Zuko cradled his uncle in his arms while the Avatar's gang grabbed their things and threw it onto Appa's saddle. Toph was about to get on when she noticed that Zuko wasn't moving. "You waiting for a personal invite or Christmas to come aboard?"
Zuko was still numb from the battle and his only response was to gently bring Iroh into the saddle. He sat down with Katara by his side. She was the only thing he was aware of besides his hurt uncle. She was his last hope to redeem himself in front of his uncle.
They flew until nightfall. They landed by a mountain stream. Toph jumped down and sighed. "Feels good to be back on land, doesn't it?" Her statement yet again failed to break the uncomfortable silence and tension that had descended on the group since the new additions came.
Sokka grunted." I'm not letting either one of you fire benders out of my sight! So don't even think of trying any funny business." He snarled at Zuko.
"Well I'll make it easy for you, I'm not leaving my uncle's side until the water wench—" Zuko began angrily but was interrupted by Katara.
"My name is Katara say my name!!! It is not that hard angry jerk!!" Katara yelled frustrated from a night of useless bending. Nothing she had tried seemed to help the old man at all. His cationic state made her uneasy.
"Do you listen to yourself? Or do you just like the sound!! Angry jerk? At least what I came up with had alliteration, your insult sounds like a third graders!!"
"Alliteration doesn't make it clever, Scar face! I am sick of---" The group never found out what Katara was sick of because of Toph's polite interruption. She had earth bended a huge wall surrounding Katara, Zuko and Iron's motionless body.
"You two shut up I am exhausted and I want my sleep!! You two stay in there till morning and be quiet of I will grind your bones to dust!"
Sokka looked abashed and glanced at Aang. "What Sokka, are you worried that Zuko will hurt Katara?" Aang certainly looked like this weighed heavily on his mind.
"No, I think- you won't believe this but I'm worried what Katara might do to him." Sokka laughed.
Toph smiled, "you should be, the sugar queen can take care of herself."
On the other side of the wall they didn't hear any of this. They stared at each other not moving. Zuko released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "O.K. Water we—err Katara," his face twisted in what looked like pain. "Would you please take one more look at my uncle tonight." He was just barely suppressing the pain.
Katara was aggravated by his show of pain. Why should it hurt him so much to be civil to me? I am doing everything I can to help him and his uncle. But he is acting like it causes him physical pain! How rude can you get?
Katara had wrongly assumed Zuko's pain was caused by his attempted politeness to her. Zuko knew that is what she probably thought but he was about to enlighten her about the burn he had sustained in the fight with his sister. He was embarrassed by he had bungled his revenge on his sister. No matter how many times he replayed the battle in his mind the only way that he could of won was to let Katara get hit by the lightning and attack when Azula was distracted. He couldn't justify such collateral damage even if she was the enemy. Katara would not die for this.
Katara was weary from all the healing she had been doing. Zuko softened his gaze at her. "You should rest. You can't help my uncle if you kill yourself from sleep depravation. Get some rest." Katara stretched and yawned.
"No I can last a little longer." She said bending over Iroh again. Zuko grunted his disbelief and leaned against the wall next to Katara.
"If you are worried about your patient I won't hesitate to wake you up if his condition changes." He frowned. Then trying to hide his hope asked. "Do you think he will come out of it tonight?" he sat down next to her and his uncle burned back against the cool earthen wall.
Katara turned away from his hopeful eyes and told the truth. "I don't think he will come out of it any time soon. His coma is the body's response to the heavy damage it sustained." She sighed. "Will you hold me?" Seeing his stare. "I mean to keep me steady while I work on your uncle. I am too tired too hold myself steady." She explained quickly. His usually pale face had turned pink.
He panicked inside for a moment. The thought of his uncle steadied him as he held the water bender still over his uncle. He could stand the pain of his burned back stretched holding her. To his surprise it wasn't so bad holding her. He watched fascinated by the water she was twisting to her will.
Katara needed to be completely steady for this. It was the most complicated technique for healing that she knew. If Zuko had to hold her for this then so be it. Maybe then he would understand and respect her with this front row seat. Respect was all she wanted.
Zuko was mezmirized by the water. But after a while he noticed that the bending got slower, and started losing its shape. Finaly the water just feel on his uncle leaving him wet. Zuko noticed that katara had gone limp. He pulled the snoozing beauty onto his lap. He leaned against the cold wall. And stroked her hair until he joined her dreamland.
Toph got up rested and relaxed the next morning. To her surprise she felt that instead Zuko and Katara were not on opposite sides of the enclosure but cuddled up together. She laughed making sure Sokka and Aang were still asleep. And let down the wall.
Zuko, whose pillow was the wall, now was the ground. In other words his head came crashing down and CRACK. He sprang up clutching his head and knocking Katara out of his lap. "OW! What was that for! You stupid little girl!"
"What are you yelling Zuko?" Katara yawned. Zuko growled at Toph but didn't say anything. He pulled his hand away from his head reveling a bloody gash. Katara noticed instantly. "Oh! Zuko here, let me help you with that."
Toph laughed and had an evil grin on her face. "I am a relationship genius!! I should have my own show and call it Dr. Toph."
"Are you kidding me? You couldn't even make a good carton charctrer!" Zuko shouted. Toph ignored this and earth bended a couch and knocked Zuko unto it. Yet again Zuko's head was pushed not so nicely into a rock pillow. "Ugh! What is wrong with you, Dr. Toph!" He snarled. He got up from the earthen couch and walked toward the mountain stream. "I'm going to get some breakfast."
"Be back before the commercial break is over. Prince sourpuss!! We'll be back after some brief messages from Dr. Toph's sponsors." Toph smiled at Katara and they laughed at Zuko's hasty retreat.
Author's note: tell me if they are still in charcter or not. And please comment even if it is horrible rude.