I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of the namesor characters of the show. I merely control them for my own twisted pleasure from this point in the story on.

Chapter 25: Agree to Disagree

Zuko ran. Trees passed by him as blurs when he sprinted until his legs were weak with strain.

Had he really just done that? Without warning his mind had switched gears immediately after she'd said the airbender brat was near. In the half second it had taken him to realize he'd done so, four plans had formed in his head to capture the Avatar.

He knew that he couldn't face Katara anymore, not after betraying her like that. She trusted him and even now he still knew he had to capture the Avatar to go home. He'd been an idiot not to think about that before he decided to accept her love in his heart.

Now what did he do? Capturing the brat was his only hope of things going back to normal, and he was in love with one of the boy's most adamant protectors. What had he been thinking?!

Frustration made him stop running and sadness made him fall to his knees in the dirt. Grief filled him at the hopelessness of his situation, and he held his heads in his hands. What was he doing?

He stood slowly, and walked until he could feel his legs, all the while caught between guilt and hopelessness. If Katara knew what he'd been thinking she'd leave; she was a loyal person, so very much like his uncle, and her friendship with the Avatar would stop her from just letting Zuko take him.

But could he let it go?

A tremor shook the ground and Zuko stumbled on his weak legs. Another loud noise caught his attention, and he turned towards it slowly. It sounded like someone was yelling. All they needed was another attack by Sho and his men so he went to investigate.

"No! We don't have time to camp! We need to find my sister!" Zuko panicked at the sound of the Katara's brother's voice.

"Sokka, can it!"

"No Toph, I not going to can it, not until you two start listen to me!"

They were here, no more than 300 yards away from his camp, right within his reach. Right within hers.

"We've been listening to you for a week! Shut up!"

Zuko crept closer to where the voices were coming from. Hiding behind a large boulder, he looked around to see the Avatar and his two companions unloading the giant bison. The blind girl was still in the giant's saddle, tossing various items down at the Avatar and missing every time.

"She's Katara!" She yelled, "She can take care of herself! Even I figured that out and we only met like a week ago."

"That's not the point. If we can't find her out here…" Katara's brother threw his club at the ground and balled his hands into fists. "We don't even know if she is out here. For all we know Sho could have her."

The Avatar sighed loudly. "I told you already; Katara's safe with the Blue Spirit. He…" the Avatar paused, and Zuko vaguely wondered what the brat was going to say about him. "He wouldn't let Sho take her…I trust him that much."

"I don't," the water tribe youth yelled back. "I don't know him! For we know he could be Fire Nation. And from all you haven't said, I'm starting to think I'm right!"

Zuko had to the give the guy some credit: he either had incredible instincts or was incredibly paranoid.

"Sokka?"

Zuko's heart dropped into his stomach at the sound of Katara's voice. He turned quickly to see her coming out the trees behind him, a huge smile on her face. She started to run through to her friends.

Panicking, he grabbed her roughly by the arm as she ran past and seized her other arm to pin both behind her back. Zuko kept them there with one hand while the other covered her nose and mouth. He knew he was probably hurting her, but he was so desperate to get her away that he almost didn't care.

Forcing her backwards, he used his superior physical strength to pull her through the trees with him. He ignored the fact that she was struggling violently, and managed to get far enough away to where the yelling couldn't be heard anymore.

When he did let her go, she punched him in the face.

He stumbled backwards from the force of her blow, and tripped over something on the ground. Landing on his, side he looked up at her. Her eyes were hidden beneath her hair as she hung her head and her fist was still curled at her side.

A tear rolled down her cheek and finally, Zuko realized what he'd just done.

"Zuko," her voice was soft and he flinched.

He was mad at her. Mad because she said she would stay, and mad that her automatic reaction had been to go back to her friends…

Just as his had been to capture them.

He slowly got up, backing away. He jumped when his back hit a tree. Rounding it, he turned to ran from her and fell on his face when something wet and cold grabbed his ankle and took him down.

As she chased after Zuko, she thought she heard her brother's voice, and as he caught up to the prince, she was sure.

"Sokka?" Her brother's name had simply popped out. She ran forward; they had to be just on the other side of the rock.

Hands grabbed her and pinned her arms behind her back. A hand covered her mouth and nose to keep her from screaming and she struggled against them. What was going on? Who was-!

Zuko.

Zuko hands were around hers and covering her mouth. In her excitement at seeing her friends, she'd completely forgotten her promise to stay with him. He was hurting her but she was sure she'd hurt him more.

It didn't stop her from punching him when he let her go, but it did stop her from using waterbending on him. He fell backwards unto the ground, and she just stared at the dirt.

What was she going to do? How could she have done that to him? She knew she was crying but it didn't matter. He'd leave now, she knew he's go. She betrayed him and he no reason to stay. She wouldn't let him go, not without apologizing to him first.

"Zuko, "she said softly, and looked at him directly. He stood up slowly and backed away; her breath caught in her throat. He was running again, and she didn't know if she had the strength to case him.

But when he really did turn to run, her reaction was anger. She bended a water whip quickly and wrapped it around his ankle, tripping him to the ground. As soon as he turned to look at her, she jumped on him.

"Don't you dare!" He wasn't going to leave her behind; she'd make him stay. Fear made her voice shrill but she didn't care. All that mattered was keeping him there. She bended ice around his wrists to keep him on the ground and stared down at him.

"Don't you dare!" she yelled and jumped on him, freezing his hands to the ground on either side of his head and sitting on his chest. Suddenly he was staring into the face of the girl he'd fought at the North Pole. Katara was just as fierce and just as furious at him as she had been that day.

Only now there was no confidence behind her movements, only fear.

"You're leaving me behind, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

"What?" the comment had surprised him so much he didn't know what else to say. She was worried that he was leaving her behind? She didn't attack him because he'd kept her away?

"Katara-"

She didn't give him time to talk as she brought her mouth down hard on his own in a bruising kiss. Stunned at her aggressive show of affection, it took him a few seconds to kiss her back, but when he did, she relaxed and backed off only enough to put her forehead on his own.

"What was that?" he asked in a breathless voice.

"I'm sorry," she said and rubbed her cheek in his hair. Then, blushing, she got off of his chest. "That was me freaking out a little bit."

Because she seemed to be okay now, he melted the ice around his wrists and sat up beside her. "Only a little bit?" he asked stunned. "So, you're not mad at me?"

She sighed and looked over at him. "Zuko, why are you chasing Aang?"

The question was so blunt he wondered how long she'd wanted to ask it. As he thought about it, the answer was so simple that he shook his head. "I told you already, to restore my honor."

She looked down at the ground, and he watched as her hand curled into a fist, taking a clump of dirt with it. "Your honor is important to you." It hadn't been a question.

"Yes." His whole future depended on getting it back.

"Why?"

"Because it's…" How could he describe it? He thought back to Zhao and the time when they'd dueled. His uncle had saved him from a getting a cheap shot in the back, and Zuko had known then that Zhao didn't have any honor.

Honor was the code that he lived by. Honor was what made him deserving of the throne to his kingdom. Honor that only his father could grant him now. "It's what makes me a man and not a child."

She raised her eyes to look at him, and he reached out to touch her cheek. He didn't expect her to understand. All he needed was for her to accept that he was who he was.

There were tears in her eyes when she looked up at him. "You're not going to stop chasing him, are you?" she asked. He found that his voice was stuck in his throat. He tried two separate times to answer her, and nothing came out.

No, he wasn't going to stop.

Instead of shaking his head he just looked at her, not ready to tell her the truth. The tears were freely falling from her eyes and she wiped them away.

"That's okay," she said with a forced smile, "I don't need an answer because I'll stop you myself." He narrowed his eyes at her and waited for her to elaborate. "When the times come, Zuko," she said with a sad smile, "I'll be there to protect Aang, even if it means fighting you."

She'd already made up her mind.

When he chuckled ruefully, she was taken aback. "What's so funny?"

"I believe you," he said after a few seconds and then turned dead serious. "Even after all we've been through, I completely believe you'd fight me to protect that airbending brat."

He looked thoughtful but his voice was cold. She titled her head to the side. Was he angry at her? He didn't seem angry, did he?

"Zuko?" she asked when he put his hand over his eyes.

He looked through his fingers at her. "Yes, Katara."

"Are you mad at me?" she knew the question was stupid; she had just chosen Aang's safety over his honor.

"No," he said, and she stared at him in shock.

"No?"

"No," he stated and took her hands. "We have to come to some sort of agreement on this, as adults." He sighed and she looked at him. What was he thinking? Why had it become so much harder to understand him now that the mask was off?

As if on cue, a very childish idea popped into her mind. "How about we agree to disagree? Sokka and I do it all the time."

"Katara," Zuko stated the one word softly and she sighed.

"I know we can't ignore it forever," she said, hoping he understood that she knew it was important, "but can't we leave it alone for now? I just want to be with you." Even if it was only for a little while longer.

He tilted his head at her and held out his hand, "Then just be with me." He'd whispered it as if it was a secret. She reached out and let him pull her into his lap where he kissed her softly. Rubbing her nose against his, she smiled at him while intertwining their fingers.

"I remember you saying something about practice," he said when she laid her head on his shoulder. She nodded but made no move to get up. She wanted to stay like this even though she knew that it could all end someday.

"I'd rather stay here too," he said as if she'd voiced her thoughts out loud. She smiled and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent.

"Will you stay with me," he asked suddenly and she looked up at him.

"Zuko," she sighed sadly, "you know I can't do th-"

In what seemed like and age old gesture he put a finger to her lips. "Just one more night," he whispered pleadingly.

She knew she didn't need to say anything, so she just buried her face in shoulder and listened to him breath.

This is where my author's note's go. Enjoy!

There are no author's notes today. -HUGE grin

Chii says:

Enjoy your stay in the gutter. Make sure your minds send us postcards.

PS: This is not the last chapter. And JET LIVES!!

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