POSSIBLE SPOILERS ALERT!! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE BOILING ROCK, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

Thanks goes to one of my loyal reviewers for this fic idea (you know who you are! :P :). I decided to do a montage of the entire gaang's reactions to Zutara (minus Sokka, Toph, Zuko, and Katara). Just random moments on random days. Hope you enjoy!

Zutara - Impact


Suki:

"I just don't get it!" Sokka huffed as he absentmindedly threw a punch at Suki, who deflected it easily. "I mean, it makes absolutely no sense!"

"Aw, poor Sokka," Suki teased, swiping his legs out from under him with a graceful swing of her leg, "We can't have that, can we?"

Sokka ground his teeth and struggled to his feet. "Can't have what?" he snapped.

Suki threw him a sweet smile before leaping over his head and tying his arms behind his back. "We can't have something that doesn't make sense in your presence, oh intelligent warrior," she whispered fondly in his ear. "Everything has to add up, everything has to have a reason…" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before driving him into the ground. Leaving him in the dirt of the cliff-top arena, she straightened, brushing off her skirt. She still wore her jail attire, lacking anything else to wear for now.

"Honestly though, Sokka," she added, her voice serious. "I think you should just leave them alone. Your sister is happy, and Zuko – for once – is happy. Isn't that enough for you?"

"No!" Sokka replied, leaping up. "It's not enough!"

Suki frowned at him. She loved Sokka, but sometimes, he could be so frustrating! "Why not?" she demanded. "What are you so worried about?"

Sokka looked away, his voice barely a mumble. "I just… I don't want her to get hurt again…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I don't know how it happened, but back when Zuko was evil, him and Katara got locked in a cave together. Somehow… Zuko got Katara to trust him, and then he threw it in her face and betrayed us all to Azula. Katara was really upset about that, and… I just don't want it to happen again."

Suki started, frustrated and touched all at once. "You honestly think after all Zuko's done for you, for me, for everyone, that he could ever possibly still betray us?" she asked softly. "You seemed to trust him well enough when we were escaping the Boiling Rock."

"That was before this whole lovey-dovey business with Katara…"

"Sokka, you're being paranoid," Suki said with a gently giggle. "You have to trust Zuko, and be happy for Katara. They're really happy together. I've been watching them, and unless Zuko's as good an actor as Azula is an actress, there's no chance that he'd willingly hurt your sister."

Sokka looked at her helplessly, and the Kyoshi warrior just set her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. A reluctant smile tugged at Sokka's lips, and he accepted her comforting kiss gratefully.


Hakoda:

The smoldering cinders and gentle twists of smoke of the dead campfire couldn't break the silver streams of moonlight that fell over the gaang. They'd stayed up until the moon reached its height in the sky telling ghost stories and amusing each other with jokes, until one by one they dropped off to sleep where they sat. Hakoda, however, couldn't sleep. After the whole necklace incident with Katara and Zuko, the Chief of the Water Tribe had watched the two teens like a dragon hawk, constantly analyzing and calculating and trying not to go all hypersensitive-protective-daddy on his baby girl. Now, he was a hair's breadth away from giving up that goal.

Zuko sat against the wall, his head leaned back, breathing gently in deep sleep. His left arm – which Hakoda could have bored an icy drill through with his glare if he'd been a waterbender – was wrapped securely around Katara's shoulders. The waterbender's head rested peacefully on the firebender's leg, and a gentle smile graced her sleeping lips. Every time they shifted, Hakoda had to bite his tongue to keep from leaping up and dragging Zuko away to a very evil place.

Oh, Kya, if only you were here… Katara's mother would know what to do. She would sooth his worries and tell him to loosen up. He wouldn't be so wound up if he knew his dear wife was there to watch over their daughter. But no, she wasn't there, and Hakoda found himself lost trying to figure out just how to react to the sudden romance between his daughter and the traitor Fire Prince.

Not that he thought Zuko untrustworthy. On the contrary, he trusted the firebender with his life. His daughter's, on the other hand, he wasn't so sure about…

Katara sighed in her sleep, and Hakoda felt his eyes well with tears. His little girl… she was growing up. He'd always known she was strong, responsible, brave, and fiercely stubborn, but now he could see too that she was really a grown woman. A woman who needed a man to love that would love her back. And now, she believed she'd found one. Hakoda only prayed she was right. Though he didn't like any boy being so close to his little girl, the Water Tribe warrior knew that eventually he would have to accept that fact and be happy for Katara, even if it broke his heart to think that slowly… very slowly… he was being forced to let her go.


The Duke:

The Duke's nose involuntarily scrunched up in distaste as he watched Zuko take Katara up in a big hug and kiss her forehead as his way of saying 'good morning.' And when Katara's face turned red and she kissed him back, The Duke's face turned green and he scrambled away to find a place to relieve his churning stomach.

What was with them?! He'd liked it better when Katara hated Zuko's guts and they all had to sleep in fear of the waterbender's wrath… anything but this festival of cooties and wild hormones.

"I think you're supposed to understand when you're older," Teo had joked when he voiced his disgust.

The Duke pouted. "You're not much older than me? How are you supposed to understand?" Teo had just patted him on the shoulder and rolled away, a knowing smile on his face.

Now, as The Duke had to sit through all Zuko and Katara's random romantics throughout the day, every day, he wondered if he even really wanted to understand. Whenever he chanced to voice his opinion with a grimace and a raspberry around the couple, he always seemed to earn himself a pebble in the head from Toph, and an icy glare from Suki – both of whom seemed to be keeping close to the lovebirds ever since they started showing their feelings for each other. The Duke could only take their rebukes and scurry away before they decided to lecture him.


Teo:

Teo had never been swimming before, but it was fun enough just to watch – especially now that Zuko and Katara were finally friends. Better than constantly fearing for your life if you twitched wrong. As he watched the lovers splash around in the hot-springs at the depths of the canyon, he found himself smiling contentedly. They were really good for each other, and it was good to see them finally getting along.

A loud sigh next him disrupted Teo's attention, calling him back to the blind earthbender sitting on the rocks beside him. Her blank eyes stared out over the water, fixed forever on an invisible point that magically landed right where Katara and Zuko were playing.

"It's nice that they're not trying to kill each other anymore," she commented randomly, apparently sensing Teo's reminiscing.

"Yeah," Teo agreed, "and it's just as nice to get a good night's sleep for once."

"You might," Toph snorted, folding her arms, "but I have to stay up all night listening to those two chase each other around the temple or splash in the fountain or even just talk! I swear, you'd think they never sleep!" Despite her complaints, Teo smiled, knowing the earthbender didn't mind so much as she said. She'd gotten the two to forgive each other in the first place, not to mention she was the one – Suki jumped in when she could – who always interrupted Sokka whenever he bugged them. She and the Kyoshi leader were like their bodyguards, always making sure they had the privacy they deserved, and though Teo agreed with them, he dared not get in the way of theirs and Sokka's entanglements over the happy couple.

"I suppose they just have a lot to talk about," he said aloud, "getting to know each other, and all. I think they find it interesting that they have so much in common and their personalities just click so well. It certainly gives them a lot to say, and it makes you want to be closer to someone when you have something in common."

"Yeah, I suppose so…"

"So you're rooting for them too?"

"You're looking at their biggest fan."


Haru:

If Haru could have picked one of his least favorite people of all time, Zuo would make the top five. Not that he didn't trust him. The Fire Prince had proven himself completely over the past few weeks. Not that he was biased by the fact Zuko was Fire Nation. It helped them a great deal, considering all the inside information he could give them. Not that he thought Zuko didn't pull his own weight. The firebender did his own work and more. No, none of those things.

It was because of Katara.

Once, he and the waterbender had shared a connection. Haru had opened up to her about his father, a topic he'd avoided with everyone, even his own mother. Then Katara had strengthened that connection by revealing her own feelings about the loss of her mother. Haru had thought they had bonded. But now, it seemed like the Water Tribe princess had forgotten their connection completely, tossing his friendship – and deeper feelings – to the side for her dear Fire Prince. Had she forgotten him so easily?

Sure they hadn't seen each other in a few months, but Haru had never forgotten Katara in all that time. It wasn't just because she'd become a hero to his village. She really meant something to him, especially because she had given him the courage to fight the Fire Nation. She'd taken his longing for justice and helped him take it a step further by turning it into action. She'd strengthened him, encouraged him…

Perhaps even loved him?

Now it seemed all those feelings had vanished. Now all Haru could see Katara thinking about was Zuko's embrace, his warm kisses, and his smile. Now, she rarely acknowledged the earthbender with anything more than an absentminded 'hi.' It was like he didn't even exist anymore.

Grimacing, Haru stalked away from the fountain where they had all taken refuge after a morning of training, claiming he wanted to practice some bending on his own for a while. Really, he just wanted to escape the dreamy gazes, the hugs, the smirks, the blushes, the kisses…

Really, he just wanted to have Katara back, though he knew he never would…


Aang:

"Hey Katara, I need some help with this move!"

Katara halted her progression towards the firebender sitting nearby, turning with some reluctance to assist her 'struggling' pupil. Good. He had her attention again…

Aang lost no time in throwing a subtle glare in Zuko's direction.

The airbender had seen the growing affection between his waterbending teacher and firebending instructor. In fact, it was completely impossible to ignore. Aang's throat was continually blocked by lumps that only grew larger with every new smile, every gentle kiss, every torturing blush. He did his best to keep the two lovebirds separate, but it did little good. They were usually up all night talking or playing or just enjoying each other's company anyway. Aang knew deep in his gut that he couldn't keep the two apart forever.

But that most certainly did not stop him from trying.

Of course, this newfound friction made it difficult to learn firebending. Despite Zuko's redemption, Aang found it increasingly tempting to view the Fire Prince as the enemy once again. This rivalry made it nigh impossible for poor Zuko to teach his suddenly stubborn pupil anything without receiving attitude in return. Aang had once been so complacent, but now he watched with grim satisfaction the growing friction he caused between him and 'Sifu Hotman.' After what he was doing with Katara, Aang wanted nothing more to do with him.

"Do I have to practice firebending today?" he would whine to Katara, hoping for the familiar gentle reassurance that if he ever needed a break, they could practice waterbending. But those spoils were becoming more rare than ever, and Aang found himself missing the days when he was running from the Fire Prince instead of learning from him. At least Katara had always been there for him then. She would protect him to the end against Zuko, and her once deep-seated view of the firebender as an enemy made Aang wish for the past to be present more than ever.

Not only did this create mounting friction between Zuko, Aang, and Katara, but the Avatar realized he had now become a target for Toph's flying pebbles, Suki's glares and lectures, and Teo's subtle, distasteful headshakes.

At least Hakoda, Sokka, and Haru are on my side… Aang thought abrstractly, but even then he knew he was wrong. Hakoda certainly didn't seem comfortable with Zuko and Katara's romance, but Aang could see that every day, the Water Tribe Chief was slowly softening towards the two. Sokka, too, seemed to be listening to Suki and Toph's reassurances. Even Appa and Momo had found friendship with Zuko and hardly minded Katara's attentions to him in the least. Then again, they liked whoever would pet and feed them…

Sighing dejectedly, Aang set himself to enjoy the precious moments he had left with Katara during waterbending practice. Then he would have to watch her rest in her prince's arms until dinner, sit through them making the fire together, and fall asleep with the picture of Katara's head on Zuko's chest as the moon rose high.


Personally, Hakoda, Haru, and Aang's were my favorites to write. I love writing about friction in romance and love triangles, so Haru and Aang's opinions of Zutara I just couldn't resist! Plus, I think that if Zuko ever did put his arm around Katara, Hakoda would have something to say! And why the heck did I call Katara a Water Tribe princess? Well, I just figure that since her father's chief of the Southern Water Tribe, that would – if you want to get technical, which I do – make her a princess of sorts. Ah, so Sokka really is a prince – of course we all knew that already! ;) And yes, I decided to call Katara's mother Kya on a whim, but also because Kya was originally going to be Katara's name on the show, and I liked it, so bing-bang-boom, I made it her mother's name. It's also my cat's name… Guess what my other two cat's names are and you get an imaginary cookie the size of your head! Hope you enjoyed this, and please review!