Katara

When I woke up the next morning, there was a note on my pillow. I looked around, but Toph was already gone, and that was strange for her to be up before me. I picked up the note and opened it.

Katara

I couldn't tell you goodbye any other way. I'm sorry.

I love you,

Aang

Even though the tears came back, I would've done it the same way and I'm glad he did. I probably would've clung to Appa's saddle and begged him not to go or to take me with him, and that would've been embarrassing. I let myself cry for just a minute, then forced everything back in and made myself presentable.

I made my way to breakfast, settling down between Toph and Sokka. Sokka put his arm around me and hugged me tight. Toph even rubbed my arm for a second. I guess it was obvious even to a blind person that I already missed Aang.

"So," Sokka started, "Suki and I are leaving for home tomorrow night. Are you coming with us?"

A smile reached my lips. Home. "You know, I think I'd like that," I said. "At least for a little while anyway."

"Great!" he yelled, hugging me again. "We could really use you down there, and Gran Gran misses you. Even Pakku was asking about you."

"Yeah, Aang and I kept pretty busy," I said sadly.

"Hey," Sokka said. "Don't start thinking about that stuff. I don't wanna see my baby sister sad the whole time we're here or back home. Just… try and have some fun, will you?"

I tried smiling again. "Sure, Sokka. I'll try."

But the bad thing was that the only person who could take my mind off of Aang was Zuko, and I couldn't go there again. I wasn't so naïve that I couldn't tell what he's been doing since the Summit started. Part of me appreciated it because he did make me feel better about Aang leaving, but I also suspected his intentions. It was just like before the war ended all over again. And just as I was thinking of him, he was the one who jarred me from my thoughts.

"You and Toph wanna come with me for a second?" he asked seriously, leaning over the table in front of me. I assumed he had been standing there for a few seconds. I looked over at Sokka, who raised an eyebrow at me.

"Is it important? Sokka and I were just discussing-"

"It is."

I studied his eyes for a moment and they were dead serious. I figured it had to be important because I hadn't seen his eyes look like that in at least a year. We stood and followed him out. I could feel Sokka's eyes on the back of my head until we turned the corner out of the dining hall. Zuko didn't say a word as we walked through the winding palace halls. When we reached the outside and continued walking, I finally spoke up.

"Um, where are we going?"

Zuko's face remained blank. "To visit my father."

"The Fireless Lord Ozai?" Toph snickered.

"Since you guys are about to leave again,-" he almost sounded hurt "-I figured you could help me with this before I go without seeing you again for another year."

I grabbed his arm. "Help you with what? Zuko, what is this about?"

He stopped and looked me square in the eyes. "Finding my mother."

My eyes widened. I looked at Toph, who shared my expression momentarily before pounding her fist in her hand and grinning. "We'll get it out of him one way or another," she said eagerly.

When we arrived at the prison, we heard the faint sound of a girl screaming inside. I started to run in, but Zuko grabbed me. "It's just Azula," he said nonchalantly. "She does this at least once a week."

We walked in and started up the stairs. The guards roaming the halls bowed to Zuko, but he didn't seem to acknowledge them. He was a man on a mission. The screaming got louder as we approached Azula's cell. I stopped in front of it and banged on the door once. When she realized it was me, she quieted immediately.

"Oh thank Agni," I heard one of the guards say. I smiled to myself.

We ascended another two flights of stairs before we reached Ozai's cell. Zuko nodded at the guards standing on either side and they unlocked the door. Toph and I followed him in cautiously. Toph moved ahead of me to sit on the floor beside the bars. It seemed she already knew why she was there. I, on the other hand…

One of the guards handed Zuko the keys and left. I looked at Zuko, waiting patiently for an order. Toph held her hands to the ground, ready to tell us what she could. In the corner of the cell, Ozai stirred. He lifted his head, his fierce golden eyes burning beneath his long, unkempt hair.

"You brought me gifts?" he asked hoarsely, looking me over hungrily.

Zuko opened up the bars quickly and delivered a swift kick to Ozai's jaw. I heard his head bounce off the stone wall he sat up against. Toph and I both winced at the sound.

"You will not look at her that way again, do you understand?" Zuko demanded.

"Zuko, it's fine," I said, the tone of my voice pleading for him to stop. "I can defend my own honor."

"Zuko, she says," Ozai laughed. "How informal of you, girl. You must be… rather close, yes?"

Toph's eyes shifted up to me. "Don't let him get to you, Katara. He's just mad 'cause he's powerless."

Ozai's gaze moved between Toph and me, and then it dawned on him. "Your waterbender and earthbender, I presume? The Avatar's great teachers standing before me, and me without my manners. How rude of me."

"They're here for your protection," Zuko snarled. I grabbed his arm. "You're going to answer some questions for us."

My grip on his arm tightened and he finally looked at me. I nodded back to the hallway, urging him to step outside with me. His eyes narrowed and mine begged until he succumbed. I heard Ozai's low chuckle as we left the room.

"What?" Zuko hissed at me.

"Tell me what you want to know and let me and Toph handle this," I said.

Zuko shook his head. "No. I have to do this."

I grabbed his shoulders as he tried to move past me and made him look at me. "That was not a request. You're too close to this and your emotions are getting the better of you. You're letting him win already."

He pointed to his crown. "Do you know what this means? This means, in my nation, no one tells me what to do or how to handle things."

"See what I mean?" I asked sadly. I grabbed his face and kept his eyes focused on mine. "Zuko, please," I whispered. "I hate seeing you in so much pain. Don't make this as hard on me as it is on you. Just let me do this. I can get it out of him."

He reached up and grabbed my hands, I thought, to release his face. To my surprise, he left them over mine and lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Katara. You're right, but I don't want to leave you alone in there with him."

"Then promise you'll stay back, be quiet, and let us work our magic," I said with a small smile. He smiled back and I instantly felt better.

When we walked back in, Ozai was wiggling around and Toph was snickering. She stopped whatever she was doing and looked up at us, sensing the question we hadn't asked yet. "Just having a little fun while I was waiting on you lovebirds," she grinned.

"Funny," I said sarcastically. "Let's get to work."

I opened up the inner cell and walked in, calling a handful of water to me from a bucket in a corner of the room. Ozai looked up almost fearfully.

"What are you doing?" he asked, scooting further up against the wall as I approached him and knelt down.

"Well," I started, my voice betraying the excitement I felt at the look of pure terror in his eyes, "let's just say after I'm done with you, you'll answer all the questions I have for you. Understood?"

He spat at me, but I raised my hand and it stopped just short of my face. I moved it into the water my other hand held and smiled sweetly at him, barely hiding the thinly veiled contempt I held for the man. "Now hold really still," I told him. "This won't hurt… much."

"Sugar Queen has him scared stiff," Toph whispered to Zuko.

He watched intently as I moved the water toward Ozai's face. Ozai's head was pressed against the wall so hard it probably left marks on his head, and his eyes widened when the water started glowing bright blue. His breathing hitched and he tried to struggle, but I held his head still with my other hand.

"Get away from me, you Water Tribe filth," he spat. I only smiled, and it made him hate me more. I heard clothes rustling behind me and I could tell Zuko was fighting the urge to come in and kick him again. After stalling as long as I could (I loved the fear in his eyes), I pressed the water to his jaw. I heard him hiss, his eyebrows furrowing before his entire face relaxed.

Zuko

I watched intently as she healed his jaw, making sure he didn't try anything funny. I knew with Toph there he wouldn't have a chance anyway, but that wasn't the point. My nails dug into my palms to the point where I thought they were bleeding. I tried to relax, to trust that she knew what she was doing, but it was impossible when she was that close to him. I expected any second for him to attack her, perhaps just to get at me. I didn't expect what happened next.

When the glowing of the water faded, Ozai's eyes opened carefully. Katara scooted back a little, just in case. He just watched her, his eyes burning with curiosity instead of the pure hatred I had expected. There was a long silence. His eyes never left Katara's, and I heard his breathing even out. Finally he spoke.

"Why did you do that?" he asked quietly.

"Just because I was brought up in a hut doesn't mean I'm uncivilized," Katara replied quietly. "Plus, being a healer sort of brings out an uncontrollable need to help people, no matter who they are."

She glanced up at me and I was immediately taken back to the instant I fell for her. Back when my old self and new self were still at war with each other, and somehow my new self fell in love with the waterbender that offered redemption in a bottle, despite the fact that we were still enemies. My old self obviously won and ran back home to familiarity, but my new self struggled the entire time until it took me back to her and all the unknown and excitement. I often wondered how much different things would've been if I hadn't reverted back, if I had stayed on their side and fought my sister with them and saved Ba Sing Se that night. Maybe Katara would've loved me before it was too late.

Toph pushed at my leg, snapping me back to the current situation. "Wake up, Sparky," she hissed.

"No wonder he's taken with you," I heard my father saying, and immediately my attention was caught. "You're so much like his mother."

"Do you know where she is?" Katara asked softly.

Toph jerked back a little and her eyebrows lifted. She tugged on my shirt and I knelt beside her. "I think he's about to cry," she whispered, truly surprised.

Ozai turned his face away from Katara. "Yes."

Katara looked up at me, her eyes asking me what to say next. Obviously I wanted to know where she was, but there was something else about this situation that told me Katara needed to stay in charge. I nodded at her to continue whatever she was doing. There was some effect she had on him that got the answer I had been working for almost a year for.

"Did you ever love her?" Katara asked suddenly. Ozai's head fell, giving her an unofficial yes. "Zuko said you were all a loving, normal family once. What happened?"

"He became obsessed with power," I said, a bit of venom in my voice. I immediately regretted speaking. Whatever hold she had over him was broken as soon as my voice reached his ears.

I could see the flames in his eyes as they turned on me. "GET OUT!" he yelled, startling all of us.

Katara jumped back, then got to her feet quickly and ran out. Toph looked at me, then ran after her. I locked his cell quickly as he got to his feet. He pressed his face against the bars, his eyes locked on mine. I heard a faint growl as I left the room, locking the door behind me. I ran down the hall looking for Katara and Toph, tossing the guards the keys as I passed them. Azula was screaming again as I ran past, but I didn't have the patience to quiet her. I needed to know what happened back there.

Almost as soon as the sunlight hit my face, I was shoved back into the shadows of the prison. Katara looked as furious as my father did when I left. Toph sat on the side wall nearby, watching with an expressionless face. Katara came back to shove me again, but I side-stepped her and got outside. She turned on me, and I could tell she wanted to waterbend me off the tower.

"I thought I told you to be quiet!" she yelled. I didn't know what to say. "Whatever happened in there, whatever that was, I had him! He would've told me everything I wanted to know! Why'd you have to say that? Huh? What was the point of that? You knew it would make him mad again!"

"I'm sorry!" I yelled back. "It's kind of a sensitive subject for me, I couldn't help myself!"

"And you don't think it is for me?!" she said, her eyes watering. Her hands shot up to her mouth and I knew what she was thinking. Tears rolled down her cheeks. I saw Toph sit up a little, her expression turning worried. I walked up quickly and grabbed Katara, wrapping her in my arms so she could cry on my shoulder.

"I know… I know that finding your mom… won't bring mine back," she sniffled, her voice muffled slightly by my sleeve. "But I can't… Y-you shouldn't have brought me into this."

"It's the reason I wanted you in on this," I whispered, petting her hair gently. "I knew if anyone could relate, it would be you, and I knew you would be just as determined as me to find her. I'm just sorry this happened. I don't like to see you cry."

I felt a small arm wrap around my waist and looked down to see Toph hugging us. "There are still people watching," she said. "You don't want them looking too much into this and starting rumors about you two. Trust me; in your position they're harder to smooth over."

Katara sniffled and pulled away, wiping her eyes. "You're right, Toph. Let's get back. Sokka's probably worried."

And just like that, it was over. Her warmth was already leaving my robes, and in the sunlight and heat, the wet spot on my shoulder was drying. I clenched my fists angrily, scolding myself for letting myself go in public. We weren't in the Air Temple anymore, or on Ember Island hiding from the world. I was the Fire Lord, and she was a bender from the Southern Water Tribe, one of the Avatar's respected teachers. We were in the public eye now, and everything we did was watched and noted. I ran my hands over my hair back to my topknot and crown.

"Are you coming?" Toph yelled.

I looked up to see the girls a good distance away. Katara stood behind Toph rubbing her arms in a defensive posture, waiting for me. I started toward them, pushing all my thoughts back to the back of my mind. I was the ruler of a great and powerful nation, and I needed to start acting like one instead of this lovesick teenager that I was. When Katara left, things would go back to normal. And even as I kept telling myself that, somehow I didn't believe it.

The Summit was officially over, but there were still a few lingering guests. I made it known that they were welcome to stay a few extra days. After all, the Fire Nation was quite beautiful this time of year. Bumi had left early this morning, stating his city would be rubble if he was away any longer and he would have to rebuild it himself. He followed it with a classic crazy King Bumi laugh that you can't help but smile at. Toph decided to stay an extra week before heading home. I didn't ask why, but I didn't think she would talk about it anyway. Sokka, Katara, and Suki were heading out tonight. It was a full moon so Katara would have plenty of strength to waterbend them a good way out before having to rely on wind power and ocean currents.

I started my morning trying to get back into my usual routine. I invited Toph, Sokka, Suki, and Katara to join my uncle and I for breakfast in my private dining hall one last time before they left for who knows how long this time. I couldn't help but grimace at the sight of Sokka shoveling the food down his throat and Suki's horrified expression.

"What?!" he said when he noticed all of us looking at him. "This is the last time we're going to eat Fire Nation food for a while. I'm getting as much as I can while I can!"

"You're so barbaric," Katara scoffed.

"Am not!" Sokka retorted, bits of bread flying from his mouth.

I pushed my plate away and made a mental note never to invite Sokka to eat so close to me. Later in the day, after a meeting with some of the nobles, I walked out to my favorite garden near the royal quarters. It was my mother's garden, where she used to take me to feed the turtle-ducks when I was young. I walked through the grass toward the small pond and was surprised to find Toph and Katara there already.

"Hey, Sparky," Toph said as I approached.

Katara turned and smiled, tearing a chunk of bread from the loaf she had in her hands and handing it to me. "Back for more?"

I settled in the grass near the tree and started tearing small pieces off for the turtle-ducklings. "Why are you guys out here?"

"Aw, did Sparky want some quiet time?" Toph mocked.

Katara looked back at him. "Were you coming out here to be alone? We can leave if-"

"No, it's fine, really," I said quickly. Honestly I liked the company. "This is my favorite garden."

"Why?" Katara asked, smiling. "Because of the turtle-ducks?"

I smiled a little. "Partly, but mostly because it was my mother's. She's the reason they're here. She wanted life in her garden, more than just pretty flowers and trees. And the turtle-ducks will stay once they realize it's their home."

Katara lowered her eyes. "Oh… Look, about yesterday…"

"You don't need to apologize," I told her. "It was my fault. I probably should've stayed outside the cell like you asked."

Beside her, Toph made a pft noise. "You can say that again. Whatever Sweetness was doing to him really had him going. Like, some kind of mind control stuff or something. It was crazy!"

"Maybe," Katara started, "if I come back soon, we can try again? I mean, with Aang running around the Earth Kingdom for who knows how long, I'll need something to keep my mind preoccupied right? Why not preoccupy it with helping a friend who needs it?"

"Yeah, and if you need a lie-detector again, you know where to find me," Toph said as she continued to toss bread in the general direction of the water. One small piece missed and a turtle-duckling came up out of the water to get it before diving back in.

I nodded. "Thanks. I promise I'll try to follow orders next time." One of Uncle's old proverbs came to mind unbidden. You must learn to follow before you can lead.

Katara tossed the last little bits of bread into the pond and stood up, brushing herself off. "So where's Mai today? I haven't seen her."

Of course she had to mention her. "She'll be joining us for dinner. She wasn't feeling well this morning, but she wanted to see you off tonight."

"How are you two doing? Is there an engagement in the future?"

I sighed. "You sound like my council members. They're sort of pressuring me for it. I told them the Fire Nation isn't ready yet. I want to stabilize my nation before I deal with my personal life."

"And?"

"They didn't buy it. But they've dropped the issue for the moment at my uncle's behest."

Katara started back toward the covered walkway, Toph following a few steps behind. "So really, what's with the excuses?"

I stopped and blinked at her. "What are you talking about?"

She turned and looked back at me, a half-smile gracing her face, her ocean-blue eyes lit up by the reflection of sunlight on the water. Gods help me… "What's the real reason you haven't asked her yet? Is there someone else?"

She said it in a joking manner but I didn't expect that question, and before I had time to react properly Toph had stopped beside me. Her blank eyes turned towards me as I quickly tried to reign in my irregular heartbeat. I honestly expected her to say something incriminating, knowing how she loved to make me uncomfortable, but I only heard her say, "Calm down, Sparky. She was joking."

Katara raised an eyebrow, but didn't push it. She turned back and continued back to the palace. Toph lingered by my side for a moment, feeling Katara put more distance between them. I cautiously looked down at her, fearing what would come up once we were alone.

"You know," she started, pretending to be interested in a sky she couldn't see, "sometimes when I'm around the two of you, it feels like old times again."

I was confused. "How do you mean?"

"Oh, you know, the usual stuff," she continued, slowly following in Katara's footsteps. "My fellow teachers of the Avatar, all back together in the same place, the same mother-father personality types, the same secret glances…"

"You can't see glances," I said huffily, starting to turn.

"No," she responded knowingly, "but I can feel the irregular heartbeats right before you two look away. And that's the only thing holding you back from your noble girl, Sparky."

I didn't know how to respond to that as she walked off in the direction Katara had left. Agni, curse my traitorous heart! But she wasn't wrong, and I knew it, and right now I hated her for it. The only silver lining of her statement was that she made it plural, meaning it wasn't just me…

Katara

I was glad to be leaving the Fire Nation tonight. As beautiful a place as it is, there's just nothing better than home. Travelling with Aang was fun, but also grew very tiring. I was more than ready to see my family again. Plus there was no one there with a huge crush on me, and that just made everything better. Except that somehow it didn't…

As promised, Zuko had a big farewell banquet for us on our last night. The fact that he put Sokka at the opposite end of the table didn't go unnoticed by me after the way he behaved at breakfast. I was surprised to see a bit of a smile on Mai's face. I think it's because she was glad we were all leaving though. Somehow I feel she's jealous of the attention we get from Zuko, being his closest friends and all. Suddenly, the afternoon in the garden played in my head again.

"Is there someone else?"

I nearly smacked myself in the head. Maybe that's exactly why we haven't seen much of her the whole time we've been here. She hates seeing how at ease he is with us… with me… Guilt crept up on me and I started to feel like I've been cheating. Whatever I started to feel for Zuko before the war ended had slowly been creeping back in and I know Zuko felt it too. I had spent months with Aang not thinking about the what-if's. Now, here in the Fire Nation, surrounded by red, my mind keeps drifting back there.

Everyone was in the capitol for Zuko's coronation, just two days after Ozai was defeated. I walked the increasingly familiar path to Zuko's room, hoping to check on his injury and maybe get in another quick healing session before the ceremony. I could feel my face heat up at the thought of him without his shirt on and quickly scolded myself for thinking of my patient that way, though I couldn't stop myself from smiling at the image.

I stopped just short of his door when I noticed it was open. I could hear voices inside and my curiosity got the best of me. I crept up and peaked around the door and saw Mai standing behind Zuko, helping him put his robe on. My heart fell a little. Of course she was out of prison. The war was over now. I considered going in anyway, using the healing session as an excuse to get him alone again, but somehow I didn't think it would work. Then I heard her say something about the new Fire Lord being her boyfriend, and it all fell into place. When I saw them leaning in, I turned away and ran back down the hall, trying my best not to cry…

A sharp pinch woke me up and I nearly screamed. I had forgotten for a moment where I was, having been so lost in things I shouldn't have been thinking about. Toph was looking at me strangely, a little sad it seemed, and I looked around the table to see if anyone else noticed I disappeared. Sokka was stuffing his face again; Suki was daintily picking at the food on her plate and trying not to look embarrassed; Mai was staring blankly at her plate, unmoving fork in hand; Iroh was discussing something with Zuko, but Zuko was watching me.

I flinched and quickly averted my eyes to my plate, where I noticed I had hardly touched anything, then also noticed I had lost any appetite I might've had at the start of the meal. I pushed my plate back a little and gripped the chair, mentally preparing myself for a no-questions-asked exit.

"Princess Katara?"

The words shot through my senses and left me confused. It was Suki's voice I heard so, relieving my grip on the chair, I opened my ears to the conversation.

"Yeah, it was Bato's idea," Sokka was saying. "Gran-Pakku helped him along though. He said with the Southern Tribe's physical restructuring, our whole system should be restructured too. Not much will have changed since our dad was already the chief, just that we'll be officially recognized around the world as real royalty. Even Chief Arnook will be there. And I won't be just a southern peasant anymore…" He brushed imaginary dust off his shoulders. Suki rolled her eyes and smiled.

"We will be there," Iroh said. "Right, Zuko?"

I could feel his eyes still on me, but when I looked up he quickly looked down the table to Sokka. "We would be honored to attend. A ceremony like this doesn't happen often."

Finally my will-power came to me and I stood. "If you'll excuse me, I need some air."

"Don't be too long!" I heard Sokka call after me. "Our ship leaves soon!"

I stepped out into the hallway and ran my hands over my head, inhaling deeply to calm myself. Just at the end of the hallway there was a small balcony that overlooked one of the many palace gardens, so I headed straight there. I didn't catch the whole conversation, but I caught enough to know what was going on. I just wondered why Sokka hadn't mentioned it to me before. What if I had told him yesterday morning that I didn't want to go home yet?

The moon was rising over the palace, illuminating the garden below. I leaned over the railing and inhaled the scent of the Fire Lilies that were planted around a small pond. Their time here was almost up, as was mine. The thought made me a little sad.

The instant I sensed someone behind me, old instincts kicked in and I pulled a water whip from the pond below. It stopped just short of Zuko's face. He seemed to be braced for it already.

"You're dead set on attacking me at some point before you leave, aren't you?" he asked with a smile.

That smile…

"Well," I smiled back, "you're dead set on always sneaking up on a master waterbender. I figured if you didn't want to be attacked, you wouldn't sneak."

He laughed. "Yeah, well old habits die hard I guess."

Zuko walked up and leaned on the rail beside me. I glanced over at him, his face lit up in moonlight. "Won't they wonder where you went?" I asked quietly.

"Probably."

"Why are you out here?"

He looked down at me. "To make sure you were okay." Upon seeing the confusion spread across my face, he continued, "You had a strange look in your eyes at dinner. I just wanted to check on you. Are you… okay?"

I sighed and put on a brave smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're lying," he responded fluidly. I balked. "It's okay. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I just wanted to let you know I'm here when you decide you're ready."

"Zuko-"

He sighed audibly. "Look, I meant what I said a few days ago. If you get bored or find you just need to get away from anything, you're always welcome here. As visiting royalty or old friend, you're always welcome."

A smile spread before I could stop it, then turned sour. "I doubt Mai would agree."

His features hardened and I immediately regretted it. "Mai is…"

"Complicated?" I offered.

"Yeah," he said. "She's been acting weird lately. I don't know, maybe it's just me."

The hand I placed on his arm was meant to be a meaningful gesture, an understanding. Instead, he grabbed it in his hand and held it. It was warm, like he always was. I gently squeezed it to reassure him and felt him squeeze back as we stood and basked in the moonlit tranquility of the garden.

After a long comfortable silence, he finally spoke up. "Do you have any what-if's?"

Oh Yue… My ocean blue eyes met his molten gold ones and I lost all my words. I didn't know how to respond to that without lying to him or hurting anyone or starting anything. He must've sensed my panic and released my hand. Suddenly I missed the warmth.

"Katara!" Sokka's voice rang through the halls of the palace, making me jump a little. "Katara, the ship is waiting on us!"

Thankful for the excuse, I put on a smile and started to turn away. "I guess that's my cue to-"

I was cut off by the warm lips covering mine. My mind went fuzzy and I lost all sense of… well, everything! A hand came up and brushed my cheek and my eyes fluttered closed, my body responding to the touch. My hand brushed silk and felt the toned chest beneath it. He seemed to respond as well, his other arm moving to my waist to pull me closer.

Then my mind cleared up and I broke away and took a step back, a loose grip on my arm keeping me from moving too far. I searched his eyes, but he didn't seem to look hurt by my reaction. My hand went to my mouth as if getting in position to block the next attack, but the rest of me was screaming I wasn't done yet.

No, this is wrong, I told myself. You just miss Aang, that's all it is. You just miss Aang…

"I'm sorry," Zuko said, looking down and releasing the hold he had on me. "I just didn't want there to be another what-if."

I tried to talk, but all that came out was a small squeak. I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I have to go," I finally managed. "I'm going home, Zuko."

I felt like an idiot, but I didn't know what else to say. I turned and ran down the hall, fighting every urge I had to glance back at him again. I could feel his eyes on me until I turned the corner and continued running through the halls, navigating my way to the entrance. I didn't even bother hiding the tear that was sliding down my cheek.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Thanks so much to those of you who are actually reading this! I'm also posting these on my deviantART account (link in my profile) with some fanart for each chapter (if I can keep it up!) so go check it out there! I don't believe there will be any difference in the story itself between the two sites, just the addition of art.

Anyway, I wanted to give a shout-out to maggie230173 for this awesome review on the first chapter:

Honestly I thought I was done with fanfiction due to the lack of writing
ability compared to the novels I read more than is healthy. This though has
changed my mind. You are staying in character very well I might add. I very
much look forward to the next chapter. I can wait. :)