A/N: Hi everybody! New chapter (does happy dance)! Just to let you know, I'm putting Aang and the others in this chapter, just to get another side to the story. Don't worry, they won't find Katara and Zuko. They can't find them until Katara and Zuko are in love. It's like an unwritten rule of fanfics (rolls eyes).
Now on with the show! Erm… Story. On with the story!
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"GAH!" Sokka screamed in fear, clawing at his face as a chattering Momo clung to it. He'd just woken up and stumbled out of his sleeping bag, waking the Avatar. Aang stood with half-lidded eyes. He was slouching. Without looking up, he pulled his pet lemur away from the shrieking boy. Toph peeked out of her rock tent to see what the commotion was.
"Could you keep it down?" she said irritably. "Normal people are trying to sleep." Indeed they were (A/N: I never thought I'd use the word "indeed". Ha.). The first rays of morning were seeping into the sky and Toph's face was contorted in its usual scowl. Aang rubbed his eyes, yawning.
"Actually, Toph, we should get up." the Avatar said. "We need to keep looking for Katara." Even the dumb-as-dirt Sokka picked up on a hint of venom in the boy's voice. The night prior, the two pre-teens had gotten into an argument about searching for their lost companion. Aang had insisted they search because she could have been captured. Toph argued that 1) Katara could take care of herself, 2) If she was captured while the group was sleeping, why didn't the kidnapper take the rest of them as well? And 3) Maybe the waterbender didn't want to be found. The last one sent Aang over the edge. Insults were thrown and threats made. Fortunately, Sokka had broken up the argument before it turned into anything worse.
The little earthbending girl grumbled and crawled out of her shelter. She bent the rock back into the ground with a snappy movement. "Fine, Twinkle Toes. You wanna find your girlfriend? Let's go." She pulled a surprised Sokka by the ear, picking up items as she moved toward Appa. The water tribe warrior screamed again as he was dragged along, fighting to break loose. Was it just him, or was Toph angrier than usual?
"Girlfriend!" Aang exclaimed, wide eyed. "Katara's not my--"
"Whatever. Let's go." Toph crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes as the flying bison took flight.
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The waterbender didn't wake Zuko as she normally did the next morning. Instead, she went down to the shoreline and watched the sunrise. For some reason, she felt she needed to watch the sun disappear and reappear over the sparkling water. Maybe it had something to do with leaving Aang and her brother and Toph… But what could it have to do with them? Her heart nearly broke when she envisioned the cheerful Avatar with a beaming smile plastered across his face, eyes shining. She saw Sokka pouting, arms crossed, boomerang clutched in his hand. Her gaze fell on the sand wet sand. She missed the two of them but Toph was more than enough to make up for her. The earthbender was a spectacular fighter and she got along so well with Sokka and Aang. She was the perfect addition to the team. The perfect one to replace Katara.
A single tear slid down her cheek, sending ripples across the shallow water at her feet.
Then she felt a hand on her back. She looked over her shoulder to see Zuko standing behind her, concerned expression on his face. The waterbender wiped her tears away, but Zuko had already seen. "What's wrong?" It was a simple question. It was meant to help and console. It didn't. Katara finally lost it and broke down in tears, sobs wracking her body. She collapsed in the sand, cold water splashing around her. Her hands covered her face. She didn't want Zuko to see her like this…
But the firebender knelt down beside her with his strong arms around her shoulders. "Tell me what happened." he whispered soothingly. The waterbender slowly calmed down. When she did, she noticed she was leaning into the ex-prince's chest and his shirt was wet with her tears. Her sparkling blue eyes met his passionate gold ones. Katara shook her head, trying to push him away and stand. He didn't let her and pulled her closer, almost affectionately.
"I've said things to you that I won't even admit to my uncle. Now tell me."
With a sniff, "I just… I miss them. My brother and Aang…" Her voice trailed off, fragile and sad. Zuko thought for a moment.
"Then…go back to them."
"What? No! I can't leave you; I need to make sure you're alright!" Katara exclaimed, their eyes clashing again. Zuko felt a sense of hope. She didn't want to leave him? But his mouth had something different to say.
"You've been tending to me for three days and I haven't been sick since the first night. I'm fine."
"I can't deal with Toph."
"If you miss the others enough you can." Zuko replied softly.
"But…" Was it just him or was Katara trying to find an excuse to stay with him?
"Go." It came out a little harsher than he'd planned. Zuko let go of her. She didn't move. Slowly, her head shook, shining tears coming back.
"No." Before Zuko knew what had hit him, Katara wrapped her arms around his torso, head on his shoulder. His eyes widened. What the hell was she doing? "I don't want to leave you. Whenever I'm close to you I feel safe and there's… electricity… I don't want it to go away." She paused and sniffed. "I know you think I'm just a stupid waterbender, but…"
"I don't think that." His voice was firm. His arms snaked around her waist and he kissed her cheek. Katara's eyes widened. She had told him how she felt… He didn't push her away… He was hugging her back… And he'd kissed her? It was only on the cheek, but still… Was the world thrown off its axis (A/N: favorite phrase of mine…)?
Zuko could have sunk into the earth. What had he just done? He'd kissed the water tribe girl! Now she'd surly think he was some perverted freak…
Katara gave a sort of nervous half-sob, half-laugh. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Her whisper was just loud enough to hear. "Thank you." The firebender felt a huge weight lifted off of his shoulders that he didn't even know was there. The two sat there for a few minutes in silence, watching the sun rise fully over the water and taking everything in. "Look." Katara whispered. "It's us." Zuko felt a blush on his cheeks because of the way she'd said it.
"It's us."
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"She's not my girlfriend!" Aang yelled. They were high in the air and the argument had resurfaced after several silent hours. If only Zuko was there to reassure Toph of this statement. But he wasn't, so the story goes on.
"Yeah right, Twinkle Toes!" Toph shouted back.
"You don't know that!" The Avatar stood on Appa's head, pointing at her. A screeching Momo took refuge in Sokka's shirt.
"Yes I do!"
"Prove it! Name one time that Katara could have been my girlfriend!"
"Give it a break! You know you like her! I've seen it!" the earthbender yelled. Appa grunted. The water tribe warrior sat in between the two, head whipping to follow comments.
"Even if I did like her, I couldn't do anything about it! I'm a monk!"
"So what?" Toph said with a flick of her wrist. "All the other monks are dead; they won't find out." The Avatar's gray eyes narrowed. His voice was filled with venom. The body may be dead, he thought, but the soul lives on.
"And how can you see my so-called feelings for Katara, Toph? You're blind!" Silence. Aang's finger hung in midair, pointing at his friend. Toph's head was hung. Sokka's mouth was slightly open in shock. And then she looked up. Her face was covered in tears.
"Don't you think I know I'm blind, Aang? Huh? Or do you just want to rub it in my face?" The enraged girl stood up, brows furrowed, pointing to the Avatar. She walked toward him. "I don't need you to--" Suddenly, Toph lost her footing. "Ah!" She clawed for the edge of the saddle, unable to grip it. Toph fell over the edge.
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(A/N: In a lighter mood…)
"What's your ostrich-horse's name?" Katara asked suddenly as she peeled a banana. Zuko looked up from his meditation with one eye.
"What?" He was completely baffled by such a simple question. The waterbender repeated herself. "Oh. I didn't give him a name." His eyes closed again.
"Why not?" His eyes opened with her next question. His shoulders shrugged and he shut his copper eyes for a third time.
Katara sighed and stood, brushing the grains of sand away. It was clear Zuko didn't want to be bothered right now. She might as well find something else to do. She made her way down to the shoreline again. A little bending practice never hurt. The waterbender froze when she saw something on the horizon. Her eyes narrowed to make out the shape. But when she did, she saw a black dot with pluming black smoke rising from it. Katara felt her blood run cold. Fire Nation. No. She thought. Her eyes widened as she turned on her heal, running up the shore.
"Zuko!" The firebender looked up, alarmed. "Put the fire out! There's a ship on the horizon!"
"What?" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He bent the flames of the roaring fire into nothingness and dashed down the sand to see if this was true. He came back, wide eyed. "Shit!" He hastened in packing up what they had on his steed. "Get rid of the fire ring!" The waterbender nodded and hurried away with several of the rocks. Zuko buried the rest of the evidence of fire before Katara returned. Hopefully this would hide the evidence of their camp well enough. How dim did they have to be to put camp on a shore, where everyone could see you?
He climbed onto the ostrich-horse and offered Katara a hand up. She scurried on, wrapping her arms tight around his waist. This would be sort of romantic if we weren't trying to get away. Katara said to herself. Everything was happening so fast… Neither of them stopped to think of who it might be on the ship but they certainly didn't want to take their chances. Zuko cracked the leather reins and they were off. The waterbender held tighter, trying not to be bounced as much. She was secretly amazed at how fast the animal went; especially considering they were navigating through the woods. The group was quiet but tension was thick in the air. Finally, as dark fell over them, it was broken.
"I'm scared." Katara whispered. Zuko swallowed.
"I know." That was as close as he could get to admitting he was too. Fear gripped his stomach and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
"What if it's those girls…?" Katara said, a little louder. She didn't want to loose her bending again…
"We'll worry about it if they catch us."
When they catch us.
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A/N: Let me know how it was!