A/N: Thanks ever so much for all your kind reviews and for taking the time to read this story. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it. I love you all! xx-Kitten.

Brightest Nights or Darkest Days

By Kittenshift17

CHAPTER SIX

Zuko laid awake, his mind occupied with what Uncle Iroh would call the need to look inside himself. He wasn't sure he liked the notion, given what had sparked it, but he couldn't sleep for the thoughts pervading his mind. The slim Water Bender asleep in his arms was far more precious to her people than he'd believed. He'd go so far as to say that she was far more precious to the world. She was the last Water Bender of the Southern Water Tribe. She was the last hope her people had left, thanks to the horrors they had suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation.

The idea bothered him for one reason. She'd been nice to him. Of all the people currently residing on the planet, she was one of a small number who could claim a real bone to pick with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. He had hunted her across the world. He had chased her. Harassed her. Attacked her repeatedly. He'd done terrible things in the name of hunting down the Avatar, and yet she'd been nice to him. She'd played with him.

And not in the sense that his sister 'played', or the way Ty Lee and Mai had played. No, Katara had played with him as though they were simply two kids from different nations who could be friends and do silly things. She'd thrown a snowball at him, for crying out loud. Nobody had ever done that. The only people who'd ever dared throw things at him were those he sparred with, his sister and his father. Everyone else was too fearful. And she hadn't thrown the snowball spitefully, but instead had done so in good fun.

She'd tackled him into the snow and when she'd smushed snow in his face and triggered a terrible flashback to his father burning his face, she'd been immediately contrite. He hadn't even had to tell her why he'd grown angry. She'd known and she'd apologised. She'd hugged him, even after he'd tried to choke her. No one ever hugged him except Uncle. And Uncle smelled unpleasant most of the time, so that hardly counted.

She hadn't asked for explanation, she'd even made sure to drag him inside so he wouldn't die, pouting in the snow. She was like no one he'd ever known. Worse still, she'd instigated a silly game of imagining what life could be like without the war. This was an actual game people played in the other Nations. They daydreamed about what life would be like if the Fire Nation wasn't waging war upon them.

Zuko felt sick to his stomach with the thought. All his life he'd been taught that his Nation was better than the others. More cultured. More sophisticated. More advanced. He'd never dreamed that the other Nations wouldn't want to be like the Fire Nation. Now? Now, Zuko knew the truth. The Fire Nation was greedy and cruel. They took what didn't belong to them and cut down any who thought to stand in their way. They didn't spread their knowledge, they spread terror and suffering.

And yet, Katara could sleep in his arms. She'd been driven from her home by his people. Robbed of her mother because of his people. Left without her father, who waged war against the Fire Nation far from his homeland and his family. She was the last – the very last – of her kind. There might be other Water Benders at the North Pole, but even his brief time spent there had proved there were plenty of differences between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.

In his time within the Earth Kingdom so far, Zuko had seen a number of things that made him angry – angrier than his resting state, anyway. As the Blue Spirit, he had terrorised his own Nation. As the Blue Spirit, he had been fighting against his own people and the barbarianism they practiced. He felt no remorse when he killed Fire nation warriors that deserved it. At least, none beyond the twinge of regret that somewhere, some mother or father or brother or sister would receive news that their family member had been killed.

Katara was right. If there was ever to be peace again, it would be hard won, and even harder to maintain. The hatred the other Nations had for his own was profound and well earned. The trouble? The nagging issue that was keeping him awake despite the feel of a beautiful young woman lying in his arms?

He was destined to be the next Fire Lord. The problems of the world would one day land in his lap and he was coming to the realisation that he would not be following in his father's footsteps. He would not continue to sacrifice lives for the sake of dominating the world and claiming it all under one flaming banner.

He liked the Earth Kingdom. Their culture was rich and they made delicious dishes. It might not be spicy, as everything in the Fire Nation tended to be, but it was still tasty. He liked the people, too. They lived simple lives – those he'd witnessed – and they were content with their lot in life as long as the Fire Nation wasn't involved.

Everything his mother had taught him as a boy about the importance of peace and prosperity and kindness was beginning to outweigh the urge he felt to please his father. Squeezing his eyes closed, Zuko pulled Katara even closer. His chi had enveloped hers, wrapping around the pleasantly cool feel of her and holding her to him in a way he couldn't describe. He tried to imagine what Uncle would say if Zuko admitted his thoughts and his strange interest in the Water Bender.

Probably something about how life was about balance, Zuko thought grimly, and what balanced fire better than water?

Katara made a soft sound in her sleep and Zuko glanced at her. He twisted the arm she was using for a pillow and flicked his thumb, creating a tiny flame to illuminate her face in the dark. Her tribal features were screwed into a frown, as though she were having a nightmare. She slept heavily, not reacting to the light. When she whimpered a second time, Zuko frowned, wondering how to comfort her without waking her up.

He had one hand up her shirt for warmth and he found his fingers smoothing over her soft skin lightly, tracing patterns. Her features relaxed at the touch and Zuko felt a small sense of victory when she settled into a deeper sleep, allowing him to better examine her features. She was stunningly beautiful, if he was being honest.

Growing up, he'd been taught that girls like Ty Lee and Mai and Azula were beautiful, but in comparison to Katara, they seemed plain, somehow. Individually he could admit they were all beautiful girls. But there was something about Katara's features that seemed so removed from theirs; better somehow. Prettier. Maybe it was her cute button nose that kicked up slightly at the tip. Maybe it was the rich olive shade of her of skin. Maybe it was those big blue eyes of hers – when they were open – that seemed to express her every emotion. He'd never seen anything like them outside of the Water Tribes. The point was, Zuko was certain that she was more beautiful than any of the girls he knew from the Fire Nation.

He snorted to himself when it occurred to him that maybe she seemed more beautiful to him because she wasn't on the Fire Nation's side – on Azula's side, to be exact. Shaking his head at his own traitorous thoughts regarding his nation, Zuko let the fire he held fizzle out. Settling his head more comfortably on his pillow and shifting slightly until he could slide his knee between both of Katara's, tangling their ankles, Zuko closed his eyes and sighed softly, waiting for sleep to come.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Katara's eyes snapped open at the feel of something sliding against her back.

"Zuko?" she asked in a whisper. The sliding stopped.

"Are you awake?" he replied.

"I am now. What are you doing?" Katara asked. Sometime during the night she must've rolled in her sleep and she currently found herself being spooned – or partially spooned – by the Fire Bender.

"Getting up," Zuko said. "The wind stopped. We need supplies."

"Is it dawn yet?" Katara asked.

"No."

"You were going to steal supplies in the dead of night?" she asked, frowning. "Without me?"

"I didn't think you'd want to come. If anyone recognizes us, they'll have to be killed and you don't seem the killing type."

Katara sighed.

"I've never done so in cold blood," Katara admitted, wriggling out of the sleeping bag behind him when he proceeded to flip it open and vault over her prone form to get up now that he knew she was awake and didn't have to worry about disturbing her. "But I'm sure I've caused the inadvertent death of a number of Fire Nation soldiers since encountering Aang and leaving the South Pole."

Zuko flicked his hand to light the torch he kept in his belongings to give them light to see while they both rugged up warmly in their travelling gear.

"Do you intend to leave town after gathering supplies?" Katara asked.

"Not until we can be sure the storm won't kick up again," he shook his head. "No use leaving in the middle of the night only to have the storm begin blowing again by dawn."

"What do we need?" Katara asked seriously, dumping out all of her belongings.

"Food, mostly. The best place to get it will be from the Fire Nation barracks on the outskirts of the village."

"You want to rob the soldiers?" Katara blinked at him. "They'll catch us."

"No, they won't. You need to hide your face," he said. Katara watched the way he glanced at her, warily pulling the Blue Spirit mask from the bottom of his bag before fastening it to his face.

Katara herself used a scarf to cover her entire face, but for a small slit for her eyes. She pulled her hood up to protect her ears and hide her hair. Zuko nodded at her, taking his weapons with him and disappearing out the door. Katara followed only a few steps behind.

The entire village was quite, the snow soft and powdery under foot. Only the few flickering lights from candles in distant windows guided their way, but Zuko seemed to know where he was going. Katara suspected he spent the first day in any new town memorising the layout and all its escape routes.

They reached the base in silence and Zuko flung out an arm, pinning her to a wall in the shadows when a pair of sentries walked past. They didn't notice the two of them and Katara watched the way Zuko crept to the doors into the barracks when the sentries had rounded the corner. He moved silently in that mask and Katara watched, intrigued when he slipped past the entrance and down the hall.

He seemed to have the layout of the barracks memorised and she wondered if he'd already been in, if he'd scouted it already, or if every Fire Nation barracks like this one was simply built off the same plan. He was quick about his work, light on his feet and careful, leaping into the rafters when they heard voices down the hall. Katara followed suit, hauled up by him to where they wouldn't be spotted when a pair of men dressed in sleep-attire wandered past.

She opened her mouth to ask if he thought they were going to the kitchens until she heard one of them say they'd enjoyed their midnight snack. Zuko dropped from the rafters when they gone and darted down the hallway. She was right behind him when they slipped into a store-room off the mess hall. He handed he a sack and pointed her towards the dried fruit, nuts, and raw produce sections while he made for the preserved meats.

Working quickly, she grabbed as much as she thought they'd each be able to carry, knowing that the next town was several days walk from this village. Zuko appeared beside her before she was finished, scooping up other things they might need including toilet paper and soap. He waved a knife at her and pointed her to a small cupboard in the corner of the room.

Katara frowned, not knowing what was in it and wondering why he was directing her to it when he could raid it himself. She didn't risk arguing with him about it. When she opened it, her cheeks flushed. It was filled with the number of extra items female soldiers might need. Feminine products, women's clothing replacements, including underwear, socks, and clothes made to fit smaller frames. There was also boxes of Golden Thread Tea – a contraceptive tea.

Katara bit her lip as she raided the cupboard, snatching out things that might be useful to her in her travels. She'd never needed to use a contraceptive tea before. Her fling with Jet had been a brief, one-time encounter and she'd had no other prospects that caused the need for such a tea. She didn't imagine she would need any whilst travelling with Zuko. Yet, the tea was hard to come by. It was very expensive to buy – something she, Sokka and Aang would never afford whilst travelling together, whether she had need of it or not.

The idea of leaving it when she could take it now didn't sit well with her, but neither did the idea of taking it whilst in Zuko's company. What if he got the wrong idea? What if she had the wrong idea thanks to their weird chi connection messing with her head and the kiss yesterday being so good? Without the time to ponder the repercussions for taking or leaving it right then, Katara scooped a few boxes of the stuff into her bag along with everything else she wanted from that cupboard. If Zuko asked later or looked at her funny, she would simply point out how expensive it was to buy and stuff it in her bag.

Not that she thought he'd even ask. He wasn't Sokka – who was over-protective to the point of being a complete pain most of the time. Neither was he Aang – who was entirely too naïve and too inquisitive for his own good. Zuko might take note of what she'd grabbed, but like most boys he'd probably be too embarrassed by her need for menstrual things to even look until she'd put all of that stuff away. Katara was banking on that notion. She didn't even want to imagine how embarrassing a conversation it would be if Zuko asked her why she'd stolen contraceptive tea in his company. Then again, he was probably arrogant enough to think she might have a crush on him even though he was a rotten jerk who'd chased them across the world.

As soon as she had everything she thought they'd need, in as high a portion as she could carry, she looked over at Zuko. He was still raiding some of the cupboards looking for things that might come in handy. She was crossing toward him when the sound of someone jiggling the door-handle startled both of them. Katara glanced at him, wide-eyed but before she could even begin to panic, Zuko dove across the small store room and collided with her. He pulled her to the far corner of the room and shoved her down to squat behind a barrel of what looked like sea prunes.

Katara frowned when he slotted himself in right behind her, his whole body curling around hers protectively and forcing her into the even more cramped space. He never made a sound and Katara's heart raced inside her chest when the door to the store room opened. She watched from a peek hole around the barrel as a young female soldier walked in. She was dressed for sneaking around and Katara smirked. That messy bed-head look made her think she knew what the soldier was after at this time of night that she might not want anyone to know about.

The woman was fire bending a small flame to see by, just barely enough to light the space in front of her to see where she was going and find her way to the cupboard. Zuko positively vibrated with the need to escape and Katara had to grab his arm when the other woman tripped over a box of apples on her way across the small space. She wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings within the room, only focused on getting to the cupboard to get what she wanted, glancing regularly back toward the door in case anyone else had the same idea.

When Zuko shifted slightly as though he were intending to spring out and attack the woman Katara grabbed his wrist and pulled him even closer toward her. The woman was oblivious to their presence, it seemed. Zuko twisted his wrist in Katara's grip, trying to get loose. She held on tighter taking the dagger he clutched and tucking it into her boot before resorting to pressing his palm to her flat stomach and pinning it there with one of her thighs. He gripped her tight in annoyance, but still didn't make a sound. The woman fishing in the cupboard found what she was looking for. Katara watched as she withdrew a small metal canister from her pocket and opened a box of the Golden Thread tea. She upended the contents into the canister, filling it and concealing it in a way that it wouldn't be recognised for what it actually was. When she was done, the woman used her Bending to burn the box the tea had come in, incinerating it until there was nothing but a small pile of ash left.

Zuko squirmed against Katara again, obviously not liking the feel of waiting for the woman to catch them at any moment. But she never even glanced in their direction. She hurried back out of the store room, forgetting to properly latch the door behind her in her haste.

"Wait until she's gone all the way back to bed," Katara breathed to Zuko, refusing to let him loose.

He still didn't speak, but Katara could tell he was annoyed with her when he stood a minute later, hauling her up with him before reaching down and retrieving his knife from her boot. He pointed the tip at her in warning and though she couldn't see his expression behind his mask, she got the message loud and clear that he was angry and not to ever take one of his knives from him again. She rolled her eyes in return, hauling on her sack of looted supplies. He made for the door quickly, scouting outside of it before ducking through it. Katara followed without a word.

Skulking back through the base was harder when they were both hauling sacks of supplies. They wouldn't be able to vault into the rafters if anyone happened along. Zuko peeked around each corner, ready to kill anyone who got in their way. When they reached the door, he held up his hand, silently telling her to wait a moment. When he slipped out the door before recoiling quickly, she realised that the sentries were doing another round.

"Did you hear that?" one of them asked, tipping his head slightly. Katara watched carefully, wincing when they both brightened the torches they carried to illuminate more ground around them.

"Hear what?" the other one asked.

"Thought I heard the door."

"Probably Ling trying to sneak out and meet you," one of them ribbed the other. "Or than change-over crew. It's almost time for our shift to end.

Katara held her breath and kept her eyes fixed on Zuko when he moved silently. He slipped the handle of his bag into her grip before pulling his swords from their sheath. Realising he meant to kill them to get free, Katara shook her head at him. She tried to plead with her eyes, begging him to be still and quiet until they grew bored. She closed her eyes in horror when sound of more voices came from behind them down the hall. It must be almost time to change sentries, she realised. Zuko shot her a look, though she couldn't even see his eyes behind his mask, and Katara realised he was going to make a break for it. Gripping the handles of both bags and trusting him to be able to defeat the two sentries, Katara nodded.

As soon as he sprang out the door, swords flashing to the sound of surprised shouts from the guards, Katara bolted. She didn't stop to wait for him, trusting to him to be able to catch up with her. She raced into the night, struggling under the weight of both supply sacks. There was a sound of Fire Bending, a clang of swords and a wretched sounding gurgle behind her as she raced down a side street and into the heart of the village. Shouts followed, the sound of pounding feet meeting her ears. The guards had alerted more soldiers before Zuko could silence them and Katara cursed when she realised she was being chased.

A glance over her shoulder told her it wasn't Zuko. Cursing again, Katara panicked. She couldn't bend with both hands full and the sacks were too heavy, slowing her down. Darting around a corner, Katara made a snap decision. She was going to have to stash the sacks and come back for them later. Skidding around another corner, she spotted a trash can behind one of the house. Opening it quickly she was relieved to see it was all but empty. Lifting both sacks inside, she concealed the evidence of their raid, knowing she'd be able to find her way back. As she ran, she worked on uncovering her face, unwinding her scarf and searching the darkness for any sign of Zuko.

Soldiers could be heard calling across the village now, a full alert being issued thanks to the idea that the barracks had been robbed and the Blue Spirit had killed people. She'd spotted more than one person out and about as dawn rapidly approached, the reprieve from the weather driving people outdoors. If she could make it look like she was just out for an early morning stroll, she wouldn't be arrested. Katara squeaked in terror as she rounded another corner only to feel strong arms wrap around her from behind. One hand covered her mouth to prevent her from making a sound and Katara tried to stomp on her assailant's foot.

"It's me!" Zuko hissed in her ear, stilling her flailing instantly. Katara almost squawked a second time when he spun her in his hold, dragging her a ways down a dingy alley off the street where she'd been running.

He'd ditched his mask somewhere and just like she'd done, he'd tried to make it look like he was blending in. He'd discarded his long swords somewhere as well. The sound of pounding footstep from the soldiers racing past the alley drew her gaze but before she could focus on anyone, Zuko's hot hand cupped her chin and tipped her head up enough that he could plant his lips on hers.