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Chapter Text

Katara felt giddy with excitement. She looked at herself in the mirror. For her first date with Zuko after finals she had selected black skinny jeans and her favourite black sweater. Her freshly washed curly hair fell freely along her back. She had added some make-up. The result was pretty hot.

Still, some of the butterflies in her stomach were of the nervous sort. Zuko’s and her interactions during the week could still be interpreted as just friendly. This evening was an explicit venture in the romantic section and Katara still felt a little burnt from his actions in Caldera. Fortunately, Sokka had asked her to pick up a present for Suki which he had ordered at a local chocolaterie that closed before he arrived in Ba Sing Se.

For all that Katara didn’t like the cold, she liked the feeling of a clear mind after a walk through cold snow.

I have to run an errand for Sokka on my way to you, she texted Zuko, you don’t have to pick me up.
Be there at six.

She quickly slid the phone in her pocket before he could derail her resolve with a witty order to stay put.

Except for a small wait at the chocolaterie she walked fast and by the time she reached Zuko’s apartment, it was only quarter to six. A happy surprise for him. She looked up from the dark street and saw him standing in his room. He rummaged through his dresser and pulled out one of his flannels. He assessed the flannel for a moment then turned and handed it to a person behind him. Katara’s insides felt like ice as she saw a woman with lush hair stepping into view. She had put on the flannel and snuggled her nose in it. Katara couldn’t see her face but saw clearly the light, happy expression on Zuko’s face as he said something to her. He then proceeded to look at his watch. Both of them walked out of the room and the lights went out.

Katara turned on her heels and began walking away swiftly. She didn’t want to be around and witness the other woman coming out of the house or perhaps even Zuko escorting her. Had he decided after her earlier message that there was time enough for a short side tryst before Katara arrived? Or had he delivered Katara to her apartment earlier because the woman was already waiting at his?

Katara began to cry. After how Zuko had teared up on her couch she really had trusted him. She had believed him when he assured her that Mai was a mistake and he didn’t have a girl in every town. Well, look where that trust had brought her. Zuko had turned out to be even worse than Jet.

By now, the ice in her had splintered and ice shards were cutting her from the inside. She felt bitterly cold and all she wanted were her bed, blankets and a hot chocolate while she cried her eyes out.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and with trembling fingers she opened it.

If you are frozen solid out there, say the word and I will come rescue you, she read his flirtatious message. The time said 18:15. At another time she would have laughed at his exact execution of the academic quarter. She ignored the message. Some minutes later, her phone buzzed again.

Is everything okay?
Do you need help?
I'm worried
Answer me.

Katara huffed. Unbelievable. The sadness was replaced by a growing anger in her chest.

It’s freezing cold out there and you don’t like the cold.
I’m really worried, Katara, has something happened?
You know I can pick you up. Anywhere.

To cut off any plans of rescuing her, Katara typed an angry message back:

Congratulations for almost making me trust you again, you traitorous, lying bastard. Stay away from me. I dare you. Don’t contact me ever again.

She watched the message status switch to “read”. Her phone rang not even a second later. Katara blocked the call and slipped the phone back in her pocket. The coldness now sat in every bone and her eyes felt red and puffy. Only half a mile left to her apartment.

Finally, her numb fingers fumbled with the locks and one step inside she slipped to the ground next to her shoe rack. Mere two hours ago she had been at the same spot filled with excitement and hope. Wasted on that traitorous snake. Days ago he had cried crocodile tears on her couch pretending Mai had been the exception not the rule. And she was naive enough to trust him. At least it was after finals week this time.

Her pocket vibrated and she fumbled her phone out. No messages from Zuko - as expected, she had blocked him - but a barrage of texts from Suki.

Hey Katara, u ok?
Zuko messaged me.
He said you had a date but you never showed up and aren’t answering your phone.
Except for flipping him off out of the blue.
Why are you not answering your phone?
We are worried.
Has something happened to you?
Please write something.
I don’t want to imagine you lying somewhere in a ditch.
Don’t make me write Sokka.
Or call the police.

Her phone also showed two missed calls.

I’m home ok, she typed back and added a mug and sneezing emoji. Suki’s reply came immediately. A broken heart with a question mark.

Tomorrow , Katara typed back, which earned her a beating heart from Suki with

Get rest, love you.

The hand with her phone fell listlessly on the floor and Katara closed her eyes against the cool wall. The coldness was soothing. When she moved again she felt pins and needles in her legs. She sluggishly undressed, made herself a hot chocolate and a heat pad and hid herself under the covers in her bed.

The image of the other woman snuggling with Zuko’s flannel appeared before her eyes and Katara sobbed. This vile, despicable liar. With shame she remembered the enticing pictures she had sent him. At least she hadn’t slept with him. In a way, Katara was grateful that she had witnessed the scene at his window. If not she might’ve ended up as another notch in his belt. He had once drunkenly mused about being in love with her and she had let him pull the wool over eye. Deceptive smooth-talker. Character traits he obviously shared with his sister.

He must have hidden his true self very well to trick even Sokka and Suki into trusting him. She remembered Sokka announcing the intention to kill Zuko for hurting his baby sister at their last call. When she told him about today he would be furious and probably on the warpath to Zuko. She had no qualms about letting him. If she didn’t feel sucked dry of all energy she would probably end Zuko herself. Now, she would be satisfied with hiding the body afterwards.

That thought made her feel a little better. She held onto that fury as long as she could but regardless ended up crying herself to sleep.

The next morning she woke up with a giant headache from dehydration. Groaning, she reached for her phone. Half past two and two messages. Suki wrote:

Good morning? two hours ago, Sokka informed her that his plane would land at nine and asked whether she got the chocolates. Katara fell back on her pillow. She messaged Suki back.

I was wrong to trust Zuko. There was another woman in his bedroom.

Then, she erased the message and just typed,

Too tired for you, earlybird. I’m ok.
Let’s talk when you are back.

She did not want to ruin Sokka’s and Suki’s happy reunion. Sokka couldn’t be spared when he stayed with her but Suki needn’t have to know the full carnage this weekend.

No car, take uber, she texted Sokka. His phone was already in flight mode.

Katara covered her eyes against the sunlight and blindly put her phone on the nightstand. She missed and it fell on the floor with a dull thump. Great. She groaned again. Stupid headache. If she recalled correctly she didn’t even drink her hot chocolate yesterday. She had to get up and reheat it. Cold hot chocolate tasted awful.

“Hello?” Someone called from her hallway and Katara froze. Was there a man in her apartment?! But the voice sounded familiar and before she could stop herself she blurted out, “Zuko?”

Immediately, she clamped her hand over her mouth. Stupid, stupid, stupid. If there was in fact a stranger in her home she had just given herself away. And if it was Zuko she definitely didn’t want to see him.

“Katara!” Shit, that really was Zuko. The sound of boots and then her door flung open. Katara shrieked and scurried back in her bed.

“How the fuck did you get in my apartment?” she yelled, “get out!”

At second glance, he looked truly bizarre. Gone were his familiar, cursed flannel and the skinny jeans. Instead he wore a long, red tunic with black and golden lining, accompanied by black, angular shoulder pads and matching boots. His hair was different, too. He had small bangs on either side of his forehead. His other hair was in a topknot adorned with a stylised, golden flame headpiece.

She stared at him with mouth agape. Him taking a step towards her woke her out of her stupor.

“Stay away from me!” she yelled. Zuko stopped and had the audacity to look hurt. He lifted his hands in an appeasing motion. “Relax, Katara, it’s just me, Zuko.”

“That’s my problem exactly.”

He looked confused. “What?”

“You shouldn’t be here, Zuko.”

Now he looked slightly relieved. “So you know where we are? Because I have no clue.”

“Of course I know where I am,” Katara shouted, “don’t play dumb! You were in my apartment just a few days ago. And now I tell you to get out!”

His expression changed to exasperated. “Katara, if you know how to get back you have to show me. We both have to be at the meeting in ten minutes. So whatever you are doing here, finish it and lead us back.”

He looked at her expectantly. “The shoe rack next to it should be a pretty obvious clue to where the front door is,” Katara bit back but Zuko was not impressed. “I already tried that door. There is a grey hallway behind it and I still have no idea of how to get back to the palace. Since when do you even have this apartment?”

Katara rubbed her temples. “Doesn’t matter, Zuko. Please get your cheating ass out of here. My head feels like bursting and your costume doesn’t impress me either.”

Zuko frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

Her voice laced with venom Katara said sweetly, “I mean that you have the audacity to break into my apartment, for which you definitely don’t have the keys, after you cheated on me yesterday. Certainly, we can call it cheating this time, can’t we? Or is it just a little ‘misstep’ for you again?”

He reacted distraught. “I would never cheat on you, Katara,” he said sincerely. “How could you say that?”

Katara rolled her eyes. If he wanted to pretend innocent she would tear him down. “You know what, Zuko, let’s do this.”

She threw back her blanket and walked over to him. Zuko blushed beet red as he saw her in just her black bra and panties. “Like, what you see?” she asked and put her hands on her hips in a mocking sexy pose. “There was a chance you could have seen it yesterday. But do you know what I saw? You giving this other woman your clothing in your bedroom and looking really familiar if you get my gyst.”

At her last words she stabbed him in the chest with her finger.

“You must have misunderstood something, sweetheart,” he defended himself, “maybe one of the maids took liberties and we have to investigate that, but -”

“Oh, there is the ‘you misunderstood’-angle! I know what I saw, Zuko. If she were a maid it just makes it worse. I didn’t think you’d be so stupid to sneak behind my back only one week after Mai but I've learned a lot about you since Caldera.”

“Hey, slow down,” he retorted upset, “are you implying that I cheated on you with Mai? The last report said she was still happily lamenting about her banishment in the Earth Kingdom.”

His defenses didn’t make the slightest sense to Katara but her bullshit-meter functioned well. “I didn’t know I could think even lower of you, Zuko. You admitted to sleeping with her to me and Suki.”

Now, he looked truly incensed, his golden eyes dancing like fire. His hands were balled in fists and smoke seemed to rise from them.

Katara continued undeterred, “Suki put in a good word for you but this time you took advantage of the opportunity that you unexpectedly had one hour before seeing me. No one knows if she’ll even fry you alive before Sokka gets his hands on you.”

Her words finally snapped Zuko out of his placating behaviour. “You are a damn hypocrite, Katara! YOU wanted to cheat on Aang. YOU have this secret apartment since who knows when. YOU misinterpret situations so miniscule I can’t even remember them. YOU neglect your duties and make no effort to get to the meeting where it will be decided if hundreds or thousands die next monsoon season.”

While he shouted, he had begun stepping into her space, forcing her back. His straight posture changed, now he looked like a pouncing tiger-wolf. With each shout, the air around him grew hotter and Katara imagined the smell of smoke. She swallowed nervously. This side of Zuko was new and very scary.

Suddenly, his fists burst into flames. Katara screamed horrifiedly and scrambled back.

In her haste, she bumped painfully in her desk chair. Katara winced. She grabbed the first thing behind her as a weapon. It was her heavy stapler. Better than nothing, she decided.

Zuko thankfully had stopped his tirade and his advance on her. The menacing look in his eyes had abated to one of angry confusion. Katara used the pause for some heavy breaths and tried to gain her composure back.

“Zuko,” she said shakily, avoiding his eyes, “your fists were burning.”

She didn’t know why she said that. He would deflect and add it to his list of reasons where Katara misunderstood something. And maybe she had. Flaming fists were impossible. Instead, he just tilted his head. “So?”

Katara stared at him. Her brain noped out. Speaking of head… she groaned and cradled her forehead. The headache was pounding in her skull. She must have hallucinated the flames.

“Katara?” Zuko sounded concerned. “Are you hurt?”

“I’ll bring you some water,” he said after she didn’t answer, “get back in bed and lie down.”

For lack of better options, Katara complied. She spotted her phone on the ground and briefly considered calling the Dai Li but Zuko was already back with two large glasses of water. “For you,” he said and put them on her night stand. Katara carefully drank one and watched him.

His eyes darted between her and the second glass, then he shrugged. “Why didn’t you drink your chocolate when you are only thirsty?”

“It’s cold.”

“Oh. Here, allow me.” He took her mug and handed it to her a moment later. The mug was at the perfect temperature. Katara stared at him.

He squirmed uncomfortably. “Why do you look at me like I have three heads, Katara?” he asked awkwardly.

Katara continued to stare. Her chocolate was hot. It had not been hot. Her brain did not compute.

Zuko clearly didn’t know what to make of the situation either. “Katara, please talk to me,” he said exasperatedly, “I need you to talk to me, sweetheart. Because you accusing me of cheating while dressed like this in an apartment I don’t know of which you don’t want me in doesn’t speak in your favour. And I don’t want to accuse you of something.”

The gears in Katara’s head turned and settled on anger. “Are you accusing ME of cheating?” she eventually spit out and Zuko again moved uncomfortably. “Correct me, if I am wrong, but for you to not be cheating on me we can’t be in a relationship which means I can’t cheat on you either. And you’ve known me for five weeks, do I have time for anything besides university? It was a mistake making space for you even if we were studying most of the time. You are nothing but a distraction and you almost cost me my spot in the medical program already.”

Zuko pulled the chair next to the bed and felt her forehead. His hand was too warm and Katara jerked back. A deep concerned frown etched itself on Zuko’s face. “Katara, something is really wrong here. Who do you think I am?”

Wrong here? Wrong was his absurd try to gaslight her. Time to shut it down for good. “You shouldn’t be here, Zuko. I wanted time to find out if I could forgive you and I obviously can’t. Game over. Go play with someone else’s heart.”

Her words only deepened the frown on his face.

“Can you tell me about you?”

Katara exploded. “What about ‘go away’ don’t you understand? This is not a game where you can just hit the restart button!”

He held his hands up. “I will, I promise. Go away, I mean,” he reassured her, “just, please humour me.”

Katara threw her head back. The headache still pounded. Sadly, despite his words he didn’t seem inclined to go anywhere soon and Katara gave in. If he refused to leave long enough for Sokka to show up, Sokka would handle Zuko. “My name is Katara, I am 21 years old and moved here three years ago to study biochemistry at the Ba Sing Se University.”

“We are in Ba Sing Se?” She shot him a glare and he quickly retracted, “please go on.” Katara was at a loss about what to tell him. “What do you want to know?” “Where did you live before?” “At the south pole. You know that.”

“What about Aang?”

“How do you know about Aang?” She was 99% sure that she never mentioned Aang to him. Maybe Suki. She ought to have some words with Suki.

He evaded her, “we are acquainted.”

“Sure you are,” she said bitterly, “did you ask him for things to manipulate me with, too?”

Zuko’s eyes widened in understanding. “I did not. Do you remember the Fire Nation?”

The interrogation really rubbed Katara the wrong way. “Your stint, yes! Myself: Never been there. You, however, are free to return and stay there. The sooner, the better.”

“I am aware. Do you remember Kai?”

“Nice name.”

Zuko looked sad but continued, “Pakku?”

“Happily married at the South Pole to my gran-gran.”

“Does he still bend?”

“Are you asking me if my step-granddad is athletic? I guess.”

He gestured to the full glass of water. “Can you do something with the water?”

“Like?” Katara was annoyed. “These questions are more ridiculous with each word out of your mouth. Are you done yet?”

Her words seemed to trouble Zuko.

“Almost,” he said, “just one more test…” He took the glass and dumped it straight on her head. Katara spluttered. He did not just douse her in water!

“What the - You!- Oh, you are so dead, Zuko!” She lunged at him but he deflected her fists with ease and cringed.

“I’m sorry, Katara, I didn’t think that through.” Katara growled and lunged again. He captured her fists and looked apologetically at her efforts to free herself. “I was unsure before, but now it’s clear that you don’t remember bending. That’s why you were so afraid of my flames earlier.”

Katara’s eyes widened. So she hadn’t imagined that? He took her reaction as an acknowledgement. “You don’t remember anything, you are defenseless and you apparently have a massive headache. All signs that the Dai Li brainwashed you.”

The Dai Li were brainwashing people? Katara knew that the city police was more of an eminence grise than a straight forward police force but neither she nor her friends had ever encountered them. Although she wouldn’t put her hand in the fire for Toph and Jet…

Black fabric blocked her view. Zuko had found her sweater from yesterday and held it to her face with eyes averted. “Dress yourself. If you don’t remember us it is not appropriate for me to see you like this. I’ll wait in the kitchen. When you’re finished we can talk about what happened to you.” He smiled. “I’m here with you now. We’ll figure it out.”

“And your meeting?” Katara peeped and cringed. What a pea-brained thing to ask right now. Zuko was taken aback, he had probably forgotten, too. “My advisors have to figure it out. They’ll have to shoulder your tasks anyway if you are indisposed for longer.” He smiled reassuringly at her and left.

Chapter Text

Katara left her room some minutes later. Zuko stared at her and Katara felt self-conscious all the sudden. She had dressed in the same outfit as yesterday and as she had hoped then, Zuko was impressed. “I need a moment in the bathroom,” she murmured shily when Zuko quickly checked her out. He swallowed and she fled.

Katara used the bathroom to compose herself. She splashed water in her face and stared herself down in the mirror. Her life felt like the fucking twilight zone. She wasn’t even sure about her preferred outcome. Would she rather take modern emo Zuko with his skinny jeans, flannel button-ups, jerk behaviour who had helped her get an A in organic chemistry and slept with two different girls since he had her number or costume Zuko who broke into her apartment, had a completely different take on reality than her could light his fist in literal fire.

Tui, the flaming fist. Katara felt another nervous breakdown coming. There were flames coming out of his fists. Flames. Real, hot fire. And his hands remained uninjured. And he’d heated her hot chocolate like it was an everyday occurrence.

Deep breath in, hold, deep breath out, Katara reminded herself. Her anxiety receded. On to the next problem: Had she been brainwashed? Katara pulled her hair and mouthed a silent scream in the mirror.

………

After what felt like an eternity she finally started to brush her teeth and tangled hair and removed the tiger-panda-like morning-after make-up. Zuko hadn’t checked on her, for that Katara was glad. She still didn’t know what to feel about him. And for what exactly to be angry at him.

She found him rummaging through the cupboards in her kitchen. He had already found the mugs and was now flipping through her assortment of various teas. She had a wide range of types since Aang had gifted her a tea-tree from one of his travels years ago.

“Interesting,” he noticed and held a yellow packet in her direction. It was zitronella-pumpkin. “That’s why it’s still there,” she explained. Her half-hearted joke was rewarded by a short grin. “Uncle would have a heart attack.”

Katara played with her hand uncomfortably. “Unlikely. I don’t know him.” “Oh.”

An awkward silence spread.

“So…” Katara nudged and he nervously rubbed his neck. 

“Do you remember Jet?” he eventually asked.

That surprised her. “My ex. Haven’t seen him since he dropped out of computer science.”

He seemed momentarily stunned by her words. “Out of what..? Never mind. The Jet I know and you knew was a guerilla fighter. You met him in the Earth Kingdom, I met him later in Ba Sing Se when he tried to expose me and uncle as fire benders.

For threatening the peace in the city, he was taken away by the Dai Li. He was brainwashed by them in Lake Laogai with the goal to lure Aang, you and the others out of Ba Sing Se. You caught him in a lie, tried to reverse his brainwashing - which worked for a short while - but he relapsed in a fight with the Dai Li and died subsequently.”

At the mention of “died”, Katara stopped nodding along, shocked. Sure, she had wished Jet into next weekend when they broke up, but knowing he had actually been killed. She gulped. The potential of her being brainwashed suddenly felt more threatening than simply absurd. She clinged to the peacefulness of the life she knew where the highest stakes were burning herself on microwaved crockery.

Zuko didn’t notice her inner turmoil or he chose to ignore it.

“After that, the Dai Li leader Long Feng’s secret governance of Ba Sing Se was exposed by Aang. He was imprisoned and helped my sister take over the city as revenge. Which didn’t work out in his favour, either. I suppose he still holds a grudge against all of us and somehow managed to get his hands on you. To alienate us or use you as political leverage, I surmise.”

He fell silent and looked at her expectantly. It occurred to Katara that he expected a reaction from her. “That’s an otter-hare-brained story,” she decided.

He sighed. “What?” she asked defensively, “do you expect me to just believe this when it goes against everything I know of my life?” Against her peaceful life, her relationships, her plans and present accomplishments?

The flame in his hand lit up again and Katara was almost proud that only her eyelid twitched nervously. “Katara. I am a firebender. You are a waterbender. The prodigy of your generation. I can still bend, you can’t. That indicates that something is wrong with your circumstances. I don’t know how I came here but at least I still have my sense of self. We can figure everything out, together. But you have to trust me.”

Trust him. Zuko was untrustworthy. At least the Zuko she knew. And here he was claiming to be someone completely different.

Katara’s head was spinning. She thanked the spirits that her finals were in the past and she had spare time to concentrate on this mess. As absurd as he sounded, he could bend fire. Although she could be hallucinating …

“No,” he said sternly and pulled his flaming hand away. Katara pouted. “No burning yourself,” he reprimanded her.

Her pout persisted. “Your whole story sounds fake and made up on the spot with the most bizarre plot, I have to make sure that I am not hallucinating you. Or maybe you are hallucinating me.”

He laughed for the first time. “Hallucinations would be much more fun than this. Sokka once talked me into trying cactus juice. And Toph managed to squeeze Aang’s insomnia hallucinations out of him duri ng a wine tasting.” He sobered up. “I’m also sure that this is the real world. I wouldn’t be able to bend in the spirit world nor would I be able to control my flame to such a measure while not completely sane. Even Azula couldn't.”

Katara groaned. “Look, Zuko, none of your words make any sense to me. Even the cactus juice. We don’t get hallucinations from an alcoholic beverage here.”

“Alcoholic?” Zuko asked and Katara waved exasperatedly, “exactly what I mean. So try to explain this firebending and how I am a waterbender in a comprehensible way or get the fuck out so I can nurse my headache.” And her heartache. Because when the Zuko she knew was not a brainwashed hallucination of her, he really had had another woman over yesterday. The question repeated itself, which version she preferred.

Zuko contemplated her words. “I am not good at storytelling but I’ll try. But before we start, let’s make some normal tea.” A can of half-burned mint tea between them, he began..

Hours later, Katara held a cold glass of water against her spinning head. Zuko had told his tale, beginning from his banishment at 13. He had interrupted his story for a brief explanation of the war and the four nations and his family dynamic. Then, he had explained his search for the Avatar - including everything he knew about air nomad culture, Southern Water Tribe culture, Avatar Kyoshi and giant fish. Followed by the siege of the North with digression to Northern Water Tribe culture, the tactics of the Fire Nation armada - Katara had cut him off there. Except for a saucy episode with some pirates he had deviated from the main plot every second sentence.

“I really am no good at speeches,” he confessed.

“You are supposed to be the Fire Lord,” she pointed out with raised eyebrows.

“Pre-written speeches are fine after practicing three times,” he defended himself and continued talking.

When he had told her about the ocean spirit monster, Katara had excused herself to hunt for tylenol and aspirin. He had pointed out that she also learned how to heal hangovers at the North Pole. She had responded with a growl. It had earned her a smirk.

“Actually, you shouldn’t take that. What if it’s not medicine but something aiding your brainwashing condition?”

Katara grumbled and acquiesced.

He had tried to tell his tale more concise after that. Katara tried to summarise the last episode of his story with a pounding head. “Do I understand you right: After you became Fire Lord, you and Mai were pressured quickly into marriage by her parents and your advisors. You had your first child one year later at 19. Mai at freaking 17. I traveled with Aang as his girlfriend in order to restore world peace. During Mai’s pregnancy, Aang, me, you, Toph, Sokka and Azula went on a search for your mother and eventually found her with a new face and new family. Sokka’s face almost gets eaten by a caterpillar spirit. Suki goes off at the spirit and is kidnapped by another spirit which luckily also hid your mother once. I propositioned you to start over together with new faces, too. You rejected me and decided to stay with Mai and I broke up with Aang. You returned to the palace and lived happily ever after until your father tried to overthrow you with the New Ozai Society, which Mai was a part of through her affair partner. Azula stabbed Ozai and you banished Mai and Kei Lo to the Earth Kingdom.” 

Katara rubbed her eyes. “You are lucky that Mai found poison too boring. Do you know how many times you almost died in your story? I lost count somewhere between the ship cook serving you mold and someone pushing you off the ice.” He shrugged. “Power from above? The universe can only keep me suffering when I’m alive to experience it.”

Katara deadpanned him. “I also noticed several instances where you didn’t have to choose the hardest option present. Lost count somewhere at fifteen. Like, did it never occur to you right at the beginning to just threaten to turn back and blackmail the southern water tribe village again after Aang escaped?”

He shrugged awkwardly and coughed.

“It got easier once I belonged to your group. And there hadn’t been any near-death-experiences since I married you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Married?”

“Yeah. The happiest day of my life. You are the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said with gleaming eyes. “Well, Izumi is obviously, too. But it’s a close tie. I mean, I couldn’t choose between you.” He deflated. “Sorry. I’m not smooth.”

Katara deadpanned him. Obviously. She thought back to the thin line the Zuko she knew managed to walk between obnoxious and flirtatious. Compared to that, this Zuko came across as meek although she did not doubt that he had to be a formidable warrior and leader.

“When I think about it, the latest assassins have only been there for you,” he frowned, “the New Ozai Society seems to have accepted me after his death.”

“Pleasure to be of service,” Katara mumbled with a squeasy stomach. The idea that people might want her dead and would be attacking her made her feel afraid. The Katara in Zuko’s tale was a skilled water bender and healer. She herself could do nothing like that. It had been a bad idea to turn down Suki’s offer of training her in martial arts.

“I didn’t think about the danger when I proposed to you,” Zuko admitted dejectedly, once again oblivious to her inner thoughts, “although you would have dressed me down for thinking you couldn’t defend yourself. I only saw that you were free, I was free, my rule established. Nobody could have been a kinder stepmother to Izumi or a more competent Fire Lady than you. Even my council approved of a connection to the Water Tribes.”

Katara’s cheeks flushed. She liked this warm, serious version of Zuko. “But you still had to dress it as a political match,” she deflected him.

“Politics for my enemies, love for my friends,” he smiled warmly. “I sometimes wonder how our lives would have played out if I had had the courage to kiss you after the agni kai.”

Katara gave her best to fight the red on her cheeks. This Zuko was warm, kind and everything she would have asked of a boyfriend. If his story was true, the other Zuko was a product of her imagination. Yet, despite being burned, she still longed for how the other Zuko had swept her off her feet, teased her and cared for her under the guise of his jerky behaviour. The same connection she did not feel with the version of Zuko in front of her. Who was very much real and had loved her since he was a teenager and vice versa. Could brainwashing change such deep feelings? Her confusion was not helped by the fact that this story was still too bizarre to be true. Yet at the same time no one could make so many congruent plots up on the spot. She just hoped that everything would clear up soon. “Anything else I need to know?”

Zuko’s eyes lit up. “Have I told you about my dragon?”

Maybe he was making this up on the spot.

The doorbell ripped Zuko out of a story where Izumi had redirected a flame while playing with his dragon Druk, thus revealing herself as a firebender and resolving the question of her parentage to the satisfaction of the council.

They both jumped. “What’s that?” Zuko asked, already standing in a fighting position.

“That’s my doorbell,” Katara explained, “I totally forgot about Sokka.”

She ran to the front door and let Sokka in together with a gush of cold air.

“Sokka!” she squealed and hugged him. “Ugh, you are cold!”

“Hi Sis,” Sokka answered and hugged her back. “It’s cold outside, what you would know if you had actually stepped outside to give me a ride as agreed.”

The full disaster flooded back into Katara's consciousness. She had almost forgotten her initial heartbreak over Zuko’s absurd storyline and the happiness about seeing Sokka.

“Yeah, about that…,” she stalled. “Just come in.”

Sokka hung his coat and followed her with raised eyebrows.

“Zuko?” he said disbelievingly, “what are you doing here? What happened to you driving me? And more importantly, what happened to your clothes?”

“Hello Sokka,” Zuko replied, “we are in the process of figuring all of that out. Except for the clothes. Those are my normal robes for semi formal occasions in autumn.”

“You are wearing jewellery.”

“That’s a crown.”

“Now that you say it I realise I see you dressed in red robes with shoulder pads and a crown all the time,” 

Sokka’s sarcasm went unnoticed by Zuko. With a pleased expression he turned back to Katara. “See? He knows me.”

Katara looked at her brother with big eyes. “You know this outfit?”

“Totally,” Sokka replied, “though the quality was worse. Which bet have you lost this time, Zuko?”

“Bet?”

“Yeah. Last time you lost to Chan. He bet that you couldn’t make it through the evening without reminding someone of their manners. You made it ten minutes and we got you this historical, stiff court costume. I have photos. And after what you dared to do to Katara, I’m never going to delete them.” At the last sentence his voice had lost all playfulness and was biting.

Katara felt Zuko’s resignation. He gestured to the futon. “So the Dai Li got you, too, Sokka. Please sit down. Katara and I need to tell you something.” Sokka looked sharply at her and Katara smacked Zuko with a beet-red face. “Did you really need to phrase it like this?” she hissed.

Zuko looked at her confused and then went beet-red himself. “Sorry! She’s not pregnant, Sokka!” He turned to Katara, “or you are…?” She smacked him again, face burning. “I’m not,” she hissed again. A new fear growing in her belly, she asked, “were we trying…?” Zuko rubbed his neck awkwardly. “You liked Kai for a boy.”

Sokka was not impressed. “Riiiight. Zuko, get away from my sister now.”

Katara sat on her chair, Sokka seated himself next to Zuko on the futon, probably in the spirit of 'keep your enemies closer'. Zuko began and Katara took over retelling the story after he and Sokka had started a little too detailed discussion of the machinery in war ships. When she finished, Sokka looked incredulously at Zuko. “That doesn’t make any sense. Except for the part where I am married to Suki.”

Zuko sighed and lit his palm again, causing Sokka to fall off the futon. “Dude, your hand is burning!”

A smirk appeared on Zuko’s mouth and Sokka grumbled. “Okay, okay, let’s talk about it. Could you maybe put that fire out first?” Zuko obeyed and Sokka pulled out his notebook. Katara noticed that he left a little more space between him and Zuko.

“We have to come at this from every angle. First question ‘Who?’ We need to determine who is real and who is imagining things.”

“I’m real,” Zuko said, “I wouldn’t be able to bend otherwise.” Sokka’s eye moved to Zuko’s hand and he slid slowly closer to Katara. “We can also outrule me and Katara hallucinating and you hallucinating us. If we both hallucinate, it wouldn’t be the same. For second, we wouldn’t have a sense of self. Same for us not being real. Points for sanity for everyone.” He patted his notebook with a triumphant grin.

Katara was frustrated. “So you say, both of our realities are real? Then who’s telling the truth?”

“Ah, moving on to ‘What?’ already. Well, we could have been brainwashed to the same reality, Katara. Zuko is able to do this jerkbending, so he must have more knowledge than us. Third question, ‘Where?’ Ba Sing Se. Zuko, you, too?”

He nodded. “Scheduled to leave this afternoon.”

Sokka continued his notes, “‘When?’ Today. The only option matching Katara’s and mine completely same grip on reality and you being still in Ba Sing Se. ‘How?’”

Zuko explained that it had something to do with Lake Laogai. The Earth Kingdom had unfortunately restricted all information about it. Sokka tapped his lips. “Might be worth a shot to visit Lake Laogai. It’s a rehab center today. Last question, ‘Why?’”

He sighed.  “When I came here I was prepared for a lovely reunion with my girlfriend and a stern conversation among boys, maybe killing you. Not solving a conspiracy.”

It earned him an apologetic shrug from Zuko. “I meant to ask that earlier, why are you both so mad at me? We’ve been friends for six years now.”

Sokka stared at him icily, “Just in case this is a giant ploy from you to weasel out of the consequences: You hurt Katara. I warned you repeatedly, Zuko: No one touches my sister. And you not only did but hurt her! Suki said she cried her eyes out and almost lost her scholarship because of your stupid trip to the Fire Nation. And I don’t care that it was one of Azula’s schemes. You hurt my little baby sister!”

Zuka raised his arms appeasingly. “I would never hurt Katara, Sokka. Not since I joined your group at the Western Air Temple. Nothing of what you are referring to is real.”

Sokka breathed deep. “Consider yourself warned. Now back to business. Why would someone brainwash me and Katara? Why do they equip us with such a vastly different reality?”

“Maybe it’s time I tell my side of the story,” Katara proposed faintly, “it has resemblances.”

She skipped over most of her childhood, focusing on the part where she met her friends. Her voice was hoarse from speaking - certainly not from her newly aching heart - when she recounted meeting Zuko:

“Zuko covered for Haru as a TA in organic chemistry. My worst course, so I went to every study hall. Zuko offered to help me outside of class. That’s how we got to know each other. We were on the track to dating after my test was over. On that Friday, he got a call from Azula. Allegedly, Ozai planned to reveal the whereabouts of Zuko’s mother but only if Zuko was there. It was a huge scam and threw Zuko back to his old, toxic self.”

She looked down. “I was already angry because he ignored me right before our date for the whole night and woke me up at 6am to apologise and make plans for his return. After that I talked to Suki and she conveyed that Zuko had spent the night with Mai…” She sniffed and fought back her tears.

What had him compelled to do that between flirting with her she still didn’t understand. How his old self had pushed their relationship away. Since Suki had brushed off her hurt with the remark that they hadn’t even kissed back then, she wondered if the stint with Mai could have been avoided if she had acted only a little faster… or if the hurt would only have been worse. Additionally, they had known each other for just two weeks, she was allowed to take things slower than that and if Azula had called a little later, things might have had progressed to a realm of certainty…

“Well, Suki reminded me that we weren’t dating yet. She and Haru encouraged me to talk to him again. Zuko himself showed up on my doorstep and apologised profusely. He also explained everything I wanted to know and helped me through o-chem. Last week was my final’s week. He took me out for lunch on Friday to celebrate and we wanted to meet in the evening. Originally, he wanted to pick me up, but I decided to walk to him and stop by that chocolaterie for Sokka’s gift to Suki - it’s next to the keys, by the way - and I was earlier at his house than anticipated and I saw him lending one of his button-ups to a woman in his bedroom.” She inhaled and concluded fastly, “I blocked him, walked back and when I awoke today, Zuko was here and didn’t remember anything of it.”

Some tears had escaped and she stubbornly wiped them away.

Sokka had listened to her story with patience, resignation and growing fury.

“He did what with Mai and that woman?” he exploded. Katara looked at him surprised. “Didn’t Suki tell you?”

“She told me there had been a misunderstanding with Mai in the Fire Nation and that he stood you up for it. Not that!” He whirled to Zuko whose posture was in matching outrage. Sokka pointed his finger at him. “You can count yourself lucky that you are not my former soon to be deceased friend Zuko Sozin.”

Zuko’s eyes suddenly gleamed. “That’s it! Sokka you are a genius!”

Sokka was taken aback. “Of course I am a genius. For what exactly?”

Zuko jumped up. “You figured out the motive.”

Katara was confused. Next to her, Sokka’s face lit up in understanding. “We are your best friends”

Zuko nodded. “And Katara is my Fire Lady.” “Yuck.” “Oh, get over it.”

Sokka sobered up. “Now we only have to find out who really wants to kill you.”

“Kill Zuko?” Katara yelled in shock which earned her a condescending look from her brother. “It’s obvious, Katara. I mentioned the intention to kill Zuko like - three times already? According to Zuko, I am a skilled warrior, which I don’t remember. That doesn’t mean my muscles don’t remember. Your memories supply me with the ideal motivation to harm Zuko. You probably want to help; Suki, too, for him slighting you a second time when she brushed the first incident off.”

“Suki is very skilled in hand to hand combat,” Zuko interjected, “she regularly fights without weapons. That makes her the most dangerous at the moment.”

Katara stared at him in horror. “Suki arrives tomorrow. I guess it’s fortunate that I haven’t told her about Friday evening yet?”

“I better tell her in person tomorrow,” Sokka mused, “she will have a hard time believing this.”

Zuko nodded along. “She was my bodyguard and head of the royal guards until she married you. She still sounds very protective of my other self. If she is also brainwashed and doesn’t believe you she might decide to attack you on behalf of the other Zuko. Fire Lord killed by his best friend, chief of the Southern Water Tribe injured by an Earth Kingdom warrior.”

Sokka grimmassed. “I love dangerous women.”

Katara chewed her lip. Suki, too? This brainwashing became a little too complex for her taste. And what about all the other people she encountered and engaged with in her daily life?

“First, you don’t know if they are even real if the Dai Li got you today. Second, they would only have to brainwash everyone who has a motive to remember correctly. The rest could be actors,” Zuko pointed out. “While uncle and I lived in the city, we witnessed first-hand the lengths the Dai Li went to change the narrative. ‘There is no war in Ba Sing Se.’ Everyone who disturbed the peace was carried off. The rest pretended not to see the cause for the refugees.” 

As depressing as it was, his point made sense. And as much as she liked that Zuko betraying her had only been a play in her mind, she could stop to ponder about her other relationships. Her friendship with Toph and Suki, how were they really? Haru and the other people she met during her studies, were their actions real? On the plus side, if she and Sokka had awoken with false memories just this morning, there was a possibility that no one else had been affected by the Dai Li. 

She hugged herself and Zuko rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. Again, his hand felt too hot. It must be because he was a firebender. Despite his romantic retelling, Katara didn’t feel the connection. Not like the possible production of her mind who teased her just right and for whom still some butterflies fluttered stubbornly in her belly.

Sokka yawned. She felt tired, too, and a sharper look at Zuko showed her the drowsiness in his limbs.

“We should probably go to sleep,” she said and slumped on her twin bed. Maybe tomorrow everything would look clearer. “Sokka, you can take the futon.” Sokka perked up and pulled Zuko away from Katara. “Fantastic idea, sis. My best friend and I will take the futon.”

Chapter Text

The next morning - or noon, Katara corrected herself - she and Sokka awoke to the sound and smell of Zuko cooking something in a pan over his flaming palm. Katara squinted and shrugged eventually. Guess that was the new normal now.

“Food,” Sokka drooled and stood zombie-like from the covers. Zuko rolled his eyes. “Eat,” he ordered. He began pacing nervously through Katara’s room. He was dressed in his uniform again, on his head a perfect topknot with the flaming crown. 

Katara fished for her phone. “Oh shit,” she cursed, “Suki.” She had about 40 new messages and quickly flipped through them.

Hi Katara

How are you now?

Do you feel better?

We talk as soon as I get back.

btw are you and Zuko still picking me up?
Since you are MIA I messaged Zuko. He says, he’ll pick me up. He also wants me to relay his best to you.

He doesn’t know why you blocked him.

If you unblock him, he’s ready to talk.

You better have a very good reason.

Morning, Katara

Zuko says he hasn’t heard from you yet.

I’ll be there in six hours.

You better talk then.

I’ll be at your door at 3.30.

“What about Suki?” Sokka asked.

“She’s pissed. What should I tell her?”

Sokka cut her off, “no, no. No strategy before breakfast. Stomach can’t think yet.”

Sokka also had messages from Suki, although his were more amiable. Suki planned to get picked up by Zuko at the airport, who would then drop her off at Katara’s apartment and take her luggage to store at his until Suki was finished with Katara.

“I should call her,” Sokka said frowning, “she still has half an hour until her plane takes off.”

Katara stopped him. “I don’t think it’s wise to try to persuade her over the phone at a busy airport.”

Sokka also had one missed call from Zuko from yesterday evening. Right on point, his phone rang again. Sokka picked up.

“Hi Zuko, what’s up, buddy?” he greeted him brightly. He signaled the others to be quiet and put the phone on speaker.

“Hi Sokka,” they heard Zuko’s frazzled voice. The present Zuko jumped up but Katara yanked him back down and hushed him. His whole body was still tense and fixed on the phone but he relented.

“Uhm, have you heard from Katara since Friday by any chance?”

“Perhaps. Why do you ask?”

Katara could picture Zuko ruffling his hair in the silence. “She and I had a date,” he said cautiously, “on Friday, but she never showed up. I just want to know if she is okay. And maybe you can tell her that I really need to talk to her.”

“And why would I do that, Zuko?” Sokka said still with a bright voice, “I remember telling you that my baby sister is off limits.”

“About that…”

Sokka cut him off, “I also remember telling you that I would kill everyone who hurt her. You have a nerve! She told me everything. If I ever see you again you will be fish food!”

He ended the call and reclined. “Ah, that felt good.”

If Zuko’s eyes could shoot fire, Sokka’s phone would be in flames. “What was that?!”

Katara was surprised. “That was your counterpart. Didn’t you recognise the voice?”

He shrugged her off. “I don't mean that. Why was his voice coming out of this box?”

Katara and Sokka exchanged a look. “That’s a phone. It’s what phones do, telephoning. We covered this in Physics I.”

“What are you talking about?”

Katara showed him her phone. “It’s a smartphone, Zuko. Look, it can send messages, call people, has internet access, takes photos -” 

“I know nothing of the sort. Why do you have that?”

Sokka looked at him incredulously. “You seriously don’t know phones, Zuko? The technology behind it is over fifty years old. Do you remember telegraphs? A gramophone?”

Zuko only stared at him with a frown. “The thing that records music?” Zuko shook his head and Sokka slowly fell back on the futon.

“Oh boy… I have to think. How do you make breakfast at home, Zuko?” he asked. “Fish, rice and fruit usually,” Zuko answered curtly but Sokka waved him off. “No, no. How do you prepare it?”

“Well, I am the Fire Lord,” he caught Sokka’s look, “but when I cook, I use the stove, a cutting board and cutlery. I did here, too. Except for the stove. It has no wood or coal and I couldn’t figure out how to open the lid.”

“The lid?” Katara asked confused. The front lid of the oven should be obvious.

“The top lid,” Zuko answered slowly. “It was screwed shut. Did you never cook there, Katara?”

Katara started to answer but Sokka interrupted her and beckoned Zuko over to the window. Zuko stood, transfixed and then turned an icy stare to Sokka. “Care to explain?”

Sokka started a thoughtful stroll through the room. Katara knew that look. That was Sokka playing detective.

“Taking into account all the evidence,” Sokka said after a while, “which are (A) you being able to firebend, (B) you not remembering electric stoves, phones and CARS, (C) the latter three fully functioning right now and (D) the other Zuko sounding exactly like you, we are left with only one conclusion: You are from another dimension.”

He said the last bit with a dooming voice. Katara and Zuko stared at him with disbelief and Sokka threw his hands up. “Come on, guys! It happens all the time. Do you ever read comics? Ok, on second thought, forget that question. But it explains everything, don’t you see?”

Katara shakingly began to speak. “So everything I remember… still happened?” Sokka nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Zuko was harder to convince. "All these devices could have been planted by the Dai Li. These carriages are on stone so an earth bender can move them. Maybe this other technology is a trick, too."

"In statistics we covered something called the complexity penalty, Fire Lord. Brainwashing me and Katara would require abducting both of us, Katara from the literal fire court and me from the south pole, brainwashing us with a congruent life story, setting up a huge set with countless details and very advanced technology, abducting you somehow and brainwashing or employing an actor for everyone we choose to interact. Versus you being from another dimension explains the two Zukos, your completely freak ability and absurd but resembling life story. See? Complexity penalty. If we turn out to be brainwashed and I kill you later I promise to eat my words."

Zuko began pacing. “That’s bad news. That means, my Fire Nation is currently without a leader. They must be sick with worry. And I’ve gone missing in the Earth Kingdom, it could have sparked another war! Rrrr!” He stood and breathed deep, still shaking. “And Izumi - she’ll be crowned Fire Lord as a child if I don’t make it back. Everyone will try to influence her or overthrow her rule. How do I even make it back? Do you have an avatar here? Agni, I wasted the whole morning waiting for you to wake up!”

Katara watched him rambling, surprisingly detached. While she certainly cared for his turmoil, her inability to feel something profound for him suddenly made sense. He was not caring for her, either, rather for a version of her that he learned to love. As she almost did with his version here.

Sokka patted Zuko on the back. “Hey, Fire Lord, this is also good news. No complot, no threatening Dai Li, no not knowing who we can trust. We can use our full resources now.”

“What do you propose, Sokka?” Zuko asked with a menacing scowl. “I need to go back!”

“I say we first search for your uncle Iroh. He’s got a lifetime of experience, connections and money. Maybe a house. You obviously can’t stay at Katara’s apartment.”

Zuko’s gaze flicked over to her and he nodded. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

“Let’s go.” was easier said than done. First of all, they had no clue where Iroh lived. Katara and Sokka had a heated debate about who should call Zuko and ask for the address. Thankfully, Sokka remembered Zuko telling him about his uncle’s Pai Sho playing habit. Namely, Iroh Sozin used to meet with other players in the Jasmine Dragon in the upper ring for tea and game each Wednesday and Sunday. The Fire Lord jumped on the fact and would have dragged them up to the upper ring by the ear had Sokka not pointed out that this would take over an hour - Ba Sing Se was large - and that they coincidentally needed a car to pick Suki up. So they decided to take an uber which would drop Katara and the Fire Lord off at the Jasmine Dragon and then chauffeur Sokka to Suki.

With a plan of action in place, the Fire Lord looked focused and determined. He took his first ride in a car pretty well, Katara noticed. Although she mustn’t be surprised: The world he lived in seemed to thrive on throwing surprises and jump scares at their inhabitants. What was a car versus battling on the roof of a moving cart across a boiling lake?

The uber dropped them off at the Jasmine Dragon and Katara fiddled nervously with her jacket. “How do we approach Iroh?”

The Fire Lord shrugged and disappeared through the front doors. 

Dreadfully, Katara realised that she should really have discussed this with Sokka. Zuko had admitted to her yesterday that he didn’t tend to think things through.

The inside of the Jasmine Dragon was high-end, classy and sophisticated. Light green and yellow defined the colour palette. Dashes of colour and a pleasant smell were added by numerous tea plants in the corners. Small, semi-private booths sat on the walls of the larger sitting area in the middle.

Zuko may have planned to wander - hasten - through the establishment looking for Iroh, but that was intercepted by the smiling hostess.

“Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. May I escort you to a table for two?”

Katara shook her head. “We are actually looking for someone -”

Zuko interrupted her impatiently, “Iroh Sozin. I am his nephew, Zuko Sozin.”

The hostess’ eyes flickered nervously between the two.

“Perhaps you could tell him that we are here?” Katara tried to soothe her. “We will wait.”

Zuko looked like he’d rather storm the room but he acquiesced with an angry breath. “My name is Katara Kuruk.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” The hostess waved a server and instructed them with their names. Shortly after, the waiter returned.

“Mr. Sozin will see you now.”

He led them to a booth in the back. Behind some greenery they met the eyes of four old men. One looked a little crazy. His hair could almost be described as unkempt. His stare was piercing. One woman wore traditional Air Nomad robes and hair style. Her expression was serene and unreadable. The two last men looked like Fire Nation and friendly. The younger one was athletic and had a precise beard and a topknot. The other one had to be Zuko’s uncle Iroh, Katara concluded nervously.

The Fire Lord gave a short bow with a strange arrangement of his hands on each other. The gesture drew a curious flicker of Iroh’s eyes on them. “Hello Zuko. How unexpected to see you here in such lovely company.”

“Hello uncle,” Zuko greeted him stiffly, “I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.”

“Of course. Please sit down. We can discuss everything over a nice cup of tea.”

“Privately.”

Katara squirmed uncomfortably. The other people at the table were examining her and she had the impression that Zuko somehow accidentally had been rude to them.

The other fire nation man spoke, “would you like to introduce us, Zuko?” Alerted, Zuko turned towards her. “Sure,” he improvised. “Katara Kuruk, Master Pian Dao.”

Pian Daos eyebrows rose. “I am his thesis advisor,” he clarified, “you don’t need to call me ‘master’.”

Blushing, Katara realised that this must be the title the Fire Lord knew Pian Dao with in his world. Pian Dao smiled like a cat. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Zuko spoke very highly of you.”

“Master of gossip,” the crazy one mumbled and Iroh laughed. “How would I know which advice to give to Zuko if Pian Dao doesn’t fill the gaps?”

The woman now smiled at Katara, too, and Katara wondered uneasily, what exactly Pian Dao had repeated to the round. “What are you wearing, Zuko? I’ve never seen you wear something like that before.”

“It’s a costume,” Katara said, quickly thinking on her feet, “he lost a bet and now he has to dress like a courtier in the historical fire nation palace. My brother's idea.”

Delighted, Iroh clapped his hands. “What a marvelous idea. This costume fits you extraordinarily well, my nephew. So elaborate and detailed. You could pass as the Fire Lord!”

Next to Katara, Zuko tensed. “I need to talk to you. Urgently, uncle. Can we step outside for a moment?”

“We are almost done with our game, nephew.”

Zuko sighed and looked at the board. “I see you still favour the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the old ways.”

Four perplexed faces looked at him. Then, Yang Chen replied, “but those who do can always find a friend. Go with him, Iroh. You would have lost regardless.”

Iroh grumbled. “Thanks for blowing my strategy.”

Pian Dao pushed Iroh’s tile off the board. “You use the white lotus gambit all the time, Iroh.”

“And now you will all bow to the geode formation.” Bumi triumphantly countered Pian Dao. “Stupid west wind,” he mumbled when Yang Chen made her move.

Iroh chuckled and typed a short message on his phone. “Let’s talk in the peace of my home. Pian Dao, Bumi, Yang Chen, until Wednesday. Family calls, my old bones answer.”

Outside, Katara took one step back and nodded down to the lower ring. “I’ll head to the next bus station. Have fun catching up with your uncle, Zuko.”

“Oh, but you must come with us,” Iroh insisted and tucked her hand around his arm, escorting her in the other direction. “Zuko told me so much about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I heard that you had an argument on Friday and I am so glad to see that you two worked it out. How did you manage that, Zuko?”

The Fire Lord coughed. “We talked?”

Iroh clicked his tongue. “Tsk, Zuko, after I have taught you so much about courting a woman. Bring her flowers, jewels, letters of your love, kneel at her feet. She has to see your devotion shining all around her.”

The Fire Lord went bright red. Iroh winked at Katara and her cheeks turned tomato, too. So Iroh had tried to instruct Zuko with all this? Was this what she could have expected had they managed to rekindle?

“We didn’t work out,” she corrected Iroh. There was not as much ice in her voice as she had aimed for, Iroh’s nature was just too nice to subject him to her ire.

Iroh patted her hand appeasingly. “Then it is even better that you are coming with us. I’m sure I can clear everything up in a moment. Ah, there we are.”

He showed them proudly to a large bungalow. In summer, the surrounding garden must have been a lush sight for everyone. Iroh opened the door and ushered them to a sitting room. “Please make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back in a moment.” 

“We don’t have time for tea,” the Fire Lord protested but Iroh was already gone. The Fire Lord groaned and looked out of the window, massaging his forehead. “Does he always need to be so elusive,” he grumbled. Katara cautiously sat down at the low tea-table and studied the polished wood grain. It looked expensive.

“Zuko?” a questioning voice asked and the Fire Lord spun around. “Katara?”

In the doorframe stood a woman looking exactly like Katara, except for her clothing. She wore a long, blue dress with a high neck and silver embroidery. Her hair fell down from a topknot adorned with a silver flame. And around her shoulders was a mismatched, oversized red flannel.

Suddenly, the woman flicked her wrist and an ice shard flew towards the Fire Lord. His arm cut through the air with a sharp motion and the ice evaporated in a fire whip. “Katara,” he said again and covered the distance between them with four large steps. The woman stopped him with an outstretched arm. “After we kissed for the first time, what did I say?”

“That it is just me and you,” he answered and without any more hesitation, he cupped her face and kissed her tenderly.  “What do you say now?” 

The other Katara looked at him with bright blue eyes. “Kiss me again.” 

With a smile, the Fire Lord obeyed.

Katara averted her eyes. So that was what she would have looked like while kissing Zuko Sozin. It looked … loving. Familiar with each other. Devoted. They looked like they trusted each other indefinitely. Last week she had thought that she trusted Zuko again. But Friday night had revealed that the trust was fickle on her side. Maybe she had just forgotten the sting of the Maiko-picture not learned to trust.

She shyly glanced at them again. They were still kissing. Hotter and hungrier. She swallowed and returned her eyes to the table. This flannel looked like one of Zuko’s. So this Katara knew Zuko. If Katara was completely honest with herself, she had to admit that Zuko entertaining other women while he was miserable and trying to regain her trust was unlikely. Scratch that. That was why she had been so deeply offended and heartbroken since it happened. She didn’t expect it at all. But perhaps her impression of Zuko had been right. Perhaps he hadn’t gone behind her back at all. Perhaps he had had an unexpected visitor, too. Perhaps he had been happy to learn after the first shock that the other Katara was deeply in love with the other Zuko.

And she had misunderstood everything.

Iroh stepped back in the room and chuckled at the couple now tamely holding hands.

“A lovely surprise, isn’t it? It is a pleasure to meet you properly, Fire Lord Zuko.” The Fire Lord looked a whole lot more relaxed and nodded. “Thank you for hosting her, Mr. Sozin-” “Oh, please call me uncle.” “- thank you, uncle. She seemed to have a much smoother landing than I did.”

Katara huffed. “You were the one who doused me with cold water.” The other Katara giggled and the Fire Lord had the decency to look ashamed. Iroh’s eyes twinkled. He seemed to enjoy the revelation immensely. “You have to tell me all about it. But the honour for her welcome belongs to my nephew.” The Fire Lord frowned. “From what I heard, your nephew repeatedly behaved dishonourably.”

Iroh stroked his beard. “I suppose you could say that from one perspective…”

“I froze him to the wall,” the other Katara said, “you have nothing to worry about, Zuko.”

The doorbell rang. “Could you get that, Ms. Kuruk?” Iroh asked and Katara obeyed.

On the step stood a bashful Zuko, wearing his leather jacket despite the weather and little raindrops in his hair.

“Katara?” he asked, momentarily stunned. Then, the words stumbled out of his mouth in his haste, “Katara, please don’t run away. I know I messed up somehow, please tell me how so I can explain. I swear I had no intention to hurt you with anything!”

“I actually want to talk to you, too,” Katara answered shyly, “I might have misunderstood something. Here, come in.”

Watching her like she would disappear if he let her out of his eye, Zuko walked to the wardrobe and hung up his clothes. Nervously, he rubbed his neck. “Katara, I -”

“What is he doing here?” they heard the booming voice of the other Zuko from the hall and then he stood before his alter ego, crackling like fire and holding a sharp flame to Zuko’s throat. Zuko paled and flinched back.

“How dare you show your face and speak to her! You are a disgrace! A shame on my name, a dishonour -!”

“ZUKO!” he was interrupted by the other Katara, “stop that immediately! He did nothing wrong!”

The Fire Lord turned on his heel, his incense now focused on his wife. She didn’t seem to be troubled by that at all. Zuko tried to use the opportunity to sneak away but the Fire Lord immediately pinned him by the collar without even looking.

“You clearly don’t know what he did, Katara. Now stand back and let me deal with myself.”

Zuko shot a panicked look at Katara.

“Spirits, calm down, Zuko!” the other Katara yelled.

“There might have been a misunderstanding,” Katara interfered, “I need to talk to him.”

“You don’t need to talk to him, Katara,” the Fire Lord dismissed her, “he spat in your face TWICE. Don’t waste your kindness.”

It was like a wake-up call. As if the scales had fallen from her eyes. This Zuko did not know her.

“I get to make that call,” Katara insisted, “and I need to talk to the other Katara first.”

The Fire Lord hissed, annoyed. “Fine. Go talk. In the meantime, I will make sure that he doesn’t escape.” To Zuko, “and when I’m finished with you later, Katara will call her brother on this voicebox and he will get your leftovers for the fish.”

Zuko gulped. Katara sent him a reassuring smile and then returned with the other Katara to the tea room. Iroh had left them tea but made himself sparse. Elusive, like Zuko had pointed out.

Katara turned to face herself. “Hi. I’m Katara.” It earned her a chuckle. “My name is Katara, too. Listen, your Zuko told me pretty much everything about you two already. I don’t know how much Zuko explained to you, but I’m in my world I am his wife, the Fire Lady.”

“The crown and you kissing somehow gave that away,” Katara said amused. “But he also explained.”

The Fire Lady looked at her with understanding. “He is not good at explaining, isn’t he?” Katara laughed and shook her head. “It was awful. And he dissuaded me from taking a tylenol for my headache because he thought I was brainwashed and poured cold water over my head.”

The other Katara suppressed a grin. “I’m sorry. I can soak him for you, if you like?”

“Maybe later. I don’t want to leave him with Zuko for too long. Where did you get that shirt?”

The other Katara pulled on her flannel. “Zuko gave it to me when I arrived. I was cold.” She revealed the thin lace fabric on her arms and shoulders under the flannel. “The Fire Nation is much warmer and more humid. I don’t know how the natives deal, they always wear full sleeves and multiple layers.”

Katara anxiously fiddled with her fingers. “Can you tell me more about how you arrived?”

The other Katara shrugged. “Sure. I had just dressed and the door from my wardrobe let to the small hallway of Zuko’s apartment. He came out of his room when I tried to orientate myself and was surprised to see me like I was not supposed to be there. I froze him to the wall so I could think in peace. It was pretty obvious that he was not my Zuko, just look at his haircut. He had these strange clothes and no idea what I was asking him. He said that the other me was supposed to show up in a few minutes so he got warm clothes for me and him and we waited.

Then, you accused him of being a traitor and I had to freeze him again when he tried to go after you when he noticed he couldn’t contact you anymore. He seemed pretty harmless but I don’t know where you two stood. I mean, even if you are friends, his behaviour can be erratic. He attacked Aang once when he thought we didn’t take training seriously and another time he almost restarted the war over the colonies. He explained how he met you and Sokka, I gave him a lecture over this affair with Mai,” - her face turned frosty in remembrance - “and after he finished, it was my turn. Saturday, he brought me to his uncle and we brainstormed how I could have ended up here. I told him to give you space for the day. Has he talked to you this morning? I think, the plan was to pick up Suki and talk with you both.”

Katara shook her head. “He’s still blocked on my phone. He called Sokka but Sokka told him to stay away from me.”

“Wouldn’t stop him. Sokka should have said something about his honour. Can I ask why you are angry at him? You seemed to have forgiven him for Mai.”

Katara’s lip trembled. “I saw him with another woman in his bedroom. You just told me that it was you and I misunderstood, but back then I thought he had used the extra time for a booty-call and I only saw it because I arrived earlier than anticipated. It felt like history repeated itself, like he only put that much energy in me until I was hooked again. And I was the dumb child touching the hot stovetop twice.”

To her chagrin, she felt tears in her eyes. “And I still feel like that. Even when I know now that it was just you and he might have felt at your sight like I was his soulmate. I can’t stop wondering how he will hurt me again. I envy you. Your Zuko is so caring. His whole focus was on how to rescue me and Sokka from our brainwashing and then on how his disappearance will affect the Fire Nation and his daughter.”

The other Katara hugged her carefully. It felt strange being hugged by oneself. “I’m so sorry. My Zuko isn’t perfect, too. In fact, he did many awful things.”

“He said that he betrayed you during the war,” Katara cried quietly, “how did you learn to trust him again?”

“I guess he told you about the Southern Raiders?” The Fire Lady sighed. “It was gradual. He didn’t dismiss that he hurt me and he took all my ire for weeks without complaint. Eventually, he asked Sokka why it was so hard for me to trust him. My mother had been killed by a Fire Nation soldier when I was eight. She tried to protect me. And succeeded in a way.

I told Zuko about it and he seemed to understand and empathise. And then he attacked us again. It felt like the Fire Nation had trampled over my mother’s grave. When he took me to Yon Rha, he acknowledged that killing her had been wrong and that my anger was justified. Aang didn’t understand… After I managed to let go of that anger I could see how sincere he was in changing himself and trying to atone for his actions. And when I was open to see, my perception of him changed and I learned to trust his conviction. I think it was easier for me than for you.”

Katara laugh-cried. “Why do you say that?”

“Different, let’s say different,” the Fire Lady corrected herself, “the threat of Zuko betraying us again never depended on me trusting him. He could have given us away to the Fire Nation at any point and I was ready for it. Whereas the possibility of him betraying you again only displays itself when you decide to let him in.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you. I guess you have to decide if the possible heartbreak is an option for you or if you would rather cut him off completely now.”

“What would you do?”

“I would hate to see Zuko burn him to crisps. Everything else is your call.”

Katara sighed. “Guess I'm going to talk to him now.”

Back in the hallway they were greeted by the sight of the two Zuko’s silently wrestling in a headlock.

“Seriously?”

“Katara!” The Fire Lord scrambled up and over to them where he pulled the flannel off his wife and rubbed his hands over her arms. “You should have said that you were cold.”

“I was not cold until a moment ago…” the Fire Lady protested but there was a fond note in her voice. She pulled him after her to the stairs. “Iroh got me some other options, let me show you.”

Zuko smirked slightly to their retreating backs. As if he sensed it, the Fire Lord turned around and shot him a menacing look. Zuko quickly schooled his face and turned to Katara.

“Can we talk? Sparkles said some things and I think you misunderstood, I can explain -”

“Me, too.”

They returned to the tea table and an awkward silence spread which reminded Katara of her talk with the other Zuko yesterday. Zuko made the start, “Sparkles said that you think I cheated on you on Friday. That’s not true, Katara. The Fire Lady appeared in my apartment and I think you saw her and misinterpreted. That with Mai was who I was a long time ago. I will do everything I can so that you don’t have to see him ever again.”

“I know, Zuko,” Katara said, “she told me everything. Especially how she froze you to the wall at every occasion.”

His lips quirked up.

“And I’m sorry. I hurt you and I insulted you when you promised me that you changed and did so much for me.”

“I’m sorry, too, Katara. For that you had reason to mistrust me so easily. How could you have known that another version of you just showed up in my home?”

Katara smiled. “Yeah.”

After another awkward silence, Zuko began, “So you talked to Sokka?”

“I don’t want to talk about Sokka, Zuko.”

He was taken aback. “Okay. What do you want to talk about?”

Katara pondered for a moment. She was a grown-up. She could use her words. “Before you flew to the Fire Nation… when we were flirting. I thought we had a moment. And when everything fell to pieces I only wished to go back to these fifteen hours where we had … something.”

“Me, too,” Zuko confessed.

“I’m not finished! I asked the other Katara what to do about you. How she learned to forgive her Zuko.”

“What did she say?” Zuko asked tensely.

“I got the impression that she liked you on some level.”

Zuko groaned. “And?”

“She described what he did and what she had come to terms with. And I think I see the same sincerity in you, too, Zuko. And if you are on board, I want to try again.”

Zuko stared at her. “You are perfect.”

Katara blushed. “I’m still angry at you. Don’t think that you can just sweep in and act like nothing ever happened. We still have to talk -”

“Katara,” Zuko interrupted her, “you think too much.”

She closed her mouth and waited. Zuko’s hand slowly crept over the table towards hers. Her gaze was transfixed on the motion. “I think what you want again, is to be challenged,”

His pinky slightly brushed hers.

“teased,”

his ring finger tapped against hers,

“taken care of,”

their middle fingers met,

“cherished,”

he nudged her index finger,

“wanted.”

He cradled her whole hand and fixed her with his eyes. “Am I right?”

Katara nodded breathlessly.

“Answer me.”

“Yes, Zuko.”

Very slowly, Zuko raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on the knuckle. “I’m glad.”

Chapter Text

Katara felt giddy and excited and at the same time completely calm. The chase was on again, making every nerve of her thrum in anticipation of Zuko’s next move. He looked at her, calm, poised, and affectionate.

She felt safe. She trusted Zuko. She had thought that this was impossible but after the rollercoaster of the last days all she wanted to do was heal. 

It was also reassuring to have the Fire Lady vouch for him and the Fire Lord ready to roast Zuko if necessary.

Zuko was watching her think with slightly raised brows while he idly played with her fingers. He had not attempted to come closer. A fact that frustrated Katara but she knew that it was part of the chase. The frustration was sweet torture, the trial worth the price. 

And - if she was honest - exciting. This was her Zuko. Their dynamic.

The ringtone of her phone ripped her out of her thoughts. Sokka’s name blinked on the display.

“Hi Sis,” his subdued voice came out of the speaker, “I don’t have much time, I said I had to go to the toilet. Suki acts perfectly normal. What’s your status?”

Katara almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of the situation of Sokka playing undercover on the toilet. 

“You won’t believe it, we found the Fire Lady,” she dropped the newest bombshell on him.

“What?!” he exclaimed, “sorry, babe, I found a raisin in my pocket. Everything’s okay.” He turned his voice down even more and whisper-shouted, “the Fire Lady???”

Across the table, Zuko chuckled. 

“Yeah,” Katara said, “a lot is going on.”

“You can say that,” Sokka mumbled and Katara could almost see him pinch his chin. “Listen, I’ll be over with Suki. We’ll figure this out. Bye.”

“No, Sokka,” Katara wanted to protest that he did not have to sacrifice his time with Suki but he had already hung up.

“He’s on his way here, I assume,” Zuko stated matter of factly.

Katara hummed an affirmative while she typed a message to Sokka to stay put. Futilely but at least she could say she tried. Zuko pulled her up, casually entwining their fingers again. “Let me show you around while I’m still alive.”

Katara smirked. “He’s coming with Suki, so you’ll have an ally.” 

The words came not out as lightly as she had aimed for. Zuko’s sharp eyes were immediately on her as he picked up on the bitterness underneath. With one of his long fingers, he nudged her chin up. “Talk to her. Don’t let it fester.” A smile cracked on his face. “Trust me, it leads nowhere good.”

Tentatively, Katara reciprocated the smile. Zuko was right. Suki was her best friend, Katara should be able to talk about her irritation with her.

The door to the sitting room flew open, not too roughly but abruptly enough to make them stand straight. The Fire Lord strode in, his topknot pristine as if the wrestling had never happened, registering Zuko's hand on Katara’s chin with a scowl. “We need to get us back,” he announced gruffly.

As he commenced pacing the room like a caged tiger, Katara recoiled a little. The Fire Lord was so intense. Seeing him in close proximity to her Zuko made it easy to pinpoint all the differences she had not been able to discern prior. The Fire Lord was brimming with energy and restless, even when he pretended to be calm. Fire was in his veins and Katara had always felt a primal uneasiness around flames, even contained in a fireplace. On the other hand, her Zuko was intense in a different way, more akin to an electric current, full of potential and promise to change her world. Katara could work with electricity.

The Fire Lady came in after her husband, looking stressed. It was still unnerving for Katara to see herself mirrored but as with Zuko and the Fire Lord, the differences between them were more obvious by now. The Fire Lady carried herself with an eerie grace and self-confidence. According to the Fire Lord’s tale, rightfully so.

“Iroh is on the phone,” the Fire Lady said, “he’ll be with us in a minute.”

The Fire Lord nodded his acknowledgement. To Zuko and Katara, he said, “we have to go back. Our combined absence creates a power vacuum we cannot allow, especially while we are visiting the Earth Kingdom. Once the news of our disappearance reaches the Fire Nation, Izumi will be in danger.”

His pacing picked up a beat, the Fire Lady’s sad eyes following him. To Katara, she said, “Zuko and I have already discussed the circumstances of our first meeting with Iroh. Once he finished his call, you and Zuko should tell us your story in all detail, too.”

“We have to find something,” the Fire Lord insisted. He stopped next to his wife who had laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The open display of affection made Katara jealous. As much as she wished to take the plunge, Zuko was right to give the thing between them time to grow. Ignoring the pang in her chest, she said, “Sokka is on his way with Suki. He might have some ideas. After all, he was the one who figured out that we were all real.”

“Let me guess, he cited a comic book?” Zuko joked.

The Fire Lord gave him a menacing look, making Zuko flinch, and Katara decided, to hell with it, and took his hand fully. The last days had been unfair to Zuko, too, yet he did not hold it against her. He pressed her hand back gratefully.

Iroh came in with a serious look on his usually jovial face. “You have to listen to this.” With a click, the call was transferred to a discrete conference speaker. “Lin, tell me again.”

A tinny, female voice came out of the speaker. “Sir, two people have entered the firm’s building, demanding to speak to you immediately. A young woman-”

“Iroh knows me, Lin! And I’m your cousin, for fuck’s sake!”

Katara’s eyes widened in recognition, the same reaction as the Fire Lord and Lady had.

“- named Toph Beifong, I refuse to know her, and a young man named Aang. They say that they are here on behalf of the Avatar.”

“And if that doesn’t ring a bell, we want to speak to him anyway,” Toph interrupted Lin again.

“I must warn you that they seem very strange, I already gave them the address of the local ER…” Lin continued, again decorated by Toph’s colourful, “stop being such a tight wanker, Lin.”

“I’m adhering to protocol, Toph,” came the prim answer.

“You’re being a pain in the ass, that’s what.”

“Your friend is glowing blue!”

“Eh, that’s natural, right, buddy? He looks perfectly normal to me.”

“Toph, you are blind!”

Over their banter, Iroh gave the Fire couple a questioning look which they answered with fervent nods.

“Very well, Lin. Send them up.”

Triumphant whooping and an exasperated sigh came out of the speaker. “Yes, sir.”

The Fire Lady grabbed her husband’s shoulder elatedly. “They know something!”

“So it seems,” the other Zuko said hopefully.

“Maybe we should wait and prepare until everyone is here,” Iroh proposed, “I’ll order some pizza…”

~*~

Iroh was excellent at not letting the wait time get awkward for anyone. He ordered Katara and Zuko to the kitchen to prepare several kinpira dishes and edamame to go with the pizza. The Fire Lord was supplied with an atlas and a brief history of modern Ba Sing Se. He tackled the volumes with a fervor that resembled going into war. This sort of research was nothing new to him, Katara remembered sadly.

Zuko put the first batch of vegetables in the pan and began to shower them in seasoning.

“Cat got your tongue?” he prompted gently.

Katara shook her head. “I’m feeling sorry for him.”

Zuko followed her line of sight. 

“He must be terrified for his daughter.”

“Yes,” Zuko agreed, “I don’t know how he can function at all.” His gaze locked in on the Fire Lady who had settled next to her husband focused on her own book. “At least he’s not alone.”

“Zuko,” Katara voiced the question that had been preoccupying her since she had seen the two Zuko’s together, “do you feel a special understanding for the Fire Lord? Or … some sort of connection. He’s you.” Right down to the scar.

Zuko shook his head. “I empathise.” He looked forlornly at the mirrored scar. “Something tells me I will understand his struggles.” He shrugged. “Still, nothing special. What about you?”

Katara took her time to slice the next carrot before answering. “Nothing special, either. But I trust her.”

“Yeah, she did not try to roast you on sight after all.”

Katara laughed. “Iced, roasted, just wait until Sokka is here.”

Zuko turned to her with a taunting smile. “The kitten has claws. Watch it, Kat.”

Katara lowered her gaze to the cutting board, her cheeks burning a pleasant red. “Maybe you should try being nice for once,” she mumbled.

She more felt than saw him caging her in with his arms. His warm breath brushed over her ear. “Oh, but I am not nice, Kat.”

He retreated, satisfied with the effect he had on her.

“You know what I wonder?” he asked casually from the stove, “why didn’t they bat an eye at the boy glowing blue?”

~*~

Katara and Zuko elected to remain in the kitchen until the pizza required them to venture out. In Katara’s case, she latched on to the opportunity to have something to do. Since they met, she had not yet been alone with Zuko just for the sake of being with him and while the prospect was tantalising she was not sure she was able to handle the intensity yet. No, it was safer to talk and flirt over carving a blooming flower in an avocado. Zuko’s mother had liked artfully prepared food and sharing memories of their respective homes relaxed Zuko as well as her.

Still, Katara was sure that Zuko’s main reason for hiding in the kitchen was to avoid the Fire Lord. Boy, that man could hold a grudge. Until they had closed the door, Zuko had received several venomous glances from his counterpart. Katara resolved to talk with the Fire Lord later, he had got the worst first impression of Zuko through her. He did not know Zuko. He did not know the small details, how Zuko made time for her in his own stressy schedule, how he searched for the things she liked, how he saw right through her and challenged her like nobody had before. She watched Zuko chip diligently on a detail in his avocado. The others did not know about this.

“I don’t want to eat it,” Katara said sadly, looking at her avocado half.

“Uncle has a proverb on beauty and ephemerality, I can fetch him” Zuko offered with a smile and Katara sighed dramatically. “Just pass me the lemon juice… was that the doorbell?”

Silently, they listened to Iroh’s heavy footsteps. A muffled conversation commenced.

“Where is he?” Sokka’s loud voice demanded and Zuko’s eyes widened in panic. He scrambled up from his seat as quietly as he could. “Hide the knives!” His eyes caught on Iroh’s large apron hanging from a nook, more than certainly evaluating its suitability as a hiding place for himself.

Katara rolled her eyes fondly. “Come on, he’ll like you more if you face him.”

“I’m happy I’ve got to spend my last hour with you,” Zuko responded and followed her reluctantly into the hall.

“Ah, there they are,” Iroh said, giving Zuko a weighted look. At the door, Suki waved curiously at Katara. Katara wondered what Sokka had told her. “Sokka,” Katara began, “you need to-”

“You!” Sokka barrelled to Zuko and punched him in the face. There was a wet crunch. Zuko stumbled back with a groan and Katara and Suki screamed.

“Sokka! Get away from him!”

“Sokka!”

Katara hugged Zuko. “Are you okay? Shit, I’m so sorry. Sokka! Could you listen for a moment? I told you there are new developments!”

“That was for Mai,” Sokka replied coolly, shaking his hand, “I saved the gutting for after your explanation.”

Roughly, Suki yanked him back with a frown that promised murder. Katara really hoped that Sokka was right and this was not a death via brainwashing situation designed by the Dai Li.

But Suki left it at glaring daggers at Sokka. … which did not have the effect on him Katara was used to. Instead, he was strangely cold.

She should have insisted on Sokka not ruining his weekend with Suki.

Iroh offered Zuko a tissue for his split lip. Neither objected to the punch.

Katara pinched her nose. “The others are in the sitting room.”

The doorbell rang again.

“Ah, the pizza!” Iroh all but danced to the door, “right on time - oh, hello Lin.”

“Good evening, sir.”

Lin was an angular, tall woman with a strict knot in her brown hair. Next to her stood Toph with her familiar sightless gaze and unwavering assertiveness. “‘Evening, uncle.” Behind her stood Aang. If Aang were blue. Or glowing. Shit, Lin had been serious.

Suki let out a squeak.

“Hi, I’m Aang,” the Aang greeted her.

“...hi,” Suki breathed.

Aang’s eyes wandered over the congregation, stopping at Zuko. “You’re the resident Zuko, right?” he asked, “nice to meet you. Your face looks gruesome, can Katara fix it for you?”

Katara’s face lit up. “She’s a healer! I totally forgot.”

“Are you talking about me?” Apparently, the shouts had lured the Fire couple out. So far, they had curiously mustered Aang’s complexion, now, they turned to look at Zuko’s front.

The Fire Lady gasped. “Sokka!” she concluded rightfully.

“He deserved it,” Sokka defended himself.

“Katara? Zuko” Suki’s eyes almost fell out of her head.

The bell rang again.

“Now, that must be the pizza,” Iroh said chipperly.