a final thank you to all those who stayed with me through all of this and may later read this. it makes me happy that i can entertain the media through simple words. i hope everyone enjoyed my work.

here's the final chapter, no more writing for this anymore, whoo...

Disclaimer: if i owned these characters there would be no reason to be writing this

Truth is hidden in the Heart

And is found through Allowing Love to Reveal It

But First You Must Allow Love into Your Heart.

Zuko sat in his study again two months later just after another meeting. It was a military meeting, with the Ambassadors included, on how to hold a strong militia to keep order without suggesting "100 Years War No. 2." He wasn't sure, though, how much longer he would be able to stay in her presence before he exploded, so he left.

When he had first caught sight of her, those months ago—and in truth he was first to see her—he had stopped breathing. If three years ago he had thought she was pretty then today she was a full out goddess. Her hair was long and it wasn't in that braid that made her look too old for her age. Instead she had had it down, flowing around her face, but half up so you could still see her eyes. Her eyes. Like stars on a black night, shining out and lighting the way. And not to mention she had filled out. The once flat-chested, no-need-of-binding girl had now curves to make a circle jealous. Zuko recalled every image making sure they were clearer than day and that his memory would never forget them.

He thought for another second, maybe he had never stopped loving her? He had certainly never stopped thinking about her. When Uncle had asked his suggestions for ambassadors of the new court, his mind had been calling up images of Katara as soon as Iroh had said, "What do you think…"

Was he a lovesick dog?

Most likely.

Did he want to march up to the girl and kiss her as abruptly as he had the first time?

…

That was something he wasn't sure about. Thinking on it now he probably had rushed a little, but he thought, in his defense they had known each other months before hand…

"I'm an idiot," he grumbled to himself.

"Yes, you are."

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted as he head flew up to look at the man leaning against the doorframe.

"What forget about me, Hot Head?" said a voice from the chair in front of his desk.

"Toph? Shouldn't you be off somewhere with the Avatar and Katara?" Zuko muttered, mad that he hadn't noticed their arrival sooner.

"Hmm, nah. They'll be fine, Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen have been off that road for a longtime," answered Toph.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, confused.

"He did kissed her once, but they don't like each like that anymore."

"But…" Zuko whispered looking down at the papers he was supposed to be going through.

"You thought you were her first kiss?" Uncle Iroh inquired of his nephew.

"Sorry, but Twinkle Toes beat you to the punch there," Toph smirked, "just before the Siege on the Palace on the Day of Black Sun. Gotta hand it to the boy, he is a good kisser, being so inexperienced and all. It makes me wonder how you're the one to get her."

"What are you talking about?"

"Course you've had practice with that one Mai girl, and I'm sure you must have had some fancy while in Ba Sing Se," Toph pondered to herself, ignoring Zuko. "Still that's not the real point here. Even after Aang told her about those girls she's not jealous, just in love..."

"What nonsense are you muttering?!" Zuko shouted feeling out of the loop in his own study.

"You might have been waiting three years, Hot Head," Toph began, resting her unmoving gaze on Zuko, "but she's been waiting a lot longer."

Zuko just stared at her, unsure of what to make of such information.

"What Miss Toph means, Zuko," Uncle said, interrupting to explain things better, "is that Lady Katara has made a fancy of you even before you first kissed her."

"Yeah, what he said," Toph muttered, upset that Zuko could understand his Uncle better than the exact same thing she had just said. "Look Fire Breeches, I've talked with her and though you might think no, she can hold a grudge. If she wants to, she could still hate you more than moon-less nights all because you threatened her Gran-Gran back so long ago; yeah—she told me about that.

"But do you know what, she doesn't," Toph continued. "She doesn't regret offering to heal your scar or asking you to join the team.

"And she doesn't regret kissing you back."

Zuko was silent. This little 5'3" tall girl was telling him—Lord of the Fire Nation, the most powerful nation in the world—the things he didn't know. And he wasn't upset, he was grateful.

"You're an idiot, Lord Zuko."

"What?" Zuko asked, but his Uncle stared back blankly.

"You are an idiot. Think, Zuko, you love this girl more then anything, yet you're letting her slip through your fingers."

"She's not going to wait forever, Flame Out," Toph added.

Zuko looked at his friend and family. He couldn't believe he had to have them tell him, that he couldn't figure it out himself. But there was one thing he was going to say first.

"I love her, I love Katara."

"Finally!" yelled Toph, throwing her arms in the air. "But you're telling the wrong people, Fire Breeches."

"I have to find her then," Zuko said standing up and moving towards the door that his Uncle still stood in. "But, wait, I don't know where…" He paused and looked at his blind friend.

Toph felt his head turn before he said anything. "Your favorite spot—alone."

"Thank you Toph, Uncle," Zuko said, bowing to both of them in turn as manners suggested.

"I'd say good luck," Toph joked before smirking, "but you won't need it."

Zuko left rushing out before anything else could be said, but just catching his uncle's gleeful cry as he told Toph, "Yeah! Now I shall finally get grandbabies!"

---------------------

Katara sat on a rock next to the Turtle-Duck Pond, tearing up a roll she had taken from the kitchens and throwing it to the awaiting ducklings. Silently she slipped a piece into her mouth.

"I saw that," a voice suddenly whispered in her ear.

Katara gasped and jumped as she turned to see Zuko, a blank expression on his face but an uncovered smile in his eyes.

"You stink at lying," she mumbled, turning to look back at the turtle-ducks.

"What are taking about?" smirked Zuko as he sat down on the rock next to her. "I saw you stuff the roll in your mouth."

"It was not the whole roll," Katara complained, "and you know what I mean. You didn't come here to charge me of stealing rolls for ducks."

"No I didn't," Zuko agreed, taking one of the rolls from her skirt to tear up.

For a time they sat like that, tears up rolls and feeding it to the ducks. Neither of them knew what to say, having yet to approach each other aside from Peace meetings. Finally Katara spoke only to be stopped by Zuko.

"Zuko, I…"

"Katara, I love you," he said placing a gentle finger to her soft lips. He smiled and explained, "I'm tied of everyone else beating me to the punch."

"Huh?"

"Toph told me how Aang kissed you long before I did," Zuko said dropping his gaze.

"There was nothing in it."

"You're lying."

Katara sighed, drawing away from his hand. "Perhaps I am, but in my defense I'm a girl, such emotions are precious to me."

"So when I kissed you that same day…?"

"For some reason, it was different then," Katara smiled.

"How so?" Zuko asked thinking it was another lie.

"I had always been told you were the enemy," Katara started. "But when I kissed you, I immediately knew that was a lie. Men are enemies to each other, and hate is there tool.

"When I kissed you, the tool was dropped and I saw that we weren't so different."

Zuko watched her with half-lidded eyes, surprised that she could say such a wise thing at such a young age. "Are we still so different?" he questioned to her.

Katara felt a jolt go through her. His words were so cold and sad. She looked at him and felt her heart weep. Without a second thought, she bent herself towards him, and placed her lips to his. The kiss was swift but meaningful, and as she drew back Zuko didn't say anything. Quickly he sat up and grabbed her, wrapping her in his arms and placing his head on her shoulder.

"Katara…stay with me?" he whispered.

Slowly Katara registered the words as her arms snaked around him too.

"Zuko, I love you."

The End.