So, this is an AU and pretty much present day. Though, there still are benders.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters

Walking the Line

Problem One: Like hell

Katara's life was like hell, at least by that day. Surely everyone has felt that feeling, especially when your blasted alarm clock doesn't wake you up, or when it alarms again, you have only 5 minutes time to get ready for work. And surely you're cursing the alarm clock, the works and your entire life to the lowest hell ever existed as you run around your apartment trying to find socks that are the same paired. And of course you have lost your keys or the toothpaste has run out. You run out of the apartment very frustrated of everything and think nothing can be even worse. Wrong. Either you find out that your car has been stolen or someone has collided a huge dent onto the other side of it (the side that is towards the road) or an elderly woman from the next door wants to borrow sugar right now because she accidentally forgot to buy it and she can't finish her anyways-going-to-burn cake without it. Either you turn around and throw the neighbor by a full pack of sugar while passing or think how to get rid of that old hag without insulting her old and sensitive spirit or just rush past her saying 'Good day' and hurrying to your car or the nearby bus stop.

The alarm clock's red digital numbers turned from 7:49 am to 7:50 am when it finally started to ring it's annoying alarm. Katara snuggled deeper into her covers, trying to ignore the alarm, which was impossible because the sound grew even louder and louder. Despite all the noise around her bedroom, she yawned, not even opening her eyes, and wrapped the warm blanket around her tighter. When she was about to drift into sweet dream again, the alarm clock made a very strange noise as it was about to bite the dust (well, it was an old alarm clock…). That made her snap from the dream and the comfort of the warm bed.

"Oh, shut up you…", she muttered while sitting up, clear annoyance in her still groggy voice. She sat up and closed the alarm by slapping the clock. She yawned again and stretched her arm. For a moment, she just sat there doing nothing. Then she turned her head to look at the clock. "WHAAT?! 7:56 pm!?"

She bounced up from her bed and begun searching for her clothes. Unfortunately, she hadn't had time to clean her apartment for a while because of the whole lot of hours she had been working lately and the clothes had been thrown all over the floor.

"Surely I've put the alarm clock to snooze in my sleep…Oh goddammit!", she cursed while pulling a T-shirt over her head.

But as she seemed to be out of luck that day, she stumbled and fell over onto the floor, screaming in surprise. So there she laid, on her stomach and cursed her day. When she finally got up, which was kind of hard since she had banged her other knee and it ached, she realized it was already past eight. She hurriedly dressed herself with jeans and socks which were lying on the floor and rushed into the bathroom. And of course her hair happened to be extra-messed up that day and she had to spent a whole lot of minutes to deal with it with gritted teeth. And the mug slipped from her grasp as she was taking it from the cabinet, and it rolled across the bathroom like it wanted to get away from her.

When she finally managed to get herself ready and even out of the door, she discovered that her car keys were lost. She turned around and rushed into the house. She hunted for the keys but they had decided to be unfound. She glanced over her shoulder at the clock and decided to go by bus. It wasn't clever to search around for some blasted keys when she was perfectly capable of going by public transport. The next buss would come in any minute, so she hurried to the nearby bus stop.

Of course the bus was late, the certain bus that you're waiting (especially when you're late) comes always at least fifteen minutes late, and there came at least six buses before the right finally arrived. And splashed water onto her as it drove over a large pool of dirt. Katara yelled in frustration. Great, that only made her day even better than it already was… She quickly waterbended the dirty water away from her and stepped into the bus. Fancy that the bus driver happened to be the grumpiest extremity one had ever seen; the kind that glowered behind his steering wheel, the glance saying: 'dare to step into this bus, and you're gonna to be murdered'. But even the bus driver flinched at the scowl that Katara gave him back. Her cold blue eyes could've killed him right then and there.

Katara sat down and sighed deeply. Finally she would get at the work. She was already badly late, and she wasn't sure how her boss would react at that. She had been working there only for about half of the year and she could get fired easily. Since it was hard to find a job nowadays, especially when you were just about 20, she wished she could keep her job. She surely didn't want to go to her parents begging for maintenance. Besides, she felt really good when she was on her own, earning her own money for living. She felt so…self-contained and that she could survive from everything.

C'mon live, she thought, very bold. Throw something at me, I can take it. I'll show you nothing can knock me down…

She left the bus at a bus stop which was near at a huge hospital. Yes, she was a nurse. A young genius that had graduated earlier than anyone else. She had to admit that she liked her job. Every day was different and she got to meet different people every day. She was very social, so that was more than just a good thing. And her co-workers were also very kind. She really enjoyed her job.

She walked inside the huge building where the life was busy as ever. She felt cozy right from the moment she stepped in, she worked at her best when there was hurry and pressure around her. People considered her as a bit crazy for liking to work with such things like 'haste' and 'stress'. Some of her few friends dreaded such a word named 'working'. Well, they were little rich bitches who worried only about what they would wear, and were they tanned enough. And of course did they have enough makeup on their faces. To be honest, Katara never had liked those bitches, and hadn't kept touch with them since she graduated from high school. They would be as bitchy as they ever wanted; she couldn't care less. She appreciated fun and nice company, not make-believed and backstabbing group. She'd rather be alone than with such a company.

"You're late!" someone snapped behind her. Katara turned around and saw a short, maybe a bit stocky, woman staring at her grimly, her hands placed on her hips.

Katara gulped. Her boss wasn't very easy to deal with. She regretted her earlier determined thoughts; the life was throwing something at her at she certainly wasn't ready to take it.

Oh why why why I was so stupid to even hope troubles? she cursed herself in her mind. Surely this isn't anything good…

"I can explain", the blue-eyed young woman said quickly, her voice trembling just a bit. "You see, there was this old and unreliable alarm clock of mine…and the lost keys… and the bus that splashed water over me…"

The boss just shook her head slightly, placing her other palm against her forehead. Her expression showed pure disbelief.

"And what you're saying is that you overslept, didn't find your keys and the bus was late?" she asked.

"That's correct!" Katara nodded, thanking Tui, La, Agni, Koh, Hei Bai and what else spirits there ever were for that her boss understood her case.

Suddenly, her boss laughed out loud. Katara looked at her, confusion written onto her face. What was so funny about all this?

Her boss calmed down, "Let me tell you: I've heard that same story for about a thousand times in my career", she put her hand onto the girl's shoulder. "But since you're so young, I'll watch this through my finger for this time."

She passed Katara, leaving her standing in the middle of the corridor unable to think or do anything.

"You still have your work to do! Hurry up!" her boss called from the other side of the hall.

Katara hurried into the locker room and changed her clothes considerably more quickly than she had dressed at home. When she was ready, she went to the other nurses and asked it there had come some new patients.

"Oh, here you are! Let me guess: you're late?" somebody said to her.

That voice was very familiar to her, and she turned around, "Stop it Yue! This day has been like hell, okay!"

There was clear amusement on her friend's face, "My apologies, oh Your Sensitiveness", she said, over-humbled tone in her voice. She bowed deeply.

Katara couldn't resist the smile that forced itself onto her lips, "I'm sorry", she said. "But really, this day has kicked my butt…"

"It's okay", the snow white-haired woman said. "So, how was your weekend?"

Katara shrugged, "Fine, I guess."

Yue placed a finger onto her lower lip and looked thoughtful, "Hm, you said you were going to visit her parents. So, did you?"

Katara rolled her eyes. She knew where her friend was aiming at, but she wanted to tease her a bit, "Yeah, Mom made a great meal. And Dad has bought a new car. And the neighbor's old cat has moved to their place. Mom gives it milk, it is funny that that cat actually drinks it…"

Yue played with her fingers, "How about your brother?"

There it came. Katara had noticed her friend's crush on her brother (well, you had to be blind not to see it…) when Yue happened to come to her place while Sokka was visiting her. Boy, that girl had totally fallen for her brother, she still thought only about him though it's been a few months since she'd seen him last.

"Oh, he wasn't there", Katara said cheerfully. "But he called me on Friday and told me about his new fiancée…", she glanced at Yue from the corner of her eye.

Yue gasped and her face turned to red from the cheeks.

"…Really..?" she murmured. She looked down and hid her blue eyes. "Well, tell him my congratulations…"

Katara laughed at her friend who had taken her teasing so seriously, "Just kidding! You should've seen your own face!"

Yue frowned at her, "Katara…You…"

"Peace, Yue, peace", Katara calmed down. She liked bantering her friend, who never got angry at her. Well, not really. "Excuse me, but I have a patient waiting for me…"

She left her company and headed to a single room, the room number 49. She knocked lightly to the door and stepped in.

"Hello, Toph", she said as she entered the room. "How's your day?"

"The same boring blindness", the girl replied, swinging her legs over the edge. She swung her legs back onto the bed, sitting more comfortably. "Have my parents talked with you about the laser surgeon?"

Toph's parents were very rich, so they would have to money for the surgeon. She had been blind ever since she was born, but the doctors said it would be better to wait till she turns to 12 before doing the surgeon.

"No", Katara sat down onto the bed. "But I'm sure they'll bring it up anytime soon."

"But my birthday is the day after tomorrow!" the girl said. She bent her legs against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "What if… what if they think I'm better off here, being blind and out of their faces?"

Katara placed her hand onto the blind girl's shoulder, "That's not true."

Toph smiled a bit, and then jumped down from the bed, "Well, even if they won't do the surgeon, I can still see!" she placed her hands to her hips, sounding determined and cheerful. "By earthbending! I've learned to see on these plastic floors!"

"That's the Toph I know!" Katara cheered. She had always enjoyed Toph's company, she was strong and tough and didn't let her blindness dispirit herself. That's what she admired in her the most. And even if Toph had her…'moments of weakness', she wouldn't show them. She was so strong, even though she was just a 12-years-old girl.

Katara listened to Toph's determined speech and smiled to herself. Yes, she really loved her job at times.

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Katara walked back home across the twilight pavements. She had had a long day and all she wanted now was a hot shower and the comfortable, warm bed that already called for her. She could already feel her tense muscles relaxing under the warm shower, and how sweet it would be to drift to sleep… She planned to forget about combing her hair or washing the laundry. All she wanted for now was just to get some sleep.

As she got to her in front of her apartment, she froze in shock. There was someone lying on the stairs of her apartment.

I hope you liked this, never done an AU like this before :) Hmmm... Can you guess who's lying on in front of Katara's apartment? Reviews please, people :)