I know, I know—I've taken forever. Just to let you guys know, I am leaving the country in a few days and have been attending meetings and making preparations. I am going to Turkey for a year to be an International Exchange student. I'll keep working on this story now that I have decided pick it back up.

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"Sokka!" Katara screamed. Someone grabbed her from behind and brought her to the ground. She hissed at the pain of the skin on her chin ripping. Katara felt the strong arms lock around her and she delivered an elbow into her attacker's stomach.

Zuko grabbed the back of her neck firmly and pushed her head into the floor. She thrashed under his body and, when she heard her brother scream again, she shouted profanity and screamed with hatred. Zuko pushed his knees into her shoulder blades to hold her in place. He wrapped his hands around her neck harshly and pushed his thumps into the base of her skull, pushing it up from the spine. Her body went limp.

Zuko got off the unconscious girl and proceeded to where his soldiers were with the male. The water tribe warrior was sprawled out on the ground. His limbs were shackled and his was breathing heavily. His lip was split and his eye was swelling.

Zuko crouched down next to him. The beaten man glared at him the same way his sister had.

"What a pathetic attempt at escape." He said. "You're going back to prison."

"I'd rather die!"

"I can arrange that. Don't worry, water boy, Kat—"

"Don't you dare say her name, you disgusting monster."

"Ha, you—"

Zuko stopped as Katara's scream echoed through the warehouse.

"Katara!" Sokka tried to get up but Zuko easily pushed him down.

"Allow me," he said sardonically. He turned toward one of his soldiers. "Take care of this," he had to raise his voice over the sound of Katara yelling, "Take him back to his cell, and see to it that he gets medical attention and food. I will reschedule his execution date."

"Pampering before killing?" Sokka asked sarcastically.

"I'm rewarding you,"

"For what?" Sokka said suspiciously.

Zuko got down on his level and lowered his voice. "For bringing me something I've been looking for." He smiled.

Sokka glared at him. "If you touch her, I swear—"

"What? What will you do? Oh that's, right—nothing." He stood and turned away. "Take him. I'll take care of the other one."

His men nodded and Zuko returned to Katara. She was still on her stomach on the floor. She looked up at him, her eyes full of hatred.

"What did you do to me?" she said the words low and slowly.

"Tapped a pressure point. You black out for about a minute, and then are paralyzed for about fifteen minutes."

"Asshole,"

Zuko's eyebrows shot up. "That's it? Nothing more than that? I'm shocked."

Katara didn't say anything. She couldn't. She'd lost her brother again and didn't think she would ever get the chance to save him. She had failed. Now, one of the people she hated most in the world was standing over her. She closed her eyes in submission.

Zuko bent down and held each of her wrists to shackle them together. His hand lingered on her soft skin for a moment. He ran his fingertips up and down her left arm. There was a strange tingling in his hand while he touched her, but of course, she still couldn't feel anything. He shackled her ankles and picked her up.

Katara gasped as she felt her head come off the floor. Zuko swung her over his shoulder and carried her out. She hung helplessly as he walked. By the time he reached his destination she was beginning to have feeling in her finger tips and toes.

Zuko held onto to Katara firmly as he came to his horse. He set Katara on the ground, against the warehouse, and then he dug through one of his saddlebags. When he found what he was looking for he returned to her. She was rotating her shoulders and her feet.

"If you try to run," Zuko warned, "I'll just do it again."

A muscle in Katara jaw flexed and she glared at the ground.

Zuko sat on his knees to her right. He opened his bag and pulled out a bottle of medicine. He poured some of it on a cloth and dabbed Katara's split chin. She winced but didn't try to stop him.

"You shouldn't have come here." He said quietly.

She ignored him.

He put the medicine back into his bag, got up, and then returned it to the saddle bag. He returned to Katara and picked her up by the forearms. He held her close to him and looked into her cerulean eyes.

"You are an idiot for coming here," he said.

Suddenly, Katara brought her forehead down and crushed Zuko's nose. He instinctively dropped her and put his hand over his nose. His eyes were watering and he felt warm liquid dripping down his face. He tried to see past the tears to find Katara but couldn't.

She was behind him and carefully removed his keys. She unlocked her ankle shackles. Zuko heard the click and turned around sharply, spraying fire in every direction. Katara yelp and the flames hit her thigh. Zuko found her and brought his fist down but she rolled out of the way and was on her feet.

She ran clumsily, fighting the paralysis, away from Zuko. She wasn't sure where she was headed. As she ran she unlocked her wrists restraints. The night was dark and she could hardly see a thing, but she could hear Zuko following her. She ran out into the street and looked around frantically, and then she found something so beautiful—a sewage grate.

Katara ran for the grate and listened to the sound of rushing water. It smelled horrible but she was practically in love with it. Katara bent the murky water and felt the pull in her muscles as she expertly controlled her element.

Out of the darkness, she saw the wall of fire coming. Katara lifted a wall of water around herself and the fire turned the water into innocent, stinky, steam.

Zuko and Katara stood in ready positions staring at each other. Each one was bombarded with flashbacks—good and bad. At the slightest movement, the fire and water would start. However, no one moved. No one breathed. Blood oozed down Zuko's face and onto the street below. He glared at Katara and the, finally, when his tensed muscles couldn't take it anymore, he attacked.

Zuko sent all of his rage at Katara in spirals of hot fire. Katara dodged and weaved through the flames, using the brown water to block what she couldn't get away from. She sent sharp icicles raining from the sky at him.

Zuko closed the space between them to the point that bending was almost impossible. Katara threw a punch at him but he moved to the side and then grabbed her arm, forcing it behind her. Katara let out a cry of anger. He twisted her wrist until it broke. The cry Katara let out of pain this time and choked on a sob. Zuko let go of her wrist and let her cradle her hand.

He grabbed her hair in his left hand and pulled her with him as he made his way back to his horse. She came willingly with no restraints. Zuko glanced over his shoulder at her and saw the pained expression she was trying to hide. She made eye contact with him and glared once again. He felt a small amount of guilt start to seep into him but shook it away.

Upon reaching his horse he pulled out a rope and tied it around her neck. He noticed bruises forming from his hands wrapped around her slender neck earlier. He rubbed his thumb along them. He kept his hand on her shoulder and then looked into her eyes.

"You're my prisoner now,"

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So what do you think? Tell me your glorious thoughts.

-Kayleigh