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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 34026 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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Chapter 177
Zuko ignored the burning sensation in his back as he mostly carried Katara to the restaurant. In spite of Sokka’s encouragement she couldn’t stop crying and mostly stumbled alongside him. He would much rather have gone back to the hotel but they only served early morning breakfast. Fan would have given him a lecture and more questionable reading material if he so much as asked for a crumb. There wasn’t even anywhere for Katara to go fishing. The Ursa was circling around the top of the continent to pick them up at the designated port and this town was so small it didn’t even have a market. Much of their food was grown in private gardens and it seemed like most of the citizens had a small amount of poultry or livestock. He would have felt guilty taking food from them even if he paid handsomely for it. He was sure that once he was no longer paying for meals at the local restaurant the soldiers who would be stationed at the outpost would take everything from them. No person could eat money and this wasn’t an area that revolved around coin. He only hoped the money he gave them would be enough for Jin’s family to leave before things got too bad and start over somewhere more settled.
The restaurant was practically empty when he and Katara arrived but the hostess still led them to a section at the back of the building. She set the menus on the table and smiled at Katara, “My name is Ming and I’ll be your server. There’s a restroom to your left if you need a moment to collect yourself.”
Katara nodded and the woman left them alone.
Ming returned later with a steaming pot of tea, “I know you didn’t order this. It is chamomile and jasmine. I grew the leaves and blended the tea myself. It will help settle your nerves and your stomach.”
This time when Zuko looked up to thank her he got a good look at her. She appeared to be in her early twenties and had the same nose and cheeks as Jin. Zuko pushed the tea back towards her saying, “Thank you but no thank you.”
The slightly older woman poured herself a cup and drank it, “It’s not poisoned even though you did hurt my little cousin. She’s been talking about you for months. I had hoped she would get a chance see you again but I never imagined it would be like this.”
Ming smiled bitterly and looked toward the stairway before lowering her voice, “I know what really happened that night. I’m glad you were man enough to let her know up front where she stood and decent enough to try to find a way to look out for her even though you are Fire Nation. Most men aren’t that honorable.”
This direction of her gaze changed and they saw small child peeping around the corner to look at her. Jin’s cousin turned to them, “Earth Kingdom soldier. He was injured near here a few years ago and stayed at the hotel while he recovered. He promised to send for me and that we’d get married. When I found out I was pregnant I went to him. I found his wife and three children. He pretended that he didn’t know who I was.”
Ming waved at her son and he quickly disappeared, “I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t acknowledge us. He gave me a beautiful child. Jin and my aunt told me that his wife and other children were executed in front of him when he attempted to overthrow Ba Sing Se’s. If he had been a better man my child and I would have died with them. Now we’re under the protection of the very people who killed his other family; fate is strange isn’t it?”

Katara excused herself and walked towards the restroom. The older woman’s last statement continued to echo in her ears, “Now we’re under the protection of the very people who killed his other family; fate is strange isn’t it? Zuko’s family killed her mother. After the last incident with Chu-hua she no longer doubted that she and Sokka were alive because of him. She opened a stall and leaned over the bottomless stone chair that served as a toilet until all that came up was acid from her already empty stomach.

The food arrived but Katara still hadn’t come back. Zuko kept looking in the direction of the restroom but didn’t see her come out or anyone else go in. He placed his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands. He didn’t see the figure in the shadows moving past him.

Katara remained in hunched over the latrine until the feeling of nausea slowly abated. She stood up; the action triggering another bout of retching. This time all that came out was air. She curled her arm around her stomach then waited a few moments to try standing again. When she stepped out of the stall the Earth Kingdom girl was standing behind her.
Jin watched as the Waterbender made her way to the sink and called water from the pitcher to rinse her mouth. She had never seen Waterbending before and quite frankly seeing the liquid lift itself from the pitcher scared her but she held her ground. There was more than her fear at stake. The girl was a fake and someone needed to expose her.
Katara called more water forth; this time she blew on it to cool it before letting it rest in her hands and pressing it against her face. The sensation of feeling overheated was beginning to subside when the other girl, she thought Zuko had called her Jin, spoke to her, “I know what you’re doing.”
Katara exhaled slowly once again cooling the water and bringing it to her face hoping the girl would stop talking to her. She had no such luck.
“He really likes you. He doesn’t see you for what you are. You’re nothing but a liar, a betrayer, and a slut.”
Katara blew on the water again pressing it against her forehead and discretely attempting to prevent the headache she felt coming on. When that didn’t work she turned to face the girl and took a step towards the door, “I have nothing to say to you.”
She wasn’t surprised when Jin blocked her path.
“Excuse me, I would like to get to the door.”
Jin took a step to the left and held out her hands barring Katara’s path, “No. Lee is a sweet boy but you’re nothing but a barracuda-vole. I won’t let you betray him like you did the Avatar and the entire world. He deserves a good woman; someone who truly cares for him not some gold-digger who’s only using him. I liked him before I knew who he was. I liked him when he was just a tea server. Would you even be with him if he weren’t a prince? You had the Avatar, why do you get to have him?”
“Will you please move?” Katara asked her tone doing little to hide her irritation.
“No. I’m not doing to let you go back out there and make a fool out of him. I saw what you were doing earlier. I love him. I won’t let you hurt him,” Jin said angrily.
“So you think that holding me here will make him return your feelings?” Katara snorted, “Trust me you’re better off without them. You have no idea what he is really like. You should be grateful he wants nothing to do with you.”
“STOP LYING! You’re just saying that because you want to keep using him. I heard what he told you the last night. If he were with me I wouldn’t do things to upset him. I would do my best to keep him happy! I wouldn’t do things to make him so angry he hit me! ”
Zuko leapt up and ran to the bathroom when he heard screaming. He barged through the door fist blazing remembering how Katara was attacked and almost killed in an Earth Kingdom restroom.
“Katara! Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?”
Katara was staring at her hand but she looked up when Zuko called her. She had lost her temper and struck the other girl.
“Katara are you okay?” Zuko asked placing his arms protectively around her. He brought his hands to her face and began gently checking her for injuries. “Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?”
Katara’s head turned slightly to the other girl. She whispered quietly somewhat shocked that somewhat other than Sokka, Toph, or Zuko had angered her to the point of violence so easily, “I hit her.”
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Borealis: A Zutara Story