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Things have spiralled wildly out of Katara's control. It seemed like such a good idea at the time - it really did.

But now?

It's all happened so fast and it's got so big. She doesn't know how to stop this. But people are getting hurt.

As long as Sokka doesn't find out ... things might be okay.

She's sitting out the front of the farmhouse, a huddled lump against a tree, tears tracking through the dust on her face. It's been a couple of days since she's washed or brushed her hair. Oddly enough, she's practically glowing with health.

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"Hey," says Sparrow, from the next tree over (She's sitting on a branch about ten feet up. It's a Sparrow thing.)

"You're that ghost from the farmhouse. You're fixed too, huh?"

"I don't think it worked as well as we thought it did," Katara says dismally, looking around for the source of the voice and eventually finding it up high. "Hi. You're - you're fixed!"

"Yeah."

Sparrow leaps out of the tree, rolls when she hits the ground and lands next to Katara.

"Sam got the bad guy out of my body. What didn't work?"

Oh god she's been crying. Sparrow doesn't know how to handle that.

"I think it's going to be okay," Katara says distantly, crossing her legs and leaning back against the tree. "Eventually. Probably. Do you think it could ... no."

Katara makes sense.

"There you are!"

Suki has been looking for Katara ever since she and Oliver discovered the dehydrated meadow. She's relieved to eventually find her, but that changes when she sees the tears.

"Oh no. Katara? What's wrong?"

Concerned, the Kyoshi ups her pace over the final yard or two, and quickly settles onto her haunches at the Waterbender's side.

Sparrow doesn't do subtlety.

"What are you talking about?"

Katara has been staying away - from everyone. Everyone.

She flinches away from Suki and shrugs, hiding her face with a very Sokka-the-older-like mask of blankness. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Nothing," Katara says, shrugging.

She draws a line in the dirt with a finger, idle.

Later, like when she isn't crying, a familiar car pulls up to the farm. Steph is in the passenger seat, smiling but demure, and makes no motion to get out. Driving, Sokka leans over to kiss her before even killing the engine, and then hops out.

He looks a little startled to see Katara there ~~disappointed~~ but he's smiling a moment later, approaching her. "Hey. How's it going?"

"Hi!" Katara jumps up, beaming at him.

must smile must smile must smile. sokka can't know. smile.

She runs over for a hug, happy and eager. "It's really good, Sokka! Everything's so cool! I love this world!"

"Whoa!"

Sokka laughs to hide any nervousness, catching his sister but-- it's just-- it's--

It's still weird, having her here. Having her be... not the one he remembers. But he did his job. She's here and she's safe and that's what matters. Yeah.

"Oh, well, um, great! You're-- getting on okay? Sorry I just disappeared, we just went to the city."

"That's okay!" Katara is happy to hug him, beaming up at him and leaning past him to wave at Steph in the car too. "I have lots of friends here. I miss you, too, but it's okay. You have your own life now!"

Which is really exciting too! KATARA WANTS TO BE AN AUNTIE! Of tiny pale babies with weird hair!

keep smiling. that's it. doing good. keep going. he doesn't suspect.

Sokka is starting to grin a little, relieved somehow. That's she's... normal, good. Happy. It's nice, like being at home again, having her back.

It's just that he isn't the same anymore, for her.

"Well, about that," he says, grinning when she waves to Steph and glancing back at his girlfriend, too. "Steph and I are just stopping in, and then we're gonna go back to the city for a few days. But we'll be back soon. Do you need anything?"

"No, we have everything we need." She beams up at him happily. "You look after yourself, okay?"

otherwise all this will be in vain.

"Come back soon!"

"You, too, okay?" Sokka is beaming right back at her and - after a moment's hesitation - leans in to hug her first. "Take care of yourself. I'll be back in a few days. Oh, and hey," he digs in a pocket for a moment before producing a folded bit of paper, "will you give this to Mel? I don't want her to worry."

Suki isn't stupid. She saw the tears, the mask can't change that.

"Katara..."

Her tone is gentle, not accusatory. She's a friend.

"Sure," Katara agrees happily, hugging tight before letting him go. She's happy to hug - she knows she doesn't smell like rot or corpse, not right now. "Have fun in the big city! With Steph!"

Is there some sisterly teasing there? Some double meaning?

Well, they did grow up in a one-room hut, after all.

"I'm fine," Katara insists, looking away stubbornly. "Fine fine FINE. Okay?"

That they did. Luckily, Sokka is all blushed-out from his latest field trip, and can only smirk a little embarrassedly. "We will."

He gives her another hug and a wave, heading up the stairs. He has some fruit to procure before their next trip!

Katara beams, waving cheerfully after him.

that worked.

that WORKED.

okay. okay. so this is good.

keep doing this.

That was just a bit too adamant. Suki frowns now.

"Okay. Sorry for asking."

She's a little dismayed to be locked out, but she's not going to push the issue. She sinks to her knees and schools the worry off her face.

"I've missed you around here recently. Where have you been?"

"Just around."

Katara is sullen and silent. Suki is too sharp; it worries her.

nobody can find out. nobody!

"You just haven't been looking."

Oh, but she has! Not to the point of actually hunting, but Suki has checked around the farm quite thoroughly on more than one occasion.

"I..." She checks herself. "No. Not very hard. I've been working a lot."

She shows Katara a relaxed smile and continues conversationally.

"What have you been up to?"

OK.

"How'd you get fixed?"

"Just being around."

don't be friends with her can't be friends not now not any more too dangerous she'll know she'll tell sokka

"Practicing."

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