Author's Note: Thanks to all of my reviewers, once again. You guys are the best and I love you so much, seriously. In other news, I went on a writing spree and actually finished writing this story. There is a grand total of 19 chapters. But you don't get to read them until I get more reviews, so...

You know what to do, munchkins!

Chapter 15

Neither Zuko nor Katara knew the teacher supervising them during detention. "I guess Ms Joo Dee and Mr Long Feng were too humiliated," Zuko whispered. The sound of his voice was met with by a glare from the supervising teacher.

"I feel gross," Katara sighed. "I want to go home and have a shower already."

"Shh!" the teacher hissed. "No talking!"

In the dragging silence, Zuko slipped his hand under the table and placed it gently on her knee. She smiled, trying not to look at him in case the teacher noticed. His hand was warm and comforting. A laugh almost escaped her lips when he started rubbing circles on her leg, but she reduced it outburst to a sudden squirming in her seat. Unfortunately, that caught the teacher's attention and Zuko quickly pulled his hand away from her before they were caught. The action was more sudden that Katara had expected, especially considering his crude outburst which had landed them in detention to begin with. She suspected something playing on his mind. As soon as the teacher wasn't watching again, his hand went back to her knee.

When the hour finally passed, the teacher dismissed them carelessly and left the room before they did. For a moment they lingered. Zuko smirked deviously at her until she got up and led them out of the room. They stood outside the school together and started walking slowly along the streets.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked. "You seem a little jumpy."

Zuko shrugged. "I'm just… never mind."

"What?" He shook his head. "Tell me!"

He shrugged. "I'm just a little worried about what Azula said this morning."

Katara frowned. "Which part?"

"All of it. I can't tell how much was a bluff and how much was real. What if she really does have Jin?" She scowled at him. He put his hands up defensively. "I feel bad for anyone being imprisoned by my sister. It has nothing to do with –"

"I know, I know, I know," she said hurriedly. "Sorry. I just… yeah."

"Yeah." He stepped up. "I'm worried that she meant what she said about you. I don't want you to become her victim too."

She took in a deep breath. "I'd say that was a bluff." Zuko could tell that she didn't mean it as much as she wanted to.

"I don't know, Katara. It was her last night, following you. She seemed pretty persistent. I'm scared she was planning to take you then."

Katara looked at her feet. The sunlight was warm in the late afternoon and made the sky almost blinding to look at. "What can we do? How is she going to get me?"

He shrugged. "She could be watching us now for all we know. I mean, she is going to school here, just like us."

"I wonder why she didn't get a detention for being late."

"She probably made up some legitimate excuse… or the teachers know she will hurt them if they get in her way. They could be scared of her."

Katara looked at him thoughtfully. "What if one of the teachers is on her side?"

"You mean a member of the Red Army in disguise?"

"Yeah."

He shrugged. "I guess it's possible. But who would you pick? Ms Joo Dee?"

Katara shook her head. "No, I'll bet she'd take the opportunity to grovel at King Kuei's feet any day. I was thinking more…"

"Mr Long Feng?" Zuko guessed. Katara nodded. "That would be interesting if Ms Joo Dee found out. I wonder…"

"I can't believe he was about to hit you," Katara said.

He shook his head. "I knew he didn't have the guts. It would have gotten him into trouble. Could have blown his cover."

She giggled. "Well, I should be getting home," she said, backing away.

Zuko seemed disheartened. "Alright. Let me know if anything strange happens. I don't want to be the last to know if Azula really does come after you."

She gave a faltering smile. "I'll let you know. What's your number?"

Zuko pulled a pen out of his pocket and wrote it on the back of her hand. "Um… call me?" he said teasingly.

She nudged him in the arm and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I will."

"Nephew, you seem distracted tonight. Is everything okay?" Iroh asked gently as they cleared a table. The Jasmine Dragon was humming with the last customers of the night and the older man had been watching his nephew closely all night.

"I'm fine," Zuko said.

"Are you quite sure?" Iroh waved at a leaving customer before turning back to his nephew. "How are things between you and Katara? She seemed upset when she left."

He shrugged. "I guess she was. We're fine."

"Did you make it up to her?" Iroh said with a smile.

"Yes," Zuko answered shortly.

Iroh frowned after him as he moved to clear another table. "Nephew, you seem stressed about something. Tell me, what is on your mind?"

"Nothing," he lied.

"There must be something, Zuko, or you would not be so tense." Zuko didn't reply. "Is it to do with Azula?"

He froze for a split second and sighed before he continued. "I keep thinking about what she said this morning."

"Zuko –" He placed a hand on his shoulder. "– promise me you will not turn to her. I know that you are in a difficult position, and filled with inner conflict. You must miss your father and sister. They are your family, after all. But I warn you, Nephew, my brother is not the type to repent, and I fear that Azula is only going to use you if you join her tonight."

"Ozai and Azula are not my family anymore," Zuko hissed, rounding on his uncle. "I do not intend on going back to them. My issue is not with whose side I'm on. My issue is with what Azula might have done to Jin and what she's threatening to do to Katara if I don't meet with her in two hours time."

Iroh considered him for a moment. "Have you considered that they might have been empty threats?"

"I have, Uncle, but what if they're not? She was following Katara and I last night, and she must have been watching Jin and I the night before too." Iroh furrowed his brow in thought. "Uncle, what can I do?" He didn't answer as the last customers vacated their table. Iroh smiled at them as they left. "I need to find out if she really has Jin or not. And I need to protect Katara. But how do I do that, Uncle?"

"You could go to the police."

He scoffed. "And say what? Hi there, I'm Zuko, son of Ozai, the leader of the Red Army. I think someone's going to kill my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Iroh perked up with a grin.

"Uncle, focus!"

"Right, right… well, they might believe you. You could try."

Zuko shook his head. "Azula will figure it out. If she really does already have Jin, she'll do the worst if she figures it out too soon."

Iroh nodded. "I know that you are right. I still do not know if I believe that Azula really has taken Jin hostage though."

Zuko followed him into the kitchen and stopped him before he could empty the bin. "I'll do that. I need to think. I'm going for a walk."

Iroh frowned as he dragged the bin-bag out the back door. "Please, Zuko, do what you know is right. Do not become her puppet out of fear of what she might do to you."

"I'm not afraid of what she will do to me, Uncle," Zuko said. "I'm afraid what she will do to someone innocent, like Jin. And I'm terrified of what she will do to Katara."

He didn't give the man a chance to respond before he shut the door behind him. The backside of the building was just as dark and grimy as it had been the night Azula had confronted him. There were still puddles from the downpour the night before. Zuko hurled the rubbish into the bin and started walking. His feet took him wherever they wanted. With his head down, Zuko passed the rest of the city like a phantom, lost in thought, his troubles invisible to every soul that walked by.

What am I supposed to do? he thought. I don't know what I can do.

Before he could register where he was, he found himself standing outside a house, looking up the front steps to the door. He blinked. He'd been in and out of that door once before, just the day before. Katara, he thought, stepping up. He placed one hand against the smooth, dark-blue wood and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against it too. He thought of her, and the way her eyes described everything she felt. But they were always blue, just like her room, just like the door in front of him, just like the sky.

No, the sky isn't blue at sunset and sunrise. Katara is more constant than that. He opened his eyes and stepped back. He walked around the house until he found her window. Zuko stared up, half expecting to see her appear to stare down at him. But she didn't. It was late at night and after the long day, he expected that she was exhausted.

But is she really up there? What if Azula has already paid her a visit? He frowned up at the window, but couldn't see inside. He had to be sure that Katara was alright. He picked a stone up from the ground and threw it at the window. There was a heavy thump as it bounced back and landed on the ground. He threw it again, and as he bent down to retrieve it, movement caught his eye. Zuko looked up at the window and saw Katara frowning down at him. He straightened up and waited for something to happen; for her to do something or say something, or turn around and disappear again.

Her face broke into a smile and she gently opened the window. "What are you doing here?" she whispered down to him.

"Can I come up?" She nodded. Zuko briefly examined the building and everything attached to it; the branch of a nearby tree, a ledge, a gap between two bricks, the piping. Katara stepped back as he ran at the house and manoeuvred himself up to her window.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again as he slipped in through her window.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Her smile grew wider. "I'm sorry, I just haven't been able to get out of my head what Azula said this morning. I was… worried about you."

Katara blushed. "That's sweet of you."

Zuko slipped into her room and straightened up. "Are you alright?" She nodded. "Did I wake you?"

"It doesn't matter," she whispered. "But if you're staying, we need to keep quiet. Everyone else is already in bed. I don't think Suki would be too happy if she found out you were here, and I know Sokka would freak."

He chuckled. "That's okay. I just wanted to see you." Her smile was interrupted by a yawn. "You look exhausted. I'm sorry for waking you, I just wanted to be sure." Zuko edged towards the window again. "I'll let you get back to sleep."

Katara shook her head quickly and stepped forward. "Don't go," she said, grabbing his arm. "Stay for a while."

His scowling face broke into a half-smile. Katara felt her stomach squirm. "Would you like to sleep again?"

She nodded and took a step back towards the bed. "Can you hold me for a bit?"

Zuko's smile spread all the way across his face as he watched her blushing. "Of course." Katara sat on her bed and watched him kick his shoes off. He sat down next to her and awkwardly put an arm around her slender body. She leaned willingly into him and closed her eyes, her head propped beneath his chin. Zuko pulled her closer and started rubbing his thumb in circles on her back. She gave a quiet laugh.

"What is it?" he asked.

"That feels nice. It felt nice when you did it on my leg in detention too."

He smirked. "Good." He kissed the top of her head. Zuko felt her fingers gathering the material of his shirt and felt the gentle tug she gave. "You alright?"

"Yeah." She tugged at his shirt again, just gently. "Can we lie down?"

"Sure." He let her shuffle to the side of the bed near the wall. She stretched out over the mattress, nestling her head on the pillow. Zuko smiled at the way her tank-top and pyjama pants clung to her and highlighted the gentle curves of her body. He ran a finger smoothly from her shoulder to her hip and left his hand there as he lowered himself to the bed. Zuko gathered her in one arm and she closed her eyes, her head on his chest. He could feel her fingers playing with his shirt again.

"Can you take it off?" she asked shyly.

He chuckled, smiling down at her. "You sure?" She nodded and he pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor before he gathered her in his arms again. "Is this okay?"

She smiled against his chest. "Yes. You're warm. You feel nice."

Zuko kissed the top of her head again and watched her doze off. The house was filled with a heavy silence and Zuko turned to face the alarm clock on her bedside table. It was close to midnight and he felt his stomach twist in anticipation.

What happens when I don't meet Azula?

While Katara slept peacefully in his arms, he started counting down the minutes. His heart started racing in a mixture of fear as the hour neared, and pleasure as Katara snuggled closer to him in her sleep. Her steady breathing was soothing, like the cool skin of the hand she left on his chest.

Midnight came and passed without anything of significance occurring. A part of Zuko was expecting Azula to appear at the window with a cruel smirk across her face. But Azula didn't come. The minutes ticked on and Zuko felt the weight of the week pounding down on him. His eyes started drooping shut in exhaustion and he pulled himself back to consciousness with a start. Katara continued to sleep peacefully.

I can't leave her alone tonight, he thought, looking down at her. But what if I fall asleep and Azula shows? I can't fall asleep.

But as the minutes ticked on, he felt himself dozing deeper into a slumber, and finding it harder to pull himself back to reality every time. Somewhere in his half-conscious state, he recalled the fear on Katara's face the previous night, as they'd ran through the park together. What would have happened if Azula had caught up?

Azula's gleaming eyes appeared in his mind. "I know where you are," her voice told him. "No matter what you do, you'll never be able to keep her safe from me."

He pulled himself out of the nightmare with a jump. Katara murmured something in her sleep as she readjusted herself against his body. Frowning, he looked down at her. The alarm clock read 12:35am, and he sighed in frustration. As gently as he could, he slipped out of her arms and stretched his body out as he stood.

"Where are you going?" Katara murmured, cracking her eyes open for a moment.

Zuko looked guiltily back down at her. "Home. I need to sleep."

She closed her eyes and let her body spread over the rest of the bed. A second later, she had plunged back into the depths of unconsciousness. Zuko sighed as he pulled his shirt and shoes back on. Her room seemed much more inviting than the dark streets of Ba Sing Se outside her window, but if he wanted to keep her safe, he knew what he had to do. He scanned the room for her sketchbooks, on the desk and on her shelves. He picked one at random and scanned its pages quickly before he tucked it underneath his arm and climbed back out the window.

Author's note: New record for the longest chapter! And this is just crawling with Zutara goodness, is it not? And of course, lots of Zuko's private angst and inner turmoil. OMG ZUKO WHY ARE YOU STEALING KATARA'S SKETCHBOOK?! So tell me, what did you think?

For those of you who didn't read the A/N at the top, I have finished writing this story. All that I need is for you to review each chapter as I post it, so that I have a reason to put the next one up. I'll update with the next chapter when I get at least four (4) reviews. If you love Zutara, like this story and want to know how it ends, you know what to do. Fly, my pretties, fly! I mean... review!