AN: Wow, so this is weird. I didn't think I'd be jumping into a new fandom but here I am and I think I'm doing one of the randomest pairings ever. Oh well. If I wanted to fit in, I don't think I'd be writing in the first place. LOL So hello to all of you who stumble across this. I hope you guys can have an open mind about this couple, even if it is a weird one.

So, I wanted to write a Jinora/General Iroh fanfic for a few reasons:

1) I am a HUGE Zutara fan (yes, I do tend to prefer non-canon couples but there are exceptions, of course) and I tend to write non-canon couples even if there are canon couples I do like. I find them more interesting, as well as more of a challenge to write because they don't have the establishment of the series to back them up. So the grandchildren of my favorite AtlA pairing coming together? Sounds awesome to me.

2) I love Jinora. No, really, she's one of my favorite characters and it kills me that she's not old enough to be a main one, since the majority of the main protagonists are seventeen to eighteen. Not fair.

3) I kind of love age differences. I mean, I think it's silly to use age as a means to measure love and I adore how Avatar has a lot of couples that have large gaps. It's an excuse for me to explore this one. Haha.

4) This idea has been plaguing my brain for months and it was just driving me crazy. I was going to let it fester and die but it refused and so I gave into it. :(

Therefore, please read and review if you enjoyed. Criticism about my writing is fair game, but please don't bash the couple.Believe me, even I know it's a stretch but I'm going to try and write these two in the most believable way possible.

Summary: Ten years later, Jinora learns the hard way that while she may be grown up, intelligent and capable as both an ambassador and airbender, General Iroh might only ever see her as the little girl she was and not as the woman she's become.

Warnings: Timeskip about ten years forward. I'll be honest, it's been a long time since I've watched A:tlA so there may very well be inconsistencies in the world later on. Since LoK is Republic City-based, a lot of those old references are completely gone from my head so please don't mind them too much. Corrections are always appreciated. :) Oh, and I refer to Iroh as a prince, mostly because I have no idea how many kids Zuko had and therefore I have no idea how many heirs there might be to the Fire Nation throne. So, as of LoK'sBook One: Air, there is no exact lineage for me to base this off of.

Prologue

Jinora wanted to say no.

No, that wasn't quite right. That made it sound as if she was only mildly annoyed about the decision that'd been made without her consent. It was more along the lines that Jinora wanted to yell and scream and throw the most undignified hissy fit of her life—which didn't say much considering how poised she always was but she could try and do her emotions justice—but she kept those sentiments behind an indifferent façade.

"General Iroh was kind enough to offer his assistance and escort you to the Northern Water Tribe for the peace conference. Isn't that wonderful?" her father explained with a beam, clapping a hand against the red lapel of the decorated soldier, the man he'd known since he was only a boy. The thudding of her heartbeat increased slightly at the answering smile he gave Tenzin, his handsome features softening. When she caught herself admiring it, she cursed her traitorous heart for letting getting all riled up for no reason.

"It's not a problem, Master Tenzin. I'm on my way there as well, mostly for appearances' sake, and I would hate to think that Jinora would have to travel the distance all by herself." The bass of his voice was respectful, a sound that she'd memorized long ago. Even among a symphony of noises, Jinora had no doubt that she'd be able to pick his apart from the rest. She chided herself for being impractical, delusional even, about her attachment to this man.

Clearing her throat, she put on her most calming smile, one that worked wonders in both negotiation rooms and on the most dangerous streets of the city. "Please, General Iroh, you're too kind to offer, but I'd prefer to make the journey on my own. I'd feel much better knowing I wasn't burdening you or your crew."

A slight bow of her head topped off her plea, as she met the general's courteous hazel eyes with aplomb. While many continued to mistake her quietness for shyness and her penchant for reading with lack of social aptitude, the granddaughter of Avatar Aang was anything but meek. Instead, Jinora likened herself to a silent strategist who had more patience than words and preferred observations to actions. Like now, she was watching her opponent with guarded care, waiting for him to give up a sign of weakness. Her large brown eyes were careful to notice a break in his composure.

Unfortunately for her, Iroh was a rival she couldn't study well enough. With a laugh, he spoke to her in that way he adopted whenever he was among friends, taking a few steps in her direction. She fought the urge to take a few back in retaliation, pushing it down with her cowardice.

"Of course you wouldn't be a burden. How could you even think that? Now I insist that you come with me. I promise, you'll have nothing to worry about. Not to mention that your parents will sleep a bit easier knowing that you're not off on your own, doing who-knows-what." Feeling her spine stiffen indignantly, she narrowed her eyes the tiniest bit and motioned to open her mouth and say she was perfectly capable of handling herself but was interrupted by her father's voice.

"Please, Jinora, do this for me," he pleaded lightly, as he saw the flash of anger in his eldest's eyes. While the wisest and best-behaved of his children, only Tenzin and Pema were knowledgeable about their daughter's fiery streak, one that surfaced rarely but with enough passion to conjure a hurricane. To have her autonomy taken and her abilities questioned were deep blows to Jinora's pride as both a young adult and expert airbender. But even if twenty years old was fit for marriage, defending one's country and, in her case, representing him as an ambassador from Republic City, she was far from infallible, something he needed her to learn.

Her gaze redirected itself to her father, almost a glare in the natural light streaming from the windows. Conflicted between backing down and giving both of them a piece of her mind, Jinora found herself swallowing the argument, as she turned her face away from her father's imploring expression.

Against her better judgment, she nodded in agreement.

Her first memory of him was when she was five years old. Thinking about it now, there weren't many things she could recall before that time, though she wasn't sure whether it was because the memories had deteriorated or if his presence was so powerful that she could only remember things from that first meeting onward. On a personal level, she wanted it to be the former or she'd have to kick her younger self for not knowing the consequences of being struck dumb by some boyish prince. Regardless, Jinora considered that whole and strangely intact moment an important one, an era that held many firsts she'd never be able to recapture.

Even as a child, she'd been adorned in the usual air nomad robes, the vivid yellow and orange hues comforting. It was a time when Meelo was still unborn in their mother's womb, unknown to them that the first son of their family was merely biding his time. What was even more bizarre than that was the fact that Ikki was only learning to talk, still just a beautiful little toddler that could string together few words and only for certain occasions.

Truly, it was the quietest part of her existence, Jinora thought with a smile, as the figure of her little sister laughing and pointing excitedly filled her mind. But even then there was something so contagious about the second child; it was an energy that couldn't be stifled by something as weak as words. Where Jinora was the gentle wind that caressed one's cheeks, Ikki was the sun that managed to light the room with a grin.

That particular day in June, Jinora remembered that she'd situated herself away from the main house for most of the morning. With news of very important visitors spreading like wildfire, the insanity grew slowly over the last three days before descending upon the stone-tiled steps, having even the calmest monks in a panic to finish their chores.

And while Jinora was old enough to know that royalty was arriving within mere hours, she didn't completely understand why everyone was going to such extents to please them. They were people too, right? Did their dining room have to smell like fresh flowers to impress them? Well, she knew that adults were silly creatures so she couldn't judge their actions without a bit of her own bias seeping through.

Without her conscious knowing, Jinora spent the entire morning finishing up her first piece of non-fiction, a feat that she would repeat to include encyclopedias, ancient scrolls and historical novels throughout the next decade and a half. As she settled the large book down, she stretched in her seat before climbing to stand, wondering why no one had called her in for lunch. It was only then she remembered that she needed to hurry back and greet her parents' guests or be reprimanded for not helping her family play host.

Stumbling to try and walk with the heavy bounded text, Jinora made her way in shuffling steps, cursing her small size and strange need to read things that could very well outweigh her little sister. Making her way from behind one of the buildings and into one of the side gardens, she was too busy watching her feet to see the figure coming towards her, as she tried to hurry along the flat stones. But she was forced to stop when a pair of legs fell into her path.

"Do you need some help with that, little airbender?" The teasing lilt of his tone was unfamiliar, as she dragged her stare up slowly, taking in the giant (compared to her, at least) before her. His garb was a mix of red and black, more fitting of a warrior than a civilian like herself, perhaps even nobility if her eyes were correct. And he was handsome to boot, with jet black hair and deep set eyes that shone with both good humor and intelligence. It only took a moment for her to realize who he was.

"You're one of the princes… from the Fire Nation…" As her voice trailed off, her grip on the leather-bound book slipped, crashing to the ground just past her toes. But even if she had been struck by the pages, she didn't know if she'd even feel it. Because even at five, Jinora knew that meeting the ruling family of any nation meant she had to be charming and respectful, two things she couldn't have managed even if she wanted to then.

Kneeling, the foreigner picked up her hefty load with one hand and eyed it, looking impressed that she'd carried it, much less read it in full. Shooting her a smile, he kept himself eye level with her and began to speak. "Let me guess. You're the elder daughter of Master Tenzin and Pema's children. They said they had another one running around here, but I never expected to see her carrying such heavy reading."

"I was trying to find some peace and quiet since everyone was making such a fuss earlier. I couldn't even read in my own room or Dad's study because there were too many people cleaning and yelling and clanging things together. It wasn't conducive at all."

How odd that a member of the royal family could just sit before her and make small talk, she thought in wonder as she found herself grinning up at the teenage boy. What was even more amazing was the fact that he spoke to her as his equal, settling himself at her level and talking in a tone that he'd use with someone three times her age and five times her size. If she hadn't liked him before, this man was certainly on her list of favorite people now.

"I see. Then I'm sorry my family's arrival has caused you such strife, little airbender. Next time we meet I hope there will be much less chaos."

Smiling brightly at him, Jinora offered him her hand. "As do I, umm… Mister, uh…"

"Iroh, after my great-granduncle who served my grandfather, Fire Lord Zuko."

"Well, I'm Jinora. It's nice to meet you." And with that, he took her much smaller hand into his and gave a firm shake, beaming at the precocious child who would turn out to be much more than some frivolous girl when she grew up. She had the makings of a scholar and master bender, if what her father had told him was true.

"Would you like to tell me what you were reading about, Jinora?" Iroh asked, as he and his companion headed back towards the main house. Her retentive memory spilled the secrets of the newly finished manuscript, mostly about the legends of the Four Nations and their subsequent histories based from each one. But while she was excited, practically effervescent now that she had someone else's interest, her words were suited for a person well older than her and with an in-born articulacy that many would try to learn but would never quite achieve. That walk had become a staple among her many recollections, locked in the back of her mind like a treasure that needed guarding.

But unlike his words, the second time they meet there was even more chaos that came in the form of an entire revolution threatening to overtake Rupublic City. In the span of a few days, her younger brother Rohan was born, they were forced to fight an Equalist army that wanted to take over the Air Temple before fleeing the only home they'd ever known, watched as 'Dad's ex-girlfriend' sacrificed herself for their sake and almost lost their airbending abilities.

To this day, she still considered it one of her most traumatizing experiences that had her reeling even days afterwards, but one that she never wanted to forget. It was because of her family's kidnapping that Jinora had chosen to pursue this path of peace, to work on balancing the world just as her grandparents had and as her father had spent his entire life doing. Only a decade into her existence and Jinora knew exactly what her calling.

In the end, their second meeting boiled down to her getting a glimpse of him as he and her father spoke in hushed tones, sharing expressions of thankfulness and regret at their too-soon parting. After what just happened, she wasn't surprised that they didn't exchange a few words themselves. But even in that short time span, their stark differences had hit her full on, as she stared down at her undeveloped frame and small size. After all, no one expected great beauty at ten, only cuteness and charm and perhaps a bit of awkwardness that fit preadolescence.

In contrast, General Iroh was masculinity personified, a man among men who had fought valiantly and with skill that would easily name him a genius among even the greatest firebenders. It was the first time she'd ever considered herself tiny, almost insignificant compared to him. And it was so strange, especially considering that her last memory with him had been so kind to her, a short moment where they were equals in everything but height. So when he finally motioned to go, all she could do was watch him turn away and continue on with his life as if he hadn't just saved hers and her family's. And wordlessly, she had let him.

Because it was a vain desire to want more, one that was childish and to this day she continued to chastise herself for falling in too deep, as she sat on the sill of the window, pondering why any of it even mattered anymore. Her past was set in stone, unchangeable but also irreplaceable, for it had shaped her into the proud and powerful woman she was today. But her future was still a coin toss hanging in the air, hers to mold and sculpt and seize if she dared to reach out for it. And that, she mumbled to herself with a sigh, was the problem.

Because Jinora wasn't sure if falling out of love was something one could will their heart to do.

AN: So, how was it? I'll probably keep this story on the back burner but if people are actually reading and enjoying it, then I'll make it more of a priority. Unfortunately, my other two fics aren't getting any love but I couldn't let this go. Haha. Please review if you enjoyed or if you have anything constructive to say. I'd be more than happy to reply to questions, but if you're anonymous please leave a way for me to contact you.

Thanks for reading, everyone!