Home Wrecker

This is a scene that could take place in the upcoming episode "The Ember Island Players." It stars Zuko and Katara, so it's fair to warn of possible, and even purposeful Zutara moments.

Disclaimer: Too broke to own anything of Avatar, but I do find the series too fasinating to leave alone.

The sun beat down on their backs as they walked thru the line of stalls. Ember Island was the closet place to the Western Air Temple to get supplies. Katara didn't know her way around the island or she would have just come alone, but speed was essential. They whole group had exposed themselves during the invasion so they'd desided it was better to only go out in small numbers or risk drawing attention to themselves. Still the heat of the sun above didn't help to warm her attitude to her companion. Even after his show of loyalty at that infernal prison she didn't want to put faith in him.

Zuko wouldn't look at her if he didn't have to. He knew he still hadn't proven himself, and she'd given him the silent treatment the whole way here. It wasn't like he thought he could change her mind that easy, but that hadn't stopped him hoping. He serveyed the stalls with a careful eye as they went. She knew what they needed not him. He risked a glance at her and had to turn away again. She just looked too much like his mother for him to bare in her fire nation garb. It made him feel dirty for finding her so attractive. When he had first seen her in it at the temple he'd dropped the bowl he'd been eating from in a mix of shock and confusion. It just cought him so off guard.

Katara tapped him as she turned to talk with one stall keeper. He turned his back and looked around keeping an eye out. He knew news took a while to reach Ember Isle so it was mostly safe, but still they didn't want to take too many risks.

"Hey it's you!" The voice came from the side he was looking away from and a strong hand landed on his shoulder and turned him in the direction. The face was unfamiliar at first, then it dawned on him. Chad, the guy who's party he and the girls had gone to. "You jerk, what do you think you're doing showing your face in public? You and your sister totally wrecked my family's house!" Zuko stood straight about to respond when Katara stepped to him with a basket of fruits in her hands. "What now?" Chad turned his gaze to her and then back to Zuko. His hand went to the other teen's collar and knotted there. "Why is it only jerks like you get the really pretty ones? What happened to that other chick, did you trash her pad too?" Zuko made a low growl as he carefully gripped the wrist of the hand at his neck.

"Wait, I don't understand. What happened between you two?" Katara was confused and nervious as she glanced between them. Her eyes landed on Zuko, who returned the gave with a pensive stare. "Oh so you're just leading her on to think you're some goody two shoe then?" Chad's voice was harsh, and then he jerked Zuko toward him to spit in his face. The reaction was automatic as the hand Zuko'd put on his wrist twisted and ripped it away, which pulled the teen forward and into a waiting knee. Zuko stepped back as the boy fell to the ground. He whipped the ick from his face and waited.

Katara stared at him dumbfounded. "Zuko?" She questioned softly. He looked away as he spoke, "I didn't mean to do that... I deserve to be spit on." The confusion in her face deepened. "Yeah you do," came from where Chad was kneeling on the sand still. "You broke so many antiques that it would cost a fortune to replace. The wall hanging were all hand made. Did you and that those wenches have any idea what you were doing?" His tone was dark, harsh, and he stood as he made his accuzations.

Katara furled her brow and looked at the scarred teen. "You destoried his home?.." Zuko nodded as he looked at her sadly. Her grit her teeth and crossed her arms. "Just when you were beginning to redeem yourself I find something else to remind me what a low life you really are." She turned her back to him and started to walk on down the lane of stalls. He put his hand out after her, "Would is make any difference if I told you it was Azula's idea?" The waterbender glared at him over her shoulder, "No, because you still went along with it," and then huffed away.

Zuko's shoulders slumped. "Happy now? You've done a bit to ruin my life now." He looked back at Chad who had a strange expession on his features. "You're Zuko, and that chick who said she was your sister is Azula." Zuko's eyes widened as he cought onto what the other boy had just realized. "That makes you the prince... You're a wanted man. You attacked the Fire lord!" The teen's voice went up with each word, and Zuko could feel the stares coming from all sides. Whispers ran thru the people, and as he cought bits and pieces he saw some running for the area guards.

The young man reacted like the trapped animal he felt like all of a sudden and bolted. It wasn't hard to spot Katara leaned into another stall. He snatched the arm not holding her basket and drug her along with him in his dash. "What are you doing? I don't want to go with you right now." She was snappy as she let him pull her along. "What's going on?" He glanced back, but not at her. He could see some guards pushing thru the patrions that hadn't stood aside. As Katara looked back she saw them and understood, well at least that they needed to escape, not the reason they were found out.

Zuko rounded a turn and saw an open doorway into a darkened room. He went for it. He whirled and closed the door behind them, then went for the nearest source of cover he could make out in the almost black room. It was a set of rolling hangers of clothing. "How'd they find us?" Katara whispered as they pushed between the outfits. He held up a hand to quiet her as he heard movement and saw light on the floor. "Ah, there they are." A hand moved to the hangers right behind them. He paniced, turning to Katara he thought for only a second, and then kissed her, his hand shot up into her hair to make her move into it.

"Hey, not you brats again!" The voice was that of a man dressed up as what had to be a jester of some sort, and the light reveiled they were between rows of costumes. As the couple broke the kiss Katara was completely flushed and wouldn't look at the man that had discovered them. "Look I know the door doesn't have a lock, but that doesn't give you the right to come in here to make out! Get out of here now." Zuko nodded and grabbed Katara lightly, stering her toward the door again. As they opened it, glanced outside and then left they heard the man mumbling to himself. "Damn kids, third blasted time this week... No respect for the arts at all."

Zuko looked around them as they stepped out, the guards must have run right past the enterance. He turned to Katara who was still covered in an obvious blush, and distracting herself with the contents of her basket. "I'm sorry, it was the only thing I could think of." She looked at him for a spit second then twisted away. "Just don't do it again," her voice was a bit quick and breathy. "Come on we need to get out of here before someone spots us again. Appearently word has gotten here that I fought my father." The words made Katara's back straighten and she whirled back to him, "You what?" He clenched his jaw a second before answering. "I had a fight with my father during the same time you were assaulting the capital. I had to say some things before I left, and he ended up attacking me for them."

The waterbenders eyes held a mix of awe and shock. "So you really did sacrific it all. I... I didn't know..." She laid a careful touch on his chest, "Did he hurt you?" Zuko glanced at her small hand and then to her face, he smiled lightly. "No, but right now we should be moving, not standing here in the open." He took the hand that was on his chest and lead her down an alley he spotted.

On their way thru the streets he noticed a poster for the theater they had stumbled into, and stopped. A white lotus was on the poster, with two dragons coming from it, and the name of the performance group. "Remind me that we need to see those guys perform before we leave the fire nation." He said as he started walking again. Katara nodded as she followed. "I'll do that if you promise not to tell the others we got found out." she paused, "And how we got away..." She heard him laugh lightly as the beach came into veiw and they headed to the cave Appa was waiting in. "Don't worry, if I told your brother might kill me."

The flight back to the Air Temple was quiet as they didn't want to embarass eachother any more over the subject. Zuko stared at Katara as she guided the large beast they rode. He'd desided that he didn't need to feel bad about being attracted at least, he figured it fit that two strong and beautiful women would pick similar styles. He watched the sun set as he smiled, wondering if his mother would have gotten a laugh over the whole situation. Later he cought Katara blushing when Sokka asked how it had gone on the island. He wondered why Aang had given the two a weird look when he noticed the blush.

He later talked with Sokka about that they needed to go and watch the play being done over the week because it might have something to do with the White Lotus, which his uncle was connected to. He just about had a fit when the other young warrior had explained about recieveing a tile from his sword master.

So plans were made for them to go to the island again. This time with Zuko in disguise. He cought Katara blushing again while she worked on altering a outfit for him and she pricked herself with the needle then brought the finger to her mouth to suck on it. He couldn't help but grin a bit to himself, at least he'd finally made her as uncomfortable as he'd been the past several days.