-oOo-

A shuddered moan escaped Lu Ten's lips as he awoke. He rose to his elbows, eyes searching through the darkness. He could feel the mattress underneath him. It was warm, heavy, and like a miracle, was not stained with the scent of mold. A cat-owl howled somewhere outside the window, snapping Lu Ten out of his moment of panic. His breathing leveled out as his mind came to terms with his surroundings.

Knowing that sleep was not going to greet him if he laid back down, Lu Ten rose fully and threw his legs off the bed. Rubbing the tightness from his eyes, he grabbed a discarded tunic and slipped it over his body. It was a little tight, but considering he was using bowered clothes, he wasn't about to complain.

Leaving the spare room he'd been using to sleep in the last few days, Lu Ten made his way towards the living room. He listened to the sounds of the house for any indication that someone else was awake. The collection of snores that rang from within the halls was a clear sign that everyone else was asleep during these late hours. The living room was occupied by Jet, who was half sleeping on the couch, the other half draped across the floor. The boy was passed out, blissfully in a state of slumber. Lu Ten chuckled at the sight, continuing on his trek to the kitchen. Pushing the door open, he paused at the young girl who was seated at the table.

Katara looked up from the bowl of water she was bending out of. A smile crossed her lips. "Hello, Lu. Couldn't sleep?"

"I could not," he answered, stepping into the space. He noted the empty cup resting in front of her. Setting himself in front of the stove, he tested the half-filled tea pot before putting it on the burner. He bent the tips of his fingers, cringing at the stiffness. Pushing the bandages down from the end of his fingers, he produced a small flame and sent it into the burner. Turning, he watched the light of apprehension touch Katara's gaze. The water she had been moving now rested in the bowl.

Rubbing his hands together, he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't think."

"It's not you," Katara waved him off with a tight smile. "It just caught me off guard."

Lu Ten was silent as he motioned towards the chair opposite her. Given permission to join her, he pulled up the chair and sat. A soft groan danced from his knees as pressure was relived off them. He ran a thumb over the fabric of his pants, suppressing a wince at the moment of pain.

"Do you want me to look at that?" Katara asked, her eyes trained on his knee as if she could see the flickers of tension the muscles gave off.

"It's alright," Lu Ten waved her off. "Just the pains of an old man."

"You're far from old."

"That may be, but I sadly am growing far from young as well."

She chuckled at that, her eyes roaming back onto the bowl of water. "If it starts to hurt, let me know."

"I will do so, thank you."

There was silence between them. It wasn't unwelcomed, but it wasn't greeted fondly either. They sat there, feeling the late night minutes pass by. It had to be getting close to sunrise, as Lu Ten could feel the touch of the sun on a distant land. It wasn't close enough to begin warming him, but after so long without the touch of the sun, he would cherish even the most distant of light.

"Can I ask you something?" Blue eyes locked onto pools of ember as the silence was broken. When he nodded, Katara took a deep breath, turning her gaze searching through his. "Were you ever going to tell us about you being a soldier? Toph told me. She filled me in on how she knew you, why she vouched for you. But I was wondering. Were you ever going to tell us?"

Lu Ten didn't have an answer to that, at least not one he assumed she would have liked. As her eyes bore into him, searching for something he doubted he had in himself, Lu Ten let a tired sigh escape his lips. "Does it change the way you think about me? Does it make you hate me?"

Her shoulders stiffed, confronted with a question she hadn't been sure she could honestly answer. "I don't know. You haven't given us a reason not to trust you, and I trust Toph's instincts when it comes to people. But… I still have to wonder, you know. It's not like I have a good history with Fire Nation soldiers."

"Do you mind me asking about that? It's just, you're awfully young and awfully far from home. One has to wonder how you ended up in the company you have."

Katara's shoulder's softened ever so slightly. She ran her finger over the edge of the bowl, eyes shifting with the flow of the water inside. "It's kind of a long story."

"How about this, you tell me how you ended up here and I'll do the same."

The kettle began to whistle; a shrill call far too loud for this early into the morning. Katara rose, using a towel to remove the hot kettle before Lu Ten had managed to make a move to stand. He cursed his slower reaction time, chalking it up more towards her youth than to his injury. A flick of his wrist, and the flame on the burner smoldered. Katara stared at the quieted flame for a moment, before turning and setting the kettle onto the counter.

"It was an accident we found Aang," Katara said, her back towards him as she began to sift the tea. She spoke slowly. "Sokka and I, we were out fishing. We got caught in a current and our canoe ended getting destroyed. We were stuck in the middle of the ocean and had no idea where we were and no idea how to get home so, naturally, Sokka and I got into an argument about it. He made me so mad I ended up waterbending without knowing – I was still learning how to control it. Long story short, I accidently broke a glacier that Aang had been frozen in."

"Accidently?" Lu Ten's brow rose. There was a sweetness to her face, and a grace to her movements as she finish brewing the tea. She was young and still retained much of that childish appearance. At a glance, she looked nothing like the hardened and powerful warrior she claimed to be. If it wasn't for the sharpness that resided in the corner of her eyes, Lu Ten easily would have made the mistake of passing her off as just some child; a mistake he was sure many had made before learning otherwise. "You accidently broke a glacier."

Katara nodded. She set the now empty kettle back onto the stove, taking the set of cups in her hands. Setting one in front of Lu Ten, and nodding at his thanks, he retook her chair and settled back. Hands wrapped tightly around the delicate little cup, she breathed in the sweet smelling tea. "Yes. Now, you tell me something. Why did you join the Fire Nation army?"

Taking up his own cup, Lu Ten thought on that question. It was one he had questioned many times over many years now. "My family has been a part of the war since its conception. It was expected that I join like my father. And I was never given any reason to consider otherwise. Did you consider staying home?"

"I did not. When we meet Aang, we didn't really know what all it would lead to. We didn't know he was the Avatar, he was just… some kid. But he offered me a chance to leave. He needed to go home, and I saw it as my chance to leave the South Pole. To learn from a real bender. We didn't have any other waterbenders in the tribe to teach me, so I jumped on the chance to learn. Of course when Zuko showed up and took Aang, staying home was really out of the question. It became less about me finding a teacher, and more of making sure Aang stayed safe."

There was a moment where Katara's lip tightened, but it eased as quickly as it happened. "You said the other day that the war left a bad taste in your mouth. Was that before or after the Dai Li arrested you."

Shifting the tea in his cup, Lu Ten stole a glance out the window. The sky was still dark, but the subtlest edge of orange could be seen past the outer wall of the city. "Before. Growing up, kids in the Fire Nation are taught about the war a bit differently than the rest of the world is."

"I can imagine so."

Lu Ten allowed himself a small chuckle at that. "We're taught that the war is one of greatness. It's a war of prosperity and sharing our wealth. Growing up, that's what I was taught, that the war was indeed our way of sharing our greatness. Bringing culture to the dirt encrusted Earth Kingdom and the savages of the Water Tribes."

At the dark look in Katara's eyes, Lu Ten held up a bandaged hand. "I'm not saying that to be mean, and I have not bought into that propaganda for years, but it was what I was taught as a child. And growing up, in a pretty military focused household, I didn't have any reason not to believe it."

"What happened to change your mind?" Katara asked.

Lu Ten smirked at her. "I believe it's an answer for an answer. Do you regret leaving your home?"

"I do not," Katara answered without hesitation. " Now, seriously. Answer my question."

"I saw the war for what it was," Lu Ten spoke softly, finishing off the last bit of his tea. "It wasn't the great adventure my father always talked about. It was messy. Bloody. I watched people die. Men, women, children. Strangers and friends. I figured that much destruction and that much death, couldn't be worth whatever we were fighting for."

Lu Ten drummed his fingers around the rim of his tea cup, wondering how to best phrase his next question. It was information he needed to get, but he understood the risk. He wouldn't be able to back pedal if she took it the wrong way.

"You mentioned the name Zuko a moment ago, and you've mentioned him before," Lu Ten spoke slowly. "Can I ask how you've meet him."

Katara's face was crossed with an array of emotions from worry to confusion and a brief hit of anxiety. She looked down into her cup, eyes flowing over the liquid. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I'm just trying to get a read on this new world. His name came up when you and your friends had been in discussion. Last time I knew, the young prince was just a child. I'm trying to figure out what brings a child into war. Especially a war so far from home."

"I don't really know a lot about him." Katara spoke lightly. She was willing to answer his question, but wasn't sure what exactly she could offer. "What I do know is that he's made his mission to caught Aang. He just showed up like the day we found Aang and drove his boat through our wall and took Aang with him. He followed us all the way to the North Pole. I think we've only seen him once since then."

A look if regret overtook Katara's features. Her eyes turned downcast, locking on the liquid in her cup. "It didn't go so well. The older guy who's with him, he got hurt. Got hurt pretty bad."

A knot began to from in Lu Ten's throat. "Older guy?"

"Ya. I think he's his Uncle or something. Oh, what is his name…"

"Iroh?"

"That's it."

"And he got hurt?"

"Ya." Katara's eyes finally rose, landing on Lu Ten's face. She searched for something, but he turned his eyes out the window before she found it. "Azula, she's Zuko sister, she hit him with some lightning. I tried to heal him, but Zuko chased us off. We haven't seen them since. It's been a couple months now."

The call of a cat-owl sounded from outside the window as dawn began to move quicker into the sky. The air grew colder as a breeze ran through the open window; what remained of the tea in their cups chilled under its touch. The pair allowed the silence to join them at the table. Katara was thankfully too lost in the memory to see just how strongly Lu Ten's hand's quaked. He was sure if it wasn't for the bandages that he sported, he would have shook his bones apart. A shudder coursed through his body, one that caused his fingers to spread and the cup to fall.

A breaking of glass rang around them. It took Lu Ten an extra second or two before he realized that the sound was his fault.

"Spirits damn me," Lu Ten muttered, leaning over to grab the chipped shards. He couldn't manage to control his hands, and slipped his finger crossed a rather sharp section of glass. A bead of blood began to form.

"Let me see that." Katara held out her hand, looking at his own.

Lu Ten pressed the bleeding finger against his shirt, shaking his head. His other hand was gathering up the shattered pieces. "It's just a small cut. It'll heal on its own."

The spilled tea began to rise from the ground. Lu Ten watched the liquid wrap itself around Katara's fingers before she flung it into the sink. The mess cleaned up, and disposed of in the trash, Lu Ten wiped his hands off along his pants.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Katara watched him, worried that his injuries might be acting up.

Lu Ten nodded. "I am. Just a bit tired and sore. These old bones are still getting used to so much movement."

"Alright," Katara said, not fully believing his words. Glancing behind her into the window, she frowned at the rising sun. "I should probably try to get a bit more sleep in. Toph heads out to her parents in the morning, and I've got a meeting with the Earth King so it's going to be a busy day."

Rising from her chair, and setting her cup in the sink, Katara ran her eyes over his face. She noticed the edge to his eyes, but wasn't sure what to make of it. After exchanging wishes of a good morning, Lu Ten allowed himself to leave the kitchen. Katara stood there an extra few seconds, replying the conversation in her mind. He had reacted so intensely when she had told him about Iroh being hurt. He had gone almost into shock.

A cat-owl began to whine in the distance, the sound echoing as the city's creatures began to wake and call to the rising sun. Sighing, Katara rubbed her eyes. She really hated dawn, the touch of the morning sun always making her feel a bit groggy.

She wondered out of the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the house. Toph's loud snores came from down the hall. She could make out Jet mumbling in his sleep on the couch; she would have kicked them out if it weren't for the difficulty of getting ahold of them again down in the Lower Ring. The door closes to her, the one Lu Ten was using while Sokka was gone, was closed. She listened, hearing nothing on the other side.

Stretching her arms into the air, she fought the yawn overtaking her lips as she wandered towards her bedroom for a few hours of sleep before she had to deal with the Earth King and his council.

-oOo-

Lu Ten ended up lying in the bed while the sun continued to rise. His mind was traveling far too quickly for him to manage to separate all of this thoughts. They became a nonsense jumble, each tearing into him and causing the apprehension that resided in his chest to blossom and burn. His father's face played through his mind, the man's kind smile burning itself into the back of his eyes. The image was blurry, unclear and Lu Ten dreaded to admit that he had not retained a clear image of his father's face. He wished for nothing more, than to go back and spend a moment memorizing every crinkle of his father's smile.

With the horror of his father's possible death hanging over his head, Lu Ten found himself even more eager to leave Earth Kingdom soil and find his family. The time for waiting was over now. He couldn't stay hidden behind these walls when he knew his father was out there somewhere, hurt... or worse.

None of the news he had been given made sense. With the years he had been gone, he figured his father would have taken the throne by now. He knew his grandfather had been getting up in age, and it would have made sense that if he hadn't already passed, he would have handed over the throne due to inability to continue rule. General Iroh should have been ruling the Fire Nation, not here in the Earth Kingdom. It brought up other questions that Lu Ten was desperate to have answered, largely those centered on Zuko and Azula. Them being so far from home made even less sense than his father still being out here. They were children. Children who apparently had become invested in bringing the young Avatar home.

His eyes casting out the window, the sun now overtaking the sky and sunrise well on its way to finishing, Lu Ten came to terms with the fact that he needed to leave. Those still using the house would be clearing out today, and with the right amount of Spirit determined luck, he could be at the Outer Wall by afternoon. From there, well from there Lu Ten wasn't sure how it would go.

-oOo-
-oOo-
-oOo-

A/N: Holy fuck. I'm finally back. Ended up taking a bit more of hiatus than I wanted to. Been swarmed with work and running amok trying to get things done, and my computer decided to protest and whip this file save and I lost half of this chapter (Twice. That was a two time process. I need a new computer). I think this single chapter has been rewritten so many times it's a wonder I even managed to get it finished.

This is by far, not my favorite chapter but if I kept fiddling with it, I'd never get it posted. I don't know what it is, but it just refuses to get to the level I wanted it at. I will be coming back to this chapter some times in the future to edit it, but for now I need to just press forward. I've wasted far too much time as it is. Next chapter is mostly written, and the next five or so are already scripted, so updates should not be this far apart again.

I want to thank all of you who have recently added this to your favorites and/or your follows. And thank you everyone who has reviews and who is still reading. Your support is my motivation to keep writing.

Going to remind you guys that I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender or anything associated with it.