A/N: Takes place just a week after Zuko was banished. Zuko is having a nightmare and Iroh is there to comfort him. This is probably gonna get a little OOC… but anyway. I hope you like it. Oh and one other thing… I'm still learning English so there could be some mistakes in the story. (I don't have a Beta) Sorry.

On to the story;

Moonlight shined through the small window of Zuko's room in the ship. Zuko had a nightmare; it was easy to tell actually, thought Iroh. Zuko had cold sweat on his forehead and was trashing and turning while whimpering about something. The fact that Zuko had suffered from nightmares for the past week wasn't surprising. The boy had been through so much the past days, the agni kai, his banishment… Iroh felt truly sorry for the young boy and silently wondered how a father could do something like that to his own son, and the poor boy was just 14.

"Don't… Please father!..." Zuko suddenly cried. The old general felt the urge to wake his nephew but decided against it. It would be better to try to calm the boy down. He knew Zuko wouldn't want anyone, even his uncle, to see him like this.

"….Please…. I.." Zuko started again, "I.. I didn't .. mean to…" Iroh placed his hand gently on Zuko's cheek. At first Zuko didn't seem to calm down, but he relaxed when Iroh stroke his cheek with his thump and wiped the boy's last fallen tear away.

But Zuko, not known to be a deep sleeper, opened his right eye when he felt the contact and sat up. Iroh signed, he should have known his nephew would wake up. But being honest with himself, Iroh was glad for it and hoped that Zuko would let his old uncle help him. He watched as Zuko stared blankly in frond of him, clearly trying to suppress his emotions. Like he had done since his banishment had started.

Iroh put his hand on his nephew's shoulder and patted it. "It will be alright, my nephew." To Iroh's surprise Zuko didn't flinch away from the gentle touch. Instead he shook his head and said with a hoarse voice; "How, uncle? H-how? A-after everyt-thing t-that happened…?" Zuko stopped for a moment but continued after taking a few shuddering breaths, "I.. I just don't know what to do anymore uncle! I just… want everything to be like it w-was before… b-before m-my mother left…" Iroh felt his heart break as he heard the pain and sadness in his nephew's voice and took his nephew in his arms, catching the boy in a firm embrace. Iroh could feel Zuko shacking, the tears he was obviously struggling to hold back started to escape. "I'm so confused!" Zuko grabbed the fabric of Iroh's robe and buried his face into his uncle's chest when the sobs began to wrack the poor boy.

"Shhh, It's alright my boy, I know…" Iroh whispered into his nephew's ear while rubbing comforting circles on his nephew's back. After a little while, Iroh started humming softly.

"Leaves from the vine,

Falling so slow,

Like fragile, tine shells,

Drifting in the foam,

Little soldier boy,

Comes marching home,

Brave soldier boy,

Comes marching home."

Zuko's grip on his uncle's robe had lessened. Iroh looked down at the young boy in his arms. Zuko had more or less calmed down and was now lying, half asleep, against his chest. Iroh placed his nephew back on his bed. "Nephew, try to het a little more sleep now." He stood up to leave for his own quarters but was stopped by a small hand grabbing his. "Uncle, don't leave."

Iroh smiled at the teen, "alright, nephew." The old general replaced himself on the bed again and gathered Zuko in his arms once more. "Let's both get some sleep." Zuko nodded and snuggled deeper into his uncle's torso, feeling save and peaceful for the first time in weeks.

END