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

-------- ! SPOILER WARNING ! --------

If you hadn't seen the Western Air Temple episode, you might not understand what's happening... and why..

It Is Hard to Forgive

"Katara!" The blind bandit's voice rang throughout the Western Air Temple and the name's owner could not prevent herself from making a scowl at the cooking pot before her, when the other girl shouted again. "Katara!!!"

The waterbender gritted her teeth. ""What?! She turned to the side where the other stood, then she get a hold of the waterskin Katara put to the side before. "And put that d…!" She started before the other interrupted her.

"Hurry, you need to come with me!"

"What…?" Katara asked bewildered. "To where?"

Toph let out a frustrated sigh before answering. "To Zuko!"

The waterbender's face darkened even after hearing his name. "Why?" She asked without trying to hide what she thought about this idea.

The earthbender clenched the neck of the other's waterskin. "He needs you, he's badly wounded!"

Her blue eyes rounded while Katara froze. She still didn't like him but this news… "What happened?" She asked meanwhile standing up and already heading with the shorter girl towards the prince's room. "Did they fence with Sokka again?"

Toph quickly nodded with a worried expression and it deepened Katara's thoughts that it must have been something serious. "I told them that I won't heal them unless it was really serious… did the fools truly make it…?" She murmured darkly to herself finally reaching the prince's room, so she opened the door and immediately stepped in the room…

Just imagine her surprise when Zuko turned towards her with a slight frown, while he was sitting on the ground before some candles, looking perfectly unharmed. "Err… hi?"

Katara knitted her eyebrows furiously and whirled around, only to see the door of the room slam before her.

"Gotcha!" They heard the blind bandit's voice, when the waterbender tried to open the door in vain.

Zuko stood up himself, not understanding what was happening until Katara beat on the door. "Toph! What are you doing?" She yelled, and to their surprise the next voice outside belonged to her brother.

"Quickly! The keys! The keys!"

"What's going on?" The firebender asked, but the girl did not concentrate on him.

"Sokka! Let me out at once!" She shouted hitting the door hard. "Or else you won't eat for a week, do you hear me?"

There was a moment of silence while no one moved on either side of the door, then the water tribe boy answered. "Sorry sis, I'm not alone into this…" He said then added with a hurried voice. "But you've convinced me already, just to let you know…"

After a yelp he remained silent, and Katara's eyes narrowed while Zuko stepped next to her with a dark look too. This was all Toph's doing…

"Toph if you don't open the door now…!" The waterbender yelled angrily then stepped to the side when Zuko's fist flamed up.

"Step aside." He said on a low voice, so that the others outside wouldn't hear, but when he launched forward, the ground moved below him, pulling him away from the door. "Damn!" He snapped then from his place he wanted to kick into the door…

But before he could have made contact with it, the ground just before the said door rose up, covering and catching his outstretched leg.

Both him and Katara watched as the earth slowly rose, entirely covering the doorway, and Zuko could have sworn that he heard the blind girl's giggle from the other side of the door when after first twisting his leg with the earth – making his eyes twitch – he was finally freed from the wall. After gaining his balance back, he shot a dark look towards the newly created wall…

The waterbender yelled again. "This is not funny guys! Grow up!"

"Sorry guys…" A third person said, and the duo in the room looked ahead of themselves as they recognized the voice.

"Aang…?" Katara asked with raising an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah…" He started outside, and before the girl could start yelling he spoke on a diplomatic voice. "Look, we didn't do this for fun…"

"Speak in your name, Twinkle Toes. I myself enjoy this situation a lot…" Toph popped in, and Katara's fists clenched upon hearing it, knowing well that probably she was smirking outside.

"So…" Aang started again. "I'm sorry guys, but…"

"Don't 'sorry' here!" Zuko snapped. "Let us out!"

Katara gave him a glare, before turning towards the place where the door had been. "Aang, why are you doing this?" She asked patiently and the prince couldn't help but grit his teeth.

But before Aang spoke Sokka popped in. "Look sis, since the jerk joined us… err – no offence… - the two of you were way too weird… and when that last time you've practiced your bending…"

"The two of you were directly ruining each others' moves!" Toph said loudly. "If there had been any firebenders they wouldn't have to do anything against you, just wait until you were finished!"

Katara turned to Zuko with clenched fists, while he only crossed his arms, giving her a side glance from the corner of his eyes when she hissed. "This is your fault!"

Zuko scoffed but didn't say anything because Aang spoke again. "So, we've decided that you should get over… whatever your problem is and…"

"We're fine!" Katara yelled, but was ignored by the others. "Really! Just open the d…"

"And in that time we're going down to the beach!" Toph yelled in making the duo widen their eyes.

"No!" They yelled almost at once.

"Don't worry we'll come back for you! Have fun!"

----- LATER -----

She was pacing around next to the door's original place, but didn't say a word. Sometimes when he could caught sight of her eyes he could see the same scowl she offered to him as her first 'good night wish', while he was sitting on the edge of his bed.

His eyes wandered around the room, dealing with the idea that perhaps he should do his room more frequently… in case, who knows? Once he might end up closed in there… with a girl who was looking for his mistakes… Good thing he didn't have much stuff to leave around anyway.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as she let out a deep breath in the silence leaning to the wall.

For a moment he looked away before finally asking her in a friendly manner. "Don't you want to sit down? It would be more comfortable."

She gave him an icy glare. "I bet you'd love that… pervert."

His lips turned into a narrow line while he was looking ahead of himself, then stood up getting a distance away from the bed before asking again with crossed arms. "What about now?"

She looked at the bad as if being in thought then turned her head away defiantly. "You're still in the room."

His fists clenched beside him and his voice became louder. "And guess what… that's not going to change!"

Her frown hardened before she made a smirk at his back, now that he'd turned away. "You could jump out of the window." He's standing stunned looking out of that window. Does she really hate me this much? "I wouldn't hold you back." She finished satisfied as his form tensed.

"Fine! I don't even know why I offered it!" He yelled and stormed back to his bed lying down on the middle of it, to cover most of its usable surface, putting his arms behind his neck. "It is my bed anyway, just do what you want, I don't care!"

Katara sat down next to the wall she stood before and crossed her arms. Her evil smile faded almost at once after what she'd said. Maybe she went a bit too far, but she's still not really interested in how it might make him feel… after all he deserved everything he got from her, and from the fact that he simply refused to fight back, she knew he had been well aware of that himself.

She heaved a sigh before breaking the silence. "You don't seem like you'd want to get out of this situation…"

You don't seem like it either… He thought to himself though he knew she only meant this as 'getting out of the room'.

"Believe me, if they hadn't walled up the door I would have broken through it even with my head if I had to, the moment they've left." He said darkly and she narrowed her eyes at the tone of his voice.

So she decided to be cruel when speaking again. "If you were only half as a good bender as your sister, a single wall couldn't stop you…"

Zuko's golden eyes almost pierced through the ceiling as his clenched fingers' nails crawled in his palm. He shot forward into a sitting position, letting all of his fury come to the surface. "All right, I had enough of you!" He shouted and when he stood up walking closer to her threateningly, she felt more and more uneasy. Maybe it was not wise to push him through the edge when she had no usable source of water while he could create his own element whenever he wanted to.

She slowly stood up, leaving a hand on the wall and it crossed her mind that she had probably just lost her dangerous attire she'd managed to use against him… and even though this thought was written over her face and was clearly visible in her eyes, he did not show any sign that he would be interested by it.

His golden eyes reflected more anger and hatred than she'd ever seen in them, but all those feelings were created by suppressed pain and desperation.

"Do you have any idea how hard this decision was for me?" He asked not looking away from her ocean blue eyes. "Do you think it is easy to turn against everything you were born into? To go as far as to betray your own father and sister and join your biggest enemies, knowing well that you'll cause maybe both of their ends?"

As the only thing she did was turning her gaze away, he went on after letting out a deep breath and looking downwards himself. "I know I've done a grave mistake… a mistake that my own uncle will never forget even if he'd ever forgiven me. And I am sorry…"

Katara closed her eyes to shut out his close form from her view, now that she heard him talk like that again… like back in the crystal catacombs, where all of this started…

"I don't know what you await from me… I can't apologize forever." He said shamelessly letting his own guilt sound in his voice… something he was strictly taught not to do.

"And though I admit what you've done back then…" She peeked at him from the corner of her eyes while he was not looking. "…meant a lot to me…" He spoke with a bittersweet smile before going on. "Hell, I'm sure that I would have never thought about coming here if it hadn't…" He said looking back at her closed eyes. "But you can't deny that trusting someone, you knew well was your enemy…"

"So is it my fault?!" She snapped and she cursed herself when opening her eyes, tears appeared in them.

All his anger was long gone and now he was looking at her in a soft… even worried way. "No! No…" He answered, whispering the last and reached towards her, but she turned her head away while the tears finally rolled down her cheeks. "Please, Katara…" Don't cry…

"What's in you that makes you so special?" She asked on a low voice and he was frowning by the time she turned back towards him. "What the hell have you done that made you deserve all these second chances?"

There was so much hurt in her voice… so many unspoken thoughts and feelings on her face that the realization suddenly made his heart sunk, but still didn't know why. "It… was not easy for your friends either, but…"

"That's not what I meant!" She almost yelled, only confusing him more when she looked in his eyes furiously. "Did you lie back then…?" His eyebrows furrowed but as he didn't show any intention of speaking, she said out what was on her mind. "You knew that your mother was alive then didn't you?"

Zuko's mouth stayed open. Ever since he joined them, he only talked about this once… and to the avatar only. "You've heard me…" Her tears turned her view fuzzy when she looked downwards. "Why didn't you ask me then?" He asked when she turned away from him, putting her arms around herself. "You could have found out that my father told me this during the eclipse… to keep me there…" He said with slight disapproval in his voice, but didn't go on as her shoulders shook.

"Katara, I…" He started but when he put a hand on her shoulder she whirled around with even more tears and clenched fists then started to beat on his chest.

"No! I don't care what you feel! Or how you are! You shouldn't even be here!" She cried and he only tried to catch her wrists. "You could convince Toph, Aang and even Sokka but I'll never Ever believe you!"

"Katara! Please…!" He started finally getting hold of her left wrist, but she just doubled her strikes with her right fist.

"No! Why did you come here?! Why couldn't you stay in the Fire Nation where you belong?!" She screamed and continued hitting him as long as he caught her other hand. "How can life always go easy on you?!"

"Stop!" He finally managed to pull her hands beside her and wrapped his arms around her, no matter how hard she struggled and yelled. "Stop it." He said finally, meeting her gaze.

As if his golden eyes would have calmed her down, she stopped her fists that beat on his chest again and now simply rested there. Her face was still sad, even torn when she asked on a low voice. "How is it possible that after all you've done…" She started as tears flowed down her face again. "You still have the chance to find her?"

This was the point where she gave up… she leaned forward, hiding her face in his neck. "When I would give anything just to see my mother's face once again…" She sobbed, and when her fingers dug into his shirt he was also close to let a tear fall from his right eye.

"Katara… I am so sorry…" He whispered in her ear while holding her in his arms, calmingly stroking her hair with a hand. "I had no idea I've hurt you this much…"

Her tiny fingers clenched the fabric of his shirt when her body shook. Without raising her head she muffled in his shoulder. "I hate you…"

For a moment he froze. He knew she hated him… she did everything to prove it before. But still, hearing her say it out… "I know." He said as she silently cried onto his chest and without truly realizing what he was doing… he placed a light kiss on the top of her head through her hair.

She slowly pulled away then brought her gaze up at him with puffy and surprised eyes. Because there was that look in his eyes again…

He was no longer her enemy, who only waited for the right moment to strike... but a simple soul haunted by his own past…

One of her hands slowly rose up to his face, and as it made contact with the marred skin below his left eye, she felt that her fingertips touched a single salty tear, before he'd have closed his eyes and leaned in her gentle touch, which she offered him again.

"Why…?" She asked on a low voice. "Why did you choose her then?"

His eyebrows furrowed before opening his eyes… his treacherous honey gold eyes, which he could no longer hide from her to see through them. "She had offered me everything… everything I've lost, like it had never happened… everything I could only dream about for three long years…"

There's a light frown on her features while her hand is still upon the side of his face. "If it was like a dream…" She started in a whisper. "Then why did you leave?"

For a long moment he didn't answer, only held her gaze while – she didn't know why - she didn't dare to move and was even holding her breath, when one of his hands slowly rose… covering her hand upon his face then slowly moving it upon the edge of his scar before finally saying three simple words…

"I woke up."

He didn't say more only let his hand slowly fall back to his side and her face saddened as he broke their eye-contact, looking down at his feet.

Only then did she dare to move her hand, slowly stroking his scarred cheek below his eye with her thumb, which made him look back at her. And this time, for the first time he could see her smiling up at him… with the sweetest of smiles she had ever shown him.

Her eyes were still shiny because of her previous tears, but somehow those only made the blue orbs more beautiful… His lips slightly parted, intending to ask why she was smiling… but not a single sound left his throat to break the silence.

She was still smiling when her hand slowly moved from his scar to his messy hair, pulling away a lock right before his eye then went lower, to rest on his jaw as she finally spoke. "Let's… start this over…"

His eyes slightly widened at the change in her and after closing his mouth he let the edge of his lips curl upwards into one his rare smiles. And in that moment she could not deny that even that part of her would have wished to see him like this, which tried to push him as far away as it was possible before… "What do you say?" She asked friendly.

His smile remained on his lips, and even appeared in his eyes… That's why she suddenly didn't understand when he said: "No."

He must have seen the confusion in her eyes, because his expressions softened and it was his turn to slowly lift a hand to her face, but didn't dare to touch her yet. "I've promised to myself that I'll make it up to you as much as I can…" He whispered finally stroking the side of her face, and she felt her heart beat faster because of his single touch. "And there are certain things… I can't and don't even want to forget."

Her lips slightly parted while she found it harder to breathe. "W-what things?" She managed to ask while their distance seemed to reduce.

The smile on his lips promised so many things… up to this close even more, when he finally answered. "Like that wonderful girl…" Her face reddened with every word he said. "Who showed me, her own enemy… more kindness than anyone before…" He slowly leaned closer to her while he spoke, and just when she thought he'd finally close the gap between them, he stopped.

She took quick breaths while searching his eyes, when she realized: he did not want to do this until she did… he could not do this while she didn't trust him… he was the one who waited now, not her.

She knew it would have been the time to listen to her mind… she even knew that without truly thinking much she could have made a list with at least a dozen of reasons why she should pull back right now, before it was too late…

But fortunately… her mind was silent, while her heart raced.

She moved forward letting both of her hands explore his face and well-toned chest while he pulled her close with one strong arm as his other hand's fingers played with her wavy hair when they've finally lost in the sensations of their first kiss, they secretly desired ever since they had been imprisoned together under Ba Sing Sei…

And strangely, the two of them could only think about one thing through clouded minds. This was so the others' fault… but gods, I'll have a lot to thank to them…

A/N: So, because we're ALL WAITING for the last episodes of the series and I'm afraid that we'll have to still wait another month, I've tried to somehow... forsee the future?

I pretty much think that when Zuko will finally confront Katara, she'll most probably end up crying - just like she did when she was talking with her father - and Zuko will try to cheer her up - just like back in BSS - while she's going to hold on to him all right - just like she did with her father too! XD But we'll be more than happy to see that!

And of course after such a peacful moment, with being so close to someone who's definitely not indifferent to you, well... Things CAN happen ppl... CAN and WILL! XD

Look at that... I've let out my fangirl side... XD

Review ppl, review! Agree or disagree, I'd like to hear your opinion!