Back Up Plans
Chapter 13: Anticipation Part Two
It's been hours since Zuko left and her stomach has returned to its anxious knots. In every room her eyes are drawn to the clock. A little over an hour until she's due at the police station to go over the details of their plan. Precise coordination would lower the risk of someone making a mistake.
Until then, her professor is giving an excellent lecture on genetic mutations, and she refocuses her mind determined to absorb what he's saying. As she watches the second hand tick forward, she finds her thoughts drifting back to Zuko's visit. Calling him had been the honest thing to do. He'd made it clear that night when they drove through the rain that Jet is an important topic. However, the more she learns about the man the more of a mystery he becomes.
The image of Zuko standing in her doorway replays through her mind and she tries to understand the emotions associated with it. It felt like Zuko had filled her apartment with his presence. His nervous energy had evoked some calm in her. Kind of like that time they all got lost in the desert when they were on vacation. Their dad swore off family vacations for a year, but nonetheless, it was Katara who had stayed calm enough to help them find their way to help.
The sudden bell signals the end of class and Katara is startled out of her thoughts. She flinches at the unexpected noise. She glances at the clock. One hour until the police station and five until it was too late to turn back. She'll have to skip her volunteer hours today, but it can't be helped. With her belonging together she quickly exits the classroom. Her phone buzzes in her pocket and she pulls it out to discover a message from Toph.
Hey sugar queen.
What are you doing this afternoon?
Katara can't help the nervous flutter in her heart. If Toph only knew. Class. Meeting. Then I have to get ready for a date.
Buzz. No really. What are you doing?
Her eyes narrow at Toph's implication. She responds with her own sarcasm. You're right. I'm dropping out of school and joining the circus today.
Buzz. You have a date? It's about time you gave up studying anatomy out of books. The real deal is much better.
Katara's nervousness bubbles into a quiet laugh. Leave it to Toph to take nothing seriously. Katara texts back a good reaction knowing that her friend will keep sending innuendos until she's confident that Katara knows she's being teased.
No doubt, this conversation about Katara's date will earn her messages from all her friends. The news that she's going out will quickly be shared, and an interrogation will follow.
Before the messages pour in, taps on the screen and pulls up a new text. Bato had been clear that she needed to collect an itinerary for tonight so that an appropriate amount of protection could be prepared. She slows her walking as she gets close to her next class.
So what exactly should I be prepared for tonight?
Are you a dinner and a movie kind of guy?
She loosens her scarf as the unusual warmth of the day reaches her. Her phone buzzes and she's surprised to see Jet's quick response.
I hope you're not scared of breaking tradition.
The words send a tingle down her neck, and she finds herself playing nervously with the pendant at her throat. Jet has broken all kinds of 'traditions.' She wonders what he's done that isn't on the police records. You would break the ultimate first date tradition?
Buzz. What if I promise that you can still have that dinner?
I'm listening.
Buzz. Have you ever seen the city at night?
Is that a trick question?
Buzz. From the air?
This unexpected response catches her off guard. She pictures an extravagant date like one you would see on tv. How?
Buzz. A friend owns a zip line company. There's a track that runs through downtown.
Katara pictures herself flying through air above the traffic and bustle, the lights and energy. She can't deny that it's an alluring offer. That will definitely be a first.
Buzz. That's not even the best part.
With the exception of a few more people milling around, the scenery at the police station hasn't changed since this morning. The rooms have that smell that only an old building has. She passes through the long hallway until tile turns into worn carpet at the lobby outside Bato's unit.
She fidgets nervously in her wooden chair as she goes over and over her conversation with Jet. She's pretty sure the details she's gathered about tonight are enough to satisfy the police, but she's still anxious. Will Jet be convinced that this is a real date? She hasn't been on one since middle school when she and Aang had crushes on each other. Somehow, she imagines that it will be a little different.
"Katara?" Bato is stands unexpectedly in front of her.
"Bato," she replies a little breathlessly. She wonders how his arrival escaped her notice.
"I have several people for you to meet," he says warmly. She hoists her backpack onto her shoulder and follows him past the desk. He wraps an arm around her shoulders and gives her a quick squeeze. The female officer behind the desk watches them from under her bangs as they pass.
Beyond the lobby is a room filled with clusters of metal desks. File cabinets line the walls and plastic plants collect dust in various corners of the rom. Katara's gaze is drawn to a group of three officers at the nearest desk.
"Katara, meet your team. This is Detective Jeong who will be conducting the search while you are with Jet. He'll lead several officers into various locations to collect evidence." The man with the whimsical white hair offers his hand to Katara.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss DelMar," he says as they shake hands. She notices how his skin is rough and calloused against hers.
"You too." She's grateful her voice has returned to normal.
"And these two idiots are Resh and Han."
"Thank you for the glowing introduction, Bato" one man says from his position leaning against one of the desks. His green eyes size up Katara but seem to reveal nothing of his impression of her. "If you want to get formal you can call me Captain Resh."
The comment earns him a quick elbow in the ribs. The other man, Han, retracts his elbow and grins. "A title he barely deserves, so I wouldn't worry about it too much."
They are clearly very familiar with each other and Katara recognizes the tells of a pair of young officers. After all, she'd probably spent more time in these rooms than most. "Well Captains, what are your roles for tonight?"
"See Han, not everybody is as disrespectful as you." Resh pushes himself forward and steps closer to the young woman. "We have the honor of being your wingmen."
Bato shakes his head in disapproval. "More like you have the honor of redeeming yourself from paper pushing duty."
Hann snorts derisively. He folds his arms and seems to be aware of how the officer's uniform stretches more tightly across his broad shoulders. "I was always too good for that. You just finally decided to take advantage of our skills."
Without a word, Jeong grabs both men by the collar and sets them forcibly back against the desk. "Please be at ease Miss DelMar. Despite their youth, these young men will provide excellent protection for you on your mission tonight."
Katara's nerves respond to Jeong Jeong's use of the word mission. She hadn't thought of today's work as anything so formal. "Well with all that experience filling out paperwork, how could I doubt them?" Resh seems pleased that his project for the night is capable of sarcasm. Hann seems less so. She addresses her next question to Bato. "How exactly are they going to be protecting me?"
"Resh and Hann- "
"Hann and Resh." Hann interjects. It earns him a scoff from the other rookie and smack in the head from his superior.
"Resh and Hann," Bato speaks emphatically, "will be with you the entire evening. They may not always be in sight but you can be confident they will be perfectly aware of your situation. They'll hear and see everything." Katara hopes her face doesn't express her thoughts. She nods and smiles as Bato explains further, but inwardly she deflates. There will be an audience to her rusty dating skills. What hope she'd had of maintaining her pride is dashed, and it's just her luck to have the two most overconfident officers assigned as spectators.
"Were you able to collect an itinerary for the night?" Detective Jeong Jeong asks.
"Yes," she says feeling a little more confident. She pulls her phone out and opens the texts from Jet. "Dinner and zip lining. He gave me the name of the businesses and I figured you could look up the addresses." Her phone is passed around and she decides it's time to stop cringing every time her personal life is inspected by these men.
Jeong Jeong notes the times outlined for the date and excuses himself to coordinate his teams. Bato asks Hann to locate the businesses and collect floorplans and other related information. As Bato watches over Hann's shoulder, Resh's attention stays focused on Katara's phone. His thumb brushes against the screen and she assumes he's reading through her conversation with Jet.
"Who's Sokka?" His head cocks as he gives her an innocent expression.
"Are you reading through all of my messages?" She jerks her phone out of his hand. "I don't think that's relevant to our job here."
"So defensive," Resh says with a dismissive wave. Katara isn't fooled because she can see the way his eyes dance with amusement.
"You'll make a great detective with your nosy shamelessness."
"Resh, be respectful to Katara. Because of her we have the chance to bear down on the Red Nation." Bato doesn't look away from the computer screen as he speaks, but his voice is authoritative. "If you want the chief's daughter complaining about you, by all means continue."
"That is him being nice," Hann comments. "I think he really likes her."
The young man seems to weigh his options before sighing melodramatically. His hand rises to his heart. "You have my word that I will be nothing but professional, respectful and invisible tonight."
Katara rolls her eyes. "Now I am genuinely worried."
Bato and Hann chuckle while Resh pretends to be wounded. Before more verbal sparring can ensue, Bato asks Resh to grab the freshly printed documents off the printer. "Let's head over to my office and discuss the details of tonight."
Two hours and a few cups of coffee later Katara emerges from the police station feeling jittery but prepared. The coordinating meeting had been more rowdy than she'd expected. Bato had come prepared with an outline of the night but the devil was in the details. They did their best to plan the where and how of everything, but after dozens of what-if scenarios posed by the junior officers, Bato had silenced them.
"You are trained in police protocol. I am trusting you with this assignment because you are capable of making decisions without someone holding your hand."
"Did you hear that?" Hann had asked Resh. "We have permission to do whatever we want."
Resh's green eyes had practically sparkled as he spoke. "After this assignment, I am never promising to be professional again."
Despite her eclectic team of personalities, Katara feels a little more confident about how her evening will go. Her role is only one part of a bigger plan, and she won't have to do it alone. She silently praises her brother for teaching her not to take spazzy, overconfident guys at face value.
"Do you have any more questions?" Bato directs his question to Katara but over his shoulder Resh's expression becomes animated. Hann reaches over and slaps his partner on the back of his head. He shakes his head with one quick movement and points to his watch. Resh slumps back in his chair with a resigned expression.
Katara schools her expression to avoid exposing the young men to Bato's disapproval. "I think I have a really good idea about how everything will go."
"Then that's everything. I'll walk you out so you can have a little time to yourself before the meeting tonight."
"Knock, knock." There's a tap on the open doorway as her father's voice drifts into the room.
"Dad!" Her hair whips across her shoulders as she turns around in a flash. She quickly hops up from her seat and wraps her father in a hug.
"I'm glad I didn't miss you," her father says as he returns the embrace. The officers rise from their chairs in a respectful greeting. With his quick hug over Hakoda turns his attention to the men. "I wanted to personally thank you all for being a part of this operation tonight. As you can see, I have some personal interest in this."
Bato steps around his desk and pats his old partner on the shoulder. "We are all committed to tonight's success. Katara will be a big part of that." The young girl blushes at the man's praise.
"I'll be grateful to all of you when Katara returns home safely tonight." The young officers visibly stiffen in response to Hakoda's layered message. They're standing before their chief accepting responsibility for the safety of his only daughter. Bato breaks the charged silence. "We'll let you walk your daughter out."
Katara offers one last smile to her team before following her father to the lobby. They walk slowly toward the building's glass doors.
"I'm going to be okay, Dad."
Her father's arm wraps around her shoulders as they continue walking. "You are a capable young woman Katara. I am confident that you can handle yourself tonight." He smiles down at her. "But it doesn't mean I won't worry." She steps through the door held open by her father and notices that the air has cooled off since her afternoon in the sun.
"What would mom do?" Her fingers are on her mother's necklace as she stands facing her father.
"Your mother would do everything in her power to support the peace and justice in the community."
"That's why I have to do this." Her own sad smile is mirrored by her father. "It's the right thing to do." Beyond right and wrong, she's also doing this is for her dad, for Sokka and especially for her mom. Being afraid is not an option.
"I'm so proud of you Katara. I know your mother is too." Her father's warm arms wrap around her once more and she holds him tightly again. The tears on her cheeks grow cool as a light breeze brushes past them.
By the time she arrives at her apartment it's half past four. Only a little time before Jet will be at her door once again. She steps into her apartment and discovers all of her friends scattered around the room. She's barely finished closing the door when a pair of arms yanks her into a hug.
"Where have you been? We've been waiting forever!"
"Hi Suki," Katara manages to squeak out. Her friend releases her but keeps her hands gripping Katara's arms.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me you're going out with that Jet guy. Were you trying to keep it a secret?"
"Obviously not, Suki, since she texted me about it." Toph blows her bangs out of her face as she remains sitting on the small loveseat. Aang is seated next to her and cheerfully enduring one of Toph's violent massages.
"I think it's great that you're going out," he says sincerely. "I'm glad there's a guy who is good enough for you."
"You might all think it's cute that Katara is spending time with some weird guy from the subway, but has anyone stopped to think about how this guy could be a psycho?" Sokka makes his big brother appearance from the kitchen where his head leans around one of the cupboard doors. His arguments are severely weakened by the fact that he's speaking with jerky strips in both hands and one more hanging out of his mouth. "I mean what do we really know about him?"
Katara throws up her arms in frustration. "Oh my goodness! You're all acting like I spend all my time under a rock. It's one date. Why is this such a big deal?"
"Listen sweetness, it's not that you don't go out. It's just that you don't go out with anyone except us."
It's on the tip of her tongue to object, but the words don't seem to come.
"She's got you there, Katara."
"Shut up, Sokka…" Katara's anxiety begins building once again when she realizes that Toph is right. She hasn't gone out with anyone outside her gang of friends in a very long time. Does she even know how to talk about anything besides human biology?
Seeming to sense her mood, Aang rises from the couch and places a comforting hand her shoulder. "Don't listen to any of them, Katara. Dedicating your time to become a doctor is nothing to be ashamed of." Turning to the rest of the group he gives them a meaningful look. "And be honest guys. None of us spend time with other people either."
Aang laughs when everyone in the room easily agrees. They may pretend to have time for other friends, but in reality, they're too busy getting through college so they can change the world to sacrifice energy in new friends.
"Let's go get you ready for your date," Suki grabs Katara's hand and heads for her bedroom. She swats Toph on the back of the head as she passes the couch. "You too monkey face."
Annoyed, Toph adopts a sarcastic smile. "Why pretend I can see her in there when I can pretend like I can see her from here? I'll shout compliments down the hallway every so often."
"Not good enough." Suki grabs Toph by the ear and drags her along with Katara into the room.
"Can I just say how glad I am that I'm not a girl?" Sokka plops himself onto the couch with arms full of snacks. "Just think about how many hours we'd have to spend on clothes and hair stuff."
"I'm just glad they let us spend time with them," Aang says happily. He grabs a handful of nuts from the coffee table before sitting cross legged in one of the lazy boys.
"Wanna watch shark week?" Sokka holds up the remote and grins.