(Zuko POV)

I laid on my back staring up at the night sky thinking of what tomorrow brings and released a sigh, I'm never going to get any sleep…I'm too worried about Kiki I thought to myself as I rolled over for what felt like the millionth time, as I rolled over I caught icy ocean blue eyes watching me Katara!

"Can't sleep either?" she whispered, I shook my head slightly

"I keep thinking of Kiki…I mean tomorrow is going to be crazy and I have no idea where she is…it's my entire fault if only I realized sooner this was the right path to take." I said releasing a sigh and closing my eyes and laying my arm over them,

"Zuko…you…are you in love with Kiki?" asked Katara my heart slammed against my chest as her question bounced around in my head. Zuko do you love Kiki...Do I love her? I thought to myself, I had to hold back a bubble of hysterical laughter as the answer slammed into me pinning me to the ground with such force I couldn't even open my eyes to look at anything. Of course I love her…how could I not?

"Yes…I do love her Katara…I'm deeply in love with her and I'm scared" I heard myself admit,

"Zuko…what are you scared of?" I realized Katara's voice was closer then it was before I pried open my eyes from the image of Kiki I had there and turned my head slightly to see that Katara had abandoned her old bed spot and moved it closer to mine and was now laying beside me on her side.

"I'm scared that something will happen to either Kiki or me and I won't ever get to tell her how I truly feel" I said looking at the water bender that for so long was my enemy. I felt her hand it felt cool against my hot skin as she touched my arm,

"Zuko, nothing will happen to Kiki or you…your both very strong very skilled fighters you know this" she said softly, I couldn't stop the knot that was forming in my stomach as I thought about having to battle my sister she's stronger than me.

"Katara…can I ask you for a favor?" I asked not bothering to look at her

"Sure what is it?" I heard her ask,

"Will you come with me tomorrow I'm going to confront my sister while Aang goes after my father and the others try to stop the army before it takes off? I won't be able to take her on my own" I heard myself admit, I finally glanced over at her and seen slight shock in her face before she nodded her head smiling,

"Yeah…besides I have a little score to settle with her anyways" she said smirking. The knot in my stomach loosened a little and I smiled looking up at the night sky until I finally dozed off, I awoke the next morning bright and early I yawned loudly as Katara handed me a bowl of food I nodded a sleepy thanks. "It feels as if I only got a 5 minute sleep" said Katara yawning and rubbing her eyes as she started to eat some food,

"Well I didn't want to wake you up but we have to get going" said Aang as he finished eating his bowl of food and was already cleaning it up.

"What are we going to do about ba sing say?" asked Toph she was staring at the ground; it grew quiet as everyone stopped talking,

"I…I don't know Toph I mean it's only us we can't do anything about it right now" said Aang I could hear the sorrow in his voice.

"That…my young avatar is where you are mistaken you are not alone" my heart almost stopped as I heard the all too familiar voice. I stood up my food hitting the ground as I spun around everyone else rose slowly to except for Toph who was smiling from ear to ear like me.

"Uncle" I said rushing to him and throwing my arms around him in a hug, I could feel the tears threatening to overflow my eye lid but I didn't care. He hugged me back, "How did you escape?" I asked stepping back only to see he had tears of his own rolling down his face as well.

"We had a little help from Kiki" he said as he said her name a pang shot through my chest,

"You saw her? How long ago?" I asked quickly grabbing my uncle's arms, he laughed slightly,

"Yes I seen her Zuko…but that wasn't for a couple of days now, she left us the night after you found her" the words my uncle just said had sunk in slowly but the impact was fast and hard.

"You were there? What do you mean you were there?" I asked anger replacing my shock,

"The night you came to see Kiki we were there hidden amongst the shadows, her and I both agreed that we didn't know who it was that had found our camp so we didn't want to risk them seeing us. So Kiki went out there instead…and when we found out it was you it was even more reason to not show ourselves seeing as the last time I seen you, you were at your sister's side." Those last words cut through me like a blade; I couldn't hold my uncle's eyes anymore and looked to the ground,

"But when you heard me tell her that I chose a new path why didn't you come out then?" I asked quietly as if I was still a child within myself,

"Because my dear nephew…it was not the time or place to let you see me, you were still battling a war within yourself about your true motives and feelings towards Kiki. She threw her love for you out on the line…and you shot it down with your own greed…and within her wanting to love you so dearly her mind was distracted from what our mission is. So I let her go, she was worried about you and wished to go and I was not going to hold her against her will…so, she left heading towards the fire nation that was the last thing she had said to me" the silence surrounding us after those words were so deafening I thought I could hear Appa's hair moving when the slightest of breeze blew.

"We have to go" I said quickly turning and walking towards Appa, I started quickly packing up my things and realized no one else was moving, "WE HAVE TO GO" I screamed, "Why are all of you just standing there" it was Katara who took a step to me.

"Zuko…" she started,

"No I don't want to hear it Katara I just want to go... I have to find her before anything happens…she's there at the fire nation where anything can happen…if she's found by anyone else but us she's dead." I said feeling the burning in the back of my throat, "I won't lose her…not like my mother and not again" I said, Katara nodded her head and hurried to my side.

"Aang, I'm going with Zuko to both find Kiki and help him fight Azula" she said, as she quickly gathered the stuff she would need and ran back to Appa's side.

"Zuko, take care of my sister…and good luck out there man" said Sokka as he walked to me and held out my hand, I grasped it tightly shaking it,

"You too, hey Toph don't let anything happen to Sokka alright?" I said jokingly. I smiled slightly as Suki came over and gave Katara a hug and then smiled at me and hugged me I was surprised by the action but hugged her back.

"Be careful out there" said Suki I nodded my head, Aang was hugging Katara, I wonder if he's telling her how madly in love he is with her I thought to myself as I watched them break apart and then he came over to me.

"Zuko…I can't even begin to thank" I held up my hand,

"We'll save all of our thank you for when this is all over with deal?" I asked he smiled and nodded his head holding his hand out to me. I grasped his hand and shook it smiling at him, we turned and parted ways I climbed on top of Appa and helped Katara up. I shot a glanced at my uncle he nodded his head as I nodded mine back and grabbed hold of Appa's reins, "Yip yip" I said quietly. Appa released a groan as we raised into the air and headed off in the direction if the fire nation, the only thing that was on my mind was getting to Kiki and protecting her, If anything comes from this war it will be her, I refuse to let her go without a fight…Kiki hold on until I get there. I thought to myself as we kept flying I could feel Katara's eyes on me but I refused to look at her right now. When we were more than half way there I finally turned around and looked at her I couldn't look but for a second when I seen the look she was giving to me.