Hey everyone! I'm back, finally. I know it's been a million years since I posted last, but that's life. Plus, this chapter should be super-clean, thanks to my new beta, Charliesky57! She's stellar, and I'm so pleased with how this turned out and the suggestions she gave me. You rock! Okay, enough chatter. Enjoy Chapter 11, and please, review!

Omashu's airstrip was one of the largest and most ornate in the Earth Kingdom, second only to the one in Ba Sing Se. Enormous stone slabs covered the courtyard, engraved with the story of the founding of the city. Katara recognized the tale of Oma and Shu through the large panoramic window in the bridge. It had become one of her favorite places to hide out from both the Firelord and the Water Tribe chief.

For their arrival, Katara had changed into the same blue dress she had worn at Zuko's coronation. The smooth silk fit snugly across her stomach and hips, and then flared slightly at the bottom, leaving enough room for her to waterbend if need be. An intricate pattern of deep blue waves lined the hem, which just barely brushed the floor. The funeral wasn't until tomorrow and she thought the formal dress was ridiculous. As soon as she arrived she would change back into her normal apparel.

Interrupting her thoughts, Tuzon, the ship's navigator, stepped forward, coming to stand beside the waterbender. "I suggest you hold onto something, Miss Katara," he told her, bowing his head down so that he could speak with her at eye-level. He was young and had classic Fire Nation features that reminded her of Zuko. What stood out for Katara was the way he held himself comfortably in his own domain. She had seen him from time to time, and although he was utterly formal with Zuko, he had never once been cold or unfriendly towards the girl. Of course, one couldn't forget the one difference that made the firebender so recognizable: the scar. Tuzon's face was unblemished, and both of his wide, dark brown eyes sparkled at her as he talked, taking in the expanse of her neck and her collarbone where it disappeared under the fabric of the dress. "You look very pretty."

She shifted uncomfortably under his fixed gaze. "Thank you." Katara frowned and glanced out at the approaching strip, which suddenly appeared to be coming in at a much faster clip than before. "Will it be a rough landing?"

He smiled dazzlingly and chuckled at her anxious tone. "For a zeppelin? No. But for a first-timer, it can be a little unsettling." Tuzon looked through the window again just as the zeppelin's landing gear was deployed. "I think it's a little too late for you to find a seat, Miss Katara. Just make sure you don't lock your knees," he warned.

"Make sure I don't—?" But then the ship landed, metal screeching. The strength of the impact was more than she had expected, and she had not put enough effort into keeping herself standing. Her knees crumpled beneath her, and she tried miserably to grasp at something. Tuzon reached out and grabbed at her waist as she toppled forward, and clutched her elbow, making sure she didn't collapse completely. The force of the fall had knocked the breath out of her for a moment, and she splayed her hands to keep herself from pulling the navigator with her to the floor.

"See what I mean?" he teased. "Are you all right?"

The waterbender smiled up at him. "Perfectly fine. Thanks for the warning."

"Captain?"

The pair whirled to see Zuko enter the room, cinching his dress robes around his waist. His crown glinted from out of his topknot. The Firelord's bronze eyes were stormy and determined. "I still need to debrief you on the matter of our arrival…" His words petered out as his gaze fell first on the waterbender, half-collapsed to the floor, and then to Tuzon, his hands clasped around her. Katara's stomach plummeted and her throat instantly constricted. There was something in the way that he looked at the two of them that left her feeling guilty, like she had done something wrong. She darted out of the navigator's arms, her face immediately reddening.

Tuzon grinned impishly at her. "Enjoy your stay in Omashu, Miss Katara," he said before stepping away towards the other crewmembers.

The Firelord pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, grimacing slightly before turning to address the caption, who had stepped forward. "The arrangements that have been made incorporated a brief search of the vessel before—"

"You're allowing a search of my zeppelin? Without my knowledge?" The captain frowned. "In all due respect, Firelord, this is my aircraft, and I feel that I should be informed of such matters before landing."

The youth's expression was stony. "Your zeppelin? Captain, you may use this vessel on a daily basis; you might know it like the back of your own hand, but do not refer to it as your zeppelin. It is my zeppelin. You are under my command, and I expect complete cooperation. You understand?" He jabbed a finger in the direction of the crew. "And I want them to learn some respect for our guests. They're here for work, not for pleasure."

For some unfathomable reason, Zuko glanced at her, his expression dark. "I would have called together this meeting sooner, but there was another pressing matter that I had to take care of before we arrived."

"Oh? And what was so urgent that it took precedence over your crew and its passengers?"

The captain's continual insubordination was clearly starting to irritate the firebender. He took one aggressive step forward, but then thought better of it. "Just prepare the ship for search," he hissed before turning on his heel. He shot Katara one last bleak look. "Your dress is torn," he informed her stiffly before ripping the door out of his way.

The waterbender looked down. The stitching on the right side of her gown had burst open, revealing several inches of brown skin and the binding on the top of her hip. She turned away from the onlookers and strained the fabric in an effort to bring it back together, but without a needle and thread, there was no way the tear would go unnoticed.

When she glanced back up, the crew was watching her, waiting for her to speak.

She sighed and reached for the other seam, pulling it so that she had a matching split on her left side. Then she raised her chin and tried her best to look dignified in her ruined gown and shaken disposition. "You heard the Firelord," she said before sweeping from the room. She drifted toward the zeppelin's boarding lock, which had been held airtight during the course of the flight. It now hung open, and a steady stream of Earth Kingdom soldiers filed through, forcing Katara to press herself against the wall in order for them to pass. At the end of the seemingly endless string of guards, the Water Tribe girl caught a flash of red, and she tried to move quickly back in the direction she had come, not wanting to be confronted by an angry firebender.

It was too late. Zuko was already upon her, his eyes searing. "What was that?"

She felt a flickering of annoyance at his demand. "What was what?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Look, I know you're probably still angry with me for my stupid response before, but you just—" He blinked, and the anger in his eyes disappeared, replaced by mild surprise. "You ripped the other side of your dress?"

"I didn't have time to fix it…" A blush crept up her cheeks as his gaze remained locked on her exposed hip.

His brow puckered. "I don't think tearing the thing to shreds is going to make things better," he admonished. "It'll probably distract from the processional—"

"Like it's distracting you now?" she interrupted. This resulted in a very red-faced Firelord, who averted his eyes and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"That's not exactly what I meant…," he muttered.

She sighed. "Can we talk about this later? I just want to get off this thing and find somewhere to lie down…" She inched her way along the wall in an effort to escape.

He blocked her path with his arm, bringing his face down close to hers. "Listen to me. I wanted to apologize for being so distant with you over the past week."

"I'm the one who's been avoiding you, remember?" she suddenly snapped. The waterbender was quickly losing her patience. She tried to push him out of her way.

He held firm, his eyes steely. "Is that why you were hanging all over the navigator just now?" His voice grew softer, wearier, as he read the annoyance in her eyes. "I just want to know what I can do to make this right again."

Katara caught a flutter of movement from further within the belly of the craft. It was time to leave. She turned back to the Firelord, who was still waiting for her to speak. "What do you want from me, Zuko?"

He saw her eyes flash away from him, and he followed her gaze down the narrow hallway. The captain of the zeppelin was leading the way, followed closely by the troop of Earth Kingdom soldiers. The firebender tried to reorganize his scattered thoughts in an effort to keep her from walking away. "I want you—" he began, returning his attention to the Water Tribe girl, only to discover that she had slipped under his arm and out onto the open airstrip. A frustrated groan escaped his lips and he pressed his forehead against the smooth metal wall. Why was it so difficult to please her?

Zuko pushed away and began his pursuit of the waterbender. Stepping off the craft and onto solid ground, he squinted against the harsh sunlight in an effort to see where she had disappeared to, but the dawdling whoosh of the slowing zeppelin propellers made it difficult for him to pinpoint in which direction she had gone.

"Firelord Zuko!" The Earth King's greeting was faint under the dying roar. Kuei approached the boy with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Welcome to Omashu. It is truly an honor to have you here with us." He blinked nervously and fiddled with his spectacles, looking for something to say to the young man. "Ah—how is your…sister?"

The firebender only stared. They had let this buffoon of a man remain in power after the war? "Azula is still recuperating in prison," he replied. The king's shoulders drooped in relief. Zuko tried to think of a polite inquiry, hoping to swiftly end their awkward exchange. "How is your, uh…bear?"

It was the wrong question to ask.

"Bosco is wonderful!" the Earth King cried. "I think the time away from the palace really did him good. I—"

"I need to find my uncle," Zuko cut in before he had a chance to elaborate. "He flew in with the Avatar. Do you know where he would be?"

The Firelord was directed into the nearby palace and given instructions on how to reach Iroh's quarters. The old general's room was in an isolated sector, almost all the way to the back of the complex. Zuko wandered in, curious as to why they had left his uncle in such a secluded location.

The old firebender was meditating on the floor of the small room, a tiny candle sitting before him. He opened one eye as his nephew slipped inside.

"Uncle, I'm so sorry."

"King Bumi was over a hundred years old when he passed," Iroh commented. "He was very lucky to have been able to see the world at peace once more."

Zuko swallowed and joined his uncle on the floor. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"On the way here, Chief Arnook came to me and—he accused me of—" he cut himself off, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "He accused me of using Katara for political gain."

Iroh frowned. "How would you be using—"

"He thinks I want to marry her to increase my influence in foreign affairs."

"You want to marry her? You are still so young, Zuko."

The Firelord blinked, startled, but his uncle only regarded him with one eyebrow raised. "I—I don't know. Certainly not for want of power."

"And for love?"

He was silent for a moment. "Love is a complicated word," he finally said. "I'm so confused. I don't know how to make things better between us."

"Hmm," came the slow response. "Katara has a right to worry." The old man held up a hand when Zuko began to protest. "Not that she should be. You are a man of honor, Firelord Zuko, but others are not. In this highly precarious time of peace, it is difficult to know who to trust. She is very inexperienced in the way of politics. If Chief Arnook has placed a seed of doubt in her mind of your intentions, then you must dig it out before it starts to grow."

"How?" the youth asked. "She's already angry with me, and doesn't wait for me to explain myself."

The former general regarded his nephew. "If she will not listen to you, then perhaps you can discuss your objective with someone who she will listen to. A family member, for example."

The youth snorted. "I will not talk to Sokka about this."

"I do not mean her brother."

Zuko felt his eyes widen in panic. Talk to Chief Hakoda? About Katara? "You can't be serious."

Iroh shrugged. "If that's what it takes…"

The younger man scowled. He knew his uncle was right—he almost always was—but the idea of seeking out the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe for this purpose was a more daunting task than leaping into crocodile-shark-infested waters. He quickly got to his feet. "Listen, Uncle, I really don't think this is necessary."

Iroh chuckled at his nephew's expression. "I know the man can be a bit intimidating—"

"I'm not scared," Zuko objected, wounded by his uncle's amusement.

"It would be perfectly understandable if you were," he replied. "That man can be quite menacing sometimes, if you rub him the wrong way."

The young firebender stood up, determined. "No, I'm going to talk to him now."

As the boy left, the old man half-smiled and returned to his meditations.

To Katara, there was one problem with residing in an Earth Kingdom city: there was hardly any water.

The Water Tribe girl paused at the main doors of Omashu's palace. She wasn't very familiar with the layout of the city, and after her last experience with going out alone, she wasn't too keen on exploring. But she just wanted to get away, to let out her anger and frustration through bending. She sighed at the steps in front of her. Why did earthbenders insist that their residences be miles away from a body of water? A river, a lake, really even a pond would do. There had to be some sort of water source for the people here, some hidden reservoir underneath the paving stones. She would have to investigate the bowels of the city, but not today, and not by herself. Her water pouch would have to settle for now. The waterbender uncorked the small bottle and bent out its contents. Guided the element in front of her, followed it with her eyes. She could be so overwhelmed, and yet, this came as easily as breathing. The waterbender wasn't trembling anymore, she realized as she turned to keep the stream in view. This was what gave her strength.

"Katara?"

The water splashed onto the stones as she gasped and whirled, her heart pounding in her chest. "Don't do that!" she exclaimed as she bent the water back into her pouch.

Sokka beamed from where he stood on the steps below. "What, no hugs for your long lost brother? It's been almost—"

The waterbender grasped her older sibling tightly, sudden tears budding in her eyes. "I've missed you, Sokka. You and your stupid, sarcastic meat jokes."

"Oh, that reminds me, I have some new ones—"

"Not now," she interrupted, her voice cracking embarrassingly over the second word.

Sokka frowned at her. "Something wrong, Katara?"

She flushed. "No." She did not want to tell her brother that she was having relationship issues with Zuko.

He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. If you don't want to tell me, maybe I don't want to know." The two started towards the palace together.

"Where's Dad?" Katara asked, glancing around. It seemed as if her brother was the only Water Tribe soldier in the vicinity. "Shouldn't he be with you?"

Sokka's eyebrows came together. "He was working on rebuilding in the North Pole, Sis. I was coming from the completely opposite direction. He's probably already here by now. I'm on my way to see him. Want to tag along?"

The waterbender agreed, and followed her brother through the halls of the palace. It was all pale stone masonry, nothing like the Fire Nation palace, and its series of mazelike hallways—which were constantly changing due to earthbending notables and their ability to adjust the paths as they pleased—gave her a headache. She would never be able to find her way back to the main entry on her own.

The warrior knocked on the door to the chief's quarters. When there was no answer, Sokka grabbed the handle and opened the door, stepping into the tiny greeting space. His body blocked the entire doorframe, the waterbender noticed with a pang of annoyance.

"What happened?" he squawked as Katara worked her way around him. The first thing that came into view was the Firelord, reclined on the sofa, holding a red cloth over his nose. His golden eyes met hers, and she immediately felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment. She had certainly not expected to walk in on the firebender in her father's quarters.

The Southern Water Tribe chief stood to their right, holding a small pouch of some sort to his cheek. He grinned, a row of straight white teeth emerging between his lips. "Oh, the new Firelord and I were just talking about how things are going with Katara as the ambassador in the Fire Nation."

"With your fists?" Sokka questioned, voice pitched uncomfortably high. Only after he had made the situation clear did she notice that the bag was dripping water out of one corner, and Zuko's handkerchief was stained with blood.

"Dad! Are you okay?" She hurried over to her father, inspecting his face. "Does it hurt?"

He chuckled and lifted the pouch off of his cheek. "It's only a little bruise. It'll be fine, and the swelling won't be too bad, since I got the ice on it pretty quickly." A dark red welt was already beginning to form. There wasn't much she could do for it right now—it'd be much easier to handle the bruise when it was fully formed—so she bent the water from the soaked carpet and placed it back inside the bag, freezing it again. Chief Hakoda gave her a kiss on the forehead as thanks, and then nudged her in Zuko's direction. She shot him a scathing look before approaching the lounge.

"Do you mind?" she asked him softly. He just shook his head.

The Firelord watched her movements with silent, calculating eyes. She pulled the fabric out of his warm, strong fingers, and they curled into fists immediately, resting tensely against his stomach. The damage looked much worse than it was. Dried blood spread down from his nostrils and lined the upper edge of his lip. An isolated smudge of red was smeared high on his cheekbone. She wiped it away with the pad of her thumb before moving on to his nose.

She lined her thumbs up along it, splaying her palms against his cheeks and concentrating on the veins that had broken, now gushing blood. He winced as her fingers probed along the line of his nose, inspecting for breaks.

"You should be fine," she announced once she repaired the broken vessels. "The bleeding should stop soon."

The waterbender was knelt over him, her knee and thigh wedged up against his hip. The bases of her thumbs were still pressed against his lips, cool and calming. He tried to think of something besides the dark stretch of skin he had seen just above the white of her hip bindings earlier. The firebender took in a shaky breath and murmured, "Thank you."

Katara leaned back. "You're welcome."

Hakoda stepped over to the door and clapped a hand onto his son's shoulder. "Sokka and I have a lot to discuss…and the Firelord should probably get cleaned up before dinner."

Zuko stood up to leave, but the room swam suddenly, and he stumbled forward. Cool hands grasped at his robes, and he caught himself before he splayed out on the floor.

The Water Tribe chief regarded him coolly. "Katara, help him to his room."

"Can't Sokka take him?"

"Under other circumstances, I would, but I need to talk with your brother about the goings-on in the South Pole before we have a summit with the other sovereigns. That includes the Firelord, here, and he can't get anywhere on his own."

The young leader felt the girl reach her arm around his waist and pull his left arm over her slender shoulders. With her for support, they managed to maneuver out into the hall. They didn't speak, and she didn't once turn to look at him, though he snuck several glances at her out of the corner of his eye. The hallway seemed endless.

His quarters were untouched—he hadn't had the chance to go there between his talk with Uncle and the fistfight with Katara's father. His trunks were still scattered, unopened, around the bedroom when they stepped inside. Zuko dropped onto the mattress and groaned. The punch Hakoda had thrown at him had resulted in a nasty headache, with his pulse pounding behind his eyes and his brain in a fog. He pressed his head against the pillows. This summit was going to be terribly painful.

The blue and brown blur disappeared into his bathroom. He heard the water running into the basin and then she reemerged, holding something. She stepped towards the bed, and then hesitated.

He sighed. "Are you going to say anything?"

She paused for a beat before crawling onto the mattress and up to his face. She brought the item—a washcloth, he saw now—into view and began swiping at the dried blood on his upper lip. "What were you doing talking to my father." It came out as a statement instead of a question.

He tried to read the expression in her eyes, but she refused to look at him, instead focusing on the task at hand. "I was trying to find a way to talk to you."

Katara suddenly met his gaze, a storm brewing behind her blue eyes. "And how does picking a fight with him get me to talk to you?"

"Well, we're talking now, aren't we?"

She glared at him. "You're unbelievable."

"Listen—" he cut in, grabbing at her arm before she could shove away from him. "I didn't start the fight. I went to try and convince him that I wasn't trying to use you. I know Chief Arnook talked to you about me—he talked to me about the same thing before we got off the ship." He dropped his hand. "I wanted to tell you, but you kept avoiding me."

The waterbender tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes averted. "So how did you get the bloody nose?"

Zuko swallowed. "He didn't believe me."

"So you decided to lash out?" Her voice was incredulous.

"I was trying to defend myself," he corrected hotly. "He threw the first punch."

"Oh." A blush darkened her cheeks. "By the way, you split your lip."

He smiled. "Yeah, I can tell."

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't hit me."

She gave him a look. "You know what I mean."

"I do." He pushed himself into a sitting position, the grin still in place. They were only a few inches apart, and the perfume of her breath was almost dizzying. He noticed her eyes locked on his mouth, but he wasn't sure if she was distracted by his lips or if the split had started bleeding. "But are you going to do something about it?"

The waterbender snorted, dropping her forehead against his shoulder. "That was corny."

Zuko frowned. "I was trying to be—"

"I know," she told him. "I really should fix it, though." She pulled away so she could examine the wound. She uncorked her water pouch and bent a small amount out of the neck, surrounding the index finger of her hand. Gently, she pressed her finger against his lips. It was only a matter of seconds before the skin looked completely normal. "There, good as new," she announced, pecking him lightly on his bottom lip. She quickly untangled herself before the Firelord could entice her back. "Now lay down. You'll need to rest before the summit."

"Won't you stay?" The request came out automatically, and he winced at how pathetic it sounded. His unnatural need to have her with him made him so pitiable. The idea was foreign to him; he had never relied on anyone besides his uncle before, and he was the man who he loved and trusted more than anyone. The recent time in which he and Katara hadn't been speaking had led him to the realization that his infatuation might be growing into something more substantial. He flushed in embarrassment at how easily she would see his attachment.

But the waterbender only smiled. "I can't. I need to see my father."

"You don't have to talk to him about this," the boy assured her, gestating towards his face. "He was justified in his anger, and I understand that he only wants what's best for you."

A flash of an emotion flickered across her face, but then she shook her head. "No, it's not that. Just… I have to go. I'll see you after the meeting." Without pausing for him to speak, she turned away and left the room.

Zuko swallowed hard. He had to refocus on the political matters at hand. Chief Arnook had threatened to form a blockade outside the Gates of Azulon—an act that would surely break the weak temporary truce that had been devised shortly after his coronation. They were driving themselves apart instead of compromising. There had to be a way for the Firelord to be on better terms with the other dignitaries.

But first, a little rest wouldn't hurt…

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