Authors note: All I have to say is…it's not over.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Moment

"Ah!"

"You first…" he mumbled.

"No!"

Katara sprang from where she was, tears pouring down her face. She fell to Zuko's side, slowly touching his cold cheek. Suddenly though, anger overcame her. Katara turned to Jet in rage.

"Go to hell!" she screamed, "Just go to hell…you-"

"Killer," Jet finished, "I know…"

No one could stop it…it went too fast. It pierced the body in less than a second, capturing his soul.

Katara gasped in distress as Jet dropped to the ground, the gun still in his hand.

"Finally…" was all he could whisper.

Slowly his attachment to the gun loosened, now just lying in his hand.

"Oh God…" Katara murmured to herself.

She couldn't cry; she couldn't do anything. With all the courage she had Katara looked at Zuko. She clung to him so tight when she saw his open eyes.

"I thought you were gone!" she cried.

"I'm fine…I'm still here," he muttered, "Where's Jet?"

"He's over there…he shot himself."

Zuko, grabbing his bloody arm, stood up with utmost ease and rushed over to Jet. Katara quickly followed but only to hear what she had expected.

"It's too late…" Zuko remarked, "He's dead."

Katara couldn't move as she saw his face slowly turn white. The blood started to stain is shirt as the bullet lay in his heart.

"No…" she whispered, as she fell to the ground.

Zuko looked down at his old best friend, touching his cold hand.

Jet was dead.

In an instant, he flipped the gun to his own self and pulled the trigger. He couldn't be stopped, the pain was too strong.

Zuko saw the gun that lay in Jet's hand and then looked at Katara. Would he have been able to go on if it was her on the ground?"

"Katara…"

She couldn't answer as she stifled her crying, her hands covering her eyes. Zuko sighed as she shuffled over to her, forgetting his bloody arm. Slowly he put his arm around her. Katara cried louder when she saw Jet's body turn even whiter.

"He's really dead…" she cried.

"Yes…"

"This wasn't supposed to happen. I told him to go to hell. It's my fault."

"Don't say that, this wasn't your fault Katara. You couldn't stop him, neither could I. I can see it now."

Zuko grimaced a second as the bullet in his arm throbbed with pain. He knew Jet in his furry had missed the mark and had only hit his arm. Katara saw this and wiped her eyes.

"Zuko, we have to get a doctor for you. You could become infected."

"I'll be fine."

"No you won't and I…I won't watch another person die…not you."

Katara hid her face I her hands as the tears came back. It was almost too much for her own mind to handle not to mention her heart.

Zuko could see the hurt on her face. He had to explain what had happened, far before she knew of Jet.

"Ever since Burton…," Zuko started "Where I live, Jet has had to suffer. His mom died because of a brain problem. One second she's fine and the next…dead on the floor."

Katara cried but she was silent as Zuko went on.

"Jet's dad, it was all he had left…something happened and in the end, I lost my best friend. After that, he was never the same. He blamed me for everything and ever since vowed to kill me. That's why I came here, not to visit my uncle, to hide."

Katara looked up Zuko, her tear streaked face wet with hurt. She was surprised to hear this. All she knew about Jet was that he came here for junior year…but all this, no.

"I knew he would kill you Katara…to kill me. It looks like in the end…all he wanted was to kill himself. He might have missed my heart…on accident or on purpose."

She turned away when she heard the words. It was dark in the boiler room, only the moon's light shining through. Katara didn't want Zuko to see her cry again; she knew it would hurt him even more then he was already.

Katara didn't want this to be real. Why couldn't just be her imagination trailing off? Or book she would close when finished?

However, she couldn't forget or close this up. This was reality and it was staring her straight in the face.

"I know you don't want this to be real…but this is for the better," Zuko remarked calmly.

"How can suicide be better?!" she yelled back.

"Because I knew him…I knew the pain he felt. He never stopped to look but I was feeling the same thing! He needed Mira…and in his pain he lost her. But that's where we're different…I'm not alone!"

Katara spun from Jet to Zuko. The grip he had around her tightened but he turned away.

"Katara…I thought I would have to live in suffering and hurt all alone. You taught me something. I don't have to be alone. Really…I don't know what I'd do if he shot you. I didn't lose my best friend today…I lost him long ago."

"Zuko…I'm sorry…I knew he was-"

"Yeah…he was."

She caressed his hand lightly, slowly moving closer to him.

"Your really brave…" she muttered, "I wouldn't be able to take a bullet like that."

"I've been shot before…somehow you know you'll make it."

"Shot before?" she questioned.

"Don't worry, I'm okay."

Zuko knew the aching in his arm was becoming unbearable and soon would be infected. Katara was still holding his hand when he had to tell.

"The bullet out has to come out."

Katara was partly shocked and partly worried but nodded anyhow.

"A-are you going to need any help?"

"Yeah…I need you to get it out."

Katara instantly moved her hand from his and pushed her self away. She made sure not to go too far; soon she would be next to Jet.

"I can't do that…my hands aren't clean, I don't know how and…I'm not a doctor."

"But you are my friend and…it's either the bullet or my arm…maybe more."

When she heard this, something in Katara changed. Immediately, she ran to his side and rolled up his sleeve. She heaved a heavy sigh when she saw the blood but said nothing.

"Use this…" he muttered in pain.

He reached in his pocket and handed her a pocket knife. Katara's heart beat faster and faster as she choice a tool that look something like pliers.

"Zuko-" she began.

"It's okay," he interrupted, "Just do it fast and quick…I'll die if you don't."

"Alright."

Slowly the tool dove into Zuko's skin.

"Uh!" he screamed as it went farther.

He held back tears but was very close to passing out. Zuko's breathing became fainter as Katara went on. After a few tries she looked into his face. Her heart stopped when it was pure white.

"No Zuko, hold on…hold on."

"I'm trying…" he moaned.

"Please Zuko, for me, please…"

Quickly Katara went for one last try; seeing Zuko's face she knew that was all she had. In her last seconds of hope, she saw bullet lying within his skin. Katara reached with the tool and slowly tried to pull it out.

"Come on…" she whispered, "Come on please…"

She gasped for air when the bullet fell to the ground, stained with blood.

"Zuko, are you there?" Katara pleaded, catching him in her arms.

He said nothing as the minutes dragged on. She cried softly as he didn't answer her back.

"Zuko…"

Katara laid him down on the ground, holding his hand again. The tears from her eyes were love, love she couldn't deny. Her weeping prolonged until she suddenly felt a small movement.

Suddenly his eyes began to flutter open.

"Zuko?" she whispered, scarcely touching his face..

"…Yes Katara?" came a slow murmur.

"Oh Zuko…"

As he gradually sat up, Katara hugged him tight, forgetting her tears entirely.

"I'm here Katara," he said, comforting her low crying, "I'm here…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Katara put the final touched on Zuko's bandage before sitting back next to beside him. The bullet, if left in a few more minutes, would have been fatal. However, the two were trying to put that out of their minds.

"Katara…I'll never be able-" Zuko started.

"You already did…thank you…" Katara whispered.

"For what?" Zuko questioned.

"For being here…I didn't-"

"Expect me to come."

"No, it's just…over time Zuko I-I've grown to…oh never mind."

"No, what is it?"

Katara shut her eyes as her hands laid coldly in her lap. She had to say it; he would be leaving in a week. He had almost left her now. She had to go through with it.

"Zuko, when we weren't talking it was like…well because you didn't know."

"Know what?"

"Know that I-"

Suddenly, Katara opened her eyes from being closed when she heard a police siren. Zuko looked up too as he saw her worried face.

"Someone probably heard the gun shots…"

"Probably, they'll be here soon. Come on, we'd better go." Zuko stated.

"What about Jet?"

Zuko looked down, turning away from Katara as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"It's okay…" he lowly murmured, "We should go."

Katara firmly gripped Zuko's hand and helped him up as the two quickly left the boiler room. The hallways were silent, the gym was in chaos. Both decided to leave the prom entirely and slowly exited the school.

Not one word was exchanged as they both walked home. They didn't break hands once either until they had approached the neighboring houses.

"Katara…if people ask, we were not there. I won't be at school…it's too dangerous. I'll be leaving anyway…they'll know Jet committed suicide. Since you were his date, you'll just say he said he would be back from the restroom. It was like we were never there."

Katara didn't even answer back. She just slowly nodded her head to Zuko who nodded back. Katara was about to walk away when he quickly grasped her back and slowly rushed her into his arms.

Katara was confused for a moment but when noticing Zuko's wet eyes hugged him back. She was tearing up too as the embrace tightened. It didn't feel like prom at all in her blue sequined dress. It didn't feel like the best day of her life. But it did, if anything, feel right.

"Zuko, there's something I need to say."

"Yes, what is it?"

Katara felt the soft touch of Zuko's shot arm slowly brush across her hair that was now down on her back. She shook her head to herself.

"No, it's okay. It can wait…this can't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Authors note: Sorry, no authors note. I don't think it would be right, anyway please review.