Spoilers: none beyond general season 3, written before the finale, with the idea that Iroh is FL and Zuko is a sort of agent of the throne.

Notes: A while ago I started an action fic where Zuko and Katara meet up after about 5 or 6 years and fight crime have an adventure. I wrote the scene for how they meet up, and I thought I'd share it with you, even though there probably won't be any more of it. I want to write something that has Zuko and Katara as adults, has a more adventury plot, and lighter-hearted writing.

This scene occurs a few chapters into the story, and is their "reunion" scene.

quickset up: Zuko is undercover working as a guard/animal wrangler for the rich mayor of a Fire Nation village. Katara, while visiting the town, recognized him at guard duty, snuck up behind him, and hooked him wickedly under the knee with her boot. They haven't seen each other in over five years.

Abandoned Fic: Untitled Adventure Fic

Light and dark swirled, blurred, and finally coalesced into a dark blob that eclipsed the noon sun. The blob spoke; it had a female voice, and it sounded annoyed with him.

"That always was your problem, Li. You're so focused on what's in front of you that you don't pay attention."

"Errrgh," groaned Zuko. He blinked several times.

"I bet you thought you could get away with it, didn't you, Li," the blob said. It was starting to sound familiar to Zuko, but in a way he found hard to discern. Like a voice he did know, but distorted through two tin cups, a string, and a child's faith in the magic of Of course it doesn't make sense to you, you're only six years old, but I'm your tutor and it works because I am telling you it does, and stop unravelling that string!

Zuko wasn't getting up, so Tamu crouched beside his partner. "I thought your name was Lu Kai?"

"It is," Zuko said, trying to lift his knee then thinking better of it. The back of his head had molded to the cobblestones.

"So why is she calling you Li?" Tamu was a trusting soul, a rare and usually short-lived trait in a soldier, but he managed a convincing tone with the question.

"She thinks that's my name."

"I can hear that," said Tamu. "If your name is Lu Kai, why'd you tell her it was Li?"

"Yes," said the female voice, which had finally attached itself to a pretty, sun-darkened face that was still intent on looming over him. "Why did you tell me your name was Li?"

Zuko waved his gloved hand to shoo her away, and hauled himself into sitting position. He waited for the buildings to slow down, then squinted at Tamu's expectant face. He was terrible at this sort of improvised acting, and she knew it. This morning was already a bad one, and now that Zuko's addled brain had finally placed the woman's voice he was less than happy with her "traditional" greeting. He knew that he was losing, but he rallied.

"What, you've never lied to a woman before?" he snapped at Tamu.

"I don't usually lie about my name," the other guard said. He added, glancing at the heavily booted feet of the nearest representative, "I mean, not that I lie to women regularly or anything. I was raised to always respect a lady."

"If only all men had your upbringing," said Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, arms crossed.

"What do you want?" Zuko asked her, one hand rubbing his knee and the other feeling his scalp for permanent damage.

"Now that we've said hello, Li or Lu Kai or whatever your name is, be aware that you and I are going to have a little chat after your shift ends. You tried to run off with my sister Kisu, and I bet you thought you'd never see us again, didn't you?" Katara did not have Zuko's handicap when it came to on-the-spot dishonesty.

"Whatever," said Zuko-Li-Lu Kai. "I'm at work right now."

The waterbender raised her chin as high and mighty as she could, and nodded at Tamu. "I've no desire to interfere with your guard duties, sir, so I will leave this putrid waste of a uniform in your care, and resolve this at a later time." She adjusted her wide-brimmed straw hat, twirled on her heel, and marched down the street in the direction of the market.

Tamu helped his partner stand up. "You tried to run off with her sister?"

Zuko grunted. Tamu shamelessly watched Katara's retreating walk.

"Must be some sister."

For the sake of your information, Katara isn't really mad. She was just trying to get him alone to talk, and having fun with messing with him at the same time.