A few days after the waterbending scroll ordeal, I and Gei were going around the ship, talking as we always did when we went to the deck to hear; "The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" Zuko hissed at Iroh.

We both stood in stock yet discount. Even though I had already watched the show I still felt a little betrayed by Zuko's out burst.

"Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety." He said looking at both of us, realizing we heard that.

"He doesn't mean that. He's just all worked up." Iroh assured us as Zuko walked below deck, me and Gei glared at him with whole new eyes.

                          _____________

"Looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all." Gei mocked at Zuko as the crew and I stood on the deck looking at the storm coming.

"Lucky guess." Iroh quickly said.

"Lieutenant, you better learn some respect. Or I will teach it to you." Zuko threatened as he pointed at him.

"What do you know about respect?" Gei asked, as Zuko started walking away. Iroh cringed knowing Gei was hitting buttons. "The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard working crew, to Mia, to your esteemed uncle, shows you know nothing about respect! You don't care about anyone but yourself, then again what should I expect from a spoiled prince." Gei hissed.

I then realized I stood between them unknowingly. Right before Zuko and Gei were about to bump arms I grabbed both of them. "Stop. This will lead no where." I firmly shouted at them.

"Don't get in the way of this, Mia!" Zuko shouted back.

"Why not? I'm also a part of the crew. I have a say." I replied still holding Zuko's wrist tight.

"If you speak out of turn I will throw you back where I found you!"

I paused when I heard this. He couldn't really be saying that, after all the things I've been through for him. He couldn't really mean. But what he said almost didn't faze him, he still looked at me with those angry eyes. I didn't really know but I started to squeeze Zuko's wrist, I had already let go of Gei.

Zuko kick my arm and I let go, he was about to kick me but Iroh grabbed his leg and my fist.

"Enough! We're all a bit tired from being at sea so long. I'm sure after a bowl of noodles everyone will feel much better." Iroh said, putting his hands back in his sleeves.

Threw all that rage I just made to cover up how I really felt about what he said started to show. I stomped off hoping no one saw how easy it was to make me tear up.

                        __________________

"I'm sick of following all of his orders! I'm tired of chasing his avatar! I mean who does Zuko think he is?" Gei said, sitting next to a fire in the kitchen as I sat holding my hands out to the fire.

"Do you really want to know?" Iroh asked from the door.

"General Iroh. We were just-" he quickly stood up and tried to cover up what we were talking about.

"It's okay. May I join you?" Iroh asked stepping out of the shadows.

"Of course, sir." The Lieutenant replied.

"Try to understand my nephew is a complicated young man. He has been through much." Iroh sat next to me and the lieutenant, and some of the crew telling us just as he did in the show.

"Zuko was right, you see. But it was not his place to speak out. And there were dire consequences. After Zuko's out burst in the meeting. the fire lord became very angry with him. He said that prince Zuko's challenge to the general was an act of complete disrespect. And there was only one way to resolve this."

"Agni kai: a fire duel"

"That's right. Zuko looked upon the old general he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid. But Zuko misunderstood. When he turned to face his opponent he was surprised to see it was not the general. Zuko had spoken out against the general's plan but by doing so in the fire lord's war room, it was the fire lord who he had disrespected. Zuko would have to duel his own father!"

          _________flash back_________

"Please father, I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!" Zuko knelt in front of him, trying to plead to him.

"You will fight for your honor." Ozai stood tall and strong above him.

"I meant you no disrespect, I am your loyal son." Zuko bowing his head even more. He couldn't fight his own father.

"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" Ozai shouted, with his voice cunning and strong.

"I won't fight you!" He tried to fight the tears coming from his eyes, but they won and they gushed down his cheeks.

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher." Zuko looked up in horror, to see Ozai taking the stance to burn him.

          _______end of flash back________

"I looked away." Iroh clenched his fist at the memory of that time. I almost felt like I could hear the screams.

"I always thought Prince Zuko was in a training accident."

"It was no accident. After the duel, the fire lord said that by refusing to fight Zuko had shown Shameful weakness. As punishment; he was banished. And sent to capture the avatar. Only then could he return with his honor."

"So that's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the avatar is the only chance he's got at things returning back to normal."

"Things will never return to normal, but the important thing is the avatar gives Zuko hope." I looked to the side, I felt like I knew Zuko better, even if I already knew all that. Probably these weird feelings I had about already knowing how to fight.

                   _________________

"Where were we hit?" Zuko asked as we all were at the deck. Lighting hit somewhere on the ship, and it was getting worst.

"I don't know." Gei replied.

"Look!" Iroh pointed at a man handing from the navigation room.

"The helmsman!" Zuko shouted.

He and I climbed the ladder to get him as fast as we could. Right when the man was about to fall Zuko coughs his hand. Zuko smirked before putting him on the ladder to climb down.

But just then Zuko slipped and was about to fall, I reached out as fast as I could and managed to grab his arm. I then returned the smirk after putting him back on the ladder.

"The Avatar!" Zuko gasped as we put our feet back on solid ground. I looked up to see appa flying around.

"What do you want to do sir?" Gei asked, with a whole new tone.

"Let them go. We need to get this ship to safety." Zuko replied still looking at the bison.

"Then we must head directly into the eye of the storm." Iroh said with a smile, he was content his nephew was doing the right thing.

When we were in the eye, I felt like we were safe. Like there was no storm anywhere.

"Mia, I'm sorry." Zuko softly said, standing behind me.

I turned around, this was a rare action, Zuko just said he was sorry. I looked in his eyes, they were glittering in the light. He truly meant what he said, for a reason I don't know I looked away.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too." I almost whispered, as I clenched my fists, I didn't know why this was so hard.

"For what?"

"Yelling at you." I replied with a grin.

Zuko just shock his head and I think I might have seen a tight fighting grin, but that was all I needed.