Chapter 27
I think I've procrastinated enough now so I'll FINALLY write a chapter where Jet ACTUALLY speaks!
-oOo-
Aang was the first to speak.
It had been a full 15 seconds and judging by Katrara's reaction, she wasn't going to talk sense any time soon. What was causing her this much pain? He couldn't read her thoughts. He wanted to help. He couldn't. The all-powerful avatar was instantly powerless at the despair of his girlfriend. Why?
Aang believed that he did really know Katara, not just the Katara everyone knew but the Katara who he woke up with most mornings, the Katara he missed until it hurt when they were apart.
The exploding glass of water had brought him to his senses. Why hadn't he realised before, that what she was feeling wasn't the feeling of being overwhelmed of upset, but furious. He had seen a similar result of her rage when she was at her most livid.
Kegs of water combusting when she shouted at master Pakku. The outburst at Sokka which caused Aang to be freed of his iceberg. Without Katrara, there would be no Avatar to save the world, no world to even save.
Why was she angry?
Sokka's focus was his sister and seemed as though he was in 'over-protective-brother-mode' as Toph often put it. His ongoing support was appreciated but sometimes resented by Aang. He hadn't forgotten the moment Sokka had burst out onto the balcony that day, only to see him and Katara…
At that moment however, the need for Sokka's support was apparent, Aang's confusion must have been visible.
Toph was unnerved. Her clouded eyes were widened, her feet splayed slightly apart. The airbender sensed that even now, in the most serious situation, her pride was a little hurt. It had been her who had felt that Jet was lying when he promised he'd be ok. Maybe he'd believed it. Maybe he had felt death's approach, felt the end nearing… anyway between shock and dismay, Toph seemed temporarily unable to speak.
And so Aang had spoken. Because the silence wasn't likely to tell him anything.
-oOo-
"How…are you… well…. alive? We all thought…"
There was a pause where Jet simply surveyed the avatar, brown eyes glinting.
"I said I'd be fine" he finally replied, with a slight smirk and a shrug. This wasn't exactly answering anyone's questions and something about his matter-of-fact words seemed to shake Katara into movement.
She rose from the ground shakily and glared wild-eyed at Jet. Everyone braced themselves for the rage that was sure to come.
But there was no rage. It was much worse. Instead of the anticipated yelling, a chocked hatred emerged. The hurt in her voice was palpable to anyone who heard it.
"Can you imagine… we lost you. You were gone. I had to move on. We had a war to end but… now you just show up and expect that feeble sentence to help? You were gone! But now…" instead of tailing off gradually, her words stopped abruptly. She looked like she was going to shoot ice daggers at him again but she turned with dignity and left.
Aang made a motion as if to follow her but was stopped by Sokka. "She needs time."