Chapter 33:

"Freya where are you going?" the girl stopped as she reached for the door handle and turned to see Toph.

"Just out."

"Out where?"

"I met someone in the lower ring and wanted to visit them." she admitted

"Who?"

"I don't think you'll know them." Freya confessed

"You do realise it's getting late right?" Toph asked

"Wow Toph, you're sounding like Katara." Freya smirked and Toph gapped.

"Never mind." she said and turned to leave the room.

"Tell the others I'll be back later." Freya said after her before she left the house.

The girl moved through the streets of the lower ring and stopped at a store, asking a man something and he pointed for her in which Freya bowed and continued on, following his indication. Eventually she found a tea shop and walked inside. A few people sat along the tables and Iroh stood behind the counter. Freya moved forwards and stood at the counter where the man turned around to address her.

"One Jasmine please." she smiled and Iroh chuckled

"Of course." Freya looked around but Iroh seemed the only one here. "Where's Zuko?" she wondered

"Here we call him Lee." Iroh warned, whispering behind his hand, and Freya nodded "He's actually gone out for the evening." Freya looked surprised

"Gone out?" Iroh paused and he suddenly looked guilty and Freya rose an eyebrow as he chuckled awkwardly.

"He'll be back this evening, why don't you have some dinner with me?" he offered

"Iroh."

"Mushy." Freya rolled her eyes.

"You're looking terribly guilty. What's going on?" He flinched backwards as he placed her tea on a tray.

"I'll put your tea on a table, shall I?" Freya watched the man as he did so and she sat down at the table, looking him with scrutiny.

Freya drank the tea and Iroh avoided her for a bit before people began to leave and a man came out with some keys.

"Sorry my dear, but the tea shop is closing now." he said to her

"Thank you." Freya smiled and she drank the last of her tea and moved outside.

A few minutes later Iroh came out.

"Shall we get some dinner then?" he smiled at her before they moved off and she followed him to a small building. It was an apartment level and Iroh and Zuko were staying up the stairs. Moving in, it had a total of two rooms, the kitchen, dining and lounge were in one and Iroh had a vase with flowers in it and had been pruning a box of plants that hung by the window for decoration.

"Wow," Freya smiled as she looked around the dull green room. "Cute."

"Home sweet home for now." Iroh smiled before he moved to the kitchen

"How's Zuko coping with it all?" she asked

"He still wants to go home and says he doesn't want to settle down here," Iroh said frowning "But I think being here will do him good." Freya frowned

"Maybe I shouldn't be here then." she thought "Seeing me might send him into a craze to look around for Aang again." Iroh turned to her as she looked at her hands on the table

"Freya, seeing you brings energy back to Zuko, not just because you are travelling with the avatar, but because you present a force that battles his beliefs inside him. It is because of you that he is caused to question things and in order for him to find the right path he needs that force." he believed "He cares about you, but you also represent his internal drive to capture the avatar, the two emotions clash and cause him to think more deeply about what he is doing."

Freya looked at the man before she nodded.

"I'm not sure if that sounds like a good thing or not… a conflict within yourself is tricky."

"Within Zuko there is a good and bad force always swirling within him. The environment he has been brought up in causes one to be stronger than the other, meeting you however seems to have arisen something inside."

"What do you mean?" Freya wondered confused

"Zuko's ancestry is a little more complicated than many are aware of." Iroh said as he placed a plate of food on the table in front of her. Freya watched the man confused.

"His ancestry? But isn't everyone aware of the Fire Lords before him?" she wondered

"The Fire Lords yes, but you forget that he has another line from his mother." Iroh admitted

"And that's important?" Freya wondered and Iroh nodded.

"Zuko's heritage comes from two conflicting forces of the beginning of the war."

"Two conflicting forces? As in someone tried to stop Sozin?" Freya wondered. Iroh nodded again.

"Did the General's fight against the idea?"

"The war is justified in the Fire Nation as allowing us to share our fortunes and wealth with the rest of the world." Iroh said

"Yeah Zuko said that." Freya said annoyed.

"So many within the Nation were not opposed to the idea." Iroh admitted.

"But if no one in the Nation stopped him, and obviously the other Nations are still opposing, then the only one to stop Sozin would have been the Avatar, but Sozin started the war before the Avatar was known? Because I know it wasn't happening when I was around and Avatar Roku was already gone by then because I met Aang? Not only that but Roku and Sozin were friends." Freya said confused

"Fire Lord Sozin planned the war long before it began." Freya looked surprised.

"He… why?"

"As I said, Fire Lord Sozin believed that the Fire Nation was happy and at peace and that the rest of the world deserved to feel the fortune was well." Iroh began "However, Avatar Roku refused to allow it, as he believed that the idea was invasion."

"He was right." Freya mumbled before she frowned. "But if Roku knew about the war…? How…?"

"Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku were friends during their childhood and again into their adulthood. Within that time the Fire Nation also began to invade Earth Kingdom colonies."

"My father told me they were friends, what happened to that?" she whispered.

"Sozin told Avatar Roku about his ideals at the Avatar's wedding, and the Avatar was not pleased about the idea."

"No… did that break them apart?" Freya worried

"It did to a degree." Iroh sighed "Fire Lord Sozin began the war after years of planning after Avatar Roku had passed. The Avatar had already addressed the man after he invaded the Earth Kingdom Colonies, however he did not act because of the friendship between the two. He simply provided a warning."

"It must be hard, being the avatar and your duties causing conflict with those you care about." Freya frowned "So, what does this have to do with Zuko?" she asked.

"It turned out that Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin's connection for one another was destined to continue even through life times." Freya looked confused "While Fire Lord Sozin was Zuko's Great Grandfather on his father's side, on his mother's side, it was Avatar Roku."

Freya just stared at the man.

"Zuko, is Avatar Roku's descendant?" she questioned and Iroh nodded.

They were silent for a moment as Freya processed this and thought it over. The two had been friends and for some reason Sozin had decided he needed to rule the world, despite being friends with the Avatar. And he sacrificed that friendship over his desire for power.

They heard a noise and Iroh moved over to his pot plant to look out the window curiously. Freya packed up their plates and moved to the sink to wash them as Iroh took his clippers to man the hedge.

Freya was drying the dishes as the door opened and Zuko walked into the room. He was wearing an Earth Kingdom suit and his hair was longer than the last time she'd seen him, spiking forwards over his forehead, though was yet to start hanging over his eyes or needing a haircut.

Iroh glanced at him as Freya paused but the boy walked in and stalked straight to the bedroom.

"How was your night Prince Zuko?" Iroh wondered.

Zuko suddenly slammed the doors behind him. Freya looked confused and turned to Iroh but the man frowned before turning to the girl. He moved to speak before the door slid open.

"It was nice." Zuko said before closing the door again.

"He… didn't even see me." Freya whispered surprised and turned to Iroh.

"He's been thrown into quite the turmoil." Iroh smiled slightly and Freya looked confused. She glanced at the door and then back to Iroh.

And he was wearing a rather nice suit too… she mumbled. Freya looked surprised before she turned to the doorway looking shocked.

Did Zuko… have a date? she wondered.

She felt a pang of emotion shoot through her and winced slightly at the idea.

He met someone… Freya turned to Iroh. "Iroh," she began and he flinched before he turned to her "Did Zuko go on a date?"

The man blinked and smiled awkward.

"Well I don't know if I'd call it a date…"

"He went out, with a girl, for dinner." she clarified

"Uh…" he sighed "Yeah, he did." he murmured.

"Wow… how'd that happen?" Freya wondered. She was a little surprised, it was obvious that people would take a fancy to the Prince, even with his scar he was handsome, in Freya's opinion. But that he'd agreed to and realised such a thing was happening…

"She's a regular customer in the tea shop. Zuko believed she was on to which Nation we are from." Iroh chuckled.

Freya couldn't help but giggle slightly.

"Wow, I didn't think he'd do something like that." she confessed and she smiled and glanced at the door. Especially as he hasn't even noticed I'm here. she grumbled annoyed.

Iroh said nothing as the girl glared at the door slightly and he turned back to his bush before putting on a the kettle.

The man didn't notice Freya had moved before there was a knocking sound and she stood at Zuko's door.

Iroh watched as Zuko's voice sounded.

"No I don't want some tea." he called and Freya simply knocked again.

There was no response and the girl knocked a third time.

"What?!" Zuko slammed open the door and then jumped back surprised.

"Well it didn't seem like you were going to come out anytime soon and primarily it's polite to greet your house guests." Freya responded as she crossed her arms.

Zuko stared at her and then to Iroh who was watching with a smile but also slightly concerned. She stood and waited for him to comprehend the fact she was in Ba Sing Se and then for it to click that clearly Aang must have been as well.

It seemed to take him a while before he spoke.

"Freya?" she rose an eyebrow and watched as suddenly his cheeks blushed a deep scarlet. "How are… I mean… What—?" Freya watched him stammer and tumble over his words as he rubbed the back of his head. "What're you doing in Ba Sing Se?" he eventually asked.

"It's a long story…" she said slowly as she watched him.

"I didn't know you were here… How did you find out we were here?" he continued and Freya glanced at Iroh as he was chuckling behind them.

"I bumped into your uncle."

"Oh. How long have you been here?" Zuko continued awkwardly. Freya stared at him as he was nervous and seemed very unsure and awkward. The girl wondered if his date had anything to do with his behaviour.

Something must have happened… she thought and her eyes narrowed slightly and Zuko flinched backwards a little.

"In the city? A while." she responded "Ever since Azula tried to drill her way through the wall." Zuko looked surprised before the girl leaned forwards.

"What have you been up to Zuko?" the boy looked at her before he diverted his gaze.

"What… what do you mean?" he asked chuckling awkwardly.

"Well Iroh invited me here for dinner, so I've been here a while actually. And you didn't even see me when you walked in, you seemed distracted." she admitted and Zuko took a step backwards.

"Well I was just out for some food, and going for a walk…"

Freya rose an eyebrow as he avoided her gaze some more.

"Were you alone for your food and your walk?" she asked strongly and Zuko flinched some more.

"Uh…"

"You know you're face is terribly red," she said advancing another step and he stepped backwards. "Could you have a fever?" she offered

"Uh yeah, I think I'm coming down with something." he said swallowing

"Really? Let me see." Freya reached forwards and Zuko ducked under arm. She looked after him as he turned back to her, his hands up as he waved them.

"No, it's alright, you don't have to." he stuttered through

"Why not? I'm just testing it against mine? Is something wrong with that?" she asked a little harshly and Zuko stared at her.

"Uh… well…" Zuko began but Freya simply jumped forwards, grabbed the boy's wrist and yanked him forwards as she placed her other hand on his forehead. Zuko struggled for a second before both of them toppled over with a cry.

Iroh who'd been standing in the doorway of the bedroom chuckled to himself before he closed the doors and moved back to his tea pot.

Freya shook her head, removing her hair from her face, before she looked at Zuko beneath her. He stared up at her slightly annoyed before she leaned forward and placed her forehead against his. Zuko's face reddened even more from the close proximity as he looked up at her eyes, inches above his.

"Well you're not hot." she said before moving away slightly. "Could you be blushing about something else?" she wondered.

He said nothing.

"A girl maybe?" she rose an eyebrow and Zuko looked slightly surprised.

"What? Why would…" Zuko looked at the girl as she raised an eyebrow before sighing. "How'd you know?" he asked

"I'm not an idiot." Freya grumbled as she sat up and crossed her arms. "Why else would you be wearing a suit and Iroh refuse to tell me?" Zuko frowned, turned away from her and said nothing.

"Well, who was she?" Zuko looked at the girl surprised. But she was staring at him in waiting.

"Uh… her names was Jin." he replied as he sat up slightly.

"How'd you meet her?"

"She came into the store."

"She's a customer?"

"Yeah… comes in rather often…" he mumbled

"So what did you do?" she asked him

"Uh… we, um, ate. And she took me to a fountain."

"She took you to a fountain?" Freya asked before smiling "Sweet."

"You're… not mad?" Zuko asked, surprised by this.

"Mad?" Freya asked and she ignored the slight desire to injure the boy as he told her about it. "What right do I have to be mad?" she got up and walked away from him and he turned from his spot on the floor to watch her.

"I… well I figured…" he said unsure on what he was saying.

"Figured what?" Freya asked and she looked out the window "That I'd be jealous that you're having fun and… seeing people, because…" she paused "Well it's not like there'd be any point in me thinking you'd…" she felt her cheeks heating up as she stopped again and huffed. She stared off away from Zuko like he wasn't behind her.

Like we could ever… like I should bother admitting… I continue to go looking for him and check on him, even if I do have another reason at the time… though this time… Because yes, I do care, and yes, I am jealous. I… But he's the Fire Nation Prince… he wants Aang… But he doesn't have to be the enemy… she shook her head. It's wishful thinking… he'd be better off with some earth kingdom girl… Freya balled her fists and her eyes turned amber as she dug her nails into her palms.

Zuko watched as the girl took a deep breath and was silent. She took a few more to try and remove her irritation before it got out of hand.

Breath… Freya reminded herself. She frowned and lowered her gaze. There's no point thinking anything else would happen. The two of you, together… you want different things and they conflict. It wont happen. Freya believed.

She looked up surprised as Zuko suddenly took one of her hands. She watched as he uncurled her fingers which were tight and ran a hand over her palm.

"I'm sorry." Freya looked both surprised and confused before she sighed.

"Sorry you went and had fun?" she asked "Don't be stupid. Besides, there's no reason for you to apologise. I have no control over who you see or what you do…"

"If it means anything, I left her by that fountain." Freya looked surprised

"You what?" she questioned and he heard the ferocity in her voice all of a sudden. "Zuko why would you leave her like that?"

"Well, you see," he was blushing again and he rubbed the back of his head. She rose an eyebrow "After… we were… we kinda…" he didn't finish his words "It didn't feel right." he ended

Freya looked at him before sighing.

"Still shouldn't have just ran out on her like that…" she mumbled and Zuko watched her as the earlier disappointment was now gone from her voice.

"Well, she wasn't the same." he twisted his fingers in with her's as he held her hand.

"Same as what? I didn't think after three years at sea you had anything to compare to?" Freya said smugly. Zuko looked at her slightly annoyed before he smirked smugly himself.

"Guess I was under the impression you were classified as a girl." her eyes narrowed as she stared at him.

He watched her and her eyes narrowed, widened and narrowed as she thought over several things to say back. He rose an eyebrow when she still said nothing.

"Really? No comeback?" he asked smirking still.

"Everything will get you angry at me." she said simply and his smirk was wiped off.

"And here I thought we were having a moment."

"No you just hoped you were able to outwit me for once." she responded, her lips twitching into a smirk slightly and Zuko looked annoyed. "We may have been having a moment before you decided to be a smart ass though." she admitted

"So I'm the one who ruined it!" Zuko snapped slightly. Freya sighed

"You have now." she mumbled and Zuko looked at her before he sighed. "But to be honest, I don't think it…" she frowned "It was inevitable." she mumbled "We always argue." Zuko frowned at her as she removed her gaze and pulled her hand out of his. "Our perspectives are different and we fight for different causes and want different things which conflict with one another and we believe in different ideals. It's for that reason that I do not want you to apologise for going out with someone."

"That doesn't mean… so what if we argue? Everyone does. I mean look at me and Uncle." Zuko reminded her

"That's a little different." Freya mumbled "Our arguments separate us more than they do other people."

"So what are you saying?" Zuko asked her. Freya stopped and looked up at him as he watched her, his forehead furrowed.

"Zuko, at the moment, it seems like we'll always be on opposite sides." she frowned and he turned his gaze away. "But…" he looked back at her as she did him. "Do you think that our beliefs separate us too much?" she asked "I will always get in your way of catching Aang, whether its because he's the avatar or not. He's important to me and I want to protect him. That means I'm going to constantly stop you from being able to get home. This is something that is rather strenuous considering how much you want to go home, and I know you'll do anything to do so. It leaves a bit of a problem at the moment if I'm honest. In my opinion, with the war over, and the world at peace and happy, none of that would matter. Once everything's over, none of that would be in the way. The two of us could… if we wanted…" she rolled her lips and sighed "The question is, whether we survive that and talk to one another once that happens." Zuko stared at her as she spoke. "Of course it also depends on if one of us is in a cell or not…" she added

"You really think…" Zuko began "Even with our differences, that you'd still be around?"

"First it's a two way street, you'd still need to be around as well Zuko." she admitted with a raise of the eyebrows "Zuko, you've proven to me on several occasions that you're not a bad person." Freya admitted "And I can see your Uncle's side of things more and more every time he talks to me. I know you're not evil, and I know why you do what you do. I also know you have the ability to do what's right, not just for you, but for everyone." Zuko looked at her surprised "Your uncle thinks you are going to be a magnificent Fire Lord one day who will save the Fire Nation. And I agree. And you might think it doesn't need saving," she said as he opened his mouth "But I, as a part of that Nation, believes it needs saving from it's own destruction. What Fire Lord Sozin did needs to be corrected and Aang's not the only one to do the job. I know you can too. You're the only one who can. Someone will need to lead it and I think you can do that. You've spent three years trying to get back there, and not just for your honour or to have your father love you, but also, because you love your Nation. Because of that, I believe in you. You've yet to show me you you're not worth that. And until then, I'll still be here."

Zuko smiled at her and she placed a hand on his cheek.

"Shockingly enough you've become important to me. You're amazing." she grinned "You've been through so much and you've learnt everything all on your own. I've never met someone who's gone through so much, and still pushed forwards, despite, possibly having lost everything in the mean time."

"Well, that's incorrect." Freya looked confused as her eyebrows furrowed. "You lost everything you had, and yet you continued, you do everything you can just to make sure it doesn't happen to you again." Zuko admitted. Freya looked surprised before she smiled.

"Well, I guess that's true. But despite that, I'll never say I've been through more than you have." she said "Everyone has different struggles, but I doubt anyone's been burned by someone who's supposed to love, raise and care for them." Zuko turned his face away. "And I know you think that's justified but it's really not. No man can justify a fight with a child. The man is a master, the child is still learning. How is that fair?" she asked. Zuko looked at her before he turned his gaze away. Freya could see the unsureness in his expression and she dropped her hand.

"I'm sorry. We've had this conversation. I can't and shouldn't convince you, this is something you need to think about yourself." Freya admitted "I don't have the right to keep bringing it up, it's painful enough without me doing so." She bowed her head and Zuko looked at her before smiling.

"It's okay." she looked surprised before raising a questioning eyebrow. "It's gotten to the point where I've come to accept it as you caring about me." Freya looked surprised.

She then turned her gaze away stubbornly.

"Yeah well I've got plenty of people around me who will tell me I'm stupid for doing so. And I'll admit it took you long enough to realise." she mumbled.

"I don't think I've seen you be stubborn like that before." Zuko grinned. Freya peaked at him.

"I've been plenty stubborn before." she disagreed.

Zuko rose his hand and with the tip of his finger he turned her chin back towards him.

"Not when it comes to your emotions." he smiled at her.

She looked at him as he smiled.

"Well don't expect me to apologise for it." she decided causing the boy to chuckle.

"Don't, I think it's cute." Freya watched him as he blushed. She smirked

"Well I don't do it for your benefit." He smiled at her.

Freya watched his amber eyes, she couldn't remember the last time they were that soft and warm. Or if she had seen them that tranquil before. He raised his hand and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone before running it through her brown hair. She smiled slightly at the feel.

He leaned towards her and Freya glanced at his lips before finding herself doing the same until his hand was behind her neck and he pulled her towards him. She had to reach up slightly before their lips met.

So soft and warm… Freya wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer as he wrapped his around her back.

Doesn't matter what I say, the truth is inevitable. I fell for the Fire Prince.