Missing

Uncle is happy. He keeps talking about how some rich person wants to sponsor him and give him his own teashop and stuff. Apparently, he and Zuko will be moving to the Upper Ring once it's all sorted. This is good news for Katara. Uncle and Zuko will be bound to take her with them and then it'll be that much easier for her to get back to her brother and friends. She can almost taste her freedom. Maybe Aang will even find a way for her to get normal again.

Still, she can't help but notice that Zuko is not happy. He scowls and sighs and mutters. He paces and fidgets and taps his fingers on anything close to him. It's actually kind of annoying. She can't relax with him acting like some restless, grumpy-faced grump.

"That's it!" she declares, and clambers onto his lap. Prince Idiot is weak to her cat form. She is sure this will distract him, maybe even calm him.

Except he just picks her up and plonks her on the floor (albeit gently).

"Not now, Cat," he mutters.

She blinks, watching as he retreats to his room. How did that not work? It always works.

Uncle sighs. "I'm sorry, Nephew," he says under his breath. "I wish I could make this easier for you …"

Her frown deepens. Of course she knows that Zuko is not thrilled about living in Ba Sing Se or settling into his life as "Lee the refugee", but it seems like there is something more going on here. Something she is missing.

She limps her way into his room and finds him looking at a wrinkled paper. All the creases suggest it's been crumpled up into his fist more than once. He sighs and lets it drop to his bed, putting it right in her line of sight. Her eyes widen. The paper has the characters for "Missing" in big, bold print. Under it are two pictures: one of herself and one of Appa. Below that is Aang's contact information.

Is this what has got Zuko so bothered?

"Hey!" she says.

He glances down at her, brow creasing. Then he just sighs again and sits next to her. "The Avatar and his friends are in the city."

No duh.

"I didn't know," he admits. "I thought it was over. I thought I'd never get another chance, but now …"

A wriggly weight settles in her stomach. "What are you saying?"

"I can't ignore this." He clenches his hands into fists. "I can't be like Uncle. I can't just settle here and forget everything. This is my chance to make things right, Cat."

"Wait, you're not planning to—"

"I have to capture the Avatar."

She acts fast, snatching up the leaflet and ripping into it with her claws and teeth.

"Hey! Don't do that!"

His hands come for her, but she lashes out at him in a flurry of scratches. A hiss escapes him. There are red lines all over his hands, and he sucks at one of the cuts.

"What's with you?" he demands.

"I'm not letting you get Aang!"

She continues to attack the leaflet until it's a shredded mess. He doesn't stop her this time, but he does look very grumpy.

"Whatever," he mutters. "Keep the leaflet. I remember the details anyway."

He tries to walk away, but she latches onto his ankle with her claws.

"Cut it out!" he snaps.

"No! I won't let you go! I won't let you hurt my friend!"

Zuko manages to prise her off and holds her up, though he's careful to keep her back far enough so she can't attack him again. "You've gone crazy."

"You're the one who's gone crazy! I thought you'd changed, but I see you're just the same jerk who attacked my village!"

His frown deepens.

"You're a horrible person!" she hisses.

There's a pause where they just stare at each other.

"Sometimes I feel like you really do understand what's going on," he whispers. "But you can't stop me now, Cat. This is the task I was given. This is what my father wants, and I … I can't let him down. I want my life back. I want to go home. Can't you understand that?"

"What I understand is that you don't care what happens to the world! All you care about is yourself!"

He sighs and places her down. She glowers at his back as he leaves to treat his cuts.

oOo

"Cat."

She ignores him.

"Cat, c'mon. Don't be like that."

She glares at him from the little hiding spot she's found in the main living area, tucked down where his hands can't get her unless he wants to be scratched or have his finger bitter again.

He exhales heavily and runs his bandaged hand though his hair. "Fine. Stay here on your own. See what I care."

He stomps off to his bedroom. She remains stiff and angry. The floor is cold—nothing at all like the cuddly warmth of sleeping pressed next to him—but she refuses to be near him now. She doesn't even want to look at him. There's an ache in her chest that won't go away. It's like something has been broken, leaving jagged edges that scrape and prick at her heart.

It feels like she's lost a friend.