Author's Notes: Sorry I took so long in posting. It's not easy getting more than a few paragraphs on any given day, especially for a Bookkeeper during tax time. Why does it cost so much to live?! I wish I could make a living off of writing, but I don't have enough time to write and get that ball rolling.

I started a new (Ria Writes) for my original fiction, and also have a wattpad (@Animeiija) with the prequel to the Misadventures of Keira (working title.) Feel free to find me on either and give me some feedback. I think I'm going to upload my fanfiction onto those forums as well, as well as grant access to rough drafts and such. Eh. Thoughts for the future...whenever I find the time.

"Katara!" Sokka was charging for the driveway before Zuko could even park. His grandmother wasn't that far behind- the rush of adrenaline giving her the energy she needed to rival Sokka in eagerness to get to her. Zuko could only watch as Katara was pulled from his car and wrapped tight in her family's embrace. He could only imagine what the fear did to them when they received the news of her attack.

A whistle drew Zuko's attention away from scene of familial love to see AJ had arrived just in time. His grim expression remained only long enough for him to see before relief washed over him. Behind him was Jet and Haru, both of whom kept AJ's pace as the airbender sped across the two front yards between his home and Katara's. Sokka and Kanna were strangers to him, yet that didn't stop the young man from joining in the group hug.

Zuko didn't know if he should be glad to see how beloved Katara was by his friends, or if he should roll his eyes at how overly affectionate the airbender was. He chose to roll his eyes before turning to the other two. Haru he expected. Jet, not so much.

"Didn't you have a date," Zuko managed, killing the engine so he could climb out of his car. Clearly, he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.

"Something more important came up." Jet's admittance came with the rigid line of his shoulders relaxing. The deep dravites of his eyes remained locked on Katara's form. He knew that she was alright, and yet he could not help the longing he felt when she was no longer in view.

"You didn't have to come: She's safe now," Zuko assured him. Was it concern that had him narrowing his eyes on his oldest friend? It wasn't so rare for Jet to care for strangers and acquaintances, yet the cold fist gripping Zuko's heart felt like... He dare not finish that thought. Katara was a sweet freshman that Zuko felt obligated to look out for on account of their proximity. Jet was one of those dangers- to her innocence.

"I know that, but I…." Jet wasn't able to finish when Katara's grandmother extracted herself from the group hug.

It was only because Zuko wasn't expecting it that she was able to pull him into her embrace. "Thank you for looking after my little Katara," she breathed into the hug.

Jet had the audacity to chuckle at Zuko's current predicament, which earned him a molten glare and a swift bird behind the older woman's back. Zuko did not shake her off as he usually would, though. Instead, he gave Kanna one of his more winning smiles. "I couldn't let anything happen to your Sapphire, Ms. Yudi," he tried at charming.

A matronly cluck had her pulling back to pat his undamaged cheek. "Please, I've told you countless times to call me Gran-gran." The light in her eyes only grew in intensity as she observed the sweetness in Zuko's eyes. Such a good boy, he was. Still, cerulean orbs flickered to the scar that marred half his face.

The one scar seemed to hold the darkness of the world itself. Even with the truth known to her, it broke her heart to see it. What monster could do such a thing to such a sweet child?

Zuko's own smile shrank away under the scrutiny if Kanna's gaze. What was she thinking now that she could see the true horrors of his face? He could not read her as with most others, yet could not bring himself to pull away from the comfort of her presence.

"Why don't you and your friends come inside? I'll order us some pizza." Kanna gave Zuko a kiss on the corner of his mouth before shooting him in the direction of the others already making their way inside.

"Thank you for accepting us into your home, Ms. Yudi," Jet smiled, not sure if he was included on the list of those allowed to use the family pet name. If the raised eyebrow and partial grin was anything to go by, he was. "Gran-Gran," he corrected.

"Think nothing of it, dear," Kanna gave Jet's cheek a light pat as a new smile blossomed across her lips. Shrewd eyes darted between Jet and Zuko before ultimately finding Katara again. Oh, to be young again. Kanna chuckled to herself as memories of her own youth filled her. So many broken hearts.

It was unnerving how she would giggle behind him as they entered the quaint little home. What was so funny? Jet didn't know how he felt about the smile Katara's grandmother now wore. Secretive and knowing, it was as if she was expecting something to happen. He could easily be misreading the woman.

"Why don't I place the order," Jet offered just the same, wanting to earn more of her endearment. He knew the income bracket of the neighborhood. He knew how much teenage boys ate- especially ones as active as his friends were. AJ alone could finish a whole pie on his own, and still clean out the refrigerator of leftovers. Then there was Zuko…

Jet shuttered at the thought. Firebenders had terrifying metabolisms- best to save the Yudi family from the financial hit. Plus, if Katara's parental unit happened to like him….

Following Kanna inside, Jet was struck by the number of boxes still laying around. The organized stack of them took up the entire wall of what should have been the dining room. Sheets of paper were taped to each one, marking them for donation or storage. Down the hallway to the bedrooms had a similar stack of boxes flush against the wall with the owners' names clearly written in black sharpie.

Haru and Zuko had already been put to work, moving some of the living room boxes out of the way while Sokka set up a game system for their enjoyment. School blazers have already been draped over the back of the loveseat.

In spite of the mountain of boxes in the firebender's arms, he already had his cellphone pinched to his ear and was reciting the usual order of four meat lovers pizzas, chicken wings, and whatever sweet he fancied that moment.

"Make that six," Sokka called from behind the television, only to have a cushion get chucked at his head.

"Ox-pig!" Katara called out. "You're not going to eat your way through Zuko's wallet!"

As if such a thing was possible, Jet couldn't help but think. Zuko's wallet was National Treasury deep. "Zu, I got it," Jet offered just the same, continuing his bid to impress Katara's family.

Zuko just gave Jet a look as he set the boxes down, catching the phone as it fell from his shoulder. It was only a few moments before he continued the order, tacking on a couple sodas before handing his phone off. Jet's smile of gratitude was short lived as he watched Zuko return to the living room proper.

Taking a seat on the couch, Zuko made himself right at home between Katara and AJ. With his arms stretched across the back of the couch, Katara slotted into place at his side. The movement was subconscious. A twist of her hips had her turn into him, her folded knees so close that they almost propped themselves against his thigh.

Starlight danced in her eyes as a cheeky smirk pulled at her cherry glossed lips. Her long, tapered fingers caught Zuko's tye to twist it around her hand. "Stop man-spreading," was her breathy command as she gave the article of clothing a tug. Her voice and tone sent a shiver of want down Jet's spine even as the first caress of envy found his heart.

Flames ignited in Zuko's eyes of molten honey as a familiar wolfish grin split his face. He knew that look- the hunger for something "sweet" and forbidden. Licking his lips, Zuko shifted to obey her, taking more of Katara's space in the process. He followed the sharp tug of what now became his leash until their faces were impossibly close. Their eyes locked in challenge as the tye wrapped tighter around Katara's hand.

"Your order will arrive in 45 to an hour. Have a nice day!"

Jet barely registered as the line went dead. It took Haru tapping Jet's shoulder to pull his eyes from the pair.

"Uh-oh; Mai's in trouble. I haven't seen that look on Zu's face in a long while," Haru smirked, oblivious to the jealousy clouding Jet's gaze.

"Neither have I," Jet admitted with a growl, wanting for Katara's eyes to be on himself. He made a move to approach her- to steal her attention for himself.

Katara stood just as he reached her side, taking Zuko's tye with her as she sashayed to the sliding door. Zuko's gaze followed after her even as it slithered from his neck to hang from her fist. Propping his cheek against his fist, Zuko's look of hunger crumbled to reveal the face hidden behind the mask. Fear and rage darkened his eyes, even as the longing remained ever present.

"She's okay," AJ assured him from Zuko's other side.

"She shouldn't have been in danger in the first place." Zuko should have been more diligent. He should have noticed what Nya La was doing when she took the Red Siren.

"Danger's par for the course with us," Sokka declared from the entertainment unit as he connected the wii-u to the wifi.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, turning from Katara just as she struck her fist hard against the door jam of her bedroom's sliding door.

Sokka flinched. His spine became rigid before his cobalt gaze searched the mirror placed above the television. All of their visitors gave him their attention. "What are you talking about?" He tried at stupid.

"Are you calling me dangerprone again?!" Katara exclaimed from the patio, trying to pull an extra seat from her room. The pink wicker chair caught against the edge of the wall, refusing to budge.

"You're attract trouble like mosquito-flies to honey."

"Clumsy and dangerprone are two different things, Sokka," Katara grumbled, letting the chair slip from her grip to prove a point. Her eyes narrowed on her brother all the while, cursing his slip and the role she had to play to cover it up. Bracing herself for the inevitable pain of her landing, she scrunched her eyes and bowed her spine to minimize the damage.

Instead of concrete, the warmth of a firm body met her back to catch her. Blinking up, Katara was met with Jet's impish hazel eyes and a smirk. His arms wrapped low around her waist as he helped her steady her footing. Warm and safe, Katara managed a brief smile of gratitude.

"I can attest that is not the case," Zuko rumbled. His heat reached out to caress her side, harkening his approach. Tight lipped, his emotions were hidden behind a mask as he sauntered around the pair to pull the chair out of Katara's room and into the living room.

Guarded.

Cold and distant.

Good.

Jet watched Zuko withdraw from Katara with a sense of relief. He held Katara tighter to his chest, even as she reached out with her foot to tap Zuko's calf. Zuko pulled farther back.

Jet held her tighter, unwilling to share her attention.

One by one, Zuko's friends managed to trickle out of the Yudi household. If it wasn't a school night, they could have stayed far longer. In truth, she and Sokka would have loved for their fun to last well into the twilight hours. Though rough and tumble, the entire bunch of them were a delight- even AJ- who Katara could swear was cheating. No one could win so many games of Mario Party back to back.

She didn't want them to leave.

She wanted more nights of goofing off and experiencing the simple joy of having fun with her peers. But with Haru went AJ. With Jet, went Zuko.

So much like her Zuko...

Katara lifted the framed photo of happier days long passed. Once upon a time, laughter used to be the norm. Every break would have her dearest friend sharing in it. If only more of it could have been captured, but back then she thought those days would never end. Why pause and take a photo?

The one in her hand was one of only a handful- captured when she and the others least expected it. Buried to their necks in snow, Katara clung to Prince Zuko's back. Her frizzy mane was barely controlled by the two braids that hung at her ears. A weak flame stretched from his smiling lips to melt the snowball in Sokka's hands.

They had all caught a cold that weekend, and spent the following days wrapped up in blankets with snot running down their noses- the newest video game system shared between them. She and the young prince wrapped in the same blanket. The way her little heart beat a mile a minute as…

A sharp bang on her sliding door put an end to Katara's reminiscing of the past.

Heart in her throat, Katara almost fell from the bench as she turned sharply, slapping the picture face down on the surface of her vanity. The conditioner slick comb was thrown from her hands to clack hard against the glass of her sliding door where the sound originated. The haze tunneling her vision focused on the familiar silhouette before the tension in her muscles relaxed.

"Jet?!"

Knocking his fist against the metal groove, the latch for the sliding glass door popped loose to allow him entry. "Yo," he chuckled.

"What are you doing here?!" Katara hissed with a flush, eyes darting to her bedroom door with the prayer that no one could hear the commotion.

"Republic City Mew Mew?" Quirking his eyebrow, Jet's dravit eyes narrowed on the heart surrounded magical girls printed on Katara's well worn t-shirt.

Curiosity had Katara following his gaze downwards before she let out a little squeak. The magical girl t-shirt was the least of her concerns. "Jet!" Katara turned sharply before she pulled her robe closed to hide her threadbare shorts. Once done, Katara kicked her leg over the bench so she could dismount it, not wanting Jet to be made privy to her almost shamefully extensive nightly routine. Her conditioner soaked hair was twisted into a pile on top of her head, but the plastic cap was tucked behind bottles of lotions and makeup products.

Jet took another moment to simply enjoy Katara's image. Outside of her uniform and within the safety of her home, the image of grace and poise was further shattered. She was just so cute for a lack of a better word. "You up for an adventure, tonight?"

Her curiosity had her cocking her head to the side. "What do you have in mind?" Even in a city such as Caldera, there wasn't much to do on Mondays. Contrary to what everyone else wanted to think of her, Katara was far more curious than even she would have liked to be. What was this adventure that Jet wanted to take her on and why did it require him sneaking into her room in the middle of the night once everyone had left?

"Get dressed," Jet told her. "Put on something cute."

Pressing her lips together, the voice inside her head told her to send Jet away. He was a boy she hardly knew, yet he felt at ease enough to sneak into her room. That alone should have set her on edge, but the curiosity had her eyes darting towards the bathroom door- the one that linked her room to her brother's.

Should she risk it?

It wasn't like Sokka would be waking up anytime soon. After so many nights with insomnia, the toll had him snoring away. As for her Gran, she could sleep through earthquakes. Chances were, no one would know.

Against her better judgement, Katara stood up to pad over to the bathroom. As she went, her fuzzy slippers were kicked under her boudoir. "Give me a second to rinse off," Katara finally offered with a blush.

In the time it took for Katara to make her decision, Jet had already let himself in. His leather jacket fell back to expose broad shoulders. The form fitted concert tee hugged his frame like a second skin, hiking up to expose the cut of his hips and lower abdomen as he sat on Katara's bed.

Her blush darkened as her eyes were drawn downwards against her will. Aquamarine darkened to sapphire as the more carnal parts of her desires whispered its want into her ears. Katara couldn't help but nibble at her lip distractedly. Against the backdrop of the pale blues and purples of her canopy bed, his masculine aura was a stark contrast. His presence commanded her attention. It took the twist of her hair sliding down to slap against her back to snap Katara out of it.

I gotta…. Gotta rinse, she told herself finally. Turning from Jet, she flicked the switch to her bathroom light and set the faucet to lukewarm.

The darker, lustful parts of himself wanted to follow after Katara as she vanished behind the bathroom door. Licking his lips, Jet could only imagine the kind of expression she would make if he shrank the space between them. He could just eat her right up, but Jet knew better. Katara had been through a rough day already. Maybe in the future she would be open to such advances, but now she seemed skittish. Innocent. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away, and into the arms of another.

"We're here," Jet announced finally, kicking down the stand for his bike before killing the engine. He pulled the gloves from his hands so he could placed his calloused palm over the back of Katara's hand. For the briefest of moments, Jet allowed himself to relish in the feel of Katara's body against his.

Her tight grip around him crushed her breasts against his back. He could feel her heart race with the adrenaline that still coursed through her veins. Her thighs clamped tight around him as she clung to him. Biting his lip, Jet risked dropping his other palm to the top of Katara's thigh where her wind chilled skin was exposed by her hiked up dress.

Katara jumped at the contact, snapping her attention forward with a gasp. She was no longer distracted by the city lights that followed the curve of the horizon line. The gentle waves of the dark sea lapped against the pier, now black without the sun or stars above to reveal its beauty. With the boardwalk close by, the streetlights were more than enough to light the way. She only needed another moment to get her bearings. Pulling the helmet from her head, Katara's ears were bombarded with sound.

A heavy bass pulsed through the air, carrying with it the riffs to a popular alternative rock song. It was coming from a massive warehouse, surrounded by cars and large groupings of motorcycles like Jet's. Clusters of teenagers and young adults milled around them, talking and laughing amongst themselves as they shared ill-gotten beers, or solo-cups filled with harder liquor.

Dismounting the bike, Katara returned Jet's spare helmet. A new eagerness had her bouncing on her toes as she craned her neck to watch a group enter the warehouse where several more people were packed in tight to writhe against one another. Maybe it was a rave?

Katara wasn't so innocent that she's never gone to one. Back at the South Pole, raves were an almost nightly occurrence. During the full moons, Katara would frequent many if the teen friendly clubs were boring. Her summers spent in Tong Dao* were spent at nightly parties, raves, and such. Back when she was with… Guy*...

Jet's powerful arm draped over Katara's shoulder to draw her tight into his side, holding her close as if to keep her from trotting off on her own. "Ready to see what's inside?" From the look in her eyes, Jet could tell that she was.

She gave him an eager smile, allowing herself to be lead through the unofficial parking lot and into the nondescript tin building.

It was definitely not a rave, though there were shared elements in the form of dancing bodies and blaring music. Strobe lights above alternated between colorful hues, blacklights, and rapid flashes in between. The floor to ceiling doors to the back of the building were left open to allow for the open sea and crescent moon to be seen, but no one was giving the view much attention. Even those that milled around on the dock that extended beyond it had their focus inward.

Spotlights above cast their glow onto the five fighting rings set up around the massive space. Like back at school, there was a ring in each of the four corners with a larger one in the middle. This is where everyone's attention had been drawn to. The fight inspired near deafening cheers as people placed bets on their combatants of choice.

Jet didnt let her go towards the din. Rather than fight through the crowd, he lead Katara off to the side where several beat up old couches and a bar were set up. Most of the seating was claimed already, but Jet managed to find a vacant leather loveseat against the dimly lit corner.

"What is this place?" Katara finally managed to ask once she could hear her own thoughts. Smoothing her palms over the back of her moss green summer dress, she held it to the backs of her thighs as she sat down. Nervousness and excitement raced through her in equal measure as she tried to take it all in.

"This is the Brawl," was Jet's answer. "It's the only place we can really cut loose and have fun without anyone breathing down our necks."

Katara nodded her understanding before searching the crowd, only to gasp in shock when she recognized the two fighters in the ring closest to them.

Dressed down to nothing but their jeans, AJ and Haru traded blows in the ring before Haru managed to catch AJ by the neck and grapple him to the ground. Katara was on her feet in moments, shoving her way through the throngs of people so she could reach the edge of the ring. A happy smile bloomed onto her face upon seeing them, feeling less nervous now that more familiar faces were around.

"Katara?!" AJ gasped from beneath Haru. The shock of seeing her gave Haru the upper hand to shift the body lock. Now on his knees with one arm held behind his back, AJ grunted beneath the weight of his larger opponent.

"Hi AJ," she beamed as she waved.

"What are you doing- Jet?" Eyes of jade narrowed on Jet when Haru finally noticed her. Shock morphed into an angry scowl leveled directly at Jet. "You brought her here?!"

They didn't look too happy to see her, which had Katara's smile faltering. In that moment, Katara felt self conscious.

Haru released AJ just as the airbender slapped his palm hard onto the ground of the ring, tapping out. The collective cry of outrage went ignored. All AJ cared about was slipping under the ropes and reaching Katara. He did so by catching Katara around her thighs so he could lift her from the ground.

Katara couldn't help the giggle in spite of AJ's current mood, leaning over his shoulder so she could awkwardly hug him. If at all possible, this made AJ even angrier at Jet as he held her tighter. "What the hell were you thinking?! Why would you bring her here of all places after what happened today?"

"That she had a shitty day and needed something to take her mind off of it," Jet countered, side stepping Haru in his bid to reclaim Katara's company.

"My ass," Haru hissed before violently pulling the band from his hair. "You're just trying to-"

"Guys, it's okay," Katara interrupted once she realized that they were all just worried about her. It was touching, to say the least. "I'm already here, so it's too late to worry now. Besides, I have all of you guys to look after me." As if she couldn't look after herself.

Still, looking around her surroundings offered Katara many things to worry about.

Between the drinking and the crowds, who was to stop something like what happened earlier to happen again? There was a part of her that felt a twinge of fear as the possibility of Red Siren making another appearance entered her mind. What if…?

Katara's train of thought was derailed when AJ turned suddenly to carry Katara deeper into the crowd. His mutterings were heavily accented by the regional dialect: Proof that he was still very agitated. So much so that the throngs of people parted for him to pass by. No one even bat an eye at the girl thrown over his shoulder, palms braced on his collarbone to keep upright.

In this position, Katara could see everything the warehouse-turned-fight club had to offer. From the rave inspired dance floor to the fighting rings, familiar faces from school and Zuko's party were mixed into the crowd. A pair of the Ty Sisters were throwing back shots at another portable bar, while a third made herself comfortable on another girl's lap. Suki was kickboxing against a boy from her math class.

"Zu!" AJ called once he reached the middle ring. Slowing his stride, he halted at the very edge so he could slap the edge and garner the fighter's attention.

Katara turned in time to watch Zuko roundhouse his opponent to the ground. The heel of his boot caught his opponent solid across his jaw to dislodge a tooth from his mouth. Blood and saliva splashed onto the stained fighting ring were the tooth landed. The owner of it landed not long after, eyes blank as consciousness faded.

"Hey, Zu!" AJ called again, hitching Katara higher until her knees were braced against his chest. This positioned Katara awkwardly as she fought hard to maintain her balance.

Vicious amber eyes near glowed as they surveyed the damage done. The downed firebender was still breathing in spite of being a bloody mess. It was more than he deserved as far as Zuko was concerned.

Still, sportsmanship forbade him from kicking the youth out of his ring for someone else to deal with. Like a good little boy, Zuko waited for the end of the ten count before finally giving AJ the attention he so craved. In the mood he was in, Zuko really didn't want to deal with another of Aang-Jong's many attempts to break him up from Mai by offering him a "prettier girl" that was "more his type."

Zuko turned to AJ with a sigh, ready to shatter the poor girl's hopes at a night in his bed. She would have to garner infamy another way on account of this attempt at monogamy with Mai- who was nowhere to be found. It was a sore spot that he did not want AJ to be poking at tonight. He thought the airbender understood, but apparently his dislike of Mai superseded his respect for Zuko's need for space.

At this angle, all Zuko could really see was her ass. Granted, it was a very fine ass that her dress did a piss poor job of covering. Deliciously long legs of sinful caramel were exposed completely as if to tempt his gaze to caress them.

Damn AJ and his intimate knowledge of Zuko's weaknesses.

Zuko had to remind himself that he was happy with Mai. Even if she didn't share in his love for brawling, or much else, they were… happy. Zuko almost choked on the lie he fed himself as he sauntered over to the edge of the ring, trying to not stare at the girl's beautiful…. familiar ass.

Wait a second: He knew that ass.

"Katara?!" Zuko was near horror struck by the realization, turning to AJ with his fury mounting. He was through the ropes in a matter of moments. Once free of the ring, it took every ounce of his limited self control to keep from taking Katara from AJ's hold as if to protect her. "The FUCK is she doing here!?!" AJ knew better than to bring an untested freshman to the Brawl. More than that, what was he thinking to bring Katara, of all people, there?

AJ said nothing at first. Arching an eyebrow at his friend, having seen the look of hunger Zuko wore before he realized exactly who it was he was holding. A part of him wondered if he should share this piece of gold with his friend. One look at Zuko's face told him that not even AJ would come out of the resulting temper tantrum unscathed, but it would be worth it.

"Look who Jet thought to bring out for some fun in the rough," AJ finally responded before almost throwing Katara from his shoulder. Shrewd eyes watched as Katara fell neatly into the cradle of Zuko's arms.

Katara could barely cry out in shock. Her arms reached around Zuko's neck to cling to him. It took several deep, calming breaths for her heart to slow down to it's usual pace.

Zuko just held her. His own sigh eased the tension from his shoulders, making room for Katara to tuck herself in. Another sigh had his chin resting on her crown. The rage he felt was sapped away by a strange contentment that washed over him like gentle waves over a sandy beach. "What was he thinking?"

It was Katara's turn to sigh, taking in lungfuls of Zuko's cologne. Spicy and warm, the heady scent relaxed her body. Not even the frigid tang of menthol and tobacco could detract from it. For a moment, Katara almost forgot that it was Zuko that held her. She felt safe.

Interesting. "I leave her in your care," AJ decided with a wave. They could rip Jet a new one later if absolutely necessary.

"Let's get you home," Zuko announced upon remembering where they were. This wasn't the time or place.

But she didn't want to go. Now that the nervous tension had ebbed, curiosity had returned to the forefront of her emotions. "What?! I just got here," Katara argued as she squirmed. As safe and comfortable it was to be in Zuko's arms, she longed to find her feet on the ground again- especially if it put an end to her being carried around like someone's luggage.

A successful twist left Zuko with little choice but to set her down. "It's too dangerous for someone like you. You could get hurt, or worse," he tried.

"How dangerous can it possibly be when almost half the student body is here? Even Suki is here!" Katara's counter came with a point in Suki's direction, where an explosion of cheers erupted.

"Believe me when I say you don't know her well enough to use her as the grading scale," Suki had direct family ties to the Fire Nation's chapter of the Kyoshi Warriors, set to inherit the entire organization. She was as ruthless as they came. That much should be obvious, but Katara seemed adamant in staying.

It was a battle of wills that Zuko wasn't prepared for. Katara's stubbornness was again becoming a thorn in his side. "You know what; Fine! Stay. I don't give a shit." Zuko growled, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"I will stay!" Katara barked before turning on her heel. Zuko could stew in it for all she cared.

Only he did care. Against his will, the thought of leaving Katara to muscle her way back to the idiot that brought her twisted his insides into a knot. He stomped his heels after her until he was only a hair's breath behind her, acting as her shadow. The heat of his anger radiated outward to chase the brawlers and dancers out of their way.

It caressed Katara's back to wrap around her shoulders, as if to pull her back in an embrace. Haughty vindictiveness had Katara turning enough to cast Zuko's form a glance, but she refused to acknowledge him more than that. If he wanted to follow her around like some guard dog, that was on him. She'd spent enough of her life with a security detail, that this was little more than a blip on her radar. Such was the lie that she told herself.

Zuko's was a presence that commanded attention- even hers. In her mind, she couldn't ignore him as easily as she pretended. What made it all worse was the fact that she felt safer for it.

"Kat?!" Suki's call came as a perfect distraction- alerting Katara to the fact that her internal compass lead her to the ring instead of back to Jet's side.

A steady stream of blood flowed from the cut in her temple, following the contours of her perfect cheekbones to drip from her chin. With her hands bound behind her back, she could do little more than wipe her cheek against her shoulder. A wince had her sealing her eye shut to keep the blood from obscuring her vision.

At least she looked happy to see her. Katara smiled and waved at the girl, noting with some horror that Suki's opponent was a blubbering mess in the ring behind her. "Hey Suki. Congrats on your win," Katara managed passed the grimace.

"Pfft; Barely a warm-up," Suki boasted with a flush, searching the crowd for another familiar face.

"He's not here," Zuko hissed through clenched teeth. "Jet thought to sneak some alone time with Katara, here."

"Of course he would…" Suki's smile wilted a fraction now that her hopes of seeing some more of Sokka had been dashed. Though her legs were beaten and bruised, Suki gave a little hop before vaulting herself over the ring. Her back arched perfectly over the ropes. Knees tucked into her chest before she kicked out to land next to the pair. "You mind?"

Zuko didn't usually, but the scowl remained even as he unwound the bandages from Suki's wrists. Once she was freed, Suki gave Zuko a quick peck on the lips before turning back to Katara with one of her sunnier smiles.

Up close, she actually looked a lot worse, but Katara was hard pressed to be worried if Suki was able to smile at her like that. It didn't stop Katara from bending a stream of water from someone's bottle to glove her hand. The owner's whines at her theft went ignored as starlight bubbled to the surface. "Let me get that," Katara insisted.

Suki blinked at the glowing water with a level of trepidation, but relented. Her gut told her to trust the girl, and it's never been wrong before. Leaning forward, Suki made up for the slight difference in their height so Katara's fingertips could caress the cut carving into her hairline. There was only the slightest sting at first, but then the cooling waters eased the sting of her wound. Suki didn't feel much more of her wound knitting shut. Like new, there wasn't even a scar to serve as a reminder.

"Thank you," Suki smiled, watching with a growing grin as Katara hummed her way down to Suki's legs to soothe the bruises away. Once her task was done, Suki couldn't help but give herself a quick once over. Nothing but flawless skin- which meant she could show off her legs for Sokka, tomorrow. "You're the best! Are you going to be here next week?"

"No."

"Sure." Ignoring the headrush from standing too fast, Katara gave Zuko another glare. Daring him to argue with her again, she turned to him fully as if to brace herself for another screaming match. Outside of his car, Zuko had no say in what she did or didn't do.

"Kat-"

"Think you can heal me, too," Suki's opponent groaned, having crawled to the edge of the ring in time to witness Katara's act of kindness. The thought of asking for a rematch fled his mind at the prospect of not having to explain his wounds to the nurse at school.

Even if Katara didn't recognize him as one of the earthbender upperclassman from her school, she wouldn't be able to deny him. Suki really did a number on him. "Alright," Katara sighed. She was already a little light headed, but she couldn't say no to his pathetic face. At least it kept her from having to deal with Zuko's.

Damn you, Zuko, Katara yawned, hating the vindictive firebender with every fiber of her exhausted being. The jerk took great delight in showing up to her house an hour early, dragging her out of bed with near sadistic glee. Katara still remembered the feel of his calloused hands grabbing her ankles before he pulled her from beneath the covers.

His gruff "Late night," repeated itself over and over between her ears, even now.

They both knew exactly what he was doing when he took advantage of her Gran's invitation into her house. He was punishing her for staying at the Brawl last night until well passed midnight.

If it wasn't for the audience he brought along with him, Katara would have given him a piece of her mind. But no, Haru, AJ, and Jet were all there to witness Zuko take over Sokka's morning routine of ripping Katara out of bed.

Now, the migraine pounding in her temple had her wincing with every shift between yoga forms. What made matters worse was that both Pakku and Nurse Bei Fong- Toph's aunt by marriage, were prepping for something off to the side as she and Ty Lin limbered up.

Ugh, Katara groaned as a massive sphere of water was poured into several jugs as big as she was. Just shoot me now. This was all Zuko's fault. Not so much the staying out until 2:00am part, but the rest of it found blame square on his shoulders. She peeked over her shoulder to send him another glare.

As if sensing her, he slowed mid kata to throw a grin back in her direction, feeding on her misery. Licking his lips, the sadistic delight sent her a kiss that set her blood on fire.

"If you're done flirting, Miss Yudi," Pakku groaned, rolling his eyes at the couple. They could flirt on their own time, not his. He barely gave Katara a second to recenter herself into her training. Without another word, he bent a ribbon of water at Katara. She caught it, but as far as Pakku was concerned her reaction time was slow and her form was sloppy. "Pay attention."

"Yes, Sifu Pakku," Katara flushed with shame.

A hip bump had Katara lifting her eyes to peek at Ty Lin, who managed a sympathetic smile. Though Katara thought she should take the day to recuperate, she was grateful for the friend. The thought of suffering Pakku alone today of all days would have been the icing on the cake.

"We're going to start off slow," Pakku explained once his two remaining students sank into their stances. "I want you to pass the water back and forth between yourselves, but keep each stream separate as I pass you more. Simple."

As if anything with Pakku was simple. Katara and Ty Lin exchanged veiled looks of suspicion before doing as they were told. Such an elementary exercise was beneath Pakku, but they did it. As more and more ribbons of water slivered into the queue, the girls were able to maintain their rhythm even as they were forced to shuffle farther apart to accommodate the additions.

"Think fast!"

At the risk of losing her timing, Katara changed gears to extend her left arm into a different form. A ball of snow lost its momentum until it hovered mere millimeters from her palm. A roll of her wrists had the snow melting into a stream that was later added.

"Good girl," Pakku sneered. He made the extra effort to sound as condescending as possible, wanting to keep Katara riled up and focused on the task at hand. "Rule number two: Catch the snow without dropping anything. Let's see how well your control lasts when you have to focus on multiple sources at once."

"Keep it up, girls," Nurse Bei Fong insisted, revealing herself as a part of the exercise instead of a monitor for Ty Lin's health. She volleyed two snowballs at them with a giggle.

Too fast to catch, Ty Lin dropped to her knees so they would sail overhead, only to be caught by Pakku, who was already forming three more between his hands. One of the ribbons wavered before colliding with the one behind it in the revolution. It took an extra push of Ty Lin's will to keep the two unique ribbons from merging. The extra focus took away from Ty Lin's efforts to stand, and forced Katara to compensate to keep the rest in line.

Another dozen were launched at Katara, escalating the situation and forcing her to break stance. Following the shift of her momentum, Katara performed a pirouette on her heel to wrap the revolution around behind her. She was only able to catch three of the snowballs while letting the rest sail passed her. A fourth was then caught after the fact. Feet now firmly planted, Katara yanked it back to the revolution- melting it after it had settled into place.

Three more.

Two More.

Five more.

One.

Ty Lin lost her rhythm when she found herself against the fence. The frigid streams of water under her control rained down around her. A sound of complaint escaped her lips, but not a word was uttered as she looked to Pakku. His indifference at her failure was as telling as any lecture.

"It's alright, Ty Lin," Nurse Bei Fong called out to her before pulling the water from her body.

"Don't you dare stop, Katara," Pakku snapped when it looked as if Katara was going to rush to Ty Lin's side. "Rule number three: Don't get wet." The water that Ty Lin had dropped became serpents that lashed out for Katara to catch.

Katara stumbled as she did so, changing her form to accommodate each stream she now had to juggle on her own.

"Rule number 4: Dowse one of us," The nurse sounded behind her, prompting Katara in time to catch another volley of ice and snow.

Katara spun on her toes to follow the pattern that her sifu had fallen into. Her focus was evenly split between maintaining the orbit of her ribbons and catching the balls of snow. A wave of her arm set one stream free to strike at Pakku, only to have him rip it from her, freeze it into a ball, and send it right back.

"You can do it, Kat!" Ty Lin cheered from the sidelines. Behind her, the cluster of non-bending students grew to a crowd interwoven with the other bending students that watched in awe. Katara flowed between stances as if in a dance. No longer rooted to the ground, she spun and lept around the volleys of snow outside of her control only to capture them as her own as they sailed passed.

Every attempt at striking down Pakku or Bei Fong resulted in an even greater volley, but still Katara tried. The sweat of exertion soaked through her skin and pasted the flyaway curls of her braid to her neck and cheeks. She panted through it, pushing harder and faster in a desperate attempt to win. Unfortunately, the brutal pace proved too much for her.

Sharp, frigid cold knocked the wind from her lungs when it struck hard against her spine. Dropping to one knee, Katara blinked in a daze. Palms heavenward, she held the water frozen in space above her. The weight of it and the mental strain left her struggling to stand. Unwilling to yield, defeat came when two more hard strikes landed soundly across her shoulder. A deluge of water dropped Katara onto the ground pinning her down and soaking her through.

She had failed.

Sputtering for breath, Katara tried to fight passed the wave of exhaustion that robbed her of the strength she needed to stand. The migraine would no longer be ignored. Still, Katara fought to at least lift herself onto her hip, sitting up so she could at least meet Pakku's gaze.

"I should have known you would fail." Pakku's disappointment was palpable. "You of all people should have found this exercise easy: but no, you were more focused with flirting and doing whatever else it is that you do other than training! If you're fine with playing the damsel for someone else to protect, then why are you wasting my time?!"

"Father!" Bei Fong cried out to end Pakku's tirade.

Too little, too late. Katara watched as Pakku stormed off with a "class dismissed" thrown at her as an afterthought. He didn't even spare a glance at the aftermath of his lecture- didn't care to see the glassiness of Katara's eyes as she lowered them to the soaked ground.

Humiliation kept her eyes downward. She would not cry. She would not lash out. Years of life in the public eye had a mask of ice settle over her face, so when she lifted her head she would seem unaffected. What felt like the entire student body crowded around her in muted silence. The opinions of faces without names rarely ever bothered her. It was one pair of golden honey eyes that she felt more than any other.

She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She would rather the thousand faces and opinions that were not his.

"Why don't we go get you dried off," Ty Lin suggested, entering Katara's peripheral vision to create a wall between her and Zuko's piercing eyes.

Nodding, Katara let Ty Lin help her to stand and walk her to the locker room where she could do just that. All the while, she couldn't help but wonder what Zuko thought of her now.

As if he needed anymore validation in his thoughts of her.

"Wait for me," Toph called after them until she reached Katara's other side as if to chase the thought away. Catching her hand, the blind Earthbender laced their fingers together to give Katara access to all the comfort she needed. There was no justification for what Pakku said: Katara was amazing this morning, and he had no right to try and take that from her.

No right at all.

Katara deserved to be praised for coming so far in such a short time.

Zuko had gripped the chain link fence to keep from running to her- comfort her like her friends did. She would rebuke his every attempt, and yet he wanted nothing more than to pull the shame from her shoulders.

He'd never seen Pakku like that. Yes, he was gruff and toed the line, but it was always with a reason. There was no way to describe what he had just witnessed.

"The fuck is his problem?" Jet hissed, approaching the fence separating the firebenders from the other elements and non-bending onlookers. Normally he didn't care about watching the benders practice. After what happened yesterday, he felt compelled to act as an extra pair of eyes. If for nothing else, then to protect Katara should something else happen. Watching that was too much for him to stomach.

"I have no clue," Zuko didn't even know if he could find out. He could have his uncle Jee* ask, but Pakku was a man that buried his heart so deep that only his daughter stood a chance at scratching the surface.

It figured. "I'm going to go check on her," Jet declared when Zuko wasn't forthcoming with much more. Leaving Zuko, Jet jogged off to the locker room with the hope of catching Katara on the way out.

The grip on the fence tightened. Zuko could only watch as Jet took the one liberty he would be denied. Katara would never accept him by her side in a situation like this.

Lunch came with a generous slice of cake set on the table in front of Katara, silencing the rants raging between Jet and Ty Lin who flanked her sides. She followed the plate up the arm of the one who delivered it, only to gasp with recognition when the earthbender she healed the night before offered her a smile. Behind him, two others who had also sought her gifts.

Without a mark to identify them on account of her healing, one wouldn't be able to distinguish the boys as brawlers. Nothing save for how massive and well defined they were from near nightly combat.

"I...We know it w-wo-won't make up for what happened this morning," he managed to stammer, twiddling his thumbs bashfully. "You must have been t-tired after healing us last night at the B-Brawle."

"We wanted to say thank you, and hopefully make you feel better." As he spoke, the firebender gave the Earthbender's shoulder a clap. Clearly proud of his accomplishment of managing so much around his stutter.

It touched her heart to see the three of them, which in turn lessened the ache just enough to let Katara smile. "You guys are sweet: Thank you." Sliding the cake closer to herself, Katara dug her fork in and managed a little bite. She could barely stomach her lunch, but she could at least show some appreciation for what they'd given her. "Yummy."

Toph waited for the three boys to trot off before she turned on Katara, slack jawed and deeper in awe of her friend. "You went Brawling yesterday?!"

Katara simply nodded, trying to force herself to swallow the piece she'd eaten. The decadence should have had her moaning her delight, but she couldn't even taste it. She almost gagged when she choked it down. Her finger caught the edge of the plate to slide it over to Ty Lin. There was no way she'd be eating anything.

"Really? I didn't see you," Ty Lin gasped. She didn't waste another second in devouring the gift of chocolate cake, eyes wide as she regarded her friend.

"That's to be expected when you're enjoying a threesome upstairs," Jet chuckled, knowing Ty Lin's MO as well as his own.

As such, she gave Jet a shameless wink. Her promiscuity was a well known fact, but she would not be made to feel ashamed of it. As if Jet ever would look down on her for it- his open mindedness in that regard was counted as one of his strengths. "My girl is way more important than a random hook-up. You should have told me."

That much, Jet was willing to concede. His plan to spend the night with Katara had been derailed so completely that it would have made little difference. Haru and AJ had been an impassable obstacle the entire night, thus leaving Katara in Zuko and Suki's care.

"Me too!" Toph declared, having wanted to go to a Brawle since she learned about them years ago. Only no one would invite her, so she was never granted the opportunity. "I want to go."

An idea suddenly lit up like a lightbulb within the waterbender's head. "Why don't we go Friday? You guys can totally come over to stay the night and we'll go together. We'll dance. We'll brawle. We'll flirt- we'll have loads of fun." Best of all, they won't have to worry about sneaking out since her parents were cool with them going to the Brawle on Friday night- as long as their cousin Suki was there to keep an eye on them. Granted, Ty Lin bent the rules a couple times since her dates usually ended in one of the upstairs rooms.

It really did sound like a good idea, though. Katara could do with a little flirting. She already planned on going back, Katara just wasn't sure if Jet would be too keen on taking her again, given how the guys reacted the first time.

"Just say the word, and I'll take you anywhere you want to go," Jet promised. If only for another chance to be alone with Katara. Tucking one of her curls behind her ear, Jet took a moment to enjoy Katara's bluest eyes. The light of her vibrant spirit slowly returned as time created more distance between her and the morning. He was glad for it.

"Awe, you guys are so cu--oops!" Wide eyed, Ty Lin watched as her cake fell from her fork as if in slow motion. She didn't even think to try and catch it- such was the role she played. A glare of warning found Jet's eyes before another blink sold the act of surprise.

Katara was startled to feel a large piece of chocolate cake with a liberal serving of frosting land on her skirt. Katara couldn't even feel upset about it. Ending the string of apologies, Katara excused herself from the table with the hope that she'd be able to get the food out of her clothes.

Because of this, she missed the glare return to her dear friend's face. Not caring who else saw or heard, Ty Lin brandished her fork in Jet's direction. "I say this because I love you, Jet: You hurt her, and I'll castrate you with an ice pick. 'Kay?"

What was more shocking than Ty Lin intentionally acting against Katara, at least to Toph, was the fear that gripped Jet's spine when he nodded his understanding. No one messed with the Ty Family if they wanted to live a long, happy life.

Toph was kind of glad she was officially in good standing with them.

Finally alone, Katara allowed herself a moment to breath without her "mask" in the way. The concern of her fellow classmates was touching, but it did little to ease her embarrassment. She would feel better if everyone would just pretend it didn't happen. Part of her wished she could just go home for the rest of the day. The last thing she wanted was to subject herself to another lecture from Nurse Beifong.

A loud clamour startled Katara from her thoughts, freezing her in place. The subsequent cry had her sprinting towards the sound.

Did something fall?

Was someone hurt?

These were the thoughts that became the focus of her mind as she rounded the corner in time to see a familiar profile.

A terrified airbender cowered in Zuko's shadow. Metal dented as the heat of his inner flame warped the metal. "You have ten seconds before I do more than just bruise a rib." Zuko hissed

"I-I'm sorry!" The youth wailed. "I swear, I'll never do it again."

"I'll hold you to it, because if I even think that you're somehow involved, your name will be the next one added to the list of missing. No one will even think to look for you."

Another punch had the boy throwing the entire contents of his pockets at Zuko's feet before adrenaline gave him strength enough to run.

So fast, he ran directly into her. Katara stumbled back against the row of lockers behind her as the boy continued his flight to safety. Not even a word was uttered at having shoved her.

Wheeling around, Zuko's anger dissipated almost instantly when he saw her. "Katara?"

She could only stare at him, wide eyed as the image of his viciousness was branded into her mind's eye.

"How long were you…" Zuko couldn't even finish the question. She was either there long enough to know, or not.

"I didn't see anything," she lied, backing away slowly as her mind raced to piece the information together. Large rolls of money and a velvet sack lay on the ground at Zuko's feet, crushed beneath his shoe.

Looking around himself in the aftermath of his discussion with the sophomore, he could only imagine what it all looked like. "Katara, I can explain."

Only she didn't let him. Katara turned from him and fled.

1* - Tong Dao is the city at the edge of the Spirit Swamp. Like New Orleans, it's a culturally rich and racially diverse city. Part of the state built by the Swamp Benders, the bender population is almost as diverse as Republic City and Caldera.

2* - Oh Guy; the terrible, elusive ex.

3* - Nepotism runs rampant in the school, but it's the main reason Zuko, Toph, and Aang are able to attend the school because of their special circumstances.

Author's Notes: Again, so sorry I didn't post this one any sooner. I've been sitting on this chapter because of only 2 chapters in the middle, and I never could get my thoughts to finish it up. My brain does not tell stories chronologically, it is one of my many shortcomings. I'm trying to do better (faster). I swear!