Kangxi stood outside her home, listening for her mothers' voice. There was an ostrich-horse that did not belong to her father nor her brother, as mother had sold them after their owners had died, so she had a man in there who was not her father most likely.

Kangxi took in a deep breath. She had returned to the Fire Nation much faster than she had intended, but she needed it to look like she was still after Zuko, so she had decided to check in on her mother, who had turned to random men and cheap wine to keep her company while Kangxi deliberately stayed away. Perhaps it would be better to come at another time.

Still, her feet remained planted. Somewhere inside Kangxi, there was a part of her that was angry. How could her mother just forget about father and her brother, not to mention her? How could her mother become so different in less than a year?

Something inside Kangxi seemed to snap. Her eyebrows snapped together and she marched inside her house upon hearing her mother giggle. Inside was her mother with a glass of wine in her hand, and an obviously drunk and disgusting looking man sitting next to her. Apparently Kangxi had disturbed them from something...important. Good. she thought.

"Kangxi?" Mother asked and hiccuped slightly. "What're yoo doing here?" She asked, her speech already slightly slurred.

"Ish that yoor shishter?" The man asked, swaying slightly.

Kangxi felt herself become angry. "I'm her daughter you freeloading swine."

"Don't yoo talk to...hic...our guesht like that." Mother growled.

Kangxi continued. She had an impeccable knack for driving men away. "Are you aware this woman is a widow? That's right mister, my father died, and before he's had time to cross over to the spirit realm you're wanting to crawl into bed with my mother?" Kangxi advanced to the man, who seemed to be amused with her. Kangxi grabbed his shirt collar. "If you don't want to lose the ability to have offspring of your own to lose in this damned war, you'll leave my house...now." She hissed, her voice low and even yet full of menace.

The man seemed to have caught the hint. "Kimiko, I'll be back when this mut ishn't here."

Kangxi felt herself tense. It took all the self-discipline she possessed to not box the man's nose in as he stumbled out of the house and away from her loose mother.

Mother rose, furious. "How dare yoo insult my guesht like that!" She dropped her half-full glass and didn't flinch when its blood red contents spilled onto the cream colored carpet. "Yoo ungrateful bitch, I'm ashamed to call yoo my daughter. Yoo leave for months without a word, and then yoo cum into my home and inshult my gueshts with your filthy mouth."

Kangxi crossed her arms. "I'm sure I wouldn't be this way if you hadn't become such a loose slut after dad died. Have you no self-control?" Kangxi wanted to bite her tongue off after she voiced her thought.

Mother closed the distance between she and Kangxi with three long strides before striking Kangxi square in the nose. "Apologize!" She shrieked, her breath contaminated with excess wine.

Kangxi could feel warm blood ooze down to her lip. She wanted to slap her mother back, knock some sense back into her drunken head. Still, she stayed still, and mother slapped her with the back of her hand. "Apologize!" She screamed again.

Kangxi remained still, and her mother slapped her again several more times, demanding an apology, yet slapped her again everytime Kangxi opened her mouth to speak. Kangxi's face stung with each slap, and her head was continously tossed back and forth, tiny drops of blood flying everywhere. Kangxi's face eventually became numb, and she realized that she was becoming bored. She allowed her mother to slap her two more times before grabbing both her wrists and holding them still. It was then she realized just how small her mother was, and how easy it would be for Kangxi to hurt her. When had she become so frail? She had no more strength than a child, as she proved when she tried to pry away from Kangxi's grasp.

"I'm sorry, mother." Kangxi whispered before dropping her mother's hands and walking out the front door. When she was far enough away from her home that she could no longer hear her mother cry did Kangxi begin to feel queasy. Her legs suddenly became shaky; her mother and she had never fought before, not like that. Her mother had never laid a hand on her in menace until now.

Kangxi looked back, her nose still bleeding. "I'm sorry you've become such a monster, mother."

---------
Zuko gazed at his reflection in the river he had stopped at. He had no idea how far he had ran nor how long, but he couldn't allow his mother to see his face, not like the way it was. Zuko touched the lining of his scar and closed his eyes. He was an ugly sight to behold, even to himself. There was no way he could allow someone as wonderful as his mother to see how hideous he looked.

He heard soft footsteps behind him, and he tensed. "Don't look at me."

"Zuko, are you really not going to allow your own mother to look at you, even after we've been apart for so long?" Mother asked. She knelt beside him and held him face in her hands. She strenghtened her grip when he tried to pull away. "Who did this to you?" She asked when her eyes rested on his scar.

Zuko closed his eyes, not wanting see the look on her face anymore. "Father."

He heard her gasp, then she pulled him into an embrace. "Zuko, my love, I never should have left you." She said.

Zuko wrapped his arms around her; she too, for whatever reason, smelled like rain, though she was warm. "Mom..."

"Zuko..." She pulled away after a minute. "That girl you traveled here with, Katara, is she your girlfriend?"

Zuko blinked in surprise. When had they gotten onto that subject? "No, she's crazy. All girls are crazy." He stammered, happy that it was dark outside. His face heated from having to talk about such a subject.

"She seemed worried about you when you took off," Mother said, placing an arm around him. "She wanted me to tell you that she apologizes if she'd done or said anything wrong."

Zuko grunted and looked down into the water. "Stupid girl...why does she always have to worry about me?" He murmured.

"Because when we girls care for someone, it's only natural for us to worry." Mother said, her voice reminding him of Uncle when he is giving out advice. "So...you really don't care for her, really?"

Zuko felt his face heat up. "Mostly all we do is fight, mom." Sometimes literally. "And she's a waterbender, I'm a firebender. We have nothing in common."

"You're father and I have nothing in common." Mother pointed out. "But we still loved each other...in the beginning."

Zuko tried to stop blushing. "Well yes, but..." He stammered. Where had his voice gone?

"Mothers know best, Zuko dear." Mother said, giving Zuko another hug. "I think she'd make a fine daugher-in-law."

"Mother!" Zuko's blush turned a deeper crimson.

"You can't hide what you're really feeling from me, Zuko. It's called a mother's intuition." She said, and helped him stand. "Come now, I'd say Ying would have dinner ready by now."

---------
Katara looked up at the night sky, completely filled with worry. They should be back by now, where were they?

"Ying, I think I'll go look for them." Katara announced.

"Oh, I'm sure they're all right." Ying smiled. Than had returned, and Ying was setting the table for supper. "Knowing Ursa, they won't miss dinner, so don't you worry about a thing. Come, sit down, sit down."

Katara looked out the door one last time before obeying. "I hope Zuko is okay, he seemed so upset."

"Really? I'm afraid I didn't notice a thing." Ying grinned.

Katara smiled. "You were taking care of Hope, I don't blame you."

Hope let out a small coo upon hearing her name. Katara smiled at the tiny bundle as she waved her arms in the air, reaching for her mother.

"She recognizes her name now." Than said, obviously proud of his baby girl. "She takes after her mother in wisdom and beauty it would seem."

"Ah, but she has her father's temper." Ying said, and the two played with Hope, laughing as she managed to get a good grip on Than's nose and wouldn't let go.

Katara smiled sadly at the three, suddenly finding herself wishing her mother was with her.

"I hope we aren't too late for supper." Ursa called. Katara turned to see Ursa grinning at her and Zuko blushing ever so slightly. Katara tilted her head. What had happened that made Zuko blush? Maybe his face was just red from the cold...even though it wasn't a cold night.

"Of course not." Katara said, and rose from her seat. She walked over to the pot full of vegetal beef stew and attempted to grab the rice with her free hand. She was beginning to lose her grip on the pot of hot stew when Zuko's hands grabbed the rice from behind her. Katara nearly jumped; she hadn't heard him coming to help her. "Thank you, Zuko."

Zuko nodded slightly, making Katara's eyebrows morph into one. Perhaps he was in a bad mood?

Together they handed out bowls of food, Zuko scooping rice into the bowl and Katara pouring stew ontop of it. Than was the first to begin eating, and soon all that could be heard was Hope's subtle coos for attention and the sound of Than's gums smacking together as he inhaled the last of what was in his bowl.

"This is very good, Ying." Ursa complimented. "I've never seen you make this before."

"Oh, Katara did it all." Ying waved the compliment away. "I'm afraid I couldn't cook and keep Hope fed at the same time."

"I'm not that great," Katara said modestly. "I'm just used to cooking for my brother and the others."

Zuko was the only one who did not compliment Katara on her cooking, though he was the second to finish and grab for seconds.

Katara became wrapped in her thoughts as conversations began around her. Her hand went instinctively to her mother's necklace. It seemed she missed her own mother much more than she realized. "I must excuse myself for a moment." Katara said and rose. Without another word she stepped outside and walked towards the pond where a mother turtle-duck was swimming with her babies.

Katara knelt beside the edge and dipped her finger into the water. Why was it that suddenly she was the only one around who did not have a mother? Why was she the only one who had to be completely alone? "It's not fair." Katara whispered, her voice cracking.

"What's not fair?"

Katara turned slightly and saw Zuko standing behind her, looking at the turtle-ducks. "Oh, nothing." She turned back around and traced her finger in the water.

"You seem upset." Zuko sat next to her and crossed his legs.

"So you've noticed." Katara said flatly, and immediately wondered when she'd become Toph.

Zuko remained quiet for a moment before speaking again. "...I'm sorry."

Katara sighed. "You've done nothing wrong."

"No, I'm sorry that you lost your mother because of my people." Zuko said. "I know you must miss her."

"I'd give anything to see her again." Katara said. "But she's dead, I have to accept that."

She felt Zuko reach out to comfort her. "I thought my mother was dead too, but she's here, alive. Maybe you're mother is-"

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Katara stood. This subject was becoming too painful too quickly.

"Katara..." Zuko tried, then became silent.

Katara sighed. "I'm sorry Zuko, you've done nothing wrong, and here I am getting upset with you." Katara turned to face him. "I'm-" she stopped when she saw a look in Zuko's eyes that surprised her.

He took a step towards her, grabbing Katara's wrist when she tried to take a step back. "Zuko? What's wrong?" She became confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I hate it when mom's are right." Zuko muttered.

"What? What are you-" Katara started, but she was cut off when Zuko leaned in and placed his lips on hers without warning. Katara stiffened, completely caught off guard, then slowly began to relax. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepend the kiss.

---------
Ursa chuckled when she witnessed what was taking place near the pond. She didn't recall teaching her son how to kiss. "Mother knows best, Zuko dearest." She said whimsically before giving the young lovers privacy.