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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33965 -:- 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 181
Each time her mother, aunt or uncle demanded to know what happened Jin’s only response was to use her left arm to lift her newly splinted right to her chest, over her breaking heart and mutter “It hurts.”
“Maybe the man did it?” her four year old cousin offered helpfully.
“What man?” his grandmother demanded harshly.
“When I went to get Cousin Jin for Auntie there was a man in the ladies potty and she was crying,” he explained as his mother burst in.
“Father I made a mistake. The prince isn’t gone. He would like another order of ricecakes, broth, and one of the big specials.”
Jin’s mother didn’t know whether to swear or rejoice when she heard that the prince was in the restaurant. She gripped her daughter’s uninjured shoulder and pushed her forward, “Come along girl. At least your stupidity has earned you some protection.”
“Mom, don’t. You can’t,” Jin objected as her mother dragged her forward.
“Leave!” Zuko barked as soon as he saw the two females.
“Forgive my impertinence Prince Zuko but we only need a short moment of your time,” Kin said bowing and pulling Jin down with her. “My daughter was attacked in the restroom by one of your men. Please see that the culprit is punished.”
Zuko looked from Jin to her mother, “Your daughter is a liar. Now get her out of my sight before I lose my temper.”
“Prince Zuko I can understand that you are upset she denied your relationship but you offered her your protection. An honorable man’s word is as solid as stone while the words of a dishonest one is as shifting as desert sand. One of your men hurt my daughter. Please do something,” Kin implored on behalf of her injured daughter.
“You stand in front of me questioning my word when your daughter is a thief and a liar. None of my men hurt her. Her injuries are the results of her own foolish actions. Now leave!” Zuko screamed as fire raced across the table.
“I’m her mother I know she’s a liar! What teenager isn’t?” Kin shrieked, “Prince Zuko please, my daughter is injured! One of your men did this to her when she was sent to clean the restroom. My great-nephew saw him when I sent him to fetch her. Please Prince Zuko. She’s my only child. The culprit stopped before he could do worse but I’m afraid for her. Her face is bruised and her arm is broken. Please punish the culprit.”
“The culprit is being punished, right Jin? Or did you not tell your mother how you were really injured?” Zuko stated angrily while glaring at her.
“You can’t mean to tell me you don’t believe her! You see her injuries! My nephew saw a man in the restroom with her. I know she’s a foolish girl and a liar but her injuries speak for themselves. I can get my nephew he can describe the man who did this to her,” Kin pled.
“There’s no need to involve the child in this,” Katara said tiredly. “Zuko be quiet. Jin, tell your mother what man the little boy saw in the bathroom.”
Jin pressed her lips together and shook her head defiantly. Her mother pinched her ear, “Answer her. Tell me who did this to you.”
“Lee.”
Jin’s words were barely audible and her mother squeezed her ear tighter. “Speak up girl so they can hear you! What is his name?”
“Lee it was Lee,” she said pointing at Zuko, “He’s the one who hurt me.”
“But you gave her your protection. In exchange for taking her virtue you gave her your protection,” Jin’s mother said dumbfounded, “Why did you attack her? Was it because you wanted to have her again?”
“Why would I want that guttersnipe when I have a true lady beside me? Jin cannot accept that she was a piss poor amusement and I never wanted anything to do with her. The offer of protection was so long as you were not engaged in subversive activities. Jin broke into our hotel room this morning and stole items that belonged to Katara. She attacked Katara in the restroom. You’re lucky to still have a daughter and that I only broke her arm. Get her out of my sight while I can still resist the urge to kill her.”
Kin’s maternal spirit rose up and she threw her dishtowel at them, “But you took her virtue! You promised her your protection! You can’t just go back on your word because of this Waterbending whore you’re fucking!”
Jin screamed as every drop of liquid in the dining area intercepted the fireball, extinguishing the flames before they reached her mother.
Zuko stared at his hands, the right one was red and heat was still emanating from it. The dishtowel was smoking on the floor inches away from the woman who’d thrown it.
“Katara, I thought…I didn’t mean. I didn’t know it was a towel,” Zuko mumbled so low that only she could hear him.
Katara sat higher in his lap. She brought her hand to his cheek and turned it towards her. She placed her lips over his to hide his mouth before someone registered his lip movements. She then turned to fully the two Earth Kingdom women. This too was also part of being a good little Waterbender; protecting the part of Zuko she liked from discovery when he lapsed from his evil Fire Nation prince persona, “Jin, your mother loves you. What you did today was stupid and needlessly placed her life in danger. She could have very easily died all because she was fighting to protect you. A mother’s love is a precious thing; don’t risk her life so foolishly again.”
“Kin, I know that you love your daughter and don’t want to see her hurting, but when someone tells you to take her and leave, you should listen. As you can see Zuko is very protective of me. I am also very protective of him. I didn’t save your life for your sake or for your daughter’s. I saved it for his. Both Zuko and I have lost our mothers; mine was murdered by a Firebender in front of me. I couldn’t be with Zuko knowing he’d done the same thing. I couldn’t let him do something to jeopardize our relationship now that we’ve finally been given the chance to be happy.
Katara lifted the remaining liquid off the floor and turned it into blades which she twirled around her fingers, “Zuko did not lose his mother in the same manner that I lost mine. I could kill both of you in front of him and it wouldn’t affect his feelings toward me.”
Jin gasped and huddled against her mother.
Katara smiled, “What’s the matter Jin? You asked why Zuko when I had the Avatar. Why are you so shocked now that you can see the answer?Aang is a sweet child who idolizes me. Because of that adoration he sees only what he wants to see. When my actions are too overt for him to feign blindness he attempts to change me. Zuko has no such blindness. He sees every part of me and doesn’t run from my actions. He accepts me as I am in spite of them.”
“He is the reason I didn’t kill you earlier. He publicly offered his protection to apologize for the miserable way he treated you; it would have been an embarrassment to him if I had gone against his word and done so. Now that the two of you have shat on the terms he set to receive his benevolence I am no longer under such obligation.” Katara let one of the blades fly towards Jin directing so that it melted before harmlessly sliding against her face then solidifying once more as it whizzed past her ear. “I can do whatever I want so long as I do not touch the other members of your family or damage this building. And in case you were wondering I didn’t injure you on purpose. Take your mother and leave before I do more than put my fist in your face.”
“Lee,” Jin whispered his name but he did nothing to censure the Waterbender.
“Lady Katara, Prince Zuko, I’m truly sorry for your loss. Thank you for the kindness you’ve shown me and my daughter,” Jin’s mother said bowing as she pulled her daughter into her arms. This time Jin did not struggle as her mother grabbed her and ran to the front of the room.
Zuko didn’t wait until they were gone nuzzle the side of Katara’s face and place several light kisses on her cheek as he made his way to her lips. He spoke quietly when they broke, “Thank you for doing that. I know it must have been difficult.”
Katara shook her head, “It was easy. It was too easy. My soul is cold. It’s too becoming too easy for me to act like a true princess of the Fire Nation.”
Zuko turned sideways in the booth so his legs were on either side of Katara’s and began slowly raising his body temperature to warm her. Katara lay back against his chest and pulled his arms tighter around her but she began to shiver, “It’s not enough. I want to go home Zuko. When can we leave this place and go back to the Ursa?”
Zuko didn’t miss that she’d called the Ursa home and or that she’d said “we” in reference to the two of them when she talked about leaving. It was hard to keep the joy out of his voice when he answered, “Soon. We’ll be leaving soon.”

Raa.maa.daa.saa.hung: Thank you for your kind words. I’ll be revisiting the other characters but I’m still working a few kinks out to get to that point. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story