DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED ATLA. I DO NOT OWN, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED THE CHARACTERS IN ATLA. I DO NOT OWN, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED NICKELODEON. HAVE NO AFFILIATION, NOR HAVE I EVER HAD ANY AFFILIATION WITH THE WRITERS OR ANIMATORS OF ATLA. I HAVE NO AFFILIATION, NOR HAVE I EVER HAD ANY AFFILIATION WITH NICKELODEON.

I have written prequels to Together Again, they are part of what I call my TAU (Together Again Universe) here is a list of them along with its Summary

A Second First Date; Aang wants to take Katara out for the perfect date, their first date was so bad Aang want's this one to be perfect… Aang wants to take Katara out for the perfect date, their first date was so bad Aang want's this one to be perfect… You don't always get a second chance.

Nightmares; A One-Shot Prequel to Together Again. Aang saved the world, he faced Ozai on his own. Everyone kept saying that he was a great hero, that he was so brave. He wore a brave face and acted all the hero they thought he was. But at night in his sleep he was a scared boy, scared for his life as he tried to get away from a psycho Firebender. The Battle came back at night.

Anila's Story; She was ready to travel the world the moment she turned 16. Little did she know, life never goes as expected and that a young Airbending Master just starting out on her own is no exception. Will the winds of change bring her happiness and fulfillment? Or will she only to bed led to sorrow and regret?

…

Together for Five Years; Aang and Katara's fifth anniversary. This one takes place RIGHT BEFORE Together Again, as in "Let's go visit The Southern Water Tribe."

Other stories I am currently working on (Together Again Universe are marked as TAU)

A Warrior's Path; Suki wants to be the best warrior she can be and follow in her mother's footsteps. Life comes with so many choices to make, will she always make the right choice? Will life teach her to be the best leader she can be or is there something else in store for her?

Across the Wastelands; (TAU) Aang is sent on a journey by King Bumi… One that only he can take… To search for something very important, except Bumi wouldn't tell him what he needed to find! What will he find?

…

Chapter 126

Zuko was busy washing tables at The Jasmine Dragon, just after a busy lunch rush had calmed down; he took a quick look over to his daughter to make sure she was okay before taking a tray stacked high with the dishes he had just cleared off of the last table, while Uncle was going over the inventory of his most recent shipment he had ordered for his little tea shop. Satisfied that his daughter would be okay, he went into the shop's kitchen and started washing the tall stacks of dishes left by the lunch rush. He had been washing the dishes for almost half an hour when the sound of his daughter's laughter caught his attention. After what happened in the palace Zuko was a lot more alert when it came to his daughter. He quickly dried his hands on a towel then quickly walked into the main dining area. He stopped dead and his heart leaped for joy the moment he say Taryn sitting across from Ursa, she was showing Ursa that she could balance a spoon on the end of her nose.

"She sure does like Ursa." Iroh whispered to Zuko, "She is also very beautiful, Nephew. You always smile when she shows up."

"Wha-" Iroh's words took Zuko by surprise, Zuko knew she was very beautiful, but he hadn't realized how happy the girl made until Uncle said something to him about it. "Uncle, it's not like that." He insisted.

"You keep telling yourself that." Iroh said as he returned to the crates in front of him.

"Uncle, I can't… I don't have time for anyone other than Ursa in my life right now… And after what Mai did… I don't want anyone else in my life, I am busy enough being a single father and ruling a country that is still to this day is hated by so many people." Zuko was determined not to let anyone close to his heart again. Taryn was fun, and happy all the time, but he had promised himself that she was just a great friend and that's all she will be while she was in Ba Sing Se. She knew him as Lee and that's all she will know.

Zuko strode over to Taryn and Ursa, "Hi Daddy!" Ursa said with her beautiful smile, and her eyes shining with happiness.

Taryn quickly removed the spoon from her nose and set it back on the table, she blushed a bid as she rubbed the tip of her nose. "Hello Lee!" Her eyes shined as beautifully as Ursa's did, his heart leapt again.

"Hello, Taryn!" His smile grew larger, he no longer had any control over it.

"I was thinking," Taryn started, "that after you get off we could maybe go down to the small street fair going on in the middle ring, near where I live. There is going to be performances and games and food and I thought it would be fun… for you know… Ursa would enjoy it." The girl's cheeks began to go redder as she asked him out.

Zuko thought she was adorable when she blushed, "It sounds like lots of fun. When does it start?"

"Everything starts in like an hour, but we don't need be there right when it starts," She replied. "We can go later… like when you get off."

"Let me go ask Iroh when I get off." Zuko smiled. He walked back over to his uncle and asked Iroh to join him in the kitchen. Once out of hearing range Zuko began, "Uncle, how long do you need me to work today?"

"Why is this coming up?" Iroh asked suspiciously, already knowing it has something to do with the beautiful young woman sitting with Ursa.

"Well, she invited Ursa and me to a street fair… For Ursa." He threw the last part in quickly.

"Yes, for Ursa." Iroh smiled, he already knew that Zuko had feelings for this young woman, even though his nephew denied it. "When does it start?"

"Taryn said in about an hour." Zuko's face lit up when he said the girl's name.

"The lunch rush is over and you have already cleared and cleaned the table, all the dishes are done… The only thing left to do is put my shipment away, I can do that by myself." Iroh told him. "You should go get cleaned up and change your clothes."

Iroh chuckled when he say Zuko's face light up, it had been a long time since Zuko had been this happy. "Okay, thank you so much Uncle!" He was practical walking on air like Aang does.

Zuko floated over to the two beautiful girls waiting in the dining room waiting for his return. "Iroh said I can go now. Let me take my daughter back home so we can both get cleaned up and changed. I could pick you up from your house in about an hour… If that's what you want me to do… I mean, anywhere you want me too." He rambled with nervous excitement.

Taryn giggled, she thought he was cute when he did that. "My house will be fine."

Zuko's face light up even more when he heard her cute laugh, he loved it when she laughed. "Okay, at your house!" His heart pounded as he resisted the urge to kiss the beautiful girl before him by picking Ursa up. "We are going to go get cleaned up now… Bye bye." He said awkwardly to her as they walked out of the tea shop together.

He turned and started walking when Taryn called to him. "Lee!" He didn't realize she called him. "LEE!" She yelled louder.

"Huh?!" He said as he stopped and turned back to her.

Don't you usually go that way to get home?" She asked pointing to the street that he had just walked past.

He had missed the turn, she didn't know where he lived, but he had passed the street he needed to turn down to get back to his house. "Oh! Thank you, Taryn." He had a goofy grin on his face and he turned and went down the right street.

Once he reached his house he cleaned and changed Ursa then took a quick bath. He mumbled to himself as he shaved his face. "Bye bye, what normal guy says Bye bye… Come on Get a hold of yourself, she just a girl… A friend!" He said aloud, his heart begged to differ. "Just a FRIEND" he told himself again. "I'm too busy to have a crush! My life is way too complicated right now to think about women... Taryn." He felt his heart jump again at the meer mention of her name.

She had come to The Jasmine Dragon every day since they met at the Zoo. Seeing her made him feel so happy. Ursa absolutely adored Taryn, Taryn always sat with Ursa when she came in, playing with the little girl, teaching her cute nursery rhymes and short songs, Taryn had a beautiful singing voice, he liked to work close to her when she sang, she reminded him of his mother, always singing and playing games with him.

Zuko had realizes a few days ago that he had very strong feelings for the beautiful young woman, he wasn't sure how she did it, but she slipped past the walls he put up around his heart. It happened fast, but it felt so good. After he finished getting himself and Ursa all cleaned up he left the house with the biggest smile he had ever smiled along with a pouch full of coins, he want to have a great time with Taryn and Ursa, buy them both food, some gifts, let Ursa play games… He wanted to give her a perfectly wonderful evening, no matter how much he denied it, he knew his heart now belonged to the emerald-eyed beauty. He just really hoped she felt the same way about him.

He took a carriage to her house, with Ursa on his shoulders he walked up the short path to the door of the large house. Zuko took a deep breath then knocked on the door. He could hear someone walking to the door, then he heard Taryn's voice call down. "I got it Mom!" Just as the door started to open, his heart and smile fell when he say Taryn's mother standing at the door. The short plump woman began to size him up, her expression clearly expressed disgust for this 'common tea house server' not worthy to be in her presence let alone go out with one of her daughters. His hair was down, no matter how much he brushed it, it had a mind of its own, falling in front of his eyes, and sticking up everywhere else, but at least it covered almost all of his scar, which if they thought too much about it they might figure out who he really was. Thank goodness she didn't focus on his face too much, his clothes were nice but they didn't seem to be the class level she would prefer to see him wearing.

"I'm here to pick up Taryn" He said as he put on a smile,

"Taryn!" Her mother called wrinkling her nose at him. "That… tea server is here for you."

"Dyna, be nice to the young man! It's not like you're going out with him." He heard a man call to her from inside the house "He works in the Upper Ring, that's enough class for me." His words made Zuko smirk a bit. "You meddled too much in our other daughters' lives, let Taryn alone."

"Hello Lee! Hello Princess Ursa! I'm ready to go!" Taryn said with a smile. "Bye Mom, bye Dad!"

"I'll have her back here before it gets too late." Zuko told the frowning woman.

"Bye bye!" Ursa called to the woman as she was closing the door.

They walked side by side down the street to the small fair. They wandered around the square, Zuko bought them all shish kabobs with meat and grilled vegetables and fruit. Next they ate sugar coated fried dough. They all played little games, Zuko won both of the girls he was with stuffed animals. He kept offering to buy Taryn anything she wanted.

"You are so sweet, Lee, but I don't need lots of gifts… I don't want you to spend all you money on me."

"It's no problem, really I want to buy the stuff for you. I want to give you anything you want!" He told her.

"Anything I want?" She asked him, her cheeks turning pink, she took his hand in hers and held it, interlacing their fingers together. "This is what I want."

"Oh!" Was all he could manage, his heart pounding so loud he could hear it.

She smiled up at him, "Let's go sit down by the fountain, my feet are kind of hurting right now."

"Oh… Okay." He stammered a bit as she pulled over to the fountain sitting on the lip of it. He set Ursa down but kept a close watch on her as she played with other children.

"I'm having a wonderful time Lee." Taryn said, "Thank you for spending the evening with me, both of you." She gestured to Ursa.

"I want to tell you…" They both said at the same time.

"You first!" Taryn told him.

Zuko took a deep breath, to steel his nervousness. "Taryn, I love spending time with you, I love how much you care about my daughter, and her happiness is my main goal in life. But something has happened that I could never have foreseen. I..." Zuko took another breath, he was scared, and he didn't know why he was scared but his heart pounded in his chest and he could hear the blood whooshing through his veins, he looked up into her eyes, she bright sparkling emerald green eyes and all his fear went away. "Taryn, I like you so much… You have brightened my gloomy world, and I love spending time with you… I just want to say that I… I might… No, I am, I am… Taryn I have fallen in love with you." Both of her hands immediately came up to cover her mouth; the only thing he could read in her eyes was shock… Total and complete shock. Then her eyes began to glisten with tears, those tears tore at his heart. He cursed himself for her how he felt, at this moment it was completely obvious that she didn't feel the same way. "I… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said anything, I'm okay if you never want to see me again." He squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head in shame, holding back his heartbreak.

He felt her hands tough his cheeks, lifting his face to hers, his eyes still squeezed shut. Then her felt her warm lips against his. His heart began to pound harder as he deepened the kiss, his head was spinning and it felt so good.

As she pulled away he opened his eyes to find her smiling widely, her cheeks were as red as her soft lips. "I love you too!" She exclaimed throwing her arms tightly around his neck. She kissed him again "I love you!" Her eyes filled with tears of joy. Once more she told him, "I love you!"

"I love you, you make me happy, you make Ursa happy!" He told her.

"I love Ursa too! She is such a sweet happy little girl." Taryn told him.

"Thank you!" He told her, pressing his lips to hers again. "You make me happier then I have been in a long time!"

"Daddy," Ursa said coming over to them. "I love Taryn too!" The little girl's golden eyes sparkled as she hugged Taryn.

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