Chapter Four

Katara was falling faster and reaching closer to the bright ocean below when suddenly there was a flash of blue.

Zuko's POV

"No, Katara!" Zuko screamed her name as she plummeted into the water lightning still sparking off her as she hit. Azula's maniacal laugh was heard for miles. Underneath the soft blue of the water he could see her sinking. He lost it . . . His sanity. His humanity. All he could think about was that he wanted her dead. Blood meant nothing anymore. Her death would be his redemption.

Zuko charged toward Azula fury and pure outrage lining his face as he burned her face with the strikes he threw. The flames scorched her skin and elegantly danced across it. By the time he had allowed his anger to subside, Azula was unrecognizable. Zuko jumped into the water after Katara, frantically diving deeper and deeper into the blue ocean in which his meaning had sunk mere moments before. When he finally found her he brought her body to the surface desperate to save the one who had saved his humanity before.

He couldn't believe he had sunk so low after all he had done. How he had changed, grew. He was still the banished prince with no soul inside him. He knew he had been the cause of Kataras state of being at this moment. He fell and she plummeted down with him.

"Katara! Katara! Oh, please wake up, please!" screamed Zuko as he pulled both of them toward the narrow beach. She had no breath; she was silent and unmoving, just like the shallow sands of the deserts. He began to panic and pounded his fist against her chest.

Her eyes flew open and Katara was suddenly gasping for air. As she coughed up all the water in her lungs Zuko, not giving her any time to recover, picked her up into his arms and squeezed her tightly still lying on the soft but rugged beach sand. She then looked up into the eyes of the man that saved her, and shock lined her face.

She only uttered one word before the unconsciousness took her, "Zuko?"

Katara's POV

She awakened to the smell of . . . Jerky? Sokka wasn't here was he? Did she dream about the incident on the beach with Zuko? So many questions raced through her head and she still hadn't even opened her eyes. In a way she was scared of what she would see if she did. She had no recollection of where she was. Should she call out? That seemed stupid. If she had really been attacked and kidnaped or . . . whatever had happened it was probably best to just lay still and play dead.

Then she heard two men talking.

"How long has she been sleeping Prince Zuko?" asked uncle Iroh, concern clearly stated in his tone from what Katara could hear.

"About four hours. . . Do you think she is alright uncle? What if I didn't save her in time? What if Azula . . ." Zuko stopped unable to ask the last question. The fire burned in his throat and his eyes started to turn red in rage.

"You mustn't think like that Zuko. We can only hope for the best. Katara is a very strong girl. We have seen that in every way she has fought in the past. She can make it through a little lighting."

Katara could feel the cheery smile Iroh was wearing staring at her. Now that she knew who the two men were and it was clear to her that they were not a threat . . . then why couldn't she open her eyes? She wasn't afraid of Iroh was she? She could feel his friendliness through his voice. Then she realized why she didn't want to open her eyes.

There was a strange hostility in the room. She could feel the heat of the outrage coursing her skin. Then she felt someone grab her hand and without control she gasped.

Iroh laughed, "It's alright Katara. You're safe here I promise."

Katara opened her eyes: Iroh and Zuko were cautiously surrounding her and it kind of caught her off guard.

"What's wrong?" she choked out realizing too late how dry and crackly her voice was. And all she could think was thatwas really unattractive. She rose up into a sitting position and looked around at the little tent all three of them were in. then she remembered the fact that she had been sleeping for four hours and her hands shot up to her hair, which was a little damp with sand in it. She could feel the knots in her hair.

"Great," she sighed and looked around again and suddenly her stomach growled. When was the last time she ate? She couldn't remember. However, Zuko was way ahead of her. He handed her some rice and soup that was sitting in a bowl by the bed.

"Eat Katara, I don't want you to pass out again," then he flashed her that glorious, blinding, smile. She felt as if she would pass out from the mere sight of it. However all she did was manage to slip and fall on her face, embarrassing herself even further.

Zuko helped her back up and sat behind her so that she could sit up with him supporting her weight. She felt so comfortable there in that warmth enveloped in his scent, his heat, his entire body surrounding her. Then suddenly forgetting that Iroh was still in the room, she turned and kissed him, his lips melting into hers, and she couldn't help but moan with the familiarity of his touch. She was in heaven, she was sure of it.

Tears flooded down her cheeks as Zuko picked her up and sat her on his lap, not letting their lips part for an instant. He was just as engulfed in their sudden surge of passion as she was, he had missed her, too, with all the fibers of his existence and he was not going to let her slip away from him ever again.

And in a unified course of panting when they finally let their lips part the only thing they dared utter in hope of not wasting any more time, with just seconds before their lips met once more they uttered in soft silence:

"I love you"

They both smiled and entangled themselves once more into the warmth of each other's embrace not leaving it for any reason but to breathe suddenly and quickly for this was their time. No more of it would be borrowed or wasted apart. The world would know about them, and they would fight until the world ended.