I just wanted to say thanks to my reveiwers. You guys rock.

Disclaimer(can't remember if I put one in already): I don't own Avatar.


Strong arms encircle me. I feel safe, as I never have before. I'm lying on a bed of silk, not the rough cotton of the cot.

I am pulled tight against a strong, muscular chest. My hair is out, and whoever has a hold of me buries his face in it.

"Katara," he whispers, his voice low and sultry. I moan with pleasure. "Katara."

"Katara."

"Katara? Katara, get up."

I woke up with a jolt. It was just a dream, I realized with a hint of disappointment. I was still enslaved to a bastard with ego problems.

Zuko was standing over me. "The man in charge around here is giving you a day, due to the concussion."

"That doesn't sound like Chen," I said, getting up.

"I know. That's what worries me," Zuko said. "He might be trying to get to you when no one is around to help you."

"Namely you," I replied, smirking. "I think I'd be fine on my own. Besides, the furnace isn't that far from here, is it? I'm sure you can make it back to me should something happen." I couldn't resist teasing him for attacking the guards for my protection. It was unlike Zuko to do that.

Zuko glared at me. He looked ready to say something, but the work bell rang. "See you," he muttered, leaving me alone.

I wished he hadn't left later that day.


It was about lunch before anything happened. I had been sitting around, doing nothing, when a loud bang startled me. "That doesn't sound good," I muttered, getting up. Before I opened the door to our cell, I put on a pained expression.

Two guards I had never seen before were standing there. "Come here, girl," one snapped. Before I had time to reply, his partner had snatched me out roughly by the shoulder. My arms were pinned back and tied. They slipped a blindfold over my eyes and shoved me around. They were yelling something, but I couldn't understand what. All I understood was that I was in trouble.

Finally, the two guards stopped buffeting me around and untied my hands. They left the blindfold on, though, and just rebound my hands in front of me. "Hold her still," one ordered. I felt myself being pressed against the stone wall and heard the other guard (the one who had spoken) take out something that cut the air.

It was a whip.

I barely had time to gasp before the whip descended on my back. I bit back a scream. I felt it again, this time harder; I yelped and felt hot tears flood my blinded eyes. What had I done to deserve this?

The guard continued beating me, my cries getting louder and longer. No sooner did I hush did he lash out again. His partner traded places with him at one point, taking the lash and hitting me in the head with it. I slipped to the floor, unconscious.

I don't know how long I lay there; all I know is when I awoke, the whipping had stopped and people were surrounding me. I could tell by the noise, even though the blindfold was still on.

"Poor dear." It was Soon-Yi. I made as if to move, but cried out in agony. "Stay still, dear."

"What did I do to deserve this?" I moaned, crying. Soon-Yi removed the blindfold. I was on my side; Soon-Yi's look was sympathetic.

"You happened to be the one still in your room, so the guards (who were drunk, by the way) decided to beat you. They'll do that at times, randomly beat someone. You didn't do anything except get a concussion yesterday."

"What's going on?" Soon-Yi turned and moved back. Zuko had come up. Seeing me in the passage, in great pain, did something to Zuko I will never really understand.

"Who did this?" he demanded.

"The two guards who were off today, Le-Son and Heish," Soon-Yi explained. "It's because she was in her room, alone." Then she whispered something to Zuko so quietly, I didn't catch it. Zuko's golden eyes flared up and he whispered something back.

"No! That would make it worse!" Soon-Yi replied. "Just take her back to your room and wash her back. Don't try to do anything else." Zuko seemed to agree and came closer.

He bent down and lifted me up gingerly. I gasped in pain when he touched my back. "I'm sorry, Katara," he murmured softly. "I know it hurts."

If I hadn't been in extreme pain at that moment, I would have questioned him. I had heard that gentleness was a crime in the Fire Nation, yet here was the Prince of the Fire Nation caring me as if I were made of glass. (I felt like I was at the moment.)

The door had remained open, the guards never bothering to close it. Zuko entered and set me down on the cot, careful to lay me on my side. I watched as he took the basin and ripped off part of the cot's coverlet. He heated the water up a bit and wet the cloth. I moaned in pain as Zuko dabbed the cuts on my back with the water.

"These wounds aren't so bad once the blood is washed off," Zuko assured me. "But you might have some scars."

"Anything is better then the actual cuts," I said. "It feels like giant fire ants are biting my back." The pain was gradually receding, but it still hurt.

I found myself relaxing at Zuko's gentle touch. I knew that Zuko could be hard and almost cruel, having been at the receiving end of his attacks several times, but now he seemed a different person.

"There, I'm done. You'll need a new tunic, though," Zuko said. I gingerly moved around, wincing.

"Thanks. I wish there was some way I could heal myself, though. I can't reach," I said, seeing Zuko's confused look. "Besides, the pain would have stopped me." I then became aware of the fact that my shirt was practically in pieces; I pulled the cotton coverlet up.

Just then, there was a soft knock. It was Soon-Yi. She held out a shirt for me.

"A spare one from the laundry for you, Katara. My husband's sister works there," she added. I nodded my thanks, but couldn't get up to get it. Zuko saw my problem and went to get the shirt. He thanked Soon-Yi and shut the door.

He set the shirt on the foot of the cot. I took it, wincing at the jolt of pain that went through my back. There was silence.

Finally, I took a deep breath. "Thanks, Zuko," I whispered. Zuko looked at me with a look I had never seen on him before.

"Don't mention it," he grunted, sitting down against the wall. "Bastards," I heard him mutter.

"What?" I asked. "Who're bastards?" He wasn't calling me a bastard, was he?

"The guards who beat you and that…idiot who runs this place. You've done nothing and they treat you like a criminal. There's no honor treating a young girl like that."

"Not that I'm arguing with your complaints," I said, "but I'm not that young. I'm fourteen. Actually, if I kept count of days right, I'm fifteen. My birthday should have been about a week ago." Suddenly, I yawned. "Excuse me; I'm exhausted."

"You should get some sleep. I don't think that bastard will allow a day off," Zuko muttered darkly. I nodded and tried to get comfortable on my side. (It wasn't easy.) Eventually, I fell asleep.