Okay, this chapter is darker than usual. Don't kill me for the ending, although I can't promise things will get better soon. If Katara is OOC it's because of the event that happened to her.

Disclaimer: Avatar is the property of someone whose name escapes me right now, but it isn't mine.

The song for this chapter, which is shorter than the last few and will only get one song, is - Waiting by City and Color. It can be found here - http://wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?v=tzI-lRtxx74 - just replace the DOT with .

Also, if I don't get at least ten reviews for this chapter, I won't post the next chapter before the New Year. Explanation at end of story.

Chapter Five - Meetings (part two)

Our characters have met, and seemingly escaped from danger. Or have they? And why won't they trust each other?

BlueBLUEblueblueblueblue. Katara is surrounded by blue. For some reason this seems to have a negative effect on her, unlike the calming influence it normally is. There is water everywhere. What if she drowns? She can feel the boat curving and tilting as waves lap against it - it's about to tip over! She lets off a wordless scream inside her head as the drug still hasn't worn off. Panic begins to rise within her like a bubble. She can't let it out...OUToutOUT. HELP! HELPHELPHELP.

Tears begin to stream down in a river. She doesn't know what she is crying about - but she wants to get out of there. She needs to get out of there. Something is very wrong - this isn't her at all! In some remote part of her, Katara can feel that letting out all her emotions is somehow therapeutic, but right now all she can focus on is the wordless crying. She feels like she is choking inside. She can't let out the sobs that are building up. The tears continue to pour out but she wants to sob and scream, which she isn't allowed to do by the drug, and simply tears aren't enough.

She isn't crying about the encounter with the captain - it has shaken her but not as much as other things she has gone through. She is crying about other, worse things. She cries about Aang and Toph and even Azula. She cries about the panic she feels, surrounded by this endless blue.

"Agni!" Zuko lets out a low curse as he sees Katara slumped on the other side of the boat. He glances conflictedly at the oars, knowing they need all the time they can get, but decides to go over to Katara. He knows why this was happening. Slowly, he walks towards her, as one would with a frightened rabbit-puppy*. She looks up and snuffles softly, appearing terrified. She has apparently regained some control over her limbs, amazingly enough. The captain has not realized that a waterbender should be given a larger dose of the drug, fortunately enough.

"Hey, hey Katara," he whispers softly. "It's okay." He moves slowly towards her, trying to minimize the rocking of the boat which seems to increase her panic. "Katara! Look, I know this isn't you. You would never let this happen to you. Aang wouldn't want this to happen to you. You have to fight back!"

At this she slightly regains her composure, although the tears continue. Zuko continues to make his way over. "Look, I haven't done one thing to prove that I'm not part of your Gaang. Why can't you just believe me? Like the others did? I didn't do it to Aang." Despite himself, his voice cracked here.

By this time Zuko has made his way over to Katara. He has left the oars on the other side of the boat, which balance it out. Gently he sits down next to her and pulls her into his arms. Katara leans into his comforting warmth and he rubs her back softly. His mother has always told him that physical contact is the best way to comfort someone.

It appears to be working. Slowly Katara's sobs - for they have extended into sobs as she has regained control over her face, or perhaps they are involuntary - subside and physical control returns to her. She raises her tear-tracked face to Zuko and whispers, "Thanks" just loud enough for him to hear. And Zuko doesn't know why this makes him feel so happy and relieved inside.

Maybe because he thinks this may finally be forgiveness. It isn't.**

But it is enough for now.

They make their way onto the dock, leaning on each other for support. There is a flash of green and Zuko senses that there is something wrong. He looks around the crowded area, even at this time of night there are many people there, but sees no one he knows. He reluctantly makes his way on. Katara needs him after all.

He leads her to the inn he has gotten a place in before he went out to the ships, he has suspected he would need it. He has two rooms of course, he knows how people talk. The inn is a far bit off, but it is the closest one he can find which isn't frequented by call girls and their customers.

They're making their way there when Zuko realizes they aren't alone any more. He looks around and realizes they're in a deserted alley. How cliched.

And then, they're surrounded. Of course there's the option of just giving Katara up but he can't take that. He knows Sokka trusts him and somehow that helps him as he begins to fight. He knows Katara is in no condition to do so and it doesn't surprise him to just see her standing there but he has hoped she would show a little resistance.

Clearly Katara has been changed like Toph. The pirates are not even bothering to pay her any attention - after a few glances at her they have come to the conclusion that she is no threat - with the consqeuence that all their efforts are now focused on Zuko. Even with his superior firebending skills, it is obvious that he doesn't stand a chance.

Within minutes, three pirates firmly hold his arms behind his back. He can't bend fire, because then he'll burn his own arms. Despite his struggles, he does not appear to be let go. The pirate captain walks up to him and for a minute he thinks that he will make some speech about how this is finally death for him or something. Zuko fights with the only weapon he has left. "Katara!" he yells. She starts and the pirates move closer to her. She backs away. "Come on! It's full moon! I know you have it in you somewhere to fight. You can't possibly want to go back to that. Look, the drug he gave you might also exaggerate your emotions but it's worn off. You can't be that scared."

Katara sees what Zuko does not. He could be killed any moment. The captain can see her thoughts. A cold rush of panic overwhelms her and she slightly nods to the captain and stops backing away from the men, allowing herself to be captured. Zuko groans in disappointment and begins fighting harder.

Katara sees something and her yell somehow makes all the men pause. It is probably the unexpectedness of it. "Zuko, I think you should just give up," she says in an annoyed tone. She can't muster up anger. "If this is some elaborate attempt to make me trust you, it's not working. We both know that's not going to happen after what you did." Ignoring the coarse remarks from the pirate about what exactly Zuko has done, Katara continues. "So I think you should just leave me alone."

He stares at her with enough hurt in his eyes to make her cringe inwardly. But she remains resolute except a slight twitch when a particularly small pirate develops a blow to Zuko's head which makes him collapse forwards and looks suspiciously like one of Ty Lee's techniques.

"How long did you send him out for?" the captain questions. When the pirate answers that Zuko is not waking up for at least a few weeks, Katara realizes she is now truly alone and there is no hope for a rescue from the nightmare she has once again plunged herself into.

*(A/N - How cute would those be?)

**(A/N - I just had to ruin the fluff, didn't I?)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is kind of crack like at first but all is explained - it's Katara's reaction to that fancy drug! I got the first real hint of Z/K in there too!
Do you like the new style/ tense/ grammar? I did some major rewriting!

What The World Would Pay - READ! Trust me, I can tell it's going to be epic :)

I saw Twilight today (late, I know). I loved the book at first but then it got more cheesy as I read it (no offense to superfans) and I actually loved the movie. Not because it was super intense and romantic (like you could tell it was intended to be) but because it was super funny, generally unintentionally. Who else loved Mike's sexy dance? The humans deserve more love. And Jacob should be the same next film! And maybe he could play Sokka instead of Jasper doing it. Although, you know, Jasper's pretty cool too! :)

Sorry about the not-posting-the-next-chapter-till-reviews thing. It's just that I ask a lot of questions each time and only a few people answer them. I love my loyal reviewers, but I get about 50 hits each chapter (conservative estimate) and I think it's not asking for too much to ask for more reviews. I was planning for this to be the last chapter since I think this is a good cliffhanger to keep you hanging until 2009, but I decided to give my reviewers a chance to make me change my mind!

Yes, a point each for correct answers to questions like 'Why is Katara not fighting back?', 'What did she see which made her talk to Zuko like that?', 'Why did Katara go back with the men?'. 25 points = 1 oneshot for you, written according to your specifications! Same for the 100th review, which I am nowhere near right now...

PS - MY STORY FINALLY HIT 10,000 WORDS! Longest story ever for me! In fact it's over 11,600 words with this chapter. :)