Zutara: Anniversary by Caroline Gray

Part 1

Katara tossed and turned in her sleep. The nightmares were getting worse and worse. At first they were bearable, but now they are just horrific. In her dream she was tied to a tree, surrounded by fire nation soldiers. Prince Zuko circled the tree, laughing at her. It was a sick blood curdling laugh. "I thought you had changed!" Katara screamed at the banished prince. Zuko ceased his laughing and looked at her with a cold, menacing stare. His face was twisted with hate and rage. "I have changed!" And with that he shot a fire ball at her feet. The fire climbed higher up Katara's legs. She smelled the mixture of burning flesh and cloth. The heat was unbearable.

Katara woke up screaming at the top of her lungs. She shot up, shaking uncontrollably. She jumped when Zuko burst through the door, flame in hand. "Katara! What is it? What's wrong? I heard you scream! Are you all right?" Zuko surveyed the entire room. When he was satisfied that no one was trying to hurt Katara he put the flame out, and turned his full attention to the scared girl.

She was a mess. She was sitting up, her knee's pulled to her chest, her hands in her hair. She was rocking back and forth, shaking and hyperventilating. Zuko went to her bed and sat down close to her. He put a hesitant hand on her knee. "Hey…" She glanced up at him, tears rolled down her cheeks. He reached his other hand up to her face and wiped away her tears, but more fell to replace them.

" What's wrong Katara?" Instead of answering him she threw herself into his arms. She grabbed a hold of his shirt and buried her face into his chest. She began to sob uncontrollably. Zuko was slightly shocked at her actions but paid it no mind. He wrapped his arms around her and gently smoothed his hand over her hair. "Shh, Katara." He whispered, rocking her back and forth. "It was only a dream." She still continued to sob. "Shh, shh, its okay. I'm here now. Nothing is going to happen to you while I'm here."

After what seemed like an eternity of Zuko stroking her hair and whispering soft comforts to her, she finally managed to calm down. His shirt was drenched in tears but he didn't care. He had never seen Katara this terrified, not even through the years of chasing her trying to capture Aang.

"I'm sorry I woke you." she whispered. Zuko laughed. The vibrations of his laughter rumbled through his chest and in Katara's ear. The sound soothed her. "Katara, you don't need to apologize. It's not like you meant to wake me. It was just a bad dream, it's okay now." "The dreams are getting worse. I cant even sleep anymore!" Katara said with exhaustion.

"Do you want to tell me about them?" Zuko whispered into her hair. The warmth of his breath made goose bumps rise on her skin. "You don't have to if you don't want to, I will understand. But it might make you feel better if you share them." She looked up at him with sad, scared eyes. "The dreams are about you Zuko, about who you used to be." Zuko stiffened. He knew that must be horrible nightmares then. "You can tell me some if you'd like, it wont hurt my feelings." Katara looked away unsure.

She knew if Zuko heard the things he did in her dreams, he would become blinded with rage. Not at her, but at himself. He tries so hard to be a good person, but even in dreams he is placed as the bad guy. Katara took a shaky breath. "Do you want to hear tonight's dream, or the other ones?" "We can start with tonight's if you like, but it is up to you, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." "Okay." Katara took a deep breath to calm herself, then she told Zuko her dream.

At first Zuko was calm, but as Katara unraveled more of her dream he became very ridged. The temperature in the room became extreme. The hands on Katara's back became unbearably hot. "Ow! Zuko! You're hurting me!" Katara cried in pain. Zuko let go of her quickly. He stood up, his whole body shaking with rage.

He turned to the wall behind him and punched his fist right through it. "Zuko!" Katara got up and ran over to him. She touched his shoulder, she could feel his shaking under her touch. "Zuko, shh, calm down. It's okay, it was only a dream remember! You didn't really hurt me!" He turned around abruptly, causing Katara to take a small step back.

His face was contorted into a mask of pain and anger, his fist clenched at his sides. "See, I'm still here, I'm fine Zuko." She reached to place her hands on his face. "Calm down." She whispered soothingly. His eyes closed and he blew steam from his nose. He stood there, letting her cool hands douse the fire within him.

His shaking stopped and his temperature lowered. He opened his eyes to look into the blue orbs not five inches away from his golden ones. He leaned the scarred side of his face into her hand. He sighed. "Katara, you don't understand. I could have done that! Considering the person I used to be. I could have killed you so many different times."

A single tear fell from his good eye as he choked out the last few words. Katara wiped it away. "But Zuko." She said, trying to get him to look at her but he wouldn't. "Zuko look at me." She pleaded, but he refused. "Look at me Zuko." She said more forcefully, this time getting what she wanted.

"But you didn't Zuko, you chose the better path. I'm still here. And I don't believe you would have killed any of us given the chance, its just not you. It isn't who you are." Zuko was briefly reminded of what his mother told him all those years ago. Zuko smiled a little. "Besides Zuko," Katara taunted, "You couldn't beat me even if you wanted to."

Zuko smirked. "Is that so?" Zuko said as he leaned his body closer to Katara. They were now flush to flush, Katara's hands on Zuko's face, his on her waist. Katara blushed at their closeness. A year had already passed since Sozin's comet and the fall of former Fire lord Ozia. A year since Zuko was crowned Fire lord. Katara had decided to stay in the fire nation to help him with his new responsibilities.

Aang had left with Toph to inform the Bei Fongs that she would not be participating in the marriage they had arranged. Sokka and Suki travel back and forth from the South pole to Kyoshi Island frequently, and they are expecting their first child soon.

Zuko brushed his hand against Katara's cheek. Katara shuddered under his soft touch. The warmth of his fingers tickled her skin. She looked into his burning golden eyes. They were the only eyes that she had seen that held that much fire and passion.

Zuko leaned his head down to rest his forehead against Katara's. they stared at each other, gold burned into blue. And then Zuko reached down and stole a feather light kiss. He pulled back and Katara blushed. "See," Zuko said. "I win." Katara could hear the smile in his voice. His eyes danced in the moon light.

"Ah, I see. You think that was a major win?" Katara taunted. "I do." He said, tightening his grip around her waist. "Well, you would be wrong." She said matter-o-factly. She pushed her face up and kissed him fiercely. This continued for about a minute until Zuko turned them around, without breaking the kiss, and shoved Katara against the wall.

He breathed in her ocean scent. Oh how he loved that smell! Her hands were tangled in his hair and she pulled him closer, eliminating any amount of space possibly left between them, and Zuko growled with delight.

Katara broke the kiss, and a mischievous smile broke across her lips as they stood there gasping for air. She had untangled her hands from his hair and placed them on his neck, intertwining her fingers. Zuko had moved his hands to the wall on either side of Katara's face. "See," Katara panted "I always win."

She smiled mischievously again. Zuko chuckled deep and darkly. His eyes bright with excitement. Katara loved when he looked like that, the way his eyes danced. She loved seeing him happy, it was so rare. "But love," Zuko said slyly. "If you were truly the winner, you would be pinning me against this wall, but as it turns out, I have you trapped, my little water bender."

The smile left Katara's face but not her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Zuko had started kissing her neck, occasionally nipping her soft skin between his teeth, which made sentence forming extremely hard. Every thought in her mind vanished, which was probably his goal in the first place, and it was all she could do not to melt to the floor under his touch.

She buried her face in his dark, shaggy hair and inhaled his spicy scent. She slid her hands from his neck to his back and racked her fingers down it, leaving angry red marks. Zuko hissed and bit down harder on Katara's neck. She shuddered and pulled him closer. Zuko laughed and pulled away and kissed her lightly.

"Katara my pet," he sighed. "I think you should get back to bed. We have a big day tomorrow, what with Aang returning to celebrate the one year anniversary of the end of the war and all." Katara sighed and leaned against him. "Zuko," she said looking up at him. "EVERYONE is returning for the celebration. So that means you have to put up with Sokka for at least a week."

Zuko groaned. Zuko liked the water tribe warrior, even thought of him as a brother, but Sokka was just SO irritating! Maybe it would be different this time, Zuko did have a better handle on his temper and Sokka had matured some after he found out he was going to be a father. Only time will tell.

He was looking forward to seeing Toph, she was like the little sister he wished he had. "And besides," Katara continued. "I don't think I can sleep." Katara sighed and looked down at the floor to hide her sad eyes, but Zuko was having none of that. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and walked over to the bed. Katara was laughing and trying to squirm out of his grasp, but that only made Zuko tighten his grip.

When he got to her bed, he plopped her down. He inhaled rapidly, trying to catch his breath. This girl is going to be the death of me he thought. He pulled the covers over her and tucked her in like she was a child. She lightly scolded him, but he knew she liked the care he showed her.

He kissed her forehead and whispered "Goodnight my love." But when he turned to leave Katara grabbed his arm and begged him to stay. The fear had returned to her eyes. A shadow of her earlier terror. He couldn't just leave her like this. He could never leave her when she begged this way. It weakened all of his defenses.

Zuko sighed and sat down on the bed. He removed his shirt and Katara smiled. She moved to get up, but Zuko pushed her down gently. "No, just lay down." He whispered. He laid down next to her and wrapped a protective arm around her middle and held her close. He had promised to protect her from anything, even himself.

He laid his head down behind hers and kissed her hair. She sighed in content. He was so sweet to her, even if she was a tyrant at times. "Thank you." She said. "Shh, love. Please try to get some rest." His warm breath tickled her ear, but she could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "Okay." She whispered.

"I will always be here to protect you Katara." Zuko said sleepily. She rolled over and kissed him sweetly. "I love you my beautiful Fire Lord." She loved the joy in his eyes when ever she called him beautiful. "And I love you my fiery Water Princess." And with that Katara fell asleep, silently listening to Zuko's heart beat as it slowed. For the first night in a year she slept peacefully.