Zuko vs Jet. And some unexpected stuff. Do drop in a review if I managed to subvert your expectations here and take you by surprise.
Chapter 22
"You broke into our house!" Katara screamed as she drew the water from her body to attack Jet. She'd barely had the chance to register the shock on Jet's face before Zuko's fist made contact with his jaw. The former rebel groaned as he dropped on the sand but to her surprise, made no move to defend himself when Zuko hoisted him up by the collar.
"Too far," Zuko growled. "You went way too far, Jet."
He held up two fingers, lighting the tips like candles and pulled his hands back. Katara realized, with a sickening feeling in her stomach, that he was about to gouge the man's eyes out. Judging from the fear in Jet's eyes, he too had surmised as much. Zuko pulled his hand back and was about to attack when Katara cried out.
"Zuko, no!"
A second later, the fire on his fingers went out and he dropped Jet, who dropped on his knees. "You're lucky," he growled. "She saved you."
"Zuko?" Jet whispered. "Zuko? Fire Lord Zuko?"
"One and the same," he replied coldly. "And do you know what happens to the man who trespasses into the Fire Lord's property with the intent to harm the Fire Lady?"
"Trespass? What are you talking about? I didn't go anywhere near your house, Lee…. I mean… Zu… Fire… Your Highness. I don't know where you live."
Katara gritted her teeth, froze the water around her fingers like talons, just as the Imperial Fire Benders, Mizu and Kian, came into her vision, "Stop lying! There were rose petals strewn on my bed! And this outfit was on it!"
"What?" Jet was nonplussed. "But… This was a wedding gift. I… I even had a dagger for L… I mean him… in the package. I said so in the note!"
"What?" Katara and Zuko chorused.
Jet stood up, trembling, and said, "Believe me, I'm not stalking you. I'm not that guy anymore. Besides, you are married. Why would I… rose petals? What… that makes no sense."
Jet was far too incoherent, far too bewildered and scared for this tale to be anything but the truth. She remembered him in Ba Sing Se. He had sacrificed himself to save them from the Dai Li. Maybe he was still an annoying person, but that did not necessarily make him a bad person. Katara bit her lower lip, wondering what to believe.
"How did the outfit get on my bed then?" Katara asked.
"I don't know, ask that man."
"What man?" This time it was Mizu who asked.
Jet shrugged, "I don't know. After you both left that shack, a man approached and told me that he was a friend of yours," he nodded at Zuko. "He told me that he saw our interaction because he was sitting a few tables away. I had no reason to doubt him because I did serve him. He told me that he understood that I had made a wrong turn and then said that in Fire Nation, it is believed that gifts pave way to hearts or some such thing."
"Gifts pave way to a heartfelt apology," Kian said. "That's a proverb in the Tinzu province."
The three Fire Benders exchanged looks, as a silent communication passed between them.
"What happened then?" Katara asked.
"So… I told him that I could buy something for the two of you and he said he would make sure you both got it. I… I went to the market, grabbed this outfit and a dagger for you," Jet gave a sad smile, "I know you like sharp, pointy things. I even wrote an apology note."
"That still doesn't answer why you're here," Zuko said, though with much less hostility.
"I come here frequently," Jet answered, his eyes on the ocean. "I like to sit in the sand and watch the ocean. Reminds me of my home. I didn't know you would be here too. When I saw you, I came over to just make amends. Katara please, you have to believe me. I knew you were married to the Avatar… But then, when he died… I looked for you all over Ba Sing Se… But then… I…"
When his words faltered, Mizu asked, "Can you describe what that man looked like?"
Jet nodded and looked at Mizu, "About your height. Short black hair. Little on the heavier side. Brown eyes, I think. Has a gap between his front teeth."
At that, Katara's hand flew to his mouth, while the icy claws dropped from her hand. He had described Ren to the T.
Anger roiled within him, stroking his inner fire into an inferno. Zuko paced the length of the seating area, a vein throbbing in his temple. Katara sat on a chair, her hands tied together in a tight bunch, her thumbs hitting against her lower lip. Her left leg danced to an unheard rhythm. Jet stood someway off, leaning against a pillar, slouching, as though trying to fold into himself. The silence lay heavy between the three of them.
A male laugh sounded from the courtyard, making the three of them look up. Ren was the first to enter, followed by the other Imperial Fire Benders, Kian, Taro, and Mizu. The moment Ren spotted Jet all the laughter drained from his face. Jet, meanwhile, stood up straight and pointed at Ren, "That's him."
Before Ren could do anything, Mizu, Taro, and Kian had flamed fists pointed at his head. Zuko marched right up to the Imperial Fire Bender and grabbed him by the collar, "Explain."
"Milord… I…The man is lying."
"No. Try again."
"Milord I…"
"Explain," Zuko's voice was icy cold.
Ren's face twisted into a mask of anger and disgust. "Her," he pointed at Katara with vitriol. "I refuse to bow down to the man that besmirches the illustrious line of Sozin by putting a filthy water peasant on the throne that once seated illustrious women like Lady Fa Huen and Lady Mai. But now, you, you are putting her on the throne! Your ancestors are wailing in the Spirit World."
Katara hid her face in her hands while Zuko let go of his collar. "So, you decided to use him to try and sow misunderstanding between us?"
"Her honor is already tarnished," Ren spat venomously. "She brought dishonor to the Avatar! And she brings dishonor to you! And the Fire Nation! Why is that a surprise?"
"You were the one that led the Water Bender assassin in," said Zuko. It wasn't a question.
"I will not let this whore sit on the throne! I will do whatever it takes to –"
"Take him away," Zuko growled. "Take this man away before I kill him. For conspiring against the crown, send him to Azulon's Lair."
Mizu and Kian grabbed him by the collar, while Taro led the way, and dragged the protesting man away, even as he kept screaming about how Zuko was bringing shame to the throne of Fire Nation. Once left alone, Katara simply stood up, walked over to her room, and slammed the door shut. Jet looked at her retreating figure, then turned to face him. "I'm sorry, man. I… didn't want to…"
Zuko waved a hand, "Go away, Jet. Don't show your face again."
The man cast one final look at the closed door and walked out. Zuko took the stairs, two at a time, to reach to her bedroom. He knocked on the door, "Katara! Katara, open the door!"
Silence.
"Katara! Don't listen to Ren. He is a lunatic. Please, Katara, open the door."
"Go away, Zuko," her voice came through the door, hollow. The peace and joy he had been hearing in her voice all this while was gone, transporting him back to the frozen tundra of the North. No. This was unacceptable.
"Katara, open the door, please."
"Go away Zuko! Leave me alone."
Finally, after another four tries, he gave up. Katara closed her eyes and slid down the door, feeling utterly spent. Her honor is already tarnished. She brought dishonor to the Avatar! And she brings dishonor to you!
Katara clawed at her eyes, trying to erase the image of that man looking at her like she was something stuck under his shoe. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled her legs up and rested her head on her knees.
"How did you think it was possible, Katara?" she muttered, "Just because you had two good days, you thought you were free. You don't get to be free, Katara."
She hugged her legs and sobbed, trembling like a flame about to die out. Suddenly, a pair of warm and calloused hands curled around her hands, making her jump. She had a moment of pure terror before she realized she was looking at Zuko. Her jaw dropped, while her mind tried to make sense of what she was seeing.
"Um...ah…y…you? How did… you get here?"
"Through the window," he said, settling down next to her, still holding on to her hands. "You showed me the way."
Her fear began to recede, and she shook her head with a tremulous smile on her lips, "I thought you'd given up."
"When have I ever given up?"
Katara sniffled, realizing that by coming in front of her like this, when she least expected him to, Zuko had pulled her back from tumbling down the monkeyrabbit hole. He reached over and wiped her tears. "Shh. Don't waste your tears on someone like Ren. He is not worth it."
"I'm sorry, Zuko. I've become more trouble than worth, haven't I?"
Zuko tapped a finger on his chin, pretending to consider her words. "Hmm. Let's see. Because of you, I became the dad of two adorable kids. My daughter gets a mother. My Uncle has stopped worrying about me and is actually breathing easy. My sister is actually forming a human bond with you, something I never thought was possible," he moved his hands as though he was weighing the options, "While on the other side, I'm facing some opposition. But I have been facing that since before I got coronated. So yes, you are so much trouble!"
Katara gave a watery chuckle, "How did you become so good at not being awkward? You used to fumble with your words."
He grinned, his thumb drawing circles on her hand, "Practice. Thirteen years of being a monarch will get rid any awkwardness."
"How are you so unaffected by Ren's betrayal?"
Zuko lay his head on the wall, his face taut. "I will be lying if I say I'm unaffected. But this is part and parcel of being a monarch. Someone or the other will betray. I wish I could say that it hurts less with each occurrence, but it doesn't. It hurts, every single time. I have just learned not to let it get to me. When I married you, Katara, I knew this was coming. I mean… I didn't expect Ren, but I knew someone somewhere would do something like this. A lot of these men and women still cling on to the belief that the Fire Nation is superior. I put a Water Bender as their Fire Lady. That too without any warning. Backlash would come."
Katara nodded, considering his words.
"Which brings me to something I've been meaning to say," he said in all seriousness. "Once we get back, you will have to take up the duties of the Fire Lady."
Katara lay her head against the wall and nodded, "Yes. I know. I'm both excited and nervous about it."
Zuko punched her arm gently, "I totally get it. But you'll be fine."
A sudden gust of wind came in through the window, blowing some of the rose petals on the floor. Zuko reached over and picked one of the petals, twirling in his hand. "I wonder what Ren was thinking though. He couldn't have known that Jet would show up at the beach or that he would tell everything. What were the rose petals for?"
Katara sighed and stood up, inspecting the bed. "Maybe he thought you would see it and assume Jet and I were having a thing or something?"
"Convoluted," Zuko said, still seated on the floor, "That leaves so many things to chance. For starters, how and why would I see it? Assuming I did see it, why would my first assumption be that Jet and you were having an affair?"
"Not everyone thinks like you, Zuko," Katara explained, having borne this attitude for years now. She was glad that her back was turned to him. She could not bear to look at his face. "Once the North has charged me with adultery, the label is going to follow me everywhere. That's how I will always be seen. My name is tainted."
"Katara," he dragged her name a bit as he came to stand in front of her, "No one reaches the age of thirty without at least someone thinking they are the worst person alive. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying. Those people out there, they don't know you. The people who know you, love you for who you are, theirs is the opinion that matters, not some random man's babble. Don't give others so much power over yourself. If you keep going down that road, there'll be no end to your melancholy. You can't make everyone happy. Not everyone will like you. And that's okay. So long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and not feel ashamed of the person staring back, you are good."
Katara looked at him, mouth agape. "When did you become so wise?"
Zuko grinned, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "A lifetime of listening to Uncle has paid off, I guess?"
She chuckled and looked down at herself, only now realizing that she was still wearing the yellow cloak, and grimaced. "You know what? I'll change. I don't like this outfit."
"Huh? What's wrong with it?"
"Yellow! I look so…bleh in yellow. I hate the color."
Zuko's lips twitched in obvious mirth, "Why did you even wear it then?"
Katara tugged on the end of her hair, feeling a blush rising up her cheeks, "Oh… um… that… I thought… I thought you gave this to me… so…I'll go."
Katara whirled on her heels and was about to run away when he grabbed her hand. She scrunched her eyes close, feeling a tremor pass through her. Before she could understand what was happening, she was flush against his chest, making her lose the capability of a coherent thought. But then, Zuko's lips were on hers and the world ceased to matter.
