Summary: Zuko and Katara have their thoughts on each other after Zuko's betrayal to Katara at Ba Sing Se. They continue to think about each other and have different feelings go through them. For Katara she tries to hold in her pain at Zuko's betrayal and tries to figure out why she continues to hurt and Zuko thinks about Katara and has a battle go between his heart and mind. He comes to realize later on that he has deep feelings for the waterbender and Katara after she gets over her hurt realizes her feelings for Zuko.

This story is going to go through mostly the things that happened before the eclipse, after the eclipse, and after Sozin's comet. As the story continues and after Zuko joins the gang his feelings for Katara and her feelings for him grow.

Chapter 1

"Why did they throw you in here? Oh, wait; let me guess it's a trap. So when Aang shows up to help me you can finally have him in your little fire nation clutches." Katara said. Zuko turned to look at her but said nothing. "You're a terrible person you know that, always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for piece, but what do you care, you're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war, violence, and hatred is in your blood," she continued. "You don't know what you're talking about," Zuko said. "I don't? How dare you? You have no idea what this war has put me through, me personally," Katara said turning to sit down drawing her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them as tears fell from her blue eyes. She reached to touch her mother's necklace as she continued, "The fire nation took my mother away from me." Zuko felt symphony for the water bender as he said softly and gently, "I'm sorry." He heard Katara beginning to softly cry as he turned to look at her as he continued, "That's something we have in common." Katara turned to look at Zuko wiping her tears though Zuko wanted to move closer so he could wipe them for her, but stayed where he was. They both stood up at the same time as Katara said softly and in her kind voice, "I'm sorry for yelling at you before." "It doesn't matter," Zuko said softly back. "It's just that for so long now whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy it was your face," Katara said. "My face," Zuko said reaching up to touch his scar over his left eye, "I see." "No, no, that's not what I meant," Katara said. "That's okay," Zuko started, "I use to think this scar marked me. 'The mark of the Banished Prince' cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I will never be free of my mark." "Maybe you can be free of it," Katara said. "What?" Zuko said. "I have healing abilities," Katara said. "It's a scar it can't be healed," Zuko said. He saw Katara take something from around her neck as she showed it to him and said, "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it will work but…" Zuko closed his eyes as Katara reached up to gently touch it but before she could do anything the wall opened and Aang and Iroh came into view.

Zuko open his eyes as he look and saw he was sitting on his bed in his room at the Fire Nation Palace. He wasn't sure what got him to think of the catacombs and about Katara until he looked at the water that was in his sight. In his mind he thought of the next thing that happened. Azula appeared and a fight started out. He had join his sister's side facing Katara hearing her say "I thought you changed," and his comment back to her saying he had changed but in his heart he realized that it was at war within him. He tried to ignore it and succeeded until he saw the Avatar Aang get hit with his sister's lightning and the tears in Katara's eyes which made it fill like his heart was ripping apart as he saw her tears. Ever since then his mind and heart have been at war with each other. His head telling him that he has done what he wanted and he was back at his home but his heart was saying that he chose the wrong path at that time and that it's possible that Katara is going to hate him now because it knew that he betrayed her trust in him. Even though Zuko believes he is happy now that he is back home but as he thought about Katara his heart felt like it was empty and not happy at all about being home finally. His uncle was put in the prison cells at the palace and in Zuko's mind he deserves to be there because he didn't join Azula like he did, but once again he thought about Katara even though he is trying his hardest to forget about her and in his mind he has but his heart won't.

(going to be skipping some things that happens after words but some pieces will come around)

Katara was looking out to the sea trying to hold back the tears that are trying to fall as she remembered Zuko's betrayal at Ba Sing Se. She doesn't understand fully why she is so hurt by his betrayal. It was several weeks ago that, that happened yet the pain hasn't stopped. Aang was still unconscious from the strike Azula had done with her lightning so Katara has gone to do several healing section on Aang's back as he remained unconscious, but then she would come back to the helm of the ship to look at the ocean and go to thoughts about Zuko. She hadn't spoken to her father since they had got on this ship. They were on a Fire Nation Ship to be able to stay hidden for a while. She still felt like Hokoda abandoned her brother and her as well as their tribe so she wasn't too happy with him right now. "Hey Sugar Momma everything alright," Toph asked coming over to be at Katara's side. "Yeah, everything is fine Toph," Katara said though it wasn't the complete truth because of her thoughts and hurt she felt. "I can tell your not telling the full truth what's wrong," Toph asked. "It's nothing Toph really besides I don't really want to talk about it right now okay," Katara said gently. "Well okay Sugar Momma," Toph said then both girls grew quiet until they heard a sound behind them. "That has to be you Twinkle toes," Toph said smiling. Katara smiled and rush to Aang to hug him. After they explain things to him she got Aang to go back in the room that he had woke up in so she could give him another healing section but as she healed him and felt how tense he was back there she once again thought about Zuko but held back the tears as she explain things some more to Aang. She talk a little to Aang before she told him that he needed to rest.

Zuko was kissed by Mai on the boat while they were heading home but even though he kissed her back he remembered blue eyes that had kindness and care in them before he saw those blue eyes filled with tears as she left with the Avatar. Once Mai had left him alone Zuko thought some more about Katara. He didn't believe for a minute that the Avatar was dead. He remembered the water that Katara was going to use to heal his scar before the avatar and his uncle came through an opening that Aang had created so he knew that the avatar is most likely alive. As he looked out into the ocean he once again thought about Katara and felt his heart twist as he remembered her tears knowing that he is partly the cause for them. He realized at that very moment that he had betrayed the only girl who truly showed him kindness just like his mother did. Zuko put his head in his hands and cried silent tears. ~I'm such an idiot Katara was hurt deeply by what I done I could see it in her eyes when she said she thought I had change. I saw the pain and hurt there and yet I ignored it and still fought by my sister's side~ he said in his thoughts. Zuko wasn't sure on what he could do he never meant to hurt Katara like that, but he had thought this was the only way he could gain his honor and be able to go back home. Now he was having regrets for not only betraying his uncle but also Katara. He brought one of his hands down near his hear and clinch his shirt in a fist there as he felt pain coming from there. He then said softly so no one that was near could hear him that he believe he will never be able to say in person to those two people, "I'm so sorry Uncle and Katara." Soon the ship had set port at the fire nation. As he came forth to see his people once more as their prince his thoughts strayed off thinking once more of Katara. Later on Zuko went to the turtle duck pond he and his mother always stayed at together to think and fed some of the turtle ducks some bread. Then his sister came around causing the turtle ducks to swim a way. He listen to Azula a bit before he said, "I hadn't seen father yet. I haven't seen him for 3 years." "So what," Azula said. "So I didn't capture the avatar," Zuko said. "Who cares the avatar is dead unless you know something I don't," Azula said smirking as she rubbed her chin. Zuko thought about Katara and her healing abilities but not wanting to put the waterbender in danger he said, "No I don't." After a few more words between them Azula left and Zuko thought about Katara. He wasn't all that sure why he wanted to keep her safe but he did and he will do whatever he can to keep her safe. Zuko went to visit his father hearing how proud his father was of him and his victory about defeating the avatar. Zuko's eyes widen before he asked his father, "What you heard?" Then he heard his father mention that Azula explain everything to him. Zuko kept his words to himself as he once again thought about Katara and the special water she had showed him and about her healing abilities.

Katara, Sokka, Toph, and the rest of the people on the ship were fighting off some fire nation solders that figured them out. They were able to get away when the serpent of Serpent Pass came in sight. They then stopped at a town to get some dinner and went to get Aang. Sokka offered Aang a band to cover his arrow since he was suppose to be dead but Aang got mad and said, "If I can't wear my arrow proudly then I'm not going." Sokka tried to talk some since into Aang but Katara told Sokka and Toph to go on ahead and that they will catch up to them. Katara talked some to Aang until he told her to just go and he said when she asked if she could get anything he needed Aang said, "I need to redeem myself. I need to get my honor back." Those words brought pain to Katara as she remembered another boy saying those words to her after he had tied her up at a tree. When she came back down later on she saw that Aang was gone. She felt tears form once more as she rushes to head back to the top of the boat and ran into her father. She talked about how Aang left by taking his glider and saying that Aang has the nothing to save the world on his own. Her father said some words that helped her some and cause her to hug her father as she cried and listen to him talking to her. As he talked she also cried about Zuko's betrayal to her and how much pain that put her through no matter how hard she tries to make the pain go away she can't and she didn't understand why. After a while Katara was able to calm down with her father's help and Sokka suggested that they go after Aang. They decided that they will meet up with everyone on the day of the eclipse so Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Momo gathered their things and got on Appa. After about a night of searching they found Aang on the crescent island that they had come to before during the winter solstice. They all hugged Aang and Toph felt his ruin glider behind her which she handed it back to Aang. Katara watched as Aang put his glider in a part of the volcano where the lava slowly flowed. All the while she continued to think about what all they will do while they are in the fire nation and how she will react if they ever saw Zuko again.