I dipped my brush back into the ink pot and put the final touch on the drawing, my tongue between my teeth and my other hand on my chin. I was starting to grow a beard, maybe it was time to stop shaving.

I looked at the finished painting: a scene from the air nomad monks. It was a re-elaboration of the drawings that Gyatso had left me, which I was compiling for my book "The Art of the Air Nomads." The pile was already of a respectable thickness. Even if the Temple had been lost... with the money, the book could be published. As a last tribute and apology to Gyatso.

On the other side of my door I heard the hiss of a frying pan on the fire and some unintelligible words directed at Appa, who answered with a bark. I did not blame him for not being with me, the last days I was a nightmare for those who accompanied me.

I couldn't go on like this.

With increasing frequency, I would erupt at Katara, at my wife, out of a residual insecurity of something we had agreed to do.

I ought to give her more credit; I believed - no, I knew, that we were capable of overcoming all obstacles. So why was it so difficult to ignore this particular one?

Even as I worked, my mind went back to the night she spent away from me. Since the night of our wedding, we had never slept apart.

Days after… that night, she didn't let me get too close. On the second day, I made her let me examine her. I did not want him to hide from me any blow or wound that he may have done to her.

"I need to check that you're okay." I took her by the shoulder to keep her from walking away.

" What? No… " She tried to flee again.

"I have to make sure!"

"Trust me please. I just need some space."

She refused to let me see her, or even go to a doctor. She assured me that she was fine, but it wasn't until a week later that she undressed in my presence.

I put that memory out of my mind and put my precious folder of images for the book off the desk and took a deep breath, as I was taught since I was little. Even meditation hadn't fully tamed my negative feelings, but it definitely improved everything a bit.

After a few minutes of watching the rhythm of my breathing, I opened the door and headed for the kitchen.

"Hi K," I greeted softly. The last few days I had not been exactly easy on her and it showed in the slightly cautious and surprised smile that she gave me after the greeting. I made my tone as gentle as possible. "How was work? You won't have to go back like today, on Saturday?"

"Everything is fine. You know what Mr. Tong is like…" Her expression was carefully controlled in a gentle gesture as she served the rice and vegetables for the meal. "As of Monday, I will have caught up and will have less workload."

She helped herself to her own portion and returned to the kitchen for the frying pan where she cooked fish for her. After the years together I had already resigned myself to her not sharing my vision of being a vegetarian. And it didn't particularly bother me, although sometimes I did wonder what food we would accustom our children to.

"I've been thinking." With one hand I took a bite of the rice and with the other I stroked Appa's hairy head. "Since the Air Temple is... out of reach, we have to think about where to invest the money. Not just leave it deposited, stuck in the bank."

My wife made an affirmative sound for me to continue.

"I thought about putting aside some of the money and with the rest I'll start looking at houses. You saw Yue yesterday, right? Is she still working in real estate? I'll go see her one of these days, so she can advise us."

"Yes, that would be very convenient." She moved the spoon thoughtfully. "I wonder how much a place will cost in, I don't know, Omashu or Ba Sing Se."

She took a couple of bites, seemingly distracted, and I frowned.

"Those cities are expensive." It would not be enough for a good house and to edit the book. "A quiet town, like here in Chin City, is much better for raising children."

She stood up abruptly.

"I was talking about renting a place there so I could go to college, not buying."

Oh.

The possibility hadn't even occurred to me.

"Even with a baby?" I asked confused as she returned from the kitchen with a glass of water.

"No. Without a baby. That would have to wait until after I graduated."

I fell into a surprised silence.

"I don't get it. You know how important it is for me to have children and pass on what is left of my culture." I stared at her, trying to find out more about what I was hearing.

"And you know how important it is for me to study." She avoided my gaze. "You can surely wait four or five more years."

"I don't see that…"

"Forget it," she interrupted. "We better talk about it later."

She was angry. I couldn't contain my own irritated response, I didn't get it, I simply didn't understand why.

"As you wish." I returned my attention to the food and Appa, who whimpered at the tension in the atmosphere.

After that, the only sound was that of silverware on plates. When she put aside her empty plate, she broke the silence as well.

"The first thing we have to do is pay Sokka the money he lent us." She stood up and carried the dirty plate back to the kitchen. "I'll go to the bank on Monday."

"Very good." My voice came out darker and heavier than I expected as I followed her with my gaze.

"I'll be in the yard. Please wash the dishes." An enthusiastic Appa followed her outside and I heard her start doing the laundry.

Why did she reject the idea like that, so outright? She already had a technical career… and I could work anyway. A college degree was going to cut money, not including rent and all other expenses. Even if the bills went out and we decided to go to Ba Sing Se or Omashu, why couldn't we just go with a baby? She had already told me in the past that she did want children… I didn't understand what the problem was.

There must be another reason. She's not that selfish.

The idea kept haunting me. I carried the dishes to the sink and began to wash the dishes, trying to find an answer. The only thing I could think of was terrible… she was looking for a reason to leave me. Dazzled by money and that stupid night on a yacht…

I shook my head, trying to clear those unhealthy ideas.

"Katara isn't like that," I whispered to myself, and focused on the dishes again. At least until my gaze wandered and a small box on the stove caught my eye. It was not the usual brand of matches; it was decorated with a small red dragon, with the words "Dragon of the West" underneath.

The cold ran down my back as if an ice cube was running down my back, in the same path as my tattoo.

Normally, washing clothes was not one of my favorite tasks, but the water on my skin had some therapeutic effect. When all the clothes were hung up and Appa lay down on his bed for a mid-afternoon nap, I saw the withered leaves in the garden and some fruits ready to cut. Usually Aang was in charge of pruning and watering; the last few days we were both too tense and his forgetfulness was almost logical.

Aang's carelessness usually didn't stray away from forgetting some chores around the house, or relapsing into trivialities that annoyed me like not emptying the trash or leaving the chairs full of dirt when he returned from walking with Appa. But this time, one of them had really hurt: he made plans for the money and it hadn't even occurred to him that I might have my own suggestions for using it. And besides, he didn't even mention the payment for Sokka. I didn't want to do it either, because I'd probably have to tell him how I got the money.

And yes, Aang and I had talked. I wanted to have children. But as he had just said, it seemed like he was expecting to have a baby as soon as possible. In that instant, the weight of the prospect crushed me.

I don't feel ready. I want to study, contribute something to the world before having a baby.

Not asking me, assuming what I wanted… deep down, they were other oversights on his part, careless like the others, and not done with malicious intent. I hoped I could talk to him later, more calmly. Maybe before going to bed.

I took a deep breath before going back inside to get the basket and the pruning shears. I put on the straw hat that I used to work in the garden and when I saw Aang, I made an effort to smile.

"Some tomatoes are ready to harvest, are you coming?" I wanted to offer my flag of peace.

"Sure." He followed me and settled on the edge of the house as I bent over the plant and began to cut the fruit. "I have a question, K. An important question."

"Tell me." Maybe he was finally thinking of taking me into account when deciding on money.

"What's the Dragon of the West?" His weird tone of voice unnerved me, it was the same cold tone of voice. And so sadly common in recent days during our few conversations.

"Where did you hear it?" A lot of images and sensations that I shouldn't have remembered popped into my mind and I tensed.

"It doesn't matter. What is it?" He was clutching something in his fist, a small box of matches that I had in my bag, which I took the night on the yacht.

"Have you been rummaging through my bag?" I kept the volume of my voice down, with some effort. No, no... I left that box out myself, when the matches in the kitchen ran out and I used them to light the stove. I bit my tongue in realization, but the damage was done.

"What's in your bag?" The box was already crushed and useless in his fist.

I took a deep breath again, remembering that he had been under a lot of pressure lately and that I had to be the mature person who kept calm. Again.

"The Dragon of the West is a ship," I replied without meeting his eyes, trying to appear focused on the tomatoes. Stop the interrogation, I beg you.

"What ship?" Immune to my internal pleading, he took a couple of steps closer and pressed for more answers.

"We said we wouldn't talk about it again, Aang." I pushed aside the empty laundry basket with my arm and a sheet that was drying. I hoped Aang would remember to pick up the hanged clothes before it rained. Because the cloudy sky seemed to announce rain. Why had I put the hat on?

"I just need to talk about it, Katara. I thought I was going to be able to forget it... I couldn't, I'm incapable. I ask myself about that night all the time and it's driving me crazy. Can we talk please? Then I will try to erase it completely from my memory."

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you. Whatever it is, it'll only hurt you more." I tried to reason. My own confused feelings about it that night had nothing to do with not wanting to talk about it. Especially, to talk about it with him.

To avoid looking at him, I leaned over the other plants, having already finished with the tomatoes. I examined the potatoes, all too aware of Aang's humor struggling with what he wanted to say to me.

"Please. The truth, the truth is the only thing I want. As my father always taught me, the truth sets the spirit free. That's why I need you to tell me!"

I stood up.

"Fine! If you want that badly to know, I'll tell you." I held the basket of withered vegetables on my hip. I braced myself. "He took me to his yacht, the Dragon of the West."

"There is no sea in Omashu." His gaze accused me. My low spirits were strained; he didn't want the truth, he wanted an excuse for his anger.

"No. We flew to Kyoshi. It was the port that could be seen from the yacht."

"And what else?" His gaze was filled with an almost maddened hunger. "What else happened?"

"No. It will be worse with whatever I say." Seeing the state Aang was in made my stomach sink with anguish.

"You're keeping things from me." For the first time, I saw resentment in a gesture directed at me. I started to shake and couldn't help but lash out.

"What? What can I hide from you? You know what was in the contract! Do you remember? Yes, I was on his luxurious yacht and we made passionate love all night, are you happy already? Or do you want me to give you more details?"

There were a million more things he could say that with the right tone and words would be so hurtful that the damage would be irreparable. With an immense effort, I swallowed those words and it left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

"You haven't told me if you liked it." His gray eyes were so cold I could hardly recognize them.

My voice broke.

"If I tell you I liked it, you'll feel worse. If I tell you I didn't, you won't believe me. How can I answer you then?"

"Answer me honestly, I already told you! The truth!"

I wanted to get away from him. I ran into the house, but he followed me, catching up with me in just a couple of strides thanks to his height. I felt cornered in the little room that had always been a refuge for me. I turned and looked at him, blurred by the tears I didn't want to shed.

"Aren't you going to tell me more?"

In a fit of rage, he took my bag off the shelf and turned it upside down. All the contents fell to the ground. He ran his hands over the rest of the things and finding nothing unusual, he lifted my wallet and began to scan the compartments. I pounced on him the instant I realized what I was going to find there. The card.

"And this? WHAT IS THIS?" He held the card in front of my eyes.

"A card." I tried to stay calm as much as possible.

"I can see that. I wonder whose it is." He crumpled the card and threw it hard to the ground. "I wonder if you've already called these numbers."

"No, I haven't called! Why don't you trust me anymore?" A treacherous tear slid down my cheek, but luckily my voice didn't tremble.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He crossed his arms with a reproachful look, but lowered the volume of his voice.

"I thought of telling you, but do you think your behavior would make me want to tell you?" I sank down on the couch, my knees suddenly weak.

For a few moments, Aang remained sullen, then relaxed his hands.

"I'll be in my study. No need to cook dinner."

And he slammed his door shut, leaving me alone in the living room.

With slightly shaking hands, I picked up the card, now slightly crumpled. I had to call anyway.

But it was a bad idea to call from the house phone. If for some reason Aang leaned out, if he listened... everything would be even worse. I shuddered. Like when he faced the banker Shi Tong, it was a primal anger that scared me. I wanted to calm him down, but I had no idea how to do it anymore.

I took my keys and purse. Still holding the card in one hand, I slammed the entrance door as I went outside in search of a pay phone.

There was a list of four numbers written on the card. I dialed the first two, with no results. I assumed they were from an office, which would surely be deserted on Saturday night.

I dialed the third number and waited. After the third ring, when I was already thinking of the fourth number as the last possibility, there was a voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" The voice sounded a little sleepy.

"This is Katara." The emotions of the clash with my husband were beginning to take their toll, but I didn't want to cry on the phone.

"Katara?" An invisible hand squeezed my heart. I remembered, in a very inappropriate way, his voice hoarse in my ear as I called out his name. I hated myself for the inconvenience of that thought. "It's… great to hear from you."

"Don't believe it, Mr. Zuko." All the coldness I couldn't have towards him that night came naturally now, accompanied by a certain bitterness. "I didn't want to make this call."

His pained silence brought me brief, dark satisfaction.

"You said you were trying to correct what your father did. Instead, you bought the land that was in the hands of the last air nomad. You snatched it out of our hands." I tightened my grip on the phone receiver. "What do you want it for? Are you going to build a luxurious villa? A factory or a mine, as your father wanted to do?"

I could no longer contain my sobs or maintain the volume of my voice and sounded hysterical to my own ears.

"It was the only thing the genocide survivors got! Doesn't the name Gyatso Yangchen ring a bell? He was my husband's adoptive father! He had only one possession and now it's in the hands of those who killed his people!"

Strangely, I didn't feel any better for screaming.

"Listen to me for a moment, please," his voice implored, too soft on the other end of the line as I took a breath. "I didn't know that it was… that it belonged to… Mr. Yangchen. They never gave me information on the other people who sued my father."

I buffed. I didn't believe him.

"I… I saw that the land and the Temple were for sale and I immediately bought them. My plans were to make them a museum, as compensation for what my father did. I had no idea that anyone alive could claim them."

I wanted to scream.

"Now that you know, how much do you sell it for?" I asked in an acid voice.

"No. No, it was my mistake. I'll give you back the Air Temple, of course. It is yours. I will bring the deeds myself after doing the paperwork."

New tears fell, but this time they were of frustration. How can I keep my anger against him if he behaved like that?

"Ah…" was the first sound I could make. I just wanted that conversation to be over soon. "Good."

"I'm rarely on this phone," he stopped me before I hung up. "So in order to pursue the matter, is there a way to communicate with you?"

I was tired. So tired of worrying, tired of thinking and having my guard up.

"I work in Chin City Judge Tong's office," I whispered in a broken voice. "If anything, you can send a message there."

I hung up the pay phone and stepped out into the cool night air under the light of the full moon. I inhaled the air, charged with the coldness of the South Pole.

I walked back… I couldn't call it home, not if I was running away from it. In the distance I saw the dining room in darkness, the only light came from the study. I sighed. Aang would surely stay to work until dawn, as he had already done a couple of nights before. He would go to bed once I had left the room. Or he would simply sleep in his study.

No, today was definitely not a good day to break the news that we would have the Air Temple back. I'd give him one night to calm down (and to calm myself down too). I would tell him tomorrow.

A / N: Shall I tell you something funny? In my first draft for this story, there were only 12 chapters and roughly 18 k words. Somehow they turned into more than 20 chapters that I have not finished writing yet, but what I already have is well over 50k words. Hehe ...

I also hope it doesn't seem like terrible mistreatment to Aang's character. Katara, on the other hand, could be very cruel, although I like to think that here, where she is older, she has changed a bit.

Thanks for reading and leaving reviews! Here are the formal synopsis of the future fanfics I mentioned last week :D

Modern AU (option A):

Gran Gran got a job house sitting in Ember Island, and Katara, Sokka and Suki take the opportunity for some days of vacation. At the beach, Katara meets Lee. He, as Gran Gran, takes care of someone else's possessions. They start a summer relationship that has the potential to go much further, but things get complicated with the end of the holidays, and Lee may not be who Katara believed.

Not-modern AU (option B):

Katara never left the place where she was born, and after the war that left Iroh on the throne, she has lost her entire family. She is taken in by relatives her father had estranged from, and yearns to find again the only person who feels like a friend. On the other hand, the crown prince is about to visit the house, but that has nothing to do with her, does it?

With special mention for rahidas04 for her awesome work, until next week!