Title: What You Didn't Do
Pairings: Zutara
Rating: T
Warning: Innuendo, occasional language

Summary: What if TSR never happened? What if it was just a story? Based off the idea that Katara's sudden rage in that episode was so OOC.

Alternately, the best I can come up with is that this is a fanfic of a fanfic. Misora's Penance Series is the bomb. You don't know it? Shame on you. Read it. Now. Okay, well not now. After you read this one. :D

oooOOOooOOOooo

Katara stormed away from the campfire headed towards the rocky edge of the cliff. "What's with her?" Sokka questions, oblivious as always. "I wish I knew," Zuko rose and follows. When he is a safe distance away, he feels a hand pull him in to the heat of a familiar body then arms wrap around his neck. Her kisses are so sweet and soft and he presses her against one of the rocks. "You're a fantastic little actress," he murmured against her mouth, then pulled her tongue into his mouth to give a gently suckle.

"Well you have tasted Sokka's cooking, right?" A foot trailed up the back of his leg to find her leg twined around his hip, opening her for him. It's all he can take not to drop his pants and take her right there. Instead he rubbed against her, cupping and kneading her ass in his hands while her hands worked into his hair. Her moans resonated against his tongue and he wants her. So bad.

"I've missed you," she confesses. It's been hard since they had to evacuate the Western Air Temple. Their intimate appointments cut to nothing. The little tiger-minx must be as wound up as he is. But they can't. Not here. The rest of them are too close.

The wind keeps whipping her air all around them, smacking him in the face several times. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Maybe we should go on a field trip?" Her tone quite sarcastic yet still holding some truth.

Zuko smirks and while not good planning things out he has an idea. They hoped it would work. "Let me go talk to your brother."

Katara wonders what on earth he could possibly need to talk to her brother about and "can it wait a few minutes?" Zuko's hand loosened her belt allowing him access to her chest. It would be longer than a few minutes if he had his way. And it was.

Zuko waited outside her tent all night. They couldn't risk him being seen coming out of it after all. The play had begun. She played her part so nicely, Zuko was honestly impressed. Truthfully he wondered how much of her anger wasn't in fact real, all her frustration toward the Avatar and his seeming inability to recognize her pain and suffering. "Revenge is never the answer," he tried to tell her and Zuko has to fight back not to say anything. This is between those two right now. And it's not real. He didn't know who killed her mother; the Sea Ravens could be any number of troops deployed in the poles. He could count at least four different ones in the North and three in the South not to mention a scattering of other teams in between.

Zuko followed the angry waterbender, still fuming over her debate with Aang, to the cliff's edge where they had had been the night before. She paced like a caged beast, clinching and unclenching her fists, looking like she wanted to punch something. He let her be.

"I know he's right. Of course he's right. But I still have every right to be angry. To want to find that monster. Don't I?" the last words squeaking out through her tears.

Zuko looked earnestly at her. "Absolutely. I'm just sorry that you had to get worked up over nothing. That it's just pretend." He waited for her to settle down, twirling the torn blade of grass between his fingers a bit then added, "So do you still want to go?"

"I don't know," she sighed, plopping down in the grass beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He liked this, when she sought his comfort. It made him feel useful. "I just don't know. Probably. Maybe. Not."

The breeze off the ocean felt nice. Soothing in a way. His mind was still for probably one of the few times ever. "Getting away would do you some good. Get away from everyone and just relax for a while. It's just what you need."

Katara was silent for what felt like an eternity. Zuko kept his arm around her, gently stroking her arm when finally she pushed away to look him in the eyes. "Let's do it. Where'd you say we could go?"

It was later that night that Katara had another debate with Aang about their "journey" when finally Aang relented and Katara took the reins of the great sky bison. Apparently getting Aang's approval meant something to her, what that was Zuko couldn't be sure of but soon enough he climbed next to her and changed course. A few hours in the air and they landed at their destination.

"It's gorgeous," Katara exclaimed, jumping down while eagerly admiring her surroundings. "And you're sure no one is here?

Zuko busily unpacked their things and slung them over his shoulder. "No one's been for a very long time. We will be perfectly safe. Now there's a king size bed with our name on it this way." He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth kissing her knuckles then led her to it.

He could spend the rest of his life like this. Katara agreed. The cool breeze of the ocean, a beautiful woman at his side, no responsibilities, no nothing. Just peace and love. Is this what the end of the war should feel like? He prayed it was so.

Zuko's hand reached to pull her body in close but she wasn't there. His eyes opened and she stood in the window bare to the moon hanging in the sky. His eyes were drawn to the muscles down her back, the curve of her hips and sweet Agni above that ass! The peasant witch must have turned him a waterbender because that moon made him rise. He called out to her, "You okay?"

She turned to face him, arms crossed over her chest inadvertently plumping up her breasts. She had that little smile he'd grown to love and could wake every day of his life to its brightness. "Just thinking about tomorrow," she slid back under the covers fitting perfectly against his body. Her hand rested above his heart feeling the pulse beneath. He kissed the top of her head and she rose to meet him kissing him back. They took their time making love that night. It was sweet and savored by both, ever mindful that it could be their last together.

He didn't want to think about tomorrow. He had to go pick up the Gaang. Their week of solitary and playing "house" would be over until who knows when, if ever again. Since their arrival, they'd hardly worn clothes, cooking and cleaning interrupted by flashes of flesh. They'd enjoyed the sun and surf, even walking to the little village to enjoy the street performers and spicy foods of his homeland. They both blushed terribly when they received blessings for a long fruitful marriage from a withered old woman passing by. But tomorrow it would be all over. No longer could they play. It was back to reality.

As Zuko took the reins of the sky-bison, he had the story planned in his head. They found the man, Yon Rha- yeah, that's a good name for the guy- and Katara didn't do it. Aang was so proud of her. It kind of made Zuko sick how Aang could love her for being the way Aang wanted her to be but when any variation of that shone she was made to feel guilty. Then Katara did the unexpected. She hugged him right in front of everyone.

"I'm ready to forgive you," she says. Her eyes say, "Thank you."

"You were right about what she needed," Zuko says, blankly staring as she walked away from the pier, as though a symbol of their relationship. Aang agrees that violence is never the answer.

Zuko concurs. Love was the answer. But would it be enough when war was over?

What foolishness I know! Hope you enjoyed anyways.