Thank you to LadyFateContemplatingDisaster!

Also, happy July 4th. For those of you who don't live in America, the date probably isn't important. If you, in fact, don't live in America, then I hope you have a rocking Wednesday anyways.


Healed and Hunted

Dreams and Reality

Chapter Twenty Nine

Unknown

If he can keep running, everything will be alright. If he can make it in time, the world will keep spinning. If he can catch up to her, nothing will change. If, if, if.

Except he knows, deep down, that he isn't going to make it. He knows already that she is lost, and nothing is right. Everything is at an end, and it is his fault.

His and the Ava's, of course. If the Ava had done his job, none of this would be happening.

Oh, God.

Smoke was pouring out of the room. He could hear her screaming and beating on the door. As he reached for the doorknob, the living room stretched. She was right there and all he had to do was open the door.

Every step he took, the room lurched even more. The goal of saving her was getting further and further away.

She screamed his name, and it pierced through his heart.

He jumped for the door, finally managing to touch the metal. It was hot, but he didn't care. She was on the other side and nothing else was going to get in his way. That thought in mind, he ripped the door open.

The scene before him was not one he had prepared for.

Two women. Not one. He knew them both, but he'd only heard the one. They both turned to him, mouths frozen in horrified expressions. Part of his mind realized he had to choose one. But he couldn't.

The ground fell away then, and fire consumed them both.

They both screamed his name at the same time.

Zuko! Lee!

Dorm Room

Lee

He pulled himself awake, hating his nightmares. They'd only gotten worse. He couldn't do anything about them. He knew everything was fine, that she was safe, but he was going to check anyways. He pulled on a shirt and some shoes before walking to her room.

She opened the door before he knocked.

"This is the fourth one this week," she said, not asking. She closed her door and leaned against him.

Once her forehead was against his chest, he relaxed. There she was, alive and well. So, so close. Scent of flowers and spice and water drifting up his nose.

"I'm sorry I keep waking you up," he said, not really meaning it. He knew she didn't mind. Or, if she did, she never complained. Ever.

"Mhm. C'mon. Let's go, Lee. You really need sleep." She grabbed his hand and led him back to his empty room.

She climbed into his bed and dragged him down. She buried him in his covers and her arms. He didn't sleep for a long time, but rather breathed her in. It was easier to rest with her so near.

"Toph says, if you wake her up again, I'm to freeze you and dispose of the remains," Kat murmured. Her voice sent his heart racing.

Lee kissed her, "I'm sorry. I really am. It's just..."

"I wasn't complaining. I like coming in here. Toph snores and talks in her sleep." Kat's whisper barely went beyond his ear. She was teasing him with her voice.

Shivers, now, on his spine. "You're really... not good...at this whole...sleep thing."

"You're the one with the nightmares. Just trying to do my civic duty and keep them at bay." She was teasing him now, both with her words and with her hands. She was tracing his tattoos, and it was driving him insane. He had to keep his wits about him.

"Is this how most people deal with nightmares?" He scooted away from her for a moment. Just enough to where he could face her properly.

Her teeth flashed in the darkness. "Maybe. Some people talk. But you don't seem very interested in that. If you want, I can quit."

And Lee shook his head, saying, "God, no. Talking might make it worse."

"You don't have to worry about me. They haven't built a prison that can hold me. I don't know what's wrong. But whatever it is, I'll be fine," she said, taking one of his hands in hers.

For half a second, he opened his mouth to talk. Then, he shut it back. It wasn't any concern of hers. He wasn't sure he wanted her to know how afraid he was. But, she already knew. She always did, even when he didn't say anything.

"Oh, fine. Stare at me like that." She flicked his nose, then kissed him.

Lee was a weak man, when it came to her. She could have anything she wanted from him. An arm, a leg. His soul. All she had to do was ask. But she never did. Always left him the option.

"Hey. Can you do something for me?" he whispered. He felt her nod, though couldn't see much of it.

Kat then responded with words. "Anything, you know."

"Hm." Lee decided it still wasn't right. Now wasn't it. He shook his head. "Never mind. Good night, Katara."

He heard her sigh. He kissed her again, losing himself in the feeling. And what a feeling it was.

Auditorium

Toph

Compared to the last meeting like this, there was significantly less people. It was almost quiet in the auditorium, whereas last time she hadn't been able to hear herself think. Now, as Aang led her up a few stairs, she could hear and see everything.

The metal in the seats was wonderful.

"So, what's the agenda today, Aang?" she wondered aloud, sitting carefully. Kat and Lee were already waiting for them.

It was Lee who answered, "Slide says Multi-Test and you."

Toph recognized the name, but not much else. It felt familiar.

"Well, don't leave us hanging," Toph told him impatiently.

"You might not remember. Sokka backed this bill a while ago. It was one of his first ideas. He passed it to someone else to take to Congress. Before we even started here. Took them long enough," Kat told them. As she was speaking, Toph recalled a few fuzzy details. Something about testing out early.

The announcement began with cheesy, inspirational music. There was a click, and Aang whispered that the slide had changed. He read them to her quietly, and she was genuinely surprised at how...mild the slides were.

"So...they're going to let us test out. Early. We don't have to stay in this hell hole anymore," she reasoned out.

Aang answered, "Right. Sounds a little...too good. And way past the scope of Congress."

Kat seemed to have her own ideas. "You know the President's got his fingers in this. Don't know why, or what he gains, but I just know it."

"You sound like you don't like him," Lee said, sounding a little confused.

"She doesn't. She's rather disappointed in his inaction," Aang answered. Toph knew he was smiling.

Kat scoffed, "All he has to do is say yes and things would start moving. Instead he says maybe and we'll figure it out later. Psh."

Toph rolled her eyes rather pointlessly. Then, a new voice joined the chorus of her family.

"Hey, Miss Kat," a young boy said. Toph didn't know him.

"Jason," Kat answered. Toph could see the young boy shifting on his feet.

He cleared his throat. "Does...this mean you're leaving?"

It was Kat's turn to shift as she answered, "I don't know, Jason."

"Oh. Well. Good night." Toph could tell the boy was disappointed. He left a little heavier than he had approached.

Toph sighed. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired. Get Lee a night light. I swear, if he wakes me up again, they'll never find his body."

Toph could feel Aang's head swiveling between the three other people who were now laughing. The Ava was a little left out, but it was alright. She would catch him up later.

Toph let Aang lead her to her room, enjoying the quiet. Not that Lee and Kat were loud, it's just Toph could hear so much more than what they were saying.

"This was meant for you, you know," Toph said as she opened the door. Aang stepped inside with her, sliding the door closed behind him.

She began unbuttoning her shirt. Aang was rifling through her drawers looking for her nightwear. Once she was undressed, she pulled on the clothes he had selected. Shorts and a tank top. One of her favorites.

"I know," he said, sitting on her bed. "Kat was right, though. I don't see what the purpose is."

They sat for just a minute. There wasn't much more to say on the matter. Toph knew without speaking that they would be on the earliest test schedule available.

"So, my love, we will finally be free of this place," Aang said. Toph laid her head on his shoulder, and he rubbed her back. The muscles all eased at his touch.

Toph sighed. "Yeah. And then, on to face the real problems."

"Do you think Kat and Lee will test out?" Aang asked her lightly.

After a moment of thought Toph replied, "Lee probably will. Kat probably won't. Twenty bucks?"

A laugh, then, "You're on. I bet they both test out."

"I've never had a problem taking your money." Toph grinned.

Apartment 421 B

Jason

Miss Kat had, for the third time, invited him to go with her and her...boyfriend(?) to their apartment. They were slowly moving their things in, at the end of every month. Jason didn't mind.

It was nice of them to include him. And, besides, the landlord was a pretty cool guy. He was the first adult Jason had ever met that was completely...chill about being an Inheritor.

"Hey, kid. Want to help me paint this room down below? Twenty bucks in it for you," Aaron said, offering a paintbrush.

Jason grabbed at it and waved to Miss Kat. She gave him a smile and waved back. She was busy painting her own apartment. The first wall was turning into something beautiful, though Jason couldn't figure out what it was.

He and Aaron painted in silence, very rarely breaking it to speak.

"So, any news on your family situation?" Aaron asked, pouring a new gallon of paint into the container. Jason watched the action with a dispassionate gaze.

"None. Not really a market for Inheritor kids." Jason started painting again, almost finished with the third wall. They were painting the entirety of the apartment; nearly twelve walls.

Aaron blinked. "What happened to your real parents?"

No one, not even Miss Kat, had asked about that.

Jason took in a breath. "Never had a dad. Mom's in jail, I think. Maybe rehab. Dunno. Haven't seen her since my baby sister died. I was...eight. Cassey was only four."

This surprised Aaron, he saw.

"I tried to take care of her. But...well, there's only so much you can do when you're eight years old." Jason had always blamed himself, but it was a burden he shared with his mother. They were both at fault, he believed. Jason should have gone for help sooner. His mother- if she could be called that- should have been there and not spent all their money on drugs.

"It isn't your fault," Aaron said sternly, literally throwing his paintbrush on the ground.

Jason backed up a bit at the anger in the man's voice.

"Dammit, kid. I've heard enough. Come with me." Aaron stormed out of the room, heading back upstairs, presumably to Miss Kat.

Jason didn't know what he'd done wrong. Because of his complaining and self-pity, he'd made his only friend angry and upset. He could have kicked himself.

"I'm taking this kid up to the damn agency," Aaron was saying.

When Jason peered in, Miss Kat was turned to him, mouth open in surprise. She was still wearing the smock from before. It was slightly open, and there were multiple colors of paint on it. The brush in her hand was still pressed to Lee's face.

"Have you asked him?" Lee asked, paint smearing as he talked.

Jason decided to enter the room then. He kept his head down and hands in his pockets. His hair fell in front of his eyes.

"Hey, kid." Aaron's confidence faded momentarily. "Uh. How would you like to come live with me?"

Jason hurt his neck snapping to look at the man. "What? Really?"

"If you want." Aaron waited nervously.

Then a smile broke out on Jason's face. "That would be awesome."

Miss Kat clapped ceremoniously, jumping in place.

"That's wonderful news," she said, smiling broadly. Jason's cheeks burned a little when the thought of how pretty she was crossed his mind. It wasn't the first time he'd thought it, but it was still kind of embarrassing.

"Shall we celebrate? Our treat," Lee said, shrugging.

Aaron sighed. "As fun as that would be, I actually do have to finish that room."

Miss Kat put down her palet, wiping her hands on her smock. "Then we'll just have to help finish, won't we?"

Jason grinned.

"Paint you're using. Is it water based?" she continued to ask, looking at Lee's face.

The scarred man had blue smeared across his nose and down his cheek. Jason wondered what he had done to make Miss Kat waste paint like that.

"Ah, I think." Aaron sounded confused.

"Hey, Jason. Race you," Miss Kat said, running out of her apartment.

Jason ran after her, though she clearly didn't know where she was going. She made it to the right floor, but paused when she realized there were six rooms to every floor.

"It's D!" Jason shouted, catching up to her.

She made it into the room seconds before he did.

"Now, here's a neat trick. Just grab the water, and the rest will follow." She was already swinging her arms. White liquid rose quickly, dancing out of the containers.

She made a motion like throwing something, and the paint splashed on the wall. It was...mesmerizing to watch her. She had such a focus while maintaining her smile and happy nature. Miss Kat was easily ten times better than the instructors at the University.

"Then you just pull it to make it even," she was saying, doing the motions with her arms. The white seeped in a straight line, not similar to gravity. Jason was amazed.

"What was all that about?" Aaron said, coming into the room.

Miss Kat was working on another wall already.

"That's a neat trick," the landlord said.

"C'mon, Jason. Give it a go," Miss Kat said, dancing in the kitchen. Lee had joined her, though he was standing still.

So, Jason tried. It was probably the most difficult bending he'd ever tried. The water was just surrounded by other things. He could hardly feel it. Yet, as soon as his muscles called for it, the water responded. It was nice that his element was faithful.

"There you go. Now. Throw it on the walls," Miss Kat instructed.

Only about half of the paint went where he wanted, but from doing it, he figured out the general idea. He then repeated the process to the remaining walls.

The paint job that would have taken him and Aaron another two hours or so was finished in three minutes. It was fantastic.

"Now," Lee said, "Who's up for Italian?"