*Here is Chapter two. Tell me what you think by REVIEWING. Yes reviews make me want to write faster. It's my motivation and I love to find out what you guys really think about this story. Also as a reminder this is set a little after boiling rock.
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Air Bender or any of its amazing characters.*

Chapter 2

The early morning sunlight filtered into the empty hallway. Zuko watched its pattern on the floor. Why was he even here waiting for her? He should never have come, Zuko told himself ruthlessly. He shouldn't have promised to show her around in the first place; he had things to do, like teaching Aang firebending. With a soft sigh, Zuko continued to watch the ever changing patterns on the floor. He guessed this could work. He had woken Aang up this morning for mediation, which after completing the young airbender quickly retreated to his bed. They were supposed to meet up before lunch to start their real training underway. Sure it was early and he felt guilty for waking Katara up, but if she wanted this tour than she would just have to put up with the time.

He remembered whenhe had entered her room to wake her. He had found her sound asleep on her bed, one arm thrown across her body. He remembered how delicate her face looked. The sweep of her cheek bones gave her dignity. Her mocha skin was too pale, as though the life and youth had been washed out of it. Her hair, a rich mahogany, was brushed straight back, leaving her face vulnerable. Lying there he saw how truly fragile she really was. He noticed that the bruise on her left cheek, which eerily resembled a hand, was now a faded black. Glancing at her exposed wrist he noticed that her wrists that were rubbed raw were also healing but at a very slow pace. He remembered how anger rolled though him. He was mad, mad at the people who had done this to her. It had been six days since her disappearance, two days since he had found her in the woods surrounding the temple, yet no one knew what she had been through. When he had gently shaken her shoulder to wake her, she had immediately tensed up. As her blue eyes fluttered open they became wide in fear as they darted nervously around the room as her fingers tightened on the sheets until they were white. Seeming to recognize the small room, she turned her gaze to Zuko and as she saw him her body finally started to relax.
It was obvious, he thought as he continued to stare at the shifting patterns, she still couldn't remember anything.
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"So this is the echo chamber," Katara asked as she stifled another yawn. Sure she had a feeling Zuko would come to get her early, but seriously did it have to be this early?

"Impressive," she said with a low whistle which bounced off the walls. She slowly exited the room with Zuko behind her. She liked the fact that he let her explore the temple herself and answered her questions as they came. It made her feel in control of at least some part of her life, which was currently a mess. The temple was huge. They had spent most of the morning just exploring the western side.

"Zuko?" she asked coming to stand in front of him.

"Yes," he replied as he stared down at her smaller form.

"Please tell me what happened to me."

"I don't know the details."

"You must," she corrected, watching him. "If not all, you have some, I want them."

He studied her. Fragile, he could see it again just like he had when she was sleeping, but under that fragility was a core of the strength that she used to posses. She'd have to build on it again.

"Last Sunday afternoon you went out for a walk to let off some steam. You didn't come back that night and the next morning we found your water skins left by the river in the woods surrounding the temple. We searched for you nonstop but it was as if you had vanished without a trace. We came to the conclusion that you were abducted and being held against your will." He didn't add how everyone had been frantic when she hadn't return and how it was his fault that she had left. They had gotten into another fight just before she stormed off claiming that she needed to blow off some steam. That night when she hadn't returned they had set out searching for her. They had looked everywhere; from the small Fire Nation villages and woods that surrounded the Air Temple to the entire temple itself. Aang was close to giving up hope of ever finding her when they had found the empty water skins; if it wasn't for Toph he would have lost it completely. Nor had he mentioned that Sokka was a mess; he slept very little and spent all his time searching. Suki was with him on most of those searches. He, himself, had felt horrible it had been his fault that she left and if anything happened to her he doubt he would ever forgive himself. Everyone was starting to lose hope by the fourth day she was missing. He wouldn't give up; he refused to so in a desperate attempt he decided to search the surrounding woods once more it was mere luck that she had run into him. He remembered seeing her standing before him, her hair was matted and in a wild mess. She was bleeding from several cuts on her legs, hands, and arms. Her blue water tribe dress was ripped to shreds and there were scorch marks on the hem of it. A black bruise was on her cheek and she was skinner than Zuko last remember. He recalled the panic that had overcome him when he saw her collapse. He carried her in his arms all the way to the temple taking his time so not to jostle her.

"Kidnapped." Katara's fingers reached out and gripped his, getting his attention. She saw images, shadows. A small dark room. The smell of…blasting jelly and fire. She remembered the nausea, the headaches, the heat. The terror came back, but little else. "It won't come clear," she murmured. "Somehow I know it's true, but there's a film I can't brush away."

"I'm no doctor," Zuko spoke in brisk tones because her fight to find herself affected him too strongly. "But I'd say not to push it. You'll remember when you're ready to remember."

"Easy to say." She released his hand. "But Zuko someone's stolen my life from me."

"Katara…"

"So where are we headed now?"

Zuko just shook his head. "We're not going anywhere. I'm going to go find Aang so we can train, while you are going to get some food."

She rolled her eyes at him. "So where can I get this food?"

"In the courtyard," he said as he started to walk down the hallway again with Katara trailing after him.

Several paces down the hall a door opened. Katara knew the boy to be her brother. She tried to empty herself so that any emotions she might feel would have room.

"Katara." Sokka didn't rush like Zuko would have thought he would, but he came forward steadily, watching her. When he stood in front of her, he lifted his hand and rested it on her hair gently. The gesture seemed natural, as if he had done so time and again in the past. The past, she thought, she didn't have.

"I've missed you. No one has shouted at me in a week."

"I…" Floundering, she said nothing. What should she say? What should she feel? She knew only that this was too much and she hadn't been as prepared as she'd thought.

"Hey I bet you haven't eaten in a while. How 'bout we go get something to eat?" Sokka asked coming to her rescue.

"Yeah," she said taking a deep breath before she continued, "Sounds good. Zuko was just about to show me where I can get some but I guess you can do that now." She turned to Zuko giving him a quiet smile.

"Thank you for the tour. Since Sokka is here I guess you can go train with Aang now."

"Right," he said giving her a nod before he turned to walk back down the hallway they had just come down.

"You look much stronger, Katara."

There was so much to say, yet she had so little. Details eluded her. Instead there were feelings. She didn't feel odd as she walked with Sokka.

She turned to look at Sokka again, searching, "I know what panda lilies smell like. I know what direction I should look to see the sun rise over the water and what it looks like at dawn. But I don't know if I'm a kind person or a selfish one. I don't know if I've done well with my life or if I've wasted it.

It tore at him to watch her walk calmly beside him, trying to explain why she couldn't give him the love that he was entailed and used to.

"I could give you the answers." She nodded, as she thought.

"But you won't." It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. Sokka sighed as he looked at her.

"I believe that if you find the answers yourself, you will find more."
"Perhaps," she said looking down, "I've already discovered I'm impatient."

He grinned at her. Katara found herself drawn to him, smiling back. "Then you have already started to find those answers."

"Hmm then I will just have to be satisfied with a beginning."

"Katara, I have a feeling you won't be satisfied with that for long." Katara nodded as she kept thinking.

"Since you won't tell me about myself." She looked at Sokka again and her eyes were direct, her voice strong. "Tell me about the Water Tribes." She'd pleased him. Katara could see it in the way his lips curved just slightly. "The Water Tribe is divided into two nation-states. The Southern Water Tribe in the South Pole, where we are from, and the Northern Water Tribe in the North Pole. The Tribes are home to waterbenders, healers, and warriors." he said, and she heard the pride he held for his homeland. "Our father is the chief. We are a small tribe compared to our larger sister tribe in the north. Father is a good, kind ruler and everyone is essentially happy. But ever since the Fire Nation came and took all our benders away our tribe has suffered terribly." She could hear the resentment that his voice held for what had happened to his people.

"I see." After a moment's thought Katara tilted her head. "And how are woman of our tribe treated?"

It was like her to ask, he thought. While she didn't remember, the questing mind remained, and the compassion. "They are treated more like equals than ever before but that was thanks to you and your determination."

"What is it like?"

He chuckled slightly before answering. "There is a lot of snow and ice. We used to have a magnificent city of ice but then the Fire Nation destroyed it during the raids. Our people now live in igloos and tents hidden in the snow. In the Northern Water Tribe they were able to beat back the Fire Nation and their great city remains. All the buildings are built out of snow and ice as well and they use intricate water streets to get around. Both of the tribes depend on the ocean for our food and clothing."

"It must be a sight. Have I ever been there?"

"Yes, you have. That is where you learned waterbending from Master Pakku."

"I see."

She nodded her head as her hand went instinctively to her necklace, "Sokka was this necklace really your…our mother's?"

"It is a custom in our tribes that a man will carve a symbol of his choice into a blue pendant that will be worn by his betrothed. So to answer your question, yes it was our mothers. It started out as GranGran's betrothal necklace which she had then given to mom who in turn passed it on to you."

She saw pain flicker across his face as he talked about their mother yet she still couldn't feel it. They stopped in front of large doors with very detailed carvings of sky bisons adorning it.

"Here we are, hopefully Suki left something out for us," Sokka said as he pushed open the doors and strode into the infamous courtyard she had heard so much about. Slowly she let her eyes scan the room. It tugged at her, welcoming her. This sense of peace wasn't something she imagined. It was as real as the fear she had felt not long before. It was like the hallways with its beautiful mosaics and wide ceilings and archways. What caught her eye the most was the sparkling fountain in the middle of the vast courtyard.

"Where is everyone," she asked as she looked around the deserted room.

"Who knows," said Sokka as he rooted around for something to eat.

"Awesome! Suki saved us some breakfast."

Katara smiled as she watched her brother celebrate over his finding of food. She shook her head as she made his way over to where he sat digging into his own meal.

"Seriously, Sokka where is everyone?"

"Toph's probably still asleep she usually doesn't show up 'till lunch. Suki is off training. Zuko and Aang are doing their jerkbending. Everyone else, who knows? Really, they'll show up eventually. Here eat it while it's still warm," he said handing her a bowl.

"Jerkbending?" she asked, "What is that?"

"Another way to say firebending; I just like jerkbending better," answered Sokka between mouthfuls of food.

"Oh," said Katara as she looked down at the bowl in which was a milky soup looking dish.

Slowly, almost cautiously she lifted the spoon to her mouth and took a bite. "This is so good. What is it?"

"Jook. Zuko taught us how to make it." He said shrugging as he continued to eat. Katara just shrugged and went back to eating. A comfortable silence engulfed the two as they ate.
The two Water Tribe siblings had just finished their late breakfast when they heard people approaching.

"It must be Aang," Sokka said standing up. Katara soon followed his example. "I guess training is done." The warrior rolled his shoulders.

Just as Sokka finished rolling his tense shoulders the grand door flew open. A young boy, he couldn't have been over 12 years old thought Katara, with blue tattooed arrows on his head and arms dashed in. Then he was on her, embracing her with all the strength and enthusiasm of youth. "I'd just finished training when Toph told me that you were in the courtyard."
Katara felt waves of love coming from him, and looked helplessly over his shoulder to Sokka.

"Katara needs rest, Aang."

"Of course." Grinning, he drew back, keeping her hands tight in his. He looked so young, she thought, so happy and carefree. When he saw her face, his storm gray eyes sobered quickly.

"You don't remember? Still?"

She wanted to reach out to him. He seemed to need it. But all she could do was squeeze the hand that held hers. "I'm sorry."

He opened his mouth, then shut it again, when they heard a shout from the doorway. Seeing who it was, he released her hand as he greeted the other girl.

"Twinkle Toes, earthbending practice is in 10 minutes." Leaning against the door frame was the girl with midnight black hair and pale green eyes. She remembered Zuko telling her that she was blind but could still see something to do with vibrations through the ground.
"Hey Sugar Queen. How you feeling?" The girl than preceded to push herself off the wall and approach the small group.

"Better than yesterday."

"Good 'cause nobody has been nagging me in almost a week and to tell you the truth I'm starting to miss it. So you still can't remember."

"Sorry." Katara said looking down.

"Nonsense," said Aang as he returned to her side. His voice was cheerful, "You'll remember soon enough now that you are up. Toph and me thought we would have to wait until this afternoon to visit you, but this is so much better."

He was talking quickly, she was sure, to put both her and himself at ease. Escape. The need for it rolled around inside her. She wanted to turn around and walk out, go back to her safe, impersonal room. There weren't so many demands there, so many of these unspoken questions that hung on the air. She wouldn't feel such an outpouring of love, or the need from those around her to return it. Had she ever? She wondered. When she remembered who she was, would she find a cold, unfeeling person?

Sokka had seen her tense. "Everything is going to be all right now."

From somewhere she found the strength to smile. "Yes, of course Sokka."

Several paces down the hallway Katara spied through the open door two more people walking down the hallway towards the courtyard.

"Hey Suki, thanks for leaving some breakfast out," said Sokka as a girl walked over to stand beside him. When she reached him she gave him a small smile and in return gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Turning to look at Katara Suki smiled, "Katara, it's good to see that you are up. You are looking much better."

"Thank you." Katara said. Then over Suki's shoulder, she saw Zuko.

Obviously he was the other person who Katara had spied walking towards them but had stood back to watch the reunion. Another time she might resent it, but now she found she needed his calm impartiality. Hanging on to control, she touched her brother's hand. "I'm sorry, I'm very tired."

She saw something flicker in Sokka's ocean blue eyes, but then he stepped back. "Of course you are. You should rest. I'll take you to your room."

"No." Katara struggled not to let the refusal sound as blunt as it was. "Forgive me, I need some time. Perhaps Zuko wouldn't mind taking me."

"Katara---" Aang's protest was immediately quelled by Sokka. "Zuko you don't mind do you?"

"Of course." He stepped forward and gently led her away from the group. He thought he heard her sigh in relief. "Katara?"

He led her away, up the stairs, where she paused to once to look back at the group who watched. She seemed so distant from them, so separated. The pull and tug of emotion came and went, so that she climbed the rest of the stairs in silence.

She recognized some of the mosaics and statues that were in the wide, opened hallway and took that as a good sign.

"How is it I'm loved like this?" Katara murmured.

Zuko walked on and without turning to look at her said quietly, "People generally want to be loved."

"Don't people generally wonder if they deserve it?" With an impatient shake of her head, she went on. "It's as if I've stepped into a body. The body has a past, but I don't. Inside this body, I look out and see other's reactions to it."

"You could use it to your advantage."

She sent him a quick, interested look. "In what way?"

"You have the advantage of seeing the people around you without having your own emotions color what you see. Observation without prejudice. It might be an interesting way to understand yourself."

She didn't relax so much as accept. "You see now why I asked you to bring me up?"

"Do I?" He looked down at her from the corner of his eye.

"I thought only moments ago that I wanted no more strangers in my life. And yet…You haven't any strong feelings for me and you don't expect them in return. It's easy for you to look at me and be practical."

He studied her now in the misty light of the corridor. It wasn't possible for a man to look at her and think practical thoughts, but it wasn't the time to mention that. "You were frightened down there, in the courtyard."

She tilted her chin and met his golden eyes. "Yes."

"So you've decided to trust me."

"No." She smiled then, beautifully. Something of the girl that was lost. "Trust isn't something I can give so quickly under the circumstances."

"What have you decided, then?" He could see the strength and confidence she once had return.

"I think your help as a stranger might be invaluable." He simply raised an eyebrow at her. Taking a deep breath she continued on. "I'd like to consider you as more of a buffer between me and …"

"Your friends and brother?" He finished.

Her lashes swept down and her fingers tightened into fists. "Don't make it sound so cold."'

Some part of him wanted to comfort her. But at the moment that would have been a mistake. He had to remind himself that. "You've a right to the time and distance you need, Katara."

"They have needs, as well. I'm not unaware of that." Her head came up again, but she looked beyond him to the door they had stopped in front of. "This is my room?

For a moment she'd looked so lost, so totally lost. He wanted to offer comfort, but like before he knew it was the last thing she wanted or needed. "Yes."

"Would you think I was a coward if I said I didn't want to go in alone?"

For an answer, he opened the door and walked in just ahead of her. She didn't know why but for some reason she just didn't want to be alone just yet. Turning to look out the window she saw that the morning mist had vanished and was replaced with a breathtaking view. The sun was shining down on the cavern below and she noticed the other parts of the upside down temple she had yet to explore. Whoever had designed was a great architect even though some of the towers were broken and crumbling.

"Why am I blocking this out," she demanded suddenly. When she turned around Zuko saw that the calm, reserved girl he had brought up had turned into an impassioned and desperate one.

"Why do I block out what I want so badly to remember."

"Maybe there are other things you're not ready to remember."

"I can't believe this," she stated as she began to pace, rubbing her hands against each other. "I can't bear having this wall between me and myself."

Fragility aside, he thought, there was still a great deal of passion. "You'll have to be patient." And as he said he knew it was exactly the wrong thing to say.

"Patient?" With a laugh she dragged a hand through her hair. "Why am I so sure that's something I'm not? I feel as if I could push one brick, just one brick out of the wall, the rest would crumble away. But how?" She continued to move, quickly, with the same grace as the element she controlled. "You could help me."

"Your friends and brother are here for that."

"No." The toss of her head was regal, and though her voice was soft, it held command. "They know me, of course, but their feelings—and mine—will keep the wall up longer than I can stand. They look at me and hurt I because don't know them."

"But I don't know you like they do."

"Exactly." She swept her hair away from her face with a gesture that seemed less impatient than habitual. "You'll be objective. Because you won't constantly try to protect my feelings, you won't pull at them. See what I mean?"

Zuko frowned as he dipped his hands into his pockets. "Whatever you say."

"Now I've annoyed you." With a shrug, she walked to him. "Well I suppose we'll annoy each other a great deal before it's over. I'll be honest with you, not because I want your pity, but because I have to say it to someone. I feel so alone." Her voice wavered only slightly. The sun rushing through the window betrayed her by revealing her real pallor. "I have nothing I can see or touch that I know is mine. It isn't possible for me to look back a year and remember something funny or sad or sweet."

He touched her. Perhaps he shouldn't have, but he couldn't stop. His fingers lifted to her face and just skimmed her unbruised cheek. "But you will Katara."

She managed a smile, but her hand reached up to grip his tightly. The contact seemed a bit too natural for both of them, but neither broke it. "Tell me, do you care for my friends and family?"

"Yes."

"Then help me give them back the woman they need. Help me find her. In one week I've lost fourteen years. I need to know why. You must understand that."

"I understand." He understood better than most; because of his father he had lost over two years of his life and will forever be scarred because of it. But still he told himself he shouldn't be touching her. "It doesn't mean I can help."

"But you can. You can because you have no need. Don't be patient with me, be harsh. Don't be kind, be hard."

He continued to hold her hand. "It might not be healthy for me to give a master waterbender a hard time."

She laughed. It was the first time he had heard it since joining their group, yet he had remembered the sound of it. And he remembered, as she didn't. Staying wasn't wise, he knew. But he couldn't leave. Not quite yet. Her fingers relaxed in his. "You say that as if I actually remember how to bend."

Suddenly she looked young and at ease. "Hmm I guess I could grant you immunity, Zuko. Herby you have my permission to shout, probe, prod, and be a general nuisance without fear of me retaliating."

"You will to have that document?" He asked with a smirk.

"As soon as I find some paper."

The intensity was gone. Pale and weary she might be, but her smile was lovely. He felt something else from her now. Hope and determination. He'd help her, Zuko thought. Later, perhaps, he'd ask himself why.

"Your word is good enough," he said as he released her hand and took a step back.

"I appreciate what you're doing."

"You won't always." When he reached the door, he judged the distance to be enough. Then he looked back, and she was still in front of the window. Light rioted in, flowing across her hair, shimmering over her skin. "Let it rest for today, Katara," he told her quietly. "Tomorrow we can start knocking at that brick."

Yes I know this is an extremely late update hopefully you haven't lost faith in me or this story. This chapter has been written on paper for a while now and with school starting up again I just haven't had time to type the silly thing. But hopefully updates will be coming more frequently now hopefully but please let me know what you think about this chapter even if it is to yell at me about how late this is. PLEASE REVIEW they inspire me to write more. So the more I get the better chances of an update there are. Anyway once again very sorry with how late this is. Great thanks to my beta mythreedeadlysins, without her betaing skills this story wouldn't be half as good as I hoped. Thanks again and don't forget to review. Ok so I fixed up this chapter hopefully its easier to read now. I'm getting started on ch 3 as we speak but my life is so confusing and hectic and filled with issues at the moment (dumb boys) that I can't really say when I will update next maybe three weeks but I cant promise anything sorry. But please review and make my days a little bit better