a/n
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope all of my awesome readers are having an equally awesome new year's eve.

The reason I haven't posted sooner is because…I've officially become a snot machine. I have been sick on two separate occasions this holiday season and I'm thoroughly sick of being sick. Yuck.

Hopefully you are all well and enjoying the holidays. Without further delay…
Disclaimer: Sadly, no

~Chapter 9~

-Zuko-

She'd disappeared into the dark and just like that, his night had turned to shit. She hadn't given him a chance to explain. It wasn't that he hated Jet for no reason. The guy was a manipulative two-faced bastard and Zuko was just trying to spare Katara from finding out the hard way, but it had all blown up in his face. She had stormed off before he could tell her the most important thing he'd learned about Jet. While Jet was buddying up with everyone, he already had a girlfriend. Now, maybe it was nothing and Zuko was being overprotective, but that seemed like a pretty important detail.

After that, their little game of sneaking across camp seemed trivial. He was really quite done with it all and drained. He just wanted to go to bed. No…what he really wanted to do was talk to Katara, but right now she probably wouldn't listen to a word he had to say.

He sighed heavily as he trudged back to his cabin, not caring about who won the game. He sent a quick text to Uncle, letting him know he was out of the game.

Zuko: Don't feel good. I'm going to bed.
Uncle: Okay, I'll tell the others. Get some rest. I'll try Zuko thought.

He felt like crap. He just wanted the oblivion sleep provided.

Sleep did not prove a haven though. His dreams, or rather nightmares, plagued him. They started innocent enough…

He was in a grassy field. Next to him, Katara lay on her back. He looked over at her, noticing how the warm summer breeze played with the tips of her hair. He memorized the silhouette of her face, watching her eyes sparkle with amusement as she stared up at the sky. He couldn't help but think she looked beautiful.
"What are you staring at?" she asked him, turning her head.
"Nothing," he lied quickly, feeling his ears turn pink. She raised a skeptical eyebrow, "I…uh…er…" While he was trying to think what to say next, she started laughing. It wasn't her tinkling melodious laugh either. It was mocking, cruel. What?

The grassy scene vanished beneath him and he was falling. Laughter echoed around him and images of Jet danced in front of him.
"She's mine," he sneered, draping his arm over Katara's shoulders. "She's mine now." The last word echoed, harsher each time until it was a command.
"Now! Get in the car! Now Zuko!" his father yelled, standing by the driver's door of his old red Nissan. Zuko hesitated.
"Please, Father. You're drunk you-" he stammered before he was cut off.
"So I'm a drunk am I?" his father raged, "Is that the bullshit your mother has been telling you?" Zuko didn't want to be afraid of his father's fury, but he was. He'd seen what those fists could do.
"I-I…I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect Father." His father staggered around the car until he stood in front of Zuko. He reeked up whiskey and cigarettes.
"You will learn respect," he seethed, inches away. He raised his hand and Zuko flinched. "That's what I thought," he huffed. "Now," his words were slow and slurred but laced with furry, "Get in the fucking car." Zuko had no choice. He obeyed.

One moment their car was hurdling down the road, the next it was in the air before crashing. The force of the impact had knocked him out. When he came to, he kept his eyes closed. The suffocating smoke scratched at his lungs. He couldn't breathe. There was excruciating pain in his arm. It was worse than being stung by a thousand of bees at once. It was far worse than anything he could have imagined. He tried to open his eyes and see how to get out, but only one responded. In fact, part of the left side of his face felt numb. Numb…fire… His cloudy brain tried to unravel why numb seemed bad. Nerve endings he remembered instantly. That's when he started struggling in earnest. He knew the car would soon begin filling with fire. However, the heat and the smoke and the pain became too much and he drifted out of consciousness again.

Suddenly, he awoke in the hospital. Someone handed him a mirror. When he looked, the face staring back didn't belong to him, but Jet.

"No!" he shouted and lurched awake. Forgetting where he was, he sat up quickly and banged his head on the bunk above him. "Shit," he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut to dull the pain. With his eyes closed, he concentrated on breathing deeply. His heart pounded in his chest. His t-shirt was soaked with sweat. He dragged his hands over his face, trying to erase the nightmare. With a jolt, he dug his phone out from inside his pillowcase. Flipping on the front-facing camera he quickly pointed it at his scarred face. His fingers glided gently over the rugged flesh. He had regained most of the feeling back after a lengthy recovery, but the scar refused to fade. He was used to how it looked by now, but that night it seemed particularly nasty. It remained as a constant reminder of his failure, at least that's what he told himself for a while after the accident.

He collapsed back against his pillow, still breathing deeply. Fuck, he swore to himself. It had been a while since he had a nightmare that bad. He craned his neck to see Sokka sleeping soundly. Jet's curtain made it impossible to tell if he was in bed or not. Whatever. He checked the time on his phone. It was barely four in the morning. The sun was even still sleeping, yet he felt wide-awake. The solution came to him and made his lips twitch almost into a smile. Tea.

It turned out the predawn tea did help him calm down, but soon his eyelids were drooping. He was so tired, but he didn't want to haul himself back to his cabin. He put his cup in the sink and headed into Uncle's office. There he found Uncle's hidden key and stumbled upstairs.

The dusty sheets didn't bother him nor did the musty room. He had lived in worse conditions, but he didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about hiding with Azula under similar covers while their father shouted. He'd rather remember the blanket fort he built with Katara, watching her by flashlight as she told some story. He fell into an exhausted sleep picturing her endless blue eyes.

-Katara-

She hadn't slept well. Still, she hauled herself out of bed when her alarm went off at 7am. She walked up to the main lodge unsure of what she'd find. The events of the previous night swirled in her mind.

After she left Zuko, she ran at top speeds to the docks. She wasn't very focused and it's no wonder she was caught as soon as she stepped onto the main trail. It hadn't really mattered to her though. She didn't feel much like playing and had decided to turn in early.

She didn't really understand why Zuko seemed obsessed with hating Jet. Overall, Jet seemed like a nice guy. She groaned. Why couldn't they all just get along? She'd been forced to come to Camp Kyoshi by her father, but now that she was there, she hoped it'd be fun. It seemed a little stupid to be worrying about fun when her father was who knows where. He'd just left again, slipped through her fingers, slipped away.

She took a deep breath, willing away the tears, before she entered the main lodge.

Everyone seemed pretty normal. Suki and Iroh were absent, preparing breakfast no doubt.
"Morning," Jet greeted, smiling.
"Hey," she replied as she took a seat next to him. "What's up?"
"We're cleaning today," Sokka replied with an exaggerated sigh. "I can't wait until the campers get here in two days. Then we can watch them clean the bathrooms."
"But with all the extra bodies, we'll have to clean more often," Suki pointed out, poking her head out of the kitchen.
"True, but like I said they'll do the cleaning while we supervise," Sokka countered with a grin. Suki shook her head once before smirking and disappearing back into the kitchen.
"Are you sure your supervisor material?" Katara asked her brother, "Do I need to remind you of the time you babysat for our neighbors?" Sokka's eyes widened comically and everyone at the table laughed. Even Zuko chuckled.
"Which neighbors?" Jet asked, being first to regain himself, "Not Zuko." She instantly saw Zuko's smile fade. It almost hurt to see it vanish, but she wasn't sure why. Zuko seemed to clench his teeth, trying not to speak.
"Nah," Sokka waved the question off in a way only he could, oblivious to the tension, "This was after his family moved away. This was a family on our other side. I still say they falsely advertised the job!" Katara forced a laugh.
"What did you think they were going to do with that Great Dane?" she asked.
"I don't know!" Sokka shrugged, "I thought they'd take it with them!"
"To a movie…?"
"Yes," he replied matter-of-factly, defending his stand until the very last. She stuck her tongue out at him, which he mirrored.
"Whoa," Suki said, coming to sit next to Sokka, "What did I miss?"
"Katara doesn't think Sokka is supervisor material," Ty filled in. "To prove her point she reminded him of a babysitting incident he once had somehow involving a Great Dane."
"Oh and there was a parakeet!" Sokka remembered.
"Well, sounds like quite the story," Suki said. "How about some breakfast while we hear this story."
"Food!" Sokka yelled as he leapt to his feet. Katara smiled. This felt normal.

The only piece out of place was Zuko.

-Zuko-

He kept to himself for most of breakfast, barely raising his head. He had decided to give it all a rest. When Katara and he talked, he wanted them both to be calm. He needed her to hear him out, instead of storming off. This meant he couldn't fly off the handle either. If he was to remain calm during their talk, he'd need to be calm all day. Of course, Jet wasn't making it easier. Ass.

All during breakfast, he had to listen to Jet joke around and run his mouth. Once, Zuko had caught his eye and could have sworn the guy smirked. The effer knew damn straight what he was doing. Instead of focusing on how much he wanted to throttle Jet, he stared down at his bowl of oatmeal.

He really just wanted to talk to Katara. He didn't like the rift that had come between them. Instead, he had to listen to the cause of his suffering go on and on, recounting some grand adventure or whatever. He hadn't noticed Ty trying to get his attention until she tapped him.
"What's the matter?" she asked softly, tilting her head slightly like a confused puppy.
"Nothing," he replied, trying to smile. "I'm fine." They both knew that was a lie. She looked like she wanted him to admit to his troubles. Well, tough luck he thought. He had promised not to say things were okay when they weren't only to Katara, only her.
"Well," Ty said with a soft sigh, "if you ever want to talk… I know a thing or two about forcing a smile and not being yourself." She really was very kind, even to a grump like him.
"Thank you Ty," he gave her a small, genuine smile. Just then, Uncle came in for an announcement.
"So as you know, today you'll be cleaning. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Uncle smiled wryly, "After you finish the bathrooms, you can straighten the campers' cabins. Then we'll meet back here to go over our opening campfire program, break for lunch, and free time. After that, I will have two important announcements. At some point, we'll get back to work on the program. I want to make sure everybody knows their role here and what duties that contains. We can also go over the tentative calendar for the entire two weeks of camp, putting the events and times in your phones that may prove useful. Until then, happy cleaning. Supplies are in there already and the staff that's been here before knows what to do." Two more announcements? Zuko wondered what they could be.

Uncle insisted he could handle the dishes, so after breakfast everyone headed down to the bathrooms.
"Well this will be 'fun,'" Jet declared sarcastically. Katara nudged him. "Sorry," he amended.
"Come on Katara," Suki called as she and Ty headed towards the girl's bathroom.
"I'll catch you later 'Tara," Jet said smoothly.

Zuko had never minded cleaning before, but in close quarters with Jet? It was going to be 'fun' indeed.

-Katara-

"What's up with you and Jet?" Ty asked as soon as it was just the three ladies.
"Uh…" Katara didn't even know what to say. Was there something going on? She wasn't even sure.
"Ty!" Suki admonished, equally shocked.
"What?" Ty shrugged, "It's a valid question. Aren't you curious?"
"Maybe but it's none of our business," Suki reasoned.
"What about you and Sokka then? You two seem pretty cozy. He seemed bummed not to help you wash dishes today." Suki blushed.
"Okay, okay," Katara intervened, "Let's just start cleaning." She opened the closet and rolled out the cleaning supplies.

The seconds ticked by where they moved in silence.
"Sorry ladies," Ty apologized, looking up from the floor she was moping. They all shared a small smile.
"It's okay," Katara said.
"Yeah," Suki agreed, "apology accepted."
"I didn't mean to pry…" Ty gave a little laugh, "Okay, I guess I did, but not like that. I've always been kind of a blurter. I've also been told a talk too much. Also, that I wear too much pink and I'm too happy. You can probably see now why I don't have very many friends…" Without another thought, Katara put down her duster and went to embrace Ty.
"Hey," she soothed as she hugged the girl.
"I haven't known you long, but I've already seen how kind you are," Suki assured her.
"And you're not too pink or happy. You're you," Katara added. Ty sniffed.
"That's all I've ever wanted to be, myself," she smiled weakly. "Thank you. You guys are the best."

When at last they broke apart, she felt like she knew Ty just a little bit better.
"Between the three of us, this bathroom will be clean in no time," Suki said, smiling. They cheered and resumed cleaning. As they cleaned, they chatted. They talked about everything and nothing. Favorite past times, TV shows, music, and just anything. It was nice. It had been a while since Katara had just chatted with some girl friends.

After they finished, they cleaned out the cabin for the campers and returned to the main lodge. They all regrouped and sang songs and practiced a few skits. The laughs continued even through lunch. Not surprisingly, Sokka volunteered to help with the dishes and Katara caught Suki's shy smile. She was joking around with Ty and Jet when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. It was Zuko.
"Hey," Jet said gruffly before Katara could respond.
"Hi," she said to Zuko, ignoring Jet, "What's up?"
"Can we…can we talk?" he asked tentatively. Maybe she should hear him out… She was now feeling a little guilty for running out on him last night. She hadn't wanted to listen then, but maybe now, in the light of day, it was time. If she knew why he disliked Jet maybe she could make peace between them.
"But we were talking," Jet responded. She frowned. She didn't like other people speaking on her behalf. She stood.
"Yeah Zuko," she replied, "of course." Together they walked out of the main lodge.

They were both silent for a moment as they headed towards the lake.
"Zuko-" she started to say.
"Katara-" he said at the exact same moment. "Uh… you go first."
"I uh…" she suddenly felt a little sheepish, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for last night…running off. It was just…"
"You like him," Zuko said without a hint of sarcasm. She felt her cheeks go red. Her instant response was to say no, but was that true? She wanted to be honest with Zuko no matter what.
"Uh...I don't know," she admitted.
"I see," his jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything else.
"So what were you going to say?" she asked after the minutes ticked by in silence.

-Zuko-

Shit. Should he tell her? He tried not to let it show how it hurt when she admitted she may like Jet. He had hoped his statement would have been shot down. It'd make his decision so much easier. Just do it he told himself. He took a breath, gathering his courage.
"I learned that…" he sighed and restarted, "Jet was talking the other day…and he told me-"
"Sorry to interrupt," a girl's voice said and he and Katara turned, "but could you show me to the main lodge?" Beside the girl was a golden retriever on a short leash. The girl was eleven maybe? Her dark hair hung in her eyes. It only took Zuko a second to realize her unblinking blue eyes could not see.
"Uh yeah," Katara said, coming to the same conclusion.
"Great," the girl smiled, "Thanks Sweetness. My name is Toph and this fuzz ball is Bandit."
"'Toph'" Zuko repeated, "As in Toph Beifong?"
"Yeah, what about it Your Highness?" Toph bit back.
"Your family is the camp's benefactors," he explained.
"Yeah, I know."
"Uh here," Katara moved to gently link arms with the girl, "The main cabin is this way." The three of them (and Bandit) walked up the trail to the lodge.
"So…are you going to be a camper?" he asked, filling the silence.
"Well, I didn't come out here to admire the scenery," she replied. "Who are you? Captain Obvious?"
"No," he said with a frown. "I'm Zuko. My uncle runs this camp."
"Oooh," Toph said with fake fascination. They walked through the doors before he could think of a response. Uncle noticed as soon as they entered.
"Ah," Uncle looked up with a smile, "I see you have already met. Everyone else, we have a very special camper joining us today. Let's give the warmest of welcomes to Toph Beifong and her seeing eye dog Bandit." Everyone else came over to welcome their first camper.

Toph shrugged off the attention.
"Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you," Toph said, "Is that grilled cheese I smell?"
"Yes," Suki replied with a smile, "Would you like some?"
"Yeah, thanks," she enthusiastically moved through the group, following Suki.
"Now there is another announcement," Uncle said after glancing out the window. "I know this is rather last minute," he admitted, "but I decided we could use an extra pair of hands and eyes, someone who has also agreed to assist Toph with anything. That being said, I'd like to introduce an addition to our staff." He turned towards the door and all eyes followed. The door opened and there was the last person Zuko expected to see at Camp Kyoshi. A duffle bag was slung over her shoulder as she trudged through the door.
"Mai," he whispered as his eyes widened.

a/n Well, lots of drama this chapter, eh? Thanks for reading! Also...TOPH! Who saw that coming? (There was a hint in ch 2 that she'd be coming.) What did you think of everything? Leave me a review to let me know. All in all, I hope you liked the chapter and that you have an amazing new year.