That day we started walking to where ever Iroh took us, the white lotus gave us an apartment and jobs.

I was just following Zuko around, I already hated this city. The poor cut off completely, and no freedom to put themselves in a better position.

Iroh rushed up with a pot of orange flowers in his arms, Zuko was annoyed by the sight of them and honestly so was I.

"I just want our new place to look nice, for a special lady friend." Iroh nagged at Zuko's elbow, but he just looked the other way. He tried to ignore the fact that Iroh just called me his lady friend.

"This city is a prison, I don't want to make a life here." Zuko showed the bitterness in his voice, but he was right. These people were trapped by the Dai Li.

"Life happens where ever you are— whether you make it or not. Now, c'mon, I found us some new jobs and we start this afternoon."

————————

That afternoon we met with the teashop owner. "Well you surely look like official tea servers. how do you feel?" He had a strange voice and was puny.

"Ridiculous." Zuko had his arms folded as usual.

While Iroh was struggling to tie the rope of the apron: "Uh does this possibly come in a larger size?" he had already had two extenders.

"I have extra string in the back, have some tea while you wait." He left the tea and walked to the back, while Iroh tasted it and spit it back out.

"This tea is no more then hot leaf juice!" He shrugged in disgust.

"Uncle, that's what all tea is." Zuko shrugged back.

Iroh looked at him with shock; "How could a member of my own family say something so horrible? We'll have to make some major changes around here." Iroh almost bickered, and got more annoyed by my scoffing. He grabbed the pot and walked to the window to throw it out.

———————

We worked there the rest of the day, and to me and Zuko it seemed like forever before we went to our new apartment. "Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh asked, grabbing the teapot.

I walked to my small tiny little room and got ready to leave. Zuko was laying on the couch while I walked back in.

"We've been working at a tea shop all day, I'm sick of tea." Zuko clearly hated the sound of tea by now.

"Sick of tea?!? That's like being sick of breathing! Have you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?" Iroh scolded Zuko. "I borrowed our neighbors such kind people."

"Hey, 'Lee,' let's go somewhere." I suggested as I patted his feet.

"Where?" Zuko asked like it was a stupid suggestion.

"Out. I don't know. Better than here." I replied with a grin as I walked out the door.

Zuko followed me with heavy feet, I looked back to see he was pouting again.

I couldn't blame him, I almost felt the same way. I was wanting to go home, just for a minute to say goodbye to my parents. For all I knew I was stuck here, it wasn't a problem I just missed people.

I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Zuko. He was banished, never to return without the Avatar. But I still had to change his mind about things sooner, if I was going to make a difference.

"Hey can I call you Zuzu?" I asked, with a smirk.

"No!" Zuko gasped as he held his hands out.

I laughed before starting to walk again.

"It's like calling you... I don't know!!"

"Alright, Zuko, I get it." I chuckled one more time before we were at the door to the street.

"So you have a brother?" Zuko asked, turning his head a little.

"Yeah, he's older than me by a year. He always made me feel it." I looked out to the dirty stone streets, I started to remind me of the village outside of farm.

"Is he a bender?" Zuko asked with a soft voice.

"No, no one in our family is. It made it a little hard, but I suppose that's why me and my brother learned to fight with weapons." I replied touching my sword.

"Do you miss him?"

"Yeah." I almost whispered as I held myself.

"When you got wounded he told Katara to heal you. His with the Avatar, Why are you on a different side? His your family." Zuko asked me as we came to a dead stop.

"Well, your family's not different from that. To be honest, I don't agree with Ozai: My village was torn when the soldiers came to take it for the fire nation. How is that helping the world?" I looked at Zuko with unsure eyes, I thought for sure he was going to get at least mad at me.

"Then why stay here? You hate it just as much as me." Zuko looked away, I think he agreed with me, but didn't want to admit it.

"I think you know by now." I replied as I forced myself to look him in the eyes, my voice shook ever so slight. I had so much energy from saying these few words.

He got the message but didn't reply. He was holding on to a life he didn't even know he could have anymore. Why hold on to a girl who was a life you didn't want.

————————

The next night we just waited tables and let Iroh do all the talking. "This is the best tea in the city." A city guard said to Iroh while sipping a cup.

"The secret ingredient is love." Iroh let the smoke of the hot tea wave around his hands before standing next to the manager.

"I think your due for a raise." He said, looking at how much business Iroh had brought him.

"Hey, what's your name?" A young guard asked me as I poured his fellow guard tea.

"It's Urla." I answered with a smile, he had a rather good look about him.

"My names' Fu, me and my friends were wondering if you wanted to go to the ostra-horses races with us?" He asked, with a wide friendly smile, I looked around at all their charming, happy faces. It was hard to say no, I did like men in uniform.

But then I was like; 'what am I thinking?!!?' I looked over to see Zuko already boiling in anger at him.

But just in time, the door busted open and Jet walked in. Just in time so I didn't have to say no to those guys.

"I'm tired of waiting. those two are fire benders!" Jet used his swords to point at Iroh and Zuko.

They all looked at each other, they weren't about to let anyone find out. And something about him just seemed off, he wasn't the same guy at the boat, as usual Jet goes crazy.

'Lady's and gentleman I bring you this broadcast to tell you some shocking news. Jets' gone bananas!' See that's why they don't report like that anymore.

"I know they're fire benders I saw the old man heating his tea." When he said it, he just sounded crazy.

"He works in a tea shop." One of the guards replied with a tone like Jet was an idiot.

"He's a fire bender I'm telling you!" Jet walked closer with his swords still drawn.

"Drop your swords, boy, nice and easy." The guards there said, standing up, they knew Jet wasn't going to let it go.

"Urla, you can't possibly be with them! You told me the Fire Nation destroyed your life, how can you side with them?!" Jet shouted at me.

"That's because they're not fire benders, Jet! Let it go, now!" I shouted back as my fist were clenched tight.

"You'll have to defend yourself, then everyone will know. Go ahead show them what you can do." Jet scowled at Iroh.

"Jet, don't do this. You'll only get yourself in trouble!" I warned as I walked a little closer, my actual plan was to go in the back and get my sword.

"You want a show? I'll give you a show." Zuko growled as he grabbed the guard's board swords and pulled them from each other.

As they started fighting I ran to the back and got my sword as fast as possible. (That includes the manager hiding in a corner.) when I got there, they were fighting outside with everyone watching.

"You must be getting tired of using those swords, why don't you go head and fire bend at me."

Zuko growled at him as Jet struck harder.

"Please son, your confused you don't know what your doing." Iroh said this before I ran up and hit Jet in the back with the dull of my blade, to tell him I was in this duel.

"Bet a fire blast would help you out right now." He didn't know the half of it, Zuko wanted to blow the whole city away (including me, if I had bending.)

"You're the one who needs help." Zuko shouted back, swinging horizontally at him and then the other, Jet didn't see it coming and barely dodged it. It cut the wet grain he always had in his mouth.

//:://
[FWW]
[unknown voice.] "Hey!"
[Mia] "What?!"
[Little Girl] "Bet your bottom doll that tomorrow..."
//:://

And as the great George Lucas said a mighty a time. "And they Fought."

As the fight went on the Dai Li drove up, and quickly got off. "Drop your weapons." One said with his hands in his sleeves.

"Arrest them, they're fire benders!" Jet pulled away from Me and Zuko and pointed at us.

"This poor boy is confused, we're just simple refugees." Iroh claimed and he knew it would seem more believable than Jet's story.

"This young man wrecked my tea shop and assaulted my employees!!" The manager shouted, almost in the top of his lungs.

"It's true sir, we saw the whole thing, this crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city." It seemed like all the odds were against Jet.

"Oh that's very sweet." Iroh blushed from receiving the best compliment anyone could give him.

"Come with us, son." The Dai Li grabbed him and put their earth hand cuffs on him, and started dragging him away.

"You don't understand they're Fire Nation! You have to believe me!" They put him in the back and drove away.

That was just— *shiver* I'm sorry, the Dai Li freak me out. (Also because what they were going to do to me and Jet.)

"So about those races-" the guard from before said looking even more turned on.

"I huh-" I looked over again to see Zuko giving me a Clint Eastwood look. I didn't know he had it in him.