A/N: Wow, this is late! My bad, but like I said, I need to start writing each chapter now that I have finnished posting all the chapters that were pre-written, so sorry for the late updat, but I wanna give you guys my best writting and that can onlt come with time! Thank you so much for all the reviews! You guys are so nice!SO you guys have been waiting long enough, I give to you chapter 17!

DISCLAIMER: NONE OF IT IS MINE!

Chapter 17: Forgiving (And Trying to forget)

After leaving Sokka's tent, Zuko settled himself on a rock, facing the entrance of Katara's.

He would wait all night if he had too. It would give him time to contemplate how he would go about this.

He needed to be ready for her to turn him down-though he was sure she wouldn't after she heard what he had in mind. But if anything screamed "I'm here for you, I want to give you this chance!" It was sitting outside her tent until she decided to come out.

As he thought things over, he realized he would do many things if he had to in order to get her to accept him.

Like waitng outside all night.

Oh, was that the sun?

Well- looks like he had to wait outside all night.

It did little to damper his determination, though. In fact, it only increased ten-fold when he saw her swing open the makeshift door he was settled in front of.

He glanced up as she walked out. She looked content for a brief moment, that was, until she saw his face. Her's imediently formed into a deep scowl.

"…You look terrible."

Why thanks!

"I waited out here all night." Was his only response.

She just turned her back to him, picking up a hairbrush and began running it through her locks as she moodily asked, "What do you want?"

Not wanting to waste any of the precious time they had, he answered bluntly, "I know who killed your mother," He watched as she stiffened, the brush stilling mid-stroke,"And I'm going to help you find him."

She swiftly turned to face him, a look of pure shock and disbelief painted across her features. It morphed into a determined glare, her top lip hiking up in a snarl.

"Who is he?" She asked in a voice he hadn't heard her use before.

Not wanting to anger her further, he answered quickly, "The leader of a Fire Navy band, the Southern Raiders. If we can find one of their ships, we can find him."

She looked to the ground, contemplating. He could tell the anger was starting to overwhelm her, he could see it in how her face shifted ever so slightly with each passing moment. Her thinking was becoming clouded, covering any and all thoughts except one.

Murder the murderer.

She looked back to him sharply. Her eyes were full of a steely determination. Electric blue amplified.

"Get what you need. We leave in an hour."

Zuko grabed a small sack and filled it with essentials; clothes that made it hard for you to be spotted, rope. There wasn't much, but there was enough.

He was going over anything else they would need in his mind when a framiliar voice drew him from his thoughts.

"Going somewhere?" Azula asked, sitting down beside her brother on the grass.

"Yes." Was all he replied.

Azula rolled her eyes. "There was a question beneath that- where to?"

Zuko twisted the sack shut and stood. "To find the man that killed Sokka And Katara's mother."

Azula's eyes widened before she glanced over to Katara's tent.

"Doing something you hope will get you in her good graces?" She asked, still looking at the Blue expanse of fabric standing in the middle of camp.

Zuko dropped the sack at his feet.

"That, and giving her what she needs. This is her chance at closure. Who am I to keep it from her?"

Azula looked back to her brother, he was glancing around the camp. She stood alongside him.

"It's a good idea. This will be good for the both of you."

Zuko shook his head, "I don't care about me. I'm doing this for her."

Azula was shocked at his selflessness for a moment, before she remembered who he was. Despite not always showing it, he cared for others. Truly. And it was painfully clear that he cared for Katara as well. Azula smiled. Wether or not Katara saw it, Zuko was a good person. Maybe this trip would show her that.

If she could overcome the pain that welled inside of her.

"This will be good for her then. I'll go say goodbye." Azula said hastily as she made her way towards her friend's tent.

"You in there?" Azula asked aloud, standing outside of Katara's door.

"Azula? You can come in." Katara's quiet voice came through the fabric.

She swung the door open, finding a brooding and glaring Katara going through her minimal belongings.

"So…" Azula started, trying to get the waterbender to look at her. When she didn't, Azula just carried on. "Going to face the man that killed your mother. How are you feeling?" She asked sincerely.

Katara cast her a-unbelieving-glare,"Are you really asking me that question?" She asked coldly before turning back to her shuffled items.

Azula sighed and daintily placed herself on the other girl's bed roll. "Well, it was more obligatory then anything."

Katara gave a humorless laugh, "And here I thought it was your brother's job to have awkward conversations."

"Speaking from experience?"

Another-more playful, but still ladden with cold hard determination- glare was thrown at her.

"But in all seriousness, are you sure you want to do this?" Azula asked thoughtfully, glancing around at her surroundings.

Katara shook her head. "All I know is that I need to find this man. He needs to pay-I need to make him pay."

If Azula said that seeing the usually peaceful waterbender proclaiming that she was seriously considering killing a man un-fazing, she would be lying.

Being the Princess of possibly the most violent nation, she had seen some very terrifying mood swings amongst the people she was around.

But this was entirely different.

This girl was getting ready to embrace a darker side of herself without considering what could happen to her because of it.

"You do realize Aang most likely won't go along with this?" If the young Avatar's calm and loving nature was any indication, he would hate the idea of one of his closest friend's giving into violence of any kind.

Katara shook her head again,"I don't care what he thinks. If he can't see that this is important to me, then maybe he doesn't care about me at all." She answered bitterly.

Azula nodded, "But… Zuko does?"

That gave Katara pause, a shocked look crossed over her face. Then she growled, "Don't bring him into this! He's probably just doing this to…to… I don't even know anymore!" Katara couldn't think straight. She was so angry, at everything. It was making her vision swim and her head ache with a vengeance. She was not a naturally angry person, so holding onto something this big… she took a calming breath.

"I can't focus on anyone else right now. All I know is that I need to do this. I need to avenge my mother."

Azula stood. "I respect that. Just…when you get there? Do what you think is right. Not what anyone else thinks is right."

Katara hesitated for a moment, before saying, "Thank you, Azula."

The firebender nodded then made her way out of the tent. No matter what happened, Katara would come back a changed woman. This was not a journey one takes just to come back the same.

"I need to borrow Appa."

Aang glanced over his shoulder to see a (more so then usual for the mornings) moody Katara approaching him, flanked by Zuko.

He chuckled sarcastically, hopping his jealousy didn't show as he said, "Oh. Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?"

"Yes."

He turned back at her curt answer, shock eveident on his features. He may not like the idea of Katara with other guys, but he did want his two teachers to get along. But this was strange, sudden too. What had changed?

"Oh…Where are you guys going?"

Katara answered him in the same hard voice she had been using this entire conversation, "To bring justice to the man that took my mother away from me."

At this, Sokka-whom had been sitting a little ways away up against a boulder- looked up. Justice for his mother's killer? Was this why Zuko had asked about her last night?

"Sokka told me the story. I know who did it, and I know where to find him."

Aang looked between his two teachers. "Um…And what exactly do you think this will accomplish?"

Katara shook her head, a bitter smile coming to greet her lips. She turned away as she said, I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Wait! I do understand! You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage! How do you think I felt when the sand benders took Appa?"

Zuko raised his eyebrow. Yes, because a stolen Air Bison is the same as a dead mother.

"How do you think I fet about the Fire Nation when I found out they took my people away from me?"

Ok, getting closer buddy.

But this was about Katara, and Zuko was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure, and justice."

"I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge."

"Fine!" Katara said hotly, her back still turned on Aang, "Maybe it is. Maybe that's what I need," She said the last words quietly, darkly, "Maybe it's what he deserves."

Aang couldn't believe it. The bright young woman with a natural talent for bending now stood before him as someone clouded by anger, hurt. Someone willing to go to any lengths to do what she thought was just. It sounded like…

"Katara, you sound like Jet." Aang said softly.

At this, the young master turned. "It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man- He's a monster!"

Sokka walked up to the group, "Katara, she was my mother too. But, I think Aang might be right."

Katara held a blank face, but stated with fire in her tone, "Then maybe you didn't love her like I did!"

This shocked everone, even Zuko.

Sokka's eyes widened. "Katara…"

She just turned away.

Aang closed his eyes as he recalled everything he had been taught in his short life, "The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat-viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

Zuko had had enough. "That's cute, but this isn't Air temple pre-school. It's the real world."

Katara spoke up once more, "Now that I know he's out there, now that I know we can find him, I feel like I don't have a choice."

"Katara," Aang stepped up, "you do have a choice, forgiveness."

"That's the same as doing nothing!" Zuko said hotly, for a moment remembering his time spent at sea. A life that hardens you. Forgivness meant acceptance. In a life like that, you can't just accept everything that's thrown at you. Sometimes, you had to fight back.

"No, it's not," Aang insisted, "It's easy to do nothing. It's hard to forgive."

"It's not just hard. It's impossible." With that, Katara turned and stomped off, leaving a group of stunned boy's in her wake.

Katara sat in her tent, sulking. Her immedient anger had worn off, though the determination still ran rampant through her.

She was so consumed with her thoughts, that she didn't realize Zuko had come in.

"I have a new plan."

Katara jumped at his rasoy voice. "Zuko! Can't you knock!"

"I did." He tossed something at her, hitting her in the face as her reflexes were a bit slow. "Put this on, if what I have in mind is going to work, we need to blend into our surroundings."

Katara held up the piece of fabric in her hands, holding it out.

A black tunic with a long neck that could double as a mask; and some black, fingerless gloves greeted her.

She looked from the clothes, back to him, then back again. He wants me to wear his clothes? She shook the thought aside. "What's your plan?"

Without being invited, he walked in and sat down next to her on her bed roll, much as Azula had done.

She tried not to let their proximity remind her of what happened in the Air temple thanks to Toph just two days ago.

"We just take Appa at night. While everyone else is asleep. This will also give us the advantage when we get to one of the naval operation bases. They won't know what hit them."

Katara nodded. It sounded like a good enough plan. She did feel bad about going behind Aang's back, but she needed this! And she was going to do it weather or not he like it.

Zuko stood, turning to leave.

"Zuko." Katara stopped him, mush as she had when he sought her out after the spar day, saying nothing but his name to get his attention. He looked back to her. "Thank you… for doing this."

She may have not sounded it, but she was sincere. Despite still not trusting him, she understood that he was going out of his way to do this for her. The thought was oddly toching.

The Prince just nodded and made his departure.

The day passed and night fell, leaving Katara as much time as she needed to prepare herself for what was to come.

And who it would be coming with…

"Are you ready?" Zuko asked quietly through the tent's canvas. Katara could easily make out his shillouette aginst the bright light of the moon.

She finished adjusting the black clothes-which were surprisingly snug- and made her way out. Zuko eyed her momentarily, and she felt small all of a sudden. But the moment passed and he was nodding and walking away.

Katara quickened her pace, easily matching stride with the taller bender.

They made their way to Appa silently, their respective roles as The Painted Lady and The Blue Spirit giving them all the experience needed when it came to sneaking around.

Appa was dozing in a tuft of grass near camp. He paid little mind as the framiliar sents of salty water mixed with water lilies and smoke mixed with a hint of some spice used in baked goods usually came into contact with his nose. He knew his friend's friends well at this point and gladly welcomed them for a ride.

Well, an attempt to ride, anyway.

"So you were just gonna take Appa anyway?" Aang demanded huffily as he and Sokka jumped over the boulder they had been hiding behind.

"Yes. And you're not stopping us." Katara answered, her voice still so cold.

"That's ok, because I forgive you." Aang said softly, casting his eyes downward before his head shot back up, a large, hopeful grin on his face, "That give you any ideas?"

"I'm not going to let you stop me Aang." Katara answered, turning to glance at him as Zuko rummaged through their supplies.

"I wasn't going too," The young Avatar answered softly, "This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man," Katara nodded and turned away. She grabbed onto Appa's horn and hoisted herself up onto his head. Aang wasn't finished. "But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him."

Zuko had stood and now faced Aang with a disbelieving look. Didn't this kid understand what it was like to loose someone close to you? In a way he did, but then again-he was always the most peaceful one out of this group of teenagers. He wouldn't understand the need for revenge like this.

But Zuko didn't want Katara to have to choose between what she wanted and what Aang wanted. She needed to choose herself tonight.

"Ok, we'll be sure to do that, guru goody-goody!" he said sarcastically before turning to join Katara.

"Thanks for understanding Aang. Yip yip!"

And with that, Zuko and Katara where off, one of them to exact…revenge on her mothers killer, perhaps. And one of them to be there for her when she needed him on this emotional journey.

It was going to be a long ride.

A/N: You like? Let me know! I'm excited for the next few chapters and can't wait to share them with you guys! Ubtil then, let me know your thoughts, and I'll catch you on the next one!

Writer out! ~0-0~