Still sans-Beta, because I'm lazy. Forgive the mistakes. XD

Sorry for the wait!

Healed and Hunted

Second Impressions

Chapter Thirty One

Observing the Intruder

Kat

"I didn't hit her that hard." She mumbled, looking at Lee. He was definitely stunned. He hadn't blinked since she'd accidentally knocked their...visitor unconscious.

The woman had dark hair and very fair skin, not unlike Lee. Kat decided this woman was Russian. Probably an old friend. Or, judging by what the woman had done, more than a friend. Lee was not very forthcoming with information.

So, she decided to prod, "Friend of yours?"

His eyes finally moved from the unconscious woman to her, as if he'd just remembered she was there. His voice was strained when he said, "Something like that. When I lived in Russia...she was my... We were supposed to be married."

It was Kat's turn to quit blinking.

"You were just a kid when you lived in Russia." She protested weakly, wondering at this stranger on their floor.

He shook his head once, "Yeah. But... well, it didn't seem odd at the time."

"So...what is she doing here?" Kat wanted to know.

Lee shrugged and said nothing.

"Well. As she broke into our home, I doubt she'll be pressing charges for the bump on the head." Kat offered. Lee didn't seem to hear her.

Kat moved to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. It was simple enough to heal the small bruise on the woman's head. Kat searched the woman's head thoroughly, looking for any injuries or damages. Fortunately, it was just the bruise. She began to stir almost immediately after Kat had finished her examinations.

Kat stood back and stared, making sure the woman wasn't planning anything...dastardly. The other woman began chirping at Lee in Russian, completely ignoring Kat's presence. Lee responded in kind, though much slower.

The two of them moved to the living room, while Kat stared with a slightly open mouth. Kat did her best to look busy, not that either of them would have noticed. She poured the water back into the sink, then retrieved the abandoned take-out.

She grabbed forks and joined the others in the living room. They were occupying the couch, facing each other. Lee was sitting closest to the lounge chair, which Kat decided to claim. His back was to her, as he was leaning toward the stranger. She ate in silence, watching them talk.

Kat wasn't used to being ignored. She didn't like it. Kat tried to focus on the food. Her appetite seemed to have vanished, only to be replaced with unladylike jealously. She was doing her best to quash those feelings down. It wasn't fair to Lee.

Her fortune cookie did not help things. An old love approaches. She tossed the fortune aside, trying to unwind herself. It was ridiculous getting all tied up over this.

They talked for nearly an hour before Kat decided it would be easier not to hate the woman while asleep. If she could manage leaving him alone with this beautiful stranger who was once his fiance. She rose, threw her empty container away, then passed back through the living room.

"Good night," she said as she walked by them.

Lee looked up at her and said something in Russian. It sounded like a question, but she had no real idea.

Kat walked on, tired and frustrated. She was nearly to their room when someone gripped her wrist. She jerked away before she realized who it was.

"Are you angry with me?" He asked, recalling his extended hand.

Kat blinked, "No. Why?"

Lee jerked his head to the living room, "Well, I just asked you where you were going. You ignored me. I wasn't sure...why."

So, she was ignoring him, was she?

"I didn't know you were talking to me. I don't speak Russian." She managed to stop herself from continuing.

His brow furrowed, "Was I speaking Russian? Sorry. I didn't even notice."

Shocker.

Kat was hard pressed to keep her words in check."Well. I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Oh." Was all he said. He kissed her forehead and went back to the living room.

The darker part of her heart wished she'd injured the stranger just a little more.

3:00 AM, Still Awake

Lee

Mai had left over an hour ago, having delivered her news. It wasn't entirely what he was expecting. He had assumed, correctly, that his father was responsible. Mai had assured him that Azula was still in Russia and in no way inclined to come to the States.

His father was dying.

It was...surprising. It had seemed to him that Ozai was the sort not to bow to anyone or anything, least of all sickness. He felt...little about it.

What was bothering him was Kat.

He knew he'd upset her, though she tried her best to hide it. It had been a lot to spring on her at once. At first, he hadn't even noticed how surprised she was. She was good at keeping things from him, though he was getting better at picking her apart.

It wasn't until she'd gotten up to leave that he realized what he'd done. He'd completely ignored her for over an hour, only to get upset with her for not answering. That was his fault, too. It was hard, sometimes, to remember what language to speak.

He knew that, when she woke up, she'd be alright. Except he didn't want to leave things unexplained. But, really, there was a lot to tell. Though he'd told her Lee wasn't his real name, he hadn't told her his actual name. Back then, the feelings were still new. Back then, he hadn't been planning on forever.

Watching her sleep was calming, but he knew he wouldn't be able to join her. He was too restless for sleep. Too many things on his mind. Still, he wasn't moving from his spot next to her.

He fixed her hair behind her ear and wished she were coming back with him in a week. Their separation had been on the forefront of his mind recently. He knew she hated the school, and understood why she chose to stay. He still felt like he was abandoning her.

He waited in silence as the hours ticked by.

At six, she woke before the alarm. She turned it off and rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly. She turned to his empty spot, then found him at the foot of the bed. Kat gave him a sleepy smile.

"Mornin' Lee." She said, sounding confused.

Lee mussed her hair, "Morning."

"Did you sleep at all?" Kat wondered.

He shook his head without saying anything.

"Did you make coffee?"

Lee laughed, "No, no I did not."

She slumped in the bed, then sank slowly out from beneath the covers onto the floor, "Then what good are you?"

"Not much," he confessed, "But I thought you would have figured that out by now."

She gave him another smile, then skipped off to the kitchen. He could hear her starting the coffee machine. If anything, she was in better spirits than he expected.

Lee moved silently into the kitchen and kissed her from behind. She laughed, genuinely surprised. He remembered times before where he'd tried to sneak up on her. Kat had done her best not to attack him then. She had come a long way, he thought, in letting her guard down and not shooting it back up whenever someone touched her.

He sat back and watched her work. The way she was standing, he could see she had questions. Knew she wasn't going to ask them.

So, he told her.

"Mai came here to tell me why my dad's been harassing me." Lee watched her carefully. She looked over at him once, and all of his ability to read her disappeared. She had somehow closed herself completely off. She did this when she was listening, but not wanting to pry or disrupt.

The words were harder to say than he imagined, "He's...sick. Some sort of rare cancer. He doesn't...have long left."

She was searching him now, he saw. She was taking in his posture and facial expression, both of which he was now aware. It was uncanny, sometimes, how much she could actually tell. It wouldn't have surprised him if she turned out to by psychic.

"She says he wants to make things right," he told her.

She leaned back on the kitchen counter, "You don't sound so sure."

Lee stared down at the floor. Memories drifted in. His tenth birthday, a book about business. A formal event, a mild scolding. Later that night, a slap so hard his nose bled for two whole minutes. A minor infraction, a major punishment. So many instances of this until, finally, he had had enough. He fought back. And bares the scar to prove it.

"He isn't the sort to apologize."

She snorted, "I'd say not. That whole incident with the German consular would be proof enough."

Lee didn't know what she was talking about.

Kat explained, "When you told me who your father was, I looked him up. I needed to see if remaining in contact with you was a threat to my family."

He didn't want to, but he had to ask, "Was it?"

Her eyes diverted, "Yes, it is. I didn't... I mean... I didn't read anything on your family, or you. Just your dad."

"I could have told you, if you wanted." Lee said, almost surprised. She wasn't the type to sneak around about information. If she wanted to know something, she would first ask. If she wasn't satisfied, then she would go searching.

Her answer surprised him, "Could have, sure. But would you?"

The truth was, he didn't know. At least, not then. Now, now he knew without a doubt.

"We've got a few hours, if you really want to know everything." Even if 'everything' was painful to talk about.

Even if 'everything' made her think less of him.

Kat turned her head when the coffee machine started making noise again. Her joy at the dark liquid was evident. She reached for the mugs and poured him a glass, then herself. Always thinking of others first.

When she turned around, she was smiling, "Maybe next time. I promised a certain little girl we'd hang out today."

He gave her a nod, and kissed her again, letting his hands roam free. She giggled when he passed over the sensitive area right under her ribs, and squirmed away. He was disappointed with the lack of contact, but it was worth seeing the red tint on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday." She said suddenly. Before he could object she added, "No. I should have...behaved. But I was... jealous. And I...Well, I'm sorry."

He couldn't help the laugh, "Katara. What do you, my most beloved, have to be jealous of?"

She took a drink of her coffee then muttered, "Not some sort of Russian supermodel."

Maybe a guess, but a good one at that. He rolled his eyes, "I've dated models before, my love. Definitely overrated."

She gave him the finger and stuck her tongue out.

"None of that matters anymore, anyways. It's you and me, now."

Kat rolled her eyes and went back to her coffee.

He glanced back to their room, thinking of the small parcel hidden his wallet. He sat, trying to decide whether or not to retrieve it. He could hear her phone going off from inside the room. It interrupted his thoughts.

"Want to take a shower?" He asked her.

She heard him, but wasn't particularly listening. "Was planning on it, of course but- Oh."

He knew he was going to hell for enjoying the embarrassed look on her face. Teasing someone like her had to be the darkest of sins. Still, it was amusing. She wasn't used to those kind of questions. He had plans to change that.

"You're a bad man. You're doing it on purpose." She said, finishing her coffee. She looked at him from over the rim of the mug.

He gave her a wolfish grin. "So, is that a yes on the shower?"

"Bad influence." She raised a finger. But she grabbed his hand and dragged him down the short hallway.

Lee didn't think what he was suggesting was such a bad thing, now was it?