After all the anger, upset and general panic had faded, just one question began to come up again and again. What, exactly, had Azula had the Dai Li wipe from Katara and Zuko's minds? It was a question posed frequently among the members of the small group of heroes, just never to the two in question.

The two in question were rather thoroughly oblivious to this because when they weren't arguing about how Zuko was ruling the Fire Nation ("You need to make sure everyone is represented at court, Zuko. Not just the nobles." "What do you want me to do? Have a council with someone from every village and hamlet as well as the regional governors and city representatives? That would be a council of a thousand. We'd never get anything done."), they were arguing about the wedding ("You can either eat the papaya and get married, or not eat the papaya and we'll just install you as my concubine." "What? Your stupid ritual doesn't leave room for people who throw up when they eat papaya?").

When that wasn't going on they were in a state of honeymoon-like bliss and lovey-doveyness that no one wanted to interfere with because everyone was afraid of their teeth falling out if they got too close to the sugary sweetness that was Katara and Zuko ("You know, even your hair tangles are perfect." "Oh, Zuko! You're so romantic!").

They were at a big family dinner hosted in the Fire Lord's private dining room when Suki got up the gumption to ask. Mostly because if they had to watch the pair feeding each other any more food, someone was going to be sick. Or so Sokka had said as he stuffed two sausages into his mouth at once.

"Oh, there was a lot," Katara responded. "I mean, sure, everything that happened at Ba Sing Se got twisted around, but she made us forget all the other stuff too."

"Like what?" demanded Sokka around half a baked potato. He'd developed rather a taste for the things since arriving at the Fire Nation.

Zuko smiled sappily at Katara, "Like our first kiss," he replied.

"I'll save you from the pirates," he told her menacingly. In short order she was tied to the tree. He turned to the gathering of Fire Nation soldiers and pirates and said, "Could you give us a little privacy? I'd like to try a more . . . delicate touch before we start threatening."

The pirates had laughed and given them some space. The soldiers had somehow become even more stoic and marched just out of earshot if one were speaking quietly. Iroh had shot his nephew a somewhat disapproving look, but had acquiesced.

"If you think I'll tell you anything, you can forget it," Katara snapped. Zuko ignored that and said, "If you tell me where the Avatar is, I can do a lot for you."

"Like what?" she asked breathlessly.

"Like this."

He kissed her and she melted into—

"Oh, it did not happen like that," Katara said. "If you're going to tell it, stop trying to sound like a cheap romance scroll."

"I can do a lot for you."

"Like what?" she asked skeptically. Anything to play for time until Aang and Sokka could come and get her out of this mess.

He smirked, clearly trying to look sophisticated, and instead looking a lot like a sixteen-year-old boy who had a pretty girl tied up and at his mercy. "I am the prince of the Fire Nation. When I hand the Avatar to my father, he'll reinstate me. I could give you riches . . . land . . . maybe even a little of the prince?" He clearly thought the last one was a winning argument. Then he kissed her.

"And?"

"And what?"

"You liked it, I know that much."

"It's not really important."

"Yes, it is."

The kiss was amazing.

"It was pretty good, okay? Not that great."

"You were all over me. I mean, as much as the rope allowed."

"I was playing for time."

"You wanted me."

"Shut up."

She followed his mouth as he pulled away. She was flushed and her eyes were closed as she savoured the sensation of his lips on hers.

"Do you actually think like this?"

"What's wrong with is?"

"Where do I begin?"

She tried to play along, hoping that the longer she drew this out, the more time would be spent with pleasant kissing, and less with threats and torture. "Well?" he asked. "Do you have a decision? Me and the perks of royalty, or some idiot child?"

No matter how good a kisser he was, there were limits. "Aang is ten times the person you are, and I can't see how any money or chance to be your girlfriend would make me choose that over world peace." And just because he'd really annoyed her, she lied. "And you're a crappy kisser anyhow."

He let out an aggravated shout and called the others back in.

"What?" Sokka squawked. "You took advantage of my sister while she was tied to a tree?" He launched himself at Zuko and the whole situation degenerated into a free-for-all food fight.