Jun slowly crept closer to her prey, even without her shirshu she could do some damage. She eyed her suspiciously and decided it would be best to take a slow approach. She snuck a little further but the girl still did not stir. Curious, Jun thought to herself, wondering why the girl with cat like reflexes was practically placing herself in Juns hands. She shrugged it off and decided that before getting any closer she would see exactly how aware of her surroundings the wanted girl was. Jun looked around and spotted a few gravel pieces sitting in a pile just around the corner. She picked up one piece and hurled it about ten feet away from the girl. She did not stir. So, Jun picked up the next one and threw it a little closer, still nothing. Her lips curled into a smug smirk and she threw the next one, this time hitting the bench she was sitting on. After waiting a few minutes, she still saw no movement. Smiling confidently she walked over to her and picked her up gently, not wanting to push her luck she carried her as carefully as she could over to Nyla. With one flick of her tongue, Nyla paralyzed Kataras sleeping body and with a soft grunt, she was back asleep.

"You're making this too easy." Jun chuckled as she pulled a cup out of one of her many saddle bags. She snorted as she remembered the old man acting as if she just asked for his hand in marriage when she asked for it. She thought it would come in handy to have some way back to the brooding teenager and his overly happy older companion. She had been right.

It took her and Nyla twenty minutes to track down the still docked vessel. Even with the poison, the girl was beginning to stir, she wouldn't be able to move, but she could speak, and Jun was not the listening type. Nyla hopped along the dock and onto the ship, and as soon landed she saw crew, whom she recognized from her last visit, and they in return.

"Another rat Jun?" One called out, backing away slightly at the sight of Nyla.

"Not this time boys. I have the prize now." Jun smirked as she hopped off Nyla in order to show them.

"Who's this?" A burly man called out. "A gift? It's a nice thought, but we couldn't keep her." A few men chuckled at the man, but when Jun rolled her eyes they stopped.

"No you idiot, just get me your commander, and hurry, I'd like to be out of here before she wakes up."

"Why? What's wrong with her?"

Jun chuckled. "You'll see. Now go."

/

Sleeping on a docked boat was not Zukos favorite thing to do. No matter how many years he stayed at sea, the constant rocking gave him a headache, and the tea his uncle made to help him gave him a stomach ache. Zuko groaned as another wave of motion sickness hit him, fire benders were not meant to be at sea, and he had been for so long. A whole year of tracking an almost impossible target, a whole year of killing people just for association, and a whole year of lying to himself. He didn't know what was going to happen when he brought the avatar back to his father. Would he accept him? Would his people welcome him back? Would he still be crown prince? Zukos mind raced continually, and finally he got fed up of it, he needed to clear his head. He sat and prepared to start his meditation practice. He sat, and sat, and sat, until he screamed in frustration. The constant rocking made it impossible to sit still and his mind was too all over the place for focus. He stood up swiftly and walked out of his bedchamber, he'd be damned if he was going to just sit in his room and be rocked.

He walked along the deck of his ship for hours, waving away his crew members when they asked if something was wrong. He normally talked to his uncle when he felt lost, but he didn't want to disturb him now, and he really wasn't in the mood for tea. He sighed and stopped walking, deciding to just look out at sea. It surprisingly made him feel content. Fire benders disliked water, and Zuko was no exception, but tonight the water seemed welcoming. He felt as if he could jump in the water and be greeted with comforting waves of numbness, the sensation of being chilled to the bone and the being sucked out of his lungs. He didn't want to die, but if by chance he dropped into the ocean right this second, he wouldn't mind. Zuko ran his hands over his face, since when did he feel comforted by death? He looked down at his hands and gasped. He looked around in shock at the trail of blood seeming to be left by him, he was covered in it. He followed it in confusion, wondering when this could have happened. The sight before him made his heart drop. His crew was mangled beyond recognition, it looked as if a pack of animals had savaged through all his men. He looked around with dread in his eyes, he had no idea what to do, then it hit him. Where was his uncle? He bolted down the steps into the lower part of the vessel and into his uncles room.

"Uncle?" He cried out, unable to keep a steady voice. When no one answered him he called out again. And again, and again, until his voice seemed to no longer work. He felt his throat close up and tears begin to form, but he stopped himself. He needed to find who did this, there was no time to be upset while someone was killing his men. He turned to leave but a small voice stopped him. Zuko turned around to be greeted by a familiar looking girl. Where did she come from, and why did she seem so familiar?

"Why?" She spoke again, this time her voice getting stronger and all the nerves that seemed to be there the first time vanished.

"Who are you?" He questioned back.

She scoffed. "You savagely killed almost everyone on the hell ship, and you're asking me who I am? You are a monster."

Zuko took a step back at the accusation. "You think I would kill my own men? My own uncle? I am not a monster. I am not the wrong doer in this! Now tell me who you are and what you're business here is!" He bellowed out, now angry at the overzealous girl in front of him.

She just looked at him in disbelief. "You can't recognize your own lo- you know what, never mind, if you can't recognize your own actions, how did I expect you to recognize me? I don't know what to do with you anymore Zuko, so I'm just not. I'm done. You can have your crown since you've never cared about me or anyone else. Goodbye."

Zuko stared after her as she seemed to be disappearing into thin air, and as more of her vanished the more alone he felt. "Please…don't leave. Tell me what I did…" and before his last words were spoken, she was gone. He felt like breaking down. His crew, his uncle, and now this girl, what happened? What did he do? He couldn't have lost control like…could he? He felt himself drop to his knees and he didn't bother to get up. He had never felt so alone in his life, not even when he was banished. He ended up shaking uncontrollably, until everything became clear again.

"Zuko, Zuuukkooo." He heard his uncle call over him, shaking his shoulders lightly.

Zuko bolted up at the sound of his uncles voice and a wave of relief washed over him. He looked around to make sure everything was the same and realized that he had fallen asleep while meditating. He scolded himself mentally and told his uncle he'd be in his office soon.

"Oh, but Zuko, we found something! Well, Jun found something, but those are just details. Come, come, we mustn't keep her waiting." His uncle responded with a slight chuckle. "You must never keep such a pretty lady waiting."

Zuko groaned inwardly at the thought of interrogating another captured rebel, he was in no mood after his night. "If it's just another prisoner just send them to the brig. I have other things to deal with and I need not waste my time on some scum. I'll be in my office if you need me. Now if you would give me some privacy, I'd like to get ready for the day."

His uncle tskd at him "No, no Zuko, this one's special. She traveled with the avatar, and might I add, she's just as attractive as the women who captured her, if not better." His uncle seemed to go off into his own thoughts at the mention of the pretty ladies, so he did not notice Zuko immediately spring up and rush to the deck of the ship, while he was still in his night clothes.

/

Zuko practically ran to the bounty hunter and her fine capture, practically giddy, he could hardly contain himself. This is it Zuko, this is it. He told himself over and over, too excited to notice the odd looks he was getting, clearly unaware of his questionable attire. He spotted the shirshu first and then Jun, looking anxiously for the girl.

"Jun" Zuko greeted the bounty hunter "I hear you have something for me."

/

Katara awoke with a throb in her head and the inability to move. She looked around at her surroundings trying to take everything in. Katara was still lying down but it didn't feel like the bench she remembered. She tried to crane her neck to see what it was exactly, but she couldn't, all she knew was that it was breathing and it smelled worse than Appa. She found herself being stared at by what seemed like dozens of men, they all seemed to go wide eyed and start to fidget when they realized she was staring back at them.

"Can I help you?" She called out to them, clearly annoyed.

"Ah, looks like your little friends awake, which would be my cue to leave." She heard a women call out. Katara recognized the voice, but couldn't remember her name, Katara pondered who she was until she came into full view. The bounty hunter. "Oh sweetheart, you're in for a hell of a ride." Katara hissed at the women, she felt pathetic but without the ability to move, it was all she could do. She laughed at her and pushed her off the beast she was laying on. Katara landed to the ground with a thud and the pounding in her head became more apparent. She tried to at least thrash around, but it seemed as if her brain was cut off from her body. She prepared to growl, but someone did it for her.

"That's enough Jun, you've got your reward, now leave." A voice threatened. Who was that? He sounded extremely familiar, as if she had talked with him before. Before she could contemplate much longer, she felt strong arms wrap around her and she was placed on some ones shoulder. She found herself staring back at the bounty hunter and she scowled, so that's how she got here. Jun laughed at her and bounded away on Nyla. Good riddance, Katara told herself.

"Where are we going to put her, sir?" A disgustingly hairy man asked.

"Where we put all the other prisoners, she's no different than the others." The man carrying her responded, Katara felt the vibrations and was relaxed, she could also hear his heart beat, which was a little comforting as well. Come on Katara! You don't know where you are or what you're doing here, this is no time to be relaxed! She scolded herself.

"Ahh, but Zuko, she is not like the others." A humble voice called out, and the man carrying her turned towards it. Ah ha! It was Zuko! What did he want with her? He only wanted Aang, and she was not going to give any information on his and Sokkas whereabouts, even if she was tortured. Her heart dropped not only at the thought of torture, but the remembrance of her brother and friend. She had no idea where Aang was, and she knew Sokka couldn't last a day on his own.

"No. I've dealt with people who have aquatinted with the avatar before, she is no different. We will put her in the prison." Zuko said, with a slight intensity to his voice. As if he was on edge, and not just because of her capture.

"Zuko. She was not aquatinted with him, she traveled with him, and they are friends. She is also a beautiful lady. She needs a room." Katara felt flattered by the mans words, but this was no time for it, she needed to escape, but how?

"Well where do you propose she sleeps? Your room?"

"No, no, no, that would be wildly inappropriate. I suggest yours." He responded. If Katara wasn't blushing before, she was now. Katara could feel Zukos heart start beating faster.

"W-what?" Zuko stammered out. "Where will I sleep?" Alarm seeping in to his words.

"You have a couch and a bed. You'll be fine, and it's not every day you get to share a room with a beautiful lady."