A/N: A week sure does fly by! This is out a day earlier and a tad bit longer than usual, so hope you enjoy XD Thank you again for all your kind thoughts and words, it makes me warm inside knowing you all are enjoying it so much. This chapter introduces one more new character and that will be it, more angst (ofc, its me after all XD) and more Aang-Katara moments.
Responses to guest reviews:
A: Anddd it gets even juicer my friend XD Good line of thought, question is will he find out or not XD That's fair enough, I cant say if he will grow on you or not, maybeee towards the latter chapters, but his thought is more like 'well, let's give it a go, why not'. Despite Katara's conflictions, she does want to distance herself from Aang and that's giving Yun enough of a push to continue. Haha the guy wants all his basis covered XD Your wish is my command – there's basically no Yun this chapter and we have more Aang XD Aang's presence becomes much more dominant from chapter 9 onwards, you'll be happy to know.
Haneypots: Dude I imagined that entire scene in my head, it was beautiful XD You explained that absolutely so perfectly, honestly better than I'd ever be able to put into words. Haha Yun is smart you see XD Haha I'm afraid it's gonna take more than a head bump for him to remember XD hahaha that's hilarious, well, two explosions better than one I guess XD Oh my gosh, ok that'a actually a very valid assumption, but this chapter will answer that and it's not who you have in mind. But the idea, I kinda wish I thought of that XD
/
5 Days Later:
Katara's POV:
'He wasn't right.' I think sullenly as I stare at a patient's discharge summary. I sigh as rest my cheek in my hand, feeling as deflated as a balloon. 'Yatsu has barely spoken two words to me ever since I told him and he avoids me like the plague. He's been spending more time with Yun and his daughter which is what I wanted, but this wasn't the way I envisioned and his behaviour still stings.'
I chew my lip and push my chair back to drop the discharge papers into the tray. I glance at the time. 9pm. 'Stayed late again.' I realise with a sigh as I make my way to the staff room to grab my bag. 'Every time I'm unhappy, I seem to resort to my old habit of burying myself in work.' I think distastefully.
"Not like anyone cares." I mutter to myself as I grab my bag and make a beeline to the exit.
It's been days but my body is still sore from when Yatsu threw me against the door and I've been too exhausted to bother healing myself. 'I'm not one to punish myself, but this feels like a form of retribution for hurting my son.' I think with a pained pang as I reach my car. I slide in and start the ignition before driving out of the hospital car park.
However, I haven't even driven more than 5 minutes before my vision blurs. I blink a couple of times, but the bleariness is still there. 'Shoot, I should probably pull over.' I think to myself and park in the first available bay I find. With a sigh I lean forward to lightly bang my forehead against the steering wheel.
"How did life go from great to terrible?" I groan aloud. When I pull my head up from the wheel after a good 10 minutes, I notice a person in a hood on the pavement staring at me. A chill runs down my spine and I automatically re-start the car and rejoin the road. 'That person...they look like the same one who chased Yatsu and I the other week.' I think anxiously and I flicker my gaze to the rearview mirror.
It's dark, so it's hard to tell if he's following me, but going straight home sends an uneasy feeling through me. I opt to travel to a fast-food restaurant instead. Once I've parked, I find my vision blurring again.
"Spirits, I probably pushed myself with all the extra shifts. It's been a while since I took on that many." I mutter as I rub at my eyes, but if anything, that makes my vision worse.
I rest the back of my head against the head rest and am just about to close my eyes when I feel someone watching me. When I turn to my right, I find that the same hooded person is standing a metre away. Electric fear grips my heart as it starts thumping heavily against my ribcage.
Immediately I start the car and drive off, going over the speed limit as I chew my lip apprehensively. 'Ok that's not normal. How did he catch up to me this quickly on foot?' I wonder as I become increasingly disturbed. I end up driving for over an hour and into the next town.
Every time I parked to adjust my bearings and give my eyes some rest, I find that same hooded person and I was becoming so antsy that I almost grabbed my phone to call either Yun or the police. 'I refrained from both, one because Yun has an early shift tomorrow so I can't wake him and two the police don't help unless there's an actual issue.' I'm forced to park when I have a close call with a van who beeps excessively while swearing at me. I cringe and raise a hand in apology, but they just speed off.
"Get a grip, Katara." I rebuke as I rub at my eyes roughly. A sudden tap against my car window makes me jump and a scream is half way out of my mouth when I notice the person tapping the window isn't in a hood. And it also happens to be my ex-husband. My mouth is still open from my half scream and I quickly snap it closed as I wheel down my car window.
"Katara? It is you. I thought I noticed your outline there. What are you doing here?" The Airbender asks in confusion as he bends down to meet my eyes. I bite the inside of my cheek hard and say nothing, too spooked out to say anything. The man frowns and goes to shake my shoulder. "Hey, are you ok? You look scared." The Air Nomad comments worriedly.
His touch snaps me out of my fear-induced frozen state and I swallow loudly. My eyes dart around, almost looking for the hooded person, but for the first time I spot no sign of him and end up wilting in my car seat.
"I finished a late shift and just felt like going for a drive. I'm taking it that you're working here then?" I query as the man watches me closely.
"A drive? At this time? It's almost midnight." My ex-husband points out with an underlying tone of suspicion. I give him a shaky smile.
"Just felt like it." I reply nonchalantly, but if anything, the man appears more troubled as he leans forward to stick his head through the window. I lean away to create some distance between us, but his hand reaches up to my face before I can stop him.
"Jeez Katara you're freezing and pale. What's wrong?" The Avatar urges in worry. I bite my lip.
"Just some weird person stalking me." I say lightly, trying to downplay how much it has me shaken up, but the Airbender immediately becomes disturbed.
"Stalking...you mean the same person from last time?!" The Air Nomad's outburst is loud and I cringe.
"I mean, I couldn't tell because it's so dark, but he was wearing a hood like last time." I mumble and the man instantly takes out his head from the window and surveys the entire area around us. After several minutes, he turns back to me.
"I don't see anyone for now. How long has this been going on for?" My ex-husband asks as a troubled expression crosses his face, but I raise my hands to reassure him.
"Just while I was driving back home. I've not seen any sign of the person since the last time we bumped into each other." I try to ease his concern, but I see him chew his lip regardless.
"Still. Maybe I should head back with you until you're home safely." The Airbender suggests as he starts moving around the car to reach the passenger seat. My eyes widen and I shake my head.
"That's not necessary! Your work is here and home is over an hour away." I protest, but the Air Nomad has already slid into the car and closes the door after him.
"I finished today. Had planned to travel the next morning, but it's fine to do it now." The Airbender states with a wave of his hand. I stare at him.
"Honestly, I'm fine. There's no need of me mucking up your schedule." I press, but a bout of light headedness has me pausing as I hold the side of my head. The Airbender widens his eyes as he reaches for me.
"Are you ok? You don't look good." He utters with distress. I push back his hand and shift to rest my back against the seat as I close my eyes.
"Don't worry, I'm just tired is all." I voice airily, but I can feel a throbbing headache coming on. 'I really hope Yun isn't staying up for me.' I think to myself.
"How have you been driving? You could've got into a serious accident!" The Air Nomad scolds with a scowl and I blearily turn my head to squint up at him.
"Honestly, I'm fine." I stress as my head feels heavy. I can feel my body dipping forward, but an arm snaps out and catches me by the shoulders. One hand goes to feel my forehead before I hear a loud curse.
"Shoot Katara, you've got a fever! You should've taken the day off work." My ex-husband admonishes as I feel him undo my seatbelt. "We're swapping places, I'm driving." The Air Nomad announces. My eyes snap open in refusal.
"That's not...!"" I start, only for the man to cut me off with a harsh glower.
"It is absolutely necessary! Now either you get up with your own feet or I'm carrying you to the other side." The Air Nomad orders forcibly in a manner so unlike him that it leaves me stunned. Wordlessly, I get out of the car and we switch positions. As he re-starts the engine, I find myself being lulled into sleep by the quiet sound of the car engine.
"Sorry to be a bother." I mumble just before I slip into the darkness. I hear him sigh loudly.
"If it were a bother, I still wouldn't mind." He mutters back which is the last thing I hear as I slip into the comforting realm of sleep.
5 hours later:
I wake up with a start, jerking myself up from what seems to be a bed. My eyes snap to either side as I try to adjust to the darkness, but it's hard to make out where I am. My heart thrums against my chest as I pull back the duvet. 'What happened? Where am I?' I wonder as fear grips me. I hear the door creak open and a lady pops her head around the door. When her eyes land on me, she gives me a small smile.
"Ah I thought I heard something. Are you ok? Do you need me to get you anything?" The woman queries as she pushes the door open a little.
"What's the time?" I ask as I rub my eyes in confusion.
"It's 6am, so still early." The woman replies as she crosses the room to perch on the edge of my bed. I blink at her easy forwardness.
"I'm sorry, but my memory is a little fuzzy. Who are you? And how did I get here?" I blurt, eliciting a soft laugh from the woman.
"No, no, that's my bad. I should've introduced myself. I'm Jin. Aang brought you here and said you were exhausted from work and that someone was stalking you?" The woman explains gently. My eyes widen as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed as memories from the night before hit me like a brick.
"Oh shoot, I should've told Yun and..." I ramble as I move to stand up, but I'm hit with a bout of light headedness. Jin notices and tugs me back onto the mattress.
"Steady there. You were completely conked out when Aang carried you in here." Jin voices in concern as she rests an arm against my back. I stiffen up at her words.
"He...what?" I echo back in disbelief. Jin blinks twice in surprise before smirking.
"What, not a fan of being carried around by a strong, handsome guy?" She teases as her arm slips off my back. I glare at her.
"That's not funny. He could've woken me up if he wanted me to rest...wait, where are we exactly?" I pause, switching the conversation to more important matters.
"A hotel. We're leaving today though. I can drive you back with us since you seem too tired to be driving." Jin voices as she stretches her arms above her head. "But it's still quite early. Have a nap for an hour or two more and then we can make our way back. We can grab breakfast on the way." She suggests as she pushes herself off the mattress to stand, but something keeps niggling inside me.
"If we're in a hotel, I didn't take your room, did I?" I voice guiltily, but the woman simply waves her hand.
"It's fine, I just shared with Aang." Jin answers with a shrug and suddenly the reason for my unease becomes crystal clear as my gut swirls with discomfort.
"So are you and him..." I trail off, struggling to voice the words. She glances at me in surprise
"Are we together?" She queries, finishing off my question for me. I swallow and give her a nod. She scrutinizes me for a moment before replying.
"We are. Aang's told me a bit about you, but we can chat after you get some more sleep; you really do look exhausted." Jin replies as she gives my knee a gentle pat before moving towards the door.
"Thank you, that's really kind of you." My words are robotic, but even I have the good measure of courtesy to be grateful at how kind she's being. 'If my partner showed up with an unconscious woman in his arms, I'd certainly be jealous. But here she is, looking completely non-plussed.' I think to myself as she turns to give me a bright smile.
"Of course. I'll come and wake you in a few." She murmurs and closes the door behind her.
I bite my lip before standing up to search for my phone. The movement makes me increasingly aware of how stiff my back is and I find myself quickly sitting back down. My eyes dart to the bedside table and to my relief I find my phone plugged into a charger. 'Did she do this too?' I wonder in disbelief as I grab the phone to search through my contacts. 12 missed calls from Yun. 5 from Sokka and 3 from my Dad My stomach drops. 'Shoot, he must've talked to them and they all must be worried.' I think in a panic as I dial Sokka's number first. It rings once before he picks up.
"Katara!" He yells and I cringe, bringing the phone away from my ear for a moment as my head throbs with aheadache before bringing it back to my ear.
"Sokka, hello I'm so sorry that I..." I start, but he quick cuts me off.
"Where are you? Are you ok? Do you need me to come pick you up? Yun called at 2am last night saying you hadn't returned home and that you were meant to be back at 9pm. It really worried all of us." Sokka blurts out, his tone tinged with panic and guilt rises up through me at worrying everyone.
"Is Yatsu ok?" I whisper first and foremost. I hear the man sigh on the other end.
"He's fine. Apparently, a bit puzzled when you weren't there to say goodnight, but Yun said he's still asleep, so hasn't noticed you're gone." My brother explains calmly and I wilt back onto the mattress.
"Thank the spirits." I mumble as massage my forehead. "We've never been apart this long before." I mutter under my breath.
"He's fine, don't worry. Now, tell me what happened with you." Sokka presses urgently. I groan and roll over to my side.
"I was tired driving back so parked to try to get my bearings and..." I pause. 'Do I really want to tell him there's a potential stalker around? He'll be sick with worry. And he already has his work and wife to worry about. It wouldn't...it wouldn't feel right.' I realise begrudgingly. "...I took a wrong turn. Took me into the motorway and didn't realise until it was too late because of how dark it was. I stayed in a hotel and will be driving back in an hour or so." I lie to reassure him. I hear Sokka hum unconvincingly on the other end of the phone.
"Are you sure? You've never done that before." My brother notes suspiciously. I gulp.
"I probably took a couple too many shifts. I'll scale them back a bit." I lie again, hating how easy it's become over the years. I hear him make a non-committal grunt before replying.
"Ok if you say so. You really need to look after yourself better, not just for your sake, but also for Yatsu's. I'll let Dad know you're ok. Do you want me to call Yun too?" At my brother's question I find myself biting my lip. 'I never told Yun about the incident with the stalker the first time around, but lying about meeting my ex-husband would feel so wrong.' I think to myself as indecision grips me.
"No, it's fine. I'll give him a call now" I reassure.
"Ok good. Please take care." Sokka urges before hanging up. I exhale heavily before scrolling through my contacts to give Yun a call. He picks up after 2 rings.
"Katara!" I hear him yell and I flinch again. 'Jeez this is déjà vu.' I think humourlessly as I rub my eye.
"Hey Yun, I'm so very sorry that I worried you, I wasn't expecting..." I start, but again I'm quickly cut off by my fiancé.
"Are you hurt?" His question fires out like a bullet.
"No, I'm fine! I just...I was tired after work so parked for a bit but I noticed that someone kept following me so I ended up driving over to the next city." I mumble, but stop when I hear him inhale sharply.
"Someone was following you?! Shoot Katara, are you ok? How did you get rid of them?" Yun's voice is laced with worry and I can almost hear him pacing on the other end.
"I...actually ran into my ex-husband. The person disappeared after that. So, I ended up spending the night in a nearby hotel." I confess as unease crawls up my insides. There's silence on the phone for several moments before the man exhales loudly.
"Right. I'm glad he was around at the right time. So, you're ok? Are you coming back soon? Should I tell the coordinator you'll skip your shift today?" My fiancé asks with a touch of worry.
"I'm fine, I promise. I'm really sorry I worried you. No no, don't do that; it's too last minute. Besides, I'm on the late shift so I'll be back in time for it." I reassure. I can tell he doesn't sound convinced by his breathing, but he doesn't comment on it. "Is Yatsu ok?" I ask after a beat of silence.
"He's...ok. He woke up a little while ago and realised you weren't here. I told him you were at work, but I don't think he believed me. Looked worried at the least, best you come home soon." My fiancé explains and I immediately sit up.
"Shoot. He's not used to us being apart for this long. We never go a day not seeing each other." I mutter as I push myself to my feet, trying to ignore the sensation of the room spinning around me.
"On the bright side, maybe that means his anger is finally letting up?" Yun jokes but I scowl.
"That's not funny. He...he has every right to be mad at me." I whisper as I rest my back against the wall. The consultant sighs.
"Yatsu is young. He doesn't understand the grown-up problems associated with every decision adults make." Yun points out. I blow out my cheeks before exhaling.
"I know, but it's not on him to understand them. Besides, it doesn't make what I did any less worse." I argue just as I hear another voice in the background.
"Ah spirits. Sorry Katara, that's the kids. I need to help them get ready for school, do breakfast and head off for work. Let me know when you're back." Yun voices in a rush.
"Yes of course. I'll see you later." I bid before hanging up.
"Aurgh, what a trainwreck." I mumble to myself as I flop back on the mattress. I stare at the ceiling for the longest time, but can't seem to fall asleep even though my head still throbs with tiredness and my eyes ache with exhaustion. Plus, my back is stiffer than a board.
With a sigh I push myself back to my feet and exit the room. 'Maybe I can leave earlier without bothering them for a lift.' I wonder silently, but as soon as I turn a corner, I find both Jin and the Airbender seated together on the sofa. Jin's head is resting on the Air Nomad's shoulder while the man has his arm wrapped around hers. 'I didn't think I could feel any worse than I already do, but this scene proves me wrong. So very wrong.' I spin on my heels, ready to flee the area when Jin speaks up.
"Oh good, you're awake." Her joyful voice floats behind me and with a deep inhale, I turn back to face the pair with a forced smile on my lips.
"Yes, sorry I didn't mean to disturb you both." My voice is strained as I try to avoid observing how close they are.
"Not at all. We were thinking of leaving a bit earlier so this is perfect timing." Jin bats off as she pushes herself off the sofa.
"Ok, that sounds good. Thank you again for the lift." I say while trying to ignore the Airbender's gaze.
"Did you sleep ok?" The Air Nomad asks, forcing me to look at him.
"Yes, thank you." I reply politely. Maybe a little too politely because his eyebrows shoot up to his absent hairline.
"Huh, that's...good. I'm glad. You were really out of it last night." My ex-husband comments as he pushes himself to his feet. I bite the inside of my cheek at being reminded of how he carried me into the hotel and my heart rate picks up. 'Shoot. I can't believe he did that instead of waking me up.' I curse silently, but with Jin in the room, there's no way to tell him that.
"I probably took a few too many shifts." I utter with a shrug and he seems ready to comment on that, but I'm quick to change the conversation. "Is the car parked in the hotel car park? I'll head down there now." I add in a rush and once I receive a reluctant nod from the man, I'm out of the hotel in under 2 minutes flat.
I find my car easily enough and go to rest my head against the roof of the car. 'Shoot. I can't get that image out of my mind. Seeing him and Jin so snug together, it just...hurts. It shouldn't. I know it shouldn't. Well, I suppose it's because I've never seen the Airbender with anyone else. I was his first and he was mine. We were meant to be each other's only too, but...' I shake my head hard. 'No. I was just surprised is all. That's it.' I tell myself firmly.
A tap on my shoulder has me jerking back and I tumble into a solid warm body. I look up to find the Air Nomad gazing down at me with a frown. I jump away from him in haste.
"S-Sorry." I stutter as I hold my elbow uncomfortably. His frown deepens as he folds his arms across his chest.
"Are you ok? You look...I don't know, frantic, I guess?" My ex-husband queries with steady eyes. I wave my hand to the side just as Jin appears behind him.
"I'm fine, just still tired is all." I wave off, but it's obvious he doesn't believe me by the way he scrunches his nose up.
"If you insist." He answers unsurely as he looks over to Jin. "Do you want me to drive?" The Airbender asks his partner.
"Nah, I'll be good. Get in the car slow pokes." She teases with a grin. I look at her in amusement.
"I think you're going to need these." I say as I pass her my car keys. Her grin widens.
"That would be helpful." Jin jokes with a laugh as she unlocks the car. The Air Nomad slides into the passenger seat and I take the chair behind him in the back seat in an attempt to avoid his gaze. The car journey is initially quiet, but Jin is so full of energy that she's opening a conversation within minutes.
"So, tell me more about yourself Katara. There aren't that many jobs that require you to work so late." She asks curiously as her gaze flickers to the rearview mirror to glance at me before focussing back on the road.
"Nothing much to say to be honest. I work as a doctor in the hospital, hence the late shift." I reply simply, but the woman widens her eyes in surprise.
"Wow that's amazing! I've always admired doctors. Where about in the hospital are you?" Jin gushes with barely concealed excitement.
"The emergency department." I answer which elicits a whistle from the woman.
"Gosh that's a lot of work." She comments. Even the Airbender twists in his chair to gaze at me.
"You never told me you're a doctor." He mentions in surprise. I shrug.
"I did say I worked at the hospital." I remind lightly, but he quirks an eyebrow.
"There's a lot of different jobs in the hospital." He points out mildly before turning back in his chair to look forward.
"I suppose." I hum back in agreement. Jin glances between the two of us in thought.
"What about we catch some breakfast at the next service area? I'm starving." The woman suggests. I bite my lip, the desire to get back to my son is stronger than my need for food.
"I don't think I have..." I start, only for the Airbender to cut across me.
"Good idea. We could all do with some food." My ex-husband agrees, with extra emphasis on the word 'all'. I resist the urge to glower at him and instead cross my arms unhappily. I spot the way Jin's lips twitch upwards in amusement as she puts on the left indicator.
"So, are you a waterbender?" The woman queries offhandedly. I blink twice before giving her a half smile.
"The blue clothes gave it away?" I utter wryly which prompts a laugh from the woman.
"Just a bit." She returns with a smirk.
"Do you bend?" I query, her grey and brown clothing, doesn't give me any indication that she's from a particular nation. I'm surprised at her head shake.
"Nah, wish I could though. Would be very cool. I'm half earth and air citizen. It's actually how I met Aang, during one of his visits to a remote Air Nomad settling." My lips part as I stare at her.
"Wow I've not met many Air Nomads, especially not ones of mixed heritage." I voice with interest as the woman gives me a wink.
"I'm a bit of a rare breed." She teases as she elbows the Avatar beside her. Something twists inside me at seeing how relaxed she is around the Airbender and any curiosity I had is quickly sapped away.
"Indeed." I concur as my voice drops in volume. Jin seems to notice as she purses her lips.
"So, tell me, how do you know Aang? He gave me a brief low-down." The non-bender questions, sounding intrigued. I bite the inside of my cheek. 'What did he tell her?' I wonder anxiously and opt to give as little information as possible.
"I mis-took him a few years ago for someone else and he happened to remember me when we bumped into each other recently." I explain vaguely. Jin hums in response as she turns onto another road towards the service stop.
"Aang says you know him from before he lost his memories." Jin voices casually and I stiffen up. 'Shoot. He must be really close to her if she knows that he lost his memories.' I realise with a touch of disdain.
"I..." I bite my lip as I search by brain on what to say. "... that's true." I admit while averting my eyes. I hear her hum again.
"Aang also said you don't want to tell him how you know him." The woman adds smoothly.
"What hasn't he told you." I mutter sourly, but cringe when I realise how rude that sounded. "Spirits, I'm sorry." I rush to amend my words, but she releases a loud joyful laugh.
"Oh don't be, I'm enjoying this." Jin dispels with ease as she flashes me a grin. I give her a half smile, not entirely sure what she finds so amusing about all this, but I find out a moment later. "So, you two were an item then." She adds breezily. I choke on my saliva and have to beat my chest when I start coughing violently. I catch her smirk in the rearview mirror, while the Airbender beside her inhales sharply. "Told you." Jin quips with her eyes on the Avatar. As soon as my coughing is under control, I shoot her a death glare.
"You've got it all wrong." I retort sharply, but she gives me a sly look.
"Oh? Then what does Aang do for work?" Jin queries casually and I notice the man goes rigid as he shoots his partner a warning look. I clench my jaws and lean back into my seat.
"What do you mean?" I ask, feigning ignorance. I catch her glancing at the Air Nomad who shakes his head slightly.
"Ever heard of something called the Avatar?" She fires out, before the Airbender could stop her.
"Jin!" He hisses. A part of me is surprised to see him so serious. 'Ever since he lost his memories, he's been so light-hearted. Well, except when he's with me. I...seem to bring the worst out of him.' The thought makes me deflate into my seat. Jin ignores her partner's rebuke as she fixes her eyes on me.
"So, you do know." She murmurs and I belatedly realise I should've looked a lot more confused than I do. I kick myself for being a terrible actor. The Avatar twists around in his chair to gaze at me, his expression is unreadable. It's almost as if he's trying to read my thoughts.
"Katara." His whisper of my name is so intense that I find myself swallowing. I look outside of the car window and realise we've parked at the service station.
"I guess I do." I mumble while keeping my gaze fixed outside. I hear someone inhale deeply and someone else cough, but I'm unsure which sound belongs to who with my eyes glued to the window, but I can make a pretty good guess who inhaled deeply.
"You two were definitely an item then." Jin confirms with a chuckle and I find myself going rigid once more.
"I told you, it wasn't..." I protest, but the woman cuts me off.
"Only family members, spouses or close partners are allowed to know the Avatar's identity. Other than certain council members of course. You clearly don't have any Air Nomad blood in you based on our earlier conversation." Jin explains a matter-of-factly and I find myself stumped on what to say. 'She's right. No one should know the Avatar's identity. Shoot, I wish I acted more surprised when she mentioned the Avatar word. I just...I've known he was the Avatar for 17 years, it's hard to feign surprise about it now, of all times.'
When I glance in front of me, I spot Jin's smirk and while that's bad enough as it is considering her current relationship with the man, it's nowhere near as bad as the Airbender's shocked expression as he stares at me with wide eyes and parted lips. 'Shoot, shoot, shoot. How do I deny it now?! At this rate it won't be long till he figures out that Yatsu is...' I put an abrupt halt to that line of thought as I reach for the car door handle, but as I pull on it, I find it's locked.
"Shoot." I curse, suddenly hating that I was never as good as my ex-husband was at lying.
"This got juicy really quickly." Jin murmurs as she switches off the car engine. My whole body feels like lead, so when the man reaches forward for my shoulder, I barely feel his hand.
"Katara...is that...is that true?" He falters, as if too scared to know the truth. I grit my teeth as I try for the car door handle again, but it doesn't budge.
"Jin, can you open the door please." I request tightly, but she shoots me a mischievous look.
"Only if you answer his question. He's been mopping about it for days and it's giving me a migraine, so do us both a favour and spill the beans." The woman bargains as she twists in her seat to gaze at me too. Both pairs of eyes have me shrinking into my seat and I've never felt so trapped and small in my entire life. I clench my jaws so tightly that I can feel the muscle throbbing with each clench.
"Then we're going to be here for a while." I state stubbornly as I lean against the back rest of my chair and cross my arms over my chest. The pair exchange glances before fixating on me again. 'Gah! Why are they so in sync?!' I wonder with a hint of irrational frustration as my chest squeezes tightly.
"Why won't you say? If we were together, it doesn't matter. It's a thing of the past." My ex-husband asks in obvious confusion as his forehead crinkles with his frown.
My breathing hitches at his words and I hate to admit that it stung more than I'd have liked it to. I feel a prick at the back of my eyes and I have to blink several times to will it away. 'It doesn't matter huh? We're a thing of the past. Shoot, why does that hurt so much?' I think thickly. Jin seems to notice as she elbows the man roughly in the ribs.
"Ow!" He yelps as he rubs his side.
"That was pretty insensitive." She hisses to him before flickering her eyes back to me and reaching forward to squeeze my knee. "I'm sorry, we're putting you into a difficult spot, aren't we?" Jin apologises as she retracts her hand. "It's just... I've been with Aang for a couple of years now and...he finds it hard having a blank slate sometimes. You're the first person he's met who knows him before he lost his memories." Jin explains patiently, but her words act as a double-edged sword, in more ways than one.
It's a real sucker punch to know that they've been together for that long. It means it's serious. 'For another thing...I had thought he would be happy if he didn't have his memories. At least I was fooled into thinking so by how happy he looked in his TV appearances.'
I raise a hand to rub my eyes, I can feel how dry they're becoming from who frequently I've been repeating the action. I bite the inside of my cheek. 'If I confirm that we were together then...that could lead to so many problems.' I think to myself as I feel a rush of metallic taste and I realise I've been biting too hard. 'I really want to get home too. Even if Yatsu is mad at me, he'll get worried if I don't see him off to school. Worse still if he doesn't see me back home when he returns from school since I'll be working late again.'
When I drop my hand from my face, I sense the concern emanating from the couple and finally the Airbender turns to his partner.
"It's fine. I don't need to know." My ex-husband utters resolutely as he reaches over Jin to unlock the car door. My lips part in surprise and I don't move for several moments; even the woman looks stunned at his behaviour.
"Are you sure?" She presses, looking disappointed. The man chances a glance at me before nodding his head firmly.
"If Katara doesn't want to say, then it isn't my business to press her." The Air Nomad insists as the woman rolls her eyes.
"Trust you to put others before yourself yet again. You need to learn to be a bit more selfish Aang." Jin murmurs as she reaches forward to sling her arm around his shoulders playfully. The scene is so similar to my interactions with the man when we were younger that I find myself struggling to breathe. "Alright, let's get breakfast." She announces as she moves to push open her door.
The Airbender does the same and soon they're both out of the car, but I'm still rooted to my spot, unable to move. It takes several moments before they realise I'm not following suit and with a frown they turn back to the car. My ex-husband opens my car door and peers at me with a frown.
"Hey, are you ok?" He queries in concern, but the lump in my throat is too big to say anything. I turn away from him when I feel the pricking in my eyes returning. 'Shoot, why does this still have me choked up?' I curse myself as I rub at my eyes again. "Hey, look at me." My ex-husband requests gently as I feel him tug at my arm.
"I'm f-fine." I croak back as I shrug his hand off me.
"Let me." I hear Jin whisper and soon I sense the woman's presence as she eases me towards her. I resist again, but she's stronger than I gave her credit for and I find myself wrapped in her arms. "You guys were more than just an item, huh?" Jin murmurs as she holds me. My breathing catches as a small whimper escapes me.
My vision blurs with unshed tears, but I refuse to break down in front of my ex-husband and his new partner. Instead, I press my lips tightly together as I try to regulate my haphazard breathing. After several moments, I've managed to collect myself enough to pull away from the woman.
"Thanks." I mumble as I rest my hands in my lap. She gazes at me warmly before offering her hand. I hesitantly take it and she tugs me to my feet.
"Come on, let's get breakfast." Jin says with a kind face as she pulls me along with her as the Airbender hangs a step behind us.
We're seated at the first restaurant we see and I find myself mindlessly stirring my iced drink while the couple are seated opposite me. Both pairs of eyes on me yet again. It's silent for so long that I find myself sighing heavily as the tension becomes unbearable.
"We were married." I whisper so quietly that they both have to strain to hear it. When they do, a chorus of sharp inhales greet me, but I'm so busy staring at my drink that I miss their expressions.
"Spirits." Jin breathes out as she leans back into her chair in shock. The man however keeps his steely gaze on me as he's completely rendered speechless. After the longest time, he seems to find his voice.
"M-married?" My ex-husband stutters. I massage my temples, already regretting that I told him.
"I'm not repeating myself." I mutter.
"So...that day at the hotel...you weren't confused or had mistaken me for someone else? I was really your..." The Airbender trails off uncomfortably. I cringe and have the urge to make a dash out of the restaurant towards my car and drive far, far away from here.
"You had just lost your memories. Of course, you'd think I'm the delusional one." I cut across sharply and when he flinches, I find myself sagging against my chair. "Sorry." I mumble. Jin seems to finally shake herself out of her daze as she leans forward.
"So...Aang lost his memories while you were still together? Why didn't you explain that to him?" The woman asks, looking clearly perplexed.
"He didn't remember me. Thought I was confused. There wasn't much I could do." I reply with a shrug, but the woman slams the table with the palm of her hand, making both the Airbender and I jump.
"That's a load of rubbish and you know it. If you two were really married, you wouldn't have let him go like that until you got it through his thick skull that he lost his memories. Unless...you know how he lost his memories." Jin mutters with narrowed eyes and the accusation is clear. My eyes snap towards her with a scowl just as I hear the Avatar's breathing catch.
"If I knew how he lost his memories, I wouldn't have agonised over it for years! One day he woke up and remembered nothing other than his job." I snap back as my hands clench on the table.
"Ok guys, let's cool down." My ex-husband interferes sternly as he rests a hand on his partner's shoulder. She sighs and leans back.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you of..." Jin trails off as her eyes dart to the side, unable to meet my gaze. I exhale quietly and unclench my hands.
"No, it's...it's a fair point." I mumble as I massage my forehead.
"But I don't get it, why did you let him go so easily? Are you guys still technically married? Because if you are I'm going to feel incredibly guilty." Jin mumbles as her face contorts with guilt. I shake my head instantly.
"We're not. I received divorce papers pre-signed by him a few days after he lost his memories. I presume the delivery was pre-arranged from before he lost his memories." I explain before flickering my gaze back to the table. "That's why I let him go." My whisper is pained, but it's also a lie. 'I let him go because I didn't want him to suffer from his past anymore. The divorce papers were just a cruel add-on. A declaration that he never intended to continue our marriage, despite what we did that night. Despite his insistence that he wanted to change. It had hurt so much that I couldn't bear to even think his name, even until now.'
"Shoot. No wonder why you hate me." Th Airbender whispers with a pained expression.
I wince at his wording as I remember a time when I indeed did tell him I hated him. 'He was so devastated when I had said it. I never knew if I really felt hate back then, or was it just bitterness. Do I hate him now? Hard to say. A part of me says no, however.' I release a breath as I force myself to look him in the eye.
"I don't hate you. It's just...difficult to be around you." I reply honestly, perhaps a little too honestly as he flinches again. 'It's not my intention to be mean is what I want to tell him, but it's hard to put that into words.'
"I understand. I just...if...if I pre-arranged the divorce papers, does that mean I knew I was going to lose my memories?" The Air Nomad wonders aloud.
I freeze at his line of reasoning. 'I...never thought of that. I was too devastated to give it much thought. Then I found out I was pregnant, so all logical reasoning went out of the window.' I stare at my ex-husband with parted lips as a bout of nausea hits me. It just so happens to be the exact same time that the food arrives, but none of us make any move to touch it.
"Shoot. That's..." My curse ends abruptly as I cover my eyes with a hand. "A genius to the end." I mumble to myself.
"What was that?" Jin asks with furrowed eyebrows, but I shake my head.
"Forget it." I mutter and fortunately she drops it.
"That's...some heavy stuff." The woman utters as she picks up a breadstick. 'You don't know the half of it.' I think dryly.
"Hope you both are satisfied." I counter sullenly as I stare at the plate of food in front of me, but any appetite I had is completely gone.
"How...how long did I know you for?" My ex-husband queries quietly. My hands go still and I don't look up. "Katara?" He presses.
"Maybe that's enough questions Aang." Jin advises carefully as she takes in my expression.
"17 years if we're counting from the moment I met you till now." I croak before clearing my throat. "I'm not answering any more questions." I utter tightly as I raise my eyes to meet his. My ex-husband chews his lip as he slumps backwards in his chair.
"17? Sheesh, no wonder why you're so..." Jin cuts herself off with a shake of her head. "You know what, let's just eat." She suggests as she offers me a breadstick. I eye it wearily before shaking my head.
"I'm not hungry. I'll wait by the car until you guys are done." I say as I push my chair back and shift away from them, but a hand grabs my wrist.
"Katara, you need to eat." My ex-husband insists, but I shake his hand off.
"I'm fine. Besides, I feel a little too much like a third wheel here." I mutter under my breath. Jin doesn't seem to have heard, but from the way the man stiffens, I can tell he had.
I flee from the restaurant as fast as I can and by the time I make it to my car, I'm huffing and puffing. I dig into my pocket, only to realise that I left the keys with Jin. I groan loudly and spin around to lean against the car door before sliding down until I'm sitting on the ground with my knees bent and tucked close to my chest.
"Stupid. I'm so stupid." I curse aloud before resting my forehead against my knees as I stare at my feet. 'Why did he have to fall back into my life again. He disappeared once and came back. Then he disappeared again only to re-appear. Why can't my life move on without him? Why...why do I miss him?' I wonder as my chest squeezes painfully.
I heave as tears sting my eyes again. 'Why...why do I wish I was the one in his arms instead of Jin?' I bite my lip hard at that silent admission. 'Shoot, am I making a mistake with a Yun? Does it even matter? My ex-husband is with Jin and she's nice. Plus, with all our history, we couldn't make it work back then, there's no way we could make it work now. Especially if he knew what I was hiding from. And Yun is nice enough. I'm not getting any younger to keep waiting.' I try to convince myself, but when I spot something wet dropping onto the ground, I realise I'm crying.
"Shoot. I promised myself I wouldn't cry about this anymore." I choke quietly as I dig my face into my forearms. 'Why was the world so cruel to force us apart so many times? And why does the universe taunt us by repeatedly bringing us close together?' I ponder in torment.
I don't react when I feel arms around me, thinking it's Jin once again, but when I catch a whiff of the cologne, I immediately know it's not Jin. I jerk away, hitting my back into the car door and hiss when I realise I've made my prior injury worse. I take my anger out on the man.
"What are you doing?" I hiss as the Airbender lands on his behind from when I subconsciously pushed him, but instead of being offended, his face crumples at the sight of me. His lips trembles as he stretches a hand towards me, but I slap him away before he can touch my face.
"Katara, I...I'm so sorry." His whisper is pained as he shifts onto his knees in front of me.
"Just...leave me alone." I mutter tightly as I look away from him, but my eyes dart back when I sense him moving. Instead of reaching out to me again however, he kneels and bows his head to me.
"I'm so, so s-sorry." His apologies tumble out desperately and I find myself silenced as he bows so low that his forehead is touching the ground. I shift to my knees.
"Hey, don't...don't do that." I order softly, but he doesn't budge.
"I put you through so much. You didn't deserve this." My ex-husband's voice cracks and my lips part.
"You don't even remember me. For all you know, I could've been a terrible w-wife." I stammer as tears fill my eyes again. He winces at the word 'wife', but keeps his forehead fixed to the ground.
"I don't believe that. I've seen how you are with your son. You have so much love to give." The Airbender voices with conviction. I pinch the bridge of my nose.
"Love isn't enough. It never has been." I whisper with a pained pang. His breathing hitches at that and he presses his head deeper into the ground.
"I'm so sorry you met me. I'm sorry I caused you this much pain. I'm so unbelievably sorry and I don't know how to convey that." The Air Nomad babbles as his pattern of breathing becomes shallow and when I gaze at him, I find the ground where his face is hovering over has turned a darker shade. 'Tears. He has stained the ground with his tears.' I realise numbly and I move to jerk him up by the shoulders.
"Stop it!" I utter forcibly. "You...can't blame yourself for something you don't even remember. It isn't fair on you." I order firmly as I gaze into his tear-filled eyes.
"Whether I remember or not, doesn't matter. It's still me who hurt you." My ex-husband argues. My fingers start digging into his shirt as I clench my jaws.
"Don't do that...don't blame yourself again. P-please." I beg as my voice cracks and my face contorts with hurt and guilt.
"Oh spirits, please don't cry." The man pleads as he lifts his arms. I pull away from him and shake my head.
"I'm fine!" I insist as I take in a deep breath to steady my nerves. "An old wound was re-opened is all. It will patch back up." I say as I force my tears to dry and for my heart to harden. The Air Nomad is taken aback by my sudden change in demeanour.
"But..." He starts until I shake my head.
"Enough. Please. You...don't have to feel like you owe me an apology. I don't know why or how you lost your memories, but I've accepted it. You've moved on and so have I. There's nothing more to it than that." I recite the lie as if I had it memorised and I suppose I did. 'I fantasised about meeting him again for so long and had thought of those very words if a time ever called for it. I never thought I would actually use them though.'
As I keep my gaze steady on my ex-husband, I realise that I'm not fooling anyway. He chews his lip, not saying anything for the longest time before making up his mind about something.
"I'll make sure we don't cross paths." The Air Nomad decides and my eyes widen in alarm.
"That isn't what I..." I start as the man shifts to his feet.
"It's the best option. I bring you back the bad memories when I'm around. This way I can at least protect you from them." The Airbender decides with a nod to himself. I shake my head as I push myself to my feet.
"Wait, what about Yatsu?" I question as irrational panic starts to seize me.
"I'll personally find him an Airbender instructor. The best Master in the region." My ex-husband vows as he turns away from me. The primal part of me snaps out my hand to grab him by the shoulder.
"No! It has to be you!" I bellow, shocking both the man and myself. His jaw slackens as he stares at me.
"But why?" The Airbender asks in confusion. I grit my teeth. 'I refuse to tell him the truth. It would hurt everyone involved, but if Yatsu is so desperate for his Dad, the least I could do is let him be taught by him. Even...even if he wouldn't know it. Even if they both wouldn't know it.' I take in a deep breath.
"He only wants you. He looks up to you. Another instructor would...would just remind him of how much he misses you." I mutter. The Air Nomad scrutinizes me as his eyes crinkle with his frown.
"But what about you?" My ex-husband presses.
"Nothing and I mean nothing is more important to me than my son's wellbeing." I voice with utter conviction that it even manages to sway the Air Nomad. I watch as he chews his lip before sighing loudly.
"Fine. But the moment I see you unravelling again, I'm gone." My ex-husband pledges and I have no choice but to agree.
"Fine." I mutter and when I hear someone clearing their throat, I realise my hand is still resting on the man's shoulder and the appendage immediately flies off in mortification as I spin around to meet Jin's amused face.
"You know the chemistry between the two of you is pretty electrifying. I can easily see why you two ended up together." She's teases as she playfully bumps her shoulder against mine. My face is stricken with embarrassment as I hide my face in my hands.
"Please stop." I croak just as I feel someone pull my hands away from my face.
"Take this. You need to eat." She murmurs as she presses some pastries into my hand. "Come on, let's get you home. I completely forgot you have a son waiting for you." Jin murmurs as she opens up the car door. I gawk at her for a moment before firing a glare at the Avatar.
"You seriously didn't miss any details out?" I voice dryly and the man gives me an embarrassed shrug.
"She's my partner. I tell her everything. Don't you do the same with Yun?" His question hits a little too close to home and I bite my tongue. Jin sighs and elbows the man again.
"You really need to be more tactful." She points out in exasperation as we all get into the car.
"You can say that again." I mutter and the Air Nomad shoots me a bashful look.
"Sorry." He apologises with downcast eyes. I exhale softly and lean against the head rest.
"Let's just go home." I mumble as my eyes flutter to a close as I feel another headache come on.
"On it." Jin utters and I find myself drifting off when the car starts moving down the motorway again.
A/N: Anddddd that's our introduction to Jin and jealous Katara, hope you enjoyed it XD Wanted a character that existed in the avatar universe, but who we didn't have any previous ties to and she was the only one I could come up with lol. Andddd now Aang knows the two were married, upwards and onwards for plenty future awkward and angsty moments XD
Work starts this coming week, so not sure what my schedule will look like, but fingers crossed for weekly updates to continue, if not it will be fortnightly ones.
28/7/24