Katara was used to Zuko's mope sessions, but it had been ages since he'd completely disappeared to have one. Even with his brief hiatus on Ember Island, she had known where to find him. While searching everywhere on the palace grounds, she ran into the gardener. Admittedly, after talking to him about the play, she had been trying to avoid him. The old man asked if she was looking for the Fire Lord, warned her that it might be bad, and begged her to help in any way that she could. Then he said goodbye and added "forever" followed by a faint, "I'm sorry." It was the oddest exchange.

She finally found Zuko on the roof just as the sun was setting. The Fire Nation winter was mild by day but carried a bite by night. Her shivering alerted him to her presence. He didn't acknowledge her, though, nor offer to keep her warm. It is bad, she realized.

"Everyone's looking for you," she said as she sat down next to him.

"I don't want to be found." His voice sounded raw and very, very tired.

"Zuko…" Give him space. He'll talk when he's ready.

"Today was probably the worst day of my life."

"Oh." That's saying something.

"Katara, I've done something. I…"

She reached out and rubbed his shoulder. He shuddered under her touch.

"I need to get away from the palace," he whispered.

"But we just got back from Ember Island." Twice.

"I know, not for long. Just for… tonight. I know a place Uncle told me about."

"Can I at least tell your mother where you're going? She's worried about you."

"I want you to come with me. And I want to leave now."

Katara had never been to the harbor village. It smelled—no, reeked of fish and stale ale, and even though she and Zuko were dressed in dark cloaks, she didn't like the looks people were giving them. She wondered if anyone recognized their Fire Lord. The Dancing Dragon didn't look like much from the outside, its wooden frame rotting from the sea air, but inside it was warm, bright, and welcoming.

"It's a tavern?" Katara asked.

"And an inn, I think," Zuko replied.

"And how can I be of service to you two mysterious travelers?" The innkeeper appeared from behind the bar.

Zuko lowered his hood, and Katara saw the recognition in the other man's face. However, he nodded knowingly at whatever Zuko showed him that was in his palm. Curious, she thought.

"Lin!" the innkeeper called. "I need you to prepare a room."

"But sir, I'm running late!" A woman shuffled in with a pile of linens stacked so high she could barely see over them. "I was just about to leave."

Katara breathed in sharply. She figured the moon must be full because she could feel their blood once Zuko and Lin made eye contact. They must know each other. Both of their pulses quickened, his blood turned to fire, hers to ice. She looked to Zuko for some sort of explanation. Despite the heat she could sense inside him, his face was completely drained of color.

"Here, I'll help you." Katara took the stack from Lin's arms. The girl seemed frozen on the spot, paralyzed by fear.

"Nonsense. You are our guest. Lin here is probably just a little awestruck that our Fire Lord has graced us with his presence. She'll prepare the room, and then she can leave," the innkeeper instructed.

Lin nodded without a word, turned on her heel, and disappeared up a staircase. Katara then realized she was still holding the linens. The innkeeper sighed.

"It's okay. Really." Katara followed Lin up the stairs.

"I'm so sorry about that. She's a good girl," the innkeeper said to Zuko. "And it's really hard to find good help around here."

"She…" Zuko stared at the spot where Lin had been standing. "You take good care of her, right?"

"Of course, of course. She only works the day shift. We get some pretty seedy folks in here at night as you can imagine. I've even been walking her home since it's been getting dark earlier in the winter. I'll tell the cook you're here, and if you're hungry, he'll fix you right up while I'm gone."

"Thank you, sir."

"Heh. I imagine you want to keep a low profile during your visit? Although of all the places to take a pretty girl—"

"It's not—"

"It's not any of my business," the innkeeper interjected. "But I would advise that in an hour or two, you make yourselves scarce. I only have one other overnight guest, but the bar will be full tonight."

"I… thanks, again." Zuko rubbed his thumb over the white lotus tile he was still holding. He glanced up at the matching placard that hung over the bar.

"How is your uncle these days?" A smile formed at the corners of the innkeeper's mouth. "If you don't mind me asking."

"He's…doing well. He took a short vacation, but I expect him home any day now." Zuko returned the other man's smile. Iroh had told him the Order of the White Lotus would always be able to help, no questions asked. It was the no questions part that he hoped for the most.

Zuko awoke like he did most nights, but this time more disoriented that usual. Once he remembered that he was sleeping in a seaside inn and not his palace bedroom, he could make better sense of his surroundings as residual images of his dream faded away. Katara was still there, though. She was his constant. His breath of fresh air when he felt like he was suffocating. His cool wave of relief when he felt like he was on fire. The light in his neverending darkness.

When efforts of returning to sleep became futile, Zuko wandered down the staircase into the common area. He was surprised to find the innkeeper there sitting by a fire.

"It's always hard to sleep in a bed different than your own, isn't it?" the man said.

"I have difficulty sleeping anyway. I wish it were simply the bed that was the problem." Zuko sat in the chair opposite the innkeeper.

"Can I get you something to drink? A beer perhaps? I was just about to refill mine." The innkeeper stood with a tankard in one hand while using the other to steady himself.

"Sure."

"You strike me as more of a whiskey man, though." The man stroked his beard while scanning Zuko's face as if to find some answer there. "But not firewhiskey, no. More of the Earth Kingdom style. I think I may have just the thing."

Zuko did find that he much preferred the sweet earthiness of this type of whiskey over the fiery bite of his nation's traditional drink. He sipped and sighed.

"So, I've seen many travelers come through here, but very rarely do I see Water Tribe," the innkeeper said.

"The Water Tribe and Fire Nation have not historically had the best relationship, I suppose," Zuko responded.

"True. True. Times are changing, though. She's good for you, I must say."

"Wha—how would you know? You saw us together for like five minutes?"

"She centers you. Maybe it's the whole fire and water thing, I don't know, but I sense that you two balance each other out. Maybe I'm just an old man looking for a good love story. There's never enough talk about love these days."

Zuko's thoughts consumed him, painful memories of the previous day, questions he had about Lin, fears he had about the future. It was some time before either of them spoke again.

"Do you love her?" the innkeeper asked.

"More than anything in the world," Zuko said without hesitation.

"Then do whatever it takes to keep her."

More silence stretched between them as they each sipped their drinks. Then, "Tell me about Lin." Zuko hoped he could handle the answer.

"Ah, Miss Lin." The innkeeper yawned, his profile illuminated in the firelight. "She is quiet. And jumpy. But she's a very hard worker. I know she was a servant before she came here, but she has some sort of benefactor now. I don't know details, but I don't think she has to work. I think she chooses to."

"A benefactor? Someone who pays for what? Food and lodging?"

"I guess. Or perhaps the nanny. I think that's why she works, to set an example for her son. Although honestly, I think she should just stay home with the boy. Children need their mothers."

Zuko nearly choked on his whiskey. "She has a s-s-son?"

"Yes. He's a beautiful child. Maybe three or four years old now? She never speaks of the father, though. He must have been a handsome lad, like you. But perhaps she wasn't as lucky in love."

Lucky. Zuko remembered hating that word. He was lucky to be born, apparently. Piandao said luck had nothing to do with love anyway. But what about this child? Unlucky was a mild way of describing the circumstances under which he came into the world. Of course, Zuko didn't know for sure, but with the gardener's tale so fresh on his mind and the odd coincidence of seeing Lin the same day… he felt almost certain.

He saw her again at breakfast the next day.

"Hi, uh… Zuko, here." What the hell am I supposed to say to her? Hey, I'm sorry my father burned you and spirits knows what else. And that now you have a kid as a daily reminder of your pain…

"I know. I remember," she said softly.

"Um, right, so…"

"I used to work in the palace." She placed a cup of tea in front of him.

It suddenly felt terribly wrong to Zuko for her to be serving him. "I d-don't remember you, sorry. And when you came to my office, I'm sorry if you thought—"

"Don't. I made a wrong assumption. I let my fears get the best of me. I am… trying not to live in fear anymore."

"When you figure out how to do that, will you let me know?" He caught something in her expression, understanding, yes, but perhaps something more—was it relief? He also noticed what he had seen before. She looked a lot like his mother.

"You wouldn't have remembered me," she continued. "I worked in the kitchens, and your father was…very discreet."

Zuko closed his eyes, wondering if he should continue. Discretion had not been his own experience with his father's wrath, but perhaps it should be maintained under these circumstances. Yet, something still bothered him.

"The innkeeper—I guess he didn't give his name—tells me you have a son?"

"I don't know his name, either. He doesn't tell anyone." Lin dropped her voice to a whisper. "I think he's part of a secret society or something."

"Oh." Yeah, something like that.

"I just call him 'master.'" She shrugged. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

Zuko felt like his stomach had lurched into his throat. "You shouldn't. I mean… does he treat you well? Do you like it here?"

"I like it well enough."

"I just lost my gardener yesterday, in fact. So the job offer still stands, you know, if you wanna…" The look on her face was quite stricken, so he quickly recoiled his statement. "Of course, not. It's stupid of me to ask you to come back there. Hell, I don't even want to be there. It's why I'm here, actually."

"His name is Lee," she answered suddenly.

At first Zuko thought she was talking about the innkeeper.

"He's three. He'll be four in the summer, the perfect Fire Nation baby."

"I…I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"For all of it. For what my father did. For what you had to go through. And now this child…"

"Oh, Lee was a blessing."

"Huh?"

"He saved me. When I found out I was pregnant, your father banished me. It was the best thing that could have ever happened. And to this day, he continues to be my hope, my little ray of sunshine."

Zuko gaped at her. It made some sense, what she was saying—hadn't his mother said the same thing about him? But it was all so overwhelming. Not only did family secrets continue to unfold at every juncture, but new family members presented themselves as well. In just a few short months he had learned of two uncles he had never known and now, a half-brother.

"So, you named him Lee?" It wasn't really what he meant to say, but he reflected on how his own banishment had ended up being a blessing, of sorts, and how another child named Lee had impacted him along the way. And how sometimes he just wanted the simplicity of being Lee, an Earth Kingdom refugee who served tea.

"Yes, there are so many Lees, you know," she explained. "I didn't want him to stand out, I guess. Partly so he could have the promise of a normal life. I was also afraid someone would come looking for us… someday."

"I would like to meet him. That is, if it's ok with you." Again, not what he expected to come out of his mouth.

At this, she frowned and fidgeted. "You don't owe us anything, Fire Lord Zuko. I appreciate the job offer, but we're very comfortable here. Your uncle has taken good care of us."

"Uncle?" His voice squeaked with surprise. The benefactor.

"Oh! I thought you knew, sorry." She looked away, a redness rising to her cheeks.

"I didn't. But it doesn't surprise me. He's good at taking care of people." And cleaning up Ozai's messes.

"The nanny brings him by for lunch. You can meet him then." With that, she collected the breakfast dishes and disappeared through the kitchen door.

Five minutes later, Katara came down the staircase. "Did I miss breakfast?"

"There you are, sleepyhead." Zuko smiled at the disheveled sight of his girlfriend still fresh out of bed.

"I slept great! Like I haven't slept in ages." She stretched and yawned.

Zuko furrowed his brow. "You probably haven't since you've been with me."

She poked him in the ribs. She was always playful in the mornings. "Since I missed breakfast, wanna walk around town? Are there any fruit stalls?"

"Sure, we can get some fruit. I'd rather head to the waterfront if you don't mind. To clear my head a bit."

"Me? The sea? Be ready in ten."

A/N: I had to look up the name and backstory of Lin myself from DBD, so I don't blame readers for not remembering. She's Ozai's mistress after Ursa left, presumably attractive to him because of her likeness to his wife. She worked in the palace as a servant, and the gardener revealed that Ozai pursued her in retaliation to the news about Ursa and Dr. Jung. She bears the same scars as Ursa, so therefore underwent the same torture. In DBD, Iroh regrettably brings her in for her testimony which serves to exonerate Ursa from her "crimes" of dishonorable conduct and abandonment of her duties and family. (Ursa's participation in the murder of Azulon is based on suspicion only.)

The idea that Ozai has a "bastard" somewhere is a little too much of a crossover from King Robert/Game of Thrones for me. (Will Gendry make a comeback?) Plus, I've seen it elsewhere in ATLA fanfiction, so in my mind, it's a bit overdone. I ended up here by accident, actually. (It's funny how that can happen in writing sometimes.) I did it because I like torturing Zuko. Haha! No really, I wanted to explore this idea that even though Zuko is trying to run away from his problems, some new secret seems to come up at every turn. He simply cannot get away. But perhaps he will be able to see that amidst all the pain and suffering, there can still be goodness and hope in people—like the innkeeper who offers a listening ear to those who are troubled; like Uncle Iroh who cares for the abandoned as if they were his own; and like little Lee, proof that something beautiful can come out of the darkest of situations and not all childhood innocence has been lost.