Need You Now

Need You Now

Katara gazed outside to the still, south pole night.  Sighing, she went back inside her hut. It's been six months since the war ended. Six months since she saw her friends.  Quietly, she pulls a box from it's hiding place and begins to place the contents around her on the floor.  Her gaze stops on the poster for the Ember Island play, memories flooding back to her.

'I wonder what they're all doing now; Suki, Toph, Zuko...'  She blushes, remembering how close he sat next to her at the play.  How their characters had been portrayed as lovers.  Familiar questions fill her head.  Every 'why' and 'what if' that's gathered since Ba Sing Se.  Her thoughts drift to the young Fire Lord more and more lately, and she wonders if he ever thinks of her.

She immediatly feels guilty and tries to shake off the thoughts.  She's Aang's girl.  But he's always so busy trying to keep the Avatar's Peace; going from city to city rebuilding or surpressing rebellions.  And Katara stopped asking to go along.  It's become obvious he loves his freedom and would rather go alone.  Tears slowly fall down her cheeks.  She's lonely.  

Hugging the poster to her chest, she wants nothing more than to be back there, with Zuko, and ask all the qestions she never had the courage to voice.

In another part of the world, a yound lord takes another shot of alchohol as he paces in his study.  He glances at the moon, knowing the hour is late but sleep won't come to him.  Zuko wishes he could blame his unrest on a fight with Mai.  But arguing would take more emotion than she can seem to show.

'Not like Katara. She had such passion in everything she did.'  He smiled, thinking of the waterbender he fought with so many times.  Wishing she was there at that moment, he sits to write her a letter.

'I shouldn't complain to her about Mai, but I need to talk to someone.'

"And besides," he admits quietly, "I just want to see her again."

He continues to write, laughing at all the old memories.  Another drink of alcohol and his memories drift to darker times.

"Honestly Katara, I'd rather be back to a time you hated me than continue on day after day feeling nothing at all."

He pauses a moment, hesitating slightly on the next line.  But his drunken state gives him courage and he presses on.

"Do you ever wonder what might have happened if Uncle and Aang had rescued us just a few minutes later?  I know you're probably busy, but would you visit? I need y... a friend."

He laughs at himself, realizing how desperate he would sound if he ever sent that letter.  She has Aang, he has Mai.  He'll get rid of the letter tomorrow, after some rest.

Two lonely people, so far apart, look up at the same moon.  "I just need you now."