DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.

The flimsy wooden utensil in her hand broke in two, giving a quick snap. Katara's breathing rate increased dramatically. Thumping hard, her heart felt a crack threatening to rupture her perfect little world. Her brain was pounding inside of her skull, and she felt like everyone was looking at her. Could they hear it as well as she could? Slowly, Katara backed away from the stove, turning it off. She closed her eyes, shutting out her surroundings. Focusing only on her brother's voice, she felt a slight tremor in her hands.

She disconnected, staring at her cell phone. Panicked aftershocks were washing over her. First, there was the frightening, indecision. Then came the mad dash headed straight for the door, uncaring that she was walking out on her job. She had to get there now, not when ever her shift ended. If she waited till then, it would be far too late.

In the lounge, she quickly her things, almost spilling them because her hands were shaking so badly. The woman's breathing was still ragged, and tiny beads of moisture somehow found their way onto her forehead.

"You're not going anywhere."

Distressed, she felt her eyes widen. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out distorted shapes of people standing in front of her, blocking the way out. Little black spots swam before her eyes as she struggled to breathe. Two against one, both physically bigger then her, both male.

"Move," she demanded. Her voice wasn't commanding and firm, as she intended. It sounded far away, weak and shaky. The appearance of a coward was the last thing she needed. Only one thing was on her mind: get out, now!

But, obediently, they listened to her and moved — closer. As soon as the opening was clear, she bolted. Her tries were in vain, however. Katara felt arms clamp around her, restraining her struggling attempts. Her eyes burned even though they were squeezed shut. After a minute of useless fighting, she gave up altogether. There was no way she could over power both of them physically.

"Let me go."

"No. You're not thinking straight, you need to calm down." Someone spoke in her ear. It was a gentle voice, soothing, and her heartbeat slowed a bit.

"Damn. That hurt, Katara." The second voice she recognized as well. It was much more rowdy, and although a bit heated, full of spirit.

Looking around, wary tears swam before her eyes. Jet had stepped away, his watchful gaze filled with bewilderment. His arm was bleeding — where did those marks come from? His appearance was disheveled, as well. She also noticed him wincing when he shifted his weight.

"Why the hell did you pounce me and not him?" he asked her, perturbed. A pair of arms were still snaked around her waist, rooting her into place. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see Zuko behind her. His presence made her aware that she had just lost it. Jet had been hurt and she didn't even remember it. Shame flooded through her as the adrenaline subsided.

"Now," Zuko's breath tickled her ear, "tell me what happened."

Taking in a shaky breath, she leaned into him. He was like a blanket of warmth, cocooning her in his strength. Just he being there reassured her, relaxing her fear. Something about him rang familiar in her mind. She had known him for two months, not once having this strange sense of familiarity, so why hadn't it happened before? He didn't protest, so she started slowly, gathering speed until it all blurred into a run on sentence that should've been a paragraph, and she was forced to breath once more.

"My brother called me. I couldn't understand but a few words that he said. He said something about the emergency room," she choked out desperately, "I need to be there."

Zuko stiffened. Taking her hand, he led her towards the door pulling his car keys from his pocket.

"Where to?"

Swallowing, she flashed him a grateful smile. Katara nodded in Jet's direction, not bothering to waste her breath. He waved them on, telling her that he could manage on his own tonight.

--

Zuko had driven over the speed limit, flying past other cars. Weaving through turns and over passes, he expertly eased them into the hospital's parking lot. When they had reached his car, she had noted the sleek sport car. It was brand new, not a flaw to it. The inside was roomy with a velvet interior. It must have cost a fortune. The ride up had been silent, neither one willing to break the fragile stillness. If not for her impatience, she would have been scared senseless. It seemed that defensive driving was the only way to expertly maneuver through the city.

They had breezed past the nurse's station, Katara barely remembering what Zuko had said to them to get them immediate access. His velvet voice probably would have done the trick all on it's own. When she'd been ushered into the intensive care unit, shouts rang out from behind a closed curtain.

Out of a sudden instinct, she rushed forward, knowing her family was there. Sokka was being held back by two male nurses, anguish lacing his voice. He wasn't aware of her arrival, that's how focused his attention was. Pain lacing his azure eyes, she followed the direction of his gaze.

Without a second's hesitation, she called her water to her, making it appear from the air. It formed a glowing orb, eerily vivid, taking the place of the lights. No one stopped her, only stepped out of her way as she came upon the bed. Bleeding heavily, Suki lay on the bad, moaning. Her eyes were distant, her breathing harsh. Katara moved the water, shaping it over her friend's, body. Instantly, she paled.

"Bring me more water!" she demanded impatiently. Silently repeating the mantra Pakku had taught her, she put all of her concentration on every little task. She couldn't afford any mistakes.

She used her energy, redirecting the flow into Suki. Closing her eyes, she used the water to scan for more injuries. Sokka's cries became remote as she became one with her element. She infused the water into the girl's wounds, forcing them to reform. The girl's labored breathing was become softer, leaving Katara little choice as to how long she had. She had only a little time before she it was too late. Redoubling her efforts, she felt a wave on nausea hit her hard. Her knees wobbled, threatening to give out under her. Groaning, beads of sweat formed on her forehead. A body moved in behind her, sliding up close. Without looking back, she knew it was Zuko. He knew she was reaching her limit. Just when her knees bent, he slid his arms around her, giving her the support she needed. He stroked her hair out of her face, and tucked it behind her ears.

Her control flickered, a split second of absolute terror made her cry out. Her hands lost feeling as she pressed her last bit of energy. Suddenly, her bending changed. Where she'd been fighting to push through, it had been like trying to swim in glue, sticky and hard to bypass. She winced as she opened her eyes. Her mouth became dry when she realized what had happened, an involuntary gasp came from her. No…

This was something she'd never done before, but it didn't matter. If Suki died, her brother would never be the same. After Yue, Sokka had changed. She knew her older brother had never really gotten over his first love, and Katara didn't think she'd be able to help him pick up the pieces if Suki passed away. If she were to die, so would Sokka's baby.

--

Accepting the offered cup of coffee, she thanked Zuko. He sat down beside her, leaning his back against the wall. Somewhere in the frenzy of the night, his clothes had been ruffled—it would have been odd if he'd stayed completely untouched. She drank the hot liquid, setting down the empty styrofoam cup when she finished.

"Katara?" he glanced down on her, relieved to see her smiling tiredly.

She rested her head on his shoulder, exhaustion weighing her down. Her body was completely drained. She was doing good to move, least of all staying awake.

It had been terrible. The extent of Suki's internal bleeding had almost been too much. It had been a miracle when the monitors had returned back to normal. Because the moment they had, Katara's strength had faltered. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect.

Now, forty minutes later, she was here, half asleep on Zuko's shoulder. Katara had stayed until she was sure Suki would be fine. The poor girl was sleeping, but otherwise healed. By the time Katara had left the room, the doctor had arrived, upset that he wouldn't be getting paid for not doing his job. Katara's eye had twitched, her nostrils flared as she snarled back at him with an inappropriate name. Angrily, Zuko had silently put his hand in hers — gently — and led her away, knowing the doctor was in danger.

Sokka chose that moment to peak his head into the hallway. Katara's eyes were closed and she looked peacefully fatigued. Zuko was speaking to her in a hushed tone as he sat beside her. Seeing the two together, he smiled sadly before slowly creeping away. His baby sister had finally grown up, he thought to himself.

--

Katara stayed home the next day. Last night's energy exertion had left her useless, spent with no hope of walking in a straight line. She remembered Zuko helping her get to the car, and him pulling out of the parking lot. The next thing she remembered was waking up in her bed, still in the clothes from last night.

Aang had left a note on the fridge, saying that he'd be back. So groggily, she had opened the fridge, and to her surprise — sarcasm heavily used here — a lone jar of grape jelly stood on the second self. Great. Starving, and no food. Her body ached, and her stomach grumbled loudly, sensing the lack of nutrition it was going to get. So, dragging her feet, she made her way to the 'living room'. You'd think a two bedroom apartment would have one, wouldn't you? Not this one. She and Aang used his room for that. He didn't mind. He was actually quite fond of the Plasma.

She plopped down onto his bed, picking up the remote. She went through the channels, stopping at the news. Most of it was nothing much to report on, but a few things sparked her interest. Cost of travel would be going up, due to the gas prices. Good thing she didn't have a car. Not that she didn't want one; she just didn't think she needed one. There were plenty of things she wanted, but couldn't have because she either didn't have the space for it, or the price was way up there. A car was one of them.

Besides, even when Aang and her split the rent, they were tight on cash. Somehow, it was in both Sokka and Aang, that money burned a giant whole in their pockets. So Katara took it on herself to save up, while Aang went and splurged at every chance he got. Her older brother was worse. Even when he didn't have the money, he somehow got every little thing that appealed to him. Then he'd figure out that what he'd just bought was a stupid waste of money and go buy something else to make him feel better. Funny how you can barely pay for the things you need yet always the things that you want.

Katara had stopped wondering how he got the money, because she'd just get migraines thinking about how she was going to pull her brother's sorry bum out of jail. If he got himself there, he could probably use a knickknack of some sort to find a way out.

Besides, everything Katara needed was within walking distance, and her job was only a half hour walk from here. The apartment complex she lived in wasn't brand new, but at least they could afford it.

The newscaster went on to talk about stock market progress. Annual sales would be starting tomorrow morning, early shoppers be ready! In a local zoo, a pair of breeding Buffalo Dear had a rare albino baby…

Katara blinked as the news caster turned his attention towards the restaurant she worked at. His greenish-brown eyes sparkled as he spoke.

"Well, there is some good news some tonight. My producers and I decided to try out this fabulous restaurant a few days ago in the down town area. One thing that I noticed when I first walked in was the opened air kitchen."

The camera scanned the restaurant, capturing everyone enjoying themselves. Staff members were smiling openly at customer. (Someone mouthed something strangely similar to "Hi, mom!") Customers were laughing and eating with a gusto she'd never really gotten a chance to see. Then the kitchen came into the picture.

Suddenly, she saw Jet glancing up at the screen. He winked before returning to cooking. An assistant handed him a grater, and bumped into Zuko. Apologizing, the man zipped away, placing a set of plates on the delivery window.

Katara saw Zuko standing behind Jet, handing off food to others. His back was turned away from the screen, the inkiness of his black hair glossy and healthy. She was smiling at him as she garnished a seafood dish. The screen zoomed closer, focusing on the three of them. The raven haired man was at an angle and Katara swore Zuko had his cheeks upturned… Jet's body was shaking with laughter.

"Can you believe it folks? After asking the bartender, we found out that the oldest person working here is thirty. The food was amazing, the service excellent." Zooming in on one of the more exotic dishes, the camera came to a halt. "Folks, you don't see these kinds of delicacies anywhere else—at least not locally." He chuckled.

"Be sure to come check this place out. I promise you," the camera showed the reporter's aging features, smiling; "you'll never forget it. Now, onto our forecaster with this weekend's expectations."

Katara switched off the TV, and her jaw dropped. When had that happened? She didn't remember that. Frowning, she racked her memory for anything. Nope. If she could barely remember last night, how was a certain fleeting moment in time going to stay?

It was then the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Katara — You! T.V!" gushed an excited voice. Oh, geez, here came a rant.

She leaned back on Aang's pillows, getting comfortable.

"Yes?" she looked at her nails. Frowning, she glanced closer. When had they gotten longer? Time for a trim, she shrugged.

Her older brother ranted on aimlessly for fifteen minutes, as if last night had never happened. She responded at direct questions, and made herself give him a half hearted argument.

"Suki wants to know," he interjected, "If you could meet us somewhere."

"Wait. They're releasing her?"

"The doctor says she's completely fine. We'll be leaving in," he paused as he checked, "about four minutes."

Caught off guard, she froze. So did Sokka know? He hadn't said anything, so she was wondering if Suki even knew. The doctors must have taken x-rays. Had they informed either of them of the baby?

"Alright, Have anywhere in mind?"

Sokka mumbled something unintelligible, as she strained to hear. The sound of another voice could be heard; laughter rang loud and clear through the receiver.

"She wants you to meet her at the mall. Suki," he set the phone down. Katara could still hear her older brother whining in the background. "Why there?"

Smiling, Katara snickered knowingly. It would be like the old days, when they had still been in high school. Suki would drag him along unwilling, distract Sokka at the food court, leave him there, and meet Katara up on the second floor. Back then, Toph would have had a ball playing tricks on the unsuspecting store clerks and tormenting the mean short, old man that worked at one of the shoe stores. Katara could still remember the threats he'd yelled at them. If there was an award for most colorful language, he would have had won it years ago.

They'd catch up while her brother searched for them. One time, it had taken him over six hours to find them, and it had been a memory she'd never forget.

Katara had stopped a toddler from going down the escalators, just barely grabbing the back of his shirt before he tumbled down. He'd looked up at her with those big eyes, and grabbed a tight hold on her.

"I didn't know you could buy those here! Horrified, her brother had recoiled with disbelief. The little boy's mother decided to retrieve her baby then, because Sokka was then slapped in the face.

The red mark had taken two days to fade, she recalled.

"Great. I'll meet you guys there." Katara grinned.

"But—" Katara hung up and stretched, catlike on Aang's soft comforter.

Tired, she yawned. Sure, Suki and Katara were best friends, but even they needed some space every once and a while. Starbucks was the first thing on this girl's mind, and no one was going to stop her.

Author Commentary

Haha, quite a few shockers there, huh? Slow on the romance? We're getting there (: We just decided to take the scenic route. I admit, Heflo's the one who wrote the whole crisis thing. I nearly had a heart attack reading it. Read, review, and you get more chapters, faster. Unless it's negative. Then you get cold, lumpy spinach. Eech. Love ya guys, stay in touch.
--Izzy

I have to agree with Izzy on that.. Disgusting, cold, lumpy spinach. You people are so lucky you don't live at my house. My mom is a heath nut, and my dad snores loud enough for the neighbors to ask who has a generator running.So I'm walking in the door to my house, right? Mom's watching TV and to my surprise, I think they found a new Egyptian pyramid. Go figure. So, chapter four is up. Hope everybody finds it to their liking.I made a promise to izzi that once I got chapter ten completed (cursed writer's block/motivation rut...), me and her would go out and celebrate. Only problem being she's two states away at the moment, so we can't just go to Starbucks and have a couple of rounds. Hmm.. Hey, izzi, think you could go for a espresso? Had a killer migraine earlier. Ever had one so bad so you just wanted to shoot yourself fin the foot just to distract yourself? XD
--Heflo/Author/Mad Genius/Person who is the least obvious to have a second degree black belt

...Perhaps. Don't worry guys, chapters are coming. We're just building up anticipation... It's not like we haven't finished writing or anything . If that's what you're thinking. Try to notice our ever changing styles - Heflo and I are switching out who writes what chapters :3 Hopefully they'll keep you entertained. An expresso, maybe. A double shot would be a lot better, though :d What a freako! Sorry, haha, hey, you oughta see Fred Goes Swimming. It's funny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a few family members' butts to kick in Zelda :D Ciao!
--Izzy/Co-author/Editor/Comedy Relief/Wanna be a ninja