Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.


The Shadow of the Past

Chapter 7 - Where All Goes Wrong

Story by Last Butterfly


Summary: Seven years passed since that tragic night in Zuko's life, and he and Katara had been together for more than a year now.
But after this peaceful time a shadow neared them from the past he tried so hard to forget... - Zutara, Zuko x Katara Modern AU


Zuko's fingers drummed impatiently on the kitchen table while he kept on staring at the phones before him. She's going to call me. His exes wandered to the clock on the wall just above the door then back. Any moment now…

He slowly peeked at his cell phone, checking again if he got a message. The he let a hand through his hair in exasperation. No, she won't.

But what if… just maybe?

In that moment the phone started ringing then his hand slammed on it even before it could have rang for a second time. "Katara?" He asked hurriedly, but the excitement faded from his expressions, hearing the voice on the line.

"Hi uncle," He started pinching the bridge of his nose as a sudden headache started to torment him. "Yes, she is here, but…" He tried to quickly form the words and yet Iroh managed to interrupt him "Uncle, please! I'm waiting for a call; she'll call you later, ok?"

He suppressed a groan, covering his eyes. "No, everything is fine. But I can't explain it right now, bye uncle…" Five seconds later, with a full frown. "Bye Uncle!"

Both phones ended up in front of him again and he slumped back in the chair just like before. When another five minutes passed, he buried his face in his hands. Shoot, shoot, shoot…

He didn't hear as his sister walked in, only straightened up when she picked up the receiver. "Hey!" His hand held down the button, while he frowned up at her. "What are you doing?"

One of Azula's eyebrows rose before she crossed her arms. "I wanna talk with Ty Lee before she comes over, what do you care?"

"No-no…" When the name left her mouth, he already shook his head. That talk would never end! "Don't hold the line, I'm expecting a call!"

The girl first gave him a look then let out a light laugh, making his brow furrow even further. "Face it Dum-dum, she's not gonna call."

"You cannot know that!" Zuko scowled without moving his hand away. But after a half second he had to let go, as she clenched one of his fingers then pushed towards the back of his hand with force. "Auch! You…!"

She already dialed the number before he could have tried to get the phone back, but when she greeted her friend he growled with frustration. "But make it short!" He said after her with annoyance before hopping back to the chair. He lifter up his cell, only to find no difference. Still.

Then he groaned, hitting his forehead against the table once with gritted teeth, before letting it rest there… just for a little while…

Only when a hand touched his shoulder did he look up, but from the heaviness of his eyelids and the soreness of his neck he guessed that it might have happened more than just some minutes later.

His mother's expressions brought a small smile on his lips. "Are you ok?"

He rubbed his eyes tiredly, before murmuring an answer. "Yeah…"

She let out a small amount of breath. "Did you try to call her?"

"I did…" The scarred teen rubbed his only eyebrow. "And left her two messages," He spoke lowly, bringing his gaze to the side then back. "Do you think I should go over?"

Ursa let a smile appear on her face, after ruffling in his dark hair. "It's going to be alright, I can feel it." His golden eyes slowly rose, meeting her glance with an expression full of doubt, but she only let her hand stroke the side of his face. "You did what you believed was right, Zuko. Just give her some time to understand it…"


Their way home had been rather silent. When Sokka got in the car and he only turned towards her sister, she turned the music louder while facing her window. The boy heaved a sigh, letting his shoulders drop and remained silent.

After about twelve minutes of peeking into the mirror, Hakoda heaved a sigh. "Sokka," His son met his gaze in the mirror. "What's wrong with your sister?"

The teen opened his mouth then closed it, making a nervous smile. "What gives you the idea that I know?" He rubbed his neck, but his father's glare was enough for him to slump even lower into his seat. "S-she argued with her boyfriend today…" He stuttered lowly.

Hakoda only frowned more at that while taking a left turn, then looked back to the mirror and at his son. "And what role did you play in that argument?"

Sokka's eyes moved away and he played with his fingers while murmuring something he could not hear.

"What?"

The teen's lips formed a thin line, but the he finally spoke louder. "Theo found an article about his father and I just…"

The man's hand clenched upon the wheel. "You mean you told him to search after him, right?"

"Well, I… k-kind of…"

Hakoda rolled his eyes before slowing down before their house, turning towards him from the front seat. "Sokka, what did I tell you about leaving Zuko alone?" He snapped and his son closed his mouth without meeting his angered gaze.

Katara was simply staring out of the window when they stopped, but her eyes slowly rounded when she saw a familiar dark haired figure sitting on the stairs just in front of the front door. Her face lit up and she jumped out of the car, making the rest of her family surprise.

She was already hugging the above mentioned person by the time Sokka's lips curled upwards. "Toph…"

---

"All right, all right!" The blind girl lightly flushed as she pulled herself out of Katara's arms. "I missed you too, just back off already!"

The dark skinned girl finally took a step back, smiling brightly at her friend. "Oh Toph, I'm so glad you're finally home! I really need a friend right now…"

The other looked at her at that with a questioning look, while letting her hands disappear in her jeans' pocket, slightly pulling up her green and yellow top. Her hair was in two loose braids, her usual bangs falling before her shady eyes. "Yeah I bet, these three weeks felt like a lifetime!" She let a smirk appear on her face as she said more, while the other only got out of the car. "And you owe me all the dirty little details about you and Prince Charming, after all that convincing I had to do…"

It was the older girl's turn to blush. "T-that's kind of personal!" She stuttered at once, but it only allowed the other to grin wider.

"So you truly did that, Sugar Queen?" In a blink of an eye Katara's cheeks turned from pink to tomato red. How can Toph always get the truth out of anyone? "You see, just a little encouragement and everything turns out fine."

"If only that would be the case…" The blue eyed girl sighed while her blush faded, but the other only had time to frown left before Sokka appeared.

But instead of greeting her first, his hand fell on his sister's shoulder, whose face darkened by the moment. "Katara please, I'm sor-…"

Her music got to life loudly and she plugged her ears in, shaking off his hand without much effort. "Toph, tell Sokka that I'm not talking to him!" She said loudly before walking inside with raised head.

The blind girl's eyebrows rose then she crossed her arms with a frown. "Oh hell no, I'm not going into this again! Snoozeles, what did you do this time?"

She ranted on, but for the first time today he finally did not feel as if he had been hit by a trunk. He did expect her to return this weekend, but that she had just suddenly been there…

"I can't even leave you alone for a couple of days because you already…!" She was silenced in the middle of the sentence as he unexpectedly pulled her into a kiss. Her cheeks turned pink from his sudden action, but she relaxed in his arms when those snaked around her. Only when he pulled away did she realize that her eyes closed in the meantime to.

"No, you can't," He spoke with a half-smirk first but as her eyes opened again it turned into a true smile.

This was what he always adored in the usually so tough girl. She did not allow many to know the soft side of her - and even then she made sure no one could know it too well. It might have had something to do with the age difference between them, and also the fact that he had been the first guy in her life. On a rainy night, when he was still trying to get over a previous girlfriend and he told her how right she was about not needing anyone, she finally confessed how the only one she wanted was the one who never realized it… - And just when the realization indeed hit him she punched him too, calling him an idiot and leaving the place at once.

One of his hands rose to her face, and she slowly smiled as he brushed his thumb against her lips. "Because you are my better half," He whispered before softly pressing his lips against the base of her neck, grinning as he added. "You have to be here to beat sense into me."

Toph let out a scoff before leaning away from him, with a smirk answering his. "Are you making fun of me?"

He remained silent, holding her sightless gaze. I've missed you so damn much…

He was snapped out of his thoughts as she clenched in his shirt, yanking him to her eyelevel. "Ok then, this means war…!" She chuckled then caught his lips before he could protest, letting her hands trail down his back right into the pockets of his jeans, and they were both smiling into their kiss, not even planning to break it…

In the meantime Hakoda was leaning against his car with crossed arms, looking at the scene. Kids these days… A half smile crossed his features then he let his eyes roll before finally clearing his throat. At least they heard him for the first try… the duo pulled away, slightly embarrassed.

"Welcome home Toph," He spoke kindly. "How was the trip with your parents?"

"Well," The girl quickly recovered, smiling in return. "Mostly the usual. They want me to 'see the world'!" She let out a snort. "Like a lame blind-joke…"

The man let out a light laugh too, but as his gaze slowly turned to his son, the silence seemed to deepen. "I'm sorry for keeping the two of you away for a while, but…" His eyes slightly narrowed, making Sokka uncomfortably shift in his place. "Me and my son need to have a talk."

The air suddenly felt chilly against his skin while his girlfriend made a small nod. "O-k then, I'll just… go and look for Katara." She said, placing a hand on Sokka's shoulder before disappearing after the other girl.

She headed straight to her room, finding the door locked. She knocked in, but Katara only let her in when she swore that she was alone. Even then the dark skinned girl peeked out to be sure, and once Toph was inside, she locked it again. Katara did not even turn around when the other asked on a tired voice. "So, what did Sokka do this time?"


Zuko's hand clenched around his cell phone as the ringing signal just went on and on but without an answer. "Come on..." He murmured while brushing a towel to his wet hair. "Katara, please pick it up..."

Finally the ringing stopped on the other end of the line, and for a moment he thought she answered him, but after a beep a mechanical voice proclaimed that the number was currently unavailable. He gritted his teeth before dialing again, lifting the cell to his ear…

He did not hear as the door silently opened behind him, and golden eyes peeked in before the girl on the other side let an almost invisible smile come to her lips. Mai's gaze trailed down upon his bare back before she let the door fully open and stepped in. The door closed just as silently behind her as it opened.

For a slight moment she remained where she was, leaning against his doorframe, hesitating whether to make the next step.

Because of her father's political career her parents expected the most from her, especially about her behavior. She was taught to think twice before doing anything, appearing right in time at many social events, and being the perfect daughter anyone could wish for. Just like a marble statue, cool and passive under any circumstances. In exchange they gave her everything she wanted, whenever she desired it: clothes, CDs, shopping sprees, concert tickets, even cars…

All she needed to do for this had been to play her role. But sometimes… she wished for more.

Mai was not a wrong person. She only had small wishes. But as the time passed by, her patience tested her more and more about one certain thing which she yearned for… ever since she laid eyes on her friend's brother.

She waited for her chance for so long she could not even remember. And he had got involved with that peasant girl so quick that she could do nothing against it. But this time…

This had been that chance. She knew that she should not try getting close to him while he still had someone; but didn't her mother always say that having a girlfriend was far from being married?

Her heart rate turned faster as a strange thought ran through her mind: the perfect daughter her parents wished for would have never stepped through this door. She would not enjoy watching how drops of water left his hair, making their way down his muscled back. And she would definitely never take the next step…

Zuko only turned around with the phone in his hand when she was halfway towards him. His mouth opened before he lowered the phone, placing it down the table behind him. "Mai? I didn't know you were here," He started but as a slight smile crossed her features his only eyebrow rose. "It's... err..." He peeked down at himself inwardly cursing why he didn't put a shirt on. Then he let the towel hang around his neck as she started walking up to him. Her eyes did not leave his for a second. "...not the best time." He finished when she stopped before him.

"You had a bad fight with her today..." Only then did she let a glint appear in her eyes when he slightly shifted in his place. "I know."

"It was rather an argument than..." He tried to correct her, but she interrupted him on her cool voice.

"It's ok." Mai said, looking to the side but after a pause she said. "I didn't even want to bring that up." He glanced at her as her gaze returned, but her expressions did not give any sign about what she had in mind. Not like she ever let that happen anyway. "Your uncle told us things yesterday Zuko…"

His only eyebrow rose. "Uncle? What did he say?"

She slightly leaned forward, so that one of her hands could reach behind him, straight towards his phone, but he only held her eyes so it went unnoticed. "Everything..." She whispered and as her hand found what she was looking for, she let her nail slightly poke a spot on the back of the cell phone, making the accumulator move from its place. The cell switched off without a sound.

Zuko lightly frowned at her closeness then let out a small amount of air as she seemed to lean away a bit. "I don't think I understand." He said with a slight smile, but she did not move away as she said three simple words.

"About your father."

His expressions changed completely. His smile faded, his eyes turned cautious. But she slowly spoke again while inching closer to him. "It must have been so hard for you..." He could only stare as her voice filled with sorrow, maybe for the first time he had ever heard her talk. He figured she was hiding her true intentions.

"Living with this secret, and not telling anyone… not even your sister."

His eyes slightly narrowed. "Don't tell her..." His voice was firm, but as her eyes showed a curious glint, he added a bit lighter. "Please, I don't want her to suffer because of knowing who our father really was. I just..."

"Shh..." Mai's fingers moved to his face, silencing him as those slightly brushed his rough lips. "She won't hear anything from me."

Her fingers slowly left his lips, but he only hesitantly spoke as those trailed down his chin. "Mai, it's..." He started with discomfort, but his voice trailed away when in the next moment she brushed the edge of his scar, just below his eye.

"You are truly amazing Zuko..." She said softly, placing her other hand above his quickening heart.

He shifted in his place, getting a hold of her hand on his scar, lightly pulling it away. "Mai, I am still with Katara. We... we just faced some problems, that's all. It happens." He said, trying to sound convincing, but from her slight frown he realized that he failed completely.

Her eyes moved to her hand upon his bare chest then back before she spoke in a low voice. "She does not know what you've been through..." Her other hand though moved up from his chest to his neck. "She cannot possibly understand if she backs away from it to begin with."

His mouth slightly opened, then closed without a sound while her golden eyes bore into his. His heart sunk as he remembered Katara's disbelieving gaze from that afternoon. Then her voice, her tears… "If that is what you believe then you do not know me at all!"

He only focused on her face again when she took the last step towards him, closing the gap between them while pressing to him. Her hand moved to his nape, her fingers gently stroking his ebony hair.

"She does not deserve someone like you," She whispered lowly and she used her hand to make him lean closer too. "And deep inside, you can feel that too." She breathed before sealing his lips with hers...


A/N: And now... as the psychologist would say: tell me what you feel! XD

Ps. Save Zuko from Mai! O_o