Author's Note: Hey guys, here's chapter 25! I have winter break in 3 weeks, so hopefully I'll get back on track update-wise. I was on Thanksgiving break this past weekend and got some more writing done, so right now I'm up to chapter 37 (plus some). This is such a long story-kudos to you all for sticking with me :) As always, please review/follow/etc. and if you like this story, feel free to share it with friends!

Also, would you like longer chapters? Because I can definitely do that! Comment and let me know!

Disclaimer: I don't own any avatar characters yada yada yada

Zuko winced.

"It wouldn't hurt if you'd stop moving!" Jin snapped at him. She was trying to check the stitches she had given him the evening before, after his spar with the Prince. But everytime she touched the sensitive skin of his throat it sent a shock of pain around his neck and he'd pull back, only making it hurt more.

"Listen," Zuko grumbled, "I'm sure it's fine."

Jin pursed her lips but relented, balling up the wet rag she had used to wipe off the dried blood.

"I can't believe Sokka did that to you," she commented as she went to the basin to wash her hands. Zuko leaned back, watching her.

"Yeah, well, he's done worse," he said.

"Really?"

Zuko had never told Jin about the night Princess Katara healed him, and by the next time he saw her, his injuries were already healed. It was incredible, really, but he still didn't want her to know that Katara had helped him. After their excursion the night before, talking about her to Jin was just…awkward. Jin told him that she'd been happy to help, but Zuko saw the odd look in her eyes. Like she was waiting for him to confess to something. He had no idea what that was, so he figured it was just better to avoid the subject altogether.

"Yup," he said. "But you know, I'm pretty tough."

Jin laughed out loud and turned around, leaning against the wash basin. "Sure you are. That's why you almost blacked out while I was stitching you up."

Zuko hopped to his feet. "What? I did not!"

"Did too!" Jin said, taking a step towards him. "You just don't remember. Tell me, Zuko, do you always faint at the sight of blood?"

Zuko couldn't keep the smile off his face. "That's it." He reached behind Jin to the running water spout and flicked a handful of water at her, splashing her frizzy brown hair. She stared back at him, open-mouthed, and for a second Zuko thought she was going to slap him or something. But then she grabbed the wet, bloody cloth and snapped it at him, drenching his shirt. The two of them ran all around the wash room throwing cups of water at each other, laughing, and by the time a guard stepped through the door they were both soaked to the bone.

Jin, whom Zuko had just grabbed around the waist, looked up at the interruption, and her eyes went wide. She batted Zuko away and he let her go, feeling his face heat up. His damp clothes suddenly felt like evidence for a crime he hadn't realized he was committing.

The guard blankly looked at them for a moment before saying to Zuko, "The Prince requires your service." Zuko nodded and the guard left the room, leaving the door swinging shut, back and forth, behind him. Jin stared at the ground, eyes wide and hands clasped over her face.

"Jin," Zuko started, worried.

"I can't believe we just did that," she said, voice muffled. But when she looked up her eyes were bright. Zuko smiled back and nudged her arm, noticing for the first time how green her eyes were. They looked like gems, sparkling with adrenaline, hypnotizing him.

After a few moments, Zuko realized he was staring right at her and cleared his throat, awkwardly breaking the silence. "I should—um—I should go."

Jin giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Yeah, you should. Prince Soiled-Underpants is waiting for you."

Zuko accompanied the Prince to breakfast and helped him get dressed as he did everyday. When they got to the classroom Sokka sat down at his desk and Zuko took his usual spot behind him. But they didn't wait for Katara and Toph. Zuko considered pointing this out, but decided against it. Master Udan didn't ask where they were, and Sokka didn't offer any explanation.

By the end of the lesson, during which Sokka read and copied more war scrolls while Zuko tried not to fall asleep from boredom, Zuko found himself worrying about Katara. She had been seriously injured and he knew from experience that it was hard to bounce back from that. What if she hadn't healed herself properly and was lying in a corner somewhere, half-dead? He couldn't help but feel responsible. If only he hadn't said what he did, she wouldn't have run away like that. He could have made sure she was okay, that she healed herself all the way.

He didn't know where those words had come from. You're weak. Why did he say that? He was mad, of course, but not at her. Her father had been the one to hurt her. But if she really was the powerful bender everyone said she was, why couldn't she defend herself? Maybe it wasn't a matter of "couldn't" so much as "wouldn't." Would he stand against his own father if he felt threatened?

My father isn't a ruthless dictator, Zuko reminded himself. Still, if his father tried to hurt him, would he be able to defend himself?

Zuko's scar throbbed. But that had been different. There were different circumstances, complications. He had acted dishonorably and had been punished appropriately. His scar was his burden to bear, his reminder of his lineage and position as heir to the Fire Nation throne. That was different from this. Katara's father hurt her out of sheer pride, to show that he was more powerful than her. It wasn't right.

Master Udan dismissed Sokka for the day and Zuko accompanied him down to his chambers where Sokka waved him off.

"If Katara gets a day off, so do I. Don't bother me anymore." Zuko rolled his eyes at the Prince's back. He acting more bitter than usual, and Zuko hoped part of it was because he'd beaten him yesterday. Zuko smiled at the thought as he headed down the corridor towards the stairs. But then he stopped halfway, hesitating outside of a door, one he had never been inside.

He looked at it for a minute, debating. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she was still angry with him? But he needed to know that she was okay. He glanced both ways, making sure no one else was around, before softly knocking once, twice on the thick wooden door. It was a dark, grainy wood, obviously old, with the Water Empire crest carved into it. Zuko wondered if Katara had done that or if it had already been there when she moved into the room.

No one had answered the door and he was about to leave when he heard quiet movement behind the door.

"Who is it?" a voice asked from inside, one he didn't recognize.

"Um, it's Zuko. I'm a servant. From upstairs?" he said, hating how idiotic he sounded. He waited hopefully, waiting for a sound of recognition, and then there was a muted clank and the door opened to reveal a woman with dark skin and hazel eyes, wearing a simple blue dress, peering out at him.

"The Princess is not here right now," she said, "but you're welcome to wait. I was just cleaning her room." The woman opened the door all the way and gestured for Zuko to enter. He walked through the threshold and felt an unusual sort of rush. He had dreamed of this moment so many times. He was in the Water Empire Princess's room. Granted, when he'd thought about it in the past, he'd pictured himself breaking in and slitting her throat, not sitting on her bed, waiting for her to return so he could make sure she was still alive.

Still, the room looked different than he'd imagined. He thought it would either be all girly—with lace and dolls and frilly things—or with Water Empire emblems all over the place, like the Fire Nation emblems in his room back home. The palace decorators had designed his room, and he didn't care enough to replace the blood-red curtains and bedspread with the Fire insignia with something subtler. But this place was a delicate mix of both. Everything was blue or white, and the decorations were enough so Zuko could tell Katara was proud of her heritage, but not obsessed with it. A waterbending scroll hung on the wall above her bed, a place of prominence, and Zuko studied it. A few of the images looked similar to firebending stances, and without realizing it, Zuko's hands were moving, mirroring the stances on the scroll. While firebending was all strength and decisive actions, waterbending seemed to be more fluid and graceful, but with a steady undertow that suggested a hidden power coming not from the movements, but from the bender himself.

Zuko had just stepped up onto the bed to get a better look when he heard the faint click of the door.

"Wait, stop!" Toph said, holding out an arm to keep Katara from entering her room. Katara froze, hand on the doorknob, looking down at the girl with concern. Toph was staring straight ahead, seemingly at nothing. But her body was alert. She seemed to be listening to something, and just as Katara was about to ask if she should call a guard, Toph relaxed.

"Never mind, I know who it is."

"Who?" Katara asked, wondering not only who it was but how Toph knew. Ignoring her, Toph confidently entered the room.

"Hey there, Sparky," Toph said as Katara trailed behind. At first the room looked empty and everything was in order. Only when Katara turned did she see Zuko standing on her bed, watching them with wide eyes like a child who had been caught stealing pastries from the kitchen.

If he didn't look so ridiculous Katara might have been shocked to see him in her room, but as it was, she started chuckling.

"Wait, what did you call me?" Zuko asked, stepping back from the wall, but his foot slipped off the side of the bed and he fell, bouncing off the mattress to land face-first on the floor. Toph laughed, throwing back her head and expressing more emotion than she'd ever seen from her, and Katara hurried forward to help Zuko.

"Are you okay?" she asked, fighting back a smile herself.

Zuko looked up at her, something complicated in his eyes, before nodding. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Katara helped him sit up and lean back against her bed. "But how are you? Are you okay?"

Katara furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "What do you mean?"

His cheeks flushed pink and he ran a hand through his hair, mussed from his fall. "You weren't at your lessons today."

Katara lifted her chin. "Ah, yes. That. Well," she started, standing up and brushing off her dress, "Toph and I decided to go out today. That's all."

As she went to hang up her cloak, Zuko sat on the side of her bed. Toph was still cackling in the corner, tears streaming down her face, and Zuko frowned at her. Katara fumbled around with the jewelry on the top of her dresser, more to keep her hands busy than anything.

"Is that really all?" he asked quietly.

Katara looked down. The room grew silent as Toph stopped laughing, and she heard the swish of fabric as she took off her traveling cloak.

"I think that's my cue to leave," Toph said. "Call me if you need anything, sweetums." Katara looked after her as she left the room, immensely grateful for the girl's company that morning.

After introductions, Lilit had sat them down at a table in the corner and brought them three cups of tea. She asked about Kya, and Katara told her as much as she could without making the woman worry. But Lilit could see through her lies, even if she didn't say as much. She had grown up in the Earth Kingdom as a little girl, and had traveled to the Water Empire as a refugee when her parents were killed in a landslide. She had to work and fight for everything she had now. Because of that, she was quick as a water-whip and just as tough. One could be fooled by her kind, motherly nature. But if you got on her bad side, she knew a hundred different ways to poison your tea.

So when Lilit had asked how her mother was really doing, Katara had no choice but to tell her the truth.

"Their relationship is…strained," Katara said, picking her words carefully. Even if she couldn't lie, she wouldn't divulge such sensitive information out in public, just in case anyone recognized them and realized who they were talking about. As far as the Empire was concerned, Kya and Hakoda's marriage was the ideal, a template for every marriage in the Water Empire. If the citizens knew how bad it was, it might cause unrest.

"Is she okay, though?" Lilit asked, concern swimming in her dark green eyes. Katara nodded and hurried to reassure her.

"Of course. You know Mother: she's strong."

Lilit squeezed their entwined hands. "Yes, she is."

They didn't stay long after that. Katara could sense Toph getting anxious, and Lilit started asking questions about her father, who was the very last person Katara felt like talking about. And if she started, she might not be able to stop; she might tell Lilit everything, and she knew the older woman wouldn't be happy with the Emperor. She might do something drastic, and Katara couldn't have that. Not for her father's sake, of course. She just didn't want Lilit to get in trouble

"Well," Lilit said as they were heading out the door, "you tell your mother that I'm looking for another brewer if she's interested. She was the best employee I ever had." She and Katara shared a knowing smile. There was no way her mother would leave the palace and her responsibilities to come work in a tea shop, no matter how wonderful the place was, and they both knew it. Still, it was a nice gesture.

"I will," Katara said, and gave the woman a long hug.

"Katara?" a voice cut through, interrupting the memory. Katara could still feel Lilit's thin yet sturdy arms around her shoulders. With a sigh she dropped the bracelets she was holding and turned to Zuko.

"What do you want me to say?"

He looked up at her, his eyes blazing. "I want you to tell me the truth. I think you owe me at least that, considering what happened last night."

Katara bit her lip. It was one thing for Zuko to speculate about her father and the things he had done, but it was another thing entirely for her to speak ill of him to a servant. To anyone, really. Zuko moved to the left leaving room for Katara to sit, and she did. He didn't press her to speak, but she knew he wouldn't give up if she tried to change the subject.

Was she really going to talk to him about this? They hardly knew each other!

But, she acknowledged, I should have expected this after going to him last night. And she could always threaten to have him thrown to the polar bear-dogs if he told anyone.

She took a deep breath.