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?

I have a new collection of One-shots called Dear Diary: They are Katara's thoughts that take place during the time they traveled the world before the Hundred Year War ended.

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 130

"I won't take no for an answer, Nephew. I want you to take that beautiful young woman out without Ursa! She will be perfectly safe in the care of The Dragon of the West, a Grand Lotus in the Order of the White Lotus, you have no reason to worry about her." Iroh told him.

"Daddy, I play with Uncle!" Ursa told him.

"See, even she's fine with it. NOW GO!" Iroh pointed to the door of the Jasmine Dragon.

"But I don't even know where to take her!" Zuko threw his hands in the air. He didn't like getting ganged up on, and especially not by the two people in the world he cared most about.

"I heard Lake Laogai has become quite a nice place to spend the day." Iroh told him. "You should surprise her, take her there!"

"I don't even have beach type stuff here!" Zuko argued.

"Well Nephew, I haven't heard anything about the Fire Nation running low in funds… Buy the stuff you need! NOW GO!" Iroh raised his voice a bit, and Ursa laughed.

Zuko scrunched his face at them "Fine!" And he stomped out of the shop. He walked back to his Ba Sing Se house and grabbed some of the things he would need for the day. He sported his double swords because of the size of the pouch on money he had decided to bring. He walked down to a carriage for hire, then was on his way to pick Taryn in the middle ring.

When the carriage came to a stop in front of Taryn's home he didn't wait for the driver to open the door, he hopped out and strode up the front walk in only a few long strides. On the ride over the only thing he thought about was her, and how happy he was when he was around her. He knocked on the door a few times then patiently waited.

"Hell- Oh, It's just you. Nobody important." Taryn's mother said when she found him standing on the front step. "Hold on." Then she turned around and hollered into the house. "The Tea Server is here!"

"Good morning ma'am, it's a lovely day to day." Zuko started small talk.

"Yes! So it is…" She turned around and hollered again. "Taryn, the Tea Server is here!" She didn't like Zuko but Taryn's father did so no matter how she felt her husband has over-ridden her on Taryn seeing him.

"I'm coming Mama!" Taryn yelled from just up the stairs. Just the sound of her voice made him smile, and his heart start beating faster.

"Hi Lee!" She said as she came down the stairs. "What brings you here this morning?"

"I decided to take you on a surprise date!" He told her. "Just me and you!"

"That sounds wonderful… but what about Ursa?" Taryn asked.

"Iroh insisted I leave her with him while you and I get a little… Us time." Zuko told her.

"That sounds fun!" She turned back into the house, "Daddy, Mama Lee is taking me out is that okay?"

Dyna started to mumble something about lowly tea servers not worth her time when Tuvock called out "Goodbye baby girl, have fun!"

"Thank you Daddy, I love you!" Taryn called out then closed the door behind herself.

Zuko helped Taryn into the carriage then climbed in behind her, he took the seat opposite from Taryn. "So where are we going?" She asked as she switched sides to sit next to him.

"Well, it's kind of a surprise." He told her.

"I like surprises!" She said as she interlaced her fingers with his. "I missed you."

"How could you miss me, we spend all day yesterday together." He told her.

"I… I don't know I just did." She leaned over and kissed him. "I've been wanting to do that ever since I first saw you at our door!"

"That was… Quite bold of you!" Zuko said with a smile when they pulled apart. "I love you more and more every day!"

"How could you not!" She giggled. "I love you too! So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise!" Zuko told her.

"When will we get there?" Taryn poked his leg.

"I will take a little while." Zuko told her, trying to not give up the surprise.

She rested her head on his shoulder and caught site of some sort of handle on his back. "What's that?"

"Huh?" Zuko asked.

"That thing on your back?" Taryn asked again.

"OH! That is my Duel Dao Swords." He told her.

"What are you planning to do with them?" Taryn asked nervously.

"Nothing bad!" Zuko laughed. "When I was a boy my father insisted I learn the art of swords from the greatest sword master in the world, Master Piandao. I was going to show you what I can do… So you know, I could protect you if I needed to."

"Oh, for my protection." Taryn laughed.

"I would never do anything to harm you! I love you!" He told her.

"I know, it's just that I constantly have my mother in my ear, 'You don't know anything about him' 'he could be a murderer' oh and my favorite 'he could use you for your body, throw you away and leave you with child'."

"I would NEVER do any of those! Ever Taryn, I promise you!" Zuko told her. "I'm more of a man than that to do any of that to you!"

"That's what I told her. Daddy gets upset with her sometimes, he says you are a good man, he can feel it, he can read it in your character, he says." Taryn told him, she brought his hand up and kissed it. "I want Daddy to be right."

"Good news than! He is right about me." Zuko told her. "I work my hardest every day to be the best person I can be, using the mistakes my forefathers made to better myself. As for Ursa, she's my whole world, everything I do is for her. And here you are, making me happier than I have been in quite a long time."

"He also says you look really familiar but he can't figure out from where." Taryn told him.

"I… I don't know… really." Zuko tried to calm his nerves, the last thing he needed was for his secret to scare Taryn off, he truly loved her and he has been thinking a lot about telling her who he really is, but didn't need anyone to figure it out too soon. "Maybe he saw me a long time ago, I lived here for a little while."

"Maybe that's it!" Taryn told him.

Taryn closed her eyes and before she knew it she fell asleep on him. Zuko stroked her cheek softly as she slept on his shoulder, he marveled at how beautiful she is, about how lucky he was to have found a sweet, kind, beautiful young woman in the last place he would ever think to look for one. It amazed him that he fell in love with her, he wasn't looking for anyone, he didn't want anyone, but here she was, she fell into his heart and he was happier than he had ever been in his life.

…

"Taryn, we're here." He said gently patting her leg, "Nap time's over Beautiful."

"Huh?" She mumbled, "Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Its okay, gave me a bit of time to reflect on everything that has happened in this last month, that's all." Zuko softly told her. The carriage driver opened the door and helped Taryn down.

"We're… This is Lake Laogai!" Taryn exclaimed.

"I thought a day at the beach would be kinda romantic!" Zuko told her.

"I wish you had told me we were coming here! I could have brought my swimwear with me." Taryn told him, she had a look of disappointment.

"I already thought about that, I'm planning on buying everything we need." Zuko told her.

"No, you can't do that, you need it for you and Ursa!" Taryn told him.

"Iroh insisted I take you here, so let's say today is all on The Fire Lord's bill." Zuko laughed.

"Okay, I guess… On the Fire Lord." She smiled "I think I can accept his generosity than."

"Good, that makes me happy!" Zuko told her with a laugh. Hand on hand they walked to a small shop where they were able to find swimwear, a large beach blanket, a picnic basket filled to the brim with food, towel's and they rented a large beach umbrella. Once they found a nice spot near the water's edge they set up their stuff they took turns going to the cabana and changed into the swimwear.

Taryn went first, when she immerged from inside the temporary building Zuko's mouth and throat went dry. "You… You look beautiful!"

"Thank you." She blushed bright red crossing her arms over her bare stomach. She took a seat on their blanket while Zuko went to change his own clothes.

When he came out he had a short robe on over his torso. "Why do you get a robe and not me?" Taryn giggled.

"I… I have a scar." He softly told her.

"I won't make fun of you." Taryn told him.

"It's… I was hit by lightning." He hung his head.

"You don't have to show me if you don't want to, but I would like to see it." Taryn told him.

Once seated Zuko untied the front of his robe and opened it only enough to expose his scar. "Oh, my!" Taryn said, she slowly reached out and touched the large lightning scar on his abdomen. "Does it hurt?"

"No, not anymore. It's almost ten years old now." He told her as she softly traced it's outline with her index finger. "That tickles." He told her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It… it fascinates me." Taryn told him, her face turning redder. "I'll stop."

"No, no you don't have to stop, it feels nice. Nobody has ever touched it like that." Zuko told her.

"You're lucky to be alive!" Taryn told him.

"If it weren't for my waterbender friend I would be dead." Zuko told her.

"Maybe someday I could thank her for saving your life." Taryn told him.

"Maybe…" He told her. His time in Ba Sing Se was coming to an end and he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, all he knew was that he truly loved this beautiful young woman with his whole heart.

"I think I want to go into the water now." She happily told him, as soon as she started towards the water he jumped up to follow. She walked in only knee deep "Aaahhh! It's cold!" She laughed. When he stopped next to her she started splashing him.

"Aaahhhh! Stop!" Zuko laughed as he began splashing water at her.

"No!" She shrieked and began running away, He made chase, not too far behind her. "Please?!"

"You started it!" He called as he was closing in on her.

"I'm sorry!" She giggled.

"Too late!" He called to her, now even closer.

"Help! No!" She laughed as he caught hold of her bare waist.

"You're in trouble now!" He told her as he picked her up and spun around until he was dizzy, collapsing at the water's edge. She landed on top of him her legs on either side of his stomach. "AH HA! I got you!" She exclaimed.

Zuko pretended to be shocked "Why Miss Taryn, whatever are you going to do?" He laughed.

A wicked smile grew on the innocent girl's face. "This!" She leaned over and kissed him softly, then went in for deeper, more passionate kisses. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, his arms wrapped around her waist pulling her body against his. When she finally pulled away they were both breathing heavily. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too!" He chuckled softly "Can I keep you?"

"Forever!" She told him.

"Promise?" He asked her.

"I promise!" She whispered then kissed him once more, ever so softly; the sun had already began to dip lower in the sky casting orange and red streaks across the skies, the great inner wall of Ba Sing Se was blocking most of the light now.

"We better leave soon, I don't want your mother to kill me for keeping you too long." Zuko told her as he lifted her off of him. He quickly grabbed his clothes and hurried off to the cabana to change.

When he emerged a few minutes later Taryn already had the blanket folded and everything packed up and ready to leave. Once she was changed they climbed back into their carriage and headed back into the city.

When they reached Taryn's house they shared on last kiss before he walked her to the door, "I had a wonderful time today, Taryn. I love you so much."

"I had so much fun today, I love you too! Goodnight Lee, I'll miss you." She told him.

"I'll miss you too." He told her. She reluctantly released his hand and went inside her house.

It was full dark when he got to The Jasmine Dragon, he had the carriage wait for him there.

"So, Nephew, did you have a good time?" Iroh asked him as he walked into the dining room of the tea house.

"Yeah." He sighed.

"Then why are you so sad?" Iroh asked him.

"I love her uncle! More than I could ever dream to love someone." Zuko told the old man as he set a cup of tea in front of him.

"But this is good news!" Iroh burst, clapping his nephew on the back.

"She doesn't even know who I really am." He told the old firebender. "I can't stop thinking about her, I miss her when I'm not with her."

"Star struck lovers!" Iroh told him

"I don't know what to do!" Zuko threw his arms up.

"Tell her you love her!" Iroh suggested.

"I have one hundred times and I would say it a million times more." Zuko said then took a sip of her tea. "I don't think I could live without her. I NEED her!"

"Are you sure?" Iroh asked.

"More than I ever felt for that dead bitch that tried to hurt my baby girl." Zuko told him.

"Tell her you can't live without her! Tell her who you are! If she needs verification about you she can come ask me." Iroh told the Fire Lord.

…

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