CHAPTER 11

Zuko found himself stumbling through his front door with no regard for the noises he was making. It was clear that trying to out drink Toph was a horrible idea that he was sure he'd regret in the morning. He closed the door behind him a little harder than he'd intended opting to rest his back against it to collect himself. He was clutching the papers that Toph had given him. These were the papers that would enlist him as a soldier of the Earth Kingdom. All he had to do was sign them.

"Zu?" he heard Katara call from the bedroom. She emerged from the door, surveying his drunken state from across the living room with a concerned look on her face. She was wearing that night dress he liked.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah" he said brushing her off as she tried to approach him "I'm fine just need sleep"

She furrowed her brows at his dismissive tone, but he didn't have the capacity to care at the moment.

"Are you drunk?" she asked incredulously.

"And if I am?" he snapped. The room went silent. He pinched the bridge of his nose settling himself on the couch. The room was spinning and those shots of fire whiskey were not settling well in his stomach. She gathered herself trying a different approach.

"Well do you need anything? I can make some ginger tea if you have a headache"

"I'm fine Katara, just go back to bed" he huffed. He wasn't in the mood to be around her. Her presence just reminded him of everything he could never have.

"Zu-"

"I said go to bed Katara." his tone was low and angry. He could tell he was upsetting her, maybe even scaring her. But he wanted her away from him. He knew how he got when people pushed him too hard. It was a side of himself that he did not like.
But just like in true Katara fashion she ignored him, going to the kitchen instead. He could hear her preparing the kettle and igniting the stove to heat the water. He got up, despite the dizziness overwhelming him and made his way to the kitchen. He shoved the papers onto the counter top. He was trying hard to temper is anger.

"Why don't you ever listen to a thing I say woman?"

She turned around, her face a mask of anger.

"I don't have to listen to you" she seethed "I'm making you tea and that's final"

He laughed darkly "I said I don't fucking want tea"

"Well then what do you want?" she asked. This registered as a double edged question in Zuko's drunken mind. And it wasn't helping that his conversations with Toph about Katara kept replaying on a loop in his subconscious. What do I truly want?

'What will you do? Keep her as a concubine?'

"I want you to leave me the hell alone right now, th- that's what I want" he stuttered drunkenly.

"What did you and Toph do? You never get this waisted"

"We raided another traitor's home" he said towering over her. He wouldn't doubt that she could smell the alcohol on his breath. She squinted her eyes at him. She looked so pretty to him with her face all screwed like that.

"With the spy squad?"

"…didn't need them…" he turned around to search the cabinet for his personal stash of fire whiskey.

"You guys went on your own? Zuko you could've gotten yourselves killed!"

"But look I'm-here in the flesh" he rolled his eyes finding the bottle and uncorking it. She stepped toward him to grab at the bottle, but he snatched it away from her holding it above her head.

"Zuko you don't need anymore alcohol" she said through her teeth.

"Who are you? My fucking wife?" he laughed. Her face immediately dropped, her eyes becoming glassy. And there it was. That ugly part of himself that sabotaged everything he cared about before it could be taken from him. A deep part of him knew it'd all end up the same. Just like June, she'd eventually be taken from him too. The look on her face was killing him softly inside and he hated himself for it. He hated himself so much that it prompted him to drive the message home even farther. He closed the space between them and gripped her chin, kissing the edge of her mouth.

"Oh how pretty you'd look….as my wife" he rasped. Zuko had no idea where his mind had descended, but he knew one thing; he'd always wanted her and it would be damned hard to give her up.

"Get off of me" she seethed. She shoved him away from her turning quickly and rushing to the bedroom door. She shut it hard behind her leaving him in silence. Zuko figured that if he pushed her away now it'd save her the heartbreak later. He took a deep swig, the whiskey burning like fire down his throat.

KATARAS POV

She couldn't believe him. She was positively boiling in the room, pacing back and forth like some caged animal. She would not allow herself to cry so she settled for anger instead. The thought of him mocking her as if the idea of her being his wife was a joke enraged her. Katara had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew that it could have just been the whiskey talking but it hurt her all the same. It made her think that maybe their relationship wasn't worth fighting for in the end. Maybe his refocusing on the war had reminded him what his end goal was. To become Fire Lord. Her and Suki's conversation replayed in her mind.

It will have to be Zuko

He will have to assume his duty as Fire Lord for his country. But where would that leave her? Her father's position as chief made her a princess in her own right therefore she knew she'd have duty's rebuilding the south if she returned home. Were they destined to part ways on opposite sides of the world? Should she just cut her losses now before it was too late? She plopped down on the bed willing herself to return to sleep. She hated the train of thought her mind was going down, yet once the flood gates were opened they wouldn't close. She had just started to become confident in her love for Zuko, only for it to come crashing back down to reality. Why couldn't they just be two normal people in love? They could build a life for themselves just like the one they had now. Katara looked down at the papers she had grabbed off of the counter without him realizing. As she laid there she opened the seal unfolding the thick parchment. Inside were the intake documents for enlisting Earth Kingdom soldiers. Sure enough the name Lee was inscribed at the top of the page. Her tears flooded as she threw the papers to the ground, pulling the covers up and over her head.

She allowed herself to fantasize about simpler times, lulling herself to sleep with thoughts of a world where she lived in a humble home filled with children and warmth. A world where Zuko would come home from working with Haru and kiss her on the cheek as she made dinner. He'd hug their children and read them stories as she baked them treats…she was fast asleep before she knew it.

She woke the next morning to find Zuko sprawled out on the couch with a blanket half covering his body. He was shirtless, his hair disheveled and his mouth open and snoring. She glared at him while she fixed their morning tea, making sure to clank the kettle loudly and bang the jar of tea leaves onto the counter. He sat up abruptly wiping his head around towards the noise.

"Didn't mean to wake you" she grumbled. He ran a hand through his long unruly hair.

"It's alright" he answered, voice deep from sleep. He stood up moving to the kitchen table and taking a seat. She could tell that his head was pounding by the way he was rubbing his temples. When the tea was done she sat across from him setting his cup down in front of him. He took a long sip giving an appreciative hum. She wondered if he remembered anything from last night.

"That'll be the last time I try to out drink Toph" he huffed. She didn't respond, just sipped her tea quietly while staring out the window at the rising sun. The silence pressed on awkwardly.

"Did I do something fucked up last night?" he asked while scratching his head.

"No not at all" she answered tightly. She stood up gathering her tea and placing it in the kitchen sink.

"I'll be at the clinic today" she said in a flat tone while gathering her satchel with her nurses uniform.

"Right…uh…i'll be at the Jasmin Dragon"

"Why?"

"Toph needs help with strategy for the next invasion"

"Of course she does"

"What's your problem?" he asked in confusion at her clipped tone.

"When were you going to tell me?" she asked.

"Tell you what?"

"That you're enlisting back into the army" her tone was accusatory which she could tell put him on edge.

"How did y-"

"You left the papers out on the counter last night"

"I haven't signed them yet"

"But I know you will" she ripped her jacket from the hook moving towards the door. She heard the legs of his chair scrape against the floor boards. In an instant he was behind her turning her around.

"Kat wait a sec"

"I'm running late"

"Let them wait, I want to talk to you" he rasped.

She stood there with her hand on her hip waiting for him to explain.

"I was going to tell you today actually, I was just waiting for the right time"

"Where are they stationing you?"

"Let's go sit on the couch" he said softly, guiding her by her elbow to sit down next to him. Her heart began to race as she sat. He was holding her hands gently, his larger ones engulfing hers in a warm cocoon. He sighed heavily before speaking.

"It's a specialized mission to Caldera" he started "Toph and I discovered some coordinates last night. We know where my father is creating the bombs"

"So the king is sending you to destroy them?"

"He actually hasn't responded to our letter yet. But either way I'm sending myself"

"But what if he doesn't send you? Anyone can go destroy them" she reasoned.

"It's high time I returned to my country Katara. We have six months before things start to go south quickly, and another two months after that before my father executes his plan. The sooner we do this the better"

"I thought you said you weren't ready to face your father" she could feel her world closing in on her fast. He sighed again reaching for her

"Come here kitten"

She allowed him to gather her in his lap. He stroked her hair kissing her temple from behind.

"I'm going to bust my uncle out of jail first. From there we can come up with a plan to defeat Ozai. Hopefully Aang will come back by then. But if not it's up to us"

She leaned back into his embrace. Her heart still thudded in her chest like a caged bird despite her best efforts to calm herself.

"When will you leave?"

"In a month"

"I'm coming with you" she decided. She wasn't going to let him convince her otherwise. She couldn't let him do this alone. She wanted to be by his side when he fulfilled his destiny, no matter what the after math would be. He chuckled running the back of his hand against her neck.

"I figured you would say that. I know I can't stop you, which is why I had Toph draw up some papers for you as well". She let out a sigh of relief. She thought that he'd fight her on this, telling her it was too dangerous. She was elated that he wanted her to fight by his side.

"We should increase our training!" she said turning around in his arms to face him.

"Some one's eager" he surveyed "what happened to being tired of fighting?" She straddled him bringing her arms to rest around his shoulders.

"I want to support you" she explained leaning in to kiss his lips tenderly. He cupped her jaw deepening the kiss. Her heart was racing again now for a different reason. At least she could have him a little while longer…eight months longer to be exact.

She bit his lip playfully as she felt him harden beneath her.

"Let me make love to you before you go" he begged. How could she say no when his voice rang with need like that? She moaned back into his kiss gripping his large shoulders. He lifted her flipping them so that he hovered over her on the couch. He kissed down her neck tenderly, leaving little love bites as he went. He lifted her skirts drawing them up around her waist then over her head. She lay before him in her bindings, her skin scorched with need.

"Agni…I'll never get over your beauty" he said lovingly as he unwrapped her like his most cherished present. He made quick work of his own trousers, revealing his length. He climbed back on top of her kissing her slowly.

"Mmm I love you Zu" she whispered softly in his ear as his hands began to roam at her sides. His fingers found her slick heat, playing with her delicately.

"I love you more kitten, now open up for me"

She spread her legs as he asked, watching as he lined himself up at her entrance. He pushed inside of her slowly, his hands finding purchase on the armrest of the couch above her head. His muscles flexed with each inch he gave her. Her voice rang out in pleasure as he stretched her to capacity. She loved the way he felt inside of her. He was the embodiment of heat. She looked up at his face which was a mask of pleasure, bitting his bottom lip in an attempt to suppress his own moans. He started out at a slow pace, giving her long and intentional strokes. Katara felt like her body was melting into the couch with each push of his hips.

"Oh Zu" she moaned softly. He was now making more noises than her, his deep raspy voice letting out groans of pleasure.

"So wet for me" he praised. He pushed her legs back suddenly. Her knees now rested on his shoulders as he pushed into her even deeper than before.

"Zuko!" she cried. He was hitting that sensitive spot inside of her that drove her crazy, causing her to writhe beneath him. She was so close.

"Hold still" he grunted, gripping her hip in place with one hand, while he propped himself up with the other. She came hard around him with no warning, her juices squirting out and onto his stomach.

"Fuck" he growled as he began pounding into her relentlessly. Her orgasm continued in waves making her vision blur. It didn't take him long to follow her over the edge spilling deep inside of her. He rested against her as he kissed the top of her head.

"Your going to have to shower again" he chuckled. She groaned.

"I'm already so late"

"Ill join you. If I wash your back it'll go faster" he suggested with a grin.

By the time Katara had gotten to work there was already a messenger hawk from May and Leila waiting for her in her office window. The letter was brief, inviting her to lunch at one of their favorite sandwich shops. The day went by fast, and before she knew it lunch had rolled around. Once she arrived at the shop they were already there waiting for her. She greeted them before sitting at the outside patio table.

"We heard what happened with Song's dad, word travels fast in small towns" Leila began, leaving no time for small talk.

"Yeah…" Katara said awkwardly.

"I knew there was something off with him" May grumbled folding her arms. This wasn't a topic Katara wanted to breach a the moment, but she figured she owed her friends an explanation.

"Yeah he turned out to be a pretty bad dude. But I still feel bad for Song" she said sadly.

"Her dad was all she had" sighed Leila. They all sat there in contemplative silence for a while.

"Look guys, I have something to tell you" Katara said breaking the stillness. They both looked to her expectantly.

"I won't be around for much longer"

"What the hell do you mean?" May screeched.

"Zuko and I are rejoining the war efforts. I can't tell you everything in detail but things are getting bad. And I want you guys to protect each other….especially Song"

They both looked at her with sadness in their expressions, Leila looking on the verge of tears.

"Oh Tara!" she cried getting up and engulfing her in a tight hug.

"We knew it was just a matter of time" May said with her arms crossed.

"Oh get in here grumpy" Katara chuckled waving her over to join in on the hug. May relented with a smirk coming between them. Katara continued "If you don't hear any word from me in six months time, flee the Earth Kingdom as fast as you can." They both looked at her in worry, but nodded their heads in understanding. The three of them spent the rest of their lunch catching up, and reminiscing on all the fun times they'd had in Kataras short time there. She knew she had found friends for life in the three girls, even if things were strained between her and Song at the moment. With her, Zuko, Toph, and Suki increasing their training before they departed Katara knew she wouldn't have as much time to spend with her friends. She cherished this lunch with them, knowing it was most likely her last.

3 WEEKS LATER

"C'mon Sugar Queen! Show me what you got!" Toph yelled from across the training arena she'd carved out for them underground. The arena was cavernous, spanning about 100 yards. There was a pool dug out for her where gallons of water waited at her disposal. For the past few weeks they had been drilling themselves hard, training for the day they'd be deployed. Now they were a week away from deployment, spending most of their time either sparing or running through drills.

"Go Katara!" Suki yelled from the side lines. Zuko stood next to her watching them closely. Katara was already sweating and they hadn't even been fighting for more than five minutes. She gathered more water to her side wiping it at Toph's feet in an attempt to break her stance. She dodged it easily planting her feet more solidly and ripping the Earth beneath Katara's feet. To keep her balance she called a wave to her freezing it so that she could ride the ice closer toward Toph. One thing she knew about the tiny bender was that she preferred to fight from far away. But Katara had been practicing more close range fighting with Zuko, therefore it was her strategy to shorten the distance between them. She hopped off of her wave sending ice spikes toward Toph's shoulders, intercepting her next move. She was forced to block, leaving her open for another strike. Katara quickly ran towards her creating an ice dagger on her way, but Toph was too fast. Sensing her moving toward her she raised a pillar of Earth beneath her causing Katara to trip forward nearly falling on her face. She reached her arms out to break her fall sending a jet of water to the ground that propelled her into a front flip. Katara knew as long as she was in the air Toph couldn't see her. Now was her chance. Gathering more water over her shoulder while still in the air she sent a heavy jet her way, the water slamming bodily into the small earth bender. Toph tumbled to the ground but recovered just in time before Katara could land a kick to her chest.

"Nice one" Toph breathed heavily.

"Thanks" Katara countered. They squared off again, this time Toph taking the offensive. She raised a sphere of earth before her sending disks at Katara in quick succession. She dodged most of them, but one slammed into her shoulder nearly knocking her over. She grunted out in pain, regaining her defensive position. She raised an ice shield to protect herself from the rest of the onslaught. She coated her arms in more water like they were an extension of her limbs, using them to hit Toph's sides. Gathering the earth behind Katara she brought her fist towards her chest bringing a rock wall forward and into Katara's back. She stumbled forward, but rolled out of the way right before it could crush her. Katara was tiring fast. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but this week she hadn't been able to keep up with the rest of the group as much. She began to feel dizzy but she kept pushing. She decided to switch her tactic and ran away from Toph towards the pool of water. She dove in swimming to the bottom as Toph sent rock pellets hurtling through the water after her. She spun her body gathering as much water around as she could, creating a whirl pool. She rose higher and higher to the surface until she emerged like a tornado made of her element. At this height Toph looked like a tiny ant and she used this birds eye view to her advantage sending ice spikes to the top of her head. She tried to dodge them, but one grazed her arm drawing blood. Toph was forced to raise an earth shield around her. She could hear her growling in frustration.

"Had enough yet Toph?" she called from above.

"Like hell!" she yelled busting out of her dome and sending a large bolder into her whirl pool cutting it in half. She tried regathering the water with no luck. The momentum of the current was cut off. Katara began to free fall from 20 feet in the air, reaching out to her element like straws just outside of her grasp. The best she could do was bring another wave up towards her to meet her in the air and cushion her fall. She plopped into the pod of water bringing it back down into the pool. She sent another wave forward, haphazardly spitting herself out of the pool and onto the ground. She keeled there on the ground catching her breath for a beat. Her hair had come a-loose from her braid, the wet strands hanging down into her eyes and obstructing her vision. Just then she felt another wave of dizziness causing her to sway to the side.

"Katara!" she heard Suki call from a few feet away. She looked to the side seeing Zuko running towards her before her vision went black.

ZUKOS POV

He scooped Katara's soaked body into his arms. Her skin felt clammy to the touch as he rushed her out of the arena and down the hall into the small infirmary. Since the Jasmin Dragon was a smaller operation there was only one nurse there and a few beds.

"Nurse!" he called as he barged through the door. Suki and Toph were right behind him flanking his sides.

"Oh my" the older woman startled as she took a look at Katara's unconscious form "what happened?"

"We were sparing and she just passed out" Toph explained in a hurry. The nurse nodded her head signaling for Zuko to lay her down on the nearest bed. She seemed to be breathing fine, which kept him hopeful. Truthfully Katara had been seeming a little off to him lately. She'd been slower than usual during training, and requiring more breaks. He felt his heart rate increasing the more he looked at her. The nurse did a routine check of all of her vitals, reassuring them that she was fine and that she was probably dehydrated and exhausted from all the training they were doing. After the nurse had done every possible check she turned to them with a smile.

"Master Katara will be fine. There's nothing more I can do for her now besides let her rest" she assured them. Zuko heard her words, yet still he could not bring himself to stop worrying. Something felt wrong.

"Can you check again?" he asked fervently. The nurse shook her head chuckling lightly.

"Now Master Zuko, I've been a nurse for quite some time and I assure you that she will be fine. I know a faint from exhaustion when I see one" she pat him on the shoulder and went to clean her station, "you all are welcome to stay and wait for her to wake up if you like" and with that she walked out of the room. Zuko looked to the other two girls worry etched onto his face.

"That's good news" Suki said.

"Yeah…"

"I'm glad she's okay. I'm going to head to bed and we can check on her in the morning" Toph said yawning and turning towards the door.
"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna stay here a little longer" he said. He grabbed a chair scooting it next to her bed.

"Of course, I'll be down the hall in the women's quarters if you need anything" Suki said. They both left closing the door behind them. He settled in his seat at Katara's side. Zuko studied her face. She looked peaceful, her expression relaxed and soft. He brought his hand up to delicately trace the soft skin at the high point of her cheek. Seeing her pass out in front of him made him realize just how incomplete he'd be without her. He had thought that he could loose her, even just for that split second. Agni damned it all he decided then and there that he'd fight for a future with her, no matter what the obstacles were. As the Fire Lord why couldn't he choose who he wanted to be his wife anyway?

"Zu?" he heard her call softly as she cracked one eye open. He breathed in relief and grasped her hand tightly.

"Take it easy" he told her as she tried sitting up.

"What happened?" She asked. She surveyed her surroundings curiously "why am I in the infirmary?"

"You fainted while sparing with Toph"

"Oh…" she said bashfully, her face flushing. Zuko inspected her before getting up to fetch her a glass of water. When he came back to her side to hand it to her she was sitting up fully.

"Care to tell me what's been going on with you lately?" he asked. She gulped down her water before responding.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been off the past week. Taking more breaks, not eating…is it nerves?" he took her hand again trying to show her subtly that he was there for her.

"I guess it must be. The closer we get to deployment…I guess I'm just worried for everyone" she admitted.

"Why don't you sit out for the rest of this week and rest up, you've trained more than enough" he reasoned. She nodded her head silently.

"Want me to walk you back to your quarters?" he asked. She nodded again allowing him to help her off the cot.

1 WEEK LATER

KATARAS POV

She had been taking it easy for the past week while the others continued to train. Zuko had barely allowed her to lift a finger sense she'd fainted the previous week. Now the four of them were at Zuko's cottage enjoying the last night before their departure the next morning. The waning moon seemed to sit low in the black sky, illuminating their faces as they sat by the fire Zuko had sparked for them outside. Katara sat cuddled up beside him, Suki and Toph perched across from them on a fallen tree log. They were passing around a bottle of fire whiskey. When it got to Zuko she nearly gagged at the strong smell of it.

"You okay?" He asked, looking down at her after taking a swig.

"That stuff smells awful, did it go bad?" she wondered out loud.

"Doesn't go bad" he countered, shooting her a curious look.

By the time he was passing the bottle to her the smell had become overwhelming. She didn't remember it smelling like this a few weeks ago at Anya's party. It was borderline putrid. Katara shook her head passing the bottle off to Suki. Her friend looked at her in concern as she took a deep swig. As the night wore on the group of friends laughed and continued getting more and more inebriated, with the exception of Katara.

"I'll be back" she murmured as she stood up to go into the cottage. Her friends had barely noticed her leave. As soon as she reached the bathroom she began retching, all the contents of her stomach spilling into the toilet. She felt like she was in a cold sweat. Even after there was nothing left her body continued dry heaving, causing her eyes to water and her belly to cramp. Had she eaten something bad? Or was this nerves taking over? Maybe she wasn't ready to be a soldier again.

"Katara?" she heard Suki call from the other side of the door after awhile.

"One second!" she called, trying to hide the sound of her gags. Suki pushed through the door anyway shutting it quickly behind her.

"Oh shit" she whispered as she evaluated Katara's current state. Knowing she hadn't drunken not even a sip of liquor, she appraised her curiously.

"What did you eat?"

"The same rice you guys ate"

Suki dropped down beside her rubbing her back as she retched some more.

"It's the smell of that dammed fire whiskey" she explained between gags. Suki's eyes narrowed.

"Katara?" she asked apprehensively. Katara looked to her friend finally picking up on her concern.

"What? I'll be fine by tomorrow don't worry"

"When was your last bleeding?"

Katara's eyes widened to near saucers. She hadn't realized that it had been at least two moons since her last bleeding.

"No way" she panicked.

"You have to tell Zuko…"

"That's not possible. I've been on the tea…"
"Well, it's not one hundred percent effective"

"Shit Shit!" Katara cried descending into full panic. She brought her fingers to her temples, the nausea taking over again. What horrible timing! They were slated to leave for Caldera tomorrow morning, and she couldn't let her friends down. She was an integral part of this mission.

"You won't know for sure unless you see a doctor" Suki tried calming her by rubbing soothing circles into her back. Katara knew that there was another way…she was a healer and sensing life was a skill she'd had since a little girl. But, she wasn't ready to know the truth just yet.

"Let's just go back outside for now. They're probably wondering what's taking so long".

"Sure" Suki didn't look so convinced, but she allowed Katara to stand and wash her mouth out.

As they walked out returning to the bonfire Toph regarded her with a strange look.

"You don't look so good Sugar Queen" she said as she narrowed her milky green eyes at her.

"I'm fine I just-ugh Toph!" she said angrily, hating that she'd fallen into the blind girl's trap.

"You guys fall for that so much sometimes I forget that I'm blind" she laughed. Katara plopped next to Zuko, resuming her position cuddled against him. He looked down at her slightly pale face and watery eyes.

"You do look a little sick. Everything okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah totally. Just a little bit of nerves for tomorrow". He nodded his head in understanding, bringing his arm to rest around her shoulders. He took another swig of the strong smelling liquid as Katara looked up at him. She could tell he was tipsy by the way his glassy eyes bored into hers. Those golden pools of ember regarded her with the most predatory reverence, his gaze often falling to her lips. Suki cleared her throat across the fire.

"I'm getting a little tired, you ready to head out Toph?"

"Sure" she said, both of them getting up from their seat. Zuko and Katara looked up at their comrades.

"It was nice catching up again" Zuko's rough voice rumbled "I'll walk you guys to the stable".

"See you all tomorrow" Katara called as they all got up to leave.

"Bright and early Sugar, we depart from the Jasmin Dragon before dawn" Toph winked before they all disappeared to the other side of the pasture. Katara sighed deeply once she was alone. She didn't want her last night with Zuko in their home to be filled with bad thoughts. She had thought it already, long before this moment. 'Their home' she thought again. For almost a year this cottage was more than a simple place of refuge. It was where she prepared and ate meals, where she made lifelong friends, where she added unbidden touches of herself…where she'd fallen in love…. She tried her hardest to push down the flood of emotions she was feeling. It didn't matter if the entire world went up in flames the next day. All she really had was now. She headed to the cottage's front door as she swallowed down her nerves. She knew Zuko would be right behind her soon, coming back from the stables. She stepped into the home looking around at the open kitchen and living room. Her painting of the gardens hung proudly over the kitchen table. She smiled remembering Zuko's insistence on hanging it up. His display of her art rang throughout the entire house, a sketch of the moon in the bathroom, watercolors of different elements in the bedroom. She felt a single tear escape from her eye. She hadn't meant to cry. She hadn't meant to build any sort of attachment to this place. When she first arrived in Zuko's stables she had just been seeking temporary refuge. She didn't startle when she heard the door swing open behind her. Katara could feel his presence enter the room. The tension he brought electrified the small space, nearly shocking her when he placed his hand on her shoulder. He caressed the side of her face with the back of his hand and kissed the side of her cheek. That contact alone was enough to send her heart hammering against her chest. She knew he could hear her breathing increase as he continued kissing along her face, running his nose across her hair to switch sides.

"I will miss it here" she whispered. His hands traveled down to her waist, bringing her back closer to him. His firm touch reminded her of his strength, yet he handled her so surely.

"I will miss us here" he amended. They both knew this was the closing of a chapter. A chapter they would very much rather stay in. But much like a good novel, the reader must press on lest the beauty of the book never be discovered. How were they to reach their end if they never left this place? She knew their destinies were just around the corner, wether they were ready or not. She was as helpless to stop it as a mortal stopping the sun from rising. She leaned back into him, clinging to the feeling of the cocoon they'd created. She never wanted to forget how this made her feel. It would be what she'd chase for the rest of her days.

Lean into it Katara…it's your last night with him like this. She closed her eyes.

END CHAPTER 11