just a reminder to those who don't know - this is a sequel to another book. Check out my profile to read the first book if you haven't already! Thank you, enjoy!

It was a long walk to the Earth Kingdom. We found a hospital and a girl quickly helped us out.

"Oh spirits! Please sit." She took Iroh's hand and lead him to a table.

"What happened?" She asked any of us. "He made tea from a White Jade and drank it." I answered. Iroh's face had swelled up greatly and he looked funny. It was hard not to laugh at.

"Oh my." She chuckled, "I'm going to have ask you to remove your shirt."

Iroh nodded and let his shirt fall. The girl rubbed a sort of cream onto Iroh's rash spots.

"You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the White Jade, much less make it into tea and drink it."

Iroh laughed sheepishly, "Oops!"

I shook my head with a chuckle at Iroh, "It's that obvious?"

"Just a bit. So where are you traveling from?" She asked Zuko and I. We were sitting on a bench away from them.

Zuko quickly stood up, "Yes we're travelers."

"Way to be subtle." I mumbled.

"Do you have names?"

"Names? Of course we have names! I'm... Lee and this is my Uncle, uh, Mushi!" Zuko nervously grinned with a shrug.

I smiled, "Mushi because hes gushy."

"My nephew was named after his father so we just call him Junior!"

"Mushi and Junior, huh? And what's your name?"

"Me? Oh, well... Jade! Yup, after the White Jade!"

"Yeah because she's like the rash the White Jade gives you: irritating." Zuko smirked with his arms crossed. I elbowed his side.

"Don't they just make the cutest couple?" Iroh asked. The girl giggled with a nod.

When she turned back around to Iroh, Zuko and I sent them both a glare.

"My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal. Why don't you stay for dinner?" Song offered.

I nodded quickly while holding my stomach that began to rumble at the word 'food'.

But Zuko objected. "Sorry, but we need to be moving on."

I slumped my shoulders, "Now you're the rash."

"That's too bad. My mom always make too much roast duck."

"Where do you live exactly?" Iroh intervened.

Song smiled, "After you clean up, we can head over there."

>>>

"Mom, this is Mushi, Lee, and Jade." Song introduced us to her mother. We bowed to her.

"We're sorry for just barging in like this." I said to her mother. She shook her head, "Any friend of Song's is welcome. I've already started to set the table, come. Let's get you three washed up."

Once we all were seated at the table, we began to eat. As her mother brought over another plate of roast duck, she began a conversation. "My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves."

"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away, that was the last time I saw my father." Song hung her head down with a frown. "I'm so sorry." I empathized.

"I haven't seen my father in many years." Zuko's raspy gave me goosebumps.

"Oh. Is he fighting in the war?" Song asked him. I slightly coughed while sipping my soup. Little does she know...

Zuko slowly placed his bowl down, "Yeah." He looked away and I frowned. "I haven't seen my father in over two years."

"Really?"

I nodded slowly. "I have no idea where he is... I have no idea if he's even alive. But, I have hope he is. I usually don't have that when it comes to those situations, but since he's my father - it's just something you have to have, you know?"

Song nodded, "I understand."

When I felt Zuko's gaze on me, I faced him and we kept our eyes on each other for a moment. "I didn't know that."

I wearily smile, "There's a lot of things you don't know about me hot head."

"Mushi tells me you two are a couple. What a cute pair you make." Song's mother smiled.

Zuko and I widened our eyes and looked away from each other. I felt my cheeks get warm and I mentally cursed mushy.

"Oh, look how flustered their getting!"

"Mom!"

"Oh darling, you should bring home a handsome boy like Lee."

"Mom!"

"I'm sure Jade feels very lucky she has someone to look after her!"

I quickly stood up, "If you'll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom."

"Of course!" Song's mother said. Song stood up, "I'll show you where it is."

As we walked away from the table, I looked over my shoulder to Zuko whose face was completely a light shade of pink. I could only imagine how mine looks.

"I'm really sorry about my mom. She could be a lot sometimes." Song apologized. I shook my head with a forced laugh that made it more awkward than I wanted it to. "Don't worry about it."

"Here you go." We stopped in front of the bathroom and I thanked her before I went in.

I closed the door then sighed a long sigh. "What a long night."

I groaned when I looked in the mirror. My face was twice the shade of pink Zuko's was.

"It's not like you like him. Just... when someone says that to you it just makes you feel all weird and ew." Great, I'm talking to myself now. "Whatever."

I turned the faucet on and cupped my hands. Once my hands were filled with water, I washed my face.

I dried myself off before leaving out of the bathroom and walked down the hallway to the dining room.

The table was already cleared and no one was in the room. I heard plates and rushing water in the kitchen so I checked to see if Iroh or Zuko were in there.

Iroh was helping Song's mother wash the dishes and I didn't want to interrupt them.

I decided to check outside for Zuko.

When I walked out the door, I was about to go back inside when I saw him and Song talking together. But, I was caught.

"Oh Jade." Song called. I stepped back out with an awkward half-smile. "Sorry for interrupting."

"You weren't." Zuko said. I nodded then walked over to them. I looked down at Song's exposed leg and gasped lightly. "You've been burned."

While I looked at it for a moment, an idea popped into my head. "Cou- could I maybe try something?"

Song looked to me confused but nodded. From a bowl filled with water on the porch, I water bent the water out.

"You're a water bender!"

"I am."

I placed it around Song's scar and started to heal it. The water glowed a light blue for a minute before it faded away.

I water bent the water back into the bowl then looked down at her leg. "It didn't work. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Thank you for trying though."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Zuko looking at me with a soft touch in his eyes.

"Children! Are you ready to leave?" We all turned to Iroh who was outside on the porch with Song's mother at his side.

Zuko, Iroh, and I walked down the porch with Song's mother trailing behind.

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent!"

"You're welcome. It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such... gusto!" Song's mother handed Iroh some wrapped leftovers.

Iroh patted his belly, "Much practice."

Iroh and I bowed to the woman, but Zuko turned his back to walk away.

I grabbed onto his arm to stop him, "Hey." I whispered softly.

"Junior! Where are your manners?!" Iroh scolded. "You need to thank these nice people."

I let go of his arm so he could turn around. He bowed quickly, "Thank you."

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there is hope! The Avatar has returned!"

"I know." Zuko responded before continuing to walk away. I sighed, following after him.

As we walked out the wooden gate, Zuko stopped to look at their ostrich horse. When I saw him walk over to it and unhook its reigns from the wooden pole, I gasped then whisper-yelled, "Zuko!"

He hopped onto the ostrich horse then he pulled me on top. I shook my head, "This isn't right."

"These people just showed you great kindness!"

"They're about to show us a little more kindness. Well?"

Iroh looked down in shame before he hopped onto the back.