I have three months to write this out before the next episode comes out and makes it completely not plausible XDDD So enjoy it while it's a possibility

Zuko's hand faltered over the paper, he returned his brush to the ink pad and heaved a sigh. Not one entry had he placed to his journal since the night Katara had read it. Not once had he trusted himself to put his words onto paper.

Zuko had hoped things would become easier, but he was mistaken, Katara seemed as cold to him as if that night had never happened. If not worse. He drew back once more and took a breath, lifting his brush once again. But once more. Words failed him. He placed the brush down entirely this time and began to pace his room. Thoughts streaming through his mind with each step

'If I write what I am feeling, she might read the entry. And writing a journal on the days events would not help to clear my mind from the thoughts I am having. This is ridiculous'

The night was wearing thin, and soon people would be rising from slumber, yet still Zuko paced. Beating out the train of his thoughts in feeble hope that each footsteps might resolve the confusion he was facing

--

Katara was sitting by the fountain; her hand was skirting the water as it had done for the last three nights. She was ill at ease. One part of her was glad to have learned of Zuko's past. To have learned of his thoughts, but another part was screaming bloody murder at her. It was so much easier to hate him, rather then this state of like she had found for him.

She was finding herself arguing with him for no reason whatsoever. Stupid things, for instance, just earlier that day, she had complained that he was blocking her light, and he should have known better then to stand there when she was bending. Zuko had said nothing, but stormed away from her. Leaving her with a blinding light in her eyes.

Katara poked at the surface of the water, looking at how the reflection of the moon broke into fragments between the ripples. She did not even hear Aang coming up behind her. Yet she did not jump as he took a seat beside her.

"Katara, are you angry at me? For letting Zuko join us?"

Her azure eyes lifted to look into Aang's soft grey ones. Was she angry? If he had asked her a few days ago, she might have said yes, but now…

"No Aang, I am not angry. Zuko, he confuses me. I don't want to have him get close to you, just so he can hurt you again"

Aang shook his head and then looked to the reflection of the moon. He did as Katara had just done, breaking the reflection to watch it shimmer

"Katara, I think Zuko was just… really confused. As the Avatar I have to be able to forgive people, and let them prove they have changed, I need to be able to let things go. But that is my responsibility, not yours. I can't ask you to be friends with Zuko, nor can I ask you to forgive him. But I can't sit by and watch you being hurt either. If there is anything I can do to help. Settle this conflict?"

Katara pulled Aang into a hug, a fresh blush creeping on Aang's cheeks as a result of it, as she pulled back, her eyes were closed. Aang thought to himself that it would be the idle time to kiss her again, as he was leaning in however, words broke the silence

"Aang, I said I would go along with whatever you thought was best, but I can't let go of how much he hurt me so easily, just give me time, I need to sort out my feelings before any resolution can be found."

Aang watched her as she rose from the fountains edge, looking at her retreating back as she made her way to her room, he hefted a sigh, it was clear that the atmosphere had not been great since Zuko joined them. Sokka was provoking him at every given moment. And Katara was picking fights with him all the time. The only ones that didn't seem to mind him at all were Toph and the Duke.

--

Morning came, Zuko could feel the draw of the sun, calling to him to wake up, but he resolutely rolled to the side and ducked his head under the covers. He had walked the space of his room all the night before. So it was not surprising to find that he was reluctant to rise at day break.

He lay there awake under his covers for what seemed like an eternity. Not rising to the sounds of Haru and The duke thundering past his door, not even when Teo crashed into it. Toph came to his door and yelled about breakfast. Zuko just grumbled back that Sokka could have it. Sokka came later and thanked him.

It was only much later in the morning that a knock came to his door that roused him enough to actually sit up.

"Zuko?"

Katara's voice rang through the door. Zuko did not know what to expect, so he said nothing. Just listening to see what would happen next.

"Zuko, Toph is worried about you, she said 'Sparky never gets up this late, he must be sick or something' Can I come in?"

Katara did not wait for a reply, opening the door anyway. Zuko was sitting up as he closed it behind her. He looked tired, a dark rim had taken home under his good eye, and his hair was mussed more then usual. Katara looked over to his desk and then back to him.

"You won't find anything new in there, I haven't written anything in since our talk…"

"Zuko…"

Katara's voice started off soft, but standing there, she felt a churning in her stomach, and suddenly her eyes became hard

"So what?! You are going to stay in here? Sulking? You don't even care that there are people who are worried about you! Instead you are sitting in your room and brooding! About what! Did you really think that one night like that and everything would be okay! Well you have another thing coming mister, because it takes more then a few words written on paper to make me trust you fully! You Think you can just swan in and say you're sorry and everything will be alright?! Well it doesn't work that way! You have No Idea how much people have sacrificed! Suffered!"

Zuko stood bolt upright, swinging his legs to the floor as the water tribe girl shouted at him, he was standing as she spat out the last word. Zuko could feel his temper rising, his fist clenched tight and his eye twitched in irritation.

"How Dare you! You talk to me about suffering! About sacrifice! At least you have a home to go to after this is over! I am marked now and forever as a traitor! While you have a family to go to, I have a father who banished me as a child and a sister that is baying for my blood! If I am lucky, Uncle may forgive me. But I betrayed him also. His hurt runs much deeper then any I inflicted on you."

"You chose your path Katara! I was not offered that luxury in the beginning. You want to talk about sacrifices. I gave up my home, My family and my birthright, all in the hopes that I could for once do the right thing. Yet here I am finding myself punished more severely then my father ever could. I do not need your judgmental eyes criticizing every step I take! I came here to teach the Avatar how to Firebend! I did not come here to make friends or to be forgiven, I have long gone past the point of forgiveness, I know that already!"

He made a beeline to the door and flung it open. He glared at the faces of Aang, Sokka, Haru and The Duke as they stumbled back from the door; He let out a grunt and turned to go to the fountain.

Katara came storming out after him shoulders set and arms flailing.

"I never SAID this was about ME Zuko! And don't think you little pity me trip will work this time! I already fell for that once!"

He turned and pointed at her. His hands shaking with the anger he was trying to contain

"You! You must be the most! The most irritating woman I have ever met! And Azula is my sister! At least I know what she is doing, even if I don't always know how or why she is doing it, I always know she is looking out for herself. But you! I don't understand you one bit! What do you want from me?!"

She had not expected the question, and silence rang out around the temple as everyone present waited with baited breath for her to answer

"Well… You could help out with the chores for one. Sokka is going hunting later, you can go with him. And you can help with the washing. I am sure having spent so much time in a tea shop; you know how to wash dishes."

Sokka Snorted and Katara rounded on him snapping at her brother as well

"Oh you think it's funny! You're just as bad as he is! You lay around this place expecting things to be done for you! Well no more Sokka, just because Aang is learning all the elements so he can face the firelord. Doesn't mean we can't be making plans! While your hunting you can talk with Zuko and find out as much from him as you can about the palace, that way we can make plans on how we might sneak in."

"Haru, Duke. Appa need brushing down. Aang. We are going training"

Katara stormed off with a worried looking Aang in tow, Haru and The duke looked at each other before heading off towards Appa. That left Sokka and Zuko facing each other. Momo was settled to Sokka's shoulder

They faced each other in relative silence for a while, before Sokka shrugged

"Well I guess we should go get ourselves some meat"

The slender youth turned and began walking towards the spiraling stairs the lead up to the undergrowth above, after a moment, Zuko followed him. It was not a great start to his morning…