1. Nightmare

**Chapter 1: Nightmare**

She looked so helpless and ragged in only her under boundings, her blue Water Tribe clothing having been torn to unrecognizable pieces a while back. She kept her brilliant blue eyes shut because all that surrounded her was darkness. She never could see the chains that bound her hands and feet to the wall, but she knew they were there. Their cold metal rubbed and dug into her small, delicate wrists. Her arms were sore and had long lost feeling from being extended and unable to move above her head for so long. Bruises covered her battered body. She didn't know exactly where each of them came from—either falling and stumbling through the woods, being dragged across the steel deck of a ship, or from his hand. A single tear escaped from her eye as she replayed her last day or so in her mind…

_Katara, Aang, and Sokka were determined to find Aang an Earthbending teacher. They knew it wouldn't be long before Aang finally found a teacher that "listened and waited." In the meantime though, Appa had been flying for hours, and they all needed rest. They landed in a clearing in the forest next to a river and set up camp. When nightfall came, all three curled up and fell asleep fast. _

_Katara jerked up out of her sleep, a cold sweat on her brow. She kept having the same vivid nightmare about the day her mother was taken. Knowing she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, Katara got up. She decided to take a walk to take her mind off of her torturous nightmare. The sun's light was just barely beginning to peek out from the edge of the earth. Katara would return in a couple of hours when the boys would wake up. _

_Katara began walking alongside the river downstream so she would have an easy marker to follow back. Her mind was filled to the brim with images of her mother. The day she had been taken, her eyes had been teary, but she had still looked so strong. She had kept telling Katara that everything would be alright, even when the Fire Nation soldiers were dragging her away. All Katara wanted was to be like her mother: to be strong even when she knew things weren't going right. She always tried to appear powerful and composed in front of Aang and her brother. Katara knew they knew she was a strong bender, but she still thought they viewed her as weak sometimes. She was the one who would occasionally trip over a root, get scraped up, and then immediately have the boys rushing over to help her up and tell her to be more careful. If it was Sokka who fell, he was only laughed at. But she would show them. When it came down to it, they would see that she was able to fight just as well as them._

_Katara hadn't been paying much attention to the forest around her before, but soon she looked up to see faint glows through the trees in front of her along the river. Were those fires? She cautiously walked closer and ducked behind a tree. Katara gasped as she realized who the fires belonged to. There was a Fire Nation ship banked on the edge of the river. It was large and made of metal, but smaller than the battle ships she had seen at the North Pole. There were several campfires in the forest surrounding the ship where the crew was camped out. _

_Katara had to get back to Aang and Sokka; they had to get out of there! She carefully stepped back. She turned around to walk back just as she bumped into something. Katara's heart stopped . Her eyes widened and a cold chill ran down her spine. She slowly looked up into the face of a uniformed and armed Fire Nation soldier. Without even thinking, she turned and bolted into the forest. She ran away from the Fire Nation camp, but not towards Aang and Sokka. Katara couldn't lead them straight to the Avatar. Her feet pounded on the ground, and she could hear the louder pounding of the soldier's feet behind her. She thought about turning around to attack. She had her water skin on her, and it was only one guy. Before she even had the chance, something caught the corner of her eye. A second soldier was coming at her from her left side. _

_Sentries! They had sentries posted around the camp, and she'd run right in the direction of another one._

_But Katara should have never taken her focus off of her path in front of her. As she shifted her eyes back to the front, her foot caught on a root that pulled her down hard to the ground. All of her breath was knocked from her body. What she wouldn't give to have the boys rushing over to help her right then. She quickly and painfully got to her hands and knees to try to recover. She turned her head to see how close her pursuers were just in time to see a big, black, Fire Nation boot coming straight towards her head._

_Then everything went black._

_When Katara's eyes opened, all she could see was darkness. She could feel heavy chains around her wrists and ankles that clinked together even with the slightest movement. Her mouth was dry, she was thirsty, and her entire body ached. The air around her was cool and damp. She could feel it on her skin...a lot of her skin. Her robes had been removed, and she was left in only her under boundings. The wall against her back was cold metal. She had gone from having a nightmare to being in one. She was on the Fire Nation ship._

_Katara could hear the muffled sound of boots walking across the hard floor outside getting closer. Had she the energy to gasp, she would've. Keys jingled in her door's lock. Someone walked inside the room and shut the door behind them. Katara could hear a man's deep, steady breathing. The temperature of the room rose. A flicker of fire from the man's palm dimly illuminated the room._

_She would've recognized that face anywhere._

_He walked over to her and put his face much closer to her's than necessary. Katara anxiously swallowed, but her mouth was parched. _

"_Will the Avatar come looking for you?" She could feel his hot breath on her face when he asked. He was so close to her face she could feel the heat radiating from him._

_Katara was confused at first. It wasn't his usual "Where is the Avatar" interrogation. A weak, broken smile twitched on her lips. He had finally changed it up._

"_Answer me." He got closer and his voice got lower._

_Katara wasn't going to answer him. She'd had her mind set on keeping silent the instant she'd seen his face. She turned her head slowly to face him. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak. Then, before he could even move, she spat right into his face, only inches away from his scar. Her weak smile grew a little stronger._

_His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He drug his sleeved arm across his face and calmly backed away a little. Then suddenly, his fist came out of nowhere, landing sharply in her side. Her breath sucked in harshly. She grimaced and ground her teeth to keep from crying out. _

"_Fine. It doesn't matter if you answer me or not. You have to mean _something_ to the Avatar if you follow him around like a helpless child." His voice dripped with malice. "He'll come for you, and he'll surrender so that nothing happens to you. The Avatar is easily predictable." He put out his fire and his footsteps echoed in the tiny cell as he walked to the exit._

_Katara's voice stopped him at the door. "Is that what this has come to Zuko? Hitting girls?" Her hoarse, dry voice, spoke in choppy phrases, unable to keep her breathing steady after the piercing blow. "I guess it _is_ true what they say...like father, like son." Her last phrase was coated in ice. _

_Zuko's fists balled up as he stepped out and slammed her cell door behind him. _

That was the last time she had seen him, and that had to have been at least twelve hours ago. The boat had begun rocking not too long after Zuko had left her. She knew they had left the bank of the river. Where they were headed, Katara had no idea. Katara had slept some, but for how long, she didn't know. She hadn't had water the whole time she was on the ship, and she was so thirsty. All Katara knew was that she was scared. As much as she hated to be, she was scared about everything—about where they were going, about Aang and Sokka, and mostly about seeing Zuko again. She hoped he wouldn't come back, but she knew he would. And when he did, who knew what would happen.

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**Author's Note:** There you have it...my first chapter of my fist Zutara fic! I really just write for fun, so I don't know if it's that great. Just if anybody reads this please post a review! If I don't get any feedback, I won't think anybody's reading. I don't know if I'll keep posting if I don't get reviews...so review please if you do read! Just let me know if it's worth continuing, or if it's not interesting enough to even write more...but please be respectful :)


	2. Conflicting Thoughts

Wow! I'm pretty excited that after only a couple of hours after I posted my first chapter, my story already had hits and reviews! **Thanks** to everyone who has read and thanks especially to my first three reviewers, ZukoEdward'sAussiegirl, GracefulFighter, and AnnaAza :)

**Please** keep the reviews coming! And if anyone ever has a question or suggestion, don't hold back!

OH! Anddd GASP! I forgot to say in the first chapter that clearly, I DO NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor do I own the characters from it. I'm also not using this work for commercial purposes or making a profit.

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**Chapter 2: Conflicting Thoughts**

Zuko stormed out of the Waterbender's cell. He was angry, but not offended. He was proud to be like his father, a strong ruler of a magnificent country; but there was still a piece of Zuko's heart that stung with the pain and shame of knowing that what she said was true.

"_Hitting girls...like father, like son..."_

He could easily remember seeing bruises on his mother's skin and hearing her crying at night. His father was very capable of getting violent, and although that quality helped him fulfill the duties of Fire Lord, it was no excuse for hitting Ursa. Zuko was working on keeping his temper under control. His uncle was even helping him. But spitting in his face? That had pushed him over the edge. However, maybe that would teach her to respond in a more appropriate way the next time he visited her. He _was_ a prince.

_A prince that beat on a chained up woman._

Zuko wanted to ignore the voice in his head, but he knew it was true. He had no problem thinking about fighting or even killing men. He had fought with rebels and soldiers from other tribes before. They were always armed though and able to fight back.

A bead of sweat rolled down the back of Zuko's neck. She had looked so pitiful. He hadn't thought about it before, but now that he did, she was ragged. Her hair had been a tangled mess enveloping her face. She had scratches and bruises on her arms and legs from falling, he assumed, and her whole body was dirty. She had dried mud streaked on her legs and her hands were coated in it.

What bothered Zuko the most was that when he really thought back on it, he didn't like hitting her. He kind of liked the idea of her fearing him, knowing that he was in control. He didn't get to feel that way often. Zuko often felt undermined and unimportant being known as the banished and unwanted prince. But when he thought about the look on her face when he had hit her, it was devastating. He had seen that face on his mother before.

_You're just like him._

Zuko winced at the thought. He felt like his mind was challenging him, trying to make himself want to prove his thoughts wrong.

And he would. He would show himself that just because he was his father's son, he didn't have to be just like him. He wasn't going to be woman beater. Yes, she had provoked him, and he had lost control this time, but he wasn't going to let it happen again. Part of being a good leader was knowing how to handle situations. Holding a woman prisoner and then beating her was not the way to do it. He wasn't his father.

But Zuko couldn't let this bother him. He had a ship to command and an Avatar to watch for. He pushed all thoughts of hitting the Water Tribe girl out of his mind, and made his way up from the prison cells in the bottom of the ship up to the deck. The breeze that greeted him was refreshing and quite needed. Zuko traveled up to the helm of the ship. He nodded at his captain when he entered.

"Captain, are we still set on a course directly to the Fire Nation?" Zuko was ready to be back home, and now that the Avatar would soon be captive on his ship, his return was possible.

"Yes, Prince Zuko. We'll be reaching the sea soon, and then it's open water sailing from there."

Zuko walked back to the deck of the ship, smiling a little, and leaned against the railing. He was happy knowing that soon he would be back in his land, the land he would rule one day. The Fire Nation was a beautiful place: perfect climate, extraordinary architecture, unique people. The palace was magnificent. Its size alone would amaze many people, but it was remarkable all around. The entire place was covered in reds and golds. He remembered his own room complete with a rich colored cherry wood four poster bed, red sheets with gold trim made of the finest silk, an ornate armoire filled with clothes for any occasion, and a multitude of Fire Nation inspired decorative vases and paintings. None of those things, though, could outweigh the feeling of just being back home where he belonged.

Zuko's uncle broke his thoughts. "Prince Zuko! Good afternoon, nephew." His uncle Iroh smiled warmly as he approached him. "I heard about the girl that the sentries caught in the woods. You are sure that she is the Avatar's traveling companion?"

"Yes, Uncle. I've been down to the cells to see her and I'm sure she's the girl. I still am unsure of her name, Ka- something I think, but she's clearly the Water Tribe girl the Avatar travels with."

Iroh's voice was somber when he asked Zuko his next question. "Did you take the time to plan this out this time, Prince Zuko? I know you have attempted to lure the Avatar to you before, but you never stopped to plan out what you would do when he got to you. Please tell me that you have thought about this Zuko and that you have a stable plan."

Zuko sighed while thinking about the last time he had captured the girl. He had her, and even tied her to a tree, but when it came down to it, he wasn't prepared when the Avatar arrived. This time it would be different, though.

"I thought about it this time Uncle, before we even left the bank of the river. I have a solid plan that the Avatar will have no way around this time. I hold his friend captive as we speak, and he will have obviously figured out that she is missing. Before our ship set off, my men started a signal fire where our campsite had been and left one of our Fire Nation tents set up. The ground around the river was dug away from where the ship had banked, making it obvious we were traveling by ship. When the Avatar flies up on his bison, he will see the smoke and go to investigate. After he sees the evidence of our ship having been there, he will track us down the river. Once he finds us, I will have all of my soldiers on deck and ready to attack. The girl will be on deck with me. The Avatar will have no choice but to surrender himself if he wants his friend to stay alive and well. He will not attempt to fight when he see's that I have her and could harm her at any move he makes." Zuko paused and looked at his uncle. He was annoyed slightly by his uncle's still somber face. "So, what do you have to say about it," Zuko snapped. He expected criticism.

Iroh shook his head. "It sounds like it may actually work, nephew. I just hope that you have thought through what you will do if you _do_ capture the Avatar and keep him captive on this ship. Please think about your intentions for the Avatar so you will not get yourself into something you cannot handle." Iroh turned and walked away, shaking his head as he went.

Zuko knew that his Uncle did not approve of his wanting to capture the Avatar and handing him over to his father. His uncle didn't understand, though. He didn't know just how hard Zuko had had to work to get his father's attention when he was a child. He never had his father's support, and if his father loved him, he had rarely shown it. But now, Zuko would have his key to his father's love and praise. If he handed in the Avatar, his father would love him, cherish him, and restore his honor. Zuko's nation would think of him as a hero. They would be honored to have him return and even celebrate. He would not have to worry about ruling his nation because his people would respect and admire him to the highest degree. Zuko would gain everything he'd always wanted.

_And what about them? The Avatar and his friends will rot away in prison cells until their deaths._

Zuko was tired of his disagreeing thoughts. For once he just wanted to be able to succeed and not worry about anyone but himself!

_They deserve to be worried about. Would _you_ want to rot in a cell for the rest of your life?_

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut and put his face in his hands. He imagined his return, people cheering and waving, overjoyed by his return. He envisioned his father's smiling face and warm hug waiting. Zuko took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes. When he looked behind the ship, he could see a dot in the sky on the horizon. It could only mean one thing: the Avatar was coming.

He rushed over to his nearest soldier on deck and snatched a viewing scope from his belt. Zuko outstretched it and held it up to his unscarred eye. Sure enough, the Avatar's flying bison was en route to Zuko's ship. Zuko's lips curved into a crooked smile. His plan was already beginning to work.

Zuko hurried up to the helm of his ship where he knew he would find his uncle playing pai sho. He burst through the door with a cry of "Uncle!"

"What is it, Prince Zuko?"

"The Avatar is visible on the horizon, already on his way," Zuko stated proudly, holding out the viewing scope. "Take a look."

Uncle Iroh slowly stepped over to the window facing the back of the ship. He sighed as he looked out to see that his nephew was correct. How could the nephew that he had raised for the past few years be so excited about something that he himself was dreading? Iroh walked back over to Zuko, his mouth in a grave line.

"I am glad to see that your plan is unfolding the way that you have wanted it to, nephew, but I still beg you to please think through all of the moves you make _before_ you make them. I would not like to see you get hurt by doing something you later regret."

Zuko's face fell in response to his uncle's reply, and he turned and left the helm. Before heading down to his own chambers, he stopped to inform his first officer of the Avatar's impending arrival. Zuko told him his first and foremost duty now was to watch for the Avatar, and to immediately notify Zuko when the Avatar was close.

As Zuko approached his quarters, he tried to push his uncle's words from his mind. The Avatar was really coming, just like Zuko had predicted. This was something to be excited about, and his uncle secretly had to be so proud! Maybe not necessarily of what he was planning to do, but the fact that for once, Zuko's plan was turning out right.

_Really, Zuko? You truly believe that your uncle could be proud of an Avatar capturing, woman hitting, monster? Why would he be proud of the person who is taking away the world's last hope for peace?_

Zuko's conflicting thoughts were burning in his brain once more. He knew his uncle would support him and be by his side no matter what, but he secretly desired for his uncle to be truly proud of him. He wanted his uncle to respect and honor his decisions. However, his uncle was a peaceful old man who had long ago lost his support for the war. The death of his son Lu-Ten had easily destroyed his passion for Fire Nation reign. Zuko didn't blame him, but with Iroh being like his second father, he wanted his encouragement.

Zuko pushed all his thoughts out of his mind while going into his room. He stripped down out of his uniform and armor, and crawled into his bed. He had to get some rest before tomorrow in order to be prepared to fulfill his destiny. He was finally going to win. His honor would soon be restored along with his father's love. Things were finally going Zuko's way.

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**Author's Note: **While this chapter is a little longer than the last, sorry it's still a short one. In this chapter I was thinking about including the events that will happen in the next chapter, but what can I say...I was eager to update, and the Aang & Zuko action isn't quite prepared yet. This one had a little bit of a look into the life of Zuko, haha. I'm not trying to get him out of character, but I do want him to change/grow some, you know? Anyway, I hope you guys still enjoyed this chapter! I feel like my writing feels kind of abrupt, but I'm working on my style. Oh, and I'm heading back to college and starting classes again soon, but I promise I'll try to keep writing and update :)


	3. Unconditional Love

I DO NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor do I own the characters from it. I'm also not using this work for commercial purposes or making a profit.

**Thanks **for the reviews and **please** keep them coming! And if anyone ever has a question or suggestion, don't hold back!

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**Chapter 3: Unconditional Love **

"_NO! Stop!" Katara cried. "Let them go! Please! I'll do anything!"_

Katara's eyes snapped open and her chest heaved with gasping breaths as she awakened from a new nightmare. Images of Aang and Sokka burned in her mind. She heard their screams as Zuko attacked them when they arrived. She felt the intense pain and overwhelming fear that they felt. She saw their helpless bodies hanging in chains just like her. Katara feared this nightmare more than anything, because she knew it could become real at any moment. She knew that Aang and Sokka would come looking for her. They would never stop to think about the safety of themselves, even of Aang, the Avatar. All they wanted was to see her safe and unharmed, and she knew they would go to any lengths to keep her out of harm's way. That was what drove Katara crazy. She didn't care if she stayed in a prison cell forever, as long as Aang and her brother were safe. Aang was the last hope for the world. He didn't need to be wasting valuable time and risking his life to safe her. If she could tell them to go on without her, she would; but there was no way to contact them now on board Zuko's ship. Besides, they would come for her no matter how much she begged and pleaded them not to.

Katara sighed deeply and then winced in pain when her side began to ache. She had already been sore—Zuko's blow had only made it worse. And more than anything, she was so thirsty.

_What does it take for a prisoner to get some water around here?_

Katara tried to lighten her own mood, but it was hard with everything on her mind. Her pounding headache didn't make it any easier either. Her body was getting weaker by the minute and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't move, couldn't drink, and couldn't eat. Katara didn't know how long she had slept for, but she did know that it had been a long time since she had last had water at the campsite with Aang and Sokka. She could feel her own body's dehydration setting in. She was so frustrated at her lack of ability to do anything. All she wanted to do was be back with Aang and Sokka and in good health! She squeezed her hands into fists before instantly relaxing them with a weak cry of pain. Her hands and fingers were tenderly swollen from the tight shackles around her wrists.

_Don't cry, Katara. You'll only be wasting your body's fading water supply._

With her weary eyes beginning to droop, Katara let sleep overcome her, seeking anything to take her mind away from her mental and physical distress.

* * *

Zuko was startled awake from his light sleep by a knocking at his door.

"Prince Zuko!" Zuko recognized the voice of his first officer at his door. "The Avatar is approaching and will arrive soon!"

Zuko rose from his bed and quickly dressed in his uniform and armor. He strapped his twin blades to his back and slipped a knife in his belt, just in case. He checked for his keys at his belt. There was one more thing Zuko had to do before heading up to the deck.

He walked down to the prison cells and stopped in front of his newest prisoner's door. Zuko jiggled the key in the lock and pushed the door open. The Water Tribe girl's eyes adjusted as light flooded the cell from a lamp he lit in her room. She looked tired, as if she had just awakened. He approached her slowly with the key to her shackles in his hand. Zuko moved towards her wrists and noticed that the girl was not very responsive. She didn't flinch or even turn her head. She looked weak and fragile, like she might break if he even touched her lightly. He paused to wonder if she even looked sickly. After undoing the shackles from her arms, the girl lowered them slowly. She moved her fingers one at a time as if she was just regaining feeling to them. Had her shackles really been that tight? Zuko moved next to her ankles and undid them carefully. He stood up and looked at the girl. Her head was hung down with her eyes only half open and her arms hung limply at her sides. He delicately wrapped his hand around her forearm and led her out of the cell towards the deck of the ship.

"Are you sick?" He questioned her. Zuko couldn't let her die—it would ruin his entire plan.

The girl said nothing, didn't even move. She just continued trudging pathetically alongside him. Zuko hadn't noticed before how cold her arm was. Was that normal for her? The sea breeze swept over his exposed face as they both stepped up on deck. He felt the girl shiver. He glanced down at her, noticing that her face had lost some of its color. She was a Waterbender...shouldn't her skin always be dark? His footsteps slowed as he came to a realization. Had she had any water since she had been captured? He hoped that this was the only thing wrong with her. Zuko would have to have something done about this as soon as he had the Avatar contained.

Zuko looked around his ship. His first mate had taken care of everything; all of his soldiers were surrounding the ship's railings, ready to attack. They were already sailing through the open sea, so the Avatar would have nowhere to escape to cover. Everything was sailing smoothly. But then, Zuko caught sight of his Uncle Iroh across the deck. He was looking at Zuko and the girl. His face looked hurt, almost disgusted. His eyes locked with Zuko's, and the look he gave him sent a chill down his spine. Zuko knew his uncle would have something to say about the look of the ragged girl later. He broke eye contact with his uncle and averted his eyes to the back of the ship. The Avatar was clearly visible now, catching up to the ship on his flying bison. Only a few more minutes before he would reach them.

* * *

Katara was starving for water when Zuko came and got her from her cell. She hoped more than anything that he was taking her to somewhere where she could eat and drink. Her entire body felt weak. Her arms seemed unmovable and her legs were having a hard enough time dragging along next to Zuko's. Katara could barely hold her eyes open and didn't even bother to look where she was being led.

A cool breeze rushed over her bare skin as Zuko walked her up on to the deck of the ship. She shivered violently. Did she have a fever? Maybe Zuko was on to something when he had asked her if she was sick. Not that Katara would answer him or even talk to him at all. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him; she'd rather stay sick than be forced to tell him how she felt and look weak in front of him Katara dragged her eyes miserably around her surroundings. Everything looked like iron ship deck and Fire Nation soldiers until she spotted something in the sky.

_No, please! Turn back! Leave me here! _

Katara knew it was too late. Aang and Sokka were trailing the ship on Appa. It would only be minutes before her nightmare became reality. Her friends were going to be trapped just like her! How would Aang ever be able to save the world and defeat the Fire Nation?!

Katara felt her head begin to spin from the horror of her thoughts. She saw a dark fog lurking around near the bottom of her vision. She closed her eyes and let the darkness overtake her. Katara didn't want to see anything that was about to happen. She already knew it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Zuko could see every detail of the Avatar and his bison now. Any second now they would land and his plan would unfold. Zuko suddenly felt the girl in his grasp collapse and turn to dead weight, almost pulling him down with her. Before she could fall all the way to the ground, he jerked her arm back up towards him and clutched her other arm to hold her up. He turned her back to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. Zuko held her tightly to his body with a shocked look on his face. He could still feel her light breathing, but the Avatar would think she was dead! Couldn't her body have waited a few more minutes before passing out? He had to act calmly so that the Avatar would know she was still alive. He wiped his shocked expression off his face just in time for the Avatar's bison to land on his ship's deck. Zuko took a deep breath and masked his face of emotion. He drew his knife and held it to the girl's face.

The Avatar shot off his bison with a blast of air and landed smoothly on the deck in front of Zuko. His staff was in front of him in his fighting stance. The Water Tribe boy that he traveled with joined him with his boomerang out.

"Katara!" he cried.

_Katara, _Zuko remembered. _That's her name._

"What have you done to her?!" the Avatar yelled angrily. "She looks awful! Where are her clothes? She's bruised everywhere and her skin is pale; is she even alive?!"

Zuko glared his eyes at the Avatar. "She's fine for now, Avatar, just unconscious. Can't you see her breathing? She only needs water." Zuko hoped his voice sounded more reassuring than he thought it did. He himself certainly wasn't sure about it in his mind.

"Just let her go, Zuko! She's not the Avatar—you have no need for her. Take me and let her and her brother go."

Zuko spotted the girl's brother look at the Avatar with a confused face. He obviously had expected for them to be in it together and for the Avatar to not request his freedom.

"I'm sorry, Avatar, but that's where you're wrong. If I let her go, you'll have no incentive to stay on my ship. As long as she's here, you'll want to be here, and as long as you cooperate, she'll be fine."

"Take me instead," the brother interjected. "I'm just as valuable to Aang."

"Why would I switch out my prisoner when I already have her here in my grasps? Besides, I'm not so sure that I can believe that you're just as important to the Avatar as his _girlfriend. _He seems a little more concerned with her than I think he'd be with you."

"I would be scared for any one for my friends to be on a ship with a monster like you." The Avatar's eyes were slits and his voice dripped with hatred.

_Ah, see, even the Avatar knows you're a monster._

Zuko grimaced at the Avatar's words and the voice inside his head confirming them. He wouldn't let a child insult him like that.

"Avatar, surrender to me now or I will be forced to harm your friend. I know you don't want to see her in pain, so make it easy on yourself and her both." Zuko moved his blade closer to the girl's cheek until the tip was touching her skin. "Make your choice," he spat

The Avatar's eyes widened as he saw just how close Zuko was to cutting Katara.

"Stop!" her brother cried desperately, dropping his boomerang. "Please! Don't hurt her. We will both surrender willingly, just please, don't hurt her." The brother's voice was broken and pleading, and his face was full of fear. Zuko noticed a tear roll down his cheek. He needed the brother and the Avatar both to be scared, though, or else they wouldn't cooperate.

"Avatar?" Zuko questioned coldly.

The Avatar's face was forlorn and uneasy. He stepped backwards and dropped his staff to the ground. "Please," he said shakily as he reached out towards the girl, "don't hurt her. I surrender as your captive.

Just please don't do anything to her. Let her live safely and I will cooperate."

Zuko lowered the knife from the girl's face and placed it back in its sheath He motioned to two of his soldiers. "Please escort the Avatar to his prison cell." As the men walked to the Avatar, Zuko turned his face to him. "Avatar, I would advise you to walk with your guards to you cell peacefully. If I here any kind of noise that doesn't sound like you cooperating, she won't breathe let alone Waterbend ever again."

The Avatar broke Zuko's eye contact as tears filled his eyes. Zuko's men took him by the arms and began leading him down towards the prison cells.

Zuko turned his gaze to the girl's brother. "As for you, I have no need for you. I have my bargaining chip, and the Avatar is cooperating. I also have no need nor space for the Avatar's bison. You and it are free to go."

"Wh- wh-..." the brother's voice trailed off and his face was shocked. "I can't just leave my sister here with you and have no idea what's happening to her! How can you expect me to do that?! Take me prisoner too. I won't leave. I refuse my freedom if I can't take Katara with me." The boy was yelling so frantically. Did his sister really mean that much to him?

"You can both leave, or you can both die," Zuko said angrily. He had offered the boy freedom and he had refused it. What kind of moron was he? Could he really care that much for his sister that he would be taken prisoner for her?

The Avatar stopped walking and turned his head backwards to look at the boy. "Sokka, please, do it for Appa. Take your freedom. Katara and I will be alright."

"Aang! How can you expect me to leave her?! She's my-"

"I know," the Avatar cut in. "She's your sister, and she's my best friend. I won't let anything happen to her. Please take Appa. Neither of you deserve to die." The Avatar's voice was low and distraught. He didn't want to see two of his friends die, and Sokka understood that. The Avatar was in enough pain.

He hung his head and cried softly as he climbed onto the bison. He lifted his head to look at the Avatar just as he and his guards had reached the stairs to below deck. "I'll be back with both of you soon, I promise. Tell Katara I love her." With that, he pulled on the bison's reigns and flew off in the direction of the Earth Kingdom.

_Wait to go, monster! Now you're separating families just like daddy. Wouldn't he be proud?_

Zuko wanted to enjoy this moment, his capture of the Avatar, more than anything. He was supposed to be celebrating and rejoicing! But all he could do was grind his teeth with each thought occurring in his mind. The look on the boy's face had been devastating. All Zuko could think about was how his face must have looked just like that when he had gotten news of his mother's disappearance. His family's separation, his mother's disappearance—it had all been because of his father. Now, when the Water Tribe girl and her brother thought of their separation, the first thought that would come to their minds would be that it was all because of Zuko. Zuko, the arrogant, banished prince who was becoming the same monster his father was.

Zuko's mouth showed no hint of the arrogant smile he had expected to be wearing after his plan had worked so well. The two soldiers that had taken the Avatar to his cell emerged from below deck and approached Zuko.

"The Avatar is confined securely, Prince Zuko."

Zuko dismissed both the men. He picked up the still unconscious girl in his arms and carried her to his first officer.

"Please see to it that this girl is treated and given water. Come get me when she awakens because she will probably have a lot of questions." Zuko's voice was cold and dead.

"Yes sir." Zuko's first officer took the girl in his arms and started towards the sick bay on the ship.

Zuko immediately went down to his chambers. He was confused and angry. What was he supposed to do if just seeing the girl and her brother separate had made him feel this way? How would he feel when he handed both her and the Avatar over to his father? The sad brother's face flashed back into his mind again. He cared for his sister more than anything in the world, and he would have done anything to see to it that she was safe and well. All Zuko had ever wanted was for someone to feel that way about him. This was why he had to do it. He had to turn the Avatar over to his father. It was the only way he could ever get love and acceptance from both him and his nation. No one would ever love him more than his father after he turned in the Avatar. His father would never leave his side and would support and encourage him as he began to prepare to take over the throne. Zuko would feel love like he had never felt before!

_Yeah? Then what's that your Uncle feels for you? Going with you when you were banished, training you, helping you fight your way through all of your struggles...oh no, that's not love, support, and acceptance right there at all._

Zuko winced and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He curled up in a ball under the covers of his bed, hoping to fall asleep and end the fight raging in his mind. His Uncle was _not_ his father. It wasn't the same!

_Keep telling yourself that._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey guys...sorry Sokka is gone for a while! Don't hate me! (cowers in insurmountable fear) Haha just kidding—I promise he will be back and it will work out. In other news...YAY! A KIND OF LONG CHAPTER! :) Oh and before, I had been unsure of where I was going with this and how it was going to end and such, but now I sort of have a direction I'm taking it and I have some ideas for the end. Also, I'm writing a Zutara, and so far there has been no Zutara action...I'll work on that ;) haha. By the way, I am back at college but hopefully I'll still get some time in for writing. I never mentioned before that I'm at a school in the SEC...so yeah it's big and I'm always really busy. ( Sorry I'm totally paranoid and won't say which one...=/) Please review! :)


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