Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Author's Note: I was really amazed at the popularity of A Day In School, so thank you to everyone who read and reviewed it. I first came up with the idea for this story after reading the online description of The Awakening. I had originally planned to make it fit in with the episode, but after the way Katara treated her father, that just didn't seem possible, so this became an alternate scene instead. It could also be seen as a continuation of Home (Chapter 24 of Avatar Goes Broadway).
Vigil"You don't have to watch him every moment, you know." Hakoda's voice startled Katara out of her thoughts as she sat beside Aang's bed in the hull of the Fire Nation ship.
"I suppose not," she acknowledged quietly, tilting her head slightly in his direction. "It's just…" Katara found that she didn't quite know how to explain everything. Her life seemed like a bundle of contradictions right now. She hated seeing Aang like this, so pale and drawn and completely unmoving. Yet, when she was away, all she could think about was getting back to watch over him again.
Anyway, after more than two years apart, her father felt like a stranger to her. There had been a time when she could confide anything in him, but she'd changed so much since then. Aang, on the other hand, was her best friend, her companion, her…she didn't allow herself to finish the thought. Now wasn't the time. She just missed Aang so much. The last thing he had done was smile at her, and she'd give anything to see that again.
"As the old saying goes, the watched fish doesn't bite," Hakoda said, with an attempt at lightness.
"I guess," Katara sighed, finally turning around fully to sit facing her father. She actually smiled briefly at the familiar phrase. "Why does everyone I love seem to leave?" she exclaimed after a brief period of silence. She hadn't even known what she would say until it came out, and she didn't pause to think about the import of her words. "First Mom, then you, then…"
Tears pricked Katara's eyes as she let everything that had been building up in her over the past two weeks overcome her. She barely had enough room in her mind to be mortified that, when she'd finally expressed the depths of her feelings for Aang, it was in front of her father.
Too tired to fight it, she finally allowed herself to cry unhindered. She wept for everything she'd lost, for the father she'd found again, for her general exhaustion, for her misplaced trust in Prince Zuko, and for her friend and, yes, love that lay even now in a deceptively peaceful struggle to repair his damaged body.
There was a hesitation before Hakoda moved toward her, enveloping her in his arms while she cried. Leaning into him, Katara suddenly felt like a little girl again, but it wasn't a bad feeling. She felt a comfort and security she hadn't experienced since Aang had fallen, and it was a tremendous release.
At last, Katara dried her eyes, not knowing how long it had been. Hakoda released her, apparently understanding that she was regaining the years she had momentarily lost.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
"That's all right," Hakoda replied. "You've been through a lot, and I'm sorry for any part I had in that."
"It's not your fault," said Katara quickly. "I understand why you left. It was just hard."
"I know. I hope you know I thought about you and Sokka every day. I'd hoped that by leaving, I could help to keep you safe." He smiled ruefully. "I guess I didn't count on you growing up on me and joining the war yourself." Katara grinned tiredly back.
"Well, we didn't exactly plan it that way."
Hakoda's face grew serious again, and he gazed intently into Katara's eyes.
"He means that much to you?" he asked carefully, inclining his head towards Aang. Katara closed her eyes and nodded solemnly, feeling her cheeks coloring in a blush that seemed utterly ridiculous, under the circumstances. So much for any chance that her father might think she'd been speaking in a purely familial sense. She moved to a position near Aang once more.
"I know he's supposed to be the hope of the world, but for me…" she trailed off again, distantly wondering when she'd lost her ability to finish sentences.
"I think I know how you feel." Hakoda drew close to the bedside as well, kneeling beside her. "You would do anything for him."
"Of course." To Katara, this seemed obvious. Who wouldn't help the Avatar in any way they could? There was nothing special about that.
"You'd even trade places with him, if you could."
"Yes," Katara whispered unhesitatingly. She realized that it was not just the wounds or the unconsciousness, either. She wished she could take away all of his pain, his loss, and his burdens. Aang had had no choice in being born the Avatar, but even seeing what it meant and what the costs were, she would gladly take it on to spare him. Again, she had no words to express this, and she wasn't even sure if she should.
Such wishes were pointless, anyway. She couldn't do any of those things, so all she could do was be there for him, share as much as possible. Katara ran the back of her hand tenderly across Aang's cheek. Suddenly, she blinked. Had a muscle in his face just twitched? Or had it just been a trick of the light? Shaking her head, Katara scolded herself not to invent signs. He would wake up when he was ready. Maybe she did need a break.
"I don't really know him, of course, but I don't believe he'd want you killing yourself for him," Hakoda remarked gently. Katara blanched. Her father was right. Aang never wanted anyone to make a fuss over him, yet here she was, forgetting her own needs in her worry about him. What little sleep she'd managed since they'd boarded this ship had been taken right here on the floor, and her meals had been brought to her on a tray. She had usually even remembered to eat them.
In recent days, it had been impossible for Katara to separate herself from Aang in her own mind. He was an extension of herself, and she couldn't take care of one without the other. However, Katara now realized that this was a knife that cut both ways. Just as caring for Aang was essential to her well-being, so she could not take care of him without taking care of herself.
"No, he wouldn't," she conceded at last.
"Then come and have dinner with us," Hakoda invited her. Katara nodded, slowly.
"Okay. Just give me a minute." She took some of the water she always kept handy and used it for a routine diagnosis on Aang. This had become a habit – almost a ritual, actually – that she performed twice a day to check on the progress of his natural healing. She had not attempted to do any magical healing since using the spirit water, afraid she might do more harm than good. Katara suspected that she could bring him around by using her glowing water at his temples, but she preferred not to do that unless it seemed necessary. She sensed that he mostly needed rest right now, so she was determined to give him that. When his body decided it needed food more, he would wake up. It was as simple as that. Instinct told her he was getting close to that point, but it was impossible to tell exactly when it would happen. Everything seemed fine, so she stood up. Once there, though, she hesitated.
"I'm still not comfortable leaving him alone," she objected.
"I'll stay with Twinkle-toes," came a voice from the doorway. Toph stood there, lounging casually against the frame. "I'm done eating, anyway."
"Thanks, Toph."
"Whatever, Sweetness," Toph waved negligently as she entered the room proper. "You can listen to your brother jabber on. I could use the quiet." She settled herself on the floor. Toph was actually a good choice, since her unusual abilities would allow her to instantly detect any change in Aang's breathing or heart rate, and she could let Katara know.
"I'll see you soon, Aang," Katara promised as she ran her hand once through Aang's short crop of hair. She did not add the "I love you" that wanted to spring to her lips. Those words were for him to hear first, preferably without witnesses.
Katara followed her father to join the others on deck for dinner and fellowship. Maybe she would even sleep in her own bed tonight. Then again, maybe not. One step at a time.
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Author's Note: So, the main change was that I had Katara sort out her issues with her father earlier (which made a lot more sense to me than giving the impression she'd just been sniping at him for several weeks). I also hated the idea that Aang woke up alone. I found it incredible that someone as grievously injured as he had been would just be left by himself. At the very least, you'd want someone monitoring his condition, to make sure he didn't get worse. They also had to realize that he would get the wrong impression waking up on a Fire Nation ship, so somebody should have been right there to explain the situation.
Although I found the episode to be a general disappointment, I'm looking forward to the next one, which looks funny. My personal favorite part of the teaser was Aang's rendering of the Fire Lord in noodles. Who knew he was so artistic? Oh, and I noticed that the girls around him giggle when he "blahs" his way through the Fire Nation oath, so maybe my earlier oneshot isn't that far off!