a/n Thank you everyone for the amazing support! I love all of the notifications I get about reviews, favorites, and followers! You get me through the week!

I really don't have much to say about this chapter except... Enjoy!

Chapter 31 ~Promises~

-Katara-

She quietly checked to make sure her water skins were full before she walked out of the camp. Dry leaves and twigs threatened her mission, but she managed to leave undetected. It wasn't long before she left the trees and approached the village. The place looked even more deserted, washed out in the light of the growing moon. She spotted the stand they had been to earlier, crept inside, and back behind the curtain. It was a small room, that served many purposes, the 'kitchen,' the dining space, and the sleeping area. Lee's mom rested on the floor. She was young, but made frail from sickness. Her breathing was rough and uneven. The man from the stand, Lee's father, lay asleep next to her. Katara turned to look around the room. On the other side of a broken privacy screen, she saw Lee and a young sibling both asleep. She turned back to the woman, kneeled down beside her, and slowly bended the water out of its skin until it covered her hands. Then she pressed her hands gently on the woman's torso, not wanting to wake her. Soon the woman's breath began to even out and Katara knew the healing was working.

When Katara was satisfied, she removed her hands, and put the water back in her water skin. Right before she reached the curtain, she felt a tug on her robes. She quickly turned around to see Lee. His eyes were wide, but not in fear. He gestured for her to bend down and she did so.
"Is my mom going to be okay now?" he whispered into her ear (well as close as he could get to her ear with the netting over her hat). She thought about just nodding, but decided to speak instead.
"I promise." She replied, turned, and left.

-Zuko-

He found the path in the moon light and started to walk up it. The walk quickly turned into a jog and soon he was all out running. It felt good. He pushed himself faster, even up steep hills. Dressed all in black, he flew through the night. When he finally reached the top of the peak, he stopped to survey his surroundings. The trees were thinner and the air sharp. Nestled into the valley below, he could see the red roofs of a Fire Nation town. His eyes lit up and he resumed running.

The winding path down the other side was just as steep. Too steep. Yet, he ran down it recklessly.
"Whoa!" he cried as his footing slipped. He started to slide down the hill, unable to regain his footing. The world seemed to blend as he tumbled, trees and rocks alike spun by. His leg hit a small boulder and caused him to curse. He tried to twist and turn in all efforts to stop his falling. Then the inevitable happened, he hit a tree. The resounding thud echoed through his shoulder to the rest of his body. He just laid there for a moment, trying to recover. When he sat up his shoulder protested. "Agni." He cursed under his breath. Stupid. Stupid. He berated himself. He should have been paying attention, but he hadn't been and now he had to suffer the consequences. It could have been worse, a small part of him noted. He got to his feet and stretched. There would definitely be bruising, but he'd sustained worse in bending training. With a sigh, he realigned his mask, and carefully started to pick his way down the rest of the hill.

-Katara-

She couldn't help but think of the comfort of her own furs as she walked through the empty streets. Plus Zuko would be there and maybe… just maybe he'd let her crawl into his arms. A cough from inside the closest house snapped her out of her thoughts. She couldn't leave, not yet.

This house was a little grander than Lee's. The orange glow of a banked fire lay in the hearth. She looked around for the source of the cough. A short hallway lead to what must have been the master bedroom. The wheezy breath grew louder as she crept closer. She dodged the curtain to find an old man, tossing fitfully. There was sweat on his brow and his mouth quivered. Quietly, she approached and knelt by his side. Just like she did for Lee's mother, she brought out her water and placed her hands on the man's chest. Immediately, he stopped flailing and his expression slackened.

After her hands stopped glowing and she put the water back in its skin, she reached to touch his forehead. He still had a temperature. The window shutters were already open with a slight breeze coming through, yet the old man was still overheated. Thinking fast, she froze the thin sheen of moisture on her hand and pressed it to his forehead. His eyes opened. She leaped away from him.
"Who are you?" he yelled after her, his voice scratchy. She was already at the doorway, but threw back a reply.
"I am the Painted Lady. I have healed you." Then she exited the room.

She was just in the hallway when she heard someone else rousing. Tui and La! Where do I hide? Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought she'd have better luck hiding if she cried out to the original moon and ocean spirits rather than the god of fire.
"Grandfather?" a young woman called out "What's wrong?" Katara ducked under the wooden table in the main living space. She saw a flickering light disappear into the old man's room.
"There was a lady! In this room!" the now agitated man replied. Katara held her breath.
"Really?" the woman asked, in a gentle way, as if humoring a child. "What did she want?"
"She called herself the Painted Lady," the man answered.
"Uh-huh? You should probably lie back down." There was a brief pause, probably while the woman got him settled back down.
"She said she was here to heal me." His voice was calmer now, softer.
"Well, let's hope she did." The flickering light grew stronger as the candleholder moved out of the bedroom, "Goodnight Grandfather." Katara carefully watched the light bounce further down the hallway and into a different room.
"Phew." She sighed softly, crawled out of her hiding spot, and left.

Back outside, the moon had reached its peak. Even half full, it was beautiful. She couldn't stand around admiring it though and she pushed herself to keep walking. If she was to visit all the sick homes before sunrise, there was no time to waste.

-Zuko-

Lit lamps were stationed periodically down the street, indicating that it was an important town. Yet, Zuko could not think which town it might be. He shrugged; it didn't really matter. If he could find an official building, he might be able to look up his grandfather, Jinzuk.

He crept down the shadows of the main street until he found the building in question. There was a lamp light on in a back room, somebody working late into the night. Zuko stole inside anyways. Stacks of paper littered every surface. There were papers about income, trade, and more. At last, he found a drawer that had the death records for the last few seasons on it. He quickly scanned through the pages. Nope. No Jinzuk. Zuko wasn't sure if this was a good sign or bad sign. The scrape of a chair reminded him that he wasn't alone. He quickly shut the drawer and leaped out the nearest window.

A flame drew closer to the window above Zuko's head. He held his breath. A man grumbled something about forgetting to close the widow before he pulled it shut. Zuko sagged against the building. That was way too close.
"Hey! You!" yelled a voice and Zuko sprung away from the wall and began to run up the alley. "Stop!" Zuko didn't need to look behind him to know that the man was a Fire Nation soldier. It became especially obvious when the man sent a fireball soaring over Zuko's head.
"Agni!" he swore aloud. He had reached a dead end. While he was trying to decide what to do next, his pursuer stalked closer, arms in an offensive stance.
"So you're the Blue Spirit." He said. Obviously… Zuko thought and nodded once, still looking for his escape. The man had backed Zuko in farther. "I've heard a lot about you." The man went on. "I'm sorry for this, but I need that reward."
"I'm sorry too." Zuko said, thickly, trying to disguise his voice.
"For what?" the man asked confused, dropping his stance slightly.
"This." And without bending or swords, Zuko attacked.

The hand-to-hand combat didn't last long. The soldier obviously wasn't trained to fight without his bending and Zuko was too close for his opponent to use it. After just a few punches and sloppy blocks, Zuko tried out his remedial chi blocking skills. Three jabs and the man was a heap on the ground. Zuko tossed a gold piece by the man's face before running off and then right into three other soldiers.

Agni. Agni. Agni. He repeatedly swore in his head as he ran. There was more shouting behind him and he sensed that more soldiers were pursing him. Up ahead a shopkeeper had their merchandise piled up in crates in the alley, perfect. In a move that was even impressive to him, he leaped up the crates and was soon running along the rooftops.
"He's up there!" yelled a soldier.
"Somebody, stop him!" yelled a second, "It's the Blue Spirit!" I really ought to remove the price on my head…he thought as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop.

-Katara-

"Shhh…" she cooed to a soft baby girl in her arms. Katara couldn't help but smile down at the bundle. The baby's eyes drooped, eyelids covering their not yet discernable color. The next thing Katara knew, the baby was fast asleep. Tiny cries forgotten and her fever reduced. As smoothly as possible, Katara laid her down in her crib beside her exhausted parents. The newborn's mother snuggled into her husband's arms with a small smile. Katara let out a small sigh as she looked at the sleeping couple.

Somehow, she managed to drag herself out of the baby's home and onto the next house. She worked quickly and efficiently, stopping wherever she was needed.

She bended the sweat off her brow as she exited her last household, which had also been a particularly sick household. She sat down on the front step and looked up into the sky. The moon hung in the sky, its nightly journey three-quarters complete. It was really, really late and Zuko was an early riser. Hauling herself to her feet, she started to trudge out of town and back to camp.

The moon casted long shadows against the trees. As Katara walked through the woods, everything was silent, peaceful. CRACK! Her response was automatic. She turned on her heal, bended water out of her water skin, and hurled it towards her attacker, freezing them to the nearest tree.

Her attacker was in shadows with its head was down so she couldn't see their face. She approached slowly, keeping a defensive stance. Under her layer of ice, the assailant was dressed all in black, completely unrecognizable. Then they tipped their head back against the tree and a blue mask greeted her with familiar golden eyes behind them. She stopped in her tracks.
"Zuko?" she whispered. He didn't say anything. After a beat, she rushed towards him and removed the mask.
"Hi," he said, smiling slightly.
"Agni, Zuko!" she swore loudly and unfroze the water. It splashed to the ground, but she really didn't care. "I mean Tui and La what are you doing here? I could have…" She felt horrible. She could have seriously hurt him and then she'd never be able to live with herself. She was already responsible for him getting shot with Azula's lightning. He must have sensed her guilt and he put his hand under her veil and on her shoulder.
"It's okay," he said softly then he cleared his throat and continued, "I could ask you the same thing." There was a touch of humor still in his voice, "What is all this?" he asked and he gestured to her outfit. She blushed slightly.
"I'm the Painted Lady," she shrugged. "I…just…I…could've…" He pulled her into his arms before she could continue. His arms were strong and warm, the safest place she could ever imagine.
"Shh," he whispered, gently rubbing her back. For a moment, his hand disappeared. "What is this?" he asked. She pulled back to see him examining his hand that now had dried red berry juice on them. She grinned slightly.
"Berry juice,"
"Ah!" he said quirking his eyebrows up and he popped the finger into his mouth. "Hmm. Not bad. It'd probably taste better off you." Her eyes widened, clearly shocked. "I'm kidding," he said quickly.
"Oh."
"Why? Were you hoping we'd…" his cheeks turned red despite his bravado. Suddenly the adrenaline that was coursing through her veins turned to lust. She reached up and pulled his hood down so she could see his entire head.
"Yeah," she said her voice thick.
"Really?" he asked a mix of surprise and triumph in his tone. "Are you sure?" his eyes searched her for any hesitance, but found none. She nodded. "Here?" his voice was gravellier. She nodded again, slower and with a grin playing at her lips.
"I want this." She confirmed. He smiled before carefully removing her hat and netting.
"Much better, now I can see you." He moved closer, his lips almost touching hers.
"Wait." She said and he stilled, resting his forehead against hers. "Before we do…this."
"Yes?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Don't be gentle." She whispered. His head sprung back in surprise.
"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.
"Exactly what I said." She held his gaze as she whispered the words she knew would seal their fate. "Please Zuko?" A battle played out in his eyes. Yes? or No? Finally, he groaned, giving in. Then he reached for her and quickly turned them so her back was against the tree she had frozen him to.
"Your lips taste like the berries." He mumbled against her mouth.
"Yes, they do." She mumbled back. Then he leaned back to remove his shirt and she took the opportunity to remind him of her request. "Do you promise?" He looked up at her, his eyes completely dilated with desire.
"I promise." He said and after hearing his answer, she pulled him back towards her.
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." She said breathlessly, echoing back what he had said earlier. He just growled as a response and started to help her remove her large robes.

-Zuko-

In one word, it was fast, yet exactly what they needed. His Katara was exhausted and replete, so he swooped her into his arms and carried her to camp (with only a few protests from her and his shoulder). As he walked the short distance, he couldn't help but process what had just happened.

He had only been kidding and Agni he didn't imagine her to say 'Yes,' but she had. His Katara, always adventurous and up for anything, had agreed, in fact she had insisted. She had made that request… and made him promise…
"Agni," he muttered, trying to martial his thoughts. They were back at their campsite and he laid her down as gently as possible into their soft furs (after removing the piles of clothes and junk they had used as fill-ins). He then pulled out one of his large sleep shirts, helped her pull it on, and slipped in between the furs behind her.
"I love you," she murmured, cuddling into his front.
"I love you too," he replied, placing a hand on her stomach to pull her closer.
"Always?"
"Always."
"Promise?"
"I promise, Katara." He said solemnly. Why did she need reassuring? Didn't she know he was hopelessly in love with her and always would be?
"I…promise… too…" with those words, she surrendered to sleep. He smiled. He liked the idea of them loving each other always. He could hardly wait to marry her. All he needed to do was find his mother. Then he could keep his promises to his beloved Katara.

a/n I've got some (hopefully) exciting news! This story is going to turn 1 years old on the 17th! Woo! Anyways, I'm planning on publishing an update on that date (I may split it into 2 chapters...we'll see though).
I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts on this chapter (as the next one is going to be VERY important) and as always... thanks for reading!