Danger

posted April 24, 2010

Katara blinked, worked her throat to clear it, the Browning already in her hands. "How many?" she whispered. She saw Zuko move in the darkness, heard the small sounds as he stood and chambered a round.

"Don't know." They both stayed silent, listening – a floorboard creaked. "Your grandmother still gone?"

Katara bit back her curse and nodded. "Dad, too." Another creak, easily mistaken for the house settling, but she knew better. "Safe's in the other room." She waited for his nod, then moved carefully into the back, keyed in the combination. The safe swung open and she pulled her dad's old shotgun from its rack, then Sokka's blocky surplus model she'd nicknamed Compensator. Thank you, Sokka.

Zuko hadn't moved when she stepped carefully back into the front. "Two, I think." His voice betrayed strain and she handed him her dad's shotgun. "Cover me?"

Katara shouldered Compensator. "I'll lead upstairs, then cover the back. You get your kids and get out." She saw him nod, wished briefly for enough light to see his expression. She avoided the third and seventh steps and their creaks, eased the door open and stepped into the back hall, leaned against the wall and listened. Zuko followed silently, paused for an instant beside her. "Take Betsy – there's a spare key taped under the glove compartment."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet."

He made no noise as he moved up the stairs and Katara turned to scan the hall, the sliver of kitchen and living room she could see. I wonder who they sent? She hoped it was no one she knew.

Zhang woke without protest and Zuko thanked the deities for small favors as he bundled Xumei into arms. "Stay close," he whispered. "Just like we practiced."

Zhang nodded and Zuko checked the desire to hug him, reassure him. He nudged the shotgun under Xumei's bed and stepped out into the hall, listened for a moment. The house lay still around them and he pushed back the fear.

Katara still waited at the foot of the stairs; she jerked her head towards the kitchen, then stepped into it, cleared it, finally nodded to him. She moved towards the back door and Zuko followed, motioning for Zhang to precede him as he watched the hall. Something creaked in the distance and Zuko forced himself to concentrate on his kids, on Xumei in his arms and Zhang behind him. You have to trust her, Zuko, but his fingers itched for the shotgun he'd left behind, his Glock in its holster, anything to protect his family.

Gray dawn lit the edges of the sky as they stepped outside and Zuko scanned the lawn and trees. Nothing lay out of place but he knew better than to relax as he started onto the path, Zhang following.

"Daddy?" Xumei said suddenly, and he shushed her – then the world exploded behind him.

"Go," Katara shouted, and he lunged forward as a second shot cut the air, a shotgun thundering in response. The truck lay just around the corner, footsteps away – but the window beside him shattered, a black figure crashing through it. The assassin landed lightly, rifle already shouldered, and Zuko dropped to the ground, shielding Xumei with his body. The assassin stepped forward, fired – and behind him, someone gasped, dropped to the ground. Spirits, he thought desperately – then a low chuckle cut the air.

"I'll add this to what I feel you owe me, Zuko." Her voice was low but he sagged in relief as Xumei struggled from his arms, ran with Zhang to greet the woman as she pushed the night vision unit back from her face.

"Mai."

She smiled coolly as Zuko stood, braced himself as he turned. The terror seeped away as he saw Katara standing over a body laying on the ground – not still in death, but gasping for breath. Body armor? he thought as Katara nodded to him, her shotgun trained on the fallen man. He returned the nod stupidly, then swung back to Mai, who crouched to embrace Zhang and Xumei. "I've missed you two," she said softly. Her black jumpsuit stood out against their bright pajamas and Zuko had to look away for an instant. "Go back to your father, my dears, and I'll be there in a moment."

They obeyed and Zuko put his hand on Zhang's shoulder as they watched Mai rise, stride to the fallen man, who raised his arms as a shield. She nodded once to Katara, then pulled something from one thigh pocket and dropped it carelessly onto the would-be assassin. "These are copies of evidence my agency has collected against your… employer. The masters are in my office, where they will stay, for now – provided that your employer understands that my ex-husband and those who associate with him are off limits." She paused, examined her nails for a moment, though only the index finger and thumb were revealed by her gloves. "Under my protection, you might say." Her gaze sharpened. "Are we clear?"

The man nodded, his breath still wheezing. "Excellent. A car will arrive shortly, to take you wherever you wish to go. Now." She dismissed the man as readily as she'd downed him, and turned to Katara. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. I'm Mai." She extended her hand and Katara stared at her, shuffled the shotgun into her left hand to take Mai's hand with her right.

"Katara," she said faintly, and Mai nodded.

"Charmed." She dismissed Katara and ignored Zuko and dropped to her knees again. She hugged Xumei and Zhang, the love on her face making Zuko's heart ache, then held Zhang at arms' length for a moment. "You have maintained your grades, I assume?"

Zhang nodded. "Yes ma'am. Mom."

"Good boy. I expected no less." She stood and ruffled his hair, then turned to Zuko. "I've reserved rooms at one of those trite family resorts this time, with the indoor water slides and the costumed mascots."

"Big Bear Lodge?" Xumei said, her eyes wide, and Mai sighed.

"That one." She nodded at Zuko. "We'll be back in a week. Now go pack your bags." She pushed them both forward and they ran into the house. She sighed, then, and Zuko saw the concern on her face an instant before she stepped forward and slide her arms around his shoulders. "You worried me, Zuko," she whispered, and he closed his eyes and returned her embrace. She still smelled like gunpowder and lilies, but the scent no longer made him bitter.

She pulled back after a moment, her face impassive again, and turned back to Katara, who watched their exchange with a closed expression. Mai nodded to her. "I've arranged to have your name erased from all the major crime databases my agency has access to, including the one in Zuko's former department. Your record, as of now, is clean, and you can choose to keep it that way or not." She smiled, then, sad and satisfied at once. "You have nothing to fear from me, Katara. I've made my choices." Her voice turned professional again. "I trust you can get each other to medical treatment should you require it?"

Zuko nodded dumbly as two nondescript cars pulled into the drive and Xumei and Zhang burst from the house. He shook himself and stooped to hug his children as Mai loaded the fallen thug into one car. "Have fun with your mother," he whispered, and felt their nods. "I love you both very much." To his surprise, both children hugged Katara, too, leaving her with a delightfully stunned expression. Then they scrambled into the other car and Mai nodded once to Zuko and slid in beside them and both cars pulled away, vanishing as quickly as they had arrived.

"Well," Katara said after a long silence. "So that's the ex-wife."

Zuko felt as stunned as she sounded. "Yeah."

"Huh," was all she said, but she slipped her hand into his.