A/N: Well, ah... It might be a while before you and I meet again. Mass Effect 3 comes out tomorrow night, at midnight. I sold my soul a long time ago, and it's time to pay the price. I know this is totally lame, and I'm a dork, but I can't wait for this game. I have been waiting since the end of ME2. Anyone else here play? I'm sooo excited.

This has been beta-read by Scribbles I. She is my hero.

Healed and Hunted

That Which has Been Seen

Chapter Twenty-two

LoTus

e

a

Lee

He was trying his best to wake her, but only succeeded in rousing a few groans from her. She grumbled a few incoherent sentences, insisting that she was awake. He poked her, tried tickling her, and had even dripped water on her face. He was running out of options.

He pressed his lips to hers, and smiled when her mouth curled upward.

She still didn't wake, however.

"Kat, c'mon. We're going to be late. Wake up."

She pushed his face away, "N-no-o. Four in...morning..."

"I'm going to carry you to the car, okay? Put your arms around my neck," he instructed her. She moved slowly.

He managed to walk her down to the car, dump her into the passengers seat, and say good-bye to his uncle. When he came to the car, she was curled up, still sleeping. He could only smile.

It had been a while since he had driven a car, so he was grateful for the silence. It was easier to concentrate without her distracting voice in his ear. Lee stopped for gas about half way through, and bought them both some coffee.

The smell roused her from her dead-weight state.

"Coffee," she whispered.

He laughed and put the cup under her hand. "Yes. Coffee. All you have to do is wake up, and it's yours."

Her eyes flipped open at that, trying her best to keep them open. Lee was amused at how misty her eyes were, like no matter whether she wanted to be awake or not, her eyes were not ready.

"You're amazing." She took the coffee from him and took a grateful breath.

He took off again, while she restarted over her coffee. Within the hour, she was alert and conscious.

"Awake yet?" he teased.

She didn't seem to notice the taunt. "Yes. Sorry, about being such trouble. You shouldn't have had to carry me."

"It wasn't trouble." He shrugged.

Kat sighed, "I'm still sorry."

"Did you have fun this weekend?" Lee asked, watching the road. The morning traffic was starting to act up. Usually, on his motorcycle, traffic didn't make much difference. But in her car, he wasn't exactly sure how long it would take.

"I did. Did you?" Kat coughed and fixed her throat.

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "More than I thought. I was...nervous, about my uncle."

"Do you think he liked me?"

"More than he likes me," Lee answered, almost seriously. His uncle had been rather taken with the girl. Of course, it had been his hope all along. Everything had gone along splendidly.

Kat laughed and withdrew her hand, reaching back for her cup. Lee missed the feel of her skin and hated himself for it. Too-far-gone. Too far, too far.

Bus Number Nine

Kat

She stared at the window, watching Kyoshi wave without shame. Her niece was wearing a red band on her arm, proudly and of her own choice. The kids at school had shunned her, but she said she would rather tell the truth and have no friends than lie and be popular.

She was proud, scared, and afraid.

"She's taking a stand, for her dad," Lee said, breaking her concentration. It sounded more like a question than a statement, as if he wasn't sure.

Kat laid her head on his shoulder. "She's trying to help, to fight the war Aang and her father are fighting."

"Something else?" he wondered. When had he gotten so good at reading her?

With a sigh she answered, "I just remembered the date, is all. My mom died today."

Lee didn't say anything. He just put his arms around her shoulders and held her a little closer. It wasn't pity, but comfort.

"I was hiding in the closet. I'll never forget what they kept asking her. I never found out what it was, though," she said absently.

The phrase was one she had repeated millions of times to herself. She muttered it quietly, not really thinking. It felt like Lee tensed for just a moment, but then he eased back up.

"She kept saying it was her, but they didn't believe her, whatever it was. I cracked the closet door open. A gun on her chest, bang. They left then, after setting my house on fire. I ran to her after they were gone. She was still alive. Told me to run, to get my dad. I wasn't fast enough." Kat wished she could have stopped talking. It was always so hard around him.

"Where was your dad?" Lee asked carefully.

"There were other people who were attacking our village." She shrugged. "Took me a while to find him."

"What was she like?" he wanted to know.

Kat told him everything she could manage. Her mother was one of the best people Kat had ever met. Kind, brave. Everything she had aspired to be. Everything she would never be.

It seemed a short ride, and they were walking again too soon.

Kat kissed him as they parted, and ran to her family. It was most difficult to keep her face from collapsing when he just listened like that. It was the easiest thing to be open around him, harder to be calm.

"Kat, did you break him?" Aang asked when she caught up with him.

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "What are you talking about?"

"You went away this weekend with a bad-ass. Came back with a softie," he said, pointing and gesturing at Lee. Sans hair and piercings and tight, dark clothing.

Kat coughed. "He did that on his own."

"Uh-huh," Aang said, "Curious."

Kat rolled her eyes, knowing it was pointless to protest. Aang was stubborn and would think what he wanted, no matter what she said. So, she walked with him and filled him in on the weekends events.

Minus the part where they had slept in the same bed. It was just a little too awkward to mention.

Art Room B

Toph

She hated art. The fact that they made her take it seemed like a cruel joke. But, here she was. Stupid class, for a blind girl.

"Two paints down in front, two to your right. Blue, red, yellow green," Kat said, whispering to her.

"What are the chances of me sneaking out again?" Toph asked, pretending to search for the paint brush. She could feel the metal of the handle, and therefore "see" it. Most of the room was metal, except of course, the art.

"The instructor is watching us now." The way Kat said it, Toph was sure no one would notice them talking. They were very good at that, since they didn't have to look at one another.

"Damn. Options?" Toph asked, grabbing one of the paints. Blue, she was certain.

Kat snorted, "You know, you could make a lot of money painting. I bet there's a market for blind Inheritor paintings."

"For every painting you sell, I will sell one," Toph said sarcastically.

The girls laughed, knowing Kat never wanted to sell another painting.

"Deal," Kat said suddenly.

"Why the change of heart?" Toph asked, painting what she thought was a flower. What it came out to be was anyone's guess.

Toph heard Kat switching the canvases. "I didn't say I was selling anything."

"What did I paint?" Toph asked absently.

"A...blue. Was it supposed to be a snake?" Kat asked, sounding confused. Before Toph could answer Kat continued, "I'll try my best to make something out of it."
"Good luck," said the blind girl.
"It won't be a problem. Now, smile and nod. The teacher is coming to appraise your canvas. It's a sunset," Kat said. Toph could hear the shrug.

Toph listened to the people around them. One questioned Toph's ability to paint so well while another hissed hate-filled words about Katara.

"Oh. I'm taking Lee to my studio, next month," Kat said, non-nonchalantly.

"Scandalous." Toph laughed.

Kat laughed, too. "Oh, so scandalous."

"That can be arranged," said Lee. Toph didn't know when he arrived, but apparently neither did Kat for she gasped and, Toph imagined, covered her mouth with her hand.

"What are you doing here?" Kat asked.

Toph wished, in that moment, to see. Or, at least, to have a nice dirt floor to watch from. Neither of them had moved, she was sure, and they were probably just staring at one another.

"I haven't seen you all day," Lee answered. Toph thought his voice sounded... full of wonder. She imagined his face. He was probably looking at her, eyes wide and lips parted. Waiting for the right moment to kiss her.

"It's nine in the morning," Kat said, but sounded like she didn't mind.

"So many wasted hours," Lee muttered slowly.

And then, the teacher was objecting, citing some rule about public displays of affection. Toph assumed they didn't listen, as the yelling got louder and angrier.

"Alright, alright," Lee sighed.

Toph rolled her eyes, the sugary sweetness of his voice - like pulling apart from her was the worst part of his week - was making her sick.

She groaned. "Look, I'm finished. Can I leave? Sick of listening to this."

"Toph, forgive me. I'll return your sister to you now," Lee said. Footsteps passed her and she shook her head.

"Is he gone, yet?" Toph wondered.

"Yes." And she sounded so put off.

Toph made a noise she hadn't heard since the third grade. Less of a word, she cooed with all the others, "Ooooooooh."

The Library

Kat

She could still feel the heat in her face, on her ears and on her neck. She was hiding here, sitting amongst the books, until it went away. She had never been so openly teased before in her life.

"Are you alright?"

So much for hiding.

"I'm fine, Lee. Just, ah, reading." She lifted books as evidence. Of course, she had merely picked them up. She couldn't be sure of what books they were.

"Boring." He pushed the books down and bent down to kiss her.

Her hands twisted up into his hair, fingers finding purchase in the short locks. He brought the rest of his body down, pressing against her. The back of her head rested on the bookshelf. Lee was holding her face in one hand, supporting his teetering weight.

Kat pulled away, ever so slightly, to breathe. They were both trying to breathe calmly, but neither wanted to stop.

The weeks since being back had caused...separation anxiety between the two of them. He was no longer hurt, so they weren't spending the days and nights next to one another. They had fallen out of the pattern of being apart.

"Come here to disrupt my studies?" she wondered. Smiling to herself about the look on his face. He hadn't come here to talk, after all.

He grinned. "I came to spend time with you. So yes."

"Oh, good. I was tired of books." She kissed him again, bored of pretending.

The hardest part was controlling her hands. She didn't know what to do. Her hands naturally went to his face, exactly where she didn't want them to. Instead, she put her hands on his chest and neck. Lee wanted more contact, but there was more than one reason to handle themselves calmly.

A small squeak broke them apart, faster than lightning. Lee nearly jumped to the other side of the aisle. Kat looked and found a young girl with glasses, looking down at the two of them with an open mouth. She had books resting in an arm, and notes in the other hand.

"I'm sorry!" she said and ran the other direction, her pale cheeks all aflame.

Kat held her laughter in until she was sure they were alone. At exactly the same moment, Lee laughed. He laid on his back and covered his eyes with his arm.

"You've caused me nothing but trouble all day," she said, rubbing her face. Yep, warm, blushing flesh was still there. No improvement.

"Worth it." He simply shrugged.

She snorted. "Toph threatened to spray us with water."

"Still worth it."

Kat watched him breathe, fascinated suddenly with the movement. He turned his head to her, and they just stared.

"We do that. A lot," she noted.

And he just smiled. "Staring at you is one of my favorite pastimes."

"Creep."

Lee scoffed and rolled his eyes, incredulous.

"Is it the weekend yet?" Lee wondered.

Kat moved over to him, placing an arm on either side of him. She bent and kissed him. "Does it need to be?"

The Playground

Kyoshi

The good news was, she had the monkey bars to herself. She was sitting on top of the bars you were supposed to hang from, looking down at the people who used to be her friends. Daddy had told her not to wear the band.

It was her decision, he had said, but it was a risky game.

She said she could handle it. If he could fight every day, get shot and still work for the good of the Inheritors, she could wear this band to school. This band that was so uncomfortable for her to wear and for other people to see.

Today, she had announced her intentions to start a program called, Band Together. It was something she had put together with the help of her parents. The program was meant to help kids like her, ones who were not ashamed of being like they were.

But it had not been well received.

She was alone on the playground, wasn't she? Even her imaginary friends had left.

The sign she had made lay discarded on the bars next to her, forgotten and ripped. They had called her parents again. She didn't know if she was in trouble or not. She had been in trouble for so long now, it was hard to tell.

She saw a familiar car drive by. Daddy's car. Daddy didn't come unless it was serious. Usually, it was Mommy. The car pulled to the side and parked, almost recklessly.

There were more cars after that, but she didn't care to notice. Instead, she focused on her father stepping out of the car. He looked straight at her, and she felt her heart still. She was in trouble. Then, he smiled.

And lifted a big, huge sign that read BAND of BROTHERS.

It looked like hers. She picked her sign up; it was missing a corner, and the stick was crooked now, but it felt wonderful. Daddy was here, across the fence that separated the school yard from the road, holding up a sign to tell her that she was not so alone.

People were taking pictures, so Kyoshi tried to smile. The band on her arm felt a little more comfortable, now. She felt like she could take on the world, as long as her daddy was there.

"Are we going home?" she asked when she approached the gate.

Her daddy laughed. "Yes we are. But first, I think there's someone else who wants to say hello."

He pointed behind her and she turned.

Waiting for her was Uncle Aang?

"I thought you were in school," she said, confused.

Aang put a finger to his lips. "Shh, I am in school."

"You're in my school." Kyoshi ran to him, abandoning her sign. The Ava lifted her and kissed her face.

Her uncle laughed. "Yosh, you know you're the bravest kid I've ever met?"

"I don't have to save the world." She poked his nose, the way he normally did to her.

"But you have to live in it."

He kissed her head, put her down and waved to her father.

"Do you have to leave now?" Kyoshi asked, sad. It was another few weeks before they came home again.

Aang nodded. "Yep. But, can I tell you a secret?"

"Do I have to keep it?" Kyoshi questioned, knowing her own affinity for not keeping secrets.

He shook his head. Then poked her chest, over her heart. "We are always right here. No matter what happens."

"Promise?" She held out her pinky. He took it and smiled.

"Promise. Always. No matter what."

With that, he launched himself into the air. He flew higher and higher until she couldn't see him any more. Then she was alone on the field, again.

But her dad was only a few feet away, always in the wings.

The Coffee Room

Lee

He knew that they were all born brave, that family. He could see it when Kat refused to fight, when Aang stood up against injections, when Toph ran through the halls, unassisted. But he finally noticed it when Kyoshi lifted a poster to her father, a smile spreading on her face.

"Is that...?" Lee asked, spotting what looked to be Aang behind the child.

Kat laughed. "Yes. Sokka called this morning."

"How did he get there?" Lee wondered. He had seen Aang two hours ago, hadn't he?

She laughed again. "Aang is Superman. He can fly. Except he's not allergic to green rocks."

"Fly," Lee repeated, almost not believing her.

"My tattoos look better than I remembered," Aang said from behind them. Lee jumped.

"You made pretty good time," Kat said, as if it weren't so surprising to see the bald man here.

Aang shrugged, grabbed a cup of coffee, and gave a half hearted wave as he left.

"He flies," Lee looked to Kat for confirmation.

She put her hands on his face, making sure he was listening. "Air. He flies through the air."

"Kiss me," he breathed, not caring any more. She raised one eyebrow and bit her lip, but pulled away. Lee sighed.

"No." Kat sat back. There was a glint in her eyes he did not recognize, but he wanted to know what it was.

"Tease," he accused.

She laughed. "You deserve it. Now, c'mon, I want to show you something."

He followed her lead, letting her drag him along. They were headed to the art room, where he had kissed her a few days ago. The room was dark and empty, and Lee was surprised at how peaceful it was.

"You know, we could just go back to my dorm, if you wanted me alone in a dark room," he said, taking a risk with this teasing. It could backfire so horribly.

"Ah, but where's the adventure?" she asked, shooting him a look that made him shiver.

She took him to the back of the room, where a canvas was covered with a thick off-white cloth. He waited patiently, still a little stunned at her behavior.

"I think this is the first painting I actually like," she said, reaching for the covering. Without another word, she ripped it off.

It took him a moment to see the entire thing. He instantly recognized his uncle's tea shop, and even a few of the people in the picture. There was a tray in the foreground, as if Kat had been looking over it to the main focal point of the painting, the man standing in the doorway. He thought, at first, it was him. He wasn't sure, though.

A closer look showed Lee what he must've looked like to her. Head down, no hair to cover his eyes, flowers clutched tightly in his hand. The sun almost created a halo around his body. Part of him wondered why he had been so nervous.

"It's...me." He wasn't sure what else to say. Wasn't it conceited if he called the painting beautiful? It was hard to forget why he'd fallen in love with her paintings. They were...perfect.

"Is it awful?" Her voice seemed to be saying, I knew it.

Lee pulled her against him. "Mm, I think I would like it more if you were actually in it."

He kissed her neck, chuckling at the way she tensed, and wrapped his arms around her midriff. It was hardly enough, but he could manage.

"I don't paint me." Kat sounded as if it was completely obvious.

Lee moved his lips up to her ear. "You should, for me?"

"Maybe for your birthday." She gave something he thought she meant to be a laugh. Kat squirmed from his grasp and moved a few inches away. "Well, anyways. That's yours, to do with what you wish."

"Have I made you uncomfortable?" Lee asked. She hadn't stopped fidgeting yet.

Kat blinked. "No. It's just, ah, there's this mark on my back that's sore."

"Did you get hurt?" She hadn't fought this month. He couldn't think of anything that would have caused an injury.

She licked her lips. "An old mark. Souvenir from my time as a captive."

"They hurt you." The words set his blood boiling. Someone hurt her.

Kat took a deep breath. "Turn around."

He didn't ask questions, just turned. He glanced back once, to see her shirt sliding off her shoulders, but made sure he wasn't caught.

"Okay. Do you see...these?" She used both hands to point at the marks on her back, though it wasn't necessary.

There were two hand-prints, burned and seared into her lower back. He was horrified. It wasn't a mark, an accident from escaping... it was torture.

"Someone did this to you." His finger ghosted over one of the prints and she hissed.

"Like I said. An old wound." She dropped her hair and the ends covered the marks perfectly. She pulled her shirt back on and buttoned it hurriedly.

"Lee, are you alright?" She looked up to him, having to hold his arms to his side.

"Someone..." he couldn't even voice it. Someone put their hands on his Kat, leaving scars behind. Someone needed to pay. Who the hell-?

"Just scars, Lee. Skin. It just hurts sometimes."

And he kissed her, because he didn't know enough words to explain. Because he wanted her, wanted to make everything better for her. Wanted to be everything for her.

And he could not but hold her close.