The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit

The Heartbreak

Aang roars out a breath of fire as the rocks climb higher on Katara.

"Aang!" Katara pleads, gasping in pain as the Avatar's eyes and arrow's start to glow, "Aang, you're hurting me!"

Zuko sees Katara in pain, and then all he sees is red. He blasts a cone of fire towards the Avatar, he and Aang fight against each other, Zuko is absolutely livid, his anger fuels him and allows him to go toe to toe with the avatar and not get killed.

Katara watches the fight, her heart is pounding in fear as she watches the two men she loves fight each other. Katara looks up to the sky, tonight is a new moon, Katara's power is at its weakest.

"I am not weak," she tells herself, she takes in a deep breath and water leaps from the sea and sails towards her, it cuts her free from the rock and then she looks to Aang and Zuko, both still locked in combat, but now, Zuko is clearly losing.

"ENOUGH!" Katara shouts.

Suddenly Aang and Zuko stop moving, they strain against Katara's blood bending as she forces them to their knees.

"How?" Aang strains as his eyes cease to glow. Katara releases them and they collapse, panting in exhaustion.

Katara doesn't answer Aang, she can't even find the words to speak to Aang, instead, she races over to Zuko and kneels in front of him.

"I'm sorry," she soothes, hugging him to her, letting him rest his head against her shoulder as he holds onto her arm, Katara turns her glare to Aang, "You will not hurt him."

Aang stares at Katara, she's so full of love for Zuko that she defies the Avatar, she is not afraid of his power.

"Fine," Aang concedes, "Go, be his Fire Lady," he practically spits the words at her, "But if you go with him, you will be going alone."

Katara's heart stops as she registers what Aang is saying.

"You can't do that," Katara gapes, she stands in outrage, planting herself between Aang and Zuko who remains kneeling on the ground.

"I am the Avatar!" Aang snaps back, making Katara flinch, "I can do what I want! Including taking both of your powers away. Let's see how quick a Fire Lord lasts without fire." Katara takes a step back, as Aang continues, "But I won't, because I'm a better person. I don't betray my friends."

"You're making me choose between the love of my life and my children?!" Katara hisses.

"He is not the love of your life," Aang snarls, pointing to Zuko, "He is not the one you married. So make your choice, sweetheart, him. Or me."

Katara looks to Zuko, tears stream down her face as he looks up to her, he too is crying, he knows what Katara will choose.

"It's ok," Zuko says, standing to his feet, "Katara, it's ok."

'I love you,' she mouths, she then turns back to Aang and holds her head up high, "Fine," she says, as Aang begins to smile, "I choose you."

"You will never see him again," Aang says, "the children are to never know of your infidelity. We are going back to the water tribe, where everything will turn out right."

Aang walks back inside, he pauses by the doorway and looks over his shoulder to Zuko.

"Oh, Zuko, I want you off my island by daybreak," Aang says before walking inside.

Katara's chest heaves as she falls to her knees, she screams into her hands and leans over, wanting to throw up. Zuko kneels next to Katara and wraps his arms around her as they cry.

"I'm sorry," Zuko says, holding Katara close, "I'm so, so sorry. I should have never brought it up. I was angry at him for what he did to you. I let it get the best of me, I am so sorry, Katara."

Katara holds onto Zuko tightly, she doesn't care that Zuko started the fights, she's too upset about losing him.

"I love you, Zuko," Katara breathes, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Senna, I had to keep her safe."

"I understand," Zuko says, placing a kiss to Katara's head, "I understand."

Katara gives Zuko Senna's address.

"You should meet her," Katara says, wiping her tears, "She would love to meet you."

"Katara!" Aang calls from inside.

"You should go," Katara insists, "I love you, Zuko."

"We will meet again," Zuko insists, as he and Katara stand to their feet.

Katara and Zuko kiss one last time and then they go their separate ways, he goes to his ship, she goes inside.

Katara heads to her own room, but Aang opens to door to his as she steps over the threshold of her room.

"Where are you going?" Aang asks, Katara rolls her eyes practically to the back of her skull as she turns around.

"To bed, Aang," she sighs, staring at the avatar who leans cockily on his door frame, "I'm tired."

"You're my wife," Aang says, his face softening, "And you staying proves that you love me. Kat-"

"Don't call me Kat."

"I want to make everything better," he says, stepping closer to Katara.

"Goodnight, Aang," Katara snaps, slamming the door in the Avatar's face.

Katara doesn't sleep that night, instead she lies awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Zuko, the lover of her life, now gone forever.

Katara, Aang and their children leave for the southern water tribe the next morning.

Katara puts on a mask for her children, she pretends that nothing is wrong, she pretends that they are still a happily married couple.

Katara takes up healing, she opens her own parlour and helps anyone and everyone, just as Aang wanted, a nice safe job to keep her from harm's way.

As the children grow older they move away; Bumi joins the army and quickly rises through the ranks, Kya travels the world, before settling down in Ba Sing Se, and Tenzin, Tenzin moves to Air Temple Island, but only after Aang declares him a master and tattoos his body with blue arrows, a practice that Katara hated, her son was in pain for three days.

With the children gone, Katara is left with a choice, she could stay in the water tribe with Aang, she could pretend that loves him, and convince herself that she does.