The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit

The Painted Spirit

Katara follows the blue spirit all the way back to the palace walls.
When the Blue spirit jumps over the wall Katara has to pause for a moment, she fears getting caught and punished for trespassing.
But a part of her is also worrying; what if it is Zuko that is sick?

Katara jumps over the wall and lands in the palace gardens.

The Blue Spirit is nowhere to be seen, Katara walks around the garden, she spies statues and candles in a window, she heads towards it and peers inside. 

Inside is not Zuko, but instead, his uncle lay, pale and wheezing.

Katara extinguishes the flames on the candles before climbing through the windows.
She lands and creeps across the wooden floors without making a sound.
Katara looks around and listens, making sure no one will disrupt her during the healing process.
She bends water from her waterskin and it spins lazily around her hand, going faster and faster until it begins to glow. Katara presses her hand to Iroh's forehead and the water soaks into his skin.
Katara trails her hand down his face to his chest, leaving a line of glowing water to soak into his skin.
Katara bends the water expertly, watching it slowly seep into Iroh's pale skin.
When all of the water is gone, Katara stands over Iroh and continues to bend the water, making it travel through his bloodstream, attracting all of the virus. She pushes the water all the way to his toes and then pulls it out through the bottom of his feet.
When Katara is finished she puts the virus water into a second skin and then places medicine on Iroh's nightstand.
She bows to her old friend and then disappears through the window.
That night she checks on all of the sleeping men and women in the palace, making sure that they are not infected with the virus.
There is only one person left to check on, the fire lord.
Katara creeps through the palace grounds, she finds Zuko's room and there is light coming from inside.
Katara peeks in through the window and finds Zuko awake, he sits at a desk hunched over and writing letters, Katara smiles and checks him from afar. He does not seem to be infected.
But she leaves medicine and a statue of the painted lady on his windowsill, just in case.
Katara leaves the palace and checks on the other citizens that live closer to the palace. None are infected with the virus, but some do need medicine or healing water. When Katara is finished she goes back to the hotel she is staying at and climbs up through the window, she scrubs the paint from her skin before settling into bed.

The next morning, Katara is awoken by a fierce knock at the door, she grumbles out of bed and makes sure that her costume is hidden before answering the demanding knock.

"Is the rent due?" She yawns, opening the door, only to find two palace guards standing over her with tight, uniformed faces, "Is something wrong?" Katara asks, smoothing down her bed hair.

"Are you Katara, master water bender of the Southern Water Tribe?" The smaller guard asks.

"Yes, is something wrong?"

"We need you to come with us," the taller guard says, "the Fire Lord requests your presence."

"Oh," Katara stammers, "do I grab my things?"

"Just get dressed," the guard replies, "we will send someone to fetch your things."

"Ok, wait here." Katara closes the door and contemplates running, but she changes into her fire nation clothes and then returns to the door, before she opens the door she races back to where she keeps her Painted Lady costume and paint, she locks the trunk and then returns to the door.

Katara is escorted back to the palace and then left in the throne room alone.
Has Zuko figured out that she's the Painted Lady? Is he mad at her? Is Aang here?
A door opens and Zuko enters the room.

"Your Highness," Katara bows low to Zuko, showing him the respect a Fire Lord deserves.

"Katara," Zuko says, "after all we've been through, you don't need to bow to me; I'm your friend, Kat, not your lord."

"Of course," Katara smiles as a blush warms her face, she stands back up straight, "it's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," Zuko smiles, he steps closer and Katara embraces him.

"It's been too long," she breathes, ending the hug quickly when she feels him tense under her touch.

"Agreed," Zuko gestures for Katara to follow him and she does.

"Why did you summon me?" Katara asks, "How did you know I was here?"

"Aang sent me a message saying that you were missing," Zuko says, "I sent men out to look for you."

"Why would you do that?" Katara gapes, "Why send men to look for me?"

"Because you're my friend Katara," Zuko laughs, "I was worried for your safety. Why did you run off?"

Katara sighs and looks away from Zuko.

"I don't want to talk about it," she says, she wraps her arms around herself and wishes she could disappear from the questions that still linger in Zuko's eyes.

"Should I let Aang know that you are here?"

"No!" Katara answers a little too fast, "Please no."

"Has something happened between you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Zuko and Katara walk around the gardens until lunch, discussing what they've both been up to over the past four years.
The pair lunch together, they laugh together and reminisce about the time when they were a team.
After lunch, Zuko shows Katara to her rooms where all her things have been placed.

"You can stay here as long as you need," Zuko says with a lopsided smile that makes Katara's heart race, "rent free."

"Zuko," Katara gapes, "I couldn't possibly accept. I'm honestly fine in the hotel. I don't want to bother you."

"Hey," Zuko puts his hands on Katara's shoulders to calm her babbling, "it's alright. It'd be good to have you here, someone who's a friend, and not an advisor or politician trying to grab my crown."

"Where's Mai?" Katara asks, almost getting Lindt in the Fire Lords golden eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it."
Zuko steps away and removes his hands. "My home is yours and you are free to go anywhere you'd like. I have to go back to work, but I'll see you at dinner."

"Zuko," Katara says before the fire lord can walk away, when he turns back to her she wraps her arms around his waist and whispers, "Thank you."