All standard disclaimers apply.

Healing Hearts - Chapter One

"Aang, be reasonable," she said, sitting down on the edge of their bed. "They don't need me that badly… It can wait."

He moved farther away from her, his back a wall between them. "You know they need you, Katara," he said, his voice calm and rational. "The troops have been asking me to help them with their war for months now. It's gotten out of control, and you have to watch over the kids."

Katara closed her eyes. Ever since the rings of Ba Sing Se had begun warring, the Earth Kingdom had been taken over by the fight. You were either for the Lower, or the Upper. There was no in between. Both sides wanted the Avatar on theirs, but Aang wasn't one to fight. Mostly, he tried to work things out.

They'd just received another message, saying that the walls had actually been knocked down, and the city had been physically divided. This was definitely something the Avatar had to sort out.

"I just…" Katara trailed off. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to come with him, but he knew that she was needed there, in the Temple. They'd been living in the abandoned Western Air Temple for quite some time now, almost 7 years. They'd set up a school of sorts; Aang taught the firebenders -or did his best to-and she taught the waterbenders. When they got earthbenders, sometimes Toph would be able to spare some time from her traveling to come back and help. It was a good business, and though they didn't charge, since Aang was the Avatar, people came by with enough food and gifts to tide them off.

"You can't come with me, Katara," Aang said, turning around and reaching out to her. You know this will be a matter of months, at least. I can't stand not seeing you for that much time, but..." He reached out and stroked her face lovingly.

"We can have Toph take care of the kids, or something," Katara said angrily, backing away from his touch. "Admit it; you're just worried I'll get hurt!" Her eyes blazed with anger at the assumptions he always made.

Aang closed his eyes and withdrew his hands. "Katara, I'm leaving, and you will stay here." When he opened his eyes, he was no longer the man she loved, but The Avatar, with all of his indifference.

Katara stood up to her full height. "I can't believe after all these years you still think I'l l run off and get hurt. I can take care of myself, and you know it. Don't let your stupid 'feelings' get in the way."

Aang looked at her for a moment, and took a deep breath. "I have to get packed; I leave tomorrow." Aang paused, and looked back at his wife. "And it's not a crime to want to keep the woman I love safe."

"It is when she can take care of herself!" Katara spat, her eyes blazing.

Aang took another breath, and closed his eyes. "I'd hoped we wouldn't part this way, but I should know there's no talking to you when you get this way." He turned around and walked out the door without another word.

Katara clenched her hands and gritted her teeth. There'd been a time when they had been able to talk things like this out. He'd never want her to go with him, but she'd always smiled and followed him. This was the last straw. He probably expected her to follow him to Ba Sing Se and surprise him, but not this time.

Katara took a deep breath, and thought it over. She loved Aang; that much was true. She'd always loved him, and she probably always would. However, for the past year or so, she found herself getting more and more angry. And it didn't help that no matter how angry she got, he was still so calm and placid.

The things that had endeared him to her were beginning to be annoying… When they had first kissed, she had thought his fumbling ways were cute. Eight years later, a man could not be "cute" at 20. And yet, he still had that same aura of clumsiness. Yes, he had grown into a great Avatar, and he was great for the people, but was he great for her?

Katara sighed, and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. It was too much to think about. Right then, she just needed to go away, to take a break. In a way, she felt better that Aang was leaving for a while. It gave her some time to think. Oh, she'd still worry about him, but right now, while she was still so very angry… Well, it was a good thing she wasn't one for using her bloodbending.

She got up and began to throw things haphazardly into a bag. Normally she'd have packed things nicely, but right now, she was not in the mood. When she had everything packed, she got up. Her two skins were already filled with water, and she had a third for drinking in her bag. It was time to go.

The temple was very quiet; Aang had probably taken Appa for a night-ride. Sure enough, when she glanced over where Appa slept, he was gone. She tiptoed through the hallways, not wanting to wake the few children that were there this month.

When she got to the room she wanted, she stopped to drop her bag on the floor outside of it. However, as she was about to knock, the door slid open.

"What do you want, Katara?" Toph sounded irritated, and she had every right to be. Her nice sleep had been interrupted, not just by the visit, but by the argument. Lately, she regretted coming over to the place to help. She never got to sleep, with all the yelling. Though it was all Katara's yelling -Aang never yelled back-it was loud enough to keep a deaf person awake.

"I wanted to ask you if you could watch the kids for… a while," she said, trailing off when she saw the skeptical look on Toph's face.

"I take it you're not going after Twinkletoes?" she said, raising a perfectly arched brow. Though Toph claimed she didn't care about her appearance, lately she was always very clean, and her hair had grown quite a bit. Katara suspected Toph had someone she was seeing, but she had no direct proof of it.

"Well…" Katara stopped, for Toph would know if she lied. "I wanted to just get some air. Travel a bit. Take a break, and all that." Katara scratched her head self-consciously, for even though Toph couldn't stare at her, she still felt scrutinized.

Toph sighed, and stomped the ground angrily. Katara jumped at the slight tremor that went through the ground. "Ugh, I hate it when people argue," the earthbender said, obviously irritated. "I guess I could watch the kids for a bit," she said grudgingly.

Katara hugged the younger woman tight, sighing in relief. "That's great," she said. "This means a lot, Toph." Katara hugged her again, and then picked up her bag and headed toward the stables.

Toph closed her eyes and listened to Katara's footsteps. "I have a bad feeling about this," she muttered to herself.

Katara bounced up and down with the ostrich-horse's strange gait. She hadn't ridden on one of them in a while, and it took some getting used to. The first thing on her list of things to do was to go to a bar. Aang hated alcohol, and never went to them. Of course, this was the main reason she was going to one.

She stopped at the first bar she came across. It didn't look particularly seedy, and it didn't have a picture of a naked woman on its sign. In Katara's experience, this usually made it a pretty decent place.

A bell on the door rang when she walked in, and a few people glanced her way. It didn't seem too crowded, which was good. There were a few people playing Pai Sho in the back, and the sound of clinking glasses filled the room, along with guffaws of laughter.

All in all, it wasn't too bad. Satisfied, Katara walked over to the bar, and sat down on a stool. "I'd like some warm sake," she said, a bitter smile on her face. The bartender barely glanced at her, and nodded gruffly.

Katara had never tried drinking away her troubles before, but she'd heard it was never too late to start. When the bartender came by with her sake, she downed most of it in a single gulp. Her lips thinned at the taste, but that was the only sign of discomfort she showed.

Four bottles later, she was laughing with another woman who had come in a while later. She was from the Fire Nation, and Katara was convinced that they would become best friends. The woman seemed a little fuzzy in her vision, but Katara pinned that on all the alcohol in her system.

"I just had a giant husband with my fight," Katara said, slurring a little. "Ha ha! I mean, I had a fight with my husband." She laughed again, and took another sip of her sake. "It sucks when you're married to an altru… altru… atlu… altru'stick? Haha, I mean, uh… a really nice guy that you have to share with the WHOLE world! It sucks!"

The woman next to her clapped her on the back and laughed. "Oh, it can't be that bad. My boyfriend was so horrible I ran away, and now, to get over him, I' m helping the Fire Lord! Ha! He hated the Fire Lord! That'll show him!"

Katara sobered a bit at the mention of the Fire Lord. "Zuko?" she said, wiping her eyes. "My husband used to be friends with him, and I… well, yeah, I used to know him…" Katara stopped, her eyes hardening, and thought about their relationship.

Well, the last time she had really talked to Zuko was that time when she healed his arm a few years ago. She remembered it well…

She and Aang had been traveling through the capital, because he was needed to settle some minor dispute. He was always being good that way, helping people when they couldn't help themselves. Those were the kinds of things that made her feel selfish and uncomfortable.

Zuko had called them to the palace, and shown them around. It was nice to see Zuko again, because neither of them had really talked to him in quite some time. Katara hadn't seen Mai in a while, either, but they hadn't shared as much as she and Zuko had. She remembered how happy she felt; knowing that the fragile bond of forgiveness could still stay intact, even after many years.

When they were taking a tour, he had slipped on something, and fallen on his arm wrong. Katara could still remember the sickening crunch, and her scream that accompanied it. She and Aang had both caught him, and together, had taken him back to his room.

Aang had, regretfully, needed to leave, and so Katara had been left alone with Zuko. When he came to, she was already in the process of healing his arm. After a lot of practice, she had learned how to heal broken bones with less difficulty. A while before, it had been impossible for her to do so.

Katara took a sip of sake, her eyes cold. She leaned back and closed her eyes, picturing the scene:

She leaned over and mopped his brow gently with a wet towel. It had been some time since he had fallen; she wondered where his wife was.

Zuko groaned, and tried to sit up. "Lay down, you oaf," she said, pushing him back down. "You just broke your arm, and I didn't heal it just so you could break it again." He narrowed his eyes at her. "I never asked you to heal it."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Oh, excuse me, my lord. I should have left you on the ground." Sometimes, nobles could really annoy her. Especially Zuko. Just because they had reconciled didn't mean he didn't still get on her nerves.

"How very chivalrous of you to heal my arm, Lady Katara," he mocked, pretending to bow. Katara smacked him on his healed arm.

"Careful, I might just break the other." She glared at him, and he knew she meant it. He smiled and lied back down, closing his eyes.

"Hey, waterbender," he said, opening them again, "I was thinking of searching for my mother… Do you think it's a good idea?" Katara softened when their eyes met.

"Yes… Yes, I do, Zuko," she said softly, checking his arm for any signs of a job not well done.

"Do you think it would be a good idea to take someone with me?" he said, smiling at her from on the bed.

"Well, I guess," she said, not understanding. Why was he asking her opinion?

Zuko took a deep breath. "Come with me to find my mother," he said, his voice urgent. "You're the only one who'll permit me this trip, the only one who knows what it's like to lose a mother." His voice hoarsened, and Katara could hear the desperation.

"I'm sorry, Zuko, but I have to go with Aang," she said, truly sad.

"Oh, I see," he said, his voice hardening.

"What?" she said, her tone matching his.

"You can't leave the Avatar for even a moment to help a friend."

"That's not true!" Her cheeks began to redden with anger, and she clenched her fingers around the arm she had just healed.

"It is too, and you know it. He's become your entire life… Your only responsibility. Do you change his diapers, too?"

Katara tore herself away from Zuko, and backed off. "I can't believe you would say such a thing!" she hissed, too angry for words.

"Oh, sure," he said, getting out of bed to stand in front of her. He was only wearing thin pants, and his chest heaved with ire. "I'm sure you spend night and day with him just because you love him that much ."

Katara stepped closer, furious. "That you would suggest such a thing just shows your true colors, Zuko."

"Oh, yeah, my true colors. I'm such a horrible person for telling the truth!"

Katara was now shaking, she was so angry. "I love Aang!" she screamed, jabbing her finger in his bare chest.

"I never said you didn't! You just love him as a mother! "

Katara was speechless, and they both just stood there, their chests heaving similarly. She lifted a hand to slap him, but stopped.

"You should go," Zuko said, his voice gruff. His eyes were blazing, and if looks could kill, they would both certainly be dead.

Katara backed away and ran out the room, running back to Aang.

When she opened her eyes, the other woman was staring at her a little strangely. Katara looked away, and stared into the cup of sake. Maybe it was time to right some old wrongs, to work things out, let bygones be bygones. Of course, she wouldn't forgive him that easily. He'd have to work for it.

"Hey, maybe I could work for him, too," she said, her voice a little softer.

The other woman laughed, and wiped her own eyes. She seemed oblivious to Katara's change in mood. "Yeah, then we could go together!" This was apparently hilarious, as the woman doubled over with laughter. " Look, here's the paper I found." She thrust the flier at Katara, who fumbled with it for a few moments.

"Oh, so Zu-Zu is hiring," she said to herself, almost taking another sip of sake. However, she knew she would need her wits to decipher this note.

It seemed that the Fire Lord had sent out an invitation to any and all benders to help him on his trip to find the old Fire Lady; his mother. Katara bit her lip, and looked down at the sum he was offering. She and Aang could use that money, for sure, and she did want to work things out…

It might even make Aang angry. He had confided in her before how he had thought she was going to run off with the firebender. This would be like his worst nightmare come true. She couldn't wait to actually see him angry, for once; to show some emotion other than stoic calm.

"Oh, Aang, you're going to wish you took me with you," she said, smiling bitterly. She carefully folded up the paper and put it in her bag. The bartender looked at her expectantly when she got up. Embarrassed, Katara dug around and forked out a few coins. The bartender put them away, along with her glass.

Katara looked over at the woman, but she was already passed out on the table. She shook her head, and thought about the flier. She and Zuko hadn't been speaking for years… Surely it was time for them to make up? Besides, it would be nice to have him beg for her forgiveness.

And, after all, the second thing on her list was to go have an adventure. And if working with Zuko wasn't an adventure, what was?

A/N: Well. I'm liking where this fic is going. It's set 8 years after Ozai's take down, and Aang and Katara are married, as are Zuko and Mai. This is MOST definitely going to be Zutara, and I'm debating whether to lean towars Taang, Sokka/Suki, or Tokka. If you have a strong opinion, tell me. R+R, feedback is love.

Su-Su