Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Sixty-Four

A few days after the storm rolled in, and two different camps later, Kali serves food into bowls for the rest of the group who are gathered around a fire. It's one thing that Kali has seen with them, is that they are children and they cannot look after themselves very well. Katara tries her best, but she is still so young. None of them has come out prepared for life on the road. She's surprised they've managed to survive this long considering they haven't been eating properly. They've been picking up snacks and nuts and berries when they can, not real food. They need an adult watching over them, and seen as Kali is the oldest one here, she supposes it falls to her now. Kali hands out the bowls to each of them, making sure that they are all set for their dinner, right down to some bread rolls to go with it.

"Real food" Sokka comments as he takes a deep breath in through his nose. For them, it's been so long since someone cooked them something real. Not just snacks or berries or nuts. But a real stew with chunks of meat in it, or vegetables for Aang. "We should have found you first" He points out and Kali gives him a look. "You're useful to have around" Kali smiles slightly as she passes out a bowl to Toph, making sure the young girl has her hands firmly around it before she releases it.

"We don't know much about your past" Aang points out as he rests his bowl on his knees watching Kali softly. "Or your family...."

"Zuko and Iroh are my family" Kali offers as she sits down in front of the fire with her own bowl. Sokka and Katara share a look. Neither of them can really comprehend the Fire-Nation as anything other than the enemy, especially with Zuko and everything he did to them and the nation as a whole took their mother away from them.

"What about your real family?" Sokka asks turning back to Kali. She tilts her head.

"They are my real family" Kali argues firmly. Iroh and Zuko are her real family. The only family that she has, the only family she has known, the only family that matters to her.

"Your birth family" Katara tries to be more diplomatic about it. But neither of them will ever see Zuko and Iroh, or anyone in the Fire Nation the way that she does. Kali shrugs a little.

"Dead" She answers. "When I was little" She adds. "I was found by a slaver" Katara closes her eyes and lets out a soft breath. None of them needs her to elaborate on the sort of life that gave her. Slaver gives them everything. "I passed through a number of them until Zuko and his uncle saved me" She admits. "They took care of me until I could take care of myself" She stirs at her bowl with a soft smile. "They love me" Aang lets out a soft breath and smiles.

"It's really great that you had them" Aang seems to be willing to see her side of things. He is willing to give second chances, and more. He believes in redemption and change. If Kali can convince any of them to give Zuko a chance, it is going to be Aang. His kind and compassionate nature will push him to try.

"You must miss them" Aang offers softly. "You must miss Zuko" Sokka pulls a face and scrunches up his nose. Kali ignores it though.

"I do" She agrees. "But this is where I am meant to be" She lets out a breath. "We will find one another when we are meant to" She smiles down at her food. She does believe that. She knows, deep down knows, that she will see Zuko again. She has to believe that. Because if she even considers never seeing him again, she's not sure what she'll do but she doesn't think it will be hopeful. Zuko and Iroh are family to her. They are all she has. The most important people in her life. Zuko is a very important part of her life. Someone that she deeply treasures, so she has to believe she will see him again. Aang admires her already. She could have become cold and cynical and hateful living the life of a slave, and instead, she is kind and compassionate and brave and deeply loving. She turned all that bad shoved at her and put out good instead. Aang actually sees a little of the Air Nomads in her but she is also the very embodiment of the naturebenders and she wasn't even raised by them. It's so ingrained in her. So powerful in her. It would be very hard for someone to hate her and he can see how she softened Zuko. Her bright and brilliant and warm soul tempered him, so it is no surprise that she has seen a different side to him. A side that only someone like her could bring out in him. He's on her side when Zuko appears because he is starting to believe that Zuko would never let her go without a fight. And that means he's changed. It's not about him anymore, it's about her. He's thinking about someone else and putting them first. That's an important change and that matters to Aang.

A/N -I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE SHORTER, BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL PICK UP WITH THE EPISODES, I JUST WANTED TO DO SOME CHAPTERS WITH KALI BONDING WITH THE OTHERS.