I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I love you guys! I REALLY appreciate it! Here is the last sentence from chapter 2.

Then he turned around, leaned back around the corner, and said, "Good night."

Zuko walked immediately away, mentally chastising himself. Why had he said that? He didn't want the peasant to think he cared! Then, faintly, from behind him he heard the girl say, almost in a whisper, "Good night."

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Katara thought back over that short meeting between the Prince and herself. He had asked if she was okay, then walked away before she could answer. And strangest of all, he had come back to say good night to her. Admittedly, he had left right away, but it had seemed, for a second, like he had actually cared! This was what had jarred the customary "good night" in return out of her. She yelled at herself mentally. Why had she returned the good night? She didn't want him to think that she forgave him, or Water Spirits above, actually liked him!

She curled up in her cell again, lonely, upset, and afraid. She would probably stay afraid until she got off this ship, but she might never escape. And she didn't want Sokka and Aang to come rescue her, because Zuko might capture them too! She would rather just stay captive then have them be caught, and besides, odds were that Zuko would not let her go, even if he did catch Aang. So the only way off this horrid ship was to escape by her own means, she reasoned. It might take some time, but she would figure something out. And what a shock it would be for Zuko, if she did manage to escape. That would yank his ponytail for sure! She smiled, thinking over plans to get out of this place. Some of them were Sokka worthy, being too ridiculous for words, but others might work. She lay back on her bunk and relaxed, drawing her plans of freedom.

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Zuko walked back to his room, silently replaying that conversation in his mind. What had happened? He had asked a stupid question, and walked away. He had stupidly returned, and wished her good night. He had left again, only to hear a good night in return as he walked away from this girl who seemed to draw stupidity out of him like some sort of magnet. It had indeed been an odd moment, but yet not a bad one. He shook his head, trying to clear it of these strange thoughts. He tried to draw up plans as to what to do with the girl, but came up blank. Finally he realized that she could be used as bait for the Avatar. He would take her from her cell, and put her on the deck in plain view. Then, he would send one of his sneakiest men in to leave a note somewhere the Avatar would find it. He would write something of his position, and the leverage he now possessed. When the little boy came to rescue the girl, (as he undoubtedly would) he would be captured, and locked away. Zuko remembered the last attempt to imprison the boy, and winced. He would also have to threaten the Avatar by telling him that his friend would be hurt if he tried to escape. That would most likely keep him in his cell. Zuko smiled, thinking of his plans to regain his honor, his kingdom, and everything he had ever wanted.

He reached his room and walked in, intent on going to bed and getting some sleep, but instead he saw his uncle as soon as he walked in the door. He sighed. This was going to be a long night.

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Katara awoke in the morning, not consciously remembering going to sleep the previous night. She sighed. Her back hurt terribly from being tied to a tree, and then sleeping in a prison cot. She looked at her wrists and grimaced, seeing burns and scrapes from Zuko and that pirate grabbing her. She rubbed her right wrist, and then her left one, trying to discern how bad each was injured. After deciding that none of the pains were serious, she got out of bed, and stretched. Well, at least, she tried to. It was very cramped in her cell. Suddenly, the door opened. She gasped, and backed up, as a fire nation solider walked into her room.

"You are to be brought up on deck. Prince Zuko's orders." said the man shortly.

"I don't care what Prince Jerk says. He can go drown for all I care," she replied. The man didn't answer. He just grabbed her arms, and marched her out of the room. "Hey!" she yelped, trying to pull out of his grasp. "Let go of me! I don't deserve such treatment! What have I ever done to you?" she asked.

"You froze me to the deck of this ship," he said, sounding almost amused. "Remember, when you came to recue the Avatar?"

"I'm sorry, all right? And I'll walk quietly, there's no need to manhandle me like this!" she yelled. "Just let go of my arms."

He did, and she walked meekly in front of him. She wanted to run, but she knew that he would catch her, and either drag her back to her cell, or yank her forcibly up to the deck. Just walking up to the deck under her own power was better, for now.

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Zuko walked out on to the deck with a smirk. Uncle had asked what his plans were for the girl, and then praised him for his performance in the battle. He had also mentioned how honorably Zuko had acted in protecting the peasant. Then he had left Zuko to go to sleep, with an assurance that he would put Zuko's plan in motion. The message had been sent, and when Zuko had woken up that morning, he had ordered that the girl be brought on deck. Ah, here she was now. He walked over, practically skipping with the glee that his plan was working.

He gave her a superior look, and had her chained up to the mast. Her hand was manacled to the mast, but she could still walk a short distance, and move around. He didn't want a repeat of the tree incident, especially since it would be one of his own men doing the attacking if there was a problem. He trusted his men, but it was always better to be safe.

Zuko felt a lump in his pocket. He was confused for a moment, but then he realized what it must be. It was the peasant's necklace. "My mother's necklace," she had called it when he had offered it to her. He thought back to that moment. She had had a glazed look in her eye, but she had caught sight of it, and the fierceness was back in her expression. She had seemed agitated, and asked him where he had gotten it. He had taunted her, but in truth, he had found it on a destroyed coal ship that the Avatar had supposedly visited. And he had visited, obviously.

The girl's reaction to seeing it had struck him as odd. She had looked sad, but then fierce, as though taking strength from a memory. He looked back at her, now, and came back to the present. Then, he heard the wind pick up, and smiled. His hand clenched on the necklace, and he put it back in his pocket. He was elated. Victory would soon be his.