I am so sosososososo sorry I have not updated in ages. Both school and a very hefty case of writer's block has kept me away, but now I have an update; I do plan to continue the story beyond this, but I do not know to what extent. As always, thanks to everyone who reviews and I would like more, no matter what the content. – luv Angela
KPOV
"We should kill him," Zuko said for the hundredth time through clenched teeth. I saw a distinct smoke trail coming from his nostrils, not to mention his white knuckled fists.
Troikas sighed. "No, we can't. Not yet at least."
Zuko's old temper flared, if not slightly held in check by my presence. "I'm the Fire Prince - I can do whatever the hell I want!" Zuko moved to fast for my comfort in Troikas' direction, but at my light touch on his elbow he stiffened and sighed, a look of deep apology on his face.
"It's alright, Zuko. But, please, don't get angry at him."
He nodded and pulled me to him. "I'm sorry, Katara." Whether it was for his threat, his outburst in front of me, or for the whole terrible situation I knew not. "He did this to you. It should be your choice." I nodded against him and pulled away, still not letting go of his hand.
My own anger rose and with every bit of strength I possessed I pushed it back down. This crew couldn't stand to have both of us in such a mood. "I want him dead too," unfortunately came at as a hiss, which had Zuko halfway to the brig before I yelled, "Stop, Zuko!" He stopped immediately, but remained tense and immobile, as if ready to spring if I gave him a single opening to do so.
"Zuko," I continued, "I may want him dead, but that doesn't mean we should kill him." He opened his mouth to argue, but my glare silenced him. "I said should not could. We could, but Zuko, just think about it. You're already the Banished Prince. If Zhao, by some miracle, has no already alerted the Fire Nation to your treachery, then killing him would most certainly label you a traitor – not just a traitor, Zuko, a murderer." I sighed and motioned for him to return to me. I placed my hands on both sides of his face. His eyes, his incredibly sad and angered eyes mirrored my own as I rubbed circles into his skin and his arm snaked around my waist to hold me close. Our foreheads touched lightly and I whispered, "Don't stoop to his level, Zuko."
"Let me avenge you," he whispered, pleaded. The hate in his voice caught me.
"No," I whispered fiercely back. "Killing him – like this – will consume you. No one says he can't die a horrible death," I paused, trying to stay calm for Zuko's sake, "but we need to wait until he has been tried, until after this war has been won by us. It'll happen sooner than you think, but you'll be able to have a clear conscience knowing you didn't play god." Zuko pulled a short distance away from me and gave me a look, as if he were seeing me for the first time.
He smiled, albeit painfully. "You're so strong."
"No," I smiled back, "I just don't want you to go back to hating yourself. I wasn't very fond of that phase with you chasing me and my friends around the world in a vision of fiery rage." He knew I was joking, but could only manage a small smile, which quickly turned into a contemplative frown.
"Then, what are we going to do with him? We can't leave him in the brig with a chance of escape or help." There was a little indent between his topaz eyes that formed as his forehead creased in thought.
"If I may interrupt, Your Highness, but we are coming upon an island that we believe to be abandoned. Some of the wounded and healthy men would like to stop there to recuperate. We would have to leave them behind, of course, but do you think that would be sufficient to guard, the – erm – prisoner?" Troikas seemed unsure of what to call Zhao. I would have liked to give him some ideas – jerk, bastard, demon, devil, filth rotten son of a –
"That's – that's not a bad idea. If we left a few strong men on the island and made sure we could bind Zhao so that he could only move when we wanted him to, well, I'd much rather that than carting him around." Zuko interrupted my thoughts with his words, and even though I didn't like it, I had to agree with him.
They looked at me for confirmation, both knowing that I truly deserved the last word. "Yes," I comforted them hoarsely, "Yes, I agree."
ZPOV
Katara hadn't talked since we'd set foot on the island. She did not oppose the arm I kept firmly wrapped around her distended waist, in fact chose to lean into me as we walked further into the brush. But she still didn't speak as Zhao was led in chains ahead of us.
"You okay?" I asked her softly. She only nodded and I was left knowing that I had to trust that she was telling me the truth. I didn't and sighed. "What do you want, Katara? I mean, really?" She huffed and leaned in closer to me as we walked, my eyes fixated on her and hers on Zhao's back.
"I want to scream," she said so that only I could hear her. " I want to scream, and kick and hit and fight. I want to bend a water whip against his back, right there – right there in front of me – over and over again." Her anger grew and I tried to keep my temper. For her. "I want to tell him, no, yell at him about what he did to me, how much it hurt and still does hurt, about how I'm not ready to be a mother, and about how it is all his fault." I stopped her suddenly and pulled her against me. Tears misted n her eyes and I knew she was trying to be as strong for me as I wanted to be for her. I would hold my temper, she would hold her tears. She buried her head against me for a moment and I breathed her in. "It's not fair," she whispered. "It's just not fair."
"I know," I told her. I hated feeling helpless.
Our embrace was cut short by a loud crash and a blast of wind. And a thirteen year old boy with a blue arrow on his forehead.
"Aang," Katara said softly, almost awed. She snapped her head up to meet my eyes, in desperation, but also in a challenge. She feared what we would do to each other.
I didn't have time to reassure her that I wouldn't hurt her friend, that I had chosen her side, the right side, because blasts of air and water hit me before I had time to react.
KPOV
Fear consumed me as I watched Aang throw Zuko to the ground with twin water and air blasts. I wanted, with all of my heart, to believe that what my Prince had told me over the months we'd been together were true. I guessed I would find out then.
Aang appeared to have grown. He was a little taller, a little angular, a little less of a boy. His eyes were the most grown up part of him – they had shadows in them that had not been there before. I wondered how they'd gotten there, and I prayed there weren't from me.
My brother was the next to come hurtling out from the brush, the good old boomerang in hand. Unfortunately, Sokka had also grown up enough that boomerang actually hit its mark on poor Troikas' head, knocking him to the ground. I noticed from a faraway place that his chin had grown a beard and his arms had become more muscular. He was a man now.
Following my two boys were two girls I'd never seen before. Both were wearing versions of Earth Kingdom green. The taller of the two stood back to back with my brother, and I watched, as some of Zuko's men moved to defend themselves, that he stood protectively in front of her. My eyebrows rose at this, the thought crossing my mind that I'd have to interrogate him about this girl later.
I worried more about Zuko's men. They were all on my, therefore the Avatar's, side. Even as the fought, they didn't really fight – they defended themselves against my friends' attacks. I forced my gaze back to Aang and Zuko, who had been further imprisoned by the little Earth Kingdom girl. Love and pride for my love filled my heart as I watched him take what they dished out without lashing out at them. He was truly on my side and would not hurt my friends.
The realization that I still had a voice came to me, and I screamed. "Stop!" I ran over to Zuko, slicing through a wave that Aang had directed at me. He looked at me with such betrayal and pain in his eyes as I through myself in front of Zuko's body, my body in a fighter's stance. "Stop," I repeated again, this time to Aang only. He froze, not wanting to hurt me, but I could see the determination to get to Zuko in his eyes.
"Why, Katara?" He asked me brokenly, his voice deeper than I remembered. "Why – why are you helping him?" I noticed that he fighting had ceased around us; everyone was waiting for what I'd say.
Except for my brother. Sokka was suddenly in front of Zuko and me, boomerang raised, with incalculable rage in his eyes. "You bastard! You raped my sister!" I looked down in horror at my swollen belly and realized what this must have looked like. Me, Sokka's sister, Aang's best friend, standing between them and our supposed worst enemy. With a pregnant belly that had not been there.
"Sokka," I said softly, seriously, "It isn't what it looks like. Zuko, he- he's changed!
Aang, having caught on, replied in anger. "No, Katara! He's just as bad as he's ever been, but worse. He's brainwashed you into – into protecting him after he did something so – so- unforgivable." I watched him flinch at his own words, the gentle soul that he was.
"Oh, Aang, Sokka," I said softly, "I know this is going to be hard to accept, but he really has changed. He saved me." I paused, gathering myself. "Zuko's on our side now, he has been for a long time. He's even proven it." I pointed towards Zhao. "See him? Zuko has fought against him in order to protect and avenge me. You see – he – Zhao hurt me. He," I gulped, "He's the one who raped me. Zuko was on his ship and saved me and cared for me and comforted me through everything." I looked back at Zuko and gave him the most loving smile I could muster, which he returned. I watched my friends warily as I motioned for Zuko to stand, after which he immediately wrapped his arms around me from behind, burying his head in my shoulder.
Sokka's mouth fell open and he gasped while Aang just looked at me with complete heartbreak on his face.
I turned in Zuko's arms, still looking at my friends for a moment, and then looking without regret into Zuko's golden eyes. "I love him."