I tell you my brain is not cooperating. I have the stupid chapter written but everytime I go to upload other stuff comes out.
It seemed so abrupt to have them go straight to a fight. Both Katara and Mai have nasty tempers but they are level headed and well I just wanted to show what would cause them to forget that and engage in a catfight.
I will upload the fight tonight, with god wiling no more distractions. Please accept my apologies for having you guys dangling around that is so not my intention. I destest authors that do that.
This part is written from three separate POV's. I just want it to flow and not be rushed like Shinobi Bender pointed out Chap. 11 was. (thanks for noticing because it was.)
I'll respond to your fabulous reviews in the next chapter (I sound like a broken record)
Ok, (please don't kill me.) Enjoy.
Mai-
"Hi, there. Long time." He chuckled.
"Hi yourself. Very long." Mai pressed her cheek against him. "You're hot."
"I don't think you're supposed to flirt with the infirm." He coughed a little and she held a cup of water to his mouth.
"You, mister Aang, are not infirm. You just have a little cold and like most boys are being a baby." She lowered his head and put the cup back down.
"I got your letter." She fumbled with his blankets but his warm hand cupped her chin forcing her to look at him. "Have you been worried this whole time?"
Mai was never shy but Aang brought out her inner girl. "A little." She confessed sheepishly. "Never mind that. I should be comforting you. How do you feel and tell me the truth." She mock glared.
"Yes, ma'am. Tired and achy but oddly better now." Twin spots of color appeared on her pale face. "Mostly I'm just so sick of all these problems. I just wish they'd go away. You know."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. What happened at the palace?" she asked.
"We were having one of those usually boring meetings. Next time go with me so I don't feel so outnumbered." Mai curled her fingers around his in response. "Zuko asked me to stay after the meeting, something about a new treaty. I did and Katara and him ambushed me. They started talking about how sorry they were and forgiveness and how they just wanted a chance."
Mai let go of his hand and clenched them in her clothing, "Are you kidding? After what they did and how they lied to us. How could you even consider it? Well I know how you could consider it."
Aang struggled up pressing his hot back to the cool wall. "Do you honestly think I could forgive Katara that easily? I love her just as much as you love Zuko but after what they did, it will take time to even think of trusting them."
"Why is Katara with you then?"
He patted his side and she reluctantly dragged herself next to him. "She left Zuko and wanted me to take her back home." He noticed that she'd left her hair down, a style he personally thought suited her better.
"Why you? Couldn't she take a ferry or something?" She loved when he played with her hair. Unconsciously she had pulled it out of its usual confinements. Somewhere in the back of her mind she had remembered how much he loved it down.
"I guess she couldn't wait. We'd only been traveling for a few days when I fell ill." He yawned.
"So anything happen?" she yawned too.
"We almost kissed." She moved as to get up but he restrained her, "jealous, Mai? I'm shocked."
She tried to unsuccessfully get up again but he refused to let her up. He had begun laughing and she did too at the ridiculousness of their conversation. "A little I must admit. Why didn't you?" She asked snuggling into his arms.
He rested his chin on her head thoughtfully, "Even though I still maintain something for her, it just felt wrong to me. Especially so soon after you and I kissed. I didn't want to taint whatever there is developing between us."
Aang could detect the tension melt from her frame. Mai crawled over him to retrieve the bag of herbs she'd been carrying earlier. He observed as she began mixing a few plants, grinding them into a fine powder, tipping them into the cup.
She supported his head and he swallowed the bitter mixture. He gagged but she forced him to finish it until nothing but dregs remained. "I know it tastes awful but it will help your body restore itself and let you rest." With her help he lay back down.
"Mai," his eyelids were already beginning to droop but he had to say it. "I'm not sure what's going to happen in the coming days with Katara here but I just want you to know. I care about you a lot."
"I care about you too. I guess were both a little torn. Sleep." He curled onto his side, his hand pillowing his head. She sat on the edge of his bed keeping an eye on him until his breathing evened.
Katara -
Katara couldn't stay awake all night and eventually she fell asleep. Her dreams were not peaceful and kept taunting her with visions of Aang and Mai raising a brood of serious little dark haired benders with gray eyes while she grew old and alone.
After the fourth nightmare she refused to go back to sleep. She decided now was a good a time as any to explore the newly restored temple. Though it irked her how much Mai had solidified her presence here, Katara had to admit that the temple looked beautiful.
It dawned on her that she had no idea how Aang was doing and thanks to her stupid reaction, Mai wasn't going to let her near him any time soon. Sokka was right if she wanted to make amends she had to apologize to Mai.
But how exactly was she going to do that without wanting to rip her apart. Katara acknowledged that she had no right to act this way. Mai had not stolen Aang. They'd been pushed into each other's arms thanks to her and Zuko.
If she loved him it was in a purer form than Katara had ever achieved. That did not mean that she was willing to give him up. Seeing the former Fire Nation native in the traditional hues of the Air Nomad colors had driven that point home.
A little recognition was not going to wipe her slate clean of her past deeds.
Lack of sleep and worrying about Aang's new connections; pretty much wrecked havoc with her concentration. She looked about annoyed, "Great I'm lost."
She tried to retrace her steps but she'd been so distracted that she had no idea where she'd actually started at. Katara was beginning to panic. She had no clue how much time had passed but given the light coming from the natural skylight she must have been wandering for at least a few hours.
Finally she stumbled upon a set of stone monks. Yesterday Sokka had given her a brief layout of the temple. She recalled that his room was near statues. Relieved she poked her head around the corner. A hallway faced her with two rooms on each side.
The first rooms were empty but clean. The third room contained Toph on her side occasionally reaching out in her sleep with Sokka to her right. He was drooling and clinging to his pillow, the name Suki occasionally escaping his lips.
She covered her mouth to muffle her laughter and kept searching. "Aang must be around here somewhere." She opened the last room, sorry to have finally found him.
Aang had always been an active sleeper. He tended to kick his blankets off, she couldn't count the amount of times she had covered him during the really cold nights. His habits had not changed as said blankets were on the floor leaving him bare to the frigid mountain air. Yet another thing that the other girl had learned about her Aang.
Mai had apparently decided to remedy the situation. Her head lay on Aang's chest, her hair spread out looking for all the world like it belonged there. Her arm was draped loosely over his chest and one of his hands rested peacefully on her hip.
She quelled the murderous urge to pull her off him and finish their fight from earlier. Katara pressed against the wall when she realized they were waking up. 'Is this what it felt like to have your heart ripped out of you? I guess I know what they felt.'
"Morning." She heard him say. 'How many times have they woken up like this?' her heart shattered anew at the casual way he said it. Like it was a perfectly normal and everyday occurrence.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on duty."
"Not the first time it's happened." Katara shut her eyes willing the images their words were conjuring to disappear.
"I better go make breakfast before Sokka throws a fit. Do you need me to help you get dressed?" Mai asked. Katara heard the girl get up and would have fled down the hall but his words froze her to the spot.
"I can manage, thank you for staying. Oh and Mai. You look really pretty like that. Leave it down for me." He requested.
Katara felt sick to her stomach at the sound of a tell tale kiss coming from the room. "Sure, but once you get better, I'm putting it back up."
"Deal."
Katara ran into the nearest room and hid.
Aang-
"Morning."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on duty." Mai stretched and then helped him sit up. Aang gingerly climbed out of the bed coughing very little. It was odd how being home had nearly restored him.
"Not the first time it's happened." Their talk had really helped. His head felt clearer than it had for days. Maybe there was a way to salvage a friendship with Katara. Mai adjusted her clothes and attempted to comb her sleep mussed hair.
"I better go make breakfast before Sokka throws a fit. Do you need me to help you get dressed?" Mai asked. He swayed a bit, maybe he wasn't as well as he thought. She steadied him and began opening his small pack looking for a spare set of clothes.
Mai was only the second girl to see him so undressed and the knowledge sent color shooting through his pale coloring. Amused she handed him his robe and he took it hastily. "I can manage, thank you for staying."
He really had to thank her for everything she'd done. He was aware how hard it was to keep her herbs replenished. They only grew very close to the edge of the mountain and Mai hated heights. "Oh and Mai. You look really pretty like that. Leave it down for me." He requested.
He tucked a strand behind her ear and she pressed a kiss to his mouth. "Sure, but once you get better, I'm putting it back up."
"Deal." he replied and kissed her back.
Once she left he tried to finish getting ready but he'd forgotten how intricate his robes could be. Maybe he should have had her help him. "Oh good, I'm glad you're back. I do need help and before you tell me you told me so, in my defense I thought I could do it alone and you…Katara?"
"Here let me help." she offered in greeting. She scrunched up the material and motioned for him to put his head through the neck hole. He complied mostly out of a desire to end this as quickly as possible. Once his tunic was on she immediately held out the next piece of his ensemble.
"How do you feel? I wasn't able to check on you last night and well, here I am." She supplied weakly.
He could have managed the ties himself but it was so nice to have a pretext to be so close to her. As angry and distrustful of her as he was. He couldn't deny that he liked when she fussed over him, something she had never done to Zuko. 'Maybe because she sees you as more of a boy than she did him.'
Aang squelched the insolent little voice. Katara was looping the last of the fabric around his torso and he held up his arms for her to tie it off. "There. You're all done." she brushed his shoulders straightening his outfit. "I don't know where you medallion is." She slid her arms around his neck adjusting his collar.
Dazed he recognized that her hands were still clasped around his neck. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior. I didn't get a chance to tell you at the palace. I did a very stupid thing. You were always so wonderful to me and I just threw it away for something that had no real meaning."
"Katara, you don't have to apologize. Its past and we should move forward and become friends again." He soothed her not wishing to have a repeat of their camp fight.
In a leap of faith she pushed her lips against his. He stepped back instantanously, shock and disbelief painted on his face. He untangled her arms from around him gently.
His rejection gave voice to the fear that she'd been bottling up. "It's because of her isn't it?" he shook his head but she persisted. "Do you love her, Aang? Has she replaced me completely." His refusal to answer made her more distraught. "At least tell me if I have a chance. Tell me if I even hold a tiny piece of your heart."
Aang ran his hand over his head turning to look at her, "Yes you do but do you think that makes any difference? We both changed a lot, were not the same kids that fell in love almost three years ago. I do love Mai maybe not like I did you but it could definitely grow to it. I can't abandon her just because you made a mistake."
She looked down at the ground, he was right and it hurt more because of it. "If Mai was ok with it. Would you give us another chance?"
Aang had always been soft-hearted. All the horror and human tragedy of the 100 years war had not changed that. Zuko's actions with Katara had hardened him a little but he was still too kind for his own good. "Mai would have to decide that, I can't guarantee anything."
Katara left Aang standing stiffly in the middle of his room wondering what he'd just unleashed.