Bruises
"So . . . . how exactly did Ceres's old body move?" Brenda asked, a confused and lost look on her face.
"I'm guessing it was the same way Katara was able to get around." Iroh looked over at the charred corpse before continuing. "Lady Leila." The two older firebenders looked at the Avatar, hoping he could shed some light on the situation.
"Um . . . I've got no clue. What?" He frowned at the looks he was recieving from the two siblings. "I can't always see spirits! Just sometimes!" Brenda sighed and shook her head at Aang's answer before looking back to see Zuko picking up Katara. Her eyes softened when they landed on the bruises on Katara's neck. Even though it was to get Ceres out of Katara . . . . she knew that Zuko still felt horrible. She watched as he carried Katara out of the room and towards his own room for her to rest in.
- - - - -
"It's alright, you know." Zuko looked back at Brenda. With a scowl he turned his attention to the sleeping waterbender that laid in his bed.
"What would you know?" He snapped, causing Brenda to sigh and shake her head.
"Let's take a walk." Zuko opened his mouth to argue when Aang cut him off.
"It's alright. Sokka and I will watch over her." Zuko looked back to see Katara's brother and friend entering his room. After a moment's hesitation, he gave in. Standing up, he threw one last look at Katara over his shoulder and followed his aunt out.
- - - - -
"How long has it been, Zuko, since you and I spent time together?" Zuko glanced at his aunt before looking straight ahead. They were in the gardens. Trees stood tall and flowers had bloomed all over. Brenda stopped and picked a flower, holding it to her nose and breathing in the sent.
"We've never really spent time together." Brenda smiled bitterly as he informed her of this.
"I suppose it is my fault. After all, I was so busy with the war . . . . I missed you growing up." Zuko turned to look at the female Admiral.
"What do you care?" He narrowed his eyes. "If you feel bad because you broke some promise to my mother, then forget about it!" The admiral clenched her hand into a fist, destroying the flower she held and stared at her fist.
"True, I did promise your mother many things. And watching out for you was one of them. But I am not here merely because of a promise. I am here because you are my nephew and I love you." She looked back at Zuko. Zuko turned and glared at her.
"I don't want your love." Brenda closed her eyes and smirked.
"You arrogant, spoiled little jackass." She muttered and opened her eyes again to see a furious Zuko.
"What was that?" He hissed as his hands started to smoke.
"You heard me. What bothers you more? Being called arrogant? Spoiled? Or a jackass?" She watched as fire came alive around his hands. "Are you really going to fight me? In the place your mother loved the most?" This seemed to calm him down. He looked away, angry at her for her words, and himself for letting them get to him. Her eyes softened as she looked at him. His scar wasn't visible to her at the moment, the side of his face it was on was away form her.
"What do you want?" Brenda sighed and shook her head before looking at the flowers again.
"I want you to be happy, Zuko. And you are happy when you're with Katara." She smiled bitterly. "I doubt the nation will look to kindly upon it, but after all you've done . . . I'm sure you'll be fine." Brenda shook her head at her thoughts and looked up at Zuko. ". . . . . . Lady Leila . . . . I wish she had lived a little bit longer." Zuko looked at Brenda, confused. "You were happy when she was alive. And she was such a good mother." Zuko looked away once more, remembering his dead mother.
"I remember she would spend time walking with me in these gardens. She loved the gardens." He looked back at Brenda. "I miss her so much. It hurts."
"I know." Sighing once more Brenda walked up to Zuko and pulled him into a hug, surprising him. "But . . . . she's always with you." Zuko took a moment before he slowly hugged her back.
"While she was in control of Katara's body . . . . there was so much I wanted to ask her . . . but I didn't. I . . . . I found it to strange." Brenda nodded and pulled Zuko to the side and sat him down on a bench. She sat beside him.
"Zuko . . . she understands." Brenda smirked. "After all, how strange would it be if she hugged or kiss you? Hell, even I would not know how to take it if my parent was controlling the person that I loved romantically." Zuko smiled bitterly.
"Katara . . . she's going to hate me, isn't she?" Brenda blinked, surprised and confused.
"Why do you think that?"
". . . . I had to strangle her to get Ceres out." Brenda's hand formed a fist and she gently tapped it again Zuko's head.
"Silly boy. Do you even listen to yourself? To save her against Ceres you did what needed to be done. If she loves you like I believe she does, then I'm sure she won't care."
"She's right, Zuko." The two benders turned back to see Katara, smiling. The two stood up in surprise, Zuko held a bit of shame in his face when he glanced at her neck and Brenda glanced sadly at Zuko.
". . . . I'll leave you two alone."
- - - - -
"What are you planning to do now, Brenda?" Brenda glanced at Iroh as she met him at the entrance of the gardens.
"What do you mean, brother?" Iroh smiled as he looked out and saw Zuko looked away from Katara.
"Will you be staying with Zuko? You've never been known to stay in one place for very long. You grow bored too easily." Brenda shrugged and looked back at Zuko.
"I'll do what my prince needs me to do." She smirked. "But more than likely, I'll be forced to clean up the rebellion."
"Rebellion? Do you really think there will be one?" Brenda shrugged.
"There will always be rebels, claiming that they know what's best for the Fire Nation and that Prince Zuko is not what's best." Iroh eyed his sister wearily.
"And what will you do with those who bad mouth Prince Zuko?" Brenda's hand rested on the hilt of her sword as her smirk deepened.
"Cut out their tongues, of course."
- - - - -
"Katara . . ." His eyes rested on her neck and he looked away.
"Thank you, Zuko." He looked back, surprised once more.
"How? How can you thank me? I strangled you-" Katara cut off Zuko with a shake of her head.
"You strangled Ceres." She smiled sweetly and walked towards Zuko. "It may hurt when pressure is put on it, but I'll live." She stood in front of the prince. "Because you offered your own body."
"How did . . ."
"Aang and Sokka told me." Katara blushed as she looked away. "I am grateful that you strangled Ceres. You helped Aang destroy Ceres and save me."
". . . . I hurt you." She shook her head once more.
"No. You hurt Ceres."
"While it was controlling your body." Zuko snapped. Katara glared at him.
"Zuko, why do you have to be so damn stubborn!"
"I could ask the same of you!" Katara narrowed her eyes.
"At least I'm not drowning in self pity."
"Excuse me?" Katara smirked. Pity was always an issues with Zuko. He didn't want it and it was a button that should not be pressed. But she knew he would not do anything ot her. He already felt guilty enough.
"Are you deaf now, too?" Zuko narrowed his eyes. He would have argued but Katara stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. Though surprised, Zuko wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her waist and deepening the kiss. A muffled yell broke them apart and they saw Brenda with Sokka in a head lock and Aang trying to gag Katara's older brother. Iroh was sighing and shaking his head. Brenda looked up and saw the two teens separate in embarrassment. She looked back down at Sokka with a frown.
"Damn it boy! You ruined our spying!" She hissed angrily. Zuko frowned and glared at the four.
"Spying?" He growled out, annoyed. Iroh shot a glare at Brenda.
"Opps." She muttered, realizing that Zuko had heard her. She let go off the struggling Sokka, causing him to fall forward and smirked at her seething nephew. "What? Like you didn't know we snooped."
- - - - -
Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, Zuko pushed the doors to his room open. He blinked, surprised to see Katara sleeping on his bed. He blinked again. It was taking a few minutes for his poor, tired brain to process the information. The girl he loved was asleep, on his bed. Why she was in his room, he had no idea. It had been three days since she woke up and she had her own room now. Perhaps she had come in and, while waiting for him, fell asleep. It was a plausible situation. Zuko had been so busy meeting with the admirals and generals in ending the war and pulling out all of the Fire Nation troops he barely had time to eat, let alone take time out to spend with his girlfriend. Zuko walked over to her side and brushed some hair out of her face. His eyes traced the bruises on her neck. Bruises . . . from his hands. He sighed and walked over to his desk, intent on writing out letters to the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe. He barely finished a greeting when her voice drifted through the room.
"What are you doing?" Zuko looked back at Katara, surprised that she was awake. He looked back at the letter he had just started.
"Writing to the Earth Nation." Katara sat up and pushed herself off of the bed and towards Zuko. "What are you doing?" Katara stood in front of him and brushed her hand over his scar. Had it been anyone else, Zuko would have flinched. But it wasn't. It was Katara. He caught her hand and held it against his cheek. After a moment, he turned into her hand and kissed her palm.
". . . . . I . . . . just wanted to talk." Zuko pulled on her arm gently, causing her to fall forward and into his lap.
". . . . is that all you wanted?" He whispered into her ear before he kissed her along her jawline.
"Zuko . . . ." She mumbled before he kissed her on the lips and put as much passion into the kiss as he could muster. After the need for air drove them apart, Zuko pressed with forehead against hers and closed his eyes.
"You should go back to your own room."
". . . . why?"
"People will talk." Katara smiled as she held him close to her.
"When have you ever cared what people thought?"
". . . . I would rather not have your good name sullied." Slowly, Katara nodded in agreement into his shoulder.
". . . thank you for looking out for my good name." She whispered as she pulled back slightly to look at him in the eye. He was so handsome. Katara quickly moved forward and pressed her lips against his once more. Zuko held her for a minute before pulling her away.
"You really should return to your room." Katara smiled softly and stood up. Zuko didn't want to have her leave. But he wouldn't allow her name to be smeared.
- - - - -
Yeah . . . really hated this chapter. The last part was good, I think. I just wasn't too fond of the rest of the chapter. Tell me what you think, please. I enjoy your reviews and they really helped me.