As she had done religiously for the past week, Katara kept watch by the bedside.

When she closed her eyes, she could still see that lightning bolt hitting Aang's chest, the Airbender falling to the ground and the look of triumph on the Firelord's face as he turned to them. It still hurt to think of how still Aang had been.

Katara had managed to electrocute Ozai using his own lightning, and then they had made their escape. Once they were deep below the earth, Katara had made Sokka and Suki drop Aang (gently, of course) and had removed the vial of spirit water from around her neck. She only had one vial of the stuff and it was only to be used in the most desperate circumstances as a result.

If this wasn't desperate, Katara didn't know what was.

She had bended the water around her hands and held them to his chest, and concentrated. The complete darkness of Toph's secret tunnel was lit up by a faint blue glow around her hands.

After a few seconds of desperate hope, Katara had felt signs of life return. Aang was still unconscious and she didn't know when he would wake up, but he wasn't dead any more. As a first step, Katara would take that.

They had come back inside the walls of Ba Sing Se after that, and ever since the Avatar had lain unconscious in a bed in their house in the upper ring. Katara had refused to leave his side even once in all that time, believing that something could happen to him if he did so. Sokka, Suki, Toph, her father, and a hundred others had all been in here in that time, but none had stayed with them.

"Katara."

Sokka stood behind her, with Suki slightly behind him.

"We're worried about you. I'm worried about you. You refuse to leave this room. I don't know how long it's been since you've seen the sun, even."

Katara only snorted. "It's your fault this happened, so don't be."

Sokka looked taken aback.

"Katara, that's not fair.."

"Isn't it?" She snapped, rounding on him. "This was all because your friends," pointing at Suki, "got themselves captured, and it was your plan that went wrong and forced Aang to fight Ozai in the first place! If it weren't for you two, none of this would have happened!"

Suki looked about ready to fly at her, which Katara found satisfying despite herself, but Sokka stopped gaping in time to put his arm out in front of her. "Right. Clearly we aren't needed here."

He turned and left. Suki shot one last disapproving glare at her before following him.

Immediately, Katara's sense of triumph vanished. What she had said wasn't fair and she knew it. It had been satisfying to lash out at someone, and score a cheap victory, but that satisfaction did not last long as her temper quickly subsided.

She sighed, and turned her attention back to Aang. She remembered how he had entered her life all those months ago like a thunderbolt, bringing adventure to her previously dull existence. Around him, she felt like she could act her age, at least to a certain extent, where before she had had to look after everyone else and put her own feelings after those of others. He made her laugh like nobody else, no matter how hard Sokka may have tried. He was her friend, her closest confidante, her...

...her what?

Katara found that she ran out of words to describe him at that point. None of them seemed to fit well enough to the reality of her feelings towards him. So she just sat in silence, hoping against hope that he would wake up and bring that joy he always brought back.

She didn't know how long she kept up her silent vigil when there was another knock on the door.

Perhaps it's Sokka, to stage another intervention with Toph or someone, she thought. She didn't want to have to do that again. However, when she opened the door she was faced with the Earth King.

"May I come in?" He asked sombrely. "Your friends said you were upset. You can say no, and I'll come back another time."

Katara only nodded.

Kuei removed his hat and ducked through the doorway, looking at Aang with a sad look in his eyes.

"When I arrested Long Feng, he first tried to deny everything, but when he realized the game was up he tried to justify himself by claiming he wanted to keep the war away from Ba Sing Se. I had no problem arresting him because I thought he was just being power-hungry and using that as an excuse, but seeing this siege, I'm beginning to wonder whether Long Feng had a point."

Katara didn't know why he was telling her this, but she humoured him.

"Your friend is the mighty Avatar, the bridge between the worlds and all that, but he's also a 12 year old. No 12 year old should have the kind of responsibility he did."

Does! Katara thought fiercely. He was still alive, wasn't he?

"Just know that you still have my full support, and that of the Earth Kingdom. I can get you the most skilled healers in Ba Sing Se."

Katara somehow found it within herself to thank him. That support would have been very nice during the rescue.

The Earth King got up. "Make sure you look after yourself, Katara of the Water tribe, as much as you look after him."

And then he was gone, leaving Katara alone in the dark with her thoughts.

The Firelord's Royal Tent

Firelord Ozai sat at his desk, alternating between joy and worry.

He had done it. He had killed the Avatar. It hadn't even been that hard. Of course, Aang had not been in the Avatar state at the time, so at this very moment some proud mother in one of the Water Tribes was probably holding the new Avatar, even if she didn't know it yet. That would have to be dealt with later, but there was plenty of time for that.

Unfortunately, while the Avatar had fallen the city had not. Ba Sing Se remained as impenetrable as ever, and now he had lost his biggest bargaining chip with the escape of the Kyoshi Warriors. He couldn't even hope to starve them out without managing to breach the outer walls, something he had no real means of accomplishing after the destruction of the drills. Plus, that waterbender had managed to electrocute him- with his own lightning! He had lived, but been forced to use a cane for several days.

Ozai knew he could just wait until Sozin's Comet and use the increased firepower of his army to batter down the walls then, but he had other plans for that Comet. He would prefer it if this was wrapped up before then.

Just then, one of the guards poked his head around the door. "You have visitors. From the Earth Kingdom."

Ozai nodded in acknowledgement.

Three figures entered his tent. All were dressed in long, flowing green robes and wide hats that covered their eyes. Ozai, who made a habit of knowing his enemies, recognised them as agents of the Dai Li.

"Firelord." The lead Dai Li agent said, nodding his head slightly."

"What is the Dai Li doing in the tent of an enemy of Ba Sing Se? Don't tell me you're here to try to assassinate me."

The lead Earthbender did not laugh. "The Earth King has imprisoned our leader. We feel he is no longer fit for purpose. We come with a ... proposition for you."

Ozai leaned forward in his chair and gestured the man to speak. Suddenly, his night had just improved immensely.