Iroh and I take turns caring for Zuko, while alternatively packing for our upcoming move to the Upper Ring. Near the end of the day, Zuko wakes up, incredibly groggy and dazed. I am taking the clothes out of the wardrobe while Iroh places a new wet cloth on Zuko's forehead.

We have been having a quiet conversation about what lays ahead of us in the Upper Ring, how we should decorate our new apartment and Iroh's shop, when Zuko wakes up. Zuko moans and turns, and Iroh, sensing that he's awake, says, "You're burning up. You have an intense fever." He wrings out the new wet cloth and says, placing it on his head, "This will help cool you down."

"So thirsty," Zuko whispers, sitting up despite Iroh's protests. Iroh easily pushes him down. I glanced at Zuko's naked body while we were undressing him. He doesn't look as thin as he did while we were on the run, but I can still easily count his ribs. Hopefully, this move to the Upper Ring would give us better access to food.

Iroh grabs the bucket of fresh water I grabbed earlier, ladling a spoon of water into his mouth. "Here's some clean water to drink." Iroh sits Zuko up slowly, just enough so he doesn't choke on the water. "Stay under the blankets and sweat this out."

Zuko grabs the ladle from Iroh's hand, pouring half of it down his chest and the rest into his mouth. He throws the ladle away and frantically grabs for the full bucket of water. He pours the majority of the water on himself and throws the bucket away too. He lays back down, drenched, and starts coughing.

It takes all of my willpower not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. I glance at Iroh, and he is also trying not to laugh. I gather the bucket and the ladle and go to fill them up again. Iroh stands up with me, and we move into the other room together.

In hushed tones, we discuss the plan for the rest of the day. Iroh thinks it wise for one of us to be with Zuko until he is at least not at the drowning himself with water point. However, we are supposed to sign our lease on the apartment and look at buildings for the new tea shop tomorrow.

"I can watch Zuko through the later half of the night, so you can rest," I say, pulling out some vegetables and rice for our meager dinner. We will give Zuko some broth, and hope he keeps that down. "I can also watch Zuko while you're away, since everything we're supposed to do tomorrow is rather time sensitive."

He nods, understanding. "Why don't you rest while I take care of dinner." It is more of a demand rather than a question. "You can pull your futon in here, if the lights are too bright for you in the other room," Iroh says.

I shake my head. "No, I'd rather be in there with Zuko." I pause, having a hard time voicing my thoughts. "I'm worried about him."

"I am too. But he made the right choice with the Avatar's bison. This is a turning point for not just him, but us as well. This time next week, we will be living happily in the Upper Ring!"

Iroh is right, and I take this knowledge with me as I get ready to take a short nap. I can't help but glance at Zuko, who is moaning out in his sleep, tossing and turning. He is sweating a lot, and I place the wet cloth back on his forehead. I sit there, watching him, clutching my hands as he continues to cry out quietly.

Is he having bad dreams? Will he remember them, or any of this?

When my fever was bad, I only partly remember what happened. Granted, I thought it more as a wicked hallucination of the other Air Nomads that died. I can only imagine what Zuko is going through.

Quietly, I grab one of Zuko's hands. He is hot with fever and drenched in his own sweat. My worries come out of my mouth more quickly with the knowledge that Zuko is unlikely to remember what is happening to him in the waking world. He clenches my hand instinctively, and it is a hard grip.

"I know you made the right decision with Appa. I know it was likely going against everything you ever wanted, since it felt like Aang was right there for you to catch. But a lot has happened since you started on this mission three years ago. You're a different person, and I hope you can see how much you've grown."

My gaze moves to the window in the room, and the green and orange glow from the lights outside send weird patterns against the floor in the room. I don't know what I want to say, or if this is even the right place to say such things.

I say them anyway.

"Zuko, I'm proud of you. Even if you're rash sometimes, and impulsive, and angry." My free hand touches my necklace. A dove in flight. Something I can probably never be again. "But you've also been through a lot in recent years. The majority of your family hasn't made it easy on you, especially since most of them are hunting you down right now. But the family you have with you now - Iroh and me - we'll always be here with you. We've seen you make the wrong choices, and the right ones too."

I bend my head down, pressing his burning hand to my forehead. I don't know what else to say, so I end it with a whisper, "Spirits, Zuko. You've made a lot of wrong choices. But I still think I can save you from them. What good am I? I can't bend, and I feel like a hindrance in fights next to you and Iroh. I want you to be the person Iroh and I see in you. I want you to be the person I can more openly fall in love with."

Spirits. Am I in love with Zuko?

Luckily, Iroh has impeccable timing. He comes in with dinner, closing the sliding door behind him. He is carrying a tray with three bowls, as well as the tea pot I made for him on the run. I lift my head up and slowly put Zuko's hand down, tucking it underneath the blanket.

I know I was speaking too quietly for Iroh to hear, but I still blush in the growing darkness.

"Oh, I thought you were going to take a nap?" Iroh says, setting the food tray down on his side of Zuko.

I shake my head. "Zuko was making a lot of noise, and despite what you said, I'm still worried about him." I try to smile, breaking the tension and anxiety in my body.

"That's okay. We're both allowed to worry about him. It won't be a pleasant experience for him. Here, eat this. It's been a long day."

Yes, it has. Neither Iroh nor I have slept in over a day, since we followed Zuko out to Lake Laogai and have been nursing him the whole day. But it has gone by quickly. This time next week, just like Iroh said, we will be in a different place. We will probably be different people, too.

We eat quietly, as to not wake Zuko more than we have to. Rest is the most important thing when trying to heal, even if the healing isn't physical, but mental. Iroh heats up the tea pot to have an after meal cup with both Zuko and I, though I doubt Zuko will be awake soon enough to enjoy a hot cup.

However, Iroh's timing is still impeccable. As he pours a cup for the three of us, Zuko quietly comes to. Iroh says, "You should know that this is not a natural sickness, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea." Nothing could stop Iroh from enjoying tea.

I help Zuko sit up, and Iroh places the hot tea to Zuko's lips. Zuko looks scared, anxious of what is happening to him. "What - what's happening?"

"Your critical decision, what you did beneath that lake, it was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body."

"What's that mean?" Zuko starts coughing again, hacking so loud that I'm worried he will wake the neighbors.

"You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be." Iroh wipes the side of Zuko's face with the wet cloth while I reach for the bowl of broth that has cooled enough for Zuko to easily drink.

Helping him sit up again, I slowly let Zuko drink the broth, careful to not let him take it away and pour it down his body like he did with the water earlier. In the silence that follows, Iroh and I continue to banter about what we should do with the shop. Zuko doesn't say much, but he smiles at both of us, our presence comforting for him in this tumultuous time.

At some point in the night, Iroh falls asleep sitting up while watching Zuko. I wake him up, pushing him to actually lay down on the futon to get a few hours of sleep. The sun hasn't started rising yet, but the sky is that predawn shade of gray.

I start my watch, changing the cloth on Zuko's head. In the dimness of the room, with the silence of the world outside the apartment, I start being soothed to sleep by the familiarness of the Lower Ring.

Iroh doesn't wake me, but the closing of the door to the apartment jolts me awake. I stand quickly, looking around. It is early morning, just before noon. The air is crisp, a late spring day. Zuko is asleep, but he isn't sweating anymore. I place my hand on his forehead, and he isn't burning hot anymore, just the normal level of warmth that I've started to associate with the inner heat of firebenders.

I take this as a good sign, standing and stretching the kinks of sleeping upright. Zuko does not move, and he seems less pained in his sleep. I leave the room, but keep the door open in case he cries out in his sleep. I warm up the leftover vegetables from the night before and add some of the broth that I gave Zuko.

It heats up to create a small stew for me and Zuko, though it isn't anything elaborate like what Iroh would make. I spoon some into two bowls and start to bring them into the bedroom, but Zuko is standing at the door, groggy still and staring intently at me. He is still just wearing his brown underpants. His silence startles me, and I nearly drop both bowls.

I laugh my jumpiness off, saying, "Oh, you were really quiet getting up. You startled me." I move over to the small table where we have shared many of our meals since being in Ba Sing Se. I place both bowls down across from each other. Averting my eyes from Zuko's bare chest, I gesture for him to sit down across from me. "Since you're up, you can sit down in here and we can eat. Iroh's getting everything set up for our move."

Intently, I watch Zuko move to the table, being careful that he doesn't stumble and fall again. He sits down, saying, "I'm thirsty. Is there more water?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that. Just one second. No tea, though you're probably tired of drinking tea."

I get us both cups of water, though I bring the pitcher over and set it between us, in case Zuko is as thirsty as he was last night. We eat together in silence, and I wonder if Zuko remembers anything from the night before.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind tea," he says, replying to my comment on tea. Zuko seems different, somehow, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe Iroh was right, and Zuko is a changed man. "I can make it after we finish eating, though."

I glance up so quickly that I almost drop my spoon back into my bowl. "Oh, you don't have to." Though I am definitely thinking about Zuko making tea for Iroh after Azula shot him with lightning. It tasted very much like Pao's cup when he hired us. Under steeped, bitter, not very good.

"I want to try making it like Uncle."

I put my spoon down, careful not to let the surprise show on my face. "I can show you. I made the tea while he was away. It isn't as good as Iroh's but it is better than" - I can't say better than his. It would break apart everything I have been working toward. That is, kindness toward Zuko - "it is better than Pao's. A lot better!"

We clean up after eating, washing everything and setting it aside to dry. Drying the dishes, I ask, "Do you know what kind of tea you want? Iroh has a variety."

Zuko doesn't say anything for a moment, deep in thought. "Can you make an Air Nomad tea?"

An Air Nomad tea? Why is he thinking about that?

"I can, but I haven't made it in a long time." In over a hundred years, to be exact.

"I can help."

This change in Zuko is abrupt, but not unwelcome. I smile at him, taking the last wet dish from him and setting it on the rack to dry. "I'd like that."

So, Zuko and I go about making balance butter tea, to keep us warm and balanced in the cold altitudes of the temples. I share this with Zuko, saying, "Not only was the balance butter tea good for keeping us warm, but it was used to greet friends as a special sign of welcome. You are going to be drinking a tea that hasn't been made in over a hundred years. Iroh would be jealous."

I point out all the ingredients we need, including permagul tea, butter, and some flour. We heat up the water and cups according to how Iroh taught me, steeping the tea for a few minutes, then dumping the first batch that is used to "wake up" the leaves. The whole time I am making it, I am walking Zuko through the steps, like I was a monk teaching a new student.

"We had tsampa with the tea often, but I don't think we have enough flour to make that right now. But once the tea has finished steeping, you just add the butter, sugar, and flour. The type of flour you use matters, and we can heat it up in a pan to bring out more of the flavor. But this is fine, for now. Just a simpler version of what we used to make."

I stir in the ingredients in each individual cup, saving one for Iroh. I pass it over to Zuko, and I say, "You probably won't like it, especially with how warm it is getting now that summer is almost here. But we used this to help balance our bodies. You can add milk too, instead of the butter."

I can tell he doesn't like it by the slight twist of his lips, and I drink my own with a grin. "If you don't like it, you don't have to drink it. It is an acquired taste," I say, reaching toward his hand and taking the cup from him. Our hands overlap. I can feel my face redden at the contact, but I don't pull away. "I'll finish yours, then we can finish packing before Iroh gets back. I think that would help him a lot."

Zuko looks at me intently. I don't move, watching him watching me. "I went to all the air temples, before you came out of the ice," he says slowly. "I think you should continue painting them how they used to be, because now, they're in a state of decay. It might be the last memory of how they used to be."

He lets go of the cup, letting me take it away. Zuko turns his back to me, and I stand there, watching him go back into the bedroom, likely to change and help pack. I nod, though Zuko can't see me, a smile on my face. I will. I will continue painting the temples, because it seems like this war will never end. But we can make do, here, in Ba Sing Se. All of us. Together.