Katara stared out at the ice. She used to feel the tug of wanting to be on it. She used to love the feeling she would get gliding around, so much that she dreaded coming off. She had once wished on her 12th birthday that she could skate forever and wherever. Katara looked down to the skates on her feet. She leaned over and began untying them.
It had been a full month now since the kidnapping incident. Sokka was escorting her everywhere except from between classes where Suki was giving updates on every time they left a class and arrived at the next. Katara had acted like she hadn't noticed the first week, but then it became an annoyance. When she had brought it up to her dad, he simply shrugged it off acting like he had no idea what the pair were up to.
Zuko had been MIA since she woke up in the hospital. She tried calling his cell phone only for it to be disconnected. She tried to ask Sokka what had happened but he only would mumble a reply about being busy. Katara even went looking for Jet. He said he hadn't heard from him since the day they rescued her then continued to apologize over and over to her.
Katara stood and made her way into the small workout room. She did a few stretches and looked over the ice, begging for it to call out to her. It was silent. Katara watched Sokka and Suki walk out of the small hallway from the locker room and look around. Sokka called out for her and she stepped away from the glass and shook her head as tears began to form. But when Suki had begun to call out her name she wiped away tears on her sweater and tapped on the glass. Both heads swiveled up to look for the noise, Katara waved with a forced smile. Then turned her back and did a few yoga poses to call herself.
"We are ready when you are," Suki said as she knocked on the door. Katara rose from her seated position and began gathering her things. "Did you practice today?" Katara paused briefly before returning to putting her skates into her bag. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulder. "Kat…"
"I'm fine," Katara turned around with a close-lipped smile. "I'll get out there I promise. I have a whole new routine." She tapped her temple, "It's going to be gold medal material."
Suki shook her head, "Katara it's been over a month-"
"And I have time. The new season doesn't start for another two and a half months. The first competition isn't for another 2 months. I have time." Katara said firmly and shouldered her way past Katara. But Suki grabbed her wrist.
"He made a promise."
Katara paused at the softly spoken words, "Wh-What?"
Suki pulled Katara so they were facing each other again, "Sokka told me about a week ago," She licked her lips and looked around, "He wanted to know if he should say something or just do something about it. And I've waited but he hasn't done anything about it."
"What?" Katara gripped onto Suki's hand in a death grip.
"You two ready?" Sokka looked between the two and then a glare few to Suki, "You told her?!"
"I didn't! I-" Suki burst out and let go of Katara to reach for Sokka.
Sokka looked at her in disgust, "I told you that to ask for your help in how to handle it not to run and tell her."
"Sokka, I didn't. I didn't say anything!" Suki's voice ground out and when Katara looked over to her, she saw little pools of tears in her eyes.
"I told you that in private. You were supposed to keep it a secret." Sokka folded his arms.
"And I am! But she's my best friend and this affects-!"
"So it's a best friend over me?" Sokka blue eyes burned with small icy flames.
Suki swiped over her cheeks to erase the evidence she was about to start crying with a shaking hand, "No, Sokka. It isn't," She whispered a soft goodbye into the quiet and then left in a light jog.
Sokka watched her leave and when the sliding glass doors to the entrance snapped closed. Sokka took off. Katara breathed in a deep breath and followed. Sokka was calling after Suki in her small car.
"So you going to tell me what you or whoever promised?" Katara asked on their way home.
"No," Sokka growled and parked the motorcycles next to the row already parked in front of their house. Katara pushed off the bike and stomped into the house.
"Katara!" Hakoda's voice rang out in a happy cheer. "Where's your brother?"
"Who promised you something?" Katara gritted through her teeth, "Sokka or Zuko?"
Hakoda stood from the table and she saw Bato scramble to stand up to and grab his knife, "Where is he?" Sokka walked in at that point the screen door clanging shut. "Why is sister asking about the Burned Prince? Is he back? Did he-?"
"He's not here dad." Sokka growled out with a snarl.
"Katara go to your room." Hakoda let out with a sigh as relief flooded his face.
Katara just shook her head with a humorless laugh and walked back to go outside, "I'm going for a run!"
"I don't think so!"
"Why not?" Katara spun around and clenched her fists at her side.
"Not without someone following you," Hakoda nodded his head and one of his prodigies jumped up from the table.
"I don't need an escort everywhere I damn well go!" Katara screamed her breath coming out ragged as she glared at her father. Everyone in the house stopped moving and talking, now fully aware of the situation happening. "I'll stay inside the fucking jurisdiction. You have your gooneys like a wall at any entrance. No one is getting in or out without you knowing. So no, I will not need an escort to go on this run. If you send someone after me," Katara took a deep breath to calm herself, "Let's just say you might want to stalk up on tires and motorcycle parts." Katara nodded when no one made a move, Threaten a biker with destroying a bike and all of the sudden they become pussies. "I'll be back in two and a half hours."
Katara jogged outside and down the stairs. She grabbed her earphones from her bag and then tossed her bag on the deck. She turned up her music and turned down onto her normal path. She picked up speed on the concrete.
So her dad had ordered Zuko's evacuation. She had already come to that deduction but what was said in the house made it a solid theory. Katara gritted her teeth; she began to feel her heart beat faster. She shook her head and paid attention to the lyrics playing through her ear phones. It was one of the newest songs she had heard recently and had it on repeat. She had figured out most of a routine to it. And the step sequence was going to be tricky with the sit spin she planned on doing at the end that would wind up into a standing split spin with one change of foot. She would have to work twice as hard since she hadn't been on the ice in a while. She jogged down her normal path through the trees to the next block.
A new song started, one that she imagined a pairs choreograph to. Suki and Sokka would be perfect for it. Their dynamics fit the lyrics two. Katara started humming along and could see the perfectly timed side-by-side camel spins and then in the second half of the chorus a throw jump. Katara got goose bumps. Then at the bridge would be a perfect time to go into a death spiral. One with Suki faced up to stare up at Sokka. Katara's heart fluttered it would be-
There was a rumble of a motorcycle coming up behind her as she turned onto the new block and Katara growled and spun to look at her follower. Katara was already planning how to slice every tire in Southern Waters jurisdiction. But when she slowed the motorcycle pulled past her and screeched to a stop blocking her path. Katara stopped and unplugged her earphones. She began back pedaling until the person pulled of their helmet.
Katara was met with strikingly similar golden eyes. She stopped slightly and looked over the girl. Long black hair billowed out and around her shoulders, she wore tight red tank with short black shorts and tall over the knee black combat boots. Her blood red bike gleamed under her in the late afternoon sun Katara caught the flaming skull on her jacket and her eyes widened, "Who are you? How did you get past-?"
"So, you're the ice princess?" The girl gave Katara a once over.
Katara felt herself go on the defensive and crossed her arms over her chest, "and you are?"
The girl rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Zuzu never talked about me?" Zuzu? "That's a shame, because he only ever talks about you."
"Really?" Katara asked looking down at the ground; she started shaking out her legs to avoid cramps.
"No, bitch," The girl spat out, "Zuko was smarter than to say the name of a Southern Water's tribal girl inside the jurisdiction. But obviously not smart enough to stay away from you."
The girl glared at Katara and Katara blinked back at her, "So?"
"He got his ass kicked out because you brought the reign of terror down on the Fire Nation with your little kidnapping. I just wanted to see if all of it was worth it," The Fire Nation girl growled and tightened her hands over her helmet. She looked Katara over with golden fires, "I'd say it was the dumbest decision he ever made."
Katara blinked once, "Zuko got kicked out? Of the house?"
"No, you dumb princess," The girl said it like a curse. "He got kicked out of the gang, out of the jurisdiction and out of the city. The whole Nation has turned on him, there's practically bounty on his head."
Zuko was gone? All because he promised my father. He was willing to give up all they had because of her dad. Because a line in this city makes you who you are. She was Southern Waters kid that got kidnapped because an outsider knew that Zuko would do anything for Katara. And also there was Sokka's theory about Zuko gunning for Sokka… "You don't know where he is?"
The girl looked taken back, "I only have his phone number. He picked it up when he left town, which was smart, because dad cut him off. He slipped it into my locker during school about two weeks ago."
Katara blew out a breath, "Can I have it?"
"No," Golden eyes flashed with fire again as she bit out her answer. "You're the reason he is gone!"
Katara's eyes filled with tears, "I know." Katara bit her lip and blinked back the tiny pools. "I know! I know! I know!" She blew out a frustrated breath and stepped around the girl and her bike and began running again. She wiped at her eyes as her vision became blurry. She tripped slightly but kept up the faster pace.
The motorcycle pulled in front of her again and Katara about toppled over her and the bike. "Look," The girl was beginning to climb off her back this time. "I really just want him back." Katara's bottom lip trembled and the girl handed Katara the phone from her boot. "Press and hold 2."
Katara's hand shook as she looked between the phone and the girl who had pulled out a cigarette. Katara wetted her lip and pressed the' 2' button and held it up to her ear. It rang twice, "What do you want?"
"Zuko?" Katara's voice trembled at the harshly whispered question.
"'Zula, hurry up. I'm at work-…" Zuko's voice paused, "Azula?"
Katara shook her head and knitted her eyebrows together. "No," She whispered when she realized Zuko couldn't see her shake her head.
"Katara?" Katara bit her lip and nodded again, "How did you-?"
"Your sister… She's here with me do you want to talk to her?" Katara looked up to the girl.
"No! No," Zuko cleared his throat, "It's good to hear from you. How are you?"
"Not good." Katara turned away from Azula and looked off towards the tree. The cigarette smoke floated through the air. Katara could honestly say she never craved a cigarette before but Azula was making it smell and sound like a good idea.
"Me either." Zuko grumbled and then there was shuffling around on his end. "How's Suki and Sokka?"
"Not good, they had a fight this morning after practice." Katara's mind remembered the hurt look on her friends face.
"Oh, well then how's skating going?"
"Um," Katara looked down at her sneakers and drew her toe through the dirt at the side of the path. "I have a routine in my head."
"Yeah? And how's it working on the ice?"
"I, uh, I don't know." Katara kicked a stone from the dirt and filled the hole with the loose dirt.
"Oh you haven't tried it out yet? You should be doing that soon right? Don't competitions start soon?" Zuko shuffled around again and his voice echoed in whatever room he was standing in.
"I just haven't made it onto the ice," Katara looked over her shoulder to see Azula looking around. "Yet."
"Since when?" Zuko asked quietly.
Katara blew out her cheeks and let it out the breath, "Um, when did we last practice?"
"That was over a month ago Katara!" Zuko sounded shocked and Katara couldn't blame him. It had been a long time.
"I just haven't felt like getting on it. It's like it knows…" everything. Even the things she was scared to admit to herself. "I just haven't felt like it."
"Well how do you know what your new routine looks like if you haven't practiced it?" Zuko huffed.
"I just need a break. It's a small one. I'll skate again tomorrow." Katara crossed an arm over her chest, keeping the phone up to her ear.
"You promise?"
There was a long pause in the air as both waited for her answer. Katara licked her lips, "Why did you promise?" She asked after the long stretch of silence.
"I," Zuko sighed and Katara could just see him scratching the back of his neck, "It was bound to happen, Katara. It keeps happening…" Katara chewed on her bottom lip and begged for the tears to not flow over. "No matter how many times, Kat, we just- we're just not meant to be with each other."
"We could still be friends?" Katara's voice cracked and she cleared her throat.
"I'd like that," Zuko's voice sounded a little cheerful and the heaviness Katara had been feeling for a month lifted. "But that's not really an option either." The weight came slamming back down onto Katara's shoulders. She gasped for a breath like it had physically knocked the breath out of her. He's right. Katara blinked as tears started escaping her eyes. "Katara, I have to go now. Let me talk to Azula."
Katara's hand thrusted the phone out and back to Azula. Katara turned her back again on Azula and sucked in deep breaths to calm herself.
He's right. We can't be together. How many times were they going to push each other away? How many times would their worlds push them apart? A Fire Nation Ex-Prince and a Southern Waters Tribal Princess, it almost sounded like one of those cruel plays the Ember Island Playhouse would put on at the end of every summer.
"Get on." Azula called over to her.
Katara turned around and shook her head, "I can't I promised my dad…"
"We're going to see Zuko."
Katara's mouth shut tight. She looked around and started walking towards the bike. Azula shrugged from her jacket and handed Katara the jacket and the helmet. "How did you even get in?" Katara asked as she slid on the jacket and placed the helmet on her head.
"Came in from the cliffs," Azula slung her leg over her bike like a badass. "I think I cost a young icicle his patch and at least three weeks of motorcycle cleaning to allow me through."
Katara laughed lightly and slid onto the bike behind Azula, "I know a back way out."
"Then buckle up, Ice Princess. We have a Burner Prince to save." Azula slapped Katara's thigh and Katara held onto the grips beside her seat. She guided Azula out the back way of Southern Water's territory with a smile.
Okay, I'm really happy about this chapter. 10x happier about it than the last chapter!
So I've started a Sukka side story... But would anyone actually be interested in it? It's not going to be as dramatic as this one. Or violent... Or long... Really just a lot of secretly pining for each other! And a lot of ice skating! A ton of it!
As always likes are great it you liked it and comments are always a blessing.
Come find me on tumblr: zutaralover94