*I do not own any of Avatar characters (besides Matthew and James) or the show Avatar the Last Airbender: because if I did, Katara and Zuko would have been together.

My boyfriend's brother passed away. I have no idea if I will finish this story or not. And for the people who keep telling me to suck it up because they want me to hurry up and update, be thankful I don't know your real names. You know who you are because all eleven of you sent me private messages, complaining to me about who slow I am to update, even after reading the update.

For everyone else who have been understanding and considerate of my circumstances, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Knowing that everyone (besides eleven people) were supporting me, helped me through writing this chapter. Thank you!

Here is a link where you can view all photos for Fighter. It will also be posted on my profile.

.com/albums/xx316/waterrockz/Pictures%20for%20Fighter/

Previous:

Katara jolted awake. Sweat covered her body from head to toe, clothes drenched with it. Her heart was bounding against her rib cage and her breathing was raged. It was only a dream. Only a dream, Katara reminded herself. No…it wasn't a dream…it was a memory…of her past…of her mother.

Tears were running down her face and soaking the blankets. Her body was no longer sore, only her heart was feeling. This dream…no memory…was so real. Why now? Why was she doing this to herself? Her heart couldn't take much more cracks.

Her door slammed opened and the roar of life filled her room and ears. Katara looked over to see people starting back at her. Faces. Faces filled with emotions, all kinds of emotions. Katara was too out of it to know what emotions they were or who was even looking back at her.

She felt arms wrap around her. She clung to the person's shirt and buried her head into the chest. At the moment the only thing Katara knew was the fact that it was a guy. From the corner of her head, Katara heard her door shut and footsteps on the stairs. However, at this moment, Katara only wanted to lose herself in this person's arms. She wanted to shut the world out and let her emotions take over her control. And she did.

Now:

"It's my fault," cried Katara. She could never forgive herself. It was her fault that her mom was dead. Katara only continued to babble more, "She is dead because of me."

"Shhhh" comforted the boy. Katara felt herself being rocked and hands rubbing circles on her back. Disgust filled Katara, she knew what the truth was. It was her fault. She was to blame. Mom is dead because of her.

"No," choked Katara. "If I had…hadn't wanted to…to play at the…the pa…park longer then we...we wouldn't—"

"Shhhh…calm down Katara," soothed the boy.

"S…so much…bl…blood…blood," rambled Katara. Memories flooded her head again. The blood. The pain. The silence. There was death everywhere. The gunshots started ringing in her ears. Katara covered her ears with her hands and dug her nail into her skin. The screams and gunshots wouldn't leave her alone. Katara desperately wanted the silence over these sounds. They were the sounds that changed Katara's life forever.

Hands covered her own and forced her head up. Katara couldn't hear the words he was saying. Tears blurred her vision, her body shaking, her lungs dieing to get more air. She couldn't calm down. Katara started hyperventilating.

"Shhhh, Katara. You need to calm down. It's okay, you are safe. Your were with me," pleaded the boy. Katara only shook her head, wanting the noises to go away. The screams were echoing throughout her head. Screams of pain. Screams of death.

"Look at me Katara!" voiced the boy. Katara barely heard his voice. The gunshots were too loud, they took over all other noises.

"Katara!" the boy hissed. "Open your eyes please!"

Katara felt warmth spread across her face. Cinnamon washed over Katara like a blanket of snow on…no…she wouldn't go down that road…but it was too late.

"Please let me in. I want to help you, Tara" begged the boy. Katara's eyes shot open and her breathing stop all together. Her ocean blue eyes met golden eyes and so did his scar.

"What did you just call me?" stuttered Katara. She hadn't heard that name since she was a little girl.

Zuko looked away, feeling guilty. "It slipped out, sorry. But it got you to calm a bit down."

Katara, for the first time, noticed how close Zuko was to her. His forehead was against her own and Katara was flushed against his body. Katara noticed that Zuko smelled really good; cinnamon with a hint of woods. The other things on her mind kept her busy from lecturing herself about liking Zuko's smell.

"I…I haven't been called Tara since…since…since…" mumbled Katara.

"Shhh, don't push yourself," hushed Zuko. The last thing he wanted was for Katara to start hyperventilating again.

Katara took a deep breath, wanting to calm herself down enough to talk without stuttering. "Since my…mom died." Silence filled the room, besides her breathing.

"Getting certain things off your chest will help," proposed Zuko. He didn't want Katara to break down again, but he knew from experience that talking would help sometimes. The one thing that Zuko didn't want to do was to push Katara too far, too fast.

Katara wasn't sure about that one. Bottling her emotions up and putting a wall up was what she knew best. Letting her heart be at risk was the last thing Katara wanted. Her heart had been damaged too much. Could she trust Zuko enough to let him in?

"I mi…miss my mom," uttered Katara. She broke off her sentence to let the tears choke her up. Zuko waited for Katara to catch her breath while he brushed her tears away with his thumbs. Patience was key now, along with gentleness.

"Every…everyone expects me to…to be strong…my world breaks…down when I'm alone…I can't do it…I want to giv…give up," babbled Katara.

"You can't do that Tara,"

"W…why no…not?"

"Because its not you. You are a fighter Tara, and not just in the ring. You managed to hold your head up high every day no matter what life throws at you. It is in your nature to be strong against anything, but sometimes you need to learn that it's ok to show emotion. You will never give into the pain, but you can give into your sadness," explained Zuko. This was new territory for him as well as Katara. He never felt this way for anyone before and Zuko had not decided if it was a good or bad thing.

Katara sat there in Zuko's embrace, not saying a word. Her tears kept flowing, but the hyperventilating stopped. Why was Zuko being so…understanding and caring with her?

"You are alone a lot. Why do you put yourself in that situation? There are many people around you who wouldn't mind your company," questioned Zuko.

She didn't have an answer to that. Of course, she had the automatic answer, which was to shove it up his ass and leave her the hell alone. But now…now that questioned seemed to speak volumes to her.

"Forget about it. I know it is hard to open up to someone you don't trust, yet alone someone you barely know," responded Zuko. Pushing her too fast would cause her to close out the world.

"How do…do you kno…know what it…it is li…like?" asked Katara.

"You aren't the only one with demons in their past, Katara," stated Zuko.

Katara started chuckling after Zuko spoke. Zuko looked at Katara with concern in his eyes. Katara could only shake her head before taking a deep breath, calming herself down. "You are the second person…today to say that."

Zuko smiled a little, trying to make her feel better. He couldn't help but wonder who else knew Katara that well. Who else would Katara open up to?

"Matthew…" grumbled Zuko with distaste. Katara picked up on his tone, even with her given state of mind.

"Leave Matthew out of this. And no. He wasn't the one to say that to me," commented Katara with a teasing voice. Zuko let go of her face and leaned back on her bed. Katara stayed sited and looked down at the first boy who has been in her bed.

"He called me Kuzan," mumbled Zuko.

"That's because he sees you as a threat," laughed Katara. Zuko looked cute pouting and jealous. Wait…jealous? "You wouldn't be jealous now, would you?"

"No I'm not!" snapped Zuko. Could she really read him that well? Zuko wasn't about to let Katara go out of this playful mood. "What do I have to be jealous of?"

Katara only shook her head as she stared out the window by her bed. She didn't dare answer that question out aloud. She surely didn't want to make a fool out of herself when she said it was because Matthew got to spend time with her and kissed her. Zuko didn't like her that way, so why make that comment.

"I guess you answered everyone's question," voiced Zuko. Katara looked back at him to see him staring at her.

"What question?" asked Katara.

"You weren't at school today. No one could get a hold of you, your cell was off," explained Zuko.

"Why would people be worried about me?" snorted Katara. After the things she said to Aang, he should be the last person wanting to talk to her. Toph was friends with Aang, so she probably didn't want to talk to her either.

"Sokka drove up pissed to school. He kept rambling about his stupid sister sleeping in and making him late. Suki was the one to remind him that you don't sleep in because you go running in the morning. Then it kind of hit Sokka, you could actually see the light bulb go off," chuckled Zuko.

Katara snorted a bit, she could actually see that. Sokka was not the brightest male in the world, but his heart was in the right place. Katara's head was a jumbled mess and that was the excuse she used when she found herself laying next to Zuko. Zuko had pulled her down and put her at his side. Katara was too much of an emotional wreck to think otherwise.

Zuko continued with his story after putting his arm around Katara to pull her closer, "Suki started asking questions and Sokka, with each answer, felt guiltier. He mumbled that he would go check in on you at lunch if you didn't show up. The three of us were making our way out of the parking lot when Aang caught up with us. He wondered if you were ok because you seemed pretty upset from a call you got."

Katara felt her body freeze up a bit. What did Aang tell them? Aang didn't know anything, so she should be fine…right?

"He mentioned the ringtone and Sokka started yelling at him. Suki couldn't even calm him down enough to get a story from him. Sokka about ran over one of the freshmen teachers trying to get out of parking lot. That's pretty much when Suki told him to get into the passenger seat…well not exactly in those choice words."

Suki telling Sokka that he was blowing smoke up his ass if he thought that he could drive was a funny moment to see. It got even funnier when Suki told Sokka that he didn't get into that seat, she wouldn't have sex with him anymore. Sokka's face was priceless, shock…complete and utter shock.

"Who's downstairs?" whispered Katara.

"Suki and Sokka,"

"Aang?"

"Nope. He went to ask Toph if she knew anything," explained Zuko.

"Why am I holding you?" asked Katara. She was truly confused on why Zuko was here and not her own brother. Why would Sokka ever allow another male, who wasn't related to them, in her room? Why wasn't he acing all protective and like a big brother?

She felt him move this time, which showed Katara that her mind was starting to function again. Zuko was leaning over her with his legs on either side of her own. His eyes were burning with emotions as he stared into blue ones.

"Do you wish it was Matthew instead?" growled Zuko. Rage was evident in his voice and fire burned in his eyes. Why was Zuko so angry with Matthew?

"What?"

"You wish it was Matt above you right now! Why am I not good enough for you?" barked Zuko. Anger rolled off his shoulders as his hands dug into the sheets. Katara had seen Zuko angry before, but this time was different.

"Why is Matt better than me? What's wrong with me? Why won't you choose me, father? What does Azula have that I don't?" hollered Zuko. Katara saw Zuko…really saw him. His body was shaking, his muscles tight and ready to fight or flee, and his eyes. His eyes had a haunted glaze in them. The same glaze Katara would get when she remembered her demons.

Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko and pulled him down. She was so stupid; Zuko was running from his own demons. Katara gently whispered, "It's ok, Zuko. I'm not your dad. You outshine Azula in every aspect."

Zuko was stunned. How could she say that? What did she know? But…he didn't care anymore. Someone, other than his mother and his uncle, had told him that he mattered. Zuko let Katara hold him as he buried his head into her neck. Both teenagers could feel hot tears on Katara's neck, but they didn't seem to care. Katara didn't understand what happen. She never felt this close to someone, besides her mother and father…before her father changed.

Matthew never broke down in front of her. She could not even remember a time when Matt had cried. If Matt did cry, it was never in front of her. There had been only a handful of times when Katara cried, and Matt was there for a few. Sokka had been there when she woke up in the dead of the night with night terrors, before and after they moved from Japan. When they were still living in Japan, the terrors were worse and it took hours before anyone could calm Katara down. After moving to the U.S., the terrors continued until Katara found Under Ground Fighting. Since then, Katara found an outlet for her anger and fear…but she would never admit the fear part. James was there in the shadows, watching and waiting. She could always count on him to be there in case she felt like breaking. Yesterday was a perfect example of how James had her back.

Katara waited until she felt Zuko calm down before she would start. He deserved to know some of the truth…the whole truth would scare him off. It would have him running to the hills, if he found out the truth.

"I was eight years old when I started fighting. I had so much anger in me from…from my mom's death. It wasn't just anger that filled me though, it was guilt, hurt, and fear. My dad taught me basic moves when we stilled lived in Japan. He was different then…before her passing. Everything changed after that for him, Sokka, and me."

"No one could believe that a small kid could handle someone twice their size. Matt helped me focused my feelings into punches. He was only eleven at the time, when I first came. His dad was a big hotshot in the fighting world, hence why Matt was there. He taught me all the rules and how to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. He was my trainer and my friend. I had no one at school…kids don't want to play with a broken toy."

"You're not a broken toy, Katara. You are much more than that," uttered Zuko. His voice was muffled since his face was still pressed against her skin. Katara smiled a little a though because he was listening to her.

"He is more than trainer to me," stated Katara.

Zuko's body became tense and rigid. "But he is no more than a best friend to me. I go to him for advice and to vent…well not much anymore. He has been and will always be just a friend to me," finished Katara.

"I guess it's my turn, huh?" joked Zuko. He knew that Katara had made a step in opening up to him. It was only fair to return the favor. He could feel Katara trying to shrug, but it was hard to do since he was laying on her.

"My father has always been the same way. Ever since Azula and I were infants, Azula was his favorite. He would always pick her over me, every single time. I did every thing that Azula did and more, hoping to catch his eye and his love. I always pushed myself to do and become better. My mother and uncle were the only ones who cared for me. They gave me love at every turn, but it wasn't enough. My uncle lived in the Deep South, so he only visited a few weeks out the year. My father and his brother never quite got along…not like my uncle and my mother."

"My mother was the only there every day to tell me that she loved me and I was doing amazing with my bending and school work. When she died…I lost it all. No one was there to tell me that I was doing ok and to slow down. All I heard was Azula this and Azula that and why can't you be more like your sister. Nothing I did was ever good enough for him. It wasn't until I went to live with my uncle that I felt normal again. But even then, I still wanted love and acceptance."

"People idol you, Zuko. You're the 'it' boy and everyone wants to be you or date you. Love and acceptance are all around you…you just have to look carefully at the people who surround you," spoke Katara.

Gold met blue. How could they say the rights things when they both are hurt? "And by the way, Matt doesn't have anything you don't have," jested Katara.

"That's good to know," snorted Zuko. They had opened themselves up to each other and took risks. Both came out unharmed and almost happy. This was a new area that they had never been before and neither wanted to slip and ruin everything.

"So…" started Zuko.

"So?"

"Where do we go from here?" asked Zuko. The question had been playing on Katara's mind as well. Where in the hell did they go from here?

*I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story.

Caweesh, 1994omi, Miluiel-Apsenniel, Mimikurume, datsoundgood, BonitaChickia, Handerra, Life Is Full Of Music, Anime Donna, Mystic-Dream, gothic satan-wolf, zutara011, BobsRules, roxy, Akatsuki'sBloodyNekoNinja, MissBrown22241, amber, Z1ZYX, mangaka-sensi, adriattic, Sakurachan623, wolfiegirl93, zutara-vampirepirate, Harmony Nights, AvatarAiris, Craz Lollipop-Imp, PowerMadAvatarGirl, listenxwhereitsquiet, apolla101, Allyon Everstone, EndlessBack, clairelovesedward, HimeIchigoYuki, MoonTears8, beybaska, angelthewriter, LFC, IheartZuko, CleverWriter2416, immortalxdiary, Ms. Maria and Ms. Kiera, Number22, Sapphire, kawaiiitahina123, ShySweet-luver, Inkaide, Serene6868, loggie831, Handerra, HeartBreaker640, Anime Donna, chibi-fire-girl, RebellAngell21, scooter, Dancing Water, zutarababe, WriteroftheRevolution, Waterbender Nina, kokoro420 (), vicious-fluffy-bunny-llama, .longfellow, Joe, 99writtenwords, zukosfangirlandzutara, Whateverlife46, MissMarauderBlack, monet12, VampireAle-Pokerchice15, tyty, rock n elemental, Chukrasuzu, T149Man, Chocolate Thunder, Zutara-Fan022, Aiamee, chronos-girl, ZuTaRaInLoVa, Whatever-life24, rima-chan11, DemonicMoonBabe, Alexis Kesler, SecretWarrior, num1avatarfan, AnnaAza, , MonkeysAreMyLife, aaliona, wolf vampire girl, zutaradramionechanny, avatar-cutiepie, Scarlet-Star1234, ShexWantsxRevengex, Sadistically Fantastic, elainehac123, zutaraXxporkeh, Glasswater, iceprincessrules, BrokenAngel363, Nadiakiara, .RealityxX, Stella-TakeMeHome-, PurpleMeltDown, haildenver, and marmitefishandeggs.