Aang jumped off of Appa as they settled down for the night. It had only been a week since the doctor freak out. He watched as the others went out the norm. Zuko started a fire and Toph made make shift shelter for the night, while Sokka scrounged for berries and other goodies. He quickly fed and watered Appa, not forgetting to feed Momo. He stretched out on the ground and looked up at the purple painted sky. He took a deep breath and let it out with a huff. He sat up and looked over at Katara. Again she was with Zuko, and again they were walking into the woods. He rolled his eyes and threw himself back down to the ground.
Katara walked in silence as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her arms were cold, but her stomach was open to burst into flames at any given moment. Zuko walked beside her taking in the quiet, lavishing in the silence of the woods. The natural noises surrounded him, his breathing and his heart beat quickly taking on the rhythm of the earth. The sun was almost behind the far mountains but he could still fill the life giving rays tickling over his skin. The heat spilling from Katara was enough to drive him mad. He knew that fire nation women dreaded pregnancy, especially if they were not bender's themselves. A gift of the fire nation, they knew when their child would be a bender before they were born. Fire is a life force. It must be present in the womb during development or the bending ability would be lost. He looked over at Katara. Her face had gotten a little rounder and he couldn't help but notice the small bump on her exposed stomach had become noticeable. He frowned for a moment as they continued to walk. She was merely a few months, should she be showing? His thoughts were cut off when Katara stopped. He turned to look at her as he stopped as well.
"What?" She turned to look at him with pain in her eyes.
"I need water." He frowned.
"Are you thirsty?" She shook her head.
"No, I need water. I need to feel my element." Zuko nodded and they continued to walk, a little faster paced now. They had spotted a small lake from Appa as they flew over. It wasn't very far. They came upon the small lake surrounded in thick foliage. Katara smiled and pushed her shoes off of her feet. She stepped into the the water. Her head lifted to the sky as her eyes closed. Zuko watched in a mixture of curiosity and admiration. Katara's chest rose as she took a deep breath, and he could have sworn when she let the breath out slowly, that smoke passed over her lips and spiraled up into the night sky. With her eyes still closed she moved deeper into the water. Zuko kept his eyes on her and when she started getting waist deep, he noticed the steam rise from the rippled surface of the water. And still she walked, chest deep. Shoulder deep. Chin deep and then she was submerged.
She pushed herself under the water and opened her eyes. She looked around at the dark glory surrounding her. She let her body go limp as the current pushed her this way, pulled her that. The cooling sensations crawled over her skin, caressing her muscles, tickling the back of her neck with her still cropped hair. She moved in the water and felt the water move in her. She vaulted off of the drop off ledge and dove deeper into the lake. The pressure grew only slightly she turned her eyes skyward and could see the moon's ripple fractured form.
Zuko scanned the surface of the lake, crossing his arms over his chest. He would give her a few more minutes then he was going in after her. The smooth mirror of the water broke as she surfaced. She was close to the center of the lake. A crooked grin came to his face as she spat and pushed her hair out of her face. She moved towards him until he watched her stand up in the water.
"Come swim with me." He shook his head.
"No." She dropped her shoulders and shook her head. She moved through the water with a grace as she came up on the bank with him. She reached out and touched his arm slightly. They both jumped backwards as a spark shot out between them. They were standing a good three feet apart both rubbing the part that received the shock. Zuko looked up at her with a worried face.
"Are you okay?" She nodded. She looked back up at him with a smile.
"See. You should have gotten in the water when I told you to. Please?" He shook his head.
"You want me to get electrocuted." She shook her head and a fog of sadness covered her eyes. She pulled the water from her clothes and sent it back to the lake. She quickly pulled some of the water from her hair and sent it too with it's brothers. Zuko watched as her entire demeanor changed, just because he wouldn't swim with her. She rubbed her arm and turned too look at him.
"Come on. We need to get back to the camp." Zuko frowned. She was pissy again. He caught her arm and stopped her. She turned to look at him with a glare. He pulled her back to the edge of the water. She looked at him for a moment and a smile crawled over her face.
"Are you really?" He frowned in mock irritation at her. HE kicked his shoes off and pulled his shirt off over his head.
"If I get shocked, you're gonna get beaten." She stepped up close to him taking him off guard. She grabbed his hand and placed it over her stomach.
"You can't make idle threats like that any more." Zuko frowned.
"You are Katara, right?" She frowned at him and rolled her eyes. He shrugged as he watched her step into the water. "I have to be sure." He stepped into the water after her, half expecting to be knocked on his butt from an electrical current. Nothing happened except the cool water lapping around his ankles. Katara took him by the hand and pulled him out toward deeper water. But he planted his feet when they got knee deep.
"Sorry, but I'm not going any further." She turned and frowned at him.
"You were at sea for years. Tell me you are not afraid of the water." Zuko frowned at her and shook his head slightly.
"I'm not afraid of the water. I'm afraid of the creatures in it. You don't know how deep this lake is and what kind of beasties may be in it." Katara took his other hand in hers and looked up at him. She took a step closer to him. Close enough he could feel the warmth over her abdomen.
"Let me show you my world, Zuko. If only this once." Zuko felt a knot tie in his throat as he looked down into her radiant blue eyes. A surge hit his chest and he felt like it was getting harder to breathe. Katara's eyebrow faltered as concern took over her face. He stared down at her and could feel the air growing thicker, and hotter.
"Zuko? What's wrong?" He moved slowly as if not sure his body was going to allow him to do what his mind thought he was doing. He brought his hands away from hers and cupped her face slightly in his hands. He brushed his lips against her. The gentlest of graces that could be considered a kiss. He closed his eyes as for a moment he took in her breath. He kissed her on the nose and took a step back.
"Show me your world Katara." Katara's face was bright with blush as she led him deeper into the water. Once they got to the water chest deep she went under. He took a deep breath and followed her. She held his hand tight as they swam into darker waters. She stopped and brought her self up right and turned to look at him. His cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk-toad. She held back the urge to laugh. She watched as the current pulled his black hair away from his face. They swam upwards. She broke the surface and watched him come up.
"Don't strain your cheeks out to hold your breath, you'll just hurt yourself. Relax." She said and submerged again dragging him back down. They were a good ten feet under the surface when she stopped diving. She again turned her self and looked at him. She let go of his hands and relaxed her body into the water. Zuko was rigid, but inch by inch he relaxed. He let the push and pull of the water consume his thoughts. Other then thinking of what might be just a foot under his feet wanting to eat him. With that thought he shot to the surface. Katara was right behind him. They swam back to the bank
As Katara pulled the water from their clothes and they pulled their shoes back on, Zuko watched her. He would never be able to show her his element in the way she had shown him. To be able to be engulfed and surrounded by your being with out it harming you was a wonder. He pulled his shirt over his shoulders they started back to camp.
Katara was curled up in her sleeping bag between her brother's sleeping form and Zuko's. She was sleeping peaceful until a noise in the night brought her straight up. She listened to the night. She looked around. The fire was dead, only smoldering ashes remained. The make shift stone shelter that Toph had stomped up was still and quiet. The sound of breathing sleep was the only noise breaking the silence of nature. But something tickled at the back of her neck. She crawled forward to the edge of the shelter and looked out at the dark forest. A curling sound echoed through the trees as a gust hit her in the chest and threw her onto her back. A shrill laughter cut the air, but was gone on the wind. Katara sat up her hand wrapped tight around the handle of her brother's bladed boomerang. Her eyes glinted to the sleeping form of it's owner. He groaned in his sleep and rolled over. Her eyes turned to look at the others, Zuko beside her, Aang beside him and Toph on the far side, with a space of about four feet between them. Her hand tightened around the handle as she looked down at Zuko. She moved and straddled his chest placing the bladed edge of the boomerang right at Zuko's neck. She started to push down and spill his blood when his yellow eyes snapped open. She stared at him for a moment and leaned back as he sat up. He frowned and stared at her pushing the blade away from his neck.
"Katara?" She just blinked at him. His face went stone as he watched a sheen of orange pass over her blue eyes. He glanced at the others who were sleeping sound. He pushed her back out into the night as he stood up. He looked down at the boomerang still gripped in her hand.
"Gonna kill me now?" Katara's eyes went wide as the weapon fell to the floor. Tears welled in her eyes and she grabbed onto Zuko like he was going to fly away.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what...Zuko, I'm so sorry!" Zuko wrapped his arms around her and looked out into the night. He pushed her back and looked at her.
"Let's walk for a while. You might feel better." And so they walked, his arm over her shoulder, until they came back to the small lake. He felt Katara's shoulders grow rigid as they got closer to the bank. With a quick shove her threw her into the water. She caught herself from falling face first and pushed herself up on her knees. Zuko grabbed her and shoved her deeper into the water. She tried to scramble past to the bank and out of the knee deep water. He grabbed her and threw her back into the water. He pushed her down by her shoulders holding her under the water. Her body thrashed, and her back arched. Her hands clawed at his arms trying to pry them away from her. Bubbles surrounded her face as she fought him. Zuko closed his eyes and turned his head. Her hands came up to his face her fingernails dragging down his face drawing blood to the surface. Her body began to spasm and jolt.
Zuko loosened his grip on her shoulders but didn't stop holding her under. He watched her face as her eyes shot open, the irises a bright orange color. Zuko was thrown back as Kuiodio forced herself out of Katara and into the open air. With smoke and the rank smell of sulfur the demon was gone into the night. Zuko scrambled over to Katara and helped her sit up. She coughed and sputtered. He ran his hands over her face then dropped them to her stomach.
"Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Katara nodded as a shiver over took her.
"What happened?" Zuko frowned and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight as they sat in the water.
"She got you again." Katara frowned.
"Why are we in the water?" Zuko stroked her head, pushing her hair out of her face.
"Water is a pure substance. Demon's can not withhold a possession when they come in contact with it. While they are in the hosts body, water can hurt them."
PLZ PLZ R&R. I want to know what you think! And thanks to all my loyal reviewers. Blue Arrow, Blue Tiger, Liooness, Lord Melkor, Kuroi-Hoshi and LW! I'm sorry if I missed someone. You all know I lurv ya!