Sorry it took so long to update ya'll. But I had to wait for the roleplayers to get to a point that would make a decent chapter break.
As before I don't own Avatar or this story. The story belongs to and Avatar belongs to Nick.
Enjoy and review.
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Toph, Sokka, and Keui were waiting for them when they get back to camp. Katara and Aang briefly explain that Zuko had been in the village, but didn't mention that he had been at the camp.
Sokka had gone on a venting rage which both Aang and Katara had expected. Toph had cut it short buy sinking him into the earth. After Sokka had finally calmed down and Toph had graciously agreed to get him back out, they had packed up camp.
After about a half hour of flying they had reestablished base camp, far enough away that they didn't believe Zuko would be able to find them.
It didn't take long after dinner for everyone to settle in for the night, well everyone except Katara. She couldn't stop thinking about what Zuko had said to her before he had taken off.
How did he know I've been dreaming? Was he eavesdropping when I had told Aang about my dream? But then why didn't he come out the?
She sighs, her thoughts just kept going in circles she needed something to take her mind off it. She gets up and starts to walk out of camp.
There was a small yet deep pond where she had gotten water for dinner earlier, going for a swim and practicing her bending would help to calm her thought. And it was far enough away that she wouldn't wake her sleeping friends.
Once she got to the pond she takes off her outer robe and folds it neatly before setting it on a rock near the waters edge. Then she wades in feeling the cool water all around her. After taking a deep breath she dives in, immersing herself fully in her element.
---
Zuko ran through the forest until his lungs ached for air, and his legs burned with exhaustion. He stopped to catch his breath halfway to the village.
Zuko knew what Aang would do. He knew the Avatar would move their camp as soon as they found their friends to evade him. He muttered and scowled at the thought of Aang packing Katara away on Appa.
Then he ran faster. He had to be fast, and careful. He knew he had to catch them again before the next day, when they would probably move even farther, and faster. And then he would have barely a hope of carrying out his plan.
Zuko wasted no time allowing Azula or anyone else to see him sneak back to his room, where he changed into his black garments usually reserved for the Blue Spirits tasks, and snuck back out again.
Why am I even doing this?, was Zuko's constant thought, as he ran back into the woods after the Avatar's campsite. But it didn't stop him, until he had reached his destination, finding them gone, as he knew they would be.
Zuko
sighed and stopped by the log he and Katara had talked on only a few
hours before.
Too late. Gone.
He sighed heavily, thinking he had lost them, again.
...But
there was smoke on the horizon, and the faint smell of burning seal
jerky.
Quite a pungent smell. Zuko grinned, thinking how many
times he had tracked the Avatar through the potent smells of Sokka's
late night snacks.
He reached their new campsite by midnight, and stopped to catch his breath, some yards away from the edge of the clearing.
This will be all too easy. Zuko snuck around the campsite in the flowered foliage of the trees, to evade detection from the Earth bender. From his vantage point, he could see all of them sleeping soundly below. Save one Water bender.
Zuko
carefully climbed down from the tree he was in, pulling flowers off
as he went.
She must be around
here somewhere... Before Zuko knew
it, he had stumbled upon a deep pond, glistening in the moonlight.
And there was something in the water. Or rather, someone. Zuko realized it was Katara, and smirked. Just my luck.
He threw a rock into the water to get her attention, staying just behind where the strong light of the moon could reach his face.
---
Katara was enjoying her world under the water. Whenever she needed to breath she just bended an air bubble down, and took a big gulp of air.
It had been a long time since she had felt so free. There was nothing for her to do here except enjoy the moon light trickling though the water and the marine life teaming around her.
Towards the bottom of the pond she notices something reflecting the moon light. She swims closer to it, making sure to bend her self an air bubble.
Her air bubble arrives by the time she's made her way down. She takes another lung full of air and sets to the task of trying to figure out what had made the glint.
She sees what looks like a corner of something poking out of the sand. She uses her hands to brush it away and finds herself looking at her own reflection. It was an old wall mirror; you could see were the silver had flaked off the back causing black spots in her reflection.
I
wonder how long this has been here ... Just
as she was about to explore that though more something disturbed her
peace. She looks around to find the intruder, only to see a good
sized rock slipping silently though the water. That's
odd... it couldn't have been knocked in here accidentally ... That
means there is some one up there.
Katara
quickly makes an accent thinking it must be one of her friends. She
breaks the surface of the water quickly but elegantly as only a water
bender could, then makes her way to the edge of the pond.
She looks around for either Aang, Sokka, or Toph ... but sees no one. "That's odd I could have sworn ..." Her voice trails off as her mindset of being free is slowly replaced by the one she has lived with for the past six months.
---
As he watched Katara rise from the water, Zuko felt his grip on the flowers he still held tighten. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The reason why he had gone to all the trouble to find them again so quickly and yet now that he was here, he had no idea what to do next.
What do I do now? There's no way I can get out of here without her seeing who I am,.. And what's to say she won't scream for help, I mean I did throw a rock at her! Why did I throw a rock? That was so stupid. She probably thinks I'm going to attack her. Arrgh this is hopeless!
Zuko turned to step back, his nerves getting the best of him, his feet crunched on the gravel and he knew she couldn't have missed spotting him. He stared back at the water bender, turning hesitantly back to face her.
--
Katara hears the crushing of gravel underfoot and turns to see a figure near the tree line. "Who are you?" She calls out, uncertain if he is friend or foe. Just as she says the words she feels the oddest sense of deja vu but marks it down to the stress of the day.
--
Zuko
stared at Katara, not knowing when or if he would ever see her again,
not like this.
She had been so kind to him, even after what he had
done. He knew he needed to see her one last time, and he
had.
"Goodbye Katara." He whispered, not expecting her to hear. He dropped the flowers and ran off into the woods.
We'll meet again. He kept that thought with him, all the way back. He would never forget this day.
---
Katara watches as the figure turns and runs. "Wait!" She hurries to the place she had just seen him. There on the ground she finds a bouquet of flowers.
She hesitates for a moment looking down at the flowers, and then quickly picks them up. "Who ... "
She looks back in the direction where the camp was. Should she go back and tell them someone what here? ... ... but he brought me flowers ...
She makes her decision and starts to run after the figure, hoping it wasn't too late. After a few minuets she spots him ahead of her. "Wait! Please"
---
Zuko wasn't surprised to hear Katara chase him, in fact he expected it. But what he didn't expect to happen was for his knees to lock and somehow force him to stop running away, against his better judgment.
Zuko stayed where he was, when Katara said please. But he had no idea what would happen next.
---
Katara saw the figure in front of her stop. She hadn't' been expecting him to actual stop when she asked.
Cautiously she approaches him shivering from the cold. Her chase through the woods had been so unexpected that she had forgotten to bend the water out of her cloths and hair. Now the wind was adding its attempt at making her cold by blowing against her damp skin.
Not knowing quite what to say and feeling rather stupid for chasing him, she stammers "Thanks for the flowers."
---
Zuko's palms were sweating, and he could barely remember giving her flowers with his heart beating so rapidly and loud. He hardly dared to look up at Katara, let alone turn around to face her.
"You're welcome." He mumbled over his shoulder, unsure at this point whether allowing his identity to be seen was a good idea or not. He stayed with his back turned to her.
---
Katara blushes when he speaks. There is something familiar about his voice but she can't quiet place it. She shakes her head trying to clear it from the cobwebs that seem to be forming there while she is in this mysterious man's presence.
She takes another step closer to him and reaches out a hand, "Um ... why did you give me flowers?... well not that I didn't think they weren't nice ... I mean beautiful ... and ... "
She finds her self nervously stumbling over her words and trails off waiting for the strangers reaction. For some reason she felt that what ever he would say next would affect the rest of her life.
---
Zuko was growing increasingly nervous about this. He had no idea how she would react when or if she found out whom her knight in shining armor really was.
"Flowers? Oh uh, I didn't really notice. I didn't mean to, uh.. I mean Flowers are overrated, and.. I just left them there because-- I hate flowers! I didn't mean to give them to you. Sorry."
Zuko's heart hammered in his head as he heard the tumult of idiotic words that poured from his mouth, with what seemed a never ending supply. He felt like he had to get away, and now.
What? "I didn't mean to give them to you"??! Then what did I come out all the way here for?? Zuko internally screamed at himself, slowly turning to see Katara's reaction to his own stupidity. He couldn't help himself, but he really should have kept running.
---
The blush faded from her face as the hopeful nervousness is quickly replaced by one of rage. "What! You didn't mean to give... "
Katara let out a growl of rage and reaches behind her for her water skin only to grasp at open air. Of course she didn't have it on her. It was back at the pond along with the rest of her cloths.
If she had been thinking more clearly she would have just left the man here and gone back. Then she would have woken up the camp and made them move.
But as it was she wasn't thinking clearly. This was probably why instead of turning around and going back in a quite rage instead she grabs the man's shoulders and spins him to face her.
"What do you think you are doing? You watch me take a swim with flowers in your hand. Then when I come out at what I can only guess is because you made me ... you take off in a run."
"Then you say you didn't even mean to give me the ... " Katara's rage is increased as she notices that he refuses to look at her while she's lecturing him "Look at me when I'm talking to you!!!"
---
Zuko stared hard at the ground, hiding his face, still hoping he could still somehow get away from the enraged Water bender, unscathed and unrecognized. After all the trouble he had gone through to get here, to see her it still wasn't enough. He still messed it up.
Unable to stand it anymore, Zuko grabbed
Katara's wrists and looked her straight in the eye. "I'm
sorry, alright? It was a bad idea to come here, and I'm sorry! I
don't know
what I was thinking, but if makes you feel any better;
I don't intend to ever
do this again!"
Zuko stared at Katara as she gaped at him, shocked. He had blown his cover. There was no going back now.
---
Katara tries to pull away as her wrist is grabbed. Things definitely weren't turning out like she had expected. But then again what had she expected? This stranger to tell her of his undying love for her?
When he finally chose to look at her all she could do was gasp. All thoughts had flown out the window when it was reviled that the stranger was Zuko. Yet somewhere in the back of her mind was a voice saying We were hoping it was him
Finally after what felt like hours though in truth was only a little more then a minuet she spoke. "Zuko? ... You brought me flowers?" Her confusion was mixed with anger. "And why wouldn't you ever do this again? Am I that horrible that you go and buy me something only to wish you hadn't?"
Katara seems shocked by the words that tumbled out of her mouth. That hadn't been what I meant to say? Didn't I want to ask him what he was doing here in the first place?... "Maybe this is all a dream and I'll wake up in my sleeping bag and everything will be back to normal. yes that must be it this is a dream."
She didn't realize that she had just said the last of her thoughts out loud.
---
Zuko didn't let Katara go, on the contrary, he kept a firm grip on her wrists as she talked, afraid she would run away to wake the Avatar.
He was also feeling stupid as she talked about the flowers, and he wasn't sure how she would take it if he told her he hadn't bought them at all, but he really didn't think that would be the right thing to say, given the situation, so he just let her rant on as he mentally cursed himself for being so hasty. Why did I have to say that? "I hate flowers" Stupid!
He
was a little surprised by Katara's last statement. She obviously
didn't mean to say that out loud and somehow it was very amusing, he
found himself smirking down at her.
"Should
I assume you dream of this often then? What else should happen if
this is a dream?"
He really shouldn't be provoking her, but again, he couldn't help himself. He pulled her closer unconsciously.
---
Katara finds herself pulled gently towards Zuko as he smirks down at her. Her temperature starts to rise until she swears her whole face must be beat red, and her heart starts to pound faster in her chest.
"um ... I said that out loud huh?" She hardly recognized her own voice as it trembled with nervousness. Somehow she felt her cheeks grow even warmer, and licks her lips trying to think of what else to say. "um ... well I always wake up about now. "
Katara's eyes widened as she realizes that she just confirmed to Zuko that she dreams of exactly this. She can see his smirk widening, and she mentally chides herself for letting that slip. She tries to think of something quick.
".. but thefigureisneveryou." She says in one breath. As the words leave her mouth she realizes that it is actually Zuko that appears in her dreams. She just never let herself considered that the figure in her dreams could be Zuko.
She's so surprised by this that she attempts to look away from him, so that he wouldn't be able to see the truth in her eyes.
---
Of
all the things he thought Katara might say, Zuko wasn't expecting her
to say that
"But
the figure was never you" ...
What did that even mean?
Zuko frowned slightly and let go of her trembling wrists. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't a dream, and it is me". He said coldly, bending slightly to try and read Katara's expression.
"After I leave you can climb into your sleeping bag, fall asleep and forget that any of this ever happened." He whispered down to her.
---
Katara looks up at Zuko as his voice cools, her blush quickly leaves her face. good going now you've mad him mad... again.
She bits her lip and looks him straight into his eyes. "Sorry that...". She sighs then looks away again. "I shouldn't have lied ..."
Then she whispers more to herself to hear herself say it once, but loud enough that with Zuko being so close he might be able to hear it. "The truth is... it's always you". Her cheeks color slightly at her admission.
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Aang wakes up sometime after the high moon (aka midnight). He had found himself needing a cup of water.
Sleepily he gets up and walks over to the bags passing Katara's and Sokka's sleeping bags. His mind is still rather fuzzy from sleep. Once he reaches the bags he pulls out his water skin.
After taking a drink he feels more awake. True he still needed to sleep more, but at least he didn't feel the exhaustion of the day anymore.
On his way back to Appa he notices Katara's bag is empty. At first he blinks a few times thinking that she must be there he's just not seeing it. But after a twenty blinks she's still not there.
His heart starts to speed up. Where is she? Is she in trouble? ... What if Azula ... or Zuko found her? He starts pacing back and forth, what should I do? Should I wake up Sokka? No he decided. He knew that Katara often liked to practice her water bending under the moon.
No need to worry Sokka ... she's probably just practicing. He goes back to Appa and tries to go back to sleep. But images of Katara in trouble keep going through his mind.
Aang gets up and heads
towards the pond. He figures that is where he'll find her.
I'll
just go and check on her to make sure she's ok. That way I'll be able
to sleep.
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Now it was Zuko's turn to blush as Katara told him the truth. He was speechless as he looked down at Katara; this had been an eventful day, to put it mildly.
And there was nothing mild about it.
Zuko looked to the side, blushing furiously.
"And
I was lying too. I didn't really... I don't hate flowers." He
still wasn't ready to admit he hadn't bought them, she'd probably
figure that out sooner or later.
"Katara, I... The truth is, I came here tonight to... Well, but-- You're shivering." He didn't really know what he was saying, but he finally noticed she was still wet from the pond. The evening breeze wasn't exactly cold, but it was only the beginning of summer after all.
The swirling emotions were starting to make Zuko lose his cool, that and the heated blush he felt covering his entire body.
---
Katara could feel her heat beat so fast that she thought it would burst through her chest. She unconsciously leans closer to him as he tells her about the flowers. But her trance was interrupted by his sudden notice of her shivering. In fact she had forgotten about it as well.
She quickly wraps her arms wound herself and turns away from Zuko her face bright red. She was in her skivvies in front of Zuko,... and she had practically just told him he was the man of her dreams.
She does her best to keep her voice from cracking as she speaks "I ... wanted to thank you... um ... I guess I didn't stop to think about drying off." She thinks about water bending herself dry but that would mean moving her arms ... and she was too embarrassed at the moment to do that.
---
Zuko stood speechlessly as Katara actually moved closer to him. He had no idea what to do, but he could tell she was freezing. He hesitantly stands behind her and takes both her hands in one of his own. Then he uses. fire bending to warm them.
"Does that help?." She really was cold. Yeah, that was a good excuse. I can't just let her freeze. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that wasn't the only reason why he was doing this.
---
Katara blushes even more when Zuko takes both of her hands. She can feel them warming up. But the difference in her body temperature every where else makes her shiver.
She leans into him to get warmer unaware of the awkwardness of this situation. She looks up at him "Thanks ... it is a little cold."
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Aang
made his way to the pond with out much trouble. When he got there it
was empty and quiet except for the chirping of some crickets. He
looks around for Katara but doesn't find her, but he does spot her
cloths. "Where would she go without
her cloths?...
what if she ran into trouble?"
He starts to scan the woods for some sign of disturbance. Finally he sees a spot that looks trampled. Concerned he starts to follow it.
He wants to run ... but knows that he'll lose the element of surprise. So instead he jumps into the trees and follows the path from there. It would allow him to go faster an unnoticed.
When he comes to the end of the trail all he can do is stare. Zuko ... with Katara? He just couldn't wrap his mind around what was happing. So he just sat there with his jaw open watching the two.
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Zuko just stood there shocked and tense as Katara leaned up against him. "Sure, glad to help." He barely managed to whisper; Zuko seemed to have lost his breath. And thanks to his heated blush, he had more then enough heat to share.
She's just trying to get warm, no need to make this anymore then it is. Zuko slowly puts his arms around Katara. Of all the things that he Zuko could have imagined happening today, this was probably the least likely, and yet here they were. And it felt right.
"Katara,... I think that I..." Zuko found himself inching closer to her upturned face.
---
Katara could hear Zuko's heart beating as her ear was only centimeters away. She was sure that hers was also loud enough for him to here.
She looks up at him, hoping, but not knowing what would come next. "yes .. Zuko?" She whispers so softly the words themselves are like a kiss on the wind.
---
Taking in this moment with Katara in his arms, Zuko stared at her wishing, wishing once again, for impossible things. But still...
Zuko couldn't find the words to say what he felt. So he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss.
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Aang couldn't believe what he was seeing. At fist Zuko and Katara were just standing there. Then Katara had actually leaned into Zuko. He's the enemy!
But what happened next was in his opinion way way worse. Zuko was going to kiss her. And it didn't look like Katara was going to object. This can't be happening. He screamed in his head as he watched the two would be lovers.
I've got to stop them... Katara's been brainwashed... that's the only reason she would be so close to him... it must have been something he did to her while he was in my body!... yes that has to be it! "Don't worry Katara I'll save you!" he whispers as he starts to gather up the air around him.
As much as he wants to step out from the trees and confront Zuko right then and there, something tells him that that would be a bad idea. So instead he decided that he would separate them with air bending.
He gathers up the air ready to let it go... but his emotions weren't as balanced as he usually was. Yes when he was in the avatar state he could draw on the anger and his past lives to make himself more powerful.
But
when not in the avatar state anger actually made his bending weaker
and less precise.
Thus the column of air he meant to separate Zuko
and Katara instead turned into just a strong gust of wind.
It was strong enough to bend a few saplings and send twigs that were on the ground towards the embracing couple. Even though he was hopping for more, he smirks as he sees Katara start to pull away from Zuko.
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Katara closes her eyes as she feels more then sees Zuko leaning down to kiss her. He's going to kiss me ... He's going to kiss me was all her confused mind could manage to spit out at her.
She could feel his breath on her lips and just as she was about to receive her very first kiss she felt her hair suddenly whip around them.
Then a few objects started to hit her. She pulls away from Zuko and attempts to move her hair out of her own face. "What in the world.." Her next words are lost to the wind as it picks up a bit before dieing down into the usual gentle night breeze.
She tries to push back her hair which is now entangled with both leaves and twigs. One by one she does her best to try to pull them out.
As she is going about freeing her hair she looks over at Zuko and says "Well that was certainly unexpected. I didn't think it was supposed to storm tonight."
She looks up into the night sky and sees a few rain clouds then turns back to Zuko. "...um .. if a storm is coming ... I should go." She blushes and shuffles her feet not really wanting to leave ... but knowing she probably should.
Besides some one might notice that she was missing.
---
Zuko felt the wind whip into his face, and every muscle in his body tensed. Somehow, he knew exactly what had started the sudden gust of wind. He resisted the urge to glare in Aang's direction, and instead looked down at Katara, and took both her hands in his own.
"Yes, you should go back. I should be going as well." He raised her hands and kissed them, looking over her fingers into her eyes. "Take care of yourself, Katara." He gave her his trademark smirk, then turned away walking into the dark of night.
---
Katara blushes as Zuko kisses her hands, no one had ever done that before either. She knew that it was more of a courtly gesture, but somehow she knew that for them both it was so much more then that.
She watches him go, not knowing what to do or say then suddenly she takes a step forward and yells out. "Thanks again for the flowers,.. I really like them."
She could swear she saw him turn in the dark and the white of his good eye smiled back at her. She blushes again and reaches down for the flowers that had been dropped to the ground some point earlier.
She sticks her nose in them and takes a sniff. "Much better then a dream" she whispers to herself.
She starts walking back to the pond absentmindedly pulling debris out of her hair and trying to wrap her mind around everything that had happened this day. Finally with so many thoughts and emotions swimming in her head she decides the best thing to do was to sleep. There would be plenty of time to think about it tomorrow.
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I hope ya guys enjoyed this chapter. I made a few changes to the original posts to make them flow a bit better.
Oh and there will be one more chapter. Hehe Aang is confronting Zuko. XD should be fun.
