Disclaimer: I still do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Yes, we finally get a little of Zuko's point of view.

The Warden

Zuko knew he was in trouble when he was brought to a cell rather than an office or one of the staff areas. Furthermore, he was dragged in and stripped of his armor, convincing him that his cover was blown. The guards took the armor with them, leaving Zuko in just his somewhat worse-for-wear traveling clothes and locking the door on their way out. Two other guards stood outside, on either side of the door. Someone must have thought he was very dangerous.

At first, Zuko paced nervously, but he eventually tired of that and sat in the lone chair the room contained. This piece of furniture made it look more like an interrogation chamber than a common cell. That thought was hardly comforting.

Some time later, an imposing man of middle age entered the room with another pair of guards and glared down at him. The stranger was wearing elaborate headgear and a dour expression on a face that reminded Zuko irresistibly of a hog-monkey.

"Warden?" Zuko guessed, scrambling to his feet and giving a proper bow. He couldn't think of any course other than to play his role until it became abundantly clear that it was no use.

"It has come to my attention that you have been on the wrong side of the bars here," the man said in a low, gravelly voice. He sounded disinterested, but there was a dangerous undercurrent in his tone that made the hairs on the back of Zuko's neck stand on end.

"Why?" Zuko ventured. "What have I done?" The warden narrowed his eyes.

"Enough of the charade. I know who you are, Prince Zuko." The title came out sneering, an insult, and Zuko felt his heart sink.

"How?" he choked out, sinking back down into a sitting position. The warden's face darkened with rage, and he gestured to the guards behind him. They responded quickly, hauling Zuko back to his feet.

"You will not sit in the presence of your betters!" the warden snapped, and Zuko swallowed his own anger and pride. He knew he had forfeited all advantages of his prior rank when he had chosen his present path. Therefore, he bowed his head in submission and made no answer.

"You have asked an impertinent question, but I will answer it anyway," declared the warden haughtily. "I am Mai's uncle. Of course I would know the man who broke her heart."

Zuko jerked his head up in shock, feeling his mouth drop open. He couldn't believe his rotten luck. Was it too much for him to ask for just a day or two with his sister's fortune instead? It was only with a very great effort that he restrained his tongue, waiting to be asked to speak. He knew the proper protocols, and he was going to follow them, no matter what it cost him.

"Have you any defense for yourself?" the warden intoned.

"I never meant to hurt her," Zuko mumbled weakly. In a way, he'd actually been trying to protect her and her family. However, he was fully aware of how feeble that would sound. "Please tell her."

"You'll be able to explain it to her yourself, soon enough," the warden assured him with a mirthless smile. "I'm sure she'll find it very…edifying." With that, the warden gestured to the guards again. One of them opened the door, and both followed him out.

Zuko's knees buckled, and he slumped into the chair again, mind racing. If Mai had been informed of his whereabouts, then Azula and Ty Lee would surely know soon, as well as the Firelord. Ty Lee was harmless enough, but he didn't know, at the moment, which of the other three he would rather face. He definitely wasn't looking forward to the entourage that would likely descend upon him tomorrow.

Oddly, though, the thought uppermost in his mind was not for himself. He was concerned about the danger he'd unwittingly brought upon his new companions and hoping they could find a way to escape in spite of him.

At any rate, he decided that he'd better try to get some rest while he had the chance. Seeing no other clear option, he curled up against the wall on the hard floor and pillowed his head on his arm. He'd endured worse resting-places in the last six months.

"A man needs his sleep," he heard his uncle's voice saying as he closed his eyes.

--

Momo returned to Sokka just as his shift was ending. There was no reply message, of course – they had agreed that would be far too risky – but the absence of Sokka's note suggested that Aang had received it.

"Welcome back," Sokka greeted the lemur. "Did you catch some tasty bugs?" The question was predominantly for the benefit of his fellow guards, in case they were wondering why Momo had been ranging out beyond the prison during the night.

Instead of going immediately back to the barracks, Sokka decided to go down the hallway where Zuko was being held. Two guards still stood outside the door, indicating that Zuko hadn't been moved. Unfortunately, that made it impossible for Sokka to talk to him. He'd have to bide his time and revise his plans.

Knowing that Katara would only berate him and insist he get some sleep, Sokka decided to visit Suki. He trailed behind the guard who was delivering breakfast. After Suki's plate had been shoved under the door, he waited for the other guard to go around a corner, then gave a knock and entered. This time, Suki recognized him immediately and gave him a quick hug.

"Mind if I eat?" she asked, and Sokka shook his head. He was remembering that he hadn't eaten anything since dinner the previous evening, but her meal didn't look at all appetizing, and he wouldn't have taken it from her in any case. Suki sat down on the floor and balanced her tray on her lap.

"Things have gotten a bit more complicated," Sokka admitted. "The warden knows who Zuko really is."

"What does that mean for us?"

"It might mean a lot of unwanted attention. Before Zuko left the Fire Nation, he told his father that he was going to find the Avatar and help him. So if he's found here…"

"The Firelord might guess that Aang is close by," Suki concluded. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm not sure yet. There are guards on Zuko's door, which means I can't talk to him. I don't know that I want to wait around for company to show up, but my original plan depended on darkness."

"Couldn't you send Toph to Zuko through the walls?"

"Not as long as the guards are there," Sokka negated, shaking his head. "They'd probably hear her coming through the rock, and they'd definitely hear any conversation. I need more information."

"Well…" Suki paused, as though hesitant to make her suggestion. "Is it possible to leave him behind?"

"Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind," Sokka confided. "I'd rather not throw him off the bison unless we absolutely have to, though. I've had to leave enough people behind recently." The thought still gave him a pang, and that was why they were here in the first place. He couldn't remedy one mistake by making another.

"Katara told me," said Suki sympathetically. Then she added, a little defensively, "He did try to burn down my village!"

"I know that, and I don't blame you for holding a grudge. Believe me, Katara would have been even faster to suggest cutting Zuko loose than you were. But he risked a lot to help us get in here, and Aang needs a firebending teacher. At the moment, Zuko is all we've got."

"Why did you let him join you if Katara was so opposed?" asked Suki curiously.

"Aang," shrugged Sokka. "He accepted him, and Katara would do anything for Aang."

"She would, wouldn't she?"

"What do you mean by that?" Sokka wasn't sure he liked her speculative tone.

"Oh, nothing. Sokka, are you sure Toph is okay with helping me get out of here?"

"Huh?" That was an abrupt turn of the conversation, and Sokka was thoroughly confused. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"Well, it's just that…I suppose a lot could have changed since I last saw you…"

"Will you please explain what you're talking about?" Sokka was already tired and now beginning to get frustrated.

"I just have the feeling that Toph might not be too thrilled with me joining you all again." Now finished with her meal, Suki shoved her tray through the slot. Then she stood up and dusted off her clothing. It was probably gesture born of habit because there was no noticeable effect.

"What makes you think that?"

"Let's just call it woman's intuition," said Suki after a pause. Sokka strongly suspected that there was more to that story, but he was also sure that Suki had a good reason for keeping it to herself. He shook his head, making a conscious effort to set his concerns aside. If he needed to know what she (and apparently Toph) was hiding, he had to trust her to tell him when the time came.

"Well, she seems to like Zuko well enough. She was actually the first to suggest accepting him. She'd probably be willing to do it for him."

"I think you might get even better results if you frame it as a favor to you," suggested Suki delicately. Sokka had no idea why that would help; when Toph wasn't insulting him, she seemed entirely indifferent to his presence. Still, he shrugged. It made no difference to him.

"If you think that's best," he agreed. Suddenly, he was overtaken by a large yawn, and he covered his mouth. The short night was catching up with him.

"You'd better go," Suki urged. "Today's my day to work, and someone will probably come to get me soon."

"Work?" he asked blearily. He wondered how she could tell one day from another until he spotted a series of scratches on the wall and realized that she must be using it as a crude calendar.

"No time. Just go."

Sokka obediently left her cell, trying to order things in his mind. He would need to speak to Toph about a slight revision to their plan. She would now have to swing by and pick up Zuko. However, that probably wouldn't work if he was still under guard. That would mean choosing a time when everyone would be out of their cells and together somehow. But for that, they would need a distraction.

Sokka passed a hand over his eyes. He couldn't think like this. He needed to get some sleep. Hopefully, nothing would worsen too badly before he woke up. First things first, though. He headed to the mess hall for breakfast.

--

As it happened, Katara and Toph were assigned to work in the kitchens with Suki. Toph hadn't made a big issue of her blindness, so no special dispensations had been made. With as little attention as the guards tended to pay to individual prisoners, Katara thought they might not have even noticed. Although she wasn't much use at washing dishes, Toph's earthbending sense made her an excellent choice to sweep the floor, and if she used a little bending here and there to help her, Katara wasn't going to say anything as long as it wasn't too noticeable.

Katara didn't mind the work, either. It at least provided her some different scenery and something to occupy her time. When she caught herself eyeing the table scraps, however, she had to sternly tell herself that she wasn't that desperate yet. It had only been a day of substandard food, and she'd endured worse privation during their trip to the North Pole.

The stint in the kitchen also allowed Suki to explain, in hushed tones, what had happened to Zuko.

"I don't suppose we could just leave him here?" asked Katara wistfully. It would be nice to be free of him. Maybe they could track down Iroh to teach Aang firebending. Katara could live with Iroh. At least he'd helped at Ba Sing Se.

"Sokka said you would suggest that right off," said Suki with a smile. "He'd rather not do it, though." Katara sighed, thinking of what Aang would say. She tried to imagine looking into those wide, gray eyes and confessing that she hadn't done everything she could to rescue Zuko. She gritted her teeth, forced to accept the truth.

"When Sokka's right, he's right," she admitted. "I can't do it, either. Aang wouldn't." For her, that was the final answer.

"Ah." There was a pause. "Aang's very forgiving, isn't he?"

"Oh, yes," Katara responded fervently. "He's definitely not the kind to hold a grudge." It was an admirable quality, but she feared it would get him into trouble one day.

"Not like some other people we know?" Toph put in tauntingly.

"Aang's a better person than I am in a lot of ways," said Katara, not rising to the bait. "I've never claimed anything different."

"You don't have a problem with him joining you?" Suki turned to Toph, who shrugged.

"One of the things I can do is tell when someone's telling the truth," she explained. "I know he's sincere about wanting to change. And he is trying."

"Very trying," Katara muttered. She hadn't been sure it was loud enough to carry, but Suki chuckled, and Toph snorted. Katara addressed her next remark to Toph. "Well, you never had him attack you or got trapped in a cave with him."

"I can't get trapped in a cave," Toph pointed out reasonably. Then, her trademark smirk appeared. "Besides, I heard you got stuck in a cave with Aang once, and that didn't seem to bother you."

Katara felt herself flushing hotly. Sokka must have told her, but he didn't know what had actually happened in the Cave of Two Lovers, which meant Toph was bluffing. Toph couldn't see Katara's blush, but Suki could, and she grinned at her knowingly.

"That was a completely different situation," Katara returned, forcing her voice to stay even. "And he didn't betray me afterwards." Admittedly, he had insulted her, but she had since received evidence to suggest that he had spoken out of embarrassment rather than disinterest.

"Everyone back to your cells," a guard announced, stepping into the kitchen and interrupting the conversation. "Captain's orders." Katara didn't think she had ever been so happy to see a Fire Nation representative.

From the words Katara caught on the way back to her cell, it sounded like an important person had just arrived, and the warden had ordered maximum security. One casual question provided the rumor that it was the warden's niece. Putting two and two together, Katara could reach only one conclusion – Zuko's girlfriend had come to settle accounts.

Katara had to suppress a smile at the thought. She would have paid a lot to see that meeting.

--

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Author's Note: And just think – by the time I post the next chapter, the series will be nearly over. Not to worry, though; the show has given me enough inspiration to probably last me for another year. Oh, and remember that Katara doesn't know yet exactly who Zuko's girlfriend – or ex-girlfriend – is.

Review responses:

nutshak: No, it actually sounds more like boot camp.:) I'm glad my stories can provide you with a bright spot at least once a week!

MavsGirl22: The Maiko was the best part of The Boiling Rock in my view. I'm afraid I don't agree with you on the "meat of friendship" line though. I thought it indescribably cheesy and a bit out of character.

Vanille Strawberry: That is true, and thank you for saying you enjoyed the last chapter. I had quite a nice long weekend!

mystery writer5775: Yes, you got Zuko's viewpoint for a change, and he will return in the next chapter. Anyway, what's a multi-chapter story without a good cliffhanger now and then?

airnaruto45: So it seems.

JESUSFREAK-And-Proud-Of-It: Well, having studied some geology…let's just say I'm skeptical. However, as you say, it's not worth arguing over. I'm having fun with Sokka, here. I've realized I haven't been writing from his point of view much lately.

AirGirl Phantom: Okay, you saw Zuko's side for a little bit. I am looking forward to writing the Mai/Zuko scene, which will lead off the next chapter. I already did a sort of warm-up in Avatar Goes Broadway ("Sue Me"), but there will be considerable differences. I didn't want to repeat myself.

Philip 456: I'm updating as fast as I can!