The Art Of Finding Each Other (Zutara)

Let's Meet Somewhere That Is The Most Far From Goodbye

There was nothing reassuring about the way things were unfolding.

The nocturnal breeze made her hair sweep across her face. An unexpected shiver went down her spine despite it still being warm outside. Katara stood still, watching as Zuko was the first one to rush to the house. Why was he in such a hurry to go to sleep all of the sudden? Specially after all that had gone down just seconds ago. She still wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Just as she was getting inside, wondering how she would manage to fall asleep instead of spending the whole night overthinking, she felt a sudden grip on her arm.

"Katara, wait." Aang's voice cut through the night air like a sharp blade. "Can we talk?"

She looked at him with sleepy eyes. What could he want to talk about? Although it wasn't so surprising. She didn't feel like going to bed either. Too much had happened.

"Um, yeah. Can it be inside, though? I'm getting a little cold out here."

"Sure." He led her into the living room.

No one else was there. They must have all went to sleep, as it was undeniably late. When she was comfortable enough on the couch, she decided to voice her concerns.

"So... What did you want to talk about?" She asked in a careful manner.

"Listen." Aang seemed uneasy, his eyes swirling around and scanning the entire room. "I just wanted to know... Are you planning on coming with me to restore the Air Temples or not?"

Silence stroke like a hurricane. Katara needed a minute to herself, to think about what she wanted. She remembered the conversation she had with Sokka not so long ago. "You haven't committed to him." Her brother's words spoke the truth. She didn't have to participate in the restoration plans. In fact, she was pretty sure she didn't even want to. Then why was she feeling so guilty about it?

"Aang." She made sure he was looking at her. "If I'm being honest, I don't think so. I have to go see my family now, the timing is right. Everyone's doing their own things, I couldn't let Sokka all alone."

"But you could come after you visit the South Pole!" He insisted. "You could come with me, we can do it together. The project would probably have already started, but you could still join me a little late."

"I'm not sure if that's what I should do. I also have the Medical Center to go back to. And there's other things I could do other than restoring temples."

He gawked with an apprehensive frown. "The Medical Center? Wasn't that a temporary thing? Wait. Do you want to eventually go back to the Fire Nation, really? Why?"

Do I? She flinched at the memory of the old lady she couldn't save. Despite this, she knew she would always have a place at the Healing Wing, next to Rya and her other fellow healers. She also remembered the multiple opportunities she had been able to get involved with politics and help with the making of crucial decisions for the future of not only the Fire Nation but the entire world. Was the Fire Nation really such a bad place to be? Definitely not. She could have her doubts regarding what she actually wanted to do beyond the immediate future, but healing people at the Medical Center sounded a hell of a lot better than spending spirits know how much time restoring the Air Temples. That just wasn't her place. She was certain of it now.

"I'm not sure of what I eventually want to do, Aang. But I know this, what I do at the Medical Center makes me feel great and so does my more diplomatic work. Why would I discard them from my future so quickly?"

"So you're saying that helping me restore the Air Temples, my people's culture, just isn't as important for you?" His voice was tinted with exasperation.