Authors note: Finally, another update! I had some trouble getting this to flow right, so sorry if it seems a little weird – I knew exactly what I wanted to happen, I just had some problems getting there. I still plan on writing more, though for right now I honestly can't say when that will happen. This particular part has been whirling around in my head for a long time now, playing out over and over again with minor differences, but I've never really progressed from here, lol. Hopefully I can change that. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this – I hope this doesn't disappoint. Keep the comments coming – feedback is great, and I'm open to suggestions about what should happen next. Again, thanks! Enjoy.

The next morning, as the group sat around the fire eating breakfast, Zuko suddenly spoke up.

"I think we should go to my old house on Ember Island. No one will expect me to be there. We can stay there until the day of black sun, then we won't have to keep moving around anymore."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Sokka asked skeptically.

"Positive."

The gang looked around at one another, unsure. Katara, especially, looked concerned. While the others talked amongst themselves, trying to decide what to do, she moved so that she was right next to Zuko.

"Are you sure you want to go there?" she asked quietly.

"I already told you, it's safe."

"That's not what I meant." Zuko turned his head away.

"I know," he said softly. "But it'll be fine. It's the best place for us to be, and we won't have to keep moving." He turned back towards her, lowered his voice even more. "Besides, that was one of the rare places my dad always seemed happy. He was nice to me when we were there." Katara sighed.

"Okay. If you're sure."

"I am," he said, his voice hard.

Deciding not to waste a moment, the gang finished eating and packed up their meager belongings, then piled onto Appa for the trip to Ember Island. It was going to take them a few days to get there, and they all knew that the sooner they had a safe place to stay, the better. Toph groaned at the thought of climbing back on Appa for an extended time, but didn't argue. She knew as well as the others that it was their best choice.

The trip passed quickly, and it didn't take long for them to settle in at the house. A routine started – they woke up, ate breakfast, trained, then spent some time relaxing by the water. Impromptu sparring sessions, usually started by Toph, though sometimes by one of the others, were common. Later, they would eat dinner and discuss various plans and strategies for defeating the Fire Lord. At night they all retired to their own rooms, a change that took them all a bit to get used to. Katara, especially, found herself waking often to check on the others, particularly Zuko.

She was worried about him. Though he had been acting more relaxed since they arrived, she could hear him wandering the house at night, restless. Most mornings he awoke with shadows under his good eye, and she knew he couldn't be getting much sleep. Still, she found it harder to follow him, to get him to talk, without the openness of nature. There was something confining about the house.

Katara also knew better than to try and confront him. She had already learned that if Zuko didn't want to talk, he wouldn't. And ever since they'd moved in to the house, he'd been avoiding her. She knew that being there was bringing up memories for him, and having had some insight into his past, she could assume that many of them were not good ones.

Still, he had been the one to admit that they'd been happy there, once. Katara had hoped that maybe Zuko would find some peace there, but she had a sinking feeling that wasn't going to be the case. She just wanted him to talk to her, stop holding everything in. The night before they'd left for the Fire Nation, she'd thought that maybe they were making progress, maybe he'd start talking more. She didn't know much about what he'd gone through, but she was fairly certain that keeping his nightmares bottled up inside of him wasn't going to help him heal.

But once they'd reached the beach house he had shut himself off again, avoiding her except during meals and sparring sessions. It had been a little over a week since their arrival, and he'd barely spoken to her.

On their eighth night there, Katara lay awake in bed, frustrated, trying to think of a way to approach Zuko. Finally, giving up, she decided to go down to the beach and practice some water-bending moves under the moonlight. It had been so long since she'd truly immersed herself in her element – sure she trained daily, but it was mostly practicing against opponents while the sun blazed down. It had been ages since she'd just let herself feel the rhythm of the ocean, the pull of the moon. Katara figured it was just what she needed to calm down, perhaps ease her mind enough to finally allow herself to drift off to sleep.

She crept out of the house, careful not to wake the others. Once her feet hit the sand she began to run, eager to escape the darkness of the house. She didn't stop until the water lapped at her feet, enticing her to wade further. She stopped again when the water hit mid-calf, then slowly started going through the basic motions she had first learned.

As she danced through the water, twirling it around her, forming it into complex shapes and sequences of movements, Katara felt herself calming. She couldn't remember the last time she had bent simply for the pleasure of it, rather than necessity. It was nice to just enjoy it for a change, knowing that a misstep would not be potentially fatal. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose.

And that's how Zuko found her – dancing under the moonlight, surrounded by a ribbon of water, with soft waves crashing against her bare legs, long dark hair flowing freely in the wind. He had never seen her so at peace, so he simply stilled and watched her, not wanting to ruin the moment. He thought about leaving, turning back to the house, but he couldn't bring his feet to move. She was enticing, entrancing. Beautiful.

The word came to him suddenly, surprising him. It was true though, he realized. Katara was beautiful. He'd noticed it, a long time ago, then forced himself to ignore it – she was the enemy, then. He hadn't allowed himself to notice it again since. But watching her, he couldn't deny that it was true. He slowly sank to the ground, grateful for all his training in stealth. And then he simply watched.

Neither of them could have said how much time passed, but eventually Katara stopped, letting the water fall around her with a small splash. She turned to go back towards the house, and noticed the dark figure sitting on the beach just a short distance away. Her heart pounded in her chest; she instantly drew the water back up, prepared for battle.

"It's okay. It's just me, Katara," Zuko said quietly. She sighed in relief, once again letting the water fall around her. She waded through the shallow water until she hit shore, then approached him cautiously.

"Are you okay? What are you doing out here?"

"I needed to clear my head – get out of there, away from the memories. And then I saw you and . . . I didn't want to interrupt. You looked . . ." he started to say 'beautiful', then stopped himself, "happy out there. Peaceful." He paused a second. "Plus, I figured if I startled you, you'd attack me." Katara laughed softly.

"Probably." They both fell silent, sitting side by side on the warm sand. "You're avoiding me again," she said finally. "I know it's hard for you to open up, Zuko, but you don't have to be ashamed. Of anything. And I'll always be here for you. It can't be easy for you, being here, surrounded by memories."

"I can't stop thinking," he admitted. "About everything. My past. My future. I've made so many mistakes, Katara, done so many horrible things. Even being here, training Aang . . . I know that it's for the best, but I'm actively assisting in my own father's demise. How fucked up is that? The even sicker thing is, I know he would kill me without hesitation and never regret it – and I still feel guilty."

"He's your father," she said softly. "It's only natural."

"He's a monster," he replied. "One the world will be better off without." He shook his head warily. "I don't want to talk about him any more. He's tainted this place enough. Why were you out here, anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep." She paused, unsure, then rushed on, "I've been worried about you." Zuko turned his head towards Katara, surprised and slightly dismayed.

"I'm the reason you couldn't sleep?"

"There were other reasons, too," she mumbled, embarrassed. He reached out and took her hand in the dark. She shot him a startled look – it was the first time Zuko had ever initiated contact. He looked just as shocked, his eyes fixed on their intertwined hands as though he was unsure how they had become that way. Neither of them moved.

"I thought being here would make things easier," he admitted. "Not being out in the open, not being so exposed . . . I was wrong. It doesn't matter where I am, Katara. I see him everywhere. I can feel him when I close my eyes." His hand convulsed spasmodically, squeezing hers painfully tight; she stroked her thumb down his soothingly. "I'll never escape him," he whispered sadly.

Katara didn't know what to say, didn't know how to comfort him. She scooted closer to him, never releasing his hand, and laid her head on his shoulder. He didn't even flinch.

It was progress.

For the next four nights, Zuko and Katara met at the beach and talked. Sometimes it was serious, but mostly they just got to know one another. Under the stars, with the waves crashing gently against the shore, they allowed themselves to be free of their daily burdens. They allowed themselves to forget that in just a matter of weeks, they would either kill the Fire Lord and restore balance, or die trying. On the beach, with only the moonlight above, they allowed themselves to become just Katara and just Zuko – a water tribe peasant and a fire prince, a girl and a boy who found they were much more similar than they ever could have imagined.

Katara told him about her life in the Southern Water Tribe – the happy days before her mother was killed, when she still believed that everyone was good and the only thing that mattered was whether or not she and Sokka had taken full advantage of their day penguin-sledding; the dark days following, when she learned to be an adult at much too young of an age, taking on responsibilities and becoming a mother to her older brother. She told him stories of her father and the rest of the warriors, what it was like growing up with Sokka and Gran-Gran.

In return, he revealed what it was really like growing up in the Fire Nation, amongst the gilded world of the elite. He told her of the days spent training to become a master fire-bender; of the punishments received for failure. He told her about the day he realized his baby sister was everything their father had ever wanted in a child, while he was a complete disappointment. He told her about the days spent by the ponds with his mother, feeding the turtle-ducks and escaping what was expected of him. He told her about the night Azula came to his room and announced that their father was going to kill him in order to gain the throne; and about how he woke the next morning to find his grandfather dead, his mother missing, and his entire world broken at his feet. He talked about Iroh, and what a fool he was for not realizing sooner that his love was the only love Zuko had ever really needed.

And finally, he told her the full story of how he had gotten his scar.

Sometimes they laughed, sometimes they cried. Occasionally they held hands. Sometimes she rested her head on his shoulder. When she spoke of her mother's death, he put his arm around her, holding him close. When he broke down in tears over betraying his uncle, she pulled him close and stroked his hair, murmuring words of reassurance, telling him over and over again that Iroh would forgive him; that Iroh loved him, and that would never go away. Once, he had brushed the hair back from her face without thinking – luckily in the darkness it was impossible to see how red his face had grown. On the fourth night, as they were parting, he offered her a hand up from the sand, then wrapped her in a hug before he could stop himself. They had both stiffened for a second, then relaxed, then pulled away awkwardly, both unsure of what to do. In the end, they decided not to talk about it.

The others watched them closely, sensing that something had changed between the two. Meanwhile, although Zuko was opening up with Katara more, he had still not quite relaxed around Sokka and Aang. He was still tense, jumpy. If anyone approached him from behind he lashed out, terror filling his eyes. It became clear that Sokka was fed up with it. He couldn't understand why Zuko was acting that way, and tension in the group started to build. And then, during a sparring session nearly two weeks after they had arrived, the tension finally bubbled over.

"Hey," Aang said, gliding towards Zuko, "can you help me with something?" When he got no response, Aang landed silently and took several steps closer. "Hey, Zuko -" Aang tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention, and Zuko spun around, sending out a slash of fire that missed Aang by mere centimeters. Aang fell to the ground, shielding himself; the burst of air he sent out passed by harmlessly. His chest heaving, Zuko looked down at Aang as though he couldn't even see him. His hands were still encased with flame. Sokka grabbed his arm, stepped between Zuko and Aang.

"What the hell is your problem?" he exploded. "Why did you attack him?"

Zuko's eyes lifted, meeting Sokka's, but they were blank; he was lost in whatever memory had seized him when Aang touched his shoulder.

"Answer me," Sokka demanded. "What is your problem, Zuko?"

"Hey!" Katara shouted, noticing what was happening. "Let go of him, Sokka."

"No. Not until he tells us what's going on. He's been acting weird ever since we rescued him, and we've all dealt with it, but this is too much. Now he's attacking for no reason."

"He didn't attack for no reason! Aang snuck up on him. He's still paranoid, and for good reason. We all need to remember to give him a little more space, give him some warning when we're approaching."

"I didn't mean to sneak up on him," Aang said softly. "I was just trying to get his attention, and,"

"I know, Aang," Katara interrupted. "And I also know that he didn't mean to attack you. Right, Zuko?"

A shiver ran through Zuko's body, but his eyes refocused at her direct question. He looked towards her, and she saw the shame and fear in his eyes. Her heart broke.

"That's not the point, Katara. We deserve to know why he's acting this way."

"I told you why he's acting that way. Let it go, Sokka."

Zuko pulled his arm out of Sokka's grip, took a step away from the feuding siblings. He rubbed his head wearily, then offered a hand to Aang, who was still on the ground.

"I am sorry," he said quietly as he helped Aang to his feet. "I really didn't mean to lash out like that."

"It's okay." Aang rubbed his bald head. "No harm done." He smiled, but Zuko could see the doubt in his eyes. Though he wouldn't say it aloud, Zuko knew that Aang agreed with Sokka.

He watched Sokka and Katara argue, feeling oddly happy as he watched her defending him. Unfortunately, he knew Sokka was right. It was time he told them the truth.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko stepped in between the two siblings, facing Katara. He cupped her cheek in his hand, causing her to stop speaking mid-sentence, and gently forced her to look him in the eyes.

"He's right," he said quietly. "I need to tell them the truth." Katara shook her head slightly.

"You don't, Zuko. Not if you're not ready." Her eyes filled with tears, and he looked away for a second.

"I'm never going to be ready," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean I can keep it from them. They deserve to know." She bit her lip, the water in her eyes spilling out, trailing down her cheeks. "Besides," he added. "You're the one who told me I have nothing to be ashamed of, right?"

Katara nodded. Zuko lowered his head slightly, resting his forehead against hers for the briefest of seconds, drawing strength from her. Then he released her, and turned to face the rest of the gang.

"Zhao raped me." The words felt funny coming from his mouth. Sokka's face drained of color.

"Please tell me that's a bad joke." Zuko didn't respond, and Sokka's stomach twisted painfully. Zuko looked around at the group; Aang was standing to the side, eyes wide, jaw agape. Toph was completely still, but he saw how tightly her fists were clenched, saw the tears pooling in her eyes. Sokka sank to the ground slowly.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," he said, his voice low and shaky. "I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm sorry that I've been such a jerk. But Katara's right – you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Did he do it more than once?"

"Toph!" Katara exclaimed. "You can't just ask something like that." Before Toph could reply, Zuko answered.

"Yes. Eleven times, to be exact." Aang whimpered softly, and sank to the ground just as Sokka had done seconds previous.

"But he only had you for five days," Sokka whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut, and Zuko saw the tears that escaped, rolling down his cheeks. He looked away.

"We'll find him," Toph said, her voice hard. "We'll find him and we'll make him pay for what he did to you, Zuko. I promise." He looked at her; such a fierce warrior for a girl so young. Such a loyal friend. He had the insane desire to run over and hug her, but resisted, knowing it would be awkward for both of them.

"Thank you, Toph." Zuko took a deep breath. "I'm going to go rest for a bit." No one spoke. Katara looked as though she wanted to say something, wanted to stop him, but she didn't. They all watched him walk away, back towards the house.

Once he was gone, Sokka spoke up.

"You knew? All this time?"

"I figured it out while I was healing him. I promised him I wouldn't say anything." Katara looked down at her brother, bit her lip. "It wasn't my secret to tell. It had to be Zuko's decision."

"Yeah," he agreed reluctantly. "You're right. It's just – I feel so bad, now. I mean, there were so many times I acted like an ass to him." He shuddered slightly, bowed his head again. Tears dripped to the ground in front of him.

"It's not your fault, Sokka," Toph spoke up softly. She walked over to where he sat, plopped down next to him, and leaned her head against his shoulder. They all went quiet, absorbed in their own thoughts. After several minutes, Katara announced that she was going to check on Zuko. Sokka nodded, but no one said anything.

As she walked towards the house, Aang suddenly pushed himself up from the ground and grabbed his glider. Without a word, he soared off down the beach, far away from the rest of the gang. Katara saw him go, felt a small pang of regret. Then she shook it off. She couldn't worry about Aang – she needed to see how Zuko was.

When she reached his room, she knocked softly on the door; no response. She wasn't surprised. Steeling herself for what she might find, Katara pushed open the door. Zuko lay on his side on the bed, eyes staring blankly towards her. Even from across the room, she could see the tremors that rocked his body. She walked slowly across the room, cautious, not wanting to scare him, then kneeled on the edge of the bed. She started stroking his hair, something she'd taken to doing when he was consumed by memories. After several seconds, his hand came up, covered hers, grasped tightly.

"It's okay, Zuko. You're okay." He nodded slightly, swallowed hard. For a long time, they simply stayed as they were, him lying there, her kneeling uncomfortably next to him, fingers intertwined against his skull. His raspy voice eventually broke the silence.

"Will you lay with me?" He asked the question tentatively, afraid she would say no; afraid that he was overstepping their boundaries. Katara surprised him by immediately complying, laying down on her side so that she was facing him. He ran his fingers lightly down the side of her face, brushed back her hair. "I never could have made it without you, Katara."

"Of course you would have. You're strong, Zuko, even if you can't see it."

"No." He shook his head definitively. "I was prepared to die aboard that ship, Katara. I wanted to. Even after you rescued me – I didn't want to be alive anymore. I didn't trust anyone, couldn't stand the thought of anyone being near me. But you were determined to save me. You wouldn't let me push you away. Anyone else would have given up on me, but you were never willing to do that. You gave me hope that one day I could be whole again, and even now, when I still sometimes feel like giving up, you're there. You pull me out of the darkness, Katara. Every time I think my memories might drown me, you're there to pull me back up." His voice had gone rough with emotion; Katara was crying silently. "You are the only reason I'm still alive." Zuko pulled her closer, pressed his lips against the top of her head. She snuggled into his chest, wrapped her arm around his thin waist. Together, they cried.

And then they fell asleep.