A/N: You guys are legit the best readers a writer could ever have. Your words really touched me and I appreciate it to the moon and back. Your support and kindness means the world and I'd never imagine how much people would enjoy this AU that I wasn't sure about myself.
I wanted to wait till we've reached the end, butttttt I can't help myself. So, ofc I already have an end in mind (granted we're still pretty far from that point) but I kept getting ideas for a spin-off/sequel. So yep, that's all I'm saying now, but just wanted you guys to know that it's pretty likely I've got another story planned in this same universe. Anyway I'll stop rambling; this chapter is very short – so is the next two sadly, but they're needed, I promise. Hope you somewhat like it.
Katara's POV:
That night for the first time in weeks, my mother's face isn't the one that haunts me. No. It's of the boy that I let into my life. Aang. All I can see is that tortured expression when I told him to leave. The pain in his stormy grey orbs when Sokka accused him of having a role in our Mum's...death.
I roll onto my side. 'How could he know something and not tell us? Did he have a hand in her murder? Was I friends with a killer? Did I watch films with the same person who took my mother away from us?' Sickness settles at the pit of my stomach as I roll over to my other side.
His grinning face flashes before my mind's eye. 'There's no way. But why would he hide information from us? What other reason is there? To protect us? To conceal something else?' I roll onto my back as I stare at the ceiling, not knowing what to believe or feel, other than confusion and betrayal. 'I tried so hard to make him open up, to help him, but he just shoved it all back in our faces.'
I kick my duvet off, unable to lie here any longer. Instead, I swing my feet off the bed and make my way to Sokka's room, praying he's still awake. As I near his door, I notice the lack of light from the door cracks and wonder if he's asleep. 'Maybe I should wait till tomorrow?' I think to myself, but I've never been one for patience. I push open the door to find my brother at his desk with his small desk light on as he flicks through some papers.
"Sokka?" I start, jerking the man out of his reading. He turns to look at me briefly before returning his gaze to whatever he's reading.
"You should be asleep." Is all he says, without taking his eyes off his papers.
"So should you." I return back, earning a small hum from the man. When he doesn't make any move to respond further, I move around the desk until I'm standing beside him. "Tell me what Aang said exactly." The words fire out of my mouth before I can think about them properly. Finally, Sokka looks up at me.
"I told you, he's hiding something about Mum." The ponytailed man repeats, the same thing he said earlier, but I want to know more than that. I need to.
"But what did he actually say?" I insist and watch as he rubs his eyes.
"He said: they're not going to find out about their mum or me. And I overheard the guy he was talking to saying what if they find out who he is? There's no other way to take it. He knows something big. Either he's involved or...or I don't know!" Sokka growls out in frustration, and for a guy who wanted to be a detective at one point, I can understand his annoyance at the missing pieces.
I roll my lip between my teeth in thought. 'Maybe he's right. How else can we interpret that?' And yet a part of me refuses to believe it. The small part that's clinging for another explanation that will prove Aang's innocence.
"Who do you think he was talking to?" I ask as an afterthought, but the man just shrugs.
"Maybe his dad or uncle." Sokka utters with a wave of his hand, as if uninterested.
"You really don't think he's an orphan?" I query as nausea washes over me.
"Once a liar, always a liar." He mutters, but I'm shaking my head.
"No." I voice firmly, earning the ponytailed man's attention.
"What?" He echoes back in confusion.
"I saw his parents' gravestone." I express strongly, unwilling to believe that I've been deceived. Tricked into sharing my grief with the boy who I thought understood my same pain.
"Newsflash Katara! He could've picked any gravestone and pretended that was his parents' one!" Sokka retorts bitterly. I take a step away from him, refusing to believe his words.
"No! There has to be some explanation." I argue.
"What other explanation is there?! Dad says there has been no leads and I'm here reading and re-reading all the notes of the case but I can't find anything. He's our only link. We should've taken him into the police station, maybe then he would've talked." My brother explains in frustration. I press my lips tightly together and turn my head away from him. 'This can't be true. It can't!' A sigh echoes to my right.
"I'm sorry Katara. I know you liked him." Sokka murmurs gently.
"He wouldn't do that. I know him." I insist, not sure whether I'm trying to convince him or myself. Maybe both.
"You only met him a couple of months ago!" My brother protests. My shoulders slump at that fact being thrown back at me. "Face it, he's a good actor. He fooled us both." He continues.
I briefly screw my eyes tight before running back to my room.
"Katara!" Sokka calls after me, but I shut the door firmly behind me and slide to the ground.
"He isn't like that." I whisper to myself as I grab my phone from its charger. I scroll down until I reach Aang's name. My thumb hovers over it, but I pause. 'What if Sokka's right?' The phone slides out of my slackened grip and hits the carpet with a soft thud.
I hug my knees to my chest. 'I thought Aang was someone I could finally open up to about Mum, but I'm just on my own again.' I shake my head from side to side. 'This shouldn't hurt this much. 3 months ago I didn't even know he existed; so why does this bother me then?' Despite asking myself the question, a small subconscious part of me knows the real answer. An answer I refuse to acknowledge.
Next morning:
As I set the last plate on the table, I reach for the ladle to help everyone, but my Dad beats me to the punch as he takes the spoon and my plate. He then takes Sokka's plate, but the ponytailed man is barely paying attention, his eyes are too busy trying to catch mine, but I stubbornly avoid his gaze. Hakoda pauses for a moment before looking around the table.
"Where's Aang?" He asks, making us stiffen.
"He's gone." I mumble.
"Good riddance." Sokka mutters under his breath, but loud enough for the rest of us to hear. Dad lowers the plate in his hand slightly as he furrows his eyebrows.
"Why, what happened?" He asks in concern. My mind races for something to say just as Sokka opens his mouth.
"He-"
"He had to go back home!" I splutter, cutting Sokka off as he stares at me in disbelief. Hakoda quirks his eyebrow at me.
"Home?" He echoes back, a tone of surprise entering his voice.
"Yes! His, er...his uncle wanted him to visit so he had to leave." I babble, watching as my Dad's frown deepens.
"Oh. Well. I guess that's good." He utters dubiously as he continues putting the food on our plate. I catch the troubled expression that contorts his features, but it's so fleeting that I decide not to comment. After dinner, I go to wash the dishes, with Sokka hot on my tail.
"Why didn't you tell him?" He questions quietly. I glance behind him to see Dad going to the bathroom before opening my mouth.
"Dad has enough on his plate as it is. How do you think he'll feel if he found out we've been having someone staying at our house who may or may not have something to do with what happened to Mum?" I whisper. Sokka's lips part.
"Oh. Good point. Listen, I'm sorry about last night, I was being insensitive." My brother apologises as he scratches his head. I turn my head away from him.
"You were being realistic. I was trying to find an excuse for him, but there's no other explanation. At the very least, he shouldn't have hid anything from us." I mumble. From the corner of my eye, I see his mouth open and close a couple of times before he shakes his head.
"I'm sorry." Is what he settles on, but it doesn't make the betrayal sting any less.
"What do you think he knows?" I ask, the question has been playing on a loop in my mind for the last several hours.
"I-I don't know. I can't believe I just let him go, the one link we have that might finally get us justice. I was just so mad." Sokka utters in self-reproach. I bite my lip and rest my hand on his arm.
"You weren't the only one." I remind gently. He sighs.
"I'll confront him again at uni. That's if he hasn't fled like a coward." My brother mutters as he starts stacking the dishes. My heart constricts at his words, but I remain silent and continue washing. "If he doesn't talk then I'm involving the police." Sokka continues and I nearly drop the plate in my hands. I grip it just in time and nod my head neutrally.
But inside me a storm is brewing. Scared to find out the truth, worried that we lost our chance with the boy being long gone and...fearful for him. I shouldn't, but my mind can't help but flash to all those times that I saw him cry or terrified or when he said he hadn't had a hug in years or our playful banter or...' The plate slips from my fingers and clatters loudly in the sink.
"Katara?" Sokka probes worriedly. I flash him a quick smile.
"Just soapy hands." I wave off and return to my washing. 'I'm blocking it out. All of it. It's just too much.' I think to myself, but the face of a certain person continues to lurk at the outskirts of my mind. His grinning face. Those intriguing tattoos that I feel has another story to it.
I tighten my grip on the sponge until my knuckles go white. 'Forget it, forget it, forget it. He obviously wasn't a real friend. He didn't want my friendship anyway. That should've been enough of a clue in itself. I was just so blind. So desperate to get close to him. I was a fool.' I think with hardened eyes as I continue washing the dishes roughly.
I ignore the aggressive way I put them on the rack and the expression of concern from the ponytailed man beside me. 'I won't let myself be fooled like that again. Never again.' I vow as I feel something harden in my heart.
A/N: Anyone done that thing where when they're mad they take it out on the poor dishes? Yep been there, done that XD Good thing I rarely get mad XD Right, so I thought it was important to get insight on Katara's immediate thoughts and I hope I demonstrated the conflict she feels well enough.
Next chapter is actually a Christmas chapter which kinda feels weird to post in September, but hey better posting it then than in June or something right? Uni officially starts on Monday! Those of you who have been reading my a/n will know how happy I am to stop working in the shops, altho early starts aren't fun, but hey I'd rather take it than the alternative! First 2 weeks are induction, so I'm hoping that means it will be pretty light, so should be able to keep up with weekly updates. Until next time everyone! (P.S. I'll reply to PMs as soon as time allows, sorry I'm being such a terrible replier :/)
12/9/21