A/N. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update, because I have a work thing tomorrow and the day after that will decide on the budget of my PhD, so I'll be totally focused on that the following days.

I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Sitting on a small slab of rock that overlooked the ocean to the south, Katara bit her lip in thought. Sure, Aang had made some sense, but couldn't he see that she was right? Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem was by removing the cause!

And their problem, the fear Azula had installed into them, could be solved if they removed the princess!

And… And he was just wrong about revenge. How could it be a bad thing? The princess had killed him, their hopes and dreams… Even his carefree attitude was all but gone because of the actions of one person! And taking revenge for that… How could it be a bad thing?

He was just wrong.

Alright, alright… That didn't make her right, but he had done some stupid things! He never should have stopped her. She had felt a slight pang of guilt when she had seen the scratch marks over his left forearm, but his words of apology had fallen on deaf ears. He shouldn't have done it, and that was final.

And he had heard him talk, earlier. She had been sitting on the same rock as she was now, but the others had been around the campfire. Aang had brought her a bowl of noodles, in silence. He had not said a word, just put it on the stone next to her, smiled sadly, and turned back… Back to where he was reminded of their fight.

Katara had heard him and Sokka thank Zuko, of all people! And they had celebrated! Quietly, but still! So, she had opted to stay here, on her rock overlooking the water. After something that felt like an hour, people began to fill into their tents and sleeping places. She had seen Toph bend an earth tent for herself, Aang who had seemed conflicted where to sleep… In the tent, with her, or close to Appa.

He had chosen Appa.

And for once, she was grateful. It was better to have some distance between them… Even if it was just for a night. How could he not understand that it would solve so many problems… If he just let her kill the princess?

She had smiled softly when she saw her brother and Suki talk in a hushed, hurried tone. The waterbender knew exactly what that kind of talk meant.

Do you think they are asleep?

No sounds…

Aang…

She and the airbender had talked like that in that hut… Then, at the air temple… So, Katara couldn't help but smile, seeing that same kind of hurried desire in others. Even if it made her shudder, knowing it was her brother.

"Alright, what is your problem?" A voice spoke softly behind her.

Turning around, she saw the firebender standing a few feet away from her. Gritting her teeth, the waterbender turned back to the dark expanse of water in front of her, ignoring the prince.

"Everyone seems to trust me now! Why can't you!"

What was his problem? Sure, he had pushed aside from the debris in the temple. Yay! He was not a total jerk.

"I trusted you first, remember? In Ba Sing Se." She raised an eyebrow as she cast a look over her shoulder to that idiot, "But you betrayed us all. So no, I won't trust you. Ever."

"Argh! How does that idiot even stand you for more than a minute? What can I do to make it up to you? Even Suki acts normal to me, and I burned her village!"

Oh wow… He really thought such train of thought was normal… Oh, I just burned her village, no big worry!

"How about reconquering Ba Sing Se for the Earth Kingdom? Resolving all the hurt your crappy family has inflicted on the world? Can you give Aang his people back? My tribe the people they lost? Can you give me back my mother?" The waves crashed against the cliffs behind her, and Katara had to breathe out to calm herself.

It was true… Ever since her discussion with Aang… Revenge was on the forefront of her thoughts. Her father had gone to the war with one purpose. She knew that, he had said it himself to her, a few months ago. To take revenge against the people who had hurt him.

And if she couldn't have Azula, she would have anyone else. As long as it gave her the feeling that she had changed the world for the better, by removing a problem.

The waterbender didn't wait for an answer, choosing to walk back to the ring of tents around the dying campfire. She was surprised to see the tent she had used during their undercover time in the Fire Nation already set up. Aang would probably have done that… Or Sokka. Or Suki.

She would have to thank them later. She didn't want to see Aang at this moment, when she was still angry… And to be honest, she didn't want to walk into the tent where her brother "slept". Not now at least.

Entering the tent, she remarked that her bag was in the corner, opened. On the ground lay her sleeping bag, with some of the blankets around it from their room in the Air Temple. Those had been at the bottom of the shared bag that she and Aang had prepared in case they needed to flee… So, the airbender had probably put the tent up. Groaning, she didn't even remove her clothes as she fell down face first into the blanket, letting the exhaustion of the day wash over her.

In what felt like seconds, Katara could hear the soft chirping outside, indicating that birds were greeting the new day. Spirits, it didn't feel like she had slept at all… Not even pulling her face from the heap of blankets, the waterbender began to feel around towards the corner with her left hand, trying to grab the bag sitting there. The day before, she had not even managed to put on some bindings, because of the flight. It would probably be better if today, she did.

As she managed to catch one of the leather strips of the bag, she dragged it towards her, opening it. With a sigh, she sat up, searching through it. When she found the bindings, Katara opened the clasps on the side of her dress, pulling it off. It felt… off.

Normally, during the mornings at the air temple, she would have got up at the same time as Aang, and she would have just looked at him, with a grin, holding the fresh bindings, knowing it would make him think of the times they had removed them… Together.

And that small ritual wasn't performed today. No… Today, she was all alone, and she had rather missed it.

Maybe she should apologize… It was not like he meant any harm by doing what he did.

Pulling them over her breasts, Katara put a knot into the linen and got up, bending her back so that she could straighten her legs in the tent, letting the dress pool around her feet as he did the same things with the bindings around her hips. As she did so, the waterbender bit her lip, realizing that this position would have… attracted Aang's attention.

Quickly pulling the dress back up, she shrugged it over her shoulders and began to close the clasps as she pushed the flap of the entrance away with an elbow. As she struggled into the morning, looking down as she pulled close the last ones, Katara walked straight into something in front of her tent. Her feet lost their footing, and she fell down, face first. Before she could even put her hands out to break her fall, a hand grabbed her around her right arm.

Her knees hit the ground, but the fall was not as bad as it could have been because of the fact someone broke her fall.

Had to be Aang. Only one person would be up this early, and would be sitting in front of the tent, waiting for her. Lifting her face, however, she was met by ember, angry eyes.

"Can you look where you are going?" He muttered. Realizing she had probably walked straight into him, she bit back an apology that had nearly left her mouth. What the fuck was he doing in front of her tent… As she changed!

"Oh, being a murderous bastard isn't enough, you have to be a pervert too?" Sure, he had probably not seen anything… But she was long past caring at this moment.

"Agni, I'm not… Fine! You got me! I'm a horrible person! Can't even leave a girl alone as she does Agni knows what because her boyfriend is mad…" Zuko grumbled, releasing her arm.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you." She rolled her eyes, irritated. What had he been doing at this unholy hour at her tent? In the middle of the camp, a heap of bags had been thrown down, and she saw that her washing stuff bag lay at the foot of the mountains of travel bags. Bending down, she opened it, grabbing a comb out of it and beginning to try taming her hair.

"What do you want?" Katara asked. That prince surely had a reason to have been stalking around her tent at this hour of the day. Hopefully.

"You can't get revenge on Azula." He stated, as if it was decided.

"Why not? She's mine." The waterbender shrugged her shoulders.

"No. You have merely been annoyed by her. I have lived my whole life with her. I get to stop her." The firebender answered, walking towards her.

"Annoyed? Annoyed? She kill-"

"She killed my sweet Aang. She annoyed me. May I be the first to say that it is kind of getting old? Your boyfriend isn't dead. He seems rather too much alive if you ask me. But no! You have to kill her because she injured him? Agni, if every loved one of Azula's victims would act like you, there is probably a whole queue of people waiting to kill her. Forget it. She's mine." Zuko spoke, first in a rather irritated high-pitched voice.

She didn't sound like that!

"Fuck off asheater." She grumbled, turning her back to the prince.

"Will you listen? I propose a deal. You leave me Azula, and I give something even better to you." Zuko spoke angrily.

"Better than your sister? Pff! Don't think so." Who could be better than Azula?

"I know who killed your mother. If you leave me Azula, you can have him."

Each word hit her heart like an arrow. How… How did he know who did it? The memory of angry ember eyes behind a masked helmet flashed before her vision, disappearing as soon as it had appeared. They had never learned who the man had been… And they had tried. Her father had sent words around the other villages, making them look out for ships with the bird banner. And for their commander. The man with the winged helmet.

"The commander of the Southern Raiders. Sokka told me their insignia. A black bird on a red field, right?"

"Go get your dad sweetie… I'll handle this." Her mother whispered, a sad and soft smile on her face. Katara had nodded…

"Yes." She answered, not knowing what to think.

"If we leave this morning, we can get to the information tower when the sun sets. I know the Southern Raiders have been merged with the Blockade Fleet. But that is all. We'll need to get their exact location." Zuko explained, showing a bag he had prepared.

Katara bit her lip. Letting Azula of the hook, to get the man who killed her mother… That was choosing between the two people who had hurt her the most! The princess, for killing her love… Or the man, who had ended her childhood by burning her mother to a crisp.

Raising her eyes, she met the ember eyes of Zuko.

"I get an hour with Azula if we capture her." She wasn't going to agree to this plan without bargaining.

"Who said anything about capturing her? She hurt me too." The prince answered stoically. And at that moment, she saw how the firebender really thought of his family. And it kind of scared her. How could anyone hate their own blood like that? Sure, Sokka annoyed her sometimes. Her dad had done stupid things. But she loved them, no matter what.

"If we get the chance. I want her to suffer." She squinted her eyes. If Aang heard this… Spirits, he would probably be disgusted. But he had been taught that life was precious. But evil people? How could their life be precious? No way. No way Ozai or Azula were worth as much as good people, people who had died because of them!

"Oh… don't worry. If she touched even a hair on M… on anyone's head. I'll make sure she suffers." Zuko whispered, letting some emotions through. As Katara looked the firebender in the eyes, she saw… sadness. Was it sadness for the girl, Mai? Or was it sadness because he realized what he was saying about his own sister?

"I leave Azula to you, you give me my mother's murderer? That is your deal?" She asked. She needed to be sure.

"Yes."

Aang… Aang should know. Know that they would go to search for that person. They would need Appa, to travel quickly around, as to not lose too much time. And even though she knew she could take Appa for anything without asking Aang… Katara also knew that abducting the bison to go kill someone wouldn't be something the airbender could get behind…

"We need Appa, don't we?" The waterbender asked. She needed to know every detail before agreeing to this deal.

"I guess. I don't have my balloon anymore."

That did complicate things. But… If they just said that they would confront the man? It wasn't technically a lie… But she didn't want to lie to the airbender.

"To get Appa, we need to ask Aang…"

Zuko sighed and nodded. Katara tried to hide her worry. No way in the cold hell of Tui that Aang would agree to lend them the bison. But… Well, maybe he would. Only one way to find out…

"So, we need to get the information from a communication tower, find the fleet, infiltrate the commander's quarters… And confront him. Is that right?" Katara thought it sounded rather… Well, easy. It sounded like something they would do without even planning ahead. And they had a plan.

"Yes, but you have to swear that you leave Azula alone."

Azula… or the man who killed her mother…

"If we find him, deal." That was as far as she dared go. If, by some misfortune, the man was already dead… Then, no deal. She would still get to Azula. And… Well, this was something Aang could get behind, no? What was wrong in killing a murderer? That was not against his rules! The Air Nomads had believed that in case of real need, killing was allowed! Gyatso had done so!

"Fine, then we need to get going. I took the liberty of preparing some clothes for you. They may be too big for you, but they are darker than that." He nodded towards her dress. She grimaced, imaging that she would have to change in front of Zuko. But… This may be worth it.

"Come on." She turned towards where Appa lay, already munching on some grass that lay in front of him, in a big heap. Meaning that Aang had cut some of the long grass around their campsite with his airbending.

Meaning that the airbender was already up and about.

Well… Better to get it over with, no? She began to walk towards the bison. Zuko apparently followed her, because she heard the soft dingle of whatever was inside his bag. As Katara approached the bison, she suddenly heard voices.

"… Kind of ruined the moment." It was her brother. Holding up a hand to signal Zuko to stop walking, she perched ears. How in the spirits name was her brother already up?

"How so?" Aang's voice answered, sounding tired.

"Well, it wasn't really romantic, knowing Zuko was sitting at the campfire, a few feet away." Sokka grumbled. Ah… So, his planned escapade with Suki had been ruined because of the firebender. Typical.

Turning around with a raised eyebrow, she saw how Zuko just shrugged his shoulders, as if he wasn't aware of the extremely awkward situation he had created for Sokka and Suki.

"There will be other nights." Aang spoke, still sounding as if he hadn't even closed his eyes at all to sleep.

"And how are things… You know? With Katara?" Her brother questioned.

Oh no.

No, she didn't need to know that, at all! She didn't want to hear whatever Aang and Sokka would discuss about yesterday. No, she didn't need to be reminded of their fight. Actually… Their first real fight since getting together. Sure, there had been the moment with the necklace… But that hadn't been a fight! Rather… A tragic misunderstanding, that they had solved!

Well… Solved… They kind of ignored it.

Quickly walking towards the two young men, she stomped down her feet to make her presence known. Katara saw how both lifted their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps, and their reaction was… well, to be expected.

Aang smiled widely, probably believing… Believing she had come to talk, after a night of sleep. Maybe he even hoped to reconcile before having to start the day's training.

Sorry my love… We are not out of the woods yet. But maybe tomorrow… Maybe…

But Sokka looked far more sceptical. No… He knew that she wasn't coming for a talk. He knew she was walking towards them with a purpose.

"I am going to need Appa for today and tomorrow." The waterbender stated. She had wanted it to sound like a question, to which Aang could reply… But it had come out as a fact. A statement…

"Where do you want to go?" The airbender smiled. It made her heart crack, the sight of such happiness… But then, he saw Zuko behind her.

"Ah… It's your turn to have a field trip?" He sighed, looking her in the eyes.

"Yes." And once more, her answer sounded way too forced… And the look in those beautiful silver eyes killed her. He looked so hurt… And Katara wasn't used to see him like that. And she had to steel her heart to that look.

"Why?" He asked. From the corner of her eye, the waterbender saw Sokka stand up and walk towards where Zuko was standing, with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"We… We are going to find the man who took my mother from me." She sighed, opting to look anywhere but at Aang.

"Sokka, you told me the story… And I figured out who it was." Zuko explained, but Katara could hear to soft tick of her brother's tongue. He always made that sound when he was not convinced. Or if he thought an idea was just too stupid.

"And… and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?" Aang asked, and still Katara could hear the hurt in that voice. He had been hoping for a conversation with her… And instead she had just dropped this bombshell on his morning talk with Sokka.

But she couldn't tell him about her deal with Zuko. No… She couldn't do that.

"Aang… You need to understand…" She said instead, hating every moment she had to lie. How could she tell him that she had traded Azula for this man? He had known about her hatred for the princess, but he had said that it was not necessary… He was just not capable of needing revenge… And that was not because of him! That was because how the Air Nomads thought! And it wasn't wrong…

Just… it was wrong for her.

"But Katara, I do understand. You think I don't see what this is? How do you think I felt when the sandbenders stole Appa? How do you think I felt when I learned what happened to my people?"

Before she could answer, Zuko spoke up.

"This is about justice, and closure."

"It isn't. This is about revenge." She looked up at the silver eyes, and saw what she had been dreading. Pity.

"Maybe it is." She answered, hating to see his eyes filled with pity, directed towards her!

"You sound like Jet…" Aang sighed

"He attacked the innocent!" She retorted, hating the fact he had found that one person she had hoped he wouldn't mention.

"Wait-" Zuko began, but she cut him off.

"This is not the same! This man is a monster!"

"Alright, but Aang has a point! Katara, she was my mother too, but this is not the time, or the place! We can do that later." Sokka interjected.

"We know who he is, and where he is!" She objected. They had spoken about this, the first few months after their mother's death! About how they would kill the man who had done that to them!

"So? He'll be there after the war! When he can get a trial for what he has done!" Sokka shook his head.

"You loved her too, didn't you?" She asked, anger swelling inside her, "even if you don't remember her face".

The moment she had said it, she knew she had gone too far. Way too far. Sokka's eyes, so much like their father's, filled with horror and confusion.

"Katara…"

But how could she explain that she was actually doing something right this time? She was freeing Aang from the fear that she would go after Azula! That was important for the war, wasn't it? He needed to be able to concentrate on his duty, and not on her being in danger! By giving Azula to Zuko, she got two things : her mother's murderer and an edge in the fight against the Fire Nation… But how could she explain that?

"What am I supposed to do then? Just let him go?" She asked, trying to ignore the hurt in her brother's eyes. She would apologize… after.

"You can try to forgive him." Aang sounded surprisingly confident.

"That is the same as doing nothing." Zuko shook his head.

But Katara had understood. Aang's culture was just not… not made for the world they were living in. And he couldn't understand how someone needed revenge. He had forgiven the Fire Nation for what they had done, but the hurt was still there… And for once, she couldn't understand his philosophy. Why not at least take out the people who had done the harm? If Sozin had still lived, would Aang have let him live in the name of forgiveness?

She doubted that very much…

"No. It is easy to do nothing… But it is hard to forgive." Aang stated, standing straight as an arrow, looking at her. And she knew that look. This wasn't Aang. This was Avatar Aang. And it surprised her, because he had never used that tone with her… One that didn't expect to be contradicted.

And that irritated her.

"It is not just hard… it's impossible." She answered, looking him straight into the eyes. As her blue met his silver, Katara could feel an invisible battle take place.

Tara… Why are you doing this?

I need to.

But we need you here.

No, you don't.

"You, with me." She heard Sokka mutter, and from her right, Zuko answered something that she didn't understand. As the two sets of footsteps disappeared, she kept her gaze straight at Aang.

"You aren't evil." The airbender suddenly spoke.

"What?" She didn't understand. Why had he said that?

"You aren't evil."

And suddenly, she remembered. That was the exact same thing he had said after Hama… When he had snapped her out of her trauma…

"Aang…"

"She chose to take revenge. She chose to be evil." His words came as arrows, piercing her resistance one by one. She couldn't tell him! A deal with Zuko, to give him Azula… That was wrong. But she couldn't tell him, because he would hate that!

"I'm not Hama." She answered, trying to sound confident.

"I know you are not. As I said that night… You are not a monster. You do what is good for the many, not just for yourself. You are a selfless person."

Yes! But that was exactly the point of this! Sure… it would give justice to a murderer! But is would also remove Azula's grip on her focus of revenge!

"I repeat it, Tara. It is the choices we make that define us. And I hope you chose forgiveness." With that, Aang stepped away from Appa, walked past her and towards the camp.

"Just… just make sure nothing happens to Appa."

And with that he walked away.

Answers :

Kalaong: Oh sorry, I totally forgot to answer to your review last chapter! Yes, Aang always tries to respect her decisions, and in this case, I could understand why he chose not to. But Katara is right, he has always promised to respect her wishes, and he breaks that promise. But in this fight, I'm totally team Aang. But Katara just cracked under the pressure of everything that is happening, and choses to act this way to feel better.

Handler: Yes, I hate to write fight chapters, but not one couple in history has zero fights, so it is necessary. And of course, we know how this ends, but I wanted to give it my own spin.

Bbacon: I know, I know, writing it took me off guard too lol! I'll be very happy when I move on to more happier chapters (yes, there will be some). I have a plan for the Ember Island chapters that are actually quite nice!