Yeah I know I didn't do an author's note last time, bbbuuuttttttt reviews make me happy and don't flame me pppooorrrr fffaaaavvvoooorrrrr (:

Gravity

Her tears were reduced to sniffles as she tilted her face up to her savior. "I… wish I could see you…"

"Why?" His tone sounded surprised.

"So I could thank you for helping me." The harsh, cold voice that had been hers only twenty-four hours ago had disappeared.

"Oh… Don't mention it."

Timidly, her hand reached up to his face that was just far enough away that her knuckles barely brushed his jawline. In the midst of darkness, there was a light right in front of her, its warmth stretched over her and filled her from the inside. She then pulled back from him slightly.

"I'm sorry… I'm not like this all the time. I'm not like this at all…" Her voice broke and silent tears fell from her face.

"Neither am I…" His voice was pained.

"I don't even know who you are…"

"I feel like I've always known you…" He pulled her closer to his chest.

"So do I…"

A warm tear fell on her forehead from her captor. Silently, tears were shed for the past one could not remember and the future one could not see. The agony spread over them both with such passion like a burning fire or a tidal wave rushing the two together. Sleep eventually came over them without mercy and they slept in each other's arms.

Katara was awakened by sudden tossing and she looked around blindly in a moment of hope, but her hopes were dashed as she was still blind. She nudged the slumbering boy still wrapped around her and asked, "What's going on?"

He yawned and she felt him shift. "Just a little squall…"

She frowned so obviously that one needn't sight to sense it.

"Can I help on deck?"

"Of course not."

"Why not?" Her temper was flaring again.

"I am a Waterbender aren't I?"

"True…" He let go of her with some reluctance. "Let's go. I'm sure they could use help, but do you have your sea legs?"

A laugh escaped her. "I grew up on ice, are you kidding?"

Walking in a straight line was more difficult than she'd expected, but they finally made their way up the stairs and onto the main deck.

"What are you doin' up here with 'er, boy?" Who she thought was the captain yelled down from a high place.

Fantastic. I'll never know his name. She thought slightly angered, and the water around her ankles swirled away from her. "Whaddya think? To have dinner? She's a Waterbender, Slick!"

Water refused to even come near her now, just bouncing off of an invisible force field of my anger. One second later, all the water on board turned to a sheet of cold as we went through one of the largest waves she was certain she had ever encountered. The wave only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough that every pirate on board began yelling for their dear lives while Katara and her comrade remained untouched.

"H-how are you doing that?" Her anger flared and she heard a tremendous cracking sound and the sound of shattering glass. It just turned out to be the ice layer she laid over the deck.

A hand touched her shoulder, but instead of being gentle and firm, it was just rough and slightly intimidating. "You the lass that waste of air saved?"

"If you're talking about him," She snatched up her savior's hand and laced it with her own. "then yes. He's more helpful than you'd think."

"Um… boy? Why is she a lookin' the otha way?"

All of a sudden, Katara's face got hot and flushed before she turned around to confront the larger man as she found out by poking him in what she thought would be his chest. Turned out that she was poking the very center of his extremely rotund stomach. "Look here, mister. I'm just trying to get to the Earth Nation, and this was all a-" She felt the water beneath the ship begin to churn up in a fashion that resembled the feeling of when the Water Tribe's canoes were hung in a little whirlpool. Unfortunately, this was not one of those little whirlpools but a rather large one… a rather large one. "Are you kidding me?" Immediately, she got to action remembering how to reverse and smooth out the waters for safe travel; since they were still in the Water Nation territory it wouldn't be too difficult, right?

"You, there…"

"Me?" It was the kind voice she remembered.

"Yeah. Hold my waist so I won't fall over."

"Um….."

"Just do it." With that, Katara felt two very hesitant hands place themselves on her waist somewhat shakily. The ship began tilting left. Counterclockwise… that would stand to reason that… Her hands worked deftly, arcing from one point to another in such skillful manner that it seemed effortless until the water began responding; then, it felt like trying to bend saltwater taffy after it's been chilled. The swiftness of the water was strong, but she fought against it with all her might until the currents became more malleable under her hands. The harder she worked, the more the ship tilted upright again and the waters bowed beneath her commands. Sweat covered her face in a dripping film that coated her whole body after a few minutes of getting the ship completely upright and shifting the currents to send the ship into calmer waters. The firm hold on her waist never faltered and she smiled. Trying to look up at the male, she smiled then fainted in his arms.

After what seemed like a few minutes to the Waterbender, she awoke and attempted to look around yet again but to no avail. She sat straight up and felt that she was back in the room she woke up in the first time. Now, she felt the waters pulling against and toward the ship in perfect harmony, wavering over every little splinter. She yawned and the waters seemed to make the ship's wooden sides sigh as well. So where was she going? She couldn't ever go back to the Water Nation to face her angry brother. She couldn't see the man she wanted even if she tried. She was with a load of pirates and one man who seemed decent enough.

"Well you're up early…" She jumped a little.

"Is it so early?"

"Actually, yeah. It's just past midnight. You've been asleep about two days since you saved our sorry asses."

"Oh wow…" She flopped back on the bed. "So now what?"

"The waters are pretty calm out, so why don't you come on up with me? I'm keeping watch tonight. I was watching you when Sarge came down and demanded that I work. I haven't been away from you for too long just in case you woke up. Now that you are… You can stay here or come up there with me. But I don't think wandering is such a good idea when the others haven't been around a female in quite a while."

The rest about wandering around didn't even make it to her ears. "You want to take me up there?'

His tone sounded surprised when he responded, "Well, yeah."

She jumped up and reached for his hand and realized she grabbed his thigh, making her face incredibly hot. "Um…"

"Um… Well then…"

"Um…"

"Let's um… Go…"

He grabbed my hand roughly, not like before but almost eagerly and angrily. "I want to show you something."

She sighed, "I can't see, but okay…"

He took her, softer now, up the stairs and onto the deck where she could feel the tides changing again. Breathing deeply, she could taste the salt in the air and the wind became warmer. "That's a lovely necklace, by the way…" He touched her neck and traced down her neck.

She pulled back. "So what were you going to show me?"

There was a moment of awkward silence before he pulled his hand away and laughed heartily. "Hold on and don't scream."