A week had passed, and Suki, Sokka and Toph had gone back home. Katara had been eager to get back to work, but Wu Li had ordered Katara to stay home and rest up before coming back to the hospital. Looking to be useful, Katara had found herself in Zuko's office, where his monstrous oak desk was covered in treaties, reports, requests and all manner of mind numbing regal paperwork. Katara had actually been a natural at helping Zuko get through everything, her knowledge of politics and the other nations giving her important insight when negotiating these contracts. Aang faithfully followed her, but it was clear he was bored out of his mind. He seemed eager to get back to his tour of the world; he had even had a conversation with Katara about it.

Katara stood out on her balcony, her outfit for the day leaving her midriff bare and she slowly traced her new scar as she replayed the events from before. Aang had been avoiding Zuko's office since he had tired of the dull meetings Katara and Zuko had been having in there for hours on end. This morning, Aang had caught her before she had gone to his office.

"Katara, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure Aang, what's going on?"

He motioned her to follow him away from Zuko's office and into an empty office, so they could speak privately. Katara followed, but worried about his sudden need for privacy. He turned to her once they were both inside and flashed her a sincere grin. "How have you been feeling lately?"

"Fine." She answered, a little surprised by his topic choice. "I feel completely back to normal."

"Great!" Aang said, nodding his head eagerly. "So, when do you want to leave?"

Katara stared at him blankly. "Leave?"

"Yeah, I mean, I know you have to pack and say good bye, but I think we should probably go sooner rather than later."

Understanding still hadn't struck her, but there was an unease in her stomach. Leave? Say good bye? Where were they going? Why were they going? All she managed while her mind whirled however, was "What?".

Aang's brow furrowed and he placed his hands on Katara's shoulders. "Our world tour."

Katara was sure the blood had drained from her face as the realization slammed into her. Aang was the Avatar and together, they had been traveling the world, aiding villages and solving conflicts across the lands. That had all been before Azula, before what felt like everything had changed. The world needed Aang and Aang needed her, it was that simple. Her mind rebelled; it wasn't that simple, not anymore.

What had she really done while Aang helped solve the world's problems? She had traveled with him, she had helped him negotiate a bit, heal a few of the villagers along the way, but those people hadn't needed her. Here, she had the hospital and all her patients that relied on her. Granted she was still temporarily banned to rest and heal, but in that down time, she had found another way to be helpful. She was helping Zuko conquer the mountain of paperwork that would affect the lives of those that lived in his nation. She was contributing in a way that she hadn't since the end of the war and it felt good to have a purpose again.

"Katara?" Aang's eager gray eyes bore into hers as her mind quickly processed everything. With the look in his eyes, she felt her heart break. This was her boyfriend; she loved Aang. Aang was in love with her and he needed her and her support. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders and she doubted he would ever stop needing her; even if he had become much better at world politics and negotiations. After all, the world needed Aang and Aang needed her.

There was a lump in her throat, but she swallowed it. "When do you want to leave?"

"I can have Appa ready tomorrow."

Her stomach rolled tightly but she felt herself nod almost mechanically. "Tomorrow."

It was lunch time and Zuko hadn't seen Katara all day when normally she would have been in the office with him all along. He decided to venture to the kitchens for some food and then see if he could find Katara somehow… on the way to her room. However, he did run across Aang.

"Hey Zuko!" The young monk called to him.

"Aang, I was on my way to the kitchens to get lunch, care to join?"

"Actually, could I talk to you for a minute?"

A sense of dread filled his stomach. There was never anything good that followed that sentence. There was an empty room just down the hall and he motioned his friend to follow. Once they were in the room, Zuko turned to Aang. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

Aang held his hands up in a halting motion. "Nothing's wrong." He soothed quickly. "I just wanted to let you know that Katara and I are leaving tomorrow."

Zuko hadn't been expecting that. "Leaving?"

Aang smiled patiently with Zuko like he had with Katara. "We need to continue the world tour. I still have towns and villages across the nations to visit, aid and barter trade with."

Zuko felt a sudden urge to argue that Katara didn't need to go with him for that, but propriety stopped him. Katara was Aang's girlfriend, he had no say what so ever as to what they did. "Of-of course." He stammered, trying to keep his decorum. He cleared his throat. "Is there anything you need for tomorrows journey?"

"Actually, your Uncle has already taken care of it. He made sure we had plenty of supplies. I spoke to him last night."

Zuko felt an irrational stab of betrayal from his Uncle; that Iroh hadn't told him sooner that they were planning on leaving. This of course, was ridiculous and he was used to burying feelings, so he shoved it aside and tried to keep himself focused. He suddenly blurted, "Have you seen Katara?" and silently cursed himself.

Aang looked a little startled. "I thought she was with you."

Zuko shook his head. "I've been alone in my office all morning."

Aang just shrugged unconcerned. "I bet she's just packing then." The young monk stretched and peered at Zuko. "Well… guess I should go brush Appa and get him all ready for tomorrow."

"My stable hands can do that for you." Zuko offered.

Aang waved him off good naturedly, "Nah, I haven't seen him in a while and this will be good for both of us."

With that, Aang trotted off towards the stables and Zuko was stuck in place until well after Aang had left. He needed to go to his room and think. He made his way to his door without really knowing how he had gotten there. Once inside, he had every intention of sitting in one of his many chairs and just thinking, but once again, he found himself suddenly, and unsure of how he'd gotten there, in front of the secret panel that led to the room next door. Where Katara was. He agonized internally for several long minutes of why this was a terrible idea but also why he needed to talk to her. The little voices in his head were beginning to drive him crazy that he gestured wildly and accidentally struck the panel with a low thud. Now, completely panicked, he clumsily followed it up with two more rapid thuds and cringed.

What an idiot. He berated himself. Can't even knock on a door.

"Come in." Came the soft, distant call.

Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, he pushed the panel aside and his eyes searched the room for her. Since she wasn't anywhere obvious, he assumed she was on the balcony and sure enough, the doors were thrown wide open and Katara was peering out at the garden, arms wrapped around herself. He scuffed his feet as he approached so she could track him since she never turned. He stopped, just out of reach and waited. She knew he was there and he could wait. He didn't really want to be the one to bring up the subject in the first place.

In a deadened voice, she spoke to the air in front of her as she stared listlessly upon the flower beds below. "Aang told me we're leaving tomorrow."

That struck him as odd. Aang told her they were leaving? Did that mean it was just his decision? Did Katara even want to go? The thought nagged at him. "Do you even want to go?" He blurted and cursed himself again. What was wrong with him? Today, there was some kind of shortage between his brain and his mouth.

Katara flinched and remained silent. Zuko took a couple steps closer and tentatively put his hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she whirled on him and she stared up at him, with eyes threatening to brim over with tears. "I want… I…" she stammered and shook her head, hands flying up to cover her face. Zuko gently wrapped his arms around her as she shook and gently stroked her hair. Her voice was shaky and a bit muffled between her hands and his chest, though he hadn't pulled her tight against him. "It doesn't matter what I want."

Zuko froze at her words. Unable to come up with anything clever, he settled on "Why not?".

"Because Aang needs me."

"But why?" Zuko asked. Any logical part of his brain had left him. He was stuck, his mind spinning in circles and going nowhere, so he asked the most basic, probably inappropriate questions, considering that Aang was his best friend and the woman in his arms was his girlfriend. None of that mattered or registered, all he knew was that he needed to understand.

"Because."

Frustration welled up in Zuko and he stepped back, pulling back his arms until his hands rested on her shoulders and Katara had lowered her hands from her face, exposing tear damp cheeks and glistening eyes. She looked defeated, but because wasn't an answer. He was looking for an answer and he was going to get one! "Because why Katara?" He snapped, his infamous temper rearing up.

"Because that's the way it's always been!" She said in exasperation. "Ever since he was 12 and I was 14 we've been together, traveling the world. I've taken care of him, feed him, washed his clothes, protected him, I've helped him with everything! I do a lot of the negotiating during our travels, although Aang is getting better… and because I'm his girlfriend." She said the final part with a hard solemnity.

"You sound more like his mother." Zuko snarled in distaste.

"I am not!" She shouted indignantly, glaring at him.

"Do you love him?" Zuko blurted.

"Yes!" She said without hesitation.

His hands tightened on her shoulders and he narrowed his eyes, watching her face carefully. "Are you in love with him?"

Katara jerked in his hold, not entirely sure why the question shocked her or why Zuko had been the one to ask it. She started to consider, but mentally slammed on the brakes. "We've been together since the end of the war!" She yelled, tugging out of his hold.

Not the same thing. The nasty little voice in her head hissed, but she refused to think about the implications right now.

Zuko had let his hands fall to his sides, but he had never removed his intense gaze from her face. "Katara…" He started again softer and let out a resigned sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "What is it that you want?" He asked quietly.

"I…" She closed her eyes and clutched her hands together. "I want to have my own life, not just follow in someone's shadow and I want to be useful. I want to work at the hospital and really make a difference in those lives and I want to stay here and…" She trailed off, not sure where that thought was headed. She exhaled slowly and opened her eyes, trained on her hands. She didn't want to see what Zuko had thought of her selfish outburst.

His shoes shuffled into view and he was standing before her, reaching for her clutched hands. His large hands were pale against hers and very gentle and warm as he cupped her tanned hands within his. "Katara." He said softly, coaxing her to look at him.

Afraid she might start crying again, she braced herself and looked at him. The soft dark hair fell across his face, obscuring part of his scar but not his piercing golden eyes. They were staring at her intently, as if with a look he was trying to tell her something. It was almost too much, and she felt exposed under the force of his gaze.

"You can have that. You can have it all if you stay." He implored.

"But Aang…" She let the sentence hang, unsure of how to finish that sentence anyway.

"Aang isn't a little kid anymore." Zuko said sternly. "You said yourself that he was getting better with the politics."

"I don't know…" Katara said, feeling her loyalties being torn between herself and Aang.

Zuko slowly pulled his hands back and let them hang at his sides and the pleading look was gone and back was the composed, more serious Zuko he usually showed the world, the less raw version of the one she had just been talking to. "Aang is one of my best friends." Katara nodded. "But so are you." She looked startled to be reminded of the fact. "I want you both to be happy. I see you here and at the hospital and I see that you're happy. The prospect of leaving all that you've worked hard on to essentially babysit Aang while he travels the world doesn't seem to make you happy. I know you love Aang, but maybe not in the same way that he wants you to." He quickly held up his hands defensively and hurried on. "Not that it's any of my business!" A light flush rose to his cheeks before he cleared his throat and continued. "Aang will be sad if you don't go with him, sure, but he would be able to do what he needs to do without you there. Aang is smart and he's capable, but he's used to leaning on you and relying on you. If you wanted to pursue your work at the hospital, in your absence, I think Aang would learn and grow quickly."

Katara looked pensive and a short silence settled. "The choice, in the end is yours and I support you either way." Zuko said. He decided to leave her to think some more and he decided to do the same, perhaps in his office where he could pretend to be busy.

Sarahplainnntall here! Thank you guys for being so very patient with me, I know it takes me a loooong time to update (between going back to school and work...) but for all my super awesome followers, Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, reviews are greatly appreciated!