Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though

But I do own Hamaya, she is a made up character for certain uses.

Chapter Four:

One Seven

China 1939

She didn't plan on going back to sleep, but when the door slammed shut; she threw herself up automatically, in fighting stance in case.

"It is just me." Zuko stated as he walked in, his long cape flowing behind him.

Katara frowned. Zuko never had a long black cape before, since when did he put it on?

"You scared me," Katara sighed. "What happened?"

Zuko stared at her. "You do not remember?"

"Remember what?" Katara asked. "I am tired and I have changed when I last look in the mirror."

"You seriously don't remember?" Zuko took a step towards her, and another until he was right in front of her.

"Uh…" Katara looked anywhere, but at his face. "Um… I do not know… am I supposed to?"

Zuko frowned. "Perhaps it is his blood." He turned away, his long cape following like a shadow after him.

"Whose blood?" Katara followed him.

"No one," he answered.

"Zuko?"

Zuko turned to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Since when did you start wearing a cape?"

"That is none of your business, Katara." Zuko told her and then went into his study room.

"May I go out now?"

"No," Zuko answered loud enough to be heard through the door. "Stay there."

"Why?" Katara asked.

"I need to check your blood."

"My blood?" Katara blinked. "What?"

Zuko came out with a knife and a small plate.

"What are you doing?" Katara moved back a step.

"I need to check your blood." Zuko took another step towards her.

"No!" Katara shook her head. "You know how much I hate being cut."

"This will cause no pain at all compared to what you have had in the past," Zuko told her sharply.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Katara almost shouted at him. "Why do you need to look at my blood."

"If you do not remember, it is your fate to not remember." Zuko told her and then backed her up against the door.

Katara never feared him, and she knew she had noting to fear from him, but this was the first time he was acting real weird. She had no recollection of what happened, only that she had been fighting with him and then she had gone out to get something to eat, but instead had met five other guys and had taken her anger out on them. After that, everything was black, total darkness.

"I do not need your philosophy right now," Katara growled angrily at Zuko. "I need answers. What happened and why are you doing this?"

Zuko didn't answer her.

"Fine," Katara's anger sparked. "If you want to drink my blood so badly, why do you not just do it the old fashion vampire way and suck my blood?" Katara turned her head and offered him her neck.

Zuko froze with the small dagger in his hand to look at her. He took another step, and another, until he was pushing her against the wall. "Maybe I will." He said coldly.

Katara swallowed, her throat dry. She had only said that out of anger, she hadn't meant it. She wasn't ready to be bitten by him yet, even though she has had fantasy about how it felt like to be in his arm and be—. She took a deep breath as Zuko lowered his head. Okay, so maybe she wanted this to happen; after all, didn't she want to be his? Didn't she want to become his lover, his bride of the night?

She closed her eyes as his head went even lower and her breath quickened as she felt the tingly sensation of his breath on her neck. Her pulse quickened even though she tried not to show it, she knew Zuko could hear her heart very well. He could hear every beat of it. Was he really going to bite her, and would she feel pain? She remembered pain from somewhere else…but she couldn't remember where…

Zuko was tempted, he really was. Her pulse had quickened, and he could see the veins there, the heat she was carrying and the blood. He knew they would taste sweet, sweet and—

"Go on, what are you waiting for?" Katara taunted.

He only wanted to take a look at her blood to see if she was changed because of Jet. It was not a big deal if a vampire bit someone since he/she wouldn't get change into a vampire, but the physical and sometimes mental attributes of the person can change. But Katara was being her usual self, stubborn and refusing to do whatever he said.

He took a sharp intake of breath and controlled his urge. His fangs lengthened, but he closed his eyes, controlled the beast that was raging for her blood and turned away from her. "That mouth of yours can get you into trouble one day."

"When that time comes, I will suffer the consequences." Katara told him, she was partially glad that he didn't bite her and not partially glad that he didn't.

Zuko took a deep breath because he was not feeling okay and went back to the dagger method. "Now give me your wrist or I will bite you."

"I like to see you try," Katara answered him angrily. "You are always going to that little lover of yours you should try something different for a change at least."

Zuko didn't think she knew about Mai, the girl he went to almost every night for nourishment whenever he felt the craving. "You are really asking for it huh?"

Katara glared angrily at Zuko then held out her wrist. "Hurry up with it."

"I only need a few drops." He told her. "This will not hurt."

Katara didn't even feel the pain as he drew the dagger across her wrist. Blood immediately poured from the wound and fell into the small plate. Zuko waited until he received a couple of drops and then he with his thumb, follow the wound from one side to the other side. The wound disappeared and healed immediately after he removed his thumb.

"Do not go outside." Zuko told her as he took the few drops and the dagger and went back into his study.

Katara didn't listen. She went outside anyway, and found herself in a new world from the one she remembered before. The grass was greener and the woods were now a little bit brighter than before. She frowned. There was never a rock to her left was there? If there had been, she would have noticed it. The trees were also larger, and she was able to hear a lot more and see farther than before. There was something wrong with her; she was never able to hear anything for miles. She had good hearing, but never this good. And her eyes; they were more sensitive to the sun. It hurt like hell, dammit. It felt like she had never been out in the sun for years now and was finally out and getting use to the sun.

She walked a couple of miles, feeling like she could take on the world. She was going to turn back when she came upon the rock she had spotted. Somehow, she had thought that they were closer, but she had actually walked farther, as far as she could see. Katara was getting really freaked out now.

Katara stopped in front of the rock and stared at the name engraved on there.

Pipsqueak Jinru.

'Pipsqueak Jinru' she read quietly. 'Pipsqueak Jinru…' the name sounded familiar, she remembered it from somewhere…somewhere…someone calling out….

"Once you get your hands on me, you will not be killing me..."

"Watch out!"

"You can not defeat him!"

"Kiet, did you hear me back there? That thing is not human!"

"You have forgotten me. Bad girl, did Zuko put a spell on you to forget?"

"Leave him alone!"

Katara turned back from the engraved rock and ran. She ran back into the cave, into the room and into Zuko's study room.

"What is it?" Zuko looked up, wondering if Jet came back.

"What happened to everyone?" Katara asked. "What happened to me?"

"What?"

"I…remember…" she came to stand in front of him. "I remember bits and pieces…tell me…what happened?"

"So you remember a little?" Zuko asked. "I think you have changed…a little."

"I know I have changed." Katara told him. "I…hear things much better, see things much better."

"And your strength?" Zuko asked.

"I do not know!" Katara cried frustrated. "I just want to know what happen after…Jet attacked."

"You remember his name too?"

"He is your twin brother, is he not?" Katara asked.

"No," Zuko shook his head. "We look a like, and people call us twins, but we are not really twins."

"Then what are you two? Why do you two look so much alike?"

"I am what I am. He is what he is." Zuko answered her.

"What is he then?"

"A vampire."

"He is a vampire…. Why then did he call you his twin brother?"

"We are…stepbrothers." Zuko turned to look at a painting of a woman. Katara had never came into his study room before, and she had never demanded answers from him before. Probably because she forgot half of it, but now, now she was demanding answers.

"Stepbrothers…?" Katara frowned. "How could that be? You are a vampil though…"

"Unlike him, my father was a vampire." Zuko answered, still looking at the picture. "My father, he took my mother and made her his bride of the night, but…" He stopped. It had been more than a thousand years now that his family had died, maybe even more, he could not remember. He knew it was a long time ago though; a very, very, long time ago because he was fifty years older before Jet was born.

"But what?" Katara went to stand in front of him so he was forced to look at her instead of the painting or anywhere else.

He shrugged. "But she refused to be changed, and when they found out she had slept with him, they were to burn her." He pushed her hair away from her eyes by staring at it. "Eventually, my father died saving her, and she was rescued by my father's best friend, who was a human."

"Who are they?" Katara didn't move an inch because he was peering at her through those piercing golden eyes, looking past her eyes and into her soul and her mind.

"They were people."

"Just…people?"

"People who were afraid of something unknown to them."

Zuko told her, still keeping her gaze. He wasn't trying to hypnotize her, but Katara felt like she was already under his spell.

"Jet's father rescued your mother then?" Katara wanted to know more about him, wanted to find out where he came from and how he was, how he lived.

"Yes," he moved in towards her a little closer. "My mother grew to love him and gave birth to Jet, who was an ordinary human being."

"Then how did he become…?" Katara trailed off.

"A vampire?" Zuko stepped in a little more so if he leaned his head foreword, it would be touching hers.

"Yes…" Katara gaze fell down to his lips. They were in great shape and looked very kissable. She was not going to be affected, she told herself, but she had waited forever for him to kiss her and if this was the only chance she will ever get, she was willing to go for it.

"Your heart is beating."

"I am…not dead…" she was also having difficulty breathing.

He almost grinned, but he didn't want to lose the effect. "I mean your heart is beating a lot faster."

"You are not supposed to be listening," she said breathlessly.

"I can not help it, it is a vampil thing." He told her.

"Then pretend it is something else…" she told him. "Jet…"

"Like what?" He leaned forward, pretending he hadn't heard her say Jet.

"You are not playing fair," she told him. "I want to know about Jet and what happened…the fight and everything."

"Poor Katara, you do not remember most of it do you?" Zuko smiled at her, removing another strand of hair away from her eye, this time with his hand.

"I want to know about Jet." She told him stubbornly. It was hard already trying to keep her mind from doing what her heart wanted for so long, especially with Zuko's eyes on her and not to mention the effect it has on her and her senses.

"Forget about Jet," Zuko told her. "Jet can wait. This cannot."

"What cannot wai—" Katara didn't immediately close her eyes as she felt his lips on hers. She stood still and stiff beneath him. She had expected a kiss, but this was her very first kiss and she had no idea what to do. She had always thought that when it came to kissing, as long as it was with Zuko, she would know what to do, or how to react, but her mind was not with her. It was somewhere in heaven.

His lips felt soft against hers, soft and a little different, a feeling she had never experienced before, but she didn't care, she relaxed slowly, but didn't close her eyes.

"Close your eyes." Zuko whispered against her mouth.

Katara closed her eyes and almost sigh. She was feeling good, delirious, all because he was kissing her.

"Katara?"

"Yes?" she sighed.

"Put your arms around me." He told her.

Katara put her arms around his neck. "Is this right?"

"Perfect." He murmured.

"Zuko?" She asked.

"Hmm…?"

"Is the kiss over yet?" Katara asked because she didn't want the kiss to be over yet.

Zuko smiled against her mouth. "You call that a kiss?"

"Well…yes, at least I think it was a kiss."

"That was only a peck." He told her. Then he put his mouth on hers and nibbled softly on her lips. Katara press closer to him, touching the hair at his nape.

"Was that a kiss?" Katara sigh once he removed his mouth from her lips.

"Not even close." Zuko told her.

"Then give me a kiss!" Katara demanded.

Zuko put his lips on hers once more. Katara closed her eyes again, expecting something more than nibbling to happen, but nothing did.

"Katara, open your mouth." Zuko finally told her.

"My wha—" Katara opened her mouth, and was in for the shock of her life.

Finally, Zuko thought. He didn't want to scare away innocent Katara, but he was finally kissing her the way he had dreamed of for years now. He hadn't expected her to sleep so long, but two years was a long time for her and he had been afraid that she was never going to wake up. It had been miracle that she was finally awake. He had begin to lose hope and was already searching for doctors, even Jet, who had disappeared after he had nearly killed him in battle, to find a way to get her to come back to him.

He trace her lips slowly nibbling along the way, not wanting to scare her, and when she returned the kiss, he knew she was finally getting over her shyness and was getting a little bold in her attacks. He could hear her heart beating, but not her thoughts. She had closed off her thoughts to him. It was just as well because he also had closed his thoughts to her, not wanting her to know that he had distracted her purposely so she could forget about Jet for the time being. He didn't want to talk about Jet just yet. What he had found in her blood, he needed to examine a little more and see if it was what he had thought it was.

And he should be getting back to that pretty soon, but he was being distracted. As much as he wanted to linger on the kiss and savor it, he had to get back to work. Jet was going to be back, and he was going to be back real soon. If he had made it into a full fledge vampire like he had feared, then he was going to recuperate quicker and come back a lot stronger. What Katara didn't know was that Jet was going to really come for her when she turned eighteen, and she was now seventeen. He was going to come real soon, he had no idea when and where, but he was going to prepare anyway, first and foremost, teaching her how to block the spells like she had done while she was young and increase her fighting techniques.

He pulled away before they could end up somewhere else and pushed her away. "God forbid." He muttered.

Katara didn't hear him, she was still in a daze, and she had to lean against the desk or fall to the ground.

"Katara?"

Katara turn her gaze on him, her eyes were still groggy and unfocused. "Zuko?"

"That is enough for today," Zuko told her. "You need to get some rest." Even though she had gotten more rest than she would ever need, he thought. Two years of sleep would have been good enough for him.

"Rest?" Katara blinked, trying to focus her attention on her surroundings and where she was. "Rest? I just woke up. Why would I need to rest?"

"Because—" he stopped, because what? He didn't want to remind her of Jet. He wasn't ready to answer her questions yet. He needed all the answers first before he could answer her. He wasn't going to tell her that she needed rest because she had been bitten by a vampire, Jet to be exact, and that her body was changing…only a little, thanks to Jet. His mind settled on her neck, where Jet had bitten her. He knew exactly where the Jet had bit her even though the teeth marks had disappeared a long time ago while her body was still healing itself from the attacks and the memories of that horrifying night.

No matter, he thought as he turned back to examine her blood once more. He was going to take her nearer to a village so that she could at least get some protection there whenever he was not around and he was not going to let Jet take her away from him. He was willing to let her go, he was willing to let any other guy take her, but not Jet. Jet would destroy her mind, body and spirit. He wouldn't kill her, but he would let her live lifelessly and that, he didn't want her to become, a lifeless thing.

Other Information/Author's Note: Poor little Zuzu... He wanted to hold onto that moment forever... Ah... Oh well. Had to throw Mai in there. xD

Thank you my reviewing my Chickadees. This will probably be my last update until Monday or Tuesday... Maybe even later than that, it depends if I am busy or not. But I wanted to get these four Chapter out the way and now I'll have to do some major brainpower for the next.

Oh and thank you Turion for giving me some pointers. I really like crictism. I think I might need a Beta Reader to help me out on some of my spelling in such. I'm not a excellent writer... I suppose. n_n;; Oh and Mishibishi - Thank you for the message. The reason why I chose China because I wasn't sure how the Avatar world will play out and Fire Nation is suppose to be China, right? And I think China is cool~! Not as cool as Japan, no offense.