Hey all! I'm sorry I know that reviews have been a lot slower lately but I'm hoping to be updating almost everyday again.

Enjoy! And review!

Katara's head was throbbing, and her throat and eyes stung like smoke was being poured into them. She slowly opened her eyes to see a dark blurred figure next to her. She closed her eyes and took a few deep and slow breaths. It was obvious to her that she was sick but she wasn't sure of much else, she'd been hallucinating a lot and couldn't tell the dreams from reality.

She opened her eyes again and blinked them a few times before her vision cleared enough for her see the the dark figure was a man sleeping with his arms and head on the bed. His face was buried in the crook of his elbow so she couldn't see his face. She didn't know who it was, but his presence didn't feel foreign to her. She wondered if he'd stayed with her for a few hours every day as a gaurd for her.

But if he was, he wouldn't be sleeping

She had a feeling that whoever the man was, he was here because he wanted to be. Then she remembered the strong arms wrapped around her as she cried, and the gentle caresses and soothing whispers that guarded her in her sleep. But who?

She reached out her stiff arm slowly and instinctively began running her fingers through his dark hair. The mysterious man stirred slightly before sighing contentedly in his sleep. Katara gave a small smile to herself and closed her eyes trying to remember anything that really happened.

"Please, you have a fever,"

"I really am sorry about the mirror,"

"You are gonna be ok, Tara. You have to be."

"Thank you, Zuko."

"Thank you."

"Thank you."

"Thank you."

Katara's eyes snapped open and she ripped her hand from the man who lay next to her, and she watched him. He didn't make any move to attack her, or mock her like her dreams had. He simply kept breathing slow steady breaths.

Why you?

Katara didn't understand why he was here, he was the man we would betray her. The man she would never trust. She closed her eyes when she heard the door open and hear someone next and walk over to the side of her small bed. She heard a rustling and felt the pressure next to her lift off the bed.

"What is it?" She heard him ask quietly.

"I want to be alone with her for a minute, go wait in your room and I'll get you when I'm done." Toph voice answered him. Katara tried to even out her breathing so the girl wouldn't feel that she was awake. There was complete silence for a moment before she heard the soft creak of a chair as someone got up and left. A matching creak met her ears indicating the chair's new occupant.

"You can stop pretending to be sleeping, Kat. I know that you are awake and sane for the first time since this fever got ya." Toph said with a still hushed voice. Katara sighed in defeat before opening her drowsy eyes.

"Hi, Toph. How long I been out?" she replied with a scratchy voice.

"In an hour or two it would have been four days." Katara paled at this and her heart dropped.

"That's way worse then last time," she said still not believing it.

"No kidding, but we can't talk about that yet; you are still way too weak mentally." Toph said a-matter-of-factly, "I felt your reaction to Sparky, I'm guessing you flipped out when you realized who it was huh?" Katara searched the younger girls face for any sign of teasing but found no trace.

"Why did you make him stay in here? A guard would have been fine." Katara stated a bit harshly.

"I didn't make him do anything, Sugar Queen. He wanted to stay." Katara's mind froze, she didn't understand any of this. "The only time I asked him to be in here with you was while I was running for the Doctor. But he chose to stay while Doc checked on you, he chose to sleep on the floor in here that night, and he chose not to leave you alone for a single second." Toph said crossing her arms and blowing her bangs out of her face.

"Why?" Katara asked quietly.

"Well," Toph started before pausing in thought, "I think he was scared of you but more then that I think he was scared for you. For a little while there Doc didn't think-" Toph's voice broke slightly at the end and Katara nodded her head in understanding. "And I- I think he wanted to protect you somehow. I'd wake up in the middle of the night to hear you screaming bloody murder and feel the wall to see Sparky holding you tight and calming you down. He was with you the whole time, he wouldn't even let Snoozles kick him out. " She could tell that Toph was being careful with her words. She knew what she was saying and closed her eyes in slight aggravation.

"So you want me to trust him."

"No, I just want you to not be so closed off that you are blinder then me to anything good he does. Give him the opportunity to prove himself." And with that she heard Toph get up and leave the room.

Katara turned over so she was facing the wall and forced herself to drift off. Right before her mind closed itself off she felt a gentle hand softly stroking her hair.

Yes! I know that this is also very short but please don't kill me! I'm gonna start doing both points of view again in the next chapter ok?

Review beautiful people!

Kmsitterley