A. N. : I haven't been able to write for a few days, but at last, the chapter is here ! This one is calmer than the precedents, thanks the spirits.

Ba Sing Se is huge.

Zuko walks through the crowded streets of the Lower Ring, and he feels overwhelmed.

People are talking, bargaining, trying to get clients to look at their stuff. Children are playing, babies are crying, laughing.

There are people everywhere, and probably from everywhere. Some are scarred, others exhausted, and yet all have the same look on their face, a look that says I'm safe, a look that Zuko hasn't seen in three years.

And then there's the smell. Food, burnt oil, spices – it is almost lunchtime after all – mix with the scents of poverty – dirty water, sweat and, spirits, it's almost worse than burnt flesh and Zuko doesn't want to think about what people did in these streets.

Uncle's… contact in the city – how many members does that old people club count, and what exactly is it by the way – knows the owner of an apartment building who could rent them a flat, which, Zuko hopes, won't be too miserable.

Though he's not sure that's possible here.

They walk past a tea shop and – where did Uncle go. Agni, now is not the time to be drinking tea, they need to find a flat, find a job, and hopefully get to eat something today. Zuko hasn't put on a lot of weight since that time he almost starved to death, and he's not about to inflict that on Lin.

Uncle gets out of the building before Zuko can decide to drag him out by the collar, saying he found them jobs, they start working this afternoon, isn't this great.

Well. It seems Uncle has at least some of his priorities set straight.

When they get to the apartment building and Uncle starts discussing conditions with the landlady – and he's not flirting with her, spirits – Zuko takes a look around the flat. Well, two rooms. A small kitchen with a fire place. A table. A bed in the smallest room. A bed, spirits, he shouldn't be that glad to see the worn down mattress, but carrying Lin all day and sleeping on the floor, without even talking about the three weeks on a raft after the North Pole – his back hurts all the time. He knows he should, and will, leave the bed to Uncle, but it's so tempting.

The papers are quickly signed and they get invited over for lunch by the owner. She directs them to a friend of hers who can help them maybe furnish their flat a bit and Uncle agrees immediately – he's always liked living in a nice place and what if someone brings a lady friend home –

This is supposed to be directed at Zuko, but they both know who of the two is more likely to do it.

Zuko sighs.

He should be screaming at Uncle, telling him they're not going to build a life here – he can't. He hates being Li, Li the Earth Kingdom refugee, Li who isn't a firebender. He hates it. But Li can take care of his fire-earth child. Zuko can't. Zuko wouldn't even be able to protect her from his father.

If he can go home someday, what is he supposed to do with Lin ?

The question has been with him since the ferry, somewhat silencing the constant chorus of – what if I fail, what if I can't capture the Avatar, what if I can never go home –

Failure has never been an option. These days, success is starting to look less and less like one too.

Shit, what is he supposed to do –

He doesn't know and – he's not sure he wants to know anymore.