Back at the Jasmine Dragon, business was going about as usual. Though, the shop was busier than usual. No one minded this, though, especially Iroh. The only real problem was that his nephew was distracted.

"Are you feeling all right, Zuko?" he checked.

"I'm fine," he answered. "Why?"

"You seem diverted by something. Is Mai angry with you again?"

"When isn't she anymore?" He sighed. "Either way, no, it's not that. And I am fine."

"Not to be rude," Katara started, "but could you two just stop chatting? We need to make these tea orders. I'm falling a bit behind as it is."

"Right, of course," Iroh replied.

"And you know, Toph, you could help as well," she pointed out.

"I'm blind, though, so I'd probably just mess everything up," she responded. "I'll just continue to sit here instead."

Katara rolled her eyes, but she didn't say anything else. The four of them fell silent as the three went back to making the tea to fulfill the orders they had. Mai, Aang, and Suki, on the other hand, were shuffling back and forth between the backroom and the front room to deliver said orders. And then the next thing they knew, Jet walked in.

"Hello there," he greeted them.

"Now's not the time, Jet," Katara said back.

"Too bad because this," he pulled out a scroll, "just came for the Fire Lord."

Zuko dropped what he was doing and refocused his attention. "What is it?"

"I'm not the Fire Lord so I don't know."

He walked up to Jet and took the scroll. He unrolled it and read the letter. He let out a sigh when he finished.

"Is something wrong?" Iroh checked.

"I need to get back to the Fire Nation," Zuko replied.

"What?" Mai asked as she, Aang, and Suki reentered the backroom. "Why?"

"Apparently there have been riots caused by those few citizens who still believe in Ozai's rule," he informed. "It'd be best if I left as soon as possible." He turned to head upstairs.

"Do you wanna take Appa?" Aang checked.

"Thank you, but I'll just arrange a ship."

"That alone could take a few days," Suki pointed out. "Plus the time it'll take to actually get to the Fire Nation."

He sighed. "Well I don't frigging know!" His head fell into his hands before he ran his fingers through his hair, slightly pulling at it. "What do you think would be best, Uncle?"

"Arrange the ship, but have Aang bring you to the edge of the Earth Kingdom on his bison," Iroh answered. "No matter what you do, the travel time will be at least two weeks. Also, I don't think you should go back alone."

"I'll be going with him," Mai decided.

"Going with whom where?" Katalina questioned as she and Sokka joined them in the backroom.

"Zuko is being called upon as Fire Lord," Jet answered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka wondered.

"He got a letter stating that he's needed in the Fire Nation," Toph clarified.

"Oh," Katalina said shortly. "What's wrong?"

"People are rioting," Zuko informed her.

"I'll close the shop early today so I can go arrange a ship for you," Iroh decided. "And don't try to talk me out of it because it won't be a problem."

"Then I'll take you to the ship on Appa," Aang reiterated. "Speaking of which," he turned to Katalina and Sokka, "how was flying?"

"It was actually a lot of fun," Katalina admitted. "I never thought in a million years I would enjoy flying so much, but I was wrong."

"You went flying?" Jet stated.

"Instead of chatting, we could use help around the shop with these last few tea orders," Mai interrupted. And she left the backroom.

"I should get ready to leave," Zuko spoke up. And he went upstairs.

"So you two took longer than we expected," Toph then cut back in.

"We lost track of time," Katalina replied.

"Yeah, that's easy to do when you're flying," Aang declared.

"We should probably get back to helping Mai before she freaks out again," Suki then suggested.

"Right," he agreed. And the two of them left the backroom.

"Is Mai vicious to everyone?" Jet asked.

"Only when Lina's around," Katara replied.

Katalina laughed at this. "Whatever. At least she'll be gone for a good month."

"So will Zuko," Sokka pointed out.

"Shut up."

"Maybe this will be the trip he needs to help him realise how awful Mai is," Jet thought aloud. "Maybe they'll come home broken up, and then Lina—"

"You have to tell Jin first," she cut him off.

"Not if they're broken up!" he denied.

"I'm not telling Zuko anything until you tell Jin everything."

"I hate you."

"Good for you."

"Lina!" Zuko then called from atop the stairs.

"I'm being summoned," she said. She then headed upstairs and met Zuko in his room. "What's up?"

"I was just thinking about how I'm pretty sure I promised you that if I had to go anywhere I would take you with me," he rambled.

"And?"

"And now I have to go to the Fire Nation," he stated. "So would you want to come with me?"

"Mai's going with you," she replied. "So I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to go as well."

"But I could be gone for at least a month."

She nodded. "I'm aware."

"You'd be okay with that?"

"Of course I would be. Besides, this could be a good chance for you and Mai to sort of…reestablish your relationship."

"It could also be a good chance for you and me to reestablish our friendship."

"Zuko, I can't go."

He sighed, looking down. "I'd rather have you come with me, but I can't tell Mai that."

"Wait, why would you rather I go with you?"

"You'd be more helpful."

"Don't say that."

"I'm sorry, but it's true."

"Zuko—"

"What's going on in here?" Mai suddenly asked, interrupting them.

"Nothing," he denied.

"He was only asking me what I think he should bring with him," Katalina lied. "I told him to just worry about the essentials."

"You could have asked me that," Mai pointed out.

"Lina was available; you were busy."

"And you couldn't have waited until I wasn't busy?"

"You really need to get off his case," Katalina declared. "You should trust him a hell of a lot more than you do."

"I do trust him. It's—"

"—me you don't trust. Yeah, I get that. Get off my case, then. Okay? I'm not trying to break you two up, nor am I trying to steal him from you. I'm not like that. Besides," she paused, swallowing hard, "we're just friends."

She pursed her lips. "Please, you don't even believe that lie."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned to leave.

"Lina!" Zuko stopped her, grabbing her hand. "Why don't the three of us sit down and try to talk this out?"

Katalina pulled her hand free. "Have fun on your trip home." And she walked away without even another glance.

"Maybe we should stay in the Fire Nation once we get there," Mai suggested after a few moments of silence.

"Maybe I should just go alone," he said back. "I'm getting real sick of your attitude towards Lina."

"I told you to choose."

"And I told you I wasn't going to. But trust me, you're making the decision a hell of a lot easier."

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"I don't care if you don't like her, Mai. At least, be civil with her. She has shown you nothing but respect."

"Yeah, when you're around."

He shook his head. "She's not like that."

"I can't believe you're defending her over me. You always defend her over me! It's bullshit!"

"She's my best friend!"

"And I'm your girlfriend! Or is she on her way to becoming that, too?"

"No," he denied almost instantly. "You heard her…we're just friends."

"You don't sound too enthused by that."

He sighed. "You're reading too deep into this."

"Am I?"

"Yes!"

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this trip goes." She then left.

Zuko fell onto his bed with another heavy sigh. "Lina isn't going to become my girlfriend," he said again to himself. "It doesn't seem she wants to be…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "I wish I could read her mind. Then I'd know if I should feel the way I do."