A. N. : It is a good thing I wrote this chapter in advance, because I am an emotional mess today. Anyway. Finally someone sane to calm the kids.

Iroh feels the sun rise.

He slowly gets up, taking in the warmth of the morning. Lin opens her eyes and starts making some noise. It's the third day since Zuko came back and there is already some sort of routine installed.

First, Iroh takes Lin with him while he goes outside to get water – she likes the sun just as much as any firebender – to make some tea. He keeps her near him when brewing.

Then, he brings a cup to Jet, before taking his turn to watch Zuko. Jet then rests for a while.

But today, when Iroh opens the door to Zuko's room, he knows their routine has gone up in flames.

Zuko is curled up and clutching his face, but his breathing indicates that he has finally woken up and isn't still lost in a nightmare – then why ? As for Jet, he is sitting in the farthest corner of the room, looking at Zuko like he just set his world on fire.

Iroh takes a step forward, hoping to do something to help – and to find out just what happened here – but Jet – Jet cries out, shouts for Iroh to stay away, don't come near, and his face is contorted in pain and hatred, and he takes his head in his hands, claws at his skull, and his breath is fast and shaky, and he spits firebending scum like the words are burning his tongue.

Oh.

Iroh pauses. Thinks.

Right now, the emergency is calming Jet – there is no knowing what he could do in his current state, and Zuko is in no condition to protect himself should his friend lash out. Iroh will find out what caused said condition later, but it isn't the priority, as painful as it is to see his nephew like that.

Jet is looking in front of him, his eyes going from Zuko to Iroh, to Lin, rapidly, and his expression is one of fear, hatred, pain, sadness – madness ? He is like a cornered animal, terrified and dangerous.

Iroh kneels. Puts the cups on the floor. Holds Lin with both hands. Always looking at Jet, but never in the eye. He has no doubt he'll be able to handle the Freedom Fighter is things take a turn for the worst, but trying to intimidate him would only aggravate him further.

This is not a siege, but a negotiation.

First, call him by name, softly, and see how he reacts. It could be worse – he snarls, but doesn't look like he'll attack. Push some more, tell him they won't hurt him – don't add if we don't have to, even if Iroh is more than ready to defend his family if need comes to be.

Jet laughs, a short, sharp sound, almost a sob – yeah right – and why should he believe anything an ashmaker says, especially one who has been lying to him for weeks ?

Good point. Iroh breathes calmly, taking the time to formulate an appropriate answer. He speaks as kindly and softly as possible, like any inoffensive uncle would, doesn't call Jet boy or child – even if he wants to, this is only a hurt kid, but the words could be interpreted as contempt on his part and make Jet more defensive. He calls to logic.

Wouldn't they have hurt him much earlier if such was their intention ?

Jet shakes his head, brings his legs closer to his chest, and he doesn't look at Iroh anymore, says that the Fire Nation are all liars, they probably just want to burn Ba Sing Se to the ground – he shudders at that – they're liars, liars he can't trust them –

And he sounds so desperate that Iroh finally understands some of the problem.

Jet trusts them, at least partly, and it goes against everything he's believed in until now, every ideal, every fight, it all was against the Fire Nation, all driven by a singular objective.

Zuko and him are decidedly very much alike.

And that resemblance comes in handy right now, because Iroh has experience in helping people – his nephew – deal with that kind of dilemma. Jet is still too far gone to let go of his hatred of the whole Fire Nation, but he has now met individuals who challenge that. He's on the brink of losing balance, and if he does, there is no predicting what will happen.

Jet hates the Fire Nation, but trusts Li and Mushi. And he will not let go of his hatred, not yet.

But he doesn't have to.

Iroh represses a smile. For once, Zuko's natural disposition to make enemies of everyone is an advantage. Now to find the right words…

He starts by comforting Jet, telling him he's right, a lot of Iroh's compatriots have done horrible things in this war, and he is sorry for this – Jet accuses him angrily, wasn't he a soldier too, and Spirits, that boy is good at finding weak points – and yes, yes he was and he is so sorry for that, he knows how wrong the war is, how painful and terrible it feels to lose people, has known ever since he lost his son – Jet opens his mouth again, but this time Iroh doesn't let him interrupt.

Listen – he regrets his past actions, he really does, knows there is no way to atone for them but – here comes the tricky part – even then he tried and went against the current government.

As a result, both him and his nephew were declared traitors to the Fire Nation. He insists some more – despite their blood and birthplace, they cannot be considered Fire Nation citizens.

Jet takes a moment to analyse what was just said. Bites his lips nervously as his eyes dart from Lin to Zuko, and he is obviously trying to decide if he can be comfortable with this compromise.

Finally, he exhales.

His voice shakes as he asks for some tea.