A. N. : Back to Zuko with a calmer chapter. I don't have anything else to say.

It is dawn.

Zuko wakes up as the sky turns white, fire running in his veins and Lin stirring at his side.

After the incident last night, Jet took his blanket away from the fire to sleep with the newcomers – from his stories, the child is probably The Duke, and the other would be Pipsqueak maybe ? Talking with that Water Tribe warrior sort of appeased Zuko – there's someone here who doesn't want him too dead – and he was able to get a bit of sleep.

But not enough to bear with Lin crying first thing in the morning, so he holds her as soon as she looks like she's sobbing and lets her chew on his hand as much as she wants.

Dawn makes him restless – makes them restless, Lin is wriggling with all her strength – and he gets up, wanting to walk around for a while, feel the warmth of the sun on his skin and maybe put his feet in the sea. One of the men who decided to keep him under watch – the other fell asleep – stares and frowns, but he sees Lin is in Zuko's arms and follows them without drawing his sword – still wary though.

Zuko makes his way as quietly as possible, trying not to walk on anyone – which proves to be very difficult, between Toph's buried limbs and Pipsqueak's gigantic body – and finally getting to the shore.

There is the usual morning mist blurring the edge between the sea and the sky, but the sun still manages to get through and slowly warm the sand.

Even on that spirits damned ship, the sight managed to calm Zuko, at least for a minute or two. Now, more lost than ever, pushed back against a wall by choices he never wanted to make, looking at the way dawn shines on the sea, listening to the sound of the waves and feeling the mist on his face makes his feel somewhat better. At least some things stay the same.

He sits down, takes his shoes off and lets the waves lick his toes – ouh, cold –

Lin keeps moving, as if wanting to touch the water too, so he holds her over it, with his hands under her arms, and she lets out a small yelp when a wave touches her feet, but then she giggles, and Zuko smiles too.

A voice behind him says that he really does rise with the sun, and Zuko didn't hear anyone coming – just how lost in his thoughts was he – so he almost drops Lin in surprise.

Katara sits next to him.

She seems nervous, plays with the water, looks at Zuko, frowns, looks away. She isn't going to forgive him for everything he did, but she – she would like to thank him for what he did in Ba Sing Se.

Not that it changed anything, though. Azula won, Ba Sing Se fell and the Avatar was struck down – how is he, by the way ?

Alive.

Well, that's a start. It's more than most of the people who faced Azula can say. Actually, there are probably only three or four exceptions, and most of them are in this camp. Anyway.

The silence is stretching out uncomfortably. What Zuko wouldn't give to know what to say in these kind of situations – in any situation, really.

His arms are growing tired, and he holds Lin closer – she jumps on the occasion to put her hands all over his face, and Zuko could swear she is at Jet levels of smug satisfaction.

Katara looks at them strangely. She asks if the baby is his. Oh. Right – she wasn't paying attention when he explained the whole thing, too busy taking care of the Avatar. She probably hadn't even noticed Lin before now.

So he explains. No, Lin is not his – even if he cares for her so much he threw everything away, even if he is ready to kill for her, she isn't his, she can't be his, he wouldn't bear it. He found her by chance – and how different things would've been if he hadn't, he wonders.

Katara nods. Maybe he isn't as terrible as she thought.

Maybe, yeah.