Hello all!

So I'm back with an all new story! I've got an outline written out for it and everything. I'm pretty excited about it. This is an AU in some obvious ways. I think it'll all be pretty clear as the story goes on.

This story will heavily feature Zukaang, though it's not necessarily the focus of the story. I hope to have a good balance between Zukaang and developing Zuko and Iroh's relationship.

With that being said, I hope you enjoy the prologue!

Hey Iroh, it's Ayumi from Child Protective Services. Listen, can you call me as soon as possible? It's kind of an emergency. Thanks.

He had just come home from a long day of training when he saw the flashing red light on his answering machine. And while he had been expecting a call, he hadn't been expecting this.

Iroh Ryusai was a well-respected man in the town of Kinchi. Not only for his service, but as a genuinely kind and selfless man who was active in the community and volunteered at the local BCY, Bending Center for Youths. His son, Lu Ten, had also earned a similar reputation as a younger - if rowdier - version of his father. So it shook the town when Lu Ten was killed in the line of duty overseas. And it nearly shattered the retired general.

It had been five years since the death of his son. It had been a dark and difficult road for him. He was fortunate to have the support and kindness of his friends and many of the townspeople. In the process of his healing, he had decided that he should foster a child. He had a house, time, and money to spare. While volunteering at the BCY was fulfilling, Iroh couldn't help but feel that he could do so much more.

He reached out and found Ayumi, a social worker. After verifying that he was more than fit and capable of caring for a foster child, she had said that she would call him in a few days to let him know what children in the area might need a home.

What Iroh hadn't expected was an emergency.

He dialed her number and it barely began to ring before Ayumi picked up. "Iroh, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me…" he said. She sounded panicked. "Is everything alright?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm so sorry to ask this, but would you be able to take a 14 year old boy in? Tonight?"

"Tonight?" He had been prepared to take a child in, but on such short notice?

"Yes. And I have to warn you, he's a firebender with temper. I normally wouldn't ask someone so new to the foster system, but no one else is willing to take him in, and I figured with your training as a soldier…"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I can take the boy in tonight."

Her relief was palpable over the phone. "Thank you so much, Iroh! You're a gift from the spirits, you know that?"

"So who exactly is this child and what happened?"

"His name is Zuko. He and his younger sister Azula were placed in their current foster home two years ago after their father was arrested for child abuse. Everything was fine for the most part, but the foster parents called me today and said that Zuko had attacked his sister! Banged her up pretty badly. They wanted him out of the house as soon as possible for Azula's safety."

Iroh frowned slightly. "He's that dangerous?"

Ayumi sighed. "I understand if you don't want such a person in your home…"

"No, it's fine," Iroh assured. "Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience handling violent people..."

"It would only be for a short time. I'm trying to convince his foster parents to press charges, but they're insisting that it's not necessary. That he just needs help. But if we could get some sort of conviction, we could hand him over to the state and let them deal with him."

It troubled Iroh to hear Ayumi talk in such a way about this disturbed young man, but also understood that Ayumi was responsible for dozens of children. A teenager like Zuko would be difficult enough to handle under the best of circumstances, let alone in concert with so many other needy children. "I am completely willing to take care of Zuko," he repeated. "No need to turn him over to the state."

"Alright. We'll be there around nine. I'll have a file ready for you, and we'll have a few things to hash out. Again, thank you so much, Iroh!"

"It's no problem. I'll see you then."

With that, they hung up, leaving Iroh pondering just how much his life was about to change.

"You are to behave, do you understand me?" Ayumi stressed.

"Yes," Zuko replied quietly.

"Iroh is a war hero and frankly deserves the very best life has to offer, especially since his son was killed. But he was the only person willing to take you in, so I expect you to be grateful. You are very very lucky."

Zuko was starring pointedly out the car window, arms wrapped around his small bag of belongings. He wondered what a 'war hero' would think about a person like him. He imagined a strictly run household, no room for error, no room for slacking. And if Zuko didn't meet his expectations, he would promptly be whipped into shape.

His grip on the bag tightened. 'Lucky' is not the word he would use.

"Well, here we are..."

They pulled into the driveway of a small two-story house. It was quaint, made with brick and had a gable roof. Each side of the house was lined with large trees, isolating it from its neighbors. It was almost the exact opposite to Fong and Tuli's mansion out in the middle of nowhere.

A stocky man with grey hair stepped out. He had a friendly smile as he walked up to the vehicle. "Good evening, Ayumi."

"Good evening, Iroh." She waved a hand over to her charge. "This is Zuko."

Iroh turned to the young man, and his smile faltered at the sight of a large burn scar that encompassed half his face. Obviously Zuko noticed his reaction, because he lowered his head and turned his face away, obscuring the scar. Iroh pretended not to notice; there was no need to put the boy on the spot. "Hello, Zuko. My name is Iroh Ryusai." He gave a bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Zuko frowned slightly at the old man's politeness. This man was a war veteran? He doesn't act like it. And certainly doesn't look it.

Oh Zuzu, you more than anyone should know that looks can be deceiving.

He flinched, but quickly bowed to cover it up. "Nice to meet you," he said quietly.

Iroh turned to Ayumi. "Shall we go inside? I've prepared some tea for us to enjoy while we discuss matters."

"Yes, please," she said. "Unfortunately I won't be able to stay for long. I'm going to have to go back to the Haruyama's tonight to check up on Azula."

Iroh saw Zuko stiffen at the mention of his sister. "Well, let's try to make this brief then."

In the evening lighting of Iroh's dining room, Ayumi laid out what was expected. Zuko had been mandated to attend daily evaluations with a state-appointed psychologist for at least the next week. After that, the psychologist would decide whether he should continue therapy thereafter. In addition to this, the psychologist would also determine when Zuko was ready to be enrolled in school without being a threat to his peers.

"Enroll?" Iroh asked. He turned to Zuko. "Are you not already in school?"

"Due to their remote location, the Haruyama's have opted to homeschool," Ayumi explained. "They've been diligent in making sure their children pass all the required testing, so Zuko shouldn't have any problem jumping into a public school."

After explaining the necessary details, Ayumi gave Iroh a copy of the psychologist's information, legal documents required by the state, and a copy of Zuko's records. "If you have any questions, feel free to call me. Thank you again, Iroh. I really can't say it enough."

"It's quite alright," Iroh said. "Good luck with the rest of your evening."

"Thank you. I'm sure I'll need it."

One she was gone and the sound of her car disappeared into the distance, Iroh turned to Zuko and found that he was unsure what to say. The young man was not exactly what he expected. Not that he had many expectations to begin with, but given Zuko had attacked his sister only earlier that day, Iroh had been preparing to deal with an aggressive adolescent. But Zuko hadn't moved so much as an inch since sitting down, his cup of tea left untouched. While he seemed to have a permanent scowl, his arms were crossed tightly across his chest and he was slumped back in his chair. And in the last hour, he had avoided all eye contact with Iroh.

There weren't signs of aggression; they were signs of submission.

Then again, Iroh had just met him. It was foolish for Iroh to claim to understand a person in such a short time. He would be lying if he didn't say that he was immensely curious about Zuko and the circumstances surrounding him, but it was late, and he was sure that they were both tired. "So how about I give you a tour of the place? It's getting late, so I'm sure you'll want to go to bed. I know you've had a long day."

Zuko lifted his head, keeping his gaze firmly away from the older man's face, and gave a sharp nod. "Yes, sir."

Iroh cringed slightly. "I am retired now. There's no need for 'sir'. It's just Iroh."

Zuko wasn't sure if he was capable of addressing the him so casually, so he simply gave another nod.

Given the size of the house, it was a short tour. The first floor consisted of a partially combined kitchen and dining room, a separate living room, and a bathroom. The second floor had a master bedroom, two smaller bedrooms and a separate bathroom. The house was sparsely decorated with what looked like ancient artifacts and a few older styled weapons. Zuko was curious about the weapons, but since he didn't know Iroh's boundaries yet, he couldn't get a closer look at them.

The room that Iroh identified as his was similarly sparse with only a bed, dresser, and desk. "I know it's empty," Iroh said. "But I figure you can liven it up with time."

Zuko frowned. He sounded as though he expected Zuko to be around for a while.

Iroh looked the teenager over. Between his scar and lack of any vocal responses, he was very difficult to read. At this point, Iroh could only hope that Zuko wasn't feeling overwhelmed. "I'm sure you're tired. I'll leave you alone for the night, let you settle into your new home."

There was no reaction besides another short nod. Zuko walked into his new bedroom and dropped his bag on the bed.

With nothing else to say, Iroh bid the young man good night and closed the door behind him. For a moment, he just stood in the middle of the hallway feeling a bit dazed. In the span of a few hours, he had gone from a solitary widower to harboring a young teenage boy. A teenage boy who had not been abused as a child, but also has a bad temper.

Iroh rubbed a hand over his face. What did he just get himself into?

So what did you guys think? Should I continue? Leave a review and let me know :)