The Great Switch Chapter 2, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the last air bender or any of the characters, if I did Zuko and Katara would have kissed in the cave.

I also don't own this story it belongs to the and those who created it on the forum. It is being reproduced here with their permission.

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Aang was just as shocked to see Zuko as he was to see him. It was one thing to know that you are in another body quite a different thing to look at someone else in your body. He was just about to explain about the potion that could switch them back and how it had been stolen when they both heard Katara scream.

For a split second Aang felt his jealously rise, just like in the caves in Ba Sing Sei. But he puts that aside. What is important at the moment is helping Katara. He smirks a bit as his longer legs carry him past Zuko.

It took a terrifying five minuets before Aang found Katara leaning against a tree for support mumbling to herself. He stops running and holds an arm out to touch her shoulder and asks, "Katara are you alright? What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

Aang watches in horror as Katara turns to face him with a look of loathing. If it wasn't for Zuko stumbling into him, he would have found himself frozen to a tree by a very angry waterbender.

At first Katara had been shocked by Zuko's appearance, but shock quickly turned to anger. She reaches for her water pouch and sends a stream of water at Zuko, forcing him to back up towards a tree. She was just about to freeze the water when Aang stumbled out of the bush and right into Zuko.

She was livid, not only was Zuko here but now Aang would be venerable, seeing as he still wasn't well. She gathers up the water she had used earlier into a ball that she had Above her head. "Get out of the way Aang. I'm going to take care of him once and for all! "

Zuko glared at Aang's back.. or rather his back all the way there. His scowl only deepened as he saw Aang reach Katara and try to help her.
Then he saw Katara's reaction. Zuko's jaw dropped, and he felt himself slow down as he watched his body being slammed up against a tree. For an instant, he thought it served Aang right for speeding ahead, and he enjoyed seeing him water whipped. On the other hand, that was his body she was attacking.

That's going to hurt later. Zuko thought as he ran into Aang to stop Katara's next move. His body had been through enough already, Zuko thought. He would be sore for a week from the look of him, and the last thing he needed was frostbite. He panted as he stared at Katara, between his body and her wrath.

"Get out of the way Aang. I'm going to take care of him once and for all!"

Zuko gulped. It was an awkward feeling, knowing it should've been him she was attacking so violently. "No. I can't let you do that." He panted, looking her straight in the eye. "You have to stand down, Katara."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could've sworn he saw the Avatar flinch when he spoke her name.

Katara's glare softened a little as she turns her attention to who she believes is Aang. "But he's our enemy! Have you forgotten that he's chased us across the world? Or that he can't be trusted!?! "

Her voice was shaking, it connived her mixed emotions. She was mad, felling betrayed, scared for Aang, wondering if she was doing the right thing, and confused by how strong her emotions were tied to this scared prince.

Zuko felt himself grow angry as Katara spoke those words. That dreaded gnawing feeling was back again, eating away at his resolve. He stared at the ground, as different emotions swelled through him.

"Of course not! But that doesn't mean we can't give him another chance! " Zuko gritted his teeth and watched Aang in his body, who stared back silently, seemingly waiting. Zuko almost felt as if he were imploring Aang as much as Katara.

He turned his face away from a speechless Aang and stared back at the confused water bender. "Look at him Katara! Doesn't he look like he needs help?"

Zuko hated Katara's next look, as he watched her look at his body. Was that pity on her face? He clenched his fists tightly and stared at himself, seeing what he thought Katara saw. A wretched, pathetic banished Prince.

Katara looks at Zuko then back at Aang, as tears start to fill her eyes. She quickly wipes them away before either boy can see them and hangs her head. She bends the water back into her pouch

"I'm sorry." She whispers and then walks over to Zuko, and kneels down beside him "What I said was out of line. …. Here let me take a look at you." She reaches out a hand and starts to examine Zuko's scraps and bruises as he just looks at her flabbergasted.

"Well nothing life threatening but I bet they are causing some discomfort." She bends some water over her hand and begins to treat him.

Aang had been watching the exchange between Zuko and Katara with baited breath. Finally she calmed down and looks over at him. The look that Zuko has thought was pity Aang recognized as confusion, shame at herself, and ... something he really really hoped he wasn't seeing --- interest.

When she knelt down next to him he didn't know what to do. Her voice had the same tone, she used on Jet when they had meet up with him at Ba Sing Sei. This is not happing, this is not happing, He tought to himself.

He glanced over at Zuko who had a frown on his face, and gave him a most hateful glare. This was all his fault! Noticing that Katara was done healing him and still kneeling next to him he coughs, to cover up a slight blush. "Thanks."

He stands up and walks over to Zuko trying to put as much room between him and Katara. "We need to talk" He couldn't help the jealously that creped into his voice, as he talked to his new rival.

Nothing could have surprised Zuko more, then seeing Katara's immediate, drastically changing reaction. From trying to kill him, to actuallyhelpinghim, and healing him, for which he was also grateful, knowing he would have less aches to deal with when he got his body back.

As he watched Katara heal his body, a little confused, he caught the Avatar's angry glare. Like so many other things today, it reminded him of their encounter in the caves. He watched Aang curiously, as he stood up and made a concentrated effort to keep him away from Katara. He couldn't help but notice the contrasting expressions on his face during Katara's healing.

Zuko walked up to Aang and grimaced. "Yes, We do." He looked past Aang to Katara and smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, we'll both come back in one piece." He gave Aang a meaningful glance

Katara stood up and looks at the two boys. "Your not going anywhere with out me!" She places her arms on her hips and dares either boy to disagree with her.

He is so intent on glaring them down that she misses Zuko (Aang) nudging Aang (Zuko) with his foot and giving Aang a look like, you are the one who has to convince her.

Zuko was taken aback. He'd never seen Katara quite this way before. He couldn't help but chuckle just a little as he swept past Aang and took hold of Katara's hand, looking straight into her eyes.

"Katara, I'll be right over there, okay? I mean, if he was going to try something, don't you think he would have by now?" He smiled coyly at her, and stole a glance at his heated looking face. Wow, I didn't even know my face could get that red.

He took Katara's other hand knowing Aang was watching the whole time, and whispered just low enough that Aang couldn't hear them. "Trust me." He smiled.

Katara still looks worried but reluctantly nods her head. She looks over at Zuko then down at Aang. "All right but if you aren't back in five minuets, I'm coming after you." She looks back at Zuko, "And I won't go easy on you this time". She sees him straighten his back and nod. Then she watches as first Zuko then Aang disappear out of her sight.

Aang watches as Zuko in his body boldly takes not just one of Katara's hands but both of them. When I get my body back the two of us are going to have to have a nice little chat He absent mindedly balls his hands into fists, and gives Zuko his best glare.

He manages to catch himself just in time to see Katara look over and address him. He nods his head letting her know he understands and starts to walk away, knowing that Zuko will follow him.

Once he feels that they are far enough away from Katara he turns around and pokes Zuko in the chest. "What do you think you are doing with her? "

Zuko raised an eyebrow and pretended not to know what Aang was talking about. "I don't know what you're referring to. I was only talking to her." He smirked in a friendly way, as he turned his back on Aang and walked out of poking distance.

He could feel Aang heat up in his fire bending body. "She's a very... Good person." He said a little more seriously.
"I can see why you like her so much." He turned to look back at Aang, and sat down on a log, they might be here for a while.

Aang frowns then stammers unconvincingly. "I don't ... like.. her. …. She's just a friend. But so help me if you ever come near her." His eyes burn in anger and he accidentally brushes on hand where the potion use to be. He sighs and calms down a bit.

"But that isn't why I needed to talk to you." He saw Zuko roll his eyes and felt incensed, trying to force him self to be clam he too sat down on a log a little ways away from Zuko. "It was one of the potions that we broke that caused us to switch bodies. But luckily there was enough left so that we can get back into our original ones. "

"Well that's a relief! How do we change back? What do we have to do?" Zuko really wanted his body back. There were things he had to do. He saw Aang squirm a bit at the mention of how.

"Wait,... Don't tell me you didn't take it with you." Zuko's voice raised a bit anxiously as he started to panic.

Aang rubs the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh. "Well not exactly. I did bring it with me. but um ... I ran into some trouble with two thiefs. I managed to fight them off, but not before they had pick pocketed me. "

Zuko groaned and clutched his head. "Perfect. Just great". He glared at Aang. "You just Had to lose it. How long ago did you see these thieves? " He was growing impatient with this situation.

Aang glares at Zuko "Hey it isn't my fault that your body is so acward!" He shifted in his seat.

"And I saw them right before I ran into you. They had run off in the direction that ..." His eyes grew a little wider "Katara ... I bet that is why she screamed. "

Zuko crossed his arms and glared back at Aang. "My body is awkward?" Zuko scoffed. "Look who's talking oh short and bald one". Zuko snapped at Aang.

The idea of Katara alone with two thieves stuck in Zuko's mind, and that made him short tempered. I shouldn't have left her alone and unprotected. What was I thinking?!

Zuko scowled at Aang, while imagining all kinds of lowlife skulking around the woods. He felt himself becoming more and more paranoid. He stood up and looked at Aang. "We have to find those thieves, and get the potion back."

He stood up and started in the direction of the camp, of Katara, completely forgetting that they
still had to figure out how to do that without Katara.

Aang glares at Zuko as he recognizes a look of worry cross his face. He quickly stands up. "We should get back to her, before she comes looking for us. You wouldn't want your body to get a few holes in it before it's returned. Plus maybe she will be able to give us more information about where the thieves might have gone."

"Maybe. Let's just get back for now." He said without turning back as he went back into the camp, half expecting to see Katara being dragged away by a mob of thieves. Instead, however, he found Katara sitting beside a tree, looking slightly agitated while playing with water bending.

He breathed a sigh of relief and blushed, suddenly remembering that a water bending master of Katara's skill could handle a forest full of thieves easily, let alone a couple of pick pocketing thugs. He blushed, feeling somewhat stupid at his previous idea. He should have remembered Katara was no damsel in distress.

"We're back." He said slightly red with embarrassment.

At first Katara tried pacing to keep from going after the boys, but she had found that it wasn't helping her much. So she had uncapped her water skin and started to practice some bending moves. The movements start to calm her down, but it doesn't totally get rid of her worry. Every now and then she will look in the direction that the boys were, hopping that they would be back soon.

Finally after what seemed to be hours to her worried mind but which was in fact just a few minuets she saw Aang followed by Zuko walk back into camp. She stood up and had to resist the urge to hug Aang, for she didn't want to give Zuko any ammo about her not trusting him, or to show weakness in front of him.

She looks at Aang then over to Zuko and folds her arms over her chest. "Well since you've now had a chance to talk. I guess you will be leaving right? "

Aang looks at Katara and wonders if they are even going to be able to pull this off. He looks over at Zuko in his body and begs him with his eyes to come up with something. At the same time his jealousy at Zuko was flaring up again. As far as Aang was concerned the faster they got their correct bodies back the better. Then he would be able to protect Katara from Zuko.

Zuko saw Katara's torn expression darting between himself and Aang, and felt upset and triumphant at the same time. But he felt also like he had to do all the work, Aang should be able to say something in his own defense. Is he trying to make me look bad?

Zuko coughed and rubbed the back of his head, unsure what he was going to say. "Actually, not quite yet Katara". He had no idea how to convince her. Honestly he got this far through blind luck. "You see... Zuko," He resisted a flinch. "Has something he wanted to ask us... "

Saying his own name as reference to the Avatar, he had a flashback of his dream back in Ba Sing Se, during his feverish nightmare. At the time, he thought seeing himself as the Avatar was just some random dream, but now...
What the... Was that some kind of premonition? Zuko shook his head trying to clear his thoughts, as unsettling as the idea was though, he couldn't quite keep from looking as disturbed as he felt, and turned his face away from Katara to hide it.

He gave a panicked, urging look towards Aang, to say something, and quick. Say something! He mouths at Aang.

Aang was indeed partly trying to make Zuko look bad, so that when they got their correct bodies back. The chance of Zuko stealing Katara away from him would be lessoned. But he knew that if he didn't say the right thing now, they weren't going to get back to their correct bodies anytime soon. He coughs and takes a step towards Katara.

" I ... we ... Ok you know the shop you found us in?", he watches as Katara nods her head yes and tries to ignore Zuko's rolling eyes. "Well just as we had the accident in the shop, two thieves came in and made use of the distraction to steal a valuable potion. The woman of the shop charged me and An ... the Avatar to get the potion back as the price for wrecking her shop. " He does his best to but a scowl on his face and cross his arms, but it looks forced. "For some reason she thought we were together."

Katara looks from Zuko to Aang then back at Zuko. She sighs as she has a seat on a rock that Toph had bended around the campfire the night before. "All right. I guess we should help as Aang also caused the incident at the shop."
She looks up at Zuko with steady eyes for the first time since he showed up in their clearing. "So what did these thieves look like?"

Aang lets out relived sigh as he too takes a seat around the camp fire. "Well there were two of them. One was really tall with black hair and a goatee. I think the other one called him Jeppi. The other was a shorter but stockier with light brown hair and he has a scar running across his nose. I had caught up with them but they managed to get away from me about ... fifteen minuets ago, right about the time we heard you scream. …….um ... you didn't happen to see them did you?"

As Zuko describes the two thieves, Katara realizes they were the one who knocked her over. Once he finishes she nods her head. " yes they ran into me, I guess as they were running away from you."

She thinks for a moment and then points "I think they went that way. We should be able to catch up to them on Appa."

Zuko rolled his eyes at Aang's interpretation of himself. Crossing his own arms, he stared at the fake scowl on his bodies face. He looked over at Katara, wondering if she had noticed the odd behavior. She couldn't help but notice it, as far as Zuko was concerned.

He didn't find the story of needing the Avatar so he could pay his share of the mess very convincing at all. He could only hope Katara wouldn't ask any questions until after they had switched bodies again. It's like he's trying to make me look ridiculous. Zuko thought, as he watched Aang speak to Katara.

It was obvious he liked her. Very obvious. Zuko scowled. He is trying. Well two can play that game. He smirked at Aang when Katara wasn't looking.

"Well, we could take Appa, I guess..." He trailed off, in a tone suggesting he would rather walk on a dozen porcupigs backs than fly on Appa. "Yeah, that would be a good idea Katara". He smiled fakely.

Katara smiles at Aang then looks over at Zuko." Well if it's alright with you that is. " She couldn't help but blush very faintly as she addressed Zuko, half from embarrassment and half from thinking back to what happened in the crystal caves.

Aang frowns at Zuko's smirk and clenches his fists again. When Katara turns to him he doesn't look at her as he tries his best to look like he didn't care. "That does seem the fastest way. "

He gets up and starts walking in the direction that they had left Appa in. Then remembers he's not supposed to know.
"Um ... where is he?"

Katara gets up and then offers Aang her hand, for she wants to keep him close to her and away from Zuko, purposely putting herself between the two boys. "This way."

They walk towards the stream then over to a rock formation that Toph had once again provided for Appa as it had rained the night before. She goes over and rubs his head "Are you up for a little trip?" The animal grunts at her in approval before turning his attention to Aang and Zuko.

Zuko couldn't help but snicker at Aang as he almost gave away where the bison would be, but he quickly coughed to cover it up, and put a sober expression on his face, for Katara's benefit. "Sure, Katara. It's fine." He sighed, and allowed her to lead the way, hanging back just a little to glance at the Avatar's heated expression, until Katara got in between them, almost as if she knew they were fighting.

He noticed her blush at the proximity between herself and Aang, and felt jealous for an instant, until he remembered it wasn't Aang she was blushing for. He smiled again, regaining his cool, before he saw the bison... For the first time so closely in a semi-peaceful circumstance. Wow it's big.

Zuko didn't dare go near Appa at first, remembering his encounter with it at that nunnery. It wasn't exactly the friendliest of beasts to him.
--

Katara stared at Aang as though he had grown a third leg, standing there so tensely.

Aang gives Zuko a mincing look before approaching Appa. "Hey boy. You don't mind if I ride you. " Appa leans over and sniffs Aang for a moment then licks him. Aang lets out a small laugh. "I think he likes me."

He gives a hand to Katara to help her get up on Appa, before realizing that he's not himself again. He quickly takes it away and covers up the mistake with a cough. "Well we should hurry there's no telling how far they have gotten." With that he climbs up into the saddle.

Zuko watched Aang talk to Katara and felt his jealousy heat up. Deciding he couldn't be shown up in front of Katara he walked over to Appa, determined. "Hey, Boy". He imitated Aang, a little awkwardly, and he placed a hand on Appa's head. Appa roared right in his face.

Zuko couldn't tell if it was friendly, or if it was a warning. He shuddered, unsure of how to react next to the bison, until he heard a small chuckle, from Aang's direction. He glared up at him, as his face went red.

Katara was about to take Zuko's hand when she hears Appa roar. She turns to look what he is so upset about, and sees him watching Aang intently. She puts her hands on her hips and chides the bison." Appa! What are you doing?! Just because Aang hasn't been feeling well doesn't make him any less Aang."

The bison gave her a look of, I know who Aang is and its no him. But Katara couldn't read his expression. "Well if you are taking Zuko you are going to take Aang too. " She walks over to Aang and shakes her head. "I don't know what's gotten into him. Here let me help you up. You shouldn't strain yourself or your wound might open back up."

Katara didn't know how to decipher Appa's expression, but Zuko was fairly sure he knew what it meant anyway. After all, Appa was Aang's spirit guide, of course he would know the difference between their souls.He looked at Katara as she chided Appa, and noticed the smirk wiped off of Aangs face,.. or rather his face as she gently took a hold of his arm to help him up.

Zuko blushed speechless, as she put her arm around him. "Uh, thanks Katara." He squeaked, as he took a hold of her to steady himself getting on the bison. Distracted as he was by trying to climb aboard the disgruntled bison, he couldn't have seen Aang's angry jealous expression as Katara carefully helped him up.

Once Katara had helped Aang up onto Appa she grabs a hold of his reigns. "Yip yip." Appa takes to the skies and she steers him in the direction that she had last seen the two men run off in. She calls over her shoulder. "You two keep a look out, and let me know when you find them."

Aang glares at Zuko for a full minuet before he realizes what Katara had asked them to do, grumbling under his breath he looks over the edge of the saddle searching the breaks between the trees.

They fly for about ten minuets before he spots them trying to cross the creak. He points them out "There they are."

Zuko might have done what Katara asked, had he not been clutching the saddle so tightly his hands ached. Do they always fly this high? He gulped as he shut his eyes, not even caring that Aang was glaring at him. He just wanted to stay on at the moment.

"Katara! Could we fly a little lower?" Zuko shouted just before Aang said he had spotted them. He looked over at Aang long enough to see his smug expression. Zuko glared daggers at him, but didn't have the stomach to do anything back at the moment.

Katara looks back at Aang as he asks to fly lower, and frowns, maybe he's got a stomach virus or something. Then she hears Zuko exclaim that he found them. "Alright hang on, I'll bring him down. It looks like we will land right next to them."

She snaps the reins and Appa starts his decent. She can here the shorter mans panicked yelp as he sees the giant bison closing in on them. "Jeppi we have better get out of here now!"

Jeppi looks up and sees Appa then takes off in a sprint., shortly followed by the other man.

Appa lands with his back to the two men and whips his tale sending a great wave of air and water towards the two men causing them to stumble and then fall.

As soon as Appa landed, Aang jumps from the saddle and runs over to the men. Miraculously he doesn't trip or stumble on the way. "Well I guess you've never seen a two ton Bison before. I suggest you hand over what you took or we'll sick him on you. "

Appa grunts his wiliness to help his master out making the men almost shake. Akito reaches into his pocket and throws it at Aang. "Here just take it."

The package flies over Aang's head and he watches it with panic on his face. If it breaks then he will be stuck in Zuko's body for ever, and worse Zuko will continue to be by Katara's side.

He tries to dive for it but he's too far away from it.

Zuko watched in what seemed like slow motion as Aang misses the bottle. It was thrown way too high, and way too far. Even with the advantage of height he couldn't get it. Zuko let go of the saddle and jumped off from Appa without even considering where he might land.

No! Don't fall don't break! No! Zuko dived for it, and just barely caught the bottle as he crashed on top of Aang. "I got it!" He groaned, clutching the bottle tightly in his hands.

Zuko had completely forgotten Katara was there, watching them in their desperation to reach the potion, and when he looked up at her confused face, he was sure they had blown their cover. Oh no...

Katara watches in disbelief as Aang dives for the potion and then falls onto Zuko. A look of confusion passes over her face, but it is quickly replaced by laughter. Zuko was sprawled out halfway in the water and the rest on the bank covered in mud. Aang hadn't faired any better. He was also soaking wet and covered head to toe in mud.

She was laughing so hard that she forgot the two thieves who had taken the opportunity to disappear into the woods.

Aang finds Katara's laughter contagious and also starts to chuckle. If you thought about it the situation was kind of hilarious. Then the pain of Zuko falling on top of him started to settle in, he let out a grown. "Do you think you could let me up now?"

Zuko quickly jumps up and Aang gets to his feet in the process whispering to him, "We have to get away from her so that we can change back. She doesn't trust Zuko, so you will have to be the one to tell her".

Zuko held his stomach, he had fallen pretty hard on top of Aang, and that "wound" Katara had mentioned earlier did seem to be sensitive to ten foot falls from a bison's back. He didn't join in the laughter Katara and Aang shared.

Instead he groaned and whispered as Katara's laughter started to die down. "Right right, I know that already. I know have to do everything". He hissed at Aang. Zuko's pain was somehow easier to take, snapping at his rival.

He stood up straight and cleared his throat to get Katara's attention, nonetheless. "Well, it seems we've recovered what you came here for, Zuko." Zuko tried to ignore the muddy water running down his back as he spoke.
"I think it's time you were on your way then." He pushed Aang to urge him along into the woods.

Aang felt himself being pushed into the woods. He took the hint and disappears into the woods at a brisk walk. When they have gone out of Katara's sight he turns around. "Quick pore the potion over our heads as we stand together. It won't take long for her to come after us."

Zuko nodded and looked at the strange bottle's contents. There was barely any in there. He frowned.
"How much do we need? Oh this had better work! " He said in a panicked hush, twisting the cap off and pouring it quickly from the top of his head, then getting Aang to bend down so he could pour some on his.

C'mon, stupid potion, work- A veil of smoke slowly encircled Aang and Zuko once again, as Zuko felt himself becoming dizzy and fell unconscious.

Aang felt the familiar lightheadedness, but this time he was prepared for it. He controlled his breathing just like he does to enter the Avatar state and manages to stay conscious during the switch.

Once the feeling of dizziness subsides he looks down at his hands to find the familiar blue tattoos. "Yes!" He jumps five feet into the air before landing again. Then he looks down at Zuko. A mixture of resentment, jealously, and thanks fill him. His good nature won out and he kneels down next to Zuko and shakes him awake gently. "Zuko?"

Katara watches as Aang pushes Zuko confused. Then her confusion turns to worry when Aang disappears with him. "Hey! " She jumps off Appa and makes to follow them but Appa brings a paw down on her. "Appa! get off me. I've got to go help Aang. "

The bison considers her a moment then sniffs the air. Satisfied at what he finds he lets Katara go. She walks into the woods looking over her shoulder at Appa trying to figure out his odd behavior. Then she shakes her head. I'll deal with that after I've got Aang back

Katara doesn't take more then ten steps into the woods before she finds Aang kneeling next to Zuko and trying to wake him. She immediately goes over to them both and asks "What happened?"

Zuko groaned, suddenly feeling extremely sore from he can't remember what. "What happened?...Katara?" He looks up at her, not yet realizing he's back in his own body. "Ugh, I feel like I've been hit by a bison". He felt his head, and sure enough, the familiar feel of hair.
"I-I'm back! " Zuko looked at his hands and sat up looking over at Aang. Sure enough, it was.. Aang. He cringed at the sight of the body he had just been in. Well that was an odd experience.

Zuko looked over, and caught Katara staring at him strangely, her cheeks tinted red with a blush. He smirked knowing it was for him now. Lowering his voice to similar tone from the night he had taken her hostage, he couldn't help himself now from greeting her properly in his own body. "Hello to you too, Katara."

Katara blushes as Zuko says her name ... she didn't even think he knew it. But her expression is quickly replaced by worry. "Lay back down, I think you might have hit your head." She gently pushes him down over Aang's protests. She looks over at him." I'm not going to leave him here if he's got head trauma. It will just take me a moment to look then we can be on our way"

She reaches for Zuko's head missing the glare of loathing Aang shoots Zuko.

Zuko blushed as Katara pushed him down, gently, and yet oh so firmly. "I'm fine, really! I just bumped my head!" Yet Katara ignored all his protests, and simply bended a snake of water over for healing.
Eventually Zuko stopped struggling against it and decided to let her have her way, not that he wasn't enjoying it.

Not that it didn't feel good to be in his own body and still enjoying all of Katara's attention. He tried very hard to conceal a smile and his blush as Katara examined his head. "Um, thanks for helping me". He muttered, as she was feeling his head for bumps. It came out sounding surprisingly shy.

He had completely forgotten about Aang, even as he stood there, arms crossed, watching. Simmering.
But it didn't matter, Zuko was enjoying himself.

Aang could feel his anger rising. He starts to recite a chant he had learned as a monk, but found that it didn't help the situation much. Finally he decided that what he needed to do was to get Katara away from the prince. Once she was back in the camp with everyone else she would quickly forget him. .. or so he hoped.

He coughs and says in a calm voice trying to conceal his jealously. "Now he is fine, and we should be getting back to camp. I'm sure Zuko can deliver the potion back to the shop, besides we have to move while there is still enough sun to see by. "

Zuko shot the monk a glare and Aang gives him a smirk in return.

Katara sighs as looks at Zuko one last time before getting to her feet. "I guess you are right Aang. We should be going... but will he be able to find his way back to the village? "

She blinks in surprise at her own question. She hadn't meant to say that. Of course Zuko would be able to find his way back. After all his tracking skills had hunted them down all over the world. Getting back to one small village that was a walk down the creak back to were their base camp currently was then taking the path back wouldn't be to hard.

She turns her back to the prince and starts towards Appa.

Zuko watches Katara get up, feeling suddenly blank. He was just starting to enjoy himself, and yet it's not like he could've expected anything different. But he felt he wasn't ready to part with her, not yet. Not when he might never see her again on these terms. He sat up quickly as she turned to leave, panic gripping him.

"Katara!" He didn't know what he was going to say next, as she turned to face him his mind went blank. "Keep dreaming. "

Zuko had no idea why he said that. He felt his face pale as he realized he might have given what happened away.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed before he couldn't bear it anymore, and he turned to leave as a blush crept up to his face.

I'll let the Avatar explain that one. Zuko felt his face turn into a smile. He ran as fast as he could back towards the village through the woods.

Aang watches Zuko leave then turns to Katara. "Keep dreaming? What did he mean?"

Katara shakes herself out of the bit of shock she had been feeling and starts back to Appa." I have no idea." She seems lost in thought then shakes her head. "Let's get back to the others."

Aang gives Katara a worried glance then looks back at the direction that Zuko had fled. I am going to have to keep an eye on him. Katara's got to big of a heart ... and I don't want to see her get hurt again. He hears Katara call him and yells "Coming." Then runs and jumps up on Appa, not remembering the pain in his back, and almost fails but makes it.

Katara gives him a concerned look. Aang rubs the back of his head," I think I'll just need some rest once we find a new camp. Nothing to be worried about."

Katara gives him a skeptic cock of the head, but chalks it up to the weirdness of the day, then yells "yip yip."

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Well that takes care of chapter two. Please leave reviews to tell us how ya like it . And don't worry there will be another chapter, Zuko still has to fulfill Katara's dream after all.