A/N: Here's chapter 15! And I'd just like to thank everyone for helping me hit 100 reviews! Compared to other stories on here, I know mine probably isn't that great, but I'm still grateful that you guys have been following it and patiently waited for my (horribly far apart) updates. But to make it up to you, here's a super long chapter to somewhat make up for my long absence!

Please, review! I really need some ambition to get the next chapter out to you soon and your feedback really helps. Enjoy!

After my night out with Zuko, my first mission passed by pretty uneventfully. We visited a few more islands, Zuko made a few more speeches and appearances, and then we ventured back to Caldera peacefully.

But Zuko and I hadn't spoken since that.

And what is that you wonder? Well, I'd rather not spell it out because I'm afraid that if I do, I might explode.

So, we'll just call it 'that'.

Things had gone completely, horribly, terrifyingly wrong.

We'd had a fun night. Sure, we may have held hands and danced, but it was all good-natured behavior, right? It didn't have to be romantic, and it wasn't. We were just friends. I was still at a distance far enough away that could be considered beneficial to my mission.

Then, he escorted me back to my room and gave me a necklace. A really beautiful, elegant, expensive necklace. But friends give each other gifts. That's normal, right? I didn't think anything of it. I was still in safe territory.

But then, he did that.

I blushed from head to toe just thinking about it. His lips just barely brushed against mine, but I could still feel the warmth that lingered after he'd pulled away. It was barely even a kiss, but at the same time it was.

It was my first kiss.

The day every normal girl, who isn't on a life-threatening mission to infiltrate her tribe's enemy nation and collect information that could lead to its downfall, waits for. My heart rate picked up as I realized the severity of what I'd let happen. This could risk my entire mission. I needed to keep Zuko at an arm's distance. He was getting too close, and I was afraid that if he got any closer, I would start hesitating. I already felt enough guilt for lying to Nori, Akemi and her siblings, Makoto and all the others I'd become acquainted with on my mission. I'd lied to all of them, manipulated the truth to my benefit. I was fraternizing with the enemy, so to say.

I'd kissed the enemy.

I couldn't become attached. It's time to get serious, Katara. No more distractions. Keep your eye on the prize.

But I wasn't sure what I really wanted anymore.

I knew I want to find my father and brother. No. I need to find them. And I need to collect any helpful information for my tribe, which I was having luck with so far. On my days off, I went to the palace library and found past invasion tactics that had proven successful and were used by the Fire Nation in recent attacks against Earth Kingdom colonies and the Air Temples. I was doing my part, quite successfully.

It wasn't what I thought it would feel like, though.

I thought that I'd feel like I was doing something right, something helpful. I thought I would feel like I was serving some sort of important cause, like what I was doing would really be a catalyst in the process to end this war.

But it just felt wrong.

If anything, I was making it worse. The Water Tribes have never been violent people. We've always been passive, not as much as the Air Nomads, but still avoided conflict as much as possible. What I was doing was uncharacteristic of myself and my tribe.

But it may be necessary, a small voice reminded me in the back of my mind.

No.

Violence isn't the answer. It never has been, and it never will be.

"Have you been avoiding me?"

Avoiding Zuko was exactly what I was trying to do, but admitting to it wasn't.

"No, I've just been busy," I mumbled as I stuffed my training clothes into a travel sack. It was bad enough wearing them, I couldn't imagine what people thought when I walked by them smelling like I'd just trained with thirty perspiring men.

"Busy avoiding me?" he asked as he leaned against the wall next to me, arms crossed across his chest. It struck me that his posture was odd. He was normally more formal, uptight.

He's feels comfortable around you, a little voice in the back of my head told me. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Zuko, believe it or not, the whole world doesn't revolve around you," I said as I stood up and tossed my bag over my shoulder, placing my free hand on my hip. I caught his eyes wandering, watching my movements carefully. I raised an eyebrow. "If you'll excuse me, I have to help Akemi at the-"

"Wait," he said, grabbing my forearm. "If it's about-"

He stopped speaking abruptly, but his grip on my arm tightened. He twisted my arm back and forth, inspecting it. I involuntarily sucked in a hiss of breath.

The burn! I'd forgotten to cover it!

"Katara-"

I tried to wrench my arm from his grip, unsuccessfully, might I add. But it didn't matter. He'd already seen it.

Or he already hadn't seen it.

He met my eyes, then stated the obvious as his thumb brushed over the skin that was supposed to be marred. "Your arm is healed."

I stared back, too scared to move. I'd been too careless and now, I didn't know how I was going to get myself out of this.

"How?"

I swallowed hard. "Don't think too much on it," I pleaded.

"How, Katara?" It was more of a demand than a question now.

"It's been just under two weeks since I'd gotten it. It's only natural that it's healed-"

"No. It's not. That burn was far too large to heal without a scar, Katara. I would know," he said in a low voice, almost like he was warning me.

"Just let it go, Zuko."

"How can I let-"

"Zuko!" General Iroh called cheerily from the doorway of the changing room. "You're needed for a meeting in twenty minutes."

"Now isn't a good time, Uncle."

"Now is the perfect time, my nephew. They'd like to plan out-"

"Not. Now," he barked out, jaw setting. If we weren't in such a severe situation, I would have laughed at his childish stubbornness.

"Zuko, leave her be," he demanded in a low, stern tone.

Both of our heads snapped toward the General's direction, wearing twin masks of surprise. I was stunned into silence, and couldn't possibly fathom why General Iroh was persistently trying to pull Zuko away.

"Uncle-"

"Just let it go. There are some things better left unexplained." General Iroh looked to me as he spoke, his words suggesting that he knew more than he should. But his actions puzzled me more than his words. He was protecting me, in a way. That is, of course, if he actually knew that I was from the Water Tribe, which I prayed to the spirits he didn't. He could seem like a timid, easy-going old man, but I knew earning the label "Dragon of the West" didn't mean that he knew how to brew a mean cup of ginseng tea. I did not want him as my enemy, but I was pretty sure that if he had already discovered my secret, he was sort of on my side.

Zuko let go of my wrist and walked toward his uncle, but not before giving me a meaningful glare that sent the bad kind of chills down my spine. I knew he wasn't going to let this go.

"I'm home!" I yelled out as I walked into the apartment, the wonderful scent of Nori's cooking gently wafted toward my face and the loud screams of three children violently assaulted my ears.

"Welcome back, sweetie!" she said as she poked her head out of the kitchen doorway, waving a ladle covered in sauce back and forth. Little specks of the sauce hit her in the face and covered her apron, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Would you like some help?" I asked as I set my bag down at the door and scooped up little Shinji and nuzzled his cheek. He giggled happily and planted a wet kiss on mine in return.

"That would be wonderful, Katara. Dump that little rascal, grab an apron and get over here!"

I smiled as I set the toddler down and walked into the kitchen.

"How was training?" she asked as she stirred a large pot that hung over a flame in the fireplace.

"It was fine, I guess. I knocked Makoto out in three seconds flat. He was so spaced today. Probably has something to do with his and Akemi's date last night," I said as I wiggled my eyebrows at Nori. She laughed and gave me an "I'm not going to say anything" look.

"I'm back!" we heard Akemi shout from the living room.

"Speak of the devil," I drawled as she walked into the kitchen and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek.

"What?" she asked suspiciously. Nori turned her back to us so she wouldn't be caught snickering.

"Nothing, we were just wondering if anything good has happened to you lately. Makoto was awfully happy today during practice. He was so dazed, I was pretty sure a rock would have been more responsive."

Akemi turned a bright shade of red, but she was trying to hold in a smile and I knew that in a way, Makoto's reaction made her happy. So sappy, I laughed internally. I'd get her to spill the dirty details soon.

A loud crash and then a louder boom sounded down the hallway, and we all froze. Then, the wailing started.

"Right on time. Oh, I hope you're a tough one," Nori said tiredly to her large stomach as she rubbed it affectionately, and waddled out of the room toward the source of the cries.

"How was work?" I asked Akemi after her mother left the room.

She gave me a look, and it turns out, I wasn't going to have to pull anything out of her. She started gushing immediately. That was one of my favorite parts about being friends with both Akemi and Makoto. She would tell me all of the sugary sweet details about Makoto that he wouldn't dare share with anyone else.

"It was fine, but Makoto came and surprised me after and walked me back here, and held my hand the entire time and then when we got here, he was so cute! We kissed for the first time last night and I think he was nervous to do it again today, and I was too because that was my first kiss, but he asked me if it was alright if he did kiss me again and oh, Katara, he's wonderful."

Akemi continued gushing, but she started laughing as she realized how awkward the both of them had acted around each other.

"His hand was so sweaty too, and…"

Oh he is never going to hear the end of it from me.

Everyone had gone to bed already as I sat by the fire in the living room, watching the flames dance in front of me. The daytime in the Fire Nation was unbearably hot, but when nightfall came, it could become unbearably cold. It was strange, how timid this fire could seem and how frighteningly scary the house fire back on Fire Island seemed.

I brushed my hand over the smooth skin of my forearm where I'd healed the burn. Zuko had seen it. There was no changing what would happen now. He'd continually press me until he got the truth out of me, and I didn't know how I would cover this blunder.

The fire started to die down, so I grabbed the fire iron and started poking the wood, trying to make it last a bit longer. The heat spread quickly up the iron, and about thirty seconds after I'd picked it up, it was burning under my touch. I quickly set it aside to let it cool, and spread my fingers before the rising flames, feeling the warmth grow up my arms.

My mind was racing. How could I fix the mess I'd made? What could I do, what do I say, to explain to Zuko why there wasn't a burn or scar? How can I make him believe me?

My eyes flicked over to the fire iron as an insane idea popped into my head.

No.

But my hand still reached for it. I still placed it in the flames of the fire before me, waiting until I could feel an almost searing heat under my palm.

No.

I had to do it. There was no other choice, no other possible option.

No.

I brought the burning rod toward my arm, pressed the iron against my skin.

I was desperate, you see.

"Make sure you keep a firm grip on your sword today," I said to Makoto as we grabbed swords from the weapons rack. "I heard you have sweaty hands."

He elbowed me in the ribs as I laughed, turning a light shade of pink. "Shut up."

I reached up and rustled his hair a bit, then pushed him lightly. "Don't worry! You were her first kiss so she won't be able to tell the difference if you're a bad kisser."

Then he turned an even darker shade of pink and awkwardly raised his sword as we prepared to spar. I doubled over, laughing, drawing the attention of a few other members in the room.

"What's so funny over here that the rest of us are missing out on?" Ryou asked as he walked up behind me.

"Oh, nothing special," I started, then motioned to Makoto in explanation, struggling to keep myself composed. "Just a maiden in love."

"Ah," Ryou sighed in understanding. "To be young. It's the springtime of your life, my friend." He walked away after clapping Makoto on the shoulder.

"You're blushing like a school girl."

"Oh sure, make fun all you want. But I saw you, Katara."

"What the hell does that mean?" I asked as we both raised our swords in a fighting stance.

"You and the Fire Lord."

And then I dropped my sword, hearing it clatter against the floor, but not really feeling it slip from my hand.

"What?" I asked, my mouth dry. "What did you see?"

He looked at me carefully. "I'm kidding. I didn't see anything. But I'm going to guess from your reaction that something has happened between you two?"

"We-"

"You don't have to tell me, Katara. Because I'm nice like that and I don't use others' feelings as a form of amusement."

"Nothing happened."

"Sure, sure."

I didn't see Zuko for the rest of that week, only in passing. He seemed to be going from meeting to meeting, and from the way he seemed to glare unintentionally at everyone and everything around him, things seemed pretty urgent. There were constantly officials talking to him, walking with him, everywhere he went. It seemed like something important had happened, but I couldn't be sure.

All I knew is that I was relieved. Anything that would keep Zuko away from me for a while was best, because I wasn't sure I could stay away myself.

But inevitably, because the universe just seems to love smiting me, we bumped into each other on my way out of practice a few days later. Literally.

As I blindly turned the corner, we slammed into each other, almost sending me crashing to the floor on my ass if Zuko hadn't shot a hand out and grabbed my arm. He set me upright, never meeting my eyes.

"Good afternoon," I said quietly, not sure how to read the situation. I was almost positive he was going to hound me for not telling him how the scar had healed. But with Zuko, you never really knew. He could send a frighteningly large ball of fire down the hallway if he felt like it was necessary.

Surprising me, he merely nodded and walked past me down the hallway, like we hadn't even collided in the first place.

It felt like I was getting the silent treatment.

And I knew I shouldn't have a problem with not seeing Zuko or talking to him. I also knew I shouldn't be upset hearing that he'd switched his training schedule so that it no longer overlapped with the Task Force's for a reason that I wasn't told.

No, that shouldn't bother me at all. But it did.

I felt anxious. Like something was pulling in my chest every time I saw Zuko and he didn't cast a glance in my direction. It was disconcerting, to say the least. I didn't know what to do, how to feel. Should be happy or upset that he was avoiding me? On the brighter side of it, I knew this would stop me from getting closer to him.

But on the darker side of it, I knew this would stop me from getting closer to him.

You could say my feelings were a little scattered at the moment.

I had the weekend off. No Task Force practices, no shifts at Nori and Akemi's tea shop. The twins were out at a friend's house, Akemi and Nori were working the shop, which meant I watched Shinji for the day. And I was perfectly fine with that. It was the least I could do for Nori since she's letting me stay here year round with cheap-as-dirt rent to pay. Plus, Shinji might have been the cutest toddler I've ever seen.

I made a little snack for Shinji in the kitchen as he played with an over-used ragdoll in the next room. I could hear his gurgles of pure toddler happiness as he swung the doll about in the air.

"Hey, little man! Want some breakfast?" I asked as I brought a plate with some mashed fruits into the room. His head snapped up in attention at the mention of food and brought his free hand up to grasp the air from a seated position. His lips smacked together as he made a "mm" sound in approval.

He ate the fruits vigorously, immediately opening his mouth again each time after swallowing for another spoonful. "You eat like we don't feed you enough around here, Shinji." He watched me with wide, innocent eyes, mouth open eagerly for the next spoonful.

I knew it wouldn't last long. He was bound to get restless soon since it was so early in the day. Normally, Nori would take him on a walk around town with her to run some errands, but I knew the crowds would be thick since it was a weekend.

And then, about a half hour later, it started. He'd stuck it out for as long as he could, but Shinji had literally bored himself to tears playing with that ragdoll.

"Alright, buddy." I scooped him up, resting him on my hip. "We'll go for a walk. How does that sound?"

His lower lip quivered in response, and I couldn't help but laugh. "We can feed the turtle ducks?" I bribed.

"Ta duhs," was his only response, so I took that as approval.

"Let's get you dressed."

I walked through Caldera holding Shinji by the hand, receiving few stares, which surprised me at first. It took me a moment to realize that it wouldn't seem odd if I had a child at my age. I'd passed the marrying age almost two years ago when I'd turned sixteen. Things were different for me, of course, being that the three boys in my tribe I would have potentially considered as marriage partners were all sent off to fight once they hit sixteen. And that was two or three years before I'd reached the marrying age.

I'd chosen a bit of an unconventional path, you might say. But I was doing this for my family and tribe. I wouldn't be able to start my own family if I never saw my father and brother again.

We were walking past the royal palace as Shinji started to fuss. I knew he was tired of walking and we needed to take a break, but we were still a good distance away from the pond. His bottom lip quivered as he tried to hold in his cries, but I knew he'd give in soon and you did not want to deal with a fussy Shinji.

I scooped him up and tried to bounce him on my hip soothingly, but he still seemed upset.

"Shh, don't cry buddy. We're almost there," I cooed as I patted his hair down. I looked at the palace before us, an idea I couldn't resist popping into my head. I headed over toward the entrance, greeting the guards when I was close enough.

"Good morning boys," I said as I let my head bow.

"Hello Katara," Jin, the guard to my left, said with a smile. He usually had the guard shift when I came for practice, so we'd gotten familiar with each other as the days passed.

"May we go in?"

"Do you have your card for identification?"

I pulled a gold and red card from my bag and handed it to him.

"Your kid?" he asked as he examined the card.

"Oh, no no. He's my landlord's son. Say hi to Jin, Shinji."

Shinji was partially hiding his face in my neck, intently watching Jin's armored uniform from one eye like it had done something to offend him.

"What are you bringing him to the palace for?"

"He wasn't going to make it all the way to the pond, so I thought I'd let him feed the turtle ducks here."

"Ta duhs," Shinji perked up, small fists in the air. Jin smiled and handed me my card, then stepped aside for us to enter.

I stopped in the library before we went to the courtyard, to look for some scrolls for Shinji and also to find reading material for myself. Any chance I could get I was scraping up research that I could send back to the Northern Water Tribe.

When we reached the courtyard, I set Shinji down on the grass and walked him over to the edge of the pond that was shaded by a large tree.

"Alright, little man," I started as I bent down to his level, took a small pouch of bread from my bag and held it between us. He was watching the pouch with wide eyes filled with excitement, and I could remember myself feeling the same way as him when my mother took Sokka and me to feed baby penguins down in the south pole as children.

"Hands out."

He acted obediently as I placed a small piece of bread in his palm, then did the same to myself. "Watch me."

I scooted over to the edge of the pond, Shinji standing beside me cradling his piece of bread, and dropped the piece into the water. The mother turtle duck came over quickly, snatched the bread and swam back to safe waters. Shinji watched in amazement the entire time.

"Now you do it."

He followed my lead and bent his little toddler knees, letting his hands rest in front of him between his bent legs, then let the piece of bread drop into the water. He kept inching forward as the swam closer, and I was afraid that he would jump into the pond before they reached us if he didn't stop moving.

"Ta duhs!"

"Stay put, little man," I said sternly. "You'll scare them away."

Shinji was shaking with anticipation, letting a few excited squeaks loose, but staying still like he was supposed to. And when the turtle ducks finally made it to the edge of the pond, I thought he was going to lose it. But when a baby turtle duck warily swam over to the floating bread, he went eerily still and quiet. It bobbed its head forward and snatched it, then quickly swam back toward its mother, satisfied with its findings.

And then he lost it. He looked back at me, a huge smile lighting up his face in pure happiness, spluttering ecstatic gurgles.

"More?"

"Moh!"

I gave him a few more pieces to throw in the pond, and watched him as he tossed the small pieces to the baby ducks, each time giving me the same wide smile.

He was so carefree and happy, so oblivious to what was happening around him. It was almost painful to watch something so pure and innocent grow up in a nation that seemed so violent and bloodthirsty.

I knew he would eventually take on the same destiny other boys like him have to when he comes of age, but I could barely even imagine it. I could hardly even stomach the thought of it. He was so innocent, so naïve. I didn't want anyone to ever ruin that. I knew someone would, though. They always do. Shinji and the other boys his age would have to grow up one day, take on the burdens and responsibilities their ancestors forced on them. I just hoped that maybe, by that time, they didn't have to.

But I knew innocence could not survive in a world like this.

Shinji had almost taken a dive into the pond one too many times, and I was beginning to think he was going to try and take one of the turtle ducklings home with us. I couldn't blame him; they were insanely fluffy and absolutely adorable.

I watched him over the top of my book from where I sat in the shade beneath the tree, waiting for his next attempt at grabbing the innocent ducklings. We'd run out of bread to feed to the "ta duhs," as Shinji liked to call them, much to his disappointment, but that hadn't stopped his endeavor at touching one.

"No, no, no," I scolded as I caught him leaning over the edge of the pond, hand outstretched. I scooped him up, pulling his attention away from the turtle ducks, and tossing him into the air slightly. He squealed in delight, his voice bounding off the courtyard walls.

I'd tried reading him a few children's scrolls I found in the library, but he quickly lost interest and wandered back over to the pond. Since we didn't have any more bread and he didn't want to sit still, I was having a hard time keeping him occupied.

"Do you want another loaf of bread?"

I whirled around so fast, Shinji made a sound of approval and was immediately asking me for more. But I was frozen, it seemed. Planted where I stood. Shinji went quiet as well after seeing the figure standing at the edge of the courtyard entrance.

"Oh, uh, huh?"

I mentally face-palmed, silently wishing my mouth had been frozen too. Zuko didn't even seem to notice my stutter, and continued. "To feed the turtle ducks?"

"Oh! That's alright, we were just going to leave anyway-"

"Ta duhs! Moh!" Shinji shouted vehemently as if his life depended on it. Zuko looked a little confused, and I explained to him that Shinji had taken a liking to calling the turtle ducks, "ta duhs."

"Well then, I don't think he wants to leave just yet," Zuko said with a barely-there smile. His words made it sound like he was talking about Shinji, but the way he was looking at me made me think he was trying to get me to stay. Which probably wasn't the case because I was pretty sure he'd been avoiding me for the past week or so.

"Alright, then another loaf would be wonderful."

Zuko called for a servant to bring more bread, and then sauntered over to where I stood with Shinji under the tree. As he grew closer, I could feel Shinji stiffen. He was usually shy around new people, but this was different. His tiny hand tightened on the front of my dress and he tried to use my hair as a barrier. Strangers didn't normally frighten him like this.

But once Zuko stepped into the shade with us, I realized that Shinji must have been frightened by Zuko's scar.

"He's not…?"

"Mine? No, he's my landlord's," I finished quickly. An awkward silence fell between us.

"What's his name?" Zuko finally asked, and I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding in.

"Shinji." I repositioned him so he couldn't hide behind my hair anymore. "Say hi to Fire Lord Zuko."

Shinji's lower lip started to quiver, and I started to regret making him face Zuko, but he said hello nevertheless.

"I think he's going to start crying," Zuko announced, a look that mirrored Shinji's on his face. I almost laughed. Who would have thought Zuko was weak against children?

And then Shinji started to sniffle, and I knew the cries weren't far away. I let him snuggle back into my neck and swayed him gently, softly assuring him it was alright.

"Don't cry, sweetie. Zuko's not going to hurt you. He's getting you more bread to feed to the turtle ducks."

My only response was a muffled cry and a few sniffles into my neck.

"I think he's afraid of my scar," Zuko said quietly.

I knew that, but I didn't want to say it out loud, fearing that I'd offend him. Zuko was talking to me again, and I didn't want to push my luck. But I had an idea, and, like always, acted on it.

"Zuko just had a booboo, Shinji. You don't need to be afraid of him." I coaxed him to look up, and ushered a nervous-looking Zuko closer.

I lifted my free hand toward Zuko, but stopped midway.

"May I?" I asked, hand outstretched. He looked a bit suspicious, but he nodded anyway.

Slowly, I reached my hand up to his cheek and brushed my thumb across the length of his scar, gentle as a feather. "See, it's alright," I told Shinji. I tried to ignore the way Zuko's eyelids lowered as my fingers brushed over his skin and the feeling in the pit of my stomach when my eyes drifted over his lips.

"Boo," Shinji said softly, pulling me away from my wandering thoughts. His little hand was outstretched toward Zuko now, a few tears still pooled in the corners of his eyes, but he wore the same expression of set determination I'd seen on Akemi's face many times.

Zuko bent down slightly so he was eye-to-eye with Shinji and let the toddler touch the marred skin of his face. He was hesitant at first, but as his hand reached Zuko's cheek, I realized there was no going back. Once he'd explored Zuko's scar to his liking, he moved onto the rest of his face: his nose, accidentally poking him in the eye, and pulling his ears.

I thought Zuko would have gotten angry, or stopped him, but he tolerated it. But tolerated wasn't exactly the word, because Zuko was actually smiling.

"Shinji, I don't think giving the Fire Lord an intense oral examination is going to get you on his good side," I said with a laugh while trying to stop his little hand as he began to pull Zuko's lips apart to get a better look at his smile.

To my relief, and I'm sure Zuko's as well, the servant arrived with another loaf of bread, already broken apart in small pieces on a beautiful gold tray with red rubies adorning the handles. She set the tray down on a boulder near the edge of the pond, bowed to us both and briskly walked away, but not before giving me a sweet smile.

"Moh?" Shinji asked excitedly.

"Yes, more. Come on, little man."

I set him down on the grass by the pond and gave him a few pieces to toss in the water, then stepped back toward a Zuko in the shade. And soon enough, Shinji's squeals of delight began again.

"I take it you don't really like kids?"

Zuko peeked at me from the corner of his unscarred eye. "They don't like me."

"Well, you do glare a lot."

"I don't glare at children."

"You don't mean to glare at children," I corrected.

Zuko looked like he wanted to shoot something back, but held his tongue instead.

"They're afraid of the scar," he said softly as he watched Shinji at the pond's edge. More than once, I'd seen him step forward slightly when it looked like Shinji was about to take fall in, but pull his foot back when he realized the toddler was alright.

"Zuko-"

"I don't blame them. I was afraid of it too, for a while. I'm sure you were when we first met, maybe even now, even though you didn't show it."

I stayed quiet, stunned into silence. He was right, completely.

"They normally hide behind their mothers in fear. It's a natural reaction. They don't understand the same way adults do. If you'd tried to explain it to him any other way, he would have reacted the same way as everyone else. You made him understand that it's a part of me. The same way you and I understood."

"My mother always said that children can't learn through words only. They need to experience something to truly understand it."

"Your mother was a smart woman."

"I know. I just wish she would have told me something about how to keep a toddler from jumping into the pond every five minutes."

I rushed over to Shinji and made it just in time, grabbing him just as he tried to step over the edge into the water.

"I've got an idea," Zuko said from behind me, grabbing a few more pieces of bread from the tray. He came over to us, bent down slowly so not to frighten Shinji, and held a piece in the center of his palm between all of us.

"Want to feed them?" Zuko asked him, offering the small piece to Shinji, who excitedly accepted it since it had anything to do with his "ta duhs."

I stepped back and watched as Zuko showed Shinji how to hold his hands just above the surface of the pond, and almost laughed when I realized they wore twin expressions of anticipation.

"Stay quiet. We don't want to scare them away," he instructed him gently, but firmly. I could tell Shinji was having a hard time waiting, but he stayed quiet and the only sound we could hear was the curious quacks of the turtle ducklings that had strayed away from their mother to inspect Shinji's offering.

"Still," Zuko ordered softly.

And then, one of the ducklings that was brave enough bobbed over to his hands, quickly snatched the piece of bread, and swam away, quacking as if it was pleased with itself.

I expected Shinji to lose it, but he didn't. He stayed in the same position, arms out, hands hovering above the water's surface, except for his head. He was looking at Zuko, a pure look of happiness on his face, smiling so wide I was sure it was painful.

"Yeah, you did it. Good job," Zuko praised him and ruffled his hair good-naturedly.

"I think you've made a friend for life," I told Zuko softly so I didn't wake Shinji. He'd just fallen asleep in my lap after an exciting afternoon full of hand-feeding the turtle ducks. Now we sat with our backs against the tree trunk, looking out at the pond.

Zuko gave me a quick look, but he still looked pleased with himself.

After each time Shinji hand-fed a piece of bread to the turtle ducks, he would look to Zuko for his approval. And after he got his hair ruffled or received a simple nod, he'd scamper away toward the tray and grab another piece, repeating the process over again. To put it plainly, it was adorable.

I looked over to Zuko, my mouth ready to form my next few words, only to find him staring at me. My sentence caught in my throat, and I had to swallow deeply to stay nonchalant.

"What?" I asked, more defensively than I intended.

"It's nothing," he answered simply, looking back toward the pond. I didn't expect him to say anything else, but he spoke again. "I just haven't seen you in a while."

My stomach dropped suddenly. I really hoped he wasn't going to bring up our last confrontation, but I could feel his eyes on my arm and it seemed like I could see the question on the tip of his tongue.

And then his hand reached out toward me and at first, I thought he was going to touch my arm. But then his hand went up to my face where he cupped my cheek, letting his fingers tangle in my hair enough to mesmerize me. His fingers brushed down toward my neck, where they toyed with the fabric of my necklace.

"You're wearing it," he said with a cool, collected expression, but his voice betrayed that he seemed thrilled and slightly relieved. I wanted to spit something back at him like, "Well it was a free gift, so why not wear it?" but he didn't give me any time to. He began to lean toward me, eyes trained on my lips and, under his intense gaze, they parted with a little gasp.

I started to panic.

Oh, spirits. He was going to kiss me. While I had a sleeping toddler in my lap! And I knew I should pull away, but I didn't want to and that scared me more than the fact that he was leaning in at that very moment-

"Are you going to kiss me again?" As soon as the words came out, I wanted to take them back. What girl in their right mind asks a guy if he's going to kiss her when he's CLEARLY going to kiss her?

I prepared myself for the impending laughter and embarrassment, but Zuko only smiled. "Again?"

"What do you mean again?" I asked, genuinely confused now.

"Well, that's what I'm asking."

"But, th-the night of the festival, on the boat, you uh, you sort of-" I stuttered all over that sentence in embarrassment, as I tried to admit out loud that he'd kissed me. How could he forget something like that so easily?

Zuko's thumb rubbed slow, rhythmic circles on my cheek as his smile grew wider. "If you're referring to when I said goodnight to you after the festival, then I can confidently tell you that wasn't a kiss. At least, not to me."

"It was a kiss to me," I said shyly as my cheeks heated in embarrassment. And then even quieter, I admitted, "It was my first kiss."

"It wasn't a kiss. I can show you what a real kiss is if you-"

"Alright, well I need to get going. It's getting late," I started nervously as I began to rise with Shinji in my arms. He stirred a bit, his eyes blinking a few times tiredly.

"Mnn," he protested as the movements stirred him awake.

"I'm sorry, little man, but it's time to go home. You can go back to sleep, I'll carry you." Shinji buried his face back into place, letting sleep find him again almost immediately.

"You don't have to leave yet, Katara."

"Yes, I do. Would you mind bringing those scrolls back to the library?" I nodded over to where a small stack of scrolls sat in the shade. He picked them up, observing their labels.

"Fire Nation War History?" he questioned curiously.

"I just grabbed the first few scrolls I saw." Lie.

"The Blue Spirit?"

"That was for Shinji." True, but also a lie. I was interested in the legend of the Blue Spirit too. I'd heard rumors about him.

"I can walk you-"

"That's alright."

"You know, you have a bad habit of interrupting people."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's just you."

"Well, they say that girls tease boys they have a crush on."

"Someone's a little over-confident."

"Ouch."

"No, really. I've been wondering if they have to pump the hot air out of your head every once in a while so it doesn't explode, you know?"

"Spare me my last shred of dignity, please."

"Sorry, that was a bit harsh. I really do have to go, though. Nori will be expecting us, and if I'm not back within the next half-hour she may think I've kidnapped her child."

So we said our goodbyes and I thanked him for the bread, then left and made it home just in time. Nori was finishing up her shift at the tea shop, so I was off for the rest of the night. But as I thought about the day I'd had again, I realized something pretty amazing: Zuko and I hadn't fought about something for once. We hadn't raised our voices, or glared at each other. We'd actually had a civilized conversation.

It felt sort of nice.