A couple of you have expressed your dislike with the events to unfold. I'm sorry, it had to happen.

Oh, by the way Tiel's name is pronounced teal, like the color.


Chapter 9: In the name of the Nation

"You did what?" Sokka lunged across the short space, trying to close the distance between him and Aang, Zuko however barely held him back.

Aang huddled, back pressed against the wall, "I'm sorry! I had to!"

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Zuko was disgusted but Sokka was downright angry, trying to kill him.

Up to now Katara had been stunned into silence but she finally spoke, "Sokka, calm down." In one swift motion she turned to face Aang, "How could you do this to me?" She didn't yell, she didn't scream, just talked. Her voice was so quiet, so hurt.

"Katara, I'm so sorry." Aang held his hands out, an apologetic gesture.

"Don't you dare apologize, just tell me, why'd you do it."

"Katara, you don't understand, I had to."

Katara was silent, her face completely still. Still waiting for a real explanation.

"She's an air bender. I'm rebuilding a nation Katara. With both of us the chances of giving another air bender is phenomenal. Don't you understand?"

"So you cheated on me for your nation? For the air Nomads?"

"I'm sorry—"

"Is that why you wouldn't marry me? You were too busy bedding her?"

"Katara, don't say that."

"Why? It's true."

"No it's not. Katara, you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me!" it was the first time she had yelled. Causing everyone to cringe back.

"The monks didn't have a tradition of marriage."

"Excuse me?"

"Men and women were separated into different temples. Katara, relationships like that are for babies. The monks who wanted anything else typically left."

"Aang, what if I wanted a baby? I've wasted five years living somewhere that wasn't my home. Without my friends, my family. Left all alone for five years while you are too busy making a nation. Did you ever think of that."

Aang's face was solemn, "Katara…" Sorrys were lost. There were no words now that could fix this.

"Aang, you don't understand, I loved you. I gave up everything so that I could be with you. WITH you. Aang, I wanted to be your companion, your partner. Above everything, everyone, I choose you."

"Katara, I—"

"No Aang, I want you to leave. Please, and take her with you."

"Will you come back?"

"I don't know…" her voice was starting to mellow again.

Aang reached out his arms, trying to take her in a hug.

"Don't touch me!" She stood, looked at him for a count of three heartbeats then she ran.

Katara wasn't sure where she wanted to run, but she had to go. She ran through the endless amount of halls. She ran and ran until she didn't know where she was. She ran until her lungs refused the amount of oxygen she tried to feed them. She ran until her legs refused to work, depositing her on the ground in an unknown wing of the palace.

With her face pressed against the ground she began to cry. Today was supposed to be perfect. Today she was supposed to be happy, instead she was reduced to this: a useless heap on the floor. She cried until she had no more tears, and her eyes burnt with sand.

They searched for her for hours and it was eventually her empty sobs they followed.

"Katara?" She didn't know who's voice was gently ringing in her ear, but she didn't care. Instead she just laid there, staring at nothing.

"Come on, pick her up." It was another voice, both of them were so familiar comforting. Somewhere in the back of her head Katara knew she had missed both of the voices, but she was supposed to be displeased with one of them. But she couldn't remember why, she was just so tired.

A pair of warm arms wrapped around her, lifting her small form to a strong chest.

"Take her to her room."

The kind man carrying her nodded, Katara felt it in the flexing of his neck.

"Will you be alright Sokka?" Katara ran that name through her head. Sokka… she knew him. That was her brother. He'd had a baby tonight. Tonight Katara got a niece.

"Yeah, after I get her tucked in I'm going to get Suki and we're going to bed."

"Congratulations Sokka, your baby is beautiful." Katara's voice was barely above a whisper.

The man that held her hushed quietly, hugging her closer.

"Hey sweetie, we're taking you to bed." Sokka's voice was soft, comforting. A gentle finger stroked over her cheek.

Still, the idea of going to bed made her heart hurt, there was something there she didn't want, "I don't want to be alone."

There was a soft quiet, "I'll take her to my room." The voice came from the one holding her, his chest vibrating with the passing of air.

"Watch over her…" Katara was still conscious enough to recognize that the words weren't a request, they were a threat, making her wonder who she was being held to. Should she not want to be here? She didn't care, for this moment she was too tired.

"Good night, both of you."

"Night Sokka, sleep well—would you?"

"Sure." Somewhere Katara recognized a door opening, and then closing.

"Katara, I'm going to put you down now, ok?"

Katara nodded, her heart hurt, her chest hurt but she couldn't quite remember why. The bedding he set her in was soft around her skin cradling her like silken waters. Katara looked out aimlessly, her eyes focusing on no one thing, but there was something begging to her attention. Across the room a man was topless, discarding his dirty shirt into a hamper.

Katara let her eyes travel shamelessly over his skin, his strong arms with a metal cuff wrapped around the bicep. His pale chest was solid in the cool moonlight, there was something wrong, a star-burst of a scar plagued the smooth skin. She knew that scar, she healed it once upon a time. She knew him… Katara sat up instantly, knowing that she shouldn't be here, in the Fire Lord's bed.

"Hey," Zuko kneeled on the floor before her, "What's wrong?"

Katara tried to scramble away, "I need to go." It was starting to rush back to her, her anger at Zuko, her fight with Mai, her fight with Aang. It was all rushing back to her as her mind fully regained consciousness.

"Katara, lay down." He urged her back.

"No! I'm supposed to be angry at you too! I'm angry at you, and I'm angry at Aang. I hate you both." Zuko's heart broke hearing the words.

"Katara, what's wrong? What did I do?"

"You know what you did! Mai knows what you did!" Katara had managed to roll out of the silky sheets, onto the hard floor. Her legs hurt and threatened to drop her on the floor.

Zuko stood to meet her, his hands on her shoulders keeping her from running.

"You got married Zuko! You got married and you didn't tell me!" Katara was yelling, trying to force her way out of his hands, "I wasn't good enough. I chose Aang and you chose Mai and I wasn't good enough to even get an invitation. You hate me!"

"Katara, what are you talking about?" Zuko spoke calmly, concerned. He let one hand go to the side of her head, smoothing down the frazzled hair.

"Mai, she cornered me, told me to stay away from her husband. How could you Zuko! I thought we were friends!"

He wanted to cry at the pure irony of the confusion. He was mad that she hadn't invited him to a fictional wedding, and she was mad he hadn't invited her to his. It lessened his worry to know it was just a confusion, but he dare not say it. All he had to do was calm her, explain.

"Zuko I hate you… you abandoned me.. I hate you." She collapsed on the floor in a hysterical mess. What a day this had been.

Zuko scooped her up in his arms again, cradling her to his chest as he sat on the bed, "Shhh, Katara, there's nothing to worry about, I don't hate you."

"But Mai."

"She just said those things because she was angry. She'll calm down in a while."

Katara was calm her breathing returning to normal, "You're not married?"

"No."

"You don't hate me?"

"Never Katara, you're one of the most important aspects of my life."

"That's—that's" She stuttered, one heartache had been healed, leaving the other completely bare. Aang. "How could he?" Tears were starting to well in her eyes again even though she didn't believe she had any more to spare.

"I don't know. He's being thoughtless, stupid."

"No he's not. He's—he's—" Katara had no more words, she merely collapsed, tears streaming down her cheek silently forming a wet spot on his chest.

Zuko held her close to his chest as he settled back into the pillow, clearly all she needed right now was to be held, to not be alone. She'd been alone too long.