Chapter Two -The Western Air Temple:

"I can't believe that after a year of being on my own, I find my family in this place!" I said as we broke our hug and made our way over to the fountain. They hadn't let Zuko anywhere near it.

"I know, it's crazy," Sokka said as he slung an arm around my shoulder. "So what's it been like for you traveling around the Earth Kingdom? Our travels have been anything but ordinary."

"Mine were actually pretty calm, until the bandits," I shrugged and moved over to my pack, I slipped the miniature inside. "So what are you guys doing here?"

"Well, you see," Aang began as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We tried to bring the war to the Fire Nation's doors during the Day of Black Sun, and we nearly succeeded but,"

"We bit off a little more than we could swallow," Sokka said sadly. "We came here to regroup."

"Why would you try to attack the Fire Nation?"

"Aang's the Avatara," said Katara.

"Oh," I looked at Aang as he smiled sheepishly. "Well I can show you to a few bedrooms if you guys want to rest."

"That would be great," said Katara.

I showed them down the hallway that led to the rooms and stashed my stuff back in the room I'd slept in the night before.

"So why didn't you give that Zuko guy a chance?" I asked as we walked back to the fountain area.

"He's obviously tying to trick us," Sokka said as everyone began unpacking the saddle on Appa, successfully turning the fountain area into a campsite. They'd probably bring their belongings into the rooms later, and this would be the common area. "He wants us to trust him, and feel bad for him so we'll let our guard down and then he'll strike!" Sokka fisted the air as if he were punching someone.

"The thing is," Katara said as she placed some of their packs on the ground, "it works. He and I were trapped together in Ba Sing Se, and he began talking about his mother and acting like a real human being. But he chose his side, and attacked Aang. We can't trust him!"

"I kind of have a confession to make," Aang said as he walked towards Katara. "Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?"

"And you made us suck on frozen frogs? How could I forget?" Sokka angrily threw his bedroll on the ground. "I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!" He pointed down his throat as if the wart were still there. I looked at Toph, wondering if she had any idea what they're talking about.

"Sokka I looked at it, and told you there was nothing there," Katara said condescendingly.

"I could feel it," Sokka argued as he and his sister glared at one another, "it's my throatal-flap!"

"Anyway," Aang said interrupting the sibling spat, "When Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out. He risked his life to save me."

"No way," said Katara, "I'm sure he only did it to capture you himself."

"Yeah, face it Aang," said Sokka, "you're nothing but a big prize to him."

"You're probably right," Aang said accepting what his friends were telling him, but he still felt that Zuko may have been telling the truth.

"And what was all that crazy stuff about letting Appa free? What a liar!" Katara crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Actually, he wasn't lying," Toph chimed in. I looked between them all, not sure what to say.

"Oh hurray," Sokka said with false cheer as he raised his arms above his head in mock celebration. "In a lifetime of evil at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list."

"I'm just saying," Toph calmly stated, "considering his messed up family, and how he was raised, he could have turned out a lot worse"

"You're right Toph, let's go find him and give him a medal," Katara said sarcastically, "the Not-As-Much-Of-A-Jerk-As-You-Could-Have-Been award."

"All I know is that while he was talking to us he was sincere," said Toph as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly."

"Easy for you to say," Katara retorted heatedly, "you weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates!"

"Or when he burned down Kyoshi Island," said Sokka. I was beginning to think my instincts had been wrong. Had Zuko really done all of this stuff? If so, why?

"Or when captured me at the Fire Temple," said Aang.

"Why would you even try to defend him?" Katara was really angry now, and I looked between her and Toph, now unsure whose side I should be on.

"Because Katara," said Toph as she walked towards Aang. "You're all ignoring one crucial fact." She stomped her foot on the ground and I heard the stone crack. "Aang needs a firebending teacher. We can't think of a single person in the world to do the job, and now one shows up on a silver platter and you won't even think about it?" She passed an accusatory finger at all of them as she stomped her feet again.

"I'm not having Zuko as my teacher," said Aang as he walked away from Toph.

"You're darn right you're not buddy," said Sokka.

"Well I guess that's settled," said Katara as the three of them stood as a united front and faced Toph. Talk about being made to feel like an outsider for having a different opinion. She should have gone about it differently though, they were all upset and I could tell none of them were going to listen to her even though I felt she was right.

"I'm beginning to wonder who the blind one really is around here," Toph grumbled as she walked away. I had a feeling she was going after Zuko, and I found I wanted to help her talk to him.

"Hey guys," I said looking after Toph, "I'll be back in a bit. I'm going to go pick some plants and stuff to restock on my supplies." They nodded their heads and turned back to whatever they'd been doing.

"Hey Toph," I hurried after Toph. She was going the long way back towards the stairs. "I bet I know where he's staying, and you're going the long way."

"Does this mean you're helping me?"

"Yeah, I thought he was telling the truth too," I shortened my stride to match hers.

"Why didn't you say anything to them?"

"Do you really think they'd have listened to me?" She was quiet for a moment and I didn't press her. I was new to the group, and if they weren't going to listen to her, why would they listen to me?

"You're an empath, aren't you," she said as she kept at a steady pace.

"How'd you know?"

"I can feel vibrations in the stone, and can tell when people are lying, rather than things bouncing and vibrating off you, like emotions, you suck them in. When Zuko was talking you were absorbing his emotions."

"Well," I said as a blush bloomed across my cheeks, "That's a new way to explain it. I found out when I was little, it's not a superpower or anything, and is more of a hindrance." I aid as we continued walking. It wasn't something I liked to talk about with people, they usually got weird thinking I could read their minds and stuff. "I'm just sensitive to the vibes people give off," I looked down at her with a huge smile, "you actually understand since you can read vibrations yourself."

"Sure do."

I smiled as we walked on, it seemed I had a new friend. I was secretly hoping if we both felt this Zuko guy deserved a chance, maybe we could convince the rest of them to accept him. I was shocked that I had such a strong desire to help this guy, especially since he was the Fire Nation Prince, but didn't his coming here prove that he wasn't like his father? Or were Sokka and Katara right, and it was just a trap?

We walked down the hall until I showed her the stairs that led back up towards the forest. I asked her how she'd known I was hiding behind the wall and she explained how she used seismic sensing to see. I was amazed, it sounded like a very cool talent. Then she told me how Aang and the gang found her. I was impressed that she was in an underground bending ring. I spotted something red up ahead and pulled her behind a tree, the tent was bright red and covered in moss. I peered around the tree and got a look at the small campsite. There was a small fire going, but other than that the camp was very quiet.

"You stay here, it will be easier if I go in alone," she walked towards the camp but before she cleared the trees she accidentally stepped on a twig, the snap split the air like a firecracker.

"Who's there?" Zuko yelled as he sat up in his bedroll.

"It's me," Toph stepped out from behind a tree but it was too late. As I called out her name Zuko shot flame towards her. Toph protected herself by sending up a towering form of rock, but the fire went around it. She took a step backwards and accidentally stepped on the flames.

"You burned my feet!" She yelled as she fell backwards. I bended the water out of the plants around me and raced to her side as Zuko did the same.

"I'm sorry, it was a mistake," he said as he jumped up from his bed roll and ran towards Toph.

"Get away from me!" She shouted as she turned onto her knees and began to crawl away. Zuko ran after her and dodged the rocks she was throwing at him. I stopped moving realizing she'd most likely hit me with a rock if I tried to go to her now.

"Let me help you," Zuko said as he grabbed her shoulder. "I'm sorry!"

"Get off me! Get off me!" Toph yelled as she turned onto her back and bended a large rock up into Zuko's chest. He flew backwards and landed on the ground with a thud. "I didn't know it was you!" He cried as he sat up and looked at us. I took the opportunity to go to her, wishing I'd never stayed behind as she'd entered the camp. I stared at him and watched as he wrapped an arm around his chest. If he were lucky his ribs were just bruised. "Come back!"

"Toph," I said as she crawled under the cover of the trees, "I have water let me see your feet." She sat on her bum and showed me her feet.

The bottoms of her feet were calloused and as hard as leather, but they were blistering and an angry red. I bended some water around her feet and watched as my hands began glowing a soft sea-foam green. She let out a sigh of relief.

"You have to stop," she said as she sat up and placed her hand on my wrist. "We need him to teach Aang to firebend."

"But your feet," they looked bad, and I was worried if I didn't heal them now they'd only get worse.

"Katara can heal them, I'll crawl back," she said stubbornly. "You have to convince him he has to teach Aang."

"Fine," I spit out stubbornly, "can I at least carry you to the tunnel? It's dark, and you can't see without your bending," She got a mulish look on her face and turned onto her knees.

"I may be blind, but I'm not helpless," she said tersely.

"What about the stairs, how are you going to manage them?"

"I'll earthbend, I can still use my hands," she crawled off into the darkness with me following her. As we made our way back through the trees I faintly heard a cry off in the distance.

"Why am I so bad at being good?!" I cringed slightly. The poor guy had been sleeping, and he'd been defending himself, could I be angry with him? I sighed, but once Toph made it to the Temple wall she bended out a large hole and crawled in.

"Are you sure you can manage?"

"You have to convince him. Just remember new girl, the fate of the world is depending on you."

"Alright, alright," I glared down at her. She headed off down the tunnel, how was that statement supposed to make me feel better? I squared my shoulders and headed back through the trees. It took me a few minutes to find the tent, "I'm a friend," I called out as I stepped into the light of his fire. He was sitting on a log just staring into the flames, he looked so lost.

"Who are you?" he asked as his golden gaze connected with mine. A tingle ran down my spine and my arms broke out in goose bumps.

"A friend," I said as I walked closer and held my hands over the flames. "I'm Sokka and Katara's cousin."

He looked at me like I was a boar-q-pine, "Why in the world is their cousin in the middle of nowhere?" I smiled sheepishly at him as I continued to warm my hands by the fire.

"I'll tell you if you let me sit down," he wasn't sure if he could trust me or not, and his vibes were all off-kilter. He nodded his head and made room for me on the log. I walked over and sat next to him.

"I'm searching for my father, he's been missing for almost a year."

"But what are you doing out here, talking to me? Didn't they tell you everything I've done to them?" He sounded angry, but it was directed inwards more than at me.

"I heard a bit about what you've done in the past," I said as I thought about the argument that had sent Toph out looking for him in the first place. "Did you really burn Kyoshi Island?"

"Yes," he hung his head and looked into the flames. It was obvious he felt bad about what he'd done.

"You said yourself you're not the person you used to be," I shrugged my shoulders and looked up into his golden eyes. They were a gorgeous topaz color that seemed to gleam in the darkness.

"Right," he ran a hand through his shaggy black hair, and then lapsed into silence.

The poor guy was nervous as well as a little irritated. I bumped his shoulder with mine, "Have you ever had a real friend before?"

"That's an odd question to ask someone."

I looked up at him and smiled, I couldn't help myself, "Have you?"

"You're eyes are such a rich dark brown, like chocolate," our gazes locked, he looked quite surprised that he'd just said that out loud. An odd queasy sensation came over me and a blush spread across my checks.

"Nice way to avoid my questions," I said slightly breathless. Something passed between us, and I had no name for it. "So have you?" I asked again, but quieter this time, as if any loud noises would break the connection we suddenly had. It was the weirdest thing, and it was making me nervous. I'd never had a boyfriend, there'd been a few cute guys at the local markets, but none of them ever caught my eye. Or rather, with my dark brown hair and brown eyes I always felt I was a plain-Jane and that they didn't find me appealing.

"Oh," he ran a hand through his hair again and looked back towards the flames. I felt overly warm all of a sudden and my palms were sweating. "Not really, I guess. The only person who has ever really cared about me since my mother disappeared is my Uncle. But, I…he's gone."

"Well Zuko," I smiled and placed a hand on his forearm, surprised at my own forwardness, "I'm going to be your friend, as long as you'll be mine."

"I'm not sure I really know how to be a friend," he said as he looked down upon my hand. I slowly began to remove it but he caught it in his own large calloused hand. "I'll try, if you're willing to be my friend."

"It's not that hard, you're all ready doing a great job," I said with a smile, "Although Toph did ask me to talk to you about something." I looked away from his golden gaze, afraid that he'd think I was only being nice to him on behalf of the Avatar.

"What was it?" he said angrily as he let go of my hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "To tell me to leave, that I'm too close to the Avatar?

"No," I hurriedly tried to sooth whatever emotions I'd rubbed the wrong way. "Toph thinks that you should teach Aang to firebend. She came here to talk to you herself," I trailed off as I realized bringing Toph back up was only going to make things worse. "See, even I'm not that great at being a good friend. Here I am, just met you, and I'm already making you mad."

He looked at me, and I looked at him, and then a small smile spread across his face. It made his features soften, and I realized how young he really was. I'd guessed he was seventeen or eighteen, but sitting here he looked like he was only a year older than me. Course I was going to be sixteen soon, then we'd be the same age.

"If they'd let me, I'd like to," he said as he clasped my hand in his again. I was a little surprised at the gesture, but it felt right. "It's all I have left you see. I'm banished from my own Nation and throne, my father," he paused as if surprised he was telling me this but continued on, "my father, I believe would kill me if he could, and my Uncle, who's been more of a father to me than my father, has disappeared. I have nothing left, except to help the Avatar stop my father."

"I hope you decide to go talk to them again," I squeezed his hand and scooted closer to him, he was emitting heat and I was cold, or at least that's what I told myself. "Maybe this time they'll let you join their group." We lapsed into a comfortable silence, and I realized how late it was getting.

"Where are you going?"

I'd stood up to leave and was surprised when he'd tightened his grip on my hand. I looked down at him, the sudden urge to cup the side of his face and ease the worry lines that had spread there, startled me. I tampered it down and smiled instead.

"I should get back." It was tempting to sit back down and stay, I liked sitting with him. There wasn't any pressure to fill the silence with endless chatter.

"It's late, you could, ah," he rubbed the back of his neck, and I realized he was both nervous and lonely. Maybe I wasn't the only one who felt we had some weird connection. It was probably because we were both outsiders, well, sort of. The gang at least knew him, I was a total stranger, well kind of. It was all getting confused in my head.

"I'm sorry," I said, my face turning scarlet. "What did you say? My mind sometimes wanders. Dad always said I walked around with my head in the clouds." I rambled as my nerves got the better of me, I was now thoroughly embarrassed.

"If you don't want to walk back in the dark, you could stay here," he suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "I have an extra bedroll you could use."

I was surprised, to say the least. I hadn't expected him to offer a complete stranger a bed. "I'll make you a deal," I said as I looked down at him, "If you come back with me tomorrow and talk to Aang about teaching him firebending, I'll stay." He smiled at me, and it brightened his face, my stomach tightened and the queasy feeling came over me again.

"Deal," he stood and ducked into his tent, I could hear him rummaging around. He came back out holding a tightly rolled bedroll. He shook it out and laid it next to the other one. "You can sleep in that one," he pointed to the one he'd been occupying when Toph had startled him.

"Isn't that yours?" I sat back down on the log, and he came over and sat next to me.

"Yes, but that one is my Uncle's," he said as he looked at the sleeping bag. "I think you'd rather use mine."

"Ok," I was now curious, but didn't pry. If he wanted to use his Uncles bedroll I wasn't going to argue.

"Are you out here alone?"

"Yeah," I said and began telling him about how my Dad had gone missing about two months ago and I'd been trying to find him. "I got here last night, and when I woke up there were more people.

"So you've been on your own for two months?"

"Yeah, it's been an eye-opener that's for sure," I gave a half-hearted laugh, "Talk about small town girl realizing the world is huge."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," he let out a deep sigh, and I wondered at his past. "I spent some time traveling alone in the Earth Kingdom, and it opened my eyes to the injustices that have arisen because of the Fire Nation's actions. That's why I'm here. I want to help Aang restore balance to the world."

"That's very noble of you," I said sincerely. "I'd like to help them too if they'd let me."

"I'm sure they will," he sighed and absently rubbed at his chest.

"I'm so sorry!" I said as I made to take of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" He leaned back on the log and eyed me warily. My face blushed as I realized what it looked like I was trying to do.

"I forgot Toph hit you, you probably have a broken rib," I sat back down and he relaxed, "I can heal you." He handed me a water skin and I bended some water out and smiled as it ran across my fingers. "You'll need to take off the top part of your tunic."

"You don't have to, I'm sure it's just bruised," he said as he looked at me warily.

"I've been healing people for as long as I've been bending, just take your shirt off."

Zuko sat there for a moment, before he finally took off the top portion of his tunic. I blushed when I saw his chest. I'd only ever seen my father without a shirt on, and Zuko was not my father.

He had a very muscular chest, and the raw masculinity in him was almost overwhelming. My stomach fell to my feet, and for a moment I was worried I was going to puke, and then dismissed it as hunger pains. I hadn't really eaten anything with everything that had happened. But I couldn't shake the blush that had spread across my face. I was glad that the firelight hid it. I couldn't remember ever blushing this much in my life.

I moved next to him and placed my hands on his chest and lower ribs, the skin was already during a deep mauve. His skin was warm beneath my hands and he inhaled sharply when I touched him.

"Sorry, I forget the water can be cold," he nodded his head and then relaxed as the pain eased. "Better?"

"Yeah, thank you," he put his shirt back on and I moved back to my seat.

"Do you want me to bend this back into your water skin?"

"No," he said as my stomach growled loudly. I gave him a crooked smile. "I have some rooster-pig jerky."

We spent the rest of the night just talking. Eventually I started yawning so much that he convinced me to go to bed. I curled up in his bedroll and slowly drifted off, he sat watching the fire for a while longer and for the first time in a while I realized I felt safe.