Katara left the club, having gone to collect her shoes. She shook her head, her untied hair tossing around her waist, still smiling at the fact that she and Zuko were sort of an item. Well, technically they'd decided that Lee and TeiLyn were an item, and that they'd have to sort something out when they got back to being Katara and Zuko; the water tribe girl and the Firelord. Katara allowed herself a small frown; being the Firelord, Zuko had a lot of responsibilities and loyalties. He was expected to marry Mai, too. She looked up from the floor when things grayed and became dark. She realized she was in that alley again. She heard voices and paused. She waited silently, still listening for a short while. She forced herself to walk forwards, clutching herself just a little tighter.
She could see the end of the alley as a hand grasped her by the shoulder and spun her around. Before she knew it there was a fist bashing against the side of her head. She stumbled backwards, trying to see straight as the stranger grabbed her by the shirt and threw her against the wall. Katara's eyes danced around wildly trying to figure out what was happening. She caught sight of the young man as her vision straightened, his hands forcing their way into her tunic and pulling her money out. She shot her hand out and grasped the man's forearm, her other hand snatching for the money pouch. She felt the fist again in her jaw, so powerful that it spun her around. She managed to reach out and grab him by the shirt, holding tight. She blinked and saw straight for a second, landing a punch into his face. If she could waterbend, she thought, she could take this guy blindfolded. Her back made contact with the wall again as the man shoved her quickly, glancing around in case anyone saw. She hadn't screamed yet, only made a few agonizing grunts and moans of pain.
Something he felt made him want to hurt her more; it was so easy. She was helpless; he was in charge. But with the money pouch in his hand, and time only moving forwards, his only goal now was to get her hands away from him. Her hand clung desperately to his sleeve as she clawed her fingernails into his cheek. He shook his arm quickly and smacked her hand away, forcing another punch into one of her eyes. He swung his leg around and knocked her off her feet. He ran as fast as he could, making sure not to look back, lest he feel regret, or guilt or remorse.
Katara's breathing was labored as she lay on her back in the alley, her forehead and lower lip bleeding, her eye starting to swell. Her tunic was loosely open from the man's robbing her, and her undershirt was exposed. The cold air hit her chest ruthlessly. She had no energy left with which to cover herself, her arms strewn across the sandy ground. She took another labored breath, closing her eyes and hoping to pass out. She moaned out in agony as she felt her own blood trickling past her hairline, her tears already tracing down her temples. If she'd been able to waterbend, she thought, she'd have been able to protect herself. The shadows enveloped her as darkness took over and she finally fell unconscious.
Katara felt life flooding her again as she opened her eyes. She winced at the dull pain in her right eye and stared at a cream colored ceiling. She was on a bed for the first time in a week.
"Oh, my goodness! Are you alright?" came a worried voice leaning over her. It was a woman; a pale woman with long black hair and familiar eyes.
Katara blinked as best she could and swallowed. "Wh- where am I?" she forced herself to sit up.
"You're at my house. My name is Joo Dee; I work in the upper ring. I … I found you in an alley not far from the Phoenix Inn." She stammered out.
Katara eyed the woman. Joo Dee was what the Dai Li named greeters, wasn't it? Why was this woman so … lively? Maybe that wasn't the word to use. Maybe 'sane' fitted better.
"Th- thank you." She managed tiredly. "I … my name is TeiLyn. I … I work at the Jasmine Dragon."
"Oh, I know that place. Is there anyone there I can contact for you? A … a parent or something?" the woman asked, swallowing in concern.
The woman was certainly motherly, Katara decided. "No, no … my boyfriend, Lee should be there. He's probably worried sick." Katara touched her fingertip to her lip and looked at the dried blood on her finger.
"Should I fetch him for you?"
Katara looked up to the woman. Joo Dee. She certainly didn't look like a Joo Dee. She had emotion, and heart and … motherhood in her. Then it snapped. Katara's eyes widened as best they could as she looked over the woman. The golden eyes were proof. She was a split image of Zuko.
"No!" Katara suddenly cried out. Zuko couldn't see Ursa, he'd see it in a second flat. "No, no, I'm fine, I … if you can help me to my apartment, I'll see him when he gets off."
"Are you sure?" the woman's eyebrows were high up in worry.
Katara shook her head vigorously. "Yes, I'm sure." She sat up with a slight struggle. "I should be working too, actually." She exhaled.
"You're in no condition to work," she answered simply. "If you're here with a boyfriend, where are your parents?" the woman stood up and approached a stove on the other side of the room.
"My mother died when I was very young. My father and brother joined the army." Katara exhaled, watching the woman pour water into two wooden cups. "Do you have children?" she asked.
"I did once." Joo Dee walked back toward Katara with the two cups. "A son and a daughter. Beautiful children." She handed Katara a cup.
"They don't live here with you?" Katara took the cup and brought it to her lips.
"I left my husband for my own good. I wrote him to find out if I could see the children, but I was never answered."
Katara could tell the woman was lying, but at the same time she was trying to get an insight to this woman's head. "Why did you leave your husband?"
The woman sighed and took a sip from the cup. "It's a very complicated story, I can't remember most of it myself. It was a long time ago."
Katara nodded in understanding. While she knew it wasn't that long ago, Ursa had been brainwashed by the Dai Li; she had forgotten almost everything about her past. She gritted her teeth in confusion. Did she tell Zuko or not? He would only be hurt more by his own mother not remembering him. At least now he had hope. He had hope, and that was what made him so perfect. He would be a changed person if he lost that hope. She drew out a sip of the tea and shut her eyes to block out her own thoughts.
"Of course." Katara managed, brushing the cup with her thumb and locking eyes with the woman. She was beautiful; she had long, waist-length black hair held in a loose, low ponytail by a brown ribbon, and had only a few smile lines in her cheeks. Her golden eyes mirrored the pride and honor that Zuko expelled in his every movement. She let her thoughts wander back to Zuko. He was probably worrying madly about her.
The woman stood up and took Katara's empty cup. She dropped it and its companion into the washbasin and turned to face Katara again. "You should rest for the day. I have to work until dusk, but I can take you to your apartment as soon as I get off." She offered with a slight smile.
Katara swung her legs off the bed. "I think I can manage on my own. Thank you for your help."
"Here." She took a wet cloth from the washbasin and walked back toward Katara. She sat next to Katara on the bed and brought the warm cloth to Katara's forehead. Katara winced slightly before letting her face soften.
Ursa dabbed the cloth over the cut, wiping the blood away gently. She tossed the wet cloth across the room into the washbasin. "You should really find a waterbender. They have healing techniques that leave no scars."
Katara almost choked. "Uh … where would I find one of those in Ba Sing Se?" she stammered out.
"The Earth King has healers handy at all times. They're often found around the Upper Ring." She smiled softly, standing. She held her hand out to help Katara up. Katara took it and stood on wobbly legs. Her knees settled under her weight and she managed to take a step with Ursa toward the door.
Reluctantly, Ursa let Katara travel alone back toward the Jasmine Dragon as she headed for the train to the Upper Ring. As Katara shut the door behind her, she heard water in the bathroom, lapping around with movement. Zuko had probably taken the day off to wait for her, she thought with a sigh. She had hoped to heal her face before seeing Zuko, but obviously that wasn't going to happen, since she needed the mirror to see what she was doing.
She leant over the washbasin in the kitchen to see how bad it was. She grimaced at it.
The cut on her forehead was mostly clean and scabbing over. However she had a purple bruise surrounding her right eye and a nasty cut on her lower lip. She was sure she had fingernail markings on her chest as well. She tried to remember the damage she'd done to the man that had mugged her, vaguely recalling the triplet cuts she'd left scraping down his cheek and the violent punch she'd forced into his face as she felt the bones in his nose collapse against her knuckles. She shut her eyes to avoid her reflection. It almost made her angry enough to bloodbend.
"Katara." Zuko's voice was surprised as he stopped in the kitchen.
Katara jumped and looked up, her lips parted in equal surprise. Zuko's eyes opened a little wider and his mouth fell open, startled as he glanced across her face.
"What happened?"
Katara shrugged her shoulders up awkwardly. "I got mugged last night." She managed, her voice quiet. "I haven't had a chance to heal it yet. It won't look so bad once I-,"
"What did they look like?" Zuko brought his eyebrows together furiously.
Katara was taken aback for a second. "Uh … I … I don't know, it was dark. I think I got him in the face." Katara glanced down to her hands as she felt her palms become sweaty.
"Stay here." Zuko marched past her. He grabbed for his sword sheath as it sat at the foot of the door.
"No, Zuko, please, don't …"
"You want this guy to get away with it?" Zuko turned on his heel and snapped at her. She took a step forward and with a tiny, scared voice answered him.
"Please don't go." She linked her hands together and locked eyes with him, her eyes large and terrified.
Zuko paused for a moment and exhaled softly, stepping back toward her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Shh." His voice was soothing as he felt her start sobbing into his shoulder. He shut his eyes tightly and buried his face in her, choking back his anger. He'd let her go alone. This was his fault; if he'd been there with his swords, he could have protected her. He wasn't just angry at the man who had attacked her, he was angry at himself for letting her go alone. Maybe it was because he'd always seen her as someone who didn't need protecting. After all, she'd always been able to do a number on him when the situation called for it.
Katara folded her arms between her body and his, crying into his shirt as he curled his fingers around her shoulder. He pressed his lips against her forehead, feeling her fingers shaking against his chest. Tears soaked through his shirt. It took all his strength to stay and hold her while she needed him. He wasn't one to keep from retaliating, but here she was, crying into his shirt and trembling. This was where she needed him right now, and this was where he was going to stay.
A/N: I kind of want to hate myself for beating Katara up to satisfy my own plot, but what the hell. I'm really happy with the lines I have given Zuko for this chap; I wanted them to sound like something he would say, since he doesn't say much in this chapter. I struggled with Ursa's character a little, so I'm going to have to watch Zuko Alone again to really get her. Typical of me to make it so Ursa's brainwashed, huh? Meh, whatevz. And no, I'm not Australian, I'm half-Welsh, half-American. We get a lot of english people around here and they often use the term 'mate'. Don't forget to review!
This chapter's quote:
'Jerkbender. Still got it.' - Sokka.
Love yas xxx
