Chapter 7
Royal Palace, one month later
Katara blew out a breath and bended the sweat off her brow as she walked wearily down the corridor towards her quarters followed by an equally weary Lt. Jiro. They'd spent the afternoon working out in the trianing salle. Katara had wanted to work on some of the techniques she'd gleaned from the scrolls she'd claimed and Lt. Jiro offered to work with her on them since she wasn't busy with other commitments that afternoon for once.
It'd been a whirlwind month- parties, parades and various "appearances" around the Fire Nation. One of the Fire Sages had pointed out (at Iroh's behest, Zuko suspected) that after one hundred years of war, Fire Nation citizens just didn't know anything about the other nations and what they did know was mostly stereotypes and propaganda lies. He'd gone on to suggest that maybe the Avatar and his companions, as the most famous and well known of their nations,- thanks to those blasted actors- would be able to start correcting some of those stereotypes.
The group, remembering Aang's experiences at the Fire Nation school- and the Ember Isle Players' version of events- had agreed to "make some appearances" as Toph had put it disdainfully. So, they'd given talks to schools, demonstrations, parades, visits to hospitals and even an amused Hakoda had accepted a race challenge from a retired naval officer who thought himself a sailor.
Katara snorted, shaking her hair out of the braid she'd put it in as she turned down the final corridor to her quarters. It wasn't much of a challenge. Dad could've beaten him in his sleep. She thought with pardonable pride for her father's skill. It really hadn't been much of a challenge- Fire Nation ships weren't as maneuverable as the Tribes' ships and they relied on steam too much. Very few officers were even trained in proper ship handling Katara had been surprised to discover. Not that she claimed to be a pro- nothing compared to her father or Sokka anyway, but she knew what a jib from a foresail was.
Hakoda and Sokka had won handily, easily beating the Firedancer's crew, much to the retired officer's blustery chagrin- until Hakoda had offered to take him out and show him how to sail like a tribesman. Which is what her father and brother were doing that day. Everyone else had gone off to some military revue, but she'd begged off for the afternoon to work on the new bending techniques from the scrolls she'd found.
Which I've done, she thought virtuously. It wasn't her fault Sokka and Aang had assumed she'd be training alone at the turtle-duck pond. Its not my fault if they can't get over their suspicions about the Fire Nation- which is getting really really annoying. She reflected, her mouth twisting slightly in a crooked smile. Despite being friends with Zuko, both Sokka and Aang had been super suspicious of just about everyone else from the Fire Nation since they'd arrived at the Palace and she was getting tired of it.
Even Dad's not as bad- he's actually willing to let me do stuff without him or Sokka tagging along. As long as I take Jiro with me anyway. She thought sighing. She'd lost that argument with her father too- and she'd been convinced that of all people her father would agree with her arguments, but noooo. As long Zoku and Col. Karo believed that there was even the slightest threat to her- she was stuck with the guards. Sokka's more likely to get in trouble than me, but does he have a squad of fire-bending bodyguards following him around? No!
Katara sighed again, this time in exasperation. It'd been great having everyone back together, but she couldn't wait until they set out for Ba Sing Se and the Treaty Summit. Maybe after they got away from the Fire Nation Sokka and Aang would settle down and things could get back to normal- or as normal as they ever got, she thought with a smile. Reaching her door, she waited for Lt. Jiro to open it for her- he insisted on making sure "her quarters were clear" and she'd given up fighting with him about it- she was just about to step out when she heard Aang's voice from down the hall.
"Katara! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" She stopped, turning to look over as Aang rushed up to her with a soft whoosh as he bended the air around him to move quicker. She smiled at him in greeting, raising an eyebrow. "Everywhere?"
"Well, you weren't at the turtle-duck pond like you said you would be." He explained with a note of petulance in his voice. "Aang," Katara replied with a sigh. Why did he always have to sound so whiny lately? "I said I'd be training, trying to learn the techniques from the scrolls."
"Right, I know that." Aang snapped making her blink. "So why weren't you at the turtle-duck garden?"
"Because I was training with Lt. Jiro in the training salle the guards use." Katara said with a frown. "Why does it matter, Aang?"
"I-I'm sorry Katara," Aang said looking down at the ground, anger gone as fast as it had come. "I just wanted to see you and you weren't where you said you were going to be."
"I didn't say I was going to- oh never mind," Katara sighed, leaning her head against the door frame. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I just wanted to spend some time with you," Aang said with a small smile. "I haven't seen much of you since we arrived- you're always so busy."
"We've all been busy, Aang." She reminded Aang, leading the way into her quarters. "But I guess we can talk for a few minutes. Lt. Jiro, if you don't mind?"
He did, but he had to admit that the Avatar wasn't likely to hurt her anymore than a ember-kitten would. Keeping his reservations to himself, Lt. Jiro simply nodded and withdrew, closing the door behind him. Aang glared over his shoulder at the departing guard. "I still don't get why he has to follow you around all the time."
"Colonel Karo ordered him too, you know that Aang."
"I still don't like it," Aang's voice had that hint of whine in it that had her skin crawling. "You can defend yourself, we all know that."
"Thanks Aang," Katara smiled over at him. "Seems like you're the only one who does sometimes." Spying a jug of water sitting on an end table, she gratefully bended some into a glass, cooling the temperature as she did so. The Fire Nation was great for warm drinks but cold? That took a Waterbender.
"Well, of course." Aang shrugged absently, looking around the room. "You're a Master Waterbender. Not too many things you can't handle."
"Oh, there are some," she demured darkly, eyes flickering briefly as she recalled several close calls- most of which she was forced to admit could have been avoided if she'd been willing to ask for help from the rest of the gang. Gran-Gran had always claimed that she'd gotten her headstrong nature from her father. According to her grandmother, Hakoda had been just as prone to jumping in without looking as she was, much to her father's embarrassment at times. "Which is why I was so excited to find those bending scrolls."
"Why?" Aang scoffed, looking over at her. "You're a Master now- you don't need to train all the time."
"What?" Katara paused with the glass halfway to her mouth, a shocked look on her face. "Of course I still have to train- and so do you, Aang. Being a Master- or the Avatar- doesn't mean you're done training."
"Yea, I know my Fire and Earthbending need some work." Aang agreed, flopping down onto one of the low couches. "I'll work to them when we get to Omashu. Not much hurry now that I took care of Ozai."
Sighing, Katara put her glass down without taking a sip. "You really should work on your Waterbending too." She sat down on the couch opposite his, started to lean back tiredly, only to sit upright with a wince. Aang frowned as he watched her lean over to knead at a tight muscle on her calf.
"I thought you said I was a Master Waterbender."
"I said you have the reflexes of a Master Waterbender," she corrected. "I-" She paused to sit back up and stretched her leg out flexing her foot experimentally to stretch the cramped muscle out. Satisfied, Katara leaned back against the couch back again with a sigh. "I'm not as good as Master Pakku-yet- and really Aang, you're not as good as me. I'd say you're about where I was when we left the North Pole"
"Oh," Aang shrugged, mentally dismissing her critism. It wasn't like there was a reason anymore to hurry up and finish his training. "OK, I'll work on that too when we get to Omashu."
Katara had opened her mouth to object only to stop as what Aang had said registered. "Omashu?" She sat up, puzzled. "I thought the Treaty Summit was in Ba Sing Se. Has it been moved?"
"No," Aang said shaking his head with a grin. "Bumi invited us to come stay with him at Omashu after the whole Treaty thing is over- Toph's really looking forward to it. Something about wanting to see how good Bumi is."
"Wha-" Katara stared at Aang, speechless. "I'm going home with Dad and Sokka after the Summit."
"Oh, Sokka and Suki are coming too." Aang replied, moving over to join Katara on her couch. "We can go to Omashu for a few months, I'll work on my Earthbending with Toph there and then we can visit your Tribe and I can finish working on my Waterbending there. With you." He leaned towards her, eyes closed obviously- and clumsily-trying for a kiss. Katara, seeing Aang's movement, hastily moved across the room to gain both physical and mental distance from the amorous boy.
It'd been a shock that day on the submersible when Aang had suddenly kissed her. Having no idea that he'd even been interested in her that way - much less how she felt or what to do about it- Katara hadn't said anything as he flown off to confront the Fire Lord.
After the failed invasion at the Eastern Air Temple, he hadn't said anything either so she'd gratefully left well enough alone. La knew there was enough to keep an army for soldiers busy rather than dwelling on Aang's sudden desire to kiss her!
Then with Zuko seeking the gang out, Sokka and Zuko rescuing Dad and Suki from the Boiling Rock Prison, their hasty escape from the Temple and Azula, Zuko helping her track down her mother's killer and, well, everything else that had gone on she'd put the disturbing incident in the back of her mind and forgotten about it.
Aang sure hadn't though.
A fact she discovered when he'd confronted her after that horrible play, angry over a scene in the play. He thought she'd lied to him about what had happened under Ba Sing Se between her and Zuko. Which she hadn't! Nothing had happened between her and Zuko down there. Well- nothing like what the Ember Isle players or Aang had assumed anyway! As if that hadn't been enough- he'd than said that they should be together since he'd kissed her! Like one kiss would make them boyfriend or girlfriend!
She'd told him that she needed time- and wasn't it just like Aang to decide when that time was up! Just like it'd been his decision whether or not she should go after Yon Ra, his decision that they be boyfriend and girlfriend, his decision that they go to Omashu--
She shook her head to clear her thoughts as Aang realized that she'd moved out of his reach. "Why'd you do that?" He asked plaintively, looking like she'd kicked Momo. "I just wanted to kiss you."
"I didn't want you to kiss me, Aang." She said flatly, meeting his eyes angrily. "I know I told you two months ago that I didn't know how I felt about you and needed time. I don't remember telling you that it'd be okay for you to kiss me whenever you wanted too!"
"But the war's over now- there's no reason why we can't be together!" He protested, moving off the couch towards where she stood. Katara threw up a hand, index finger pointing at his face that stopped him in his tracks. Desperately in love as he was, Aang recognized that gesture. He'd seen her use it on both Sokka and Zuko more than once.
"I said I needed time, Aang." Katara repeated softly, eyes glinting in temper. "I don't like it when you ignore me, and I'm getting tired of it."
"But Katara," Aang protested, backpedaling for all he was worth. "I don't ignore you!"
"OH REALLY?!"
