some nightmare. Yet I'm paranoid and feel like I can't turn my back on anyone or else they might pull a knife on me. Because it wasn't a nightmare. It was real life."

"Sometimes real life is the cruelest nightmare of all."

Katalina spit out a laugh as tears spilled from her eyes. Zuko wiped them away for her, smiling.

"You have to keep in mind that I'm here for you, Lina," he then told her. "Mai isn't going to change that, either. I'm here for you, along with Uncle and Jet and all your other friends. You can talk to any of us."

She shook her head. "For some reason I only feel comfortable talking to you. Like you're the only one who won't get hurt because you're the Fire Lord now. But if I talk to anyone else about it, they'll be targeted, too."

"Then talk to me." He brought her back into him; back into another hug. "Talk to me and I will listen."

She buried her face in his chest as silent tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She slightly gripped his clothes, too, not wanting him to let her go.

"Zuko," she choked, looking up at him.

"Yes?"

"If I were to tell you something ridiculous, would you get angry with me?"

He looked down at her. "I think it depends on how ridiculous. Why? Did you do something ridiculous?"

"Well, I guess you could call it that. It's ridiculous for me, at least."

He chuckled a bit. "Katalina, what did you do?"

She paused before shaking her head. "Nothing, never mind it." She pushed herself away from him and turned back to the dishes she had been washing before. "I guess I just find it ironic how only a week ago I was trying so hard to keep my distance and now all I want is to be with you."

"Why is that ridiculous?" he wondered.

"Because it's me."

"I don't get it…"

"Let's just drop it, then," she replied.

He thought for a moment. "Fine," he gave in.

"Thank you."

As she went on washing the dishes, she could feel his eyes burning through her, just like they had been a week earlier.

"I'll go tell the Uncle, Mai, and Jet that they can come back down now," he broke the silence that had fallen between them.

As Zuko walked away, Katalina turned to face him. And once he was up the stairs and out of sight she said to herself, "It was ridiculous of me to have fallen in love with you."