Author's Note: Hey, guys. I know I haven't updated in forever, but I really didn't have much time to write and frankly I didn't have much motivation either. I guess if you want more frequent updates you can review and tell me what you think. That'd probably make me wanna write more. I hope you enjoy this one :)

Katara • 43°F

I was unsure of what to do to help Zuko; his wound was bleeding through the bandages I'd given him and I was afraid I'd soon have his life on my hands.

"This is insane, you're hurt," I strain through clenched teeth, intertwining my fingers, "We need to go to the hospital."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Zuko argued. "I think I'll just stay here where it's warm," he nodded to himself while looking across the room.

I shook my head, holding a slight frown on my face. "I don't want you bleeding all over the carpet. We're going."

…

I've always hated hospitals. They reminded me of when I was little and had to go to one after I suffered life threatening injuries from the wolves that had attacked me. I squeezed my arms together in a shivering notion and looked around myself. Zuko was lying in the bed in a small hospital room; the sheets were as white as snow and Zuko's pale face was lost beneath its colorlessness. He had fainted again almost as soon as we entered the hospital, and was immediately shifted off into the nearest room.

"You should go home," a nurse approached me after some hours of my unnecessary disturbance. She smiled at me and although her smile was friendly, I knew beneath it was sheer annoyance.

"No, I'll wait for him to wake up," I said while turning away from her. I could almost feel her smile falling into a disapproving frown.

"He won't wake up until the morning," she said in an attempt to protest. "So you should probably get going. You can come back tomorrow."

I shook my head without looking at her. "I think I'll just wait for him to wake up," I gave her a significant look. "If that's okay."

"Of course," the nurse said through slightly gritted teeth. She was already by the door when she stopped and turned to me again. "In the future, just try to watch after him a bit so he doesn't do it again." She then turned to leave but I stopped her.

"Wait," my eyes were wide in ignorance and confusion. "What do you mean? What would he do?"

The nurse looked at me skeptically. "Do you think I'm stupid? Did you think we wouldn't notice?" she asked, her voice rose just to the ambit of acclamation. She stomped to Zuko's side and raised both his hands so that his wrists were upward. His ghost-pale skin was burnt and cut in some places, making it look as though he'd been in a fire.

"What are you implying?" I exclaimed. "Are you saying that he tried to shoot himself?" she gave me a satisfied yet angry look and crossed her arms. "He didn't try to kill himself last night. Those burn marks were there since before I met him," I defended him in blind ignorance; ignoring the fact I didn't really know what had happened to him last night. Maybe I was only fooling myself with the thought that he could be my wolf. How could that even be him? But the hope of that being even a possibility wouldn't leave me alone.

"I'm sorry, but I am not so stupid as to believe his girlfriend; you're just protecting him for God knows what reason. You're only hurting him by doing this." She said.

I clenched my fists in anger. "He didn't do this. A hunter accidentally shot him in the woods. He would never do anything like this." I don't know why I was defending him at that point. Somehow, I knew for sure that he really wouldn't do such a thing.

"Sure," the woman said as she walked past me and out the door.

I looked down at the boy. The scar on his face was now clearly visible to my eyes and I was sure of my prior assumption. I could not comprehend how he'd been a wolf before – is he a werewolf? - And I was forced to admit to myself that I was afraid of him. I'd watched his motionless figure for quite some time and drifted off into a daydream unknowingly. When I came to, Zuko was staring at me, his face holding the same mesmerized look as mine.

"Are you alright?" I asked when he straightened up in the bed. His response was but a simple nod.

"Are we at the hospital?" his voice was disoriented and distant, but his gaze was focused; more so than it had been before.

I shifted my head in response. "Yes. You fainted so the doctor brought you here," I explained.

Zuko started to shift his weight off the bed in an attempt to stand. I put my arms around him to hold him.

"You can't go, you're hurt," I insisted. "Just wait until you get better."

"You don't understand," he shook his head in argument. "I can't stay, I'm already better. I have to go before someone comes back," he proceeded to push me away.

I let him go, disbelief painted across my face. "Wait," I called after him as he was already half out the window. "Where are you going?"

Zuko threw a tristful look at the trees, barely noticeable in the distance. "I have to go."

"Are you him?" He looked back at me, his golden gaze holding my own for some moments. I knew I didn't have to specify whom I was talking about for him to understand. He sighed in defeat and lowered his shoulders. His eyes fluttered to my face once more; a soft, mischievous smile in the corners of his lips.

"I suppose there's no point in denying it," it was not a question, though for some reason I thought it should have been.

I shook my head, failing in the attempt to keep my lips sealed in a frown. "I can't believe it's really you," I said in a low whisper. "I thought I'd imagined it all."

That provoked yet another smile from Zuko.

"How are you even here?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. "I mean like this – like a human."

"Because it's spring, it's warm right now." Zuko explained, earning a confused look from me.

"It's not warm right now. It's the middle of winter."

I noticed a shadow cross over Zuko's features and I could have sworn I'd seen a whit of insecurity and fear behind his eyes before they cleared. He extended his hands as to release himself of the unwanted bandages that suppressed him, but I managed to trap his wrist between my fingers.

"Are you out of your mind?" I snapped angrily, my heart quickening at his touch. "You'll bleed to death."

He worked his way out of my grasp and took off the redundant layers. I had noticed that it was actually all he was wearing – the clothes I had given him earlier were long gone and in the hospital stockroom. Taking a look at him now, I realized that the shooting wound was gone completely; the thick mass of blood that was there was now replaced by pale, slightly rough-looking skin.

"Don't you think the doctors would find this a little strange?" he asked in a nonchalant voice. My mouth dropped. What happened?!

"But…" I found myself unable to form a thought.

Zuko put his finger to his lips to quiet me when he heard footsteps coming from across the hall. The pleading look in his golden eyes was overwhelming.

"Please, don't tell on me," he begged me in a rasping whisper. "I need to get back to my family."

I shook my head and groaned as I looked away. "Fine," I managed through gritted teeth. The scarred boy was already by the window when I found my voice again. "Wait. I'm coming with you," I insisted.

Zuko's hand flew behind his head. "That's probably not a good idea," he said.

I held his gaze for a moment too long before releasing it. "Either I come or you stay," I said. The distant sound of feet approaching was getting louder by the second. Zuko looked around, anxiety painted across his shadowed features.

"What's it gonna be?"

…

We ran faster than I'd ever run in my whole life – faster than I thought I was able to. The cold was threatening to turn Zuko into a wolf again and I couldn't let that happen, not now that I had just found him. Within seconds we were surrounded by the warmth of my father's car and Zuko was pressing his hands together.

"Are you going to be okay?" Looking down at him, I wondered where he'd gotten that scar, but I couldn't bring myself to ask.

"Yes, thank you," was his reply. "I won't bother you for much longer, don't worry," he smiled. His smile was just intoxicating.

"You're not bothering me," I shrugged, trying hard to look like I wasn't freaking out. Oddly enough, this situation didn't seem as bizarre to me as it probably should have, but on top of that I was actually excited. "So, where are we going?"

"Just drive to the woods, I'll tell you where to go from there." I nodded and glanced at him before turning away yet again.

We drove in ear-wrecking silence for a long time before Zuko finally broke it by telling me to go right. After those words, silence fell upon us once more.

"So you live in the woods?" my poor attempt at getting him to talk did not go unnoticed.

"Yes," he laughed. "Who would've thought, huh?" he turned his head to look at me and we both burst into laughter.

"Can I ask you something?" I spoke again after a while.

"You already did," Zuko replied. My confused glance turned into an eye roll when I caught on to his joke.

"Alright, can I ask you two somethings, then?"

Zuko laughed and coughed at the same time. "You already did."

"Oh come on! Seriously?" I exclaimed in annoyance.

"Okay, okay. What's on your mind?" I sighed and glared at him, but when I saw his scar, my look softened.

"I was just wondering, you know if you would tell me what happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" I could sense in his voice that his guard was up.

"I mean, how did you become a wolf?"

Relief shifted the boy's wary frown into a smile. "I was bitten by another wolf," he answered simply, as if that was the most common thing in the world.

"Well, what happened?" curiosity took over my senses.

Zuko's eyes shifted into foggy holes before they cleared again and he looked at me.

"It was a long time ago," he said, "I hardly even remember it." He sighed, his shoulders shivering. "I remember that it was winter. The snow had just covered the ground and I was outside, playing. I'd been sick for a while before that so getting fresh air was a nice change. I can't remember why I was alone, but I think it was a while before anyone came. And it wasn't someone I had known." He gave me a meaningful look. "It was a fairly large dog. I, like the ignorant child I was then, neared him unadvisedly, wanting him to join me in my play.

The next thing I remember is blood in the snow. I heard a scream and saw my mother running to me through my blurred sight. It was all just stains and shapes I couldn't discern." I waited for him to continue his story but he just stopped.

"What happened after that?" I breathed, motioning for Zuko to continue. My eyes were facing forward the whole time, but I let myself steal a glance of his face.

"We're here," he said and I practically jumped through the wind shield. I sprinted toward the slightly open door. Looking around the dust covered space, I noticed an old –and most likely very filthy blanket. I grabbed it and ran outside with it, where I knew Zuko would be waiting; hopefully still in his human form. I shook the layers of dust from the blanket with a swift move and threw it over Zuko's head as I pulled him out of the car and dragged him through the open door.

As I should have anticipated, there was no heating in the house, so we'd have to make do with what we had. I blew my hair out of my face, frustrated with the situation. Zuko was shivering next to me, and while I'd normally be more than comforting, right then I wanted to strangle him for it.

You cannot turn into a freaking wolf now; I thought to myself, my inward voice was high-pitched and panicking. I motioned to him to stay where he was and he nodded in response. I ran outside, all but throwing myself to the ground to pick up various broken branches and even weeds that I found sprawled around the trees. I gathered a whole pile in my arms and ran back into the house.

Zuko's eyes widened as he became aware of my presence, but I realized it was not because of me. "N-no fire," he chattered.

"What? Why not?" I demanded, perhaps even a little too intensely.

"No fire," he stammered again. You have got to be freaking kidding me! My Inward scream pierced my ears, but I ignored it with success as I stomped my feet to the above floor of the cabin. I looked around the dusty rooms until my eyes finally fixated on a large, round shaped bath tub. I immediately let the hot water running, and left to get Zuko.

We moved slowly, step by step, yet I did my best to hurry him, the sound of water running reminding ringing in my ears. I ordered Zuko to undress, ignorant of his evident discomfort as he dropped the layers of fabric to the floor and lifted his feet to the edge of the tub. His expression was soothed as he sank deeper into the warmth, settling at the bottom.

A soft smile brushed my face. "How is that?" Zuko smiled back at me, his cheeks burning red. I was unsure if it was with embarrassment or due to the steam that filled the air between us.

"It's nice. Thank you for helping me." I waved my hand as if to say it was nothing to thank me for.

"I'll be down stairs if you need me,"

I picked my way back to the living room before lighting a small fire in the fireplace. I didn't understand Zuko's concern with the fire, but since he wasn't here at the moment, I thought it would do no harm to get the room warmed up. Moments passed and I was accompanied by only silence, looking at dusty old pictures that were lined up on the shelves along the wall. Before long, a soft thud echoed through the wind so I looked around, thinking it was Zuko standing behind me. Seconds stretched into minutes, and again, there was nothing but silence. Just as my heart began to settle down came another thud, louder and more threatening than the last.

"They're here," a loud gasp slipped through my teeth as I turned to find Zuko standing only a few steps behind me. He was fully dressed but his carbon hair was wet. I didn't have time to ask who they were before the door slammed open and we were face to face with a shadowed figure standing in the pouring rain.