Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter is even longer than any of the others, so good luck reading it all...I was gonna make it 2 chaps but then both of those were a bit too short so I'm just gonna give this to you guys in apology for not updating last week. I'm officially 2 weeks into Spring semester, so I haven't had a lot of free time. Hopefully I can keep updating semi-regularly! Also, I know the ending is stupid and corny, but I don't have the energy to fix it. So enjoy this monster chapter! Love you guys 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing (except my characters so suck it Nickelodean or however you spell your confusing name)

If Zuko never saw a sea clam again in his lifetime, it would be too soon.

With the Supreme War Summit only four days away, everyone was scrambling to finish last-minute details, one of them including shelling clams. Jin and Orchard had been working on the task for the past two days, and Zuko had helped whenever he wasn't preoccupied with Sokka, who was training now harder than ever, since he wouldn't be able to during the festivities.

He had told Zuko that the royals were expected to attend all the events one night when they were sparring.

"That means you'll probably be there, too," Sokka said, thrusting his sword at Zuko's stomach, which he dodged easily.

"Do I have to go?"

"A lot of servants will be needed to wait on the nobles. The Northerners are awfully high-maintenance compared to us."

Just the thought of that filled Zuko with dread. If Sokka of all people thought the nobles from the North were high-maintenece, they must be really bad. Plus, he'd be stuck for days in the same place as Katara, which would be torture in and of itself.

It was one of the hardest things he'd had to do since arriving in the South to keep from talking to her, from apologizing (for nothing), from begging her to talk to him again. He knew he was the one who had initiated the silence between them, but she had kept it up. And now every time he saw her in class or in walking in the hall, he had to pretend not to see her, or to be busy with something else. He wanted to talk to her. Desperately.

But he couldn't just forget what she said. Of what she had accused his father. The very idea was preposterous. His father was a good man and a great ruler who just wanted peace. Her father was the evil one.

And yet, her words tugged the fibers of his mind like a minnow teasing a fishing line. She'd gotten under his skin. And he hated the doubt she had planted there.

Because he had deserved his punishment. And Uncle deserved to be banished. There had to be law and order, and the law had to be upheld. It was the duty of the Fire Lord to see to that.

Zuko touched a salty finger to his cheek, feeling the rough, scaly skin there, and tried to empty his troubled mind. Clams, he thought. Focus on clams.

"Hey, you okay?" Jin asked from across the table, a knife in one hand and an open shell in the other.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

He wasn't fine. He'd been in a bad mood ever since that fight and wasn't doing a good job of hiding it. Toph had noticed—she complained about it one day after class—and apparently others noticed too.

"Don't worry," Orchard chirped obliviously. "Only four more barrels to go, and then we're done!"

Zuko eyed the wooden barrels of clams waiting in the corner with disdain, and noticed Jin doing the same. When their gazes met she half-smiled. It seemed that his falling-out with Katara had pleased her significantly. Whereas before she had been distant and reserved, she had now reverted to her old self, chatting with him whenever they happened to cross paths, grabbing him an extra cookie at dinner (the chef, Loq, loved her), and sharing stories about her day before they fell asleep. It was getting colder, so they were sharing an extra blanket at night which honestly made Zuko a little uncomfortable, but he didn't protest; he needed all the friends he could get if he was ever going to get through this fight with Katara.

"Let's talk about something else," Jin piped up. "Have you guys heard about the ball?"

"No. What about it?" Orchard asked, leaning in excitedly. Zuko was pretty sure he knew what Jin was talking about—Sokka had told him a few days ago.

"Apparently the Empress has requested that all servants be allowed to attend," Jin said.

Orchard made a happy noise. Jin nodded, picking up another shell. "Of course, we're expected to be working the whole night, but at least we get to be there. Oh, and she's having fabric shipped in from one of the Empire colonies so we can make dress clothes!"

While the two of them planned their ensembles for the occasion, Zuko gloomed over his pile of clams. He had never liked dances. Even back in the fire nation he used to hide in his bedroom whenever his parents held a ball, reading scrolls or training. Of course, it wasn't like he was allowed to go to them, anyway. Since his identity was kept secret when he was growing up, attending a very crowded, very public gathering was simply out of the question. His parents allowed him to go to the masquerade ball the royal family held every winter, on the condition he wore a mask, but he still refused the invitation. He didn't like to dance. It was foolish and demeaning, and not appropriate for a Fire Nation prince.

Plus, he couldn't dance to save his life.

But no one knew that other than himself, because he had never danced in front of anyone before. He had tried one time in the privacy of his own room and had almost set the entire palace on fire.

So no, he did not want to attend the ball. But Sokka had already made it clear that Zuko was expected to be there, and in formal wear. He was going to lend him one of his old outfits that "didn't fit him anymore" (even thought Zuko was taller and broader than Sokka) so he didn't look like a commoner while he was serving him. Zuko had given in, albeit reluctantly, so when Jin offered to sew him a new dress shirt, Zuko refused politely.

"Aren't you going?" she asked.

"Yes, but I don't need you to make me a shirt."

Her face fell. "Oh."

"Not that I wouldn't want you to make me one!" he said quickly, realizing he sounded like a jerk. "I mean, I would—but I don't, so you don't have to."

Orchard looked at him oddly, Jin stared at her clam, and Zuko mentally kicked himself.

I'm an idiot.

"Do you have a date?" Orchard asked then, completely out of nowhere, and Jin's head jerked up.

Zuko swallowed thickly. "I'm going to be working all night."

Orchard rested her chin on her hands, ignoring the small heap of clams waiting to be un-shelled. "So will we. It's just that some of the staff are going together for fun. I mean, I have a date, but I know that Jin doesn't. Yet," she added, wagging her bushy eyebrows.

Jin flushed and shot Orchard a glare. Zuko looked down, wanting nothing more than to disappear. Honestly, he hadn't even considered going with anyone.

Unwelcomely, Katara's face flashed across his mind. He shook off the image, ashamed for letting her back into his head. He'd been doing so well, too. Clams, he thought doggedly, focus on clams.

"I-I mean," Jin stuttered shyly, "if you don't have anyone to go with already, I'd be happy to. You know, go with you. To the ball." Her cheeks were crimson and her eyes hopeful. But there was also a hint of suspicion lurking in them, and Zuko could tell she was dying to know if he was planning on going with a certain royal. Which he wasn't. She would probably ignore him the whole night, anyway.

Still, it felt wrong to go with another girl, especially someone who obviously liked him. It felt wrong to pretend to reciprocate those feelings if they weren't real. It was dishonest and slightly cruel. So he plastered on his most charming smile, hoping it wouldn't look too fake.

"Sorry, but I think Prince Sokka might get jealous if I go with another girl."

This, thankfully, made them both laugh and eased the tension that had been building in the room. It did nothing, however, for the tension that still loomed in his chest.

No matter what she did, Katara could not get Toph to talk. Pleading, bribery, even threatening her didn't work. The girl was an iron prison when it came to her secrets.

"Keep trying, sweetcakes. It ain't gonna work," she smirked at Katara, who was standing in front of the girl with a tray of fresh kelp cookies. Toph grabbed one and gnawed on it noisly.

"No secrets, no cookies," Katara grumbled, snatching back the tray and setting it on the table. She desperately wanted to know what she'd been discussing with Bumi at the tea shop, but Toph had been steady in her silence. Katara imagined it was something unimportant, maybe some Earth Kingdom business, but there was always the slim chance it was dangerous. Even though she was fairly certain Toph wouldn't do anything to hurt her, she couldn't say the same for her family. She seemed to like Sokka well enough (even though she called him a "dunce" to his face on a regular basis), but she didn't hide her disdain for her father.

Toph had only met the Emperor on a few occasions when Katara summoned her during an Audience, and a few meals, but neither of them had made a good impression on the other. Katara assumed Toph hated him so much because it was his soldiers that had captured and taken her from her home. And the Emperor hated everyone, so it was no surprise that Toph was not an exception.

On the other hand, she seemed to love Kya. Everyone loved her mother. Even in the midst of all this pre-summit craziness, she was just as loving and respectable as always, if not a bit frazzled. Katara was doing everything she could to help out, and had enlisted Toph in the operation as well, giving her plenty of opportunities to try and get the girl to talk.

"Whatever it is, Toph, I could help," Katara tried again. They were in the dining hall where the royal family had their meals, but it looked completely transformed. The single rectangular table had been replaced with three long, narrow wooden tables that almost ran the length of the room. Blue and white draperies hung along the walls and at least 50 candleabras were set up. When they were lit in a few days, the entire room would glow blue-gold with the reflection of the flames on the ice. It would be beautiful.

Katara and Toph were supposed to be working on the table settings, getting everything in place for the hundred nobles that would be dining in the room. The bed chambers were already prepared—the staff had been working tirelessly for the past few days, Toph included.

She sounded tired when she said, "It's not a big deal."

"If it's not a big deal, then why can't you tell me?"

Toph sighed and dropped a fork onto one of the porcelain plates, making an echoing clatter in the spacious room. A few workers turned to look and Katara glared at them until they went back to work.

"Seriously, Katara. Just drop it."

She knew Toph was getting annoyed when she started using her actual name rather than her charming pet names. Katara folded another napkin, sticking Toph's dropped silverware into it. It really was going to be beautiful in here. After the feast all the tables and dishes would be cleared and they would empty the space for the ball. There would be live musicians and dancing. Men and women from the North and South would mingle and enjoy the festivities. There was even going to be a memorial for Reya set up in the courtyard where people could pay their respects. It had been Kya's idea and even though he didn't say as much, Katara knew that Sokka appreciated it.

His attitude had brightened considerably in the past week, probably due to his increased training. Since she wasn't spending so much time with Zuko, he had more free time to spar with Sokka.

Ugh. She let out a deep breath. She'd been doing so good, not thinking about him. Katara had been so preoccupied with Toph's mystery meeting that it gave her mind some respite from Zuko's cold shoulder. But yet again, he had infiltrated her thoughts.

"You alright sweetness?" Toph asked, already halfway down the table.

Katara had to pick up the pace. "Yeah, I'm fine." Toph shrugged but evidently didn't believe her. It was the most curious thing; she always seemed to know how Katara was feeling, even when she didn't say anything. And she certainly couldn't see it on her face. She was so…perceptive. If Katara didn't know better, she might think the girl was lying about being blind.

But of course she wasn't. Toph couldn't see. It was a fact. Indisputable. Still, she watched the girl out of the corner of her eye, the way her hands moved so surely over the place settings, gracefully folding napkins and tucking the silverware within them. There was no hesitation, no doubt. Yet her gaze was somewhere across the room, staring at something unseen.

It was fascinating.

As she watched, Toph's face changed, shifting from contentedness to confusion, and then understanding. "Hey there, Sparky."

Katara turned just as Zuko walked through the double doors leading into the room. His steps faltered when he saw her, and she noticed his eyes flicker to the door, as if he wanted to turn right back around. But he didn't. Instead, he walked around to Toph's side of the table.

"Hey Toph," he greeted her, ignoring Katara completely. "Listen, I need a favor."

"Depends what it is."

Zuko sighed but continued. "Sokka just told me that, since I'll have to be with him the night of the ball, I have to be able to…entertain his guests. And by that he means I'll have to dance with the girls he doesn't think are pretty enough, but can't turn down because they're daughters of important people, or something."

Katara stifled a laugh and Zuko shot her a look. Sokka had a bad habit of passing off his less desirable partners to whatever unlucky servant he chose to accompany him. Last time they'd held a ball in the palace, that unlucky servant was a 60-year old man with balding hair and a snaggle-tooth, so Katara thought the girls were actually the unlucky ones. But she could only imagine the attention Zuko would get at the ball. Girls would be lining up to be tossed aside by her brother.

This put an especially sour taste in Katara's mouth, and she redirected her annoyance to the table settings.

"So what?" Toph asked, unaffected.

"So, I need you to teach me to dance." He sounded ridiculously embarrassed, saying this, and Katara looked up to see the skin from his cheeks to the tips of his ears flaring red. Somehow, Katara wasn't surprised. Zuko wasn't the most coordinated person to start with. Even within the short time she'd spent with him, and the even shorter time they'd spent not ignoring each other, Zuko had stumbled or tripped over his own feet more times than she could count.

"Not gonna happen, buddy."

Zuko groaned. "You can't dance either?"

"Don't insult me, Hotpants," Toph snorted. "Of course I can dance. I'm basically a professional. But that doesn't mean I want to teach you. I got better things to do with my time."

"What, like folding napkins and polishing silver?"

She smiled. "Exactly."

"Why don't you just ask Jin?" Katara said, blurting it out before she could stop herself. She didn't sound jealous exactly, but she definintely sounded spiteful, even to her own ears.

By the frown on Zuko's face, Katara could tell he had considered this option, which only aggravated her further.

"I would, but…I can't."

"And why not?" she asked, shining a knife on her sleeve. She was probably overstepping the fragile boundry they'd established in their silence, but she couldn't stop herself. Now she was curious.

"I—um—I don't want her to, you know. Get the wrong idea."

Katara's heart pounded unevenly in her chest.

Toph smirked. "Well, I happen to know that her Highness her is an excellent dancer." She leaned forward on the table, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Toph!"

"What? I've heard you prancing around your room plenty of times."

Katara steamed at the girl, but also watched Zuko, gauging his reaction. The ball was in his court.

He looked at her, dubious, and ran a hand through his hair. She could see the misgiving written clearly on his face, and just when she expected him to refuse, he sighed.

"I guess that would be alright. Do you mind?" he asked Katara with a sheepish look.

Katara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Not at all."

They met that night in the dining hall after everyone had gone to bed. Zuko didn't want to risk anyone seeing him and Katara had agreed. He really didn't want to do this, but what other choice did he have? Knowing Sokka, he would be on his feet all night, and he didn't want to look like an idiot in front of everyone. (Not that he cared what a bunch of Water Empire people thought of him.) In fact, looking like a klutz on the dance floor would probably make him even more inconspicuous. But he had already made up his mind.

Of course Toph wouldn't make things easy for him. Even though he wasn't quite as mad at Katara anymore, what she had said about his father still stuck with him. Being in the same room with her had confused him more than he anticipated. He wanted to hate her—it would make everything so much simpler—but then she had looked at him, and he saw in her eyes how much this stalemate between them was affecting her, too.

By the time he was supposed to go meet her, he had resigned himself to it. He wouldn't forgive her—no, not yet. But he would give her a chance. For now, that had to be enough. Toph played lookout while Zuko snuck out of his room and Katara met him on the second floor. By the time he got there she had already lit a few candles, casting a ghostly glow over the room just bright enough to see what they were doing.

"So, how do we do this?" Zuko asked quietly as he approached Katara. They were both dressed in what they'd been wearing earlier that day, but Katara said it didn't matter. In the Water Empire it was customary for women to wear gowns, but men still wore pants, although they were definintely nicer than his, which were threadbare and full of holes.

"Well," she started, setting down the match she'd been using to light the candles, "the traditional dances of the Water Empire, dating back to the time of the spirits, were used to control the tides. The moon and ocean spirits—"

"Tui and La," Zuko interrupted. He knew the legends. He expected Katara to be surprised, but she just nodded.

"That's right. They used this dance to push and pull the tides, to keep the balance between the earth and the sea. Humans learned to mimic the dance, and so learned how to waterbend."

Katara held out one arm from her body and crossed the other over it. Then she motioned for Zuko to do the same. He did, and they began to move in a slow circle.

"So this dance has to do with the push and pull between partners; the transfer of energy between them, bending not the elements, but the energy within each other."

Zuko watched the light thrown from the candles flicker across Katara's face as they turned around each other. The entire thing was ridiculous. Push and pull? Transfer of energy? He wanted to hate it. He wanted to think it was ridiculous. He wanted to throw up his hands and storm from the room, forget that Toph had ever encouraged them to do this, forget that he had agreed to it.

But as Katara brought her arm back and around her body, Zuko found himself doing the same.

As he watched her face soften under the faint light, going through these motions so similar to waterbending, he realized that this was far from ridiculous.

They turned away from each other, bending low to the ground and brushing the floor with their fingertips, and when Zuko turned back around, Katara was inches from him.

"Now, you take my hand."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes, her expression fearful. She was afraid he would leave. Whatever kind of peace the two of them had reached was so fragile, could be so easily shattered. Zuko hated that it had to be that way.

So he pressed the palm of his hand to hers, lining up their fingers, his a little longer than hers, her hands calloused against his scarred skin.

That familiar shudder of electricity sparked down his arm as they turned in a circle, hands touching, eyes following each other's movements. Katara moved his hand to the small of her back and let him direct her through the dance.

And he could feel it. The push and pull. The transfer of energy. He couldn't explain it if someone asked; it was just a feeling. A feeling of being so absolutely in sync with another person that he felt like he could bend the very sun itself.

Of course for a waterbender, it was probably a very different sensation. Katara's eyes were swimming with it, the elation plain on her face.

Finally they slowed, and Katara pulled away. Only then did Zuko see how close they had been standing and he jerked back. Katara's eyes immediately shaded over, and her head fell.

"Zuko, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I said to you. I don't know you or your family, and even if I believe what I said, I had no right to force it on you. I'm sorry." She looked up at him, her eyes swimming with something entirely different than before. "Can you forgive me?"

The funny part was, he realized, he had forgiven her before she even started speaking.

"Of course."

She sniffed and smiled at him, and before he could move or say anything more, she launched herself into his arms. He froze for a moment, taken completely by surprise. But then his arms wrapped around her body, melted into the thick fabric of her coat, and he breathed in the scent of her hair.

Had they ever touched like this? Sure, it was more physical contact than they'd ever had, but this was different. His soul was bare for her to see. And she was there, in his arms, closer than she had ever been.

The annoying voice in the back of his head chimed in, the one who constantly reminded him of his mission. But this time, it was easy to silence.

XXXXXX

He didn't dare walk Katara back to her room, since it would be crawling with guards, so they parted at the door of the dining hall.

"See you tomorrow, fire brat?"

"Count on it, Princess."

XXXXXXX

Toph must have done a good job of distracting the guards, because they were still gone by the time he reached the servant's quarters, and he got through the doors without any trouble.

And then he was thrown back against a wall and gagged by a hand over his mouth.

Before he could react, Toph was in front of him with a finger to her lips, pointing at a room behind them. His eyebrows pulled in, still confused, but she just dragged him with surprising strength.

She pushed Zuko through the door and closed it, separating them from any curious ears.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zuko demanded, struggling to get up to his feet.

"How was your dance lesson, Sparky? Or should I call you twinkle toes now?" she joked, folding her arms across her chest.

He growled and dusted off his pants. "What do you want?"

She pointed behind him. "Take a seat."

There was a table and two chairs waiting in the corner. They sat down, Zuko still confused and a little angry, but resigned. If he tried to get away it would probably only end badly for him, and besides, he trusted Toph—at least until she spilled his secret, he trusted her.

"Have you told Katara that you're a firebender?"

Zuko's eyes popped. "Toph, are you crazy? Keep your voice down!" He looked to the door again to make sure they were securely shut.

She rolled her eyes. "Relax, those guards won't be back for a while."

He opened his mouth to ask when she had done to them, but stopped when he considered that maybe he didn't want to know. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms. "No, I haven't told her."

"Good," she said to his surprise.

"Good?"

"Yeah. You should keep it that way."

Now things were getting weird. She had been the one to suggest he tell Katara who he was, what he could do, in the first place. "Toph, what's going on?"

Toph, seemingly at ease, put her legs up on the table and crossed her ankles so he was looking more at the dirty bottoms of her feet than at her face. She had broken through the bottoms of her shoes and her bare feet were exposed. Choosing not to comment on this, Zuko sat up and braced his hands on his thighs. "What's going on?" he repeated.

"I have a proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" He really wasn't keen on making any more deals with this kid. She seemed trustworthy, but she also seemed like if the time came to choose between herself and the secrets she'd been entrusted with, that it wouldn't be a difficult decision for her to make.

"I happen to be involved with this…" she paused, looking for the right word. "Let's call it a society. And we have a special interest in protecting our…assets."

"Toph, cut it out," Zuko growled, already over the ambiguity.

"Fine," she said, swinging her feet off the table. In one fluid motion she was leaning forward, her hands clutching the table, face inches from Zuko's. There was absolute determination in her expression. In a hushed voice, she said, "I need your help protecting the royal family."

Katara barely ate anything at breakfast the next morning; she just wanted to get to class. Perhaps it was foolish of her to think the distance between she and Zuko had been fully bridged just by exchanging a few kind words the night before, but she couldn't help it. He was talking to her again, and she intended to keep it that way. To keep his trust, and respect. Even if she still didn't agree with what his father did, she could bite her tongue for the sake of their friendship.

As soon as Sokka finished his second plate of eggs and stood up, Katara was heading out the door.

"Katara," Hakoda called from the table, and she warily turned around, trying to keep her face stoic. She was still angry with him for what he had done to her and she simply didn't want to put up with his crap anymore. But he was her father, and the Emperor. So she had to at least pretend to tolerate him.

"Yes?"

"We will train tonight."

It wasn't an offer. It wasn't a question. It was a demand. One that she fiercely wanted to deny, but knew she couldn't. As heir to the Water Empire throne, she was expected to perform for the nobles during the feast. It was a form of entertainment but also a show of power, and a Water Empire tradition, one she had to learn from a master: her father. Sokka looked back and forth between them, slightly interested in the confrontation, but not enough to intervene.

"Yes, Father."

XXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Zuko asked her after class as they walked down the hall together. Sokka had already gone to the training room and Katara had dismissed Toph, so they had privacy to speak freely. Zuko had expressed his doubts about Katara training with her father again, and even though Katara agreed with him, she knew she couldn't get out of it. But she could at least calm Zuko's apprehensions.

"I am. I've been training on my own ever since our last session, and also with my mother. All I have to do is fight back hard enough so he doesn't think I'm letting him win, and then I'll let him win. The only thing that'll be hurt is my pride," she grumbled.

The pair went upstairs to the servant's quarters and Zuko led the way to the kitchen. There were only three days until the War Summit, two before the nobles started to arrive, and the chefs were still behind on the sea clams. Zuko told her that his friends had been working all the time trying to shell and clean them, but it was a monotonous process. Katara had eagerly agreed to help. Her mother had all the other preparations under control, and besides, Katara wanted to meet this infamous Jin. Apparently she had met her once before, briefly when she'd gone to Zuko after getting hurt, but she had been too out of it to remember anything.

She didn't tell Zuko this, of course. He would just think she was jealous of their friendship or something. Which she wasn't. He was allowed to have other friends.

Just as long as he liked her best.

The smell of seafood hit her before they reached the kitchen, wafting out from the wooden doors and assaulting her senses. She pitied the people who had to work with this stench hanging around all day.

Zuko led her into the kitchens and to a back room where three people were sitting around a table piled high with small white shells. As soon as they entered, all of them looked up, unsuspecting, until they realized who was standing there.

One of the girls and the older man instantly fell to their knees, arms outstretched, and the other girl gradually assumed the same position, although she wasn't in a rush.

"Your Highness!" the man exclaimed, raising only his eyes to address her. "What are you doing here?"

This is my palace, Katara had the urge to say, but kept it down. It was a harmless question and deserved a harmless answer.

"I've come to help you. Please, stand up," she said with what was hopefully a kind smile. The three servants looked to one another before rising cautiously, like they were unsure if she had truly granted them permission, or if it was a cruel joke. It kind of hurt to see what people truly thought of her, but what else should she expect? What had she done for them to expect anything different? She had worked years to foster a certain reputation to protect herself.

That didn't mean it hurt any less.

"Katara," Zuko said, stepping into the room, "these are my friends: Orchard, Tuuk, and Jin." He pointed to each of them in turn and Katara dipped her head respectfully. Jin was sitting on the far right, a knife still in her hand though she had long since dropped her clam shell on the table. The way she was glaring at her confirmed Katara's suspicions that Jin was not a fan of hers. The feeling was mutual.

"It's nice to meet you all," she said, though she was lying to one of them. "How can I help?"

At that moment Loq emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel, and his face brightened when he saw her.

"Katara!" he bellowed, and opened his arms for a hug, which she returned enthusiastically, even though he smelled like rotten ostrich-horse eggs. "It's been far too long since you've visited my kitchen."

Katara beamed up at him.

"I remember when you were only this high," he gestured to his waist, "and you would come in and insist on taste-testing every single one of the pastries I baked. Your father would have had my head if he knew I let you do that. But you were just too cute to resist!"

Zuko smiled at that and Katara blushed. "Stop it, Loq."

"But it's true!" he guffawed. "You had those frizzy braids and chubby little cheeks!"

"Chubby cheeks?" Zuko asked, amused. She slapped his arm.

"It was baby fat. Everyone has it!"

He and Loq had a good laugh at her expense before she finally got them to quiet down and stop reminiscing. There were still two barrels of sea clams waiting to be shelled and they didn't have any time to waste.

Tuuk and Orchard were pleasant enough, their conversation becoming more open and natural once they got to know her better and were reassured that she wouldn't have them deported for speaking their minds. But Jin just glared in her general direction when she wasn't stabbing her clams with unnecessary aggression. Zuko didn't miss this, either. He kept glancing over at her, his face clouded, and Katara wasn't sure whether he was angry or concerned for her.

Katara had always assumed Jin didn't like her. Zuko talked about her all the time and she knew they were close. She probably didn't like that Katara was stealing his attention. But she had helped save Katara that one time, and for that, she was grateful, and grudgingly willing to put aside their differences.

"You know," Katara started during a lull in the conversation, "Jin, I never thanked you."

Jin looked up, her expression wary. "For what?"

"For helping me that one time. With the guards."

There was a moment of confusion, and Katara hoped she hadn't forgotten already. But then understanding flooded her face.

"Oh. It's alright."

"No, it's not," Katara said, setting down her knife. "I really do appreciate it. I don't want to think of what might've happened to me had you not been there."

Jin was still trying to be angry with her, but Katara could see the softness underneath her grimace, gently touching the corner of her mouth. "You're welcome," she said, and Katara smiled at her, eliciting a small half-grin.

Even that small act, however forced it was, was beautiful, and Katara could see why Zuko liked Jin so much. As she looked over at him she saw the relief on his face and he smiled at her. Katara felt relief too. He shouldn't have to choose between two friends.