A/N: Hello! Thanks very much for the reviews, everyone!

There is NO cliffhanger this chapter! I'm very proud of that :)

Anyway, I don't own Avatar, blah, blah, blah.

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Zuko fell to his knees, internal pain surging through him as he gazed down at the unmoving girl cradled in his arms. He laid her limp body gently on the rocky earth beneath them, scanning her up and down quickly in a panic. She was completely still, hints of pain marring her normally expressionless face. Her eyebrows were knotted together, her teeth gritted, her muscles strangely tight. Zuko reached out, his hand skimming across the smooth skin of her cheek, wincing at how cold her body was.

His gaze traveled back down to her arm, and once again he felt a terrible, stinging pain in his chest as he took in the small, needle-size hole that punctured her arm, the web-like, green hue of the poison running through her widening slowly but surely. Zuko's face tightened as he bit his lips, trying to push back the panic that had taken over him. He had to stop the poison from getting any farther if he would even have a chance of saving her. But was it already too late?

There was only one thing he could possibly do. Gritting his teeth in determination, he moved to her side, taking hold of her arm as he knelt back down. He swallowed hard, then, cautiously, he put his mouth to the tiny opening in her arm, pinching the skin around it to make it easier to suck out the poison. Zuko grimaced as the first few drops of it slipped through his lips, the bitter taste of death tingling on his tongue. He pulled back, wretching as he spat it out on the ground, the horrible taste still remaining in his mouth.

It was only through sheer willpower that he was able to put his lips back on Mai's arm to suck more of the deadly toxin out. He couldn't let her die, not because of him.

For five excruciatingly long minutes he sat there, trying to get out as much of the venom as possible. Each time it entered his mouth he felt himself gag. It was the most horrendous taste in the world, burning in his mouth and eating away at the skin on the insides of his cheeks. Only the thought of Mai dying, being lost forever, drove him on. He began to take on a sort of cycle; he would suck out as much poison as possible, then, when he couldn't take it anymore, he would spit it out, hacking the wretched substance onto the ground, then start the horrible process all over again.

Finally the cut in Mai's arm ran dry of the toxins, leaving Zuko unable to get any more out of her. He pulled back, leaning over her as he held his breath in suspense, his expression apprehensive.

Mai appeared to be unchanged, her eyes still closed, her expression remaining painstaken. The only real difference was that the skin around the puncture wound in her arm had lost a bit of its green hue, but the discoloration was still there. Zuko grimaced, his face stiffening. He had gotten a good deal of the poison out, but it would only be enough to subdue its effects. The rest of the toxic substance had already made it into her bloodstream, was at that very moment flowing through her veins to various parts in her body.

What can I do now?, Zuko wondered, panic and grief gripping him tightly, the hopelessness of his situation becoming horribly clear. He lifted Mai gently, holding her up to his chest as tears began to well up in his eyes.

There had to be a way to save her. He refused to let her die.

"Uggh…"

Mai groaned as she began to slowly awaken, feeling fatigued beyond belief. Her arm still hurt horribly, pulsing steadily in pain, but it didn't seem as intense as before. She grimaced as she cracked her eyes open, the dark area around her blurred and swirling through her currently misty gaze.

"Mai?" a voice called. Mai's eyes widened, her expression wary as her sore muscles flexed. The voice wasn't recognizable at the moment; her hearing was warped, everything echoing and yet muffled at the same time. Mai thought it was Zuko, but she didn't know for sure and she hated that. She fingered a knife in her sleeve, peering intensely through her hazy vision at the form leaning over her.

"How are you feeling?" the quiet, resounding voice continued. Mai was able to discern short, raven black hair and pale skin, which all fit under Zuko's description. But there was a big part of his features that was missing.

In the midst of all the shades of color swimming about in her vision, there wasn't the slightest hint of blood-red, the color of Zuko's scar.

Mai gasped, coming to the conclusion that this was someone else entirely. She wasted no time in throwing the knife in her sleeve straight at him, jumping to her feet.

Of course, Mai hadn't been able to see very clearly at all, so the knife ended up hitting something far off in the distance. Her legs were still rubbery and weak as well, causing her to collapse almost immediately. She grunted angrily as she felt the stranger's hands catch her before she hit the ground.

"Get off me!" she snarled, her voice thick and unrecognizable even to herself.

"Mai, it's me!" the voice whispered harshly, his grip tightening around her shoulders. "It's Zuko!"

Mai blinked hard, trying to see straight. "How can I tell?" she mumbled almost incoherently.

He lifted one hand from her shoulder, reaching up to the left side of his face. Mai peered carefully at him through cloudy eyes as he slowly began to unwrap some sort of cloth off of his head. When the fabric was finally pulled away, Mai was able to see the familiar shade of red covering the side of his currently blurry face. Mai smiled warmly in relief, throwing her arms around him happily.

She felt his hand brushing through her hair, his skin pleasantly warm and familiar as he nuzzled her affectionately. "Are you okay?" he questioned softly, the faintest bit of worry catching his voice.

Mai frowned slightly. "Oh, I'm just super!" she exclaimed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I can't see straight and my arm feels like it's going to fall off. I've never been better!"

Zuko chuckled lightly in her ear, holding her closer. She could feel his muscles relaxing in relief.

"What happened, anyway?" she asked as she turned around, leaning her back against Zuko. He wrapped his strong arms around her, warming her entire body.

"You were hit with a poisoned dart," he began, a touch of pain crossing his features and worming its way into his voice. "I sucked as much of it out of your arm as I could, but it wasn't enough." Mai's eyes widened slightly. He had done that?

"So I set off for a village or town," he continued, unabated. "Obviously we couldn't go back to the one we were at earlier, so I had to do some searching. After a while, I found a small place, not too far away. I hid you out here, then ran in to find an antidote for you. I gave it to you, and now you're awake," he finished simply. Boy, does he know how to shorten a story, Mai thought dryly.

Suddenly she realized something. "Wait, how did you go into a village without being caught? Wouldn't people have tried to capture you?"

"That's why I was wearing this," Zuko explained, rewrapping the left side of his face in the white cloth that had confused Mai earlier. "I took some extra bandages from that Doc guy, just in case."

Mai looked at him skeptically. Her sight was beginning to clear now, but she was still only barely able to tell that his scar was completely hidden. It did help to disguise him, she decided. After all, it had fooled her when she had first woken up.

"Alright," she murmured, snuggling closer to Zuko's warm chest. "But when it's just you and me around, I want you to take that off."

Zuko seemed taken aback. "I thought you'd like it better if you couldn't see my scar…"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Mai declared. She could have said a number of other things, like how she thought his scar made him look ruggedly handsome, but she wasn't about to admit that.

Zuko slowly unraveled the cloth from around his head, pulling it off to reveal his scar once more. Mai smiled, then lifted herself slightly and placed a light kiss right on the deforming burn. Zuko smiled sadly at her as she leaned back against him, closing her eyes tiredly. Zuko watched as she began to fall asleep once more in his arms, her expression lightened with a content smile.

As soon as she was completely still with slumber, he carefully slid out from under her, laying her down gently on the rocky floor. He had hidden her in a cave near town, close to the edge of a thin forest. Tree branches hung over the entrance of the cavern, shielding them from view, and the cave was dark and shadowed to help conceal them. All in all, the perfect hiding place.

Zuko ran a hand tenderly against Mai's arm. She was freezing cold, the skin like ice. He pulled off his robe, leaving him with only a thin, long-sleeved tunic to keep his upper body warm, then laid it over Mai, covering her with the fabric. He set his hands on the clothing, heating it with firebending to stop her from shivering. Smiling the same, saddened smile he had given earlier, he stood up, turning away from her and padding quietly out of the cave.

Wrapping the bandages he had taken from Doc around his head again so that his scar was completely hidden but the right side was left exposed, he set off through the woods. They still didn't have any food, and Zuko knew that with a town this close by, Mai would refuse to go scavenging through the forest.

He stepped over a protruding root as the trees began to thin out, mulling the day's events over and over again in his mind. He couldn't believe he had nearly lost Mai…again. And again, it had all been because of him.

If only she wasn't already wanted by the Fire Nation, Zuko thought, his face hard.

Zuko stepped through the last of the foliage, his golden eyes scanning the buildings ahead. This village wasn't as poor as the last one, the buildings more evenly spaced and better built. All the same, it didn't stop him from being careful.

He snuck into the town through a small, dark alley, coming onto the main road near a medium-sized vegetable stand. The streets were crowded with smiling faces, young children holding their parents' hands and pointing at the candy shops, merchants bartering with one another, a few gamblers playing a game of cards. Zuko stood out like a sore thumb with his dark, cautious expression and one side of his serious face wrapped in white cloth.

He was walking down the street, searching for a stand selling something that Mai might actually eat, when a small item caught his eye.

A beautiful red ribbon necklace with gold trim was resting on the counter of a well-stocked jewelery stand. The small, golden pendant that was attached to the middle of it had been carved into the Fire Nation insignia, the metal shining as brightly as a flame in the late afternoon sun. A small smile crept onto Zuko's features as he stepped towards the stand, picking up the necklace carefully, as if he were afraid it would break if he put even the slightest bit of pressure on it. As he looked down at it, he noticed that there was thin, black lace sewn over the crimson ribbon. Zuko's smile widened. It had all of Mai's favorite colors. He examined it closer, considering it. It was beautiful. Maybe he would get it for her—

"Who are you marrying?" a low voice asked suddenly, making Zuko jump. The plump man behind the counter had been watching him silently the whole time, a wry smile resting on his thin lips.

"Marrying?" Zuko repeated, eyes wide and uncomprehending.

"That's an engagement necklace you're holding," the bearded man explained, gesturing down at the piece of jewelry in Zuko's hands with a short, stubby finger.

"A what?" Zuko dropped the necklace immediately, jumping back from it as if it were red hot.

The small man chuckled. "You didn't expect that, huh?" He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the wooden counter as he took the necklace, fingering it absently. "Who were you going to get it for?"

Zuko's face turned bright red as he tilted his head away. "A…girl."

The man grinned slyly. "Is she pretty?"

Zuko looked down as he visualized Mai's face, the smooth, angelic pale skin, the silky black hair, her kind gold eyes, her graceful build…"Yes," he breathed. "She's beautiful."

The man nodded, seeming satisfied. "You like her?"

Zuko faced him, looking him dead in the eyes. "Yes," he agreed, his voice small and distant. "I like her a lot." He looked down quickly, wringing his hands anxiously in embarrassment. The man raised his eyebrows suggestively, urging him to confess more. Zuko glanced up at the man's open, unjudging expression and took a deep breath.

"Maybe even a little more than that," he admitted, his voice so quiet that the shopowner wasn't even sure he had heard it.

The man across from him smiled widely. "Well, if you don't know how to tell her your feelings, this necklace would say it just fine." He put his hand over the piece of jewelry and slid it slowly over the wooden counter, lifting his hand when it was near the edge to reveal it once more.

Zuko eyed it carefully, reluctant to pick it up again. "I don't know…" he began, his expression hesitant.

"Why not?" The shop owner raised his bushy eyebrows.

"It's…complicated," Zuko told him truthfully. Even though he cared for Mai, cared for her more than anyone else, they couldn't be together. She was in danger every second she was with him. If she were to die because of him, he would never forgive himself.

The man shook his head, a smile slipping across his wrinkled face. "Come on," he urged, tapping the necklace lightly with his forefinger. Zuko looked down at it, his face tightening. "Let her know how you feel."

Zuko bit his lips, contemplative. After a long, long minute, he spoke, his voice firm and decisive.

"How much is it?"

Zuko's scent filled Mai's nostrils as she slowly began to drift back into consciousness, her body feeling pleasantly warm. She smiled, a light blush coloring her cheeks as she guessed that Zuko was next to her. She rolled over, her eyes fluttering open as she prepared to greet him, but she stopped herself.

"Zuko?" she called, seeing no one beside her. She propped herself up on her elbows, her luckily clear eyes scanning the cave she was in. Worry fluttered in her stomach when she realized that he was nowhere to be found. Had he been captured while she had been sleeping?

She glanced down, catching sight of Zuko's outer robe lying over her. She smiled slightly, both in relief and gratitude. That's why she had been so warm. Plus, if he had taken the time to put his robe around her, then he had probably just left momentarily. She heard her stomach growling. Hopefully to get food, she thought dryly.

She pulled the robe around her, holding the fabric up to her nose and breathing in its scent. It smelled like leaves burning in the autumn, crisp and cool, yet warm at the same time. She loved that smell. Zuko's smell. Her face flushed at the thought.

She laid back down, the robe still wrapped tightly around her body, falling back asleep to the comfortingly familiar scent of Zuko.

"That doesn't look fresh to me," Zuko insisted, a touch of anger flashing on his features.

For the past fifteen minutes he had been arguing with the store owner of a small meat stand over a piece of chicken. The meat looked a bit old and rotten to him, but the salesman seemed postive that Zuko was mistaken.

"No, it's perfect! It's supposed to look a little older! This particular breed of chicken is meant to age a bit before it's eaten. There's more flavor that way." The jittery man pointed at the slab of meat meaningfully.

Zuko frowned, his temper flaring. "That isn't fresh! Unless you can find me something that won't make me sick, I'm out of here!"

The scrawny little man started spitting out a rebuttal, his voice fast and almost desperate, but Zuko wasn't listening. A conversation going on at the shop right next to them had caught his attention, and Zuko's eyes widened at what it was about.

"You can take that wanted poster down, you know," a man's voice was saying. Zuko glanced over at the stand out of the corner of his eye. A customer with darkly tanned skin and a thin, wispy beard was pointing at one of the several yellowing pieces of paper tacked onto the support beams of the shop.

"Whose? That Mai girl's?" The shop owner tore it from the wood, his beady black eyes appearing confused. Zuko felt his heart thumping nervously in his chest.

"Yeah. She's already been killed," the customer explained. "She was hit with a poisoned dart; there's no way she's still alive."

The shop owner stared down at the paper, still looking uncertain. "How do you know?"

"Fire Lord Ozai already received the message by hawk. And I figure, if the Fire Lord thinks it's true, then it probably is," the customer deducted.

The shopowner shrugged as he tossed the poster into the waste basket, seeming to believe him. Zuko's eyes remained wide as he processed the newfound information. Everyone thought Mai was dead. No one would be after her anymore. Zuko smiled in relief, feeling a huge knot of worry that had been in his chest for days unravel.

In less than a second his anxiety had returned. People were still after him, though. If Mai was around when he was, then he would be putting her at risk.

Zuko's face was grim as he realized what he had to do. He knew it would hurt Mai, but he didn't have much of a choice.

He had just been given a chance to save her. There was no way he was about to pass it up.

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A/N: Please review!!