A/N Guys. I'm back. :D I've been watching avatar again and I feel like I understand Jet so much better, and how tragic of a character he really is. SO. I rewrote the last chapter of this fic. It's long enough to be two chapters haha, but I like it so much better. I'd recommend reading ch 19 again before this, and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE some feedback on which final chapter you like better. So leave a review and tell me what you think! And if you're feeling it, go ahead and reread the whole thing again!
No. There was no way. Her brain must not be processing. Jet was dead. Katara saw him die. They ALL did. Under that lake in Ba Sing Se four years ago. There was no way he could be here. Standing right in front of her.
In a flash, every memory she'd ever had of Jet flooded her brain like a tidal wave. She saw it all. Finding the Freedom Fighters. Discovering the impressiveness of their hideout and the passion they had for their cause. Discovering his strong determination to fight off evil. Learning of the terrible, terrible way he went about that. Finding him again in Ba Sing Se. Trying heal him. Fighting with him, and sometimes against him, in that last battle against the Dai Lee.
She even thought of those moments she'd spent alone with him in his tree house. No matter how much time had or would pass, those were burned in her brain forever. Because he was her first everything. So much was tied to him in her mind. And in her heart.
The image of him lying on the ground in that room below the lake was the next picture to enter her mind and all of the sadness she'd felt in that moment came crashing with it. She remembered so clearly flying on Appa and staring down at the blue lake water wondering how it was fair for him to die. How was it fair for someone so young and so troubled and someone already so hurt…to die?
In all her life, Katara had experienced few true losses of people she loved. Her mom of course was a big loss, and there would always be a hole inside of her where the memories she could have made, and moments she could have spent with Kya would be. That wound was deep.
But after that? Jet was the next most important person in her life to have died.
Except that he hadn't.
Jet wasn't dead. He was right in front of her.
"Katara?" said a distant voice from behind her.
She blinked.
Jet was standing in front of her still. She couldn't totally read his face in the darkness. Not knowing what else to do, she took some slow steps forward. Her gaze didn't drop from his face. He wasn't a spirit, right?
"Hey there," he said kind of quietly, a small, unsure smile forming on his familiar features. Definitely not a spirit.
Instinctively, she hugged him. She felt herself smile as a small, shaky, unsure laugh escaped from her mouth.
"Spirits. How are you here?!" She backed away, keeping her hands on his arms and staring at him. "I mean…how…?" Turning to Aang and Toph, Katara found two faces wide with happy grins. "What happened?"
"See!" Toph gave Aang a good punch on the arm. "I told you she'd love it."
"I must admit," replied Aang through his giant smile. "It couldn't have been a coincidence." Here, he paused, waiting to explain more. "We found him in Ba Sing Se, Katara. Just a couple days ago. We were walking through the lower ring when Toph thought she heard footsteps she recognized. We followed her ears and found Jet buying some mangos! And Smellerbee and Longshot too!" Aang's characteristic, never ending excitement filled his voice.
Katara was smiling too now. Fully. She shook her head in disbelief, turning to Jet again. "I…that's incredible." A couple moments of silence passed as Katara stared wonderingly into his eyes. Jet stared back, and Katara was a little surprised to find some warmth and happiness there.
"I hate to break up this happy reunion," Toph said through the darkness. "But I am freezing my tail off." Everyone chuckled and Katara broke her gaze to show everyone into her house. As everyone filed through the small entrance, Katara knelt down at the fireplace in the living room. For some reason, she couldn't get the spark rocks to spark. Her hands shook, whether from nerves or the surprise or the happiness she didn't know.
Gently, a warm hand covered hers and she sensed someone kneel next to her. The other hand of the person lifted and bent a small flame onto the wood. She turned and her eyes met Zuko's. His deep amber eyes searched her curiously, almost as if looking for something.
Something seemed off. For the first time in a while, Katara couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she gave his hand a squeeze and tried to tell him…
Well.
She didn't know what she was trying to tell him.
Zuko dropped her hand as he stood and she followed suit, walking with him to the nearest small couch. Aang was sitting on a chair, Toph sprawled on the ground, and Jet had found his own place on the opposite couch. No one seemed to have noticed the small exchange between her and Zuko.
"Isn't this amazing?" said Aang, nearly jumping out of his chair. "We're all back together again!"
"It's definitely crazy," replied Katara. She turned to Jet. "How did you survive?"
"It was a Dai Lee agent," he explained. "He came back and snuck me to a doctor in the lower ring. I guess he felt bad for us kids." All eyes in the room were trained on him. "I had a really bad concussion, and it took me a while to heal. But eventually I was okay. Smellerbee, Longshot and I built our lives in Ba Sing Se after that. We didn't know where anyone else was or where else we could go."
Jet paused and looked down. "Life was hard for a while. We barely scraped by. But after Ba Sing Se was reconquered and the war ended, life got a lot better. The lower ring actually isn't so bad a place now."
"I wish we had known," Katara spoke quietly. At this Jet looked up. "We could've come and found you so much sooner."
He smiled as if to say it was no big deal.
After another moment, conversation picked up between all of them. Aang filled them all in on the cool things happening in the earthbending school and Toph shared a few crazy stories, which mostly included tales of crazy things that had happened during the earthbending tournament, which she had reentered to regain her victory title from so long ago. Katara was keenly aware of the fact that Zuko wasn't adding much, if anything, to the conversation. Even in only the small brushes their legs would have, she could feel how tense he was. What was he thinking?
"Wow, Toph. I'm surprised you went that easy on him," joked Aang in response to Toph's story of physically juggling an opponent with a bunch of boulders before bending a hole in the roof of the arena and throwing him outside. Everyone laughed.
Suddenly, Katara saw Jet's eyes shift to her left. His head quirked and his eyebrows scrunched. He squinted as if trying to make sense of something. "Wait. Lee?"
Everyone, including Katara, looked to Zuko, who had his eyes trained on Jet. He didn't say anything, but Katara felt his body warm up, and his face was serious. He looked ominous in the fire light.
"You mean…Zuko?" piped Toph. Nobody paid her much attention. Katara had pulled away a little, her eyes darting between Zuko and Jet. The look on both of their faces told Katara everything she needed to know. There was animosity here. From what, she didn't know, but that didn't matter. Jet was on his feet now, staring at Zuko with pure hatred. He looked like the old Jet.
"It was you," he said, his voice a forced calm. "You left me to the Dai Lee all those years ago. You and that fat old man!" Zuko stood now too. He still didn't give Jet a reply, but he was seething. What was Jet talking about?
"This is our friend Zuko," explained Aang gingerly as he also stood. "He helped teach me firebending so I could defeat the Firelord. He took a great risk in leaving his family to come help us." A beat passed. Neither Jet nor Zuko let their gaze slip an inch from the other. "Now he's the greatest Fire Lord the Fire Nation has ever had."
"Yeah, and his Uncle isn't fat now. You should see him. Literally a beast," added Toph, who'd sat up, alert and ready.
The compliments did nothing. Quicker than anything, Jet pulled his hook swords out from their sheaths, moving to strike Zuko. At this, Katara finally stood too, ready to jump in and stop whatever was about to happen. But Aang and Toph were already on it, each of them grabbing one of Jet's shoulders and pulling him back.
"Jet, this is my home," said Katara forcefully. "You can't just start attacking someone."
Sweat was beading at Jet's temples.
"But…" His voice shook. "He's a firebender." Jet took deep, ragged gulps of air.
"He's our friend too," said Toph. "He's a good person."
Jet dropped his swords to the ground as he looked down and slowly shook his head. "No. He couldn't be. It's not possible." Katara looked to Zuko, who now looked less angry and a little more pitiful.
Without warning Jet fell to his knees, his hands grasping the hair at the sides of his head. Jet needed to get out of here. As he started to sob, Katara looked up to meet Aang's eyes. She tried to convey her thoughts through her expression and Aang nodded back in understanding. Thank the spirits he knew her so well.
"Come on Jet," said Aang, yanking him up gently by the collar. He was in bad shape now. Not seeming to notice Zuko or Katara anymore, Jet stood and followed Aang out the door, his head continuing to shake. Toph walked out behind him. Katara and Zuko were left alone in the dim room, the only sounds coming from the crackle of the fireplace. Jet's swords were still strewn on the ground. Spirits. Jet was alive. And he'd almost attacked Zuko.
She could hear Zuko next to her taking deep, long breaths and knew he was in the process of calming himself down. Looking at the side of his face expectantly, she placed a hand gently on his arm and turned him to face her.
"I'm sorry about that," she whispered. Katara saw him take another deep breath.
"It's okay," Zuko whispered back, his voice hoarse. "I should've been the one to leave. I'm sorry I ruined the evening."
"No," said Katara quickly. "It wasn't you." A silence fell, but unlike all of their other silences, this one felt tense. "How come Jet recognized you? How do you know each other?"
Zuko turned away from her. "It's a long story," he answered.
"That's ok. I just–"
"I don't want to explain it, Katara," he said more sharply. "Not right now. Okay?"
Surprised at his outburst, Katara decided not to push, though she was dying to know why Jet had accused Zuko of leaving him to the Dai Lee. Was he talking about when he was left to the Dai Lee to be brainwashed? It was really bold of Jet to blame Zuko for that. He must've had a reason. Then again, was Jet completely all there? The resemblance between what Jet had looked like in that moment and what Azula looked like when she'd been more sick was scary. He was sick. Very sick.
Katara closed her eyes and sighed. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to…" She let her voice trail off, not knowing what to say.
"Go," he said sadly, still not facing her. "He needs you to heal him."
Katara looked up, but Zuko hadn't moved. "Zuko–"
"Just go," he interrupted. "Before he hurts someone."
Not wanting to argue, Katara began gathering her things and Zuko started putting the fire out. "Where are you going?" She asked.
"I think back to the ship," Zuko answered. "But I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled sadly.
Spirits cursed Katara. What was the story between him and Jet?
"...okay," she said unsurely. As they both started towards the door to leave, Katara remembered something. "Oh, hey. What did you want to talk about earlier? When we were back in town?"
Katara thought she saw a little sadness flit across Zuko's face, but within a moment it was gone. "Oh. That was nothing," Zuko said shyly. "Forget about it."
Why did she somehow feel like she was doing everything wrong? With a small, sad nod in return, Katara led the way out of the small house and into the night.
They walked in silence along the dark, familiar path. She figured Aang and Toph would have taken Jet to the large healing tent near the town square. The night air stung the skin on Katara's face, a feeling she'd missed being in the Fire Nation so long. She breathed it in, relishing in the familiar smells of her hometown. Sometimes she wished she could return to being a little girl. Her family was whole and happy, and her biggest worry was the mean kid at school who'd throw snowballs at her. Now her problems seemed so much bigger.
But, she reminded herself, with bigger problems, she had more opportunities to help people. And Katara loved helping people. Zuko asked a question that broke her away from her thoughts.
"What's your story with Jet?"
Katara vaguely registered what he was asking. He wasn't asking about the gang's story with Jet. He was asking about hers.
"It's a long story," replied Katara after a moment, using the same words he'd given her earlier. Whether out of spite or simply because she didn't have the energy to explain, she didn't know. Zuko just nodded in understanding.
They finally reached the point where they were to split ways. With a brief goodnight, Zuko headed toward his ship and Katara toward the healing building. She hoped with all her heart that he was okay.
. . .
After a little while of healing Jet, Katara was exhausted. It was well into the night now. Jet had fallen asleep and so had Toph. Katara could tell Aang was trying his hardest to stay awake for her sake.
"So you can't tell what's wrong?" asked Aang easily.
"Well, I can feel the trauma. He's had a terrible life. It's like his brain is a bunch of shattered pieces that've been broken and mended, only to be broken again." A beat passed. "He's been through a lot."
Aang nodded. "That's for sure." Katara noticed his face turn away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry we brought him. We had no idea he'd try and do something like that in your house."
"It's really okay Aang. You couldn't have known. And besides, I think it had to do with something none of us had any clue about."
"Yeah that's true," conceded Aang. "Did Zuko explain anything after we left? How do they know each other?"
Katara shook her head. "No. He was pretty put off I think. And tired. But he'll be okay soon." Hopefully, she added to herself. Silence fell, but only for a moment. "I think he was just surprised to see Jet."
With this, Katara bent some more water and started to heal some bruises and cuts she noticed on Jet's arms. It looked like even if the Lower Ring was better now, it was still a rougher place to live.
Aang was watching her intently, admiration and fascination evident on his face. He was leaning on his staff for support, eyes trained on Katara's hands. "You're amazing, you know."
Katara let out a quiet laugh. "Thanks," she replied, not looking up from her work but feeling her cheeks warm. After another minute or so, Katara noticed Aang's face change and paused her healing. "What's wrong?" she asked. But then she saw where he was looking: directly at her bare, uncovered arms.
"Katara…" he moved his hand gently to turn her arm so he could see better. She felt her heart start to race, wondering what he was going to say. Or do. To Aang's credit, he didn't freak out, but moved to look at her face instead, concern and confusion evident on his own. "What happened?" Aang asked simply, Katara's arm still in the grip of his hand.
She pulled it out and turned away by a few degrees so she wasn't looking him in the eye. "It's nothing." A beat passed, and Katara knew he was waiting for more.
"Tell me. Please."
The options played out in her head. Should she tell him? And have him worry about her going back to the fire nation? And expose Azula? Should she lie, knowing full well the truth would have to come out eventually? And what about Zuko? Maybe this was how she did it. Maybe this was how she could explain everything to Aang. With a deep sigh, she began.
"It happened while I was in the Fire Nation," she explained. Aang's eyes widened, but he stayed quiet, suddenly more awake than he was two minutes ago. "Something happened with Azula, and she needed help." How should she explain this all? "She was going to kill Zuko." Another beat passed. Why did she feel tears behind her eyes? Katara shut eyes tightly to ward them off and looked away. "I couldn't let that happen," she said with a shaky voice.
"So you jumped in front of her lightning, didn't you. To save him." Katara whipped her head up, her eyes wide with shock. "I've had a suspicion about you and Zuko for a while," he said kindly. "Toph also mentioned it on our way back from the South Pole after the meeting a few months ago." Wow. Of course Toph would've picked up on that, thought Katara, remembering her heart racing during that meeting.
Silent tears started streaming down Katara's cheeks and she felt Aang pull her into a hug. Katara buried her face into his chest and let the tears flow freely. Argh. Why was she crying? Maybe it was from the tiredness, or the surprise of Jet or the fact that something now felt off with Zuko. Maybe it was everything.
"You love him," Aang whispered. The silent tears fell faster. Aang hadn't asked a question, but stated a fact, so Katara didn't answer. But she stayed in his arms, her body shaking quietly. It'd been a long time since she'd let everything out like this. She sort of had at the banquet, but that was about something else. This was…everything.
Finally getting herself under control, she pulled away and wiped her face. "I…I want to be with him," she stated simply. "My time in the Fire Nation, when it was only me and him, was amazing." At this, Aang smiled, watching her carefully. "I learned so much about myself and who I am. And I'm so much better when I'm with him. We have a rhythm together. It works."
"So what's wrong then? That sounds so wonderful. I'm so happy for you guys."
How was he taking this so well? Katara sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it's just weird being back home. Something seems off with him now and I can't put my finger on it." As she said the words, Katara knew they were true. Jet had definitely thrown something off in Zuko. And Katara too honestly. But the weird feeling with Zuko had started before all of that. It'd been almost since they'd gotten here that something felt off.
"I wouldn't worry too much," said Aang comfortingly. "If Zuko loves you like I think he does, there is nothing that could make him doubt anything." There was a hint of sadness in Aang's voice.
She nodded, realizing he was right. Was that what it was? Was she worried that Zuko was doubting now? She remembered noticing him on the walk through town from the ship to her house when they'd first gotten here. He'd been admiring the buildings and watching all the people, and Katara could've sworn she saw a little bit of sadness in his eyes. Then her mind went to when they'd been alone in town after dinner. Zuko had been trying to tell her something, but she hadn't let him. Was he trying to tell Katara that maybe this all wasn't a good idea? That he thought it was best to not continue?
And then Jet. Katara sighed at the realization. All Zuko knew about Jet's relationship with the gang was from that stupid play. She suddenly remembered two actors playing out a sloppy, disgusting romance between Jet and herself. That's why Zuko had asked that question on their walk just barely. He wanted an explanation. Why hadn't she just explained? Assured him that there was nothing there?
"I hope you're right," said Katara nervously.
Aang flashed a grin. "I know I am." At this she laughed. "I can feel it. You guys fit." It was Katara's turn to smile at his words. "Here. Let's get going. You need to rest." With that, Aang started gathering Katara's things for her and led her outside and back up the dark path to her home.
. . .
Katara was up early the next morning, standing outside her house next to the large wash basin. Her hands felt raw in the cold water she was using to wash a load of clothes. The water had been warm when she'd started, but the outside air had cooled the tub of water quickly. She scrubbed Sokka's shirt roughly against the washboard, taking out the tension that was in her mind on this load of laundry. She hadn't done hard housework like this since before she left for the Fire nation and had forgotten how nice of a de-stressor it was. It was early in the morning, and soft pink light was just beginning to peak over the horizon.
She knew Aang was up because Appa was gone, but everyone else was still asleep. She gazed towards town. Zuko's ship was like a black spot just beyond the buildings of the tribe. Would he be up? Probably, she thought with a sad smile. He was always up early.
Katara's brain was scattered, and she was having a hard time making sense of all her thoughts. She wished she could talk it out with someone, but didn't know who. If she talked to any of her family members, she'd have to explain about Zuko first.
Zuko himself was usually her go-to, her best friend and confidant. But he was the one she was concerned about. He was the one she needed to talk about. She could talk to Aang, but she hadn't been oblivious to the sadness Aang seemed to feel when he'd learned about her and Zuko.
And what if she was making this all up? Maybe Zuko was only tired, and that's why he'd been a little snippy last night. Katara shook her head. That wasn't it. Something was bothering him.
She heard footsteps in the snow behind her and turned to see who it was. When she did, her heart sped.
"Hey there," said Jet with a half smile. "Do you need any help?"
"Sure," said Katara. Jet walked over carefully and grabbed a piece of wet clothing to start scrubbing. "How do you feel?"
"A lot better," he said kindly. "Thanks to you." Katara smiled, not knowing what to say back. A few more moments of scrubbing passed before Jet spoke again. "I should apologize to you for last night."
"Jet–"
"No wait," he said, raising his hand from the water. His voice was calm, but she felt the urgency. He wanted to say something that had been on his mind. "You have to understand. My brain has never been right. Somewhere along the way, somewhere way before the freedom fighters even, this pure hatred for firebenders was planted into my brain."
"That's not your fault," consoled Katara, casually continuing her work on the laundry. Jet absent-mindedly started scrubbing too. "Look what happened to your family."
"But see that's the thing. That happened to you too! I don't have an excuse. You don't do what I do." He was getting slightly louder now, but still seemed to keep it under control. He seemed frustrated with himself. "I realize now that my drive was to rid the world of evil. Your drive, and Aang's drive and everybody else's, was to preserve the good." A beat passed. "And I didn't get that...I was never able to understand it." His hands hung still in the soapy, cold water.
"Jet…" said Katara softly, not knowing what to do. She wanted so badly to help him, but didn't know what she could do. She knew he was hurting.
He shook his head, seemingly collecting his thoughts as he began explaining again. "Ba Sing Se was a new start for me though. A place to escape and find refuge. But so much happened there." He paused again and looked towards Katara. "I think it's time for another new start. I need to get away from there." He was looking directly into her eyes. When had they gotten so close? Katara couldn't remember him ever having taken steps towards her, but he definitely had. His eyes were such a beautiful, rich green. And they had that hint of mischievousness in them; that spark of something new and exciting and unknown that had captured her young heart. Looking into them was like de ja vu. Familiar.
Katara cleared her throat and looked back down to her dad's wet, dark blue pants. She started scrubbing them again.
"What happened between you and Zuko," she asked simply, letting the weird moment fall away.
Jet turned back to the wash basin as well. "The gang and I met him and his uncle on the ship to Ba Sing Se. He told me his name was Lee. At the time, I recognized him as someone else who'd been hurt by the fire nation. He helped us for a while."
"Helped with what?"
"Stealing, saving people, providing for the poor," Jet replied casually.
"Oh. I see." Her voice felt stiff. It was weird to imagine the Zuko she knew now doing things like that.
"That was until I discovered that they were fire benders."
Oh no. Katara knew where this was going. "Jet, you didn't."
"I had to expose them, Katara! My brain was obsessed. Once I knew, I couldn't stop. It's like something else took over and I couldn't let it go.
"You had no business hurting them. They were in hiding too!"
"I know! I know! And Smellerbee and Longshot told me to drop it but I couldn't. My brain is so messed up! So I attacked, and they had me arrested."
Katara looked down, everything suddenly making sense. "And that's when the Dai Lee brainwashed you."
Jet wasn't looking at her anymore. "It's like something takes over my mind and I can't help myself. I think that's what happened last night." He paused. "I'm sorry. I wish you could understand what it's like to have two different sides in your brain. And I can't control when each one takes over. It's like there's a bunch of broken pieces and every time I try and put them back together, something breaks them again."
His words matched what she'd felt as she'd try to heal his mind a little last night. In fact it was exactly what she'd explained to Aang. Katara didn't know what to say, but she understood his frustration keenly. It wasn't fair that all this had happened to him. His pain hurt Katara like it were her own. She looked down, not knowing what to say.
"I just want a normal life Katara. Peace. And I know I'm not royalty. Or the kid of a water tribe chief," he laughed. Katara didn't respond. "I'm not the Avatar. And I'm not from a rich earth kingdom family. I'm not even a bender. I come from nothing. I never belonged in your group. But maybe that was because we were meant for something more than that." His voice was soft and a little desperate. Pleading almost. Their gazes locked again. Katara didn't realize Jet had reached to grab her hand until she felt it. It was soft. They were close now. Too close.
"Jet, no," Katara said, trying to pull her hand out of his. "Don't." He gripped her hand tighter.
"Katara, no one else can help me the way you do. Don't you see how happy our life would be together? We'd be free to go wherever. We wouldn't have responsibility or burdens. I could take care of you and you could keep me sane," he said with a smile. Katara kept her face blank and his smile dropped. "We could find peace."
For the briefest of moments, Katara considered his words. We could find peace. What would a life like that be like? A life in the Fire nation was filled with responsibility. She'd be completely tied down. That's how it'd been with Aang too. He had to go where he was needed, so she followed. They were never able to decide for themselves. And living in the Southern Water Tribe for the rest of her life? That didn't sit well either. What if the kind of life Jet was offering really was more peaceful? Happier even. Maybe she could help him fully recover. Give him a chance to live like he'd never been able to before. She could come home when she wanted, and leave when she wanted. Maybe she could use her healing abilities to heal others. Like she had for that town on the dirty river during the war. The pull to that life was ashamedly strong.
She shook her head. "I said no, Jet. I couldn't."
"You can! I just saw it in your eyes! Please Katara!" He dropped her hand, grabbed both of her shoulders and brought her even closer. How had a simple conversation over laundry turned into this? "I know you haven't forgotten those moments in the treehouse." Jet leaned to her ear and whispered. His warm breath tickled her skin, and she closed her eyes at the sensation. "Those moments when it was only us."
Then he kissed her. Forcefully and without warning. This snapped Katara out of her daze, and with a push, she broke away from him.
"I said NO. I can't do that!"
"Why can't you!? I know you feel the same way I do. It's not 'cause you don't want to," he yelled. "Katara. I need you." She barely registered that people in the house could probably hear now. "Without you, I'll never be okay."
He knew exactly how to guilt her, she thought. He was tapping into that side of her that always wanted to fix and heal. Even now, she so badly wanted to help him. But not this way. Katara turned her back towards him.
"I'm with someone else."
"Who," he said forcefully, as if daring her to present a better option than himself.
"Zuko." She hoped she sounded confident. Even saying his name made her feel better.
The word hung in the air for a moment. Jet scoffed.
"Oh, I see. Why be with someone like me when you've already got a place in the Firelord's bed."
Katara whipped around. "Don't be crude, Jet." She could feel the faint start of tears behind her eyes. Argh. Why was she crying so much lately? Her voice raised a few octaves as she tried to contain the hodge-podge of emotions she was feeling. "I can't believe you think I'd do that. It's not like that at all." She shook her head forcefully, willing the burning behind her eyes to go away. But it was in vain. His comment reminded her of the words Zuko's councilors spoke all those months ago and it felt like a stab to the gut. How could anyone think so little of her? Katara thought of everything that had ever happened with Zuko. Finding the Southern Raiders, fighting Azula together and watching him jump in front of that lightning for her. Those long years spent apart, fighting Azula a second time, healing Azula, going to the banquet with him, finding Yzona. Jet didn't understand any of that.
"No, I do understand!" Jet yelled, his hands shaking now. "Because I know you Katara. You don't want the posh, fancy life. You could never settle down. That's not you!"
"Please. Just get away," she said, angrily turning away again.
"Katara–"
"She said get away."
Katara turned quickly on her feet. When she did, she saw Zuko gripping Jet's upper arm, keeping him from taking the couple steps closer to Katara. Jet was looking back at him too, and scoffed.
"Great," he said sarcastically. "Now everybody's involved." He roughly shoved his arm out of Zuko's grip and turned so his back faced Zuko. Facing Katara now, Jet smirked at her. Watch this, he seemed to say. Katara saw the glint in Zuko's eye and knew what was about to happen. Zuko raised his arm to throw a punch as Jet reached to unsheathe his swords. Katara acted fast, jumping between the two as quick as lighting and blasting them apart with the dirty laundry water. They both swung down at each other, but the water hit them both squarely in the middle of their chest. Katara yelled out at a flash of pain on the side of her face. She distantly heard Jet hit the wall of the house and Zuko fall on his back with a grunt a couple yards away from her.
Katara clutched at the side of her head, the pain in her head screaming. Bringing her hand back down in front of her, she gasped quietly. Blood. So much blood. She closed her eyes, trying to ward off the sudden nausea she felt.
"No. No no no," said a horrified voice. Katara didn't open her eyes. She was feeling way too dizzy, and the pain was screaming louder now.
"Katara!" she heard Zuko's voice and recognized his concern. Distantly, she felt a hand on her back, but couldn't say who it belonged to. Her pain demanded she focus on nothing else. "Look what you've done," she heard Zuko say. The hand left her back and she assumed it must've been Zuko next to her. Katara heard footsteps approaching her, but couldn't tell from what direction. Her world was still completely dark behind her eyelids. "You need to leave right now."
She felt a different hand on her back, and sensed someone close. "Katara, I'm so sorry."
The pieces were starting to fall together. It was one of his stupid hook swords. In an attempt to hurt Zuko, Jet had caught her face instead in the moment she'd jumped between them. That's what had happened.
"Don't," said Zuko a little more forcefully. She opened her eyes and stood back up straight, still feeling a bit woozy. The edges of her vision were black and her face felt warm and sticky now from the blood. She watched Zuko's hazy figure grab a figure. What was he doing? She tried focusing, wishing she could see their faces better. "Why don't you ever listen?"
Finally, things cleared and their blurred forms focused into people. Jet's face was horrified and defeated, a look that made Katara's heart ache for him in pity. Zuko jerked him again and Jet limply moved, allowing some distance between her and him. Standing in his place, Zuko bent to look at her eye-to-eye. His face was worried and scared. She knew what he was asking. Are you ok?
Not wanting to worry him, she nodded slowly and spoke as clearly as she could manage. "I'm fine. It's okay."
"What's going on here?" said a new voice. Katara turned to see who it was but then closed her eyes, again finding it hard to balance on her feet. It felt like the ground was shifting beneath her. Oh great.
"Chief Hakoda!" said Zuko in surprise. Sensing that she was dizzy, Katara felt Zuko steady her with a firm grasp on her shoulder. His familiar touch made her relax. At least a little. Another part of her wished he wouldn't touch her in front of her father.
"What happened?" sasked her father in controlled calmness. Katara appreciated that her dad wasn't one to freak out and start fussing over her. He knew she was fine. Well, not right now. But she would be. She also appreciated that he could keep his demeanor even, no matter the circumstances. She supposed she was the only one who knew him well enough to sense the anger just underneath his cool demeanor. "What is going on?"
"Sir, if you'll allow me, I can escort Jet to my ship. I promise I can explain everything when I return," said Zuko hurriedly. He didn't sound like himself. Katara took a guess at his thoughts. Part of him probably still wanted to punch Jet, she thought, knowing him too well. Another part of him probably yearned to stay by her and help her heal. And he also likely wanted to talk to Hakoda and reassure him as soon as possible.
"Did you do this?" said her father's deep voice. Katara had closed her eyes again, feeling as though she wouldn't be able to stand much longer.
Katara felt Zuko let out a small breath next to her, his hand still on her shoulder. "No." Katara decided to keep her eyes closed, not wanting to witness this absolute mess playing out around her. If her face didn't hurt so bad, she'd almost think it was amusing. What must her father have thought, stumbling upon Katara in the middle of Zuko and Jet with blood all over her face and clothes. She could still feel the blood pulsing out the wound. Gross, she thought to herself, imagining the blood falling onto the hand Zuko had on her shoulder.
"And you?" her dad must have turned and asked Jet.
A beat of silence passed before words came out of Jet's mouth. "Chief Hakoda, I swear–"
"Please leave." His voice was deep and commanding. It was a voice nobody dared disobey.
Zuko took his chance. Katara felt his hand leave her shoulder and chanced opening her eyes. Luckily she wasn't too dizzy anymore, but the increased blood still made it difficult to see. It was a sickening process trying to unstick her eyelids.
She vaguely saw the strong figure of her dad a few yards directly in front of her. To the right of him she saw Zuko leading Jet away. It looked like Jet followed willingly, but she saw his shoulders sag as he left. When they were gone, her dad hurried over to her.
"Sorry we woke you up," she said through a bloody smile.
Hakoda laughed. "Oh sweetheart." Katara laughed with him. After a second he kindly asked, "Can you explain what happened?"
Katara shook her head. "It was my fault. I shouldn't–"
"Don't give me that, Katara," he said a little more seriously. "I knew you were going to try and say that."
Katara sighed. "It's a long explanation, Dad."
"I've got time," he replied, helping her back to the house. "Come on."
. . .
"So for how long?" asked Suki, her green eyes wide. Gran Gran was busying herself preparing the needle and the suture thread. The sun was streaming through the window in the upper room of Katara's house. This was the room Suki had been using since she'd gotten here.
Katara laughed. "It's hard to say. It came on so gradually." Here she paused, truly pondering. "Probably since the end of the war?"
"It was when he took Azula's lightning, wasn't it?" said a giddy Ty Lee. The excitement in her voice matched the excitement on her face. "I heard that story and my heart just melted. If someone did that for me, I would totally catch feelings too. It's just so…heroic."
Everyone in the room laughed at this. Ty Lee's endless romantics would never get old. It was late afternoon now, and the sun was on it's way down. Looking outside, Katara smiled at the orange glow that covered the snow of the entire tribe. They were preparing for the wedding. Makeup, combs, hairpins, mirrors and dresses lay scattered across every inch of the cozy room. Katara had to admit, it was fun being with girls after so long. Refreshing almost. Girl talk wasn't so bad. A part of her missed Zuko though. Had he spoken with her father yet? Where was Jet? No,she thought. Don't think about any of that right now. Just enjoy the moment.
"Can I just say," piped up Toph. "I knew this was coming. I think he's liked you since we were all camping together. Especially after you two went on your little vacation together."
"Hey, it was hardly a vacation," scoffed Katara. "We were on the hunt to kill someone."
Toph shrugged from her position sitting on the ground. "All I know is his heart would race every time he talked to you."
"Ooh!" said Suki. "That's so adorable!" Katara blushed. She couldn't quite believe the secret was out now. After the incident from this morning, Katara's dad had taken her in and cleaned her up. That's when she opened up about everything, starting from why she left Aang to being with Zuko to what happened outside the house. To his credit, Hakoda took it all like a champ. He'd been surprised about Zuko for sure, but when he saw how happy she was talking about him, he was happy too. Katara closed her eyes and smiled. How had she gotten so lucky?
"I'm sorry for all the hassle on your big day," Katara said to Suki.
"Are you kidding! This is so exciting," Suki said with a grin. She turned from a mirror to look at Katara. Another Kyoshi warrior friend was doing her hair. "I'm still confused though. Why didn't you stay together after the war? Especially if you both liked each other?"
"Cause she was stupid," said Toph nonchalantly. Gran Gran let out a laugh.
"Hey!" said Katara. Toph smiled. Then it dawned on her: Toph had totally overheard her and Zuko's conversation on the balcony of Iroh's tea shop. Katara's mouth opened. Of course. It's not like either of them had been quiet that night. "You heard?"
"Every word."
Katara's head shook in disbelief.
"Wait, someone please explain!" said Ty Lee. "I'm confused!"
With a small sigh, Katara gave the classic response. The one she'd used in her head for years to justify her terrible choice all that time ago. "I think a part of me also had feelings for Aang. And I felt like I needed to give Aang a chance. He was my best friend, and I wanted him to be happy. So I stayed with him. "
"To clarify," remarked Toph. "Aang was obsessed with her. Katara was only caving to keep him happy."
"Oh. So you didn't like Aang?" asked Suki.
"No! Of course I did!" After a moment, Katara let out a noise of exasperation as her face fell to her hands. "Well…I don't know. I was so confused."
Gran Gran inserted herself into the conversation and Katara looked up. "My dear, don't dwell on past decisions. You can't judge your past self with the new knowledge you have now. That's not fair. Be gentle. I am sure you did what you thought was best at the time. Everything happens how it is supposed to." Katara smiled at her grandmother's comforting words.
"That's a wise woman," said Toph.
"Wait, so what about this Jet guy?" asked one of the other Kyoshi warriors Katara didn't know super well.
"He was also obsessed with her," Toph laughed. "But for all the wrong reasons. And if I'm not mistaken, I think lover girl also had a crush on him too at one time."
Everyone gasped. "You did?!" said Ty Lee. "You know, I saw him for a second this morning and thought he was super cute. I had no idea who he was though."
"Spirits," laughed Katara. "I sound terrible! "
"Psh, are you kidding?!" Ty Lee had set down her makeup brush and was completely focused on Katara now. "I've dated SO many guys. Three is nothing. Don't even worry about it."
The room filled with laughter again. It actually felt good hearing that. Maybe Katara only felt awkward because her entire love life was being discussed right now. Maybe it all was actually pretty normal.
"But then what's wrong with Jet? Why don't you want to be with him now?" asked Suki, continuing to drill Katara while her hair was being braided. "You just like Zuko more?"
Gran Gran entered the conversation again. "Jet was the one that did this," she remarked, pointing to the side of Katara's face. Everyone spoke at once, shocked at the new information.
"No way!"
"Wait really?"
"You're kidding."
"What an idiot."
Katara laughed, hardly believing it herself. "How did that happen?" asked another girl.
"It was an accident. Jet would never do it on purpose. He was going for Zuko. I just got in the way."
Ty Lee let out a gasp and then a little scream. "No way. They were going to fight over you?! That is so lucky!"
"Lucky? Are you kidding? Look at her face!"
Again, everyone laughed.
After a moment, Ty Lee asked Suki a question, taking the conversation in a different direction. "Suki, how did you know you wanted to marry Sokka?"
"I don't remember ever deciding, honestly," she said simply. "It was more like I knew that I loved him. And after I knew that, I knew marriage would come. And I wasn't scared because I already knew that I wanted to be with him. When you fall in love with someone, marriage isn't weird. Or hard. It's natural."
Everyone "awwed" at that. Soon, chatter started back up between all the girls.
"Okay my dear. Are you ready?"
Katara turned to see Gran Gran holding the needle and thread, poised to start stitching her gash. She hardened her expression, determined to get through this, and gave a nod.
. . .
The moon was high in the sky and Katara looked up at it with a satisfied sigh. It'd had to have been a few hours now since the celebration had started, but as she looked around, she noticed the energy of the crowd was the exact same as it had been when the celebration began. She smiled to herself, realizing this wasn't going to be ending anytime soon. It'd been fun though, seeing everyone in the tribe again. And catching up with some of her old students.
She felt a familiar warm hand slip into hers and her smile grew. Finally. She wondered when they would be able to see each other again. The actual wedding ceremony hadn't been long, but she'd had to stand at the front with Sokka and the rest of her family. After the ceremony ended and since the start of the celebration, she'd stayed with her dad, Kanna, Pakku, Sokka and Suki as people came to offer gifts and congratulations to the new couple. She hadn't seen Zuko since this morning. She'd spotted him a few times in the crowd but he'd disappeared for a while now amidst the large crowd gathered in the main square of town, just like Toph, Aang and the Kyoshi warriors had. Deep inside, she wanted to hide away in their small room in the Fire Nation palace.
"What've you been up to?" she said. Lights from the surrounding buildings flooded the wide-open area with light, as did the bright, silver moon. Music, laughter, and a hum of conversation filled the air. She looked at him. Really looked. He seemed happier than he had since the start of their visit here.
"I've escaped," he said. "People won't stop pulling me aside to introduce themselves and talk."
"Hmm. I wonder why," she teased. Zuko rolled his eyes and smiled.
"How are you?" He asked, his thumb gently brushing over her new stitches.
"Good as new," she said happily.
"Couldn't you try and heal it?"
"There's a full moon tomorrow. I think I'll try then." Zuko nodded, his thumb still grazing her stitched skin gently.
A loud cheer made them both turn to look behind Katara. Sokka had just greeted an old friend who'd come to give a gift. It was weird seeing Sokka and Suki in such formal clothes, but they looked amazing. Sokka hadn't stopped smiling since the ceremony and Suki was radiant. They greeted each guest that approached them with so much happiness and energy.
Katara turned to look back at Zuko. He was looking at Sokka with a small smile. "They're so happy," she said, "It's fun to watch them."
Zuko nodded. "I'm happy for them."
Suddenly, Katara's grandmother spoke to them. She'd been standing just off to the side. On the other side of Kanna was Katara's dad. "You don't have to stand here all evening, Katara," she said without looking at them. "I'm sure your dad and I can hold down the fort. Go have some fun."
Katara opened her mouth to argue, but Gran-Gran raised an eyebrow and Katara knew not to argue. Besides, Zuko's warm hand was in hers, reminding her how much she wanted to spend some time alone with him. Katara smiled at her grandmother, who winked and looked away back towards the newly-weds and the new family now greeting them.
"Come on," she said over the music, pulling Zuko by the hand. He grinned and followed her. Katara lead him through the crowd and out of the town square. They weaved between buildings until they were past the main part of town. The sounds of the celebration were distant now, but Katara kept moving.
"Where are we going?" asked Zuko, completely confused.
"You'll see," she replied excitedly. After a little while longer, they were past the cluster of buildings that made up the Southern Water Tribe completely. The snow was softer and deeper now since it was untouched, and they had to slow down to make their way through it. It was also darker where they were now, since they were farther from the light of town.
Katara saw the familiar tall cliff just up ahead and walked faster. When they reached the rocky wall, Zuko stopped.
She turned to him and noticed his slightly concerned face. "Trust me," she replied. "It's not as bad as it looks. Besides, walking up the backside will take longer. This'll be faster."
Katara started up the steep, rocky path, using her hands to steady her when she needed to. Zuko followed her but was a little slower. It was dark and she knew he didn't know the path as well as she did.
Finally, they reached the top. Katara sucked in a breath when she saw the beautiful blanket of snow that covered the entire top area of the cliff. It was beautiful. The sky was dark blue and filled with thousands of stars. She felt so much closer to them up here. Like she was in her own little, dark snow globe.
"Wow," she heard Zuko say. She looked at him and saw he was taking in the scene too, his eyes wide. Katara squeezed his hand and he looked to her.
"Here, follow me," she said quietly. Katara turned around and led them to the edge the cliff they'd climbed, kicking away some of the snow. She sat down and let her legs dangle off the edge. It was high, but not too bad. Zuko sat down next to her.
The entirety of the Southern Water Tribe settlement was splayed below them. The lights from town shone brightly and they could still see the crowd gathered in the town square, though it looked significantly smaller from up here. Katara could even see her home. It'd been so long since she'd come up here.
"This is amazing, Katara," said Zuko.
She smiled. "Yeah. It's one of my favorite places." Katara could feel Zuko staring at her. After a moment, he leaned back on his hands and looked at the tribe. Katara fell against him, letting her head fall naturally on his shoulder. The sounds of the celebration drifted up to them.
"I spoke with your father. Tried to explain everything," said Zuko nervously. "I think you had already explained some of it to him before I got back?"
"Yeah, just the basics. Poor guy was a little thrown off by everything, I think."
Zuko let out a quiet, breathy laugh. She felt him relax a little more. "He's a good man."
"He is," agreed Katara. They sat for a moment as the music from the celebration still drifted up to them, and the lights from town danced in front of their eyes. Katara lifted her head from Zuko's shoulder and looked at his face. She spoke fast.
"Zuko, I feel like I owe you an explanation." His eyebrows quirked quizzically. "About Jet."
He shook his head and looked back down to the tribe. "No. You don't. No more than I owe you an explanation for how things ended with Mai. I trust you."
"I never loved him," she said anyway. "It was just something I got caught up in. I was young, and Jet was older and he paid me attention. Made me feel special." A beat passed. "He played me and I was…naive. One too many times."
"It's really okay, Katara."
"Are you sure?" she asked kindly. "I feel like something has been bothering you. At least earlier it felt like there was."
"This is the only thing bothering me," he said, gently brushing her wound again. Katara rolled her eyes playfully. "I never should have let that happen," he said, his voice still serious.
"It wasn't your fault," Katara assured him. She let her head fall back on his shoulder. "It was stupid to jump between a fight."
Another companionable silence fell. Zuko was like a small heater, even in this cold, and she curled into him a little, breathing in his smell and focusing on his even breaths. Spirits. The familiarity of being close to him comforted her. It was like they were back in their little room.
"I've never seen you try and punch someone before," she teased quietly.
"Yeah, I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have. I could have easily hurt you too, but he irked me so much. Firebending wasn't enough. I needed to lay hands on that guy."
Katara laughed. Absent-mindedly, she wondered how much of her and Jet's conversation Zuko had overheard this morning before announcing himself.
After a little more silence had passed, Zuko spoke. "Do you remember the other day? When we were on the boat and trying to think up ways to tell everyone about this?"
"I don't think we ever could have planned this," laughed Katara, thinking of her conversation with Aang, Zuko's with Sokka after dinner, her dad stumbling in on a hectic scene this morning and finally her conversation with the girls this afternoon. How in the world had so much happened in so little time? Zuko laughed with her.
"No. We definitely could not have."
In the silence, under the stars, Katara let herself think about things he'd been through as a kid, and then during the war. How he'd struggled and fought for the life he wanted to lead and the man he wanted to become. How he'd finally pushed everything aside to help Aang defeat his own father. Katara remembered how they'd fought Azula at the end of the war. The image of him jumping in front of that bolt of lightning would be burned into her mind forever. The fear she'd felt in that moment was so painful. But they beat her. Together.
And yet, when it came time for Katara to make a choice, she'd pushed him away. Forced away the one person that made her the happiest she'd ever been. The person that made her feel so known. The thought made her angry. How could she have been so stupid?
But they found each other again. After years, they still found a way to make it work. They found a rhythm together. And when it came time to return the favor he'd done her so long ago by taking Azula's lighting and saving her life, she hadn't even hesitated. It hadn't even been a choice. Because how could he die? The person who had, despite his terrible past, grown to be such a respected and inspiring leader. The person who had carved a permanent place in her heart. The person who made all the rude whispers and stares and jeers feel meaningless. The person who respected her despite her messy past with Aang and Jet.
She suddenly felt the need to speak again. "Zuko—"
"Katara, wait," he said calmly, cutting her off. It caught her off guard and she stopped, finally sitting up straight again. Zuko's golden eyes, like bright, warm beams of lights, searched hers. It looked like he'd been thinking too. "I want you to have this." She looked down and sucked in a breath when she saw what he was holding. A delicate, blue necklace rested in his palm. The pendant was small, but the fire nation insignia was skillfully etched into it.
"Spirits, Zuko. I—"
"No wait. Don't freak out." He sounded worried, but she didn't understand why. He sounded scared. "I want you to have this. But I'm not asking anything of you."
Katara quirked her head in confusion. "Being here, I realize what an amazing life you had before me. And I could never ask you to leave it all behind just to be with me. I don't want to tie you down to a job you never asked for. One you maybe don't even want. A life you maybe don't want. I mean, I know how much you hate the heat and the stares and... everything." A beat passed. "What I'm saying is, I don't want you to feel trapped. So I'm not asking you to come back to the Fire Nation with me, or become my wife or anything. Because I know so much more comes along with that. Responsibilities and expectations and a title. I could never force that on you. But I …I mad this for you because… well, I don't know. I guess because there's no one else I would ever give it to," he said with a shrug. "And so you remember that the place is always yours if you want it. The place at my side, I mean." A beat passed and Katara realized she'd been holding her breath. "It'll only ever be yours really."
Zuko was looking down now. His voice had sounded a little sad at the end. He placed the necklace gently into her bare hand, closing her fingers around it. The pendant was warm from when he'd been holding it. Katara watched him. He sounded like the same person who'd approached their group at the Western Air Temple with no idea what to say but knowing he wanted to do the right thing.
"Zuko," she whispered. Had he overheard Jet this morning? If not, how did he understand her so perfectly? He understood what Aang-and Jet-never had. He was giving her what Aang-and Jet- never had. The power to choose for herself completely. Aang had never forced anything on her specifically, but for some reason, she'd always felt restricted when she was with him. Whether it was because she felt trapped with someone she didn't love or because she'd never been able to choose where they went and what they did, she didn't know. Even Jet had manipulated and twisted her. Taken the power to choose for herself away from her and instead told her who she was and what she wanted.
But here Zuko was. He wasn't trying to guilt her into anything like Aang unintentionally had and like Jet had earlier that morning. He also wasn't taking advantage of her inexperience like Jet had so long ago. Zuko, one of the most powerful people in the world, was giving her the option to turn away. Even though he loved her, he was letting her go if that's what she wanted. He was giving her the power over the direction of her own life and choices. The moment solidified in her mind that there was no one else she loved as much as she loved him. No other person she would ever want to spend her life with. If anything, it made her love him more. She remembered Suki's words from earlier. When you love someone, marriage isn't weird or hard. It's natural.
"How could you ever think I wouldn't want to come back to the Fire Nation with you?" He looked up from their hands. "I love the life we've built there. I've already told you. I want to be wherever you are." She paused, bringing a hand to his face. "I love you so much," she said earnestly. "I can't imagine a life where I'm not with you." The memory of the three and a half years she'd spent without him returned to her mind, painfully reminding her how stupid she'd been to push him away. How had she let herself do that?
Zuko's eyes were wide, a small smile just barely making an appearance. She could tell he was holding back his elation. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I want to spend every moment of my life with you, Zuko," she said with a laugh, not able to help the large smile that spread across her face. "I want to marry you."
Zuko tackled her unexpectedly, and she let out a yelp, worried for a moment that he might push them both off the edge of the cliff. But all he did was kiss her. Deeply. Something about this kiss was different than all the others they'd shared. There was passion and warmth and excitement in it all at once. They tangled themselves together in the small little area where they'd cleared the snow away.
Zuko pulled her onto his lap, holding her tightly. He broke apart their kiss and looked into her eyes. Katara looked back into his amber ones, relishing in the warmth she felt in them.
He brought his hand up to the side of her face. His fingers tangled in her hair and his palm rested against her skin as his thumb stroked her uncut cheek.
"I love you," he whispered. He was smiling so genuinely that Katara's heart melted. She leaned to kiss him again, but then something strange happened. All the music and conversation coming from the celebration below suddenly stopped. They both turned to look down, surprised by the change. Every single person in the town square was looking up at the sky, marveling with 'oohs' and 'ahhs.'
Katara looked up too, and what she saw took her breath away. Colorful lights filled the sky, almost like someone had taken a paintbrush to a dark canvas. Except they moved; ebbed and flowed, almost like water.
Maybe the spirits were doing this for Sokka and Suki. Maybe it just so happened to be the right time of year. But something inside her told her this was for her. Her and Zuko.
The End