Authors note: Alright, this chapter will mainly be explaining what wasn't. I hope you all enjoy, seeing as a lot of you just want straight up information. Just two chapters after this…wow, it's been fun.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Note

"Hey…wake up…Katara?"

Rubbing her eyes hurriedly, Katara looked drowsily into Ty Lee's smile.

"Oh…hey Ty Lee." She mumbled.

"Hey crack head; you've been sleeping for hours."

"What?!"

"Don't worry, school was cancelled. Principle Tooksu said it would be better for us to just miss a week."

"Oh…so it's-"

"Tuesday, yeah, you went to your room and slept the rest of the day away."

"I d-didn't even know."

"It's okay, well anyway, I'm downstairs with Sokka."

"Right…"

Ty Lee slowly walked away from the messy bed, fiddling with one of the many music boxes Katara had. In all there was an exactly twenty-seven but only Katara knew that.

"Why do you like these?" she asked, picking one up and looking under it.

"I don't know…its like whenever I need to hear a song I know where to find one."

"Hmm…like a good friend, huh?" Ty Lee remarked.

Katara gave a half-hearted smile as she stared out her window.

"Yeah, like a good friend."

Ty Lee glanced at Katara once more before carefully setting the music box down and skipping down the stairs.

Katara went to lie back down but found her self picking up the same music box Ty Lee had just held. She turned it over, turning the knob slowly. Soon, a small but powerful tune began to play. It filled the air with its sweet melody.

"If only you were friend," she muttered, "I can't find mine."

Instantly she dropped the box to the ground and dropped unto her bed. She would hate herself later for crying like this, she did every time. However, the hurt she could not bare.

Where was Zuko? Had he already gone back to Burton? Why hadn't he talked to her since the prom? All these questions rolled around in her head, only giving her a bigger headache than she already had.

"I just want to know that you feel me…I just want to know that you still care. I…I love you Zuko…"

Katara after letting an out her last few tears instantly sat upright. A strange noise had crossed her ears. She stood up and scanned around before turning to her window. There, barely holding on, was a piece of paper.

Katara ran to it, trying to slowly open her window. The wind rushed past it like grasping hand, ready to take it from her. But Katara wouldn't let it go. In her mixed feelings she shoved up the window and reached out her hand.

A huge smile spread broadly across her face when she felt the paper in her hand. Gradually, she unraveled it, and started to read.

You must think I abandoned you…I don't blame you. I told you not to tell anyone and then I leave. I'm sorry but things have been so…strange lately. Katara, if you don't already know, this is Zuko.

A tiny flicker of hope burned in Katara as she read on.

Katara, there are some things about me you don't know…and that I think you should. For one, I don't come from Burton…I come from H. Taed. It's a town not to far off of Burton but it's not Burton.

It's a gang's paradise. There's no order, no laws. Everybody makes up there own laws…that's how it came to be H. Taed spelled backwards, Death.

Katara after reading the next few sentences didn't know if she wanted to go on. After a few minutes of resisting she continued.

I knew being apart of a gang was dangerous but I didn't care. Back then I didn't give a crap to anything. Usually, I would cut myself…like you know. Sometimes I would smoke even though I didn't really know how; anything that would keep from thinking about him…about my father.

Nothing made sense to Katara so she went on.

I hated him, with everything I was I hated him. Till this day I still believe I never got over it. He gambled everything, our clothes, and our food; in the end we even lost our house. It was all because of him.

That's why I joined Jet. He told me of a life where you didn't have to worry about your past or your future. Just focus on what you were doing now. I liked the sound of that so I joined. It was the biggest mistake of my life.

I didn't know my dad had made an unfair trade with Jet's dad while he was drunk. Jet's dad was drunk and high all the time but never during his trades. My dad needed the money he cheated off him so bad that…he killed him.

Katara gasped as she read the words over again. It was almost like they weren't real.

Jet was in love with a girl named Mira, nickname Smellerbee…that's who he was talking about at the prom. She loved him too. She knew he could change and with her, Jet knew he could. But when Jet found out about his dad, he only wanted to get me back. I had a dad and he didn't.

In his rush of emotions and hurt, he pulled the trigger and didn't miss. Instead of me he shot Mira who had come to try and stop him from hurting me. She died.

Katara's heart dropped farther in her heart. It was no wonder Jet was so confused.

He blamed me for it. He said it should have been me dead on the ground. He never forgave me.

Jet's dad's crew heard about it and tried to get revenge on my dad but he ran…I haven't seen him since. But he's not forgotten. Jet's vengeance on me is always my reminder and now it's my curse.

Why am I telling you all this? I think it's only fair you know who I really was…am. Katara, I hope this doesn't…I want to see you soon. I will you see before I go, it's a promise. Please understand, I never meant for my past to get in the way.

Katara read the last sentence over and over. How could he ever think his past would get in the way? How could he think she would even let that bother her?

Katara ran to her window pushing it open all the way.

"Zuko?" she called.

No answer came but the howl of the wind.

"Your past never got in the way Zuko, it never will."

Katara didn't know if anyone had heard her but if they had, if he had, she hoped he knew it was true.

"Thank you, Katara," he whispered, gazing at her from the corner of his eyes.

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Authors note: Yes, just a big information chapter with a tiny bit of Zutara. Well, I hope you liked it. Please review.