A/N: The original concept for these characters belongs to their creators, of which I'm not one.

*peaks out from hiding place* Sorry for the delay of this chapter! OK, so have you ever written a story where you know what's going to happen, but you don't know how they get to that point? That's where I was with this. I hit some major snags. You could fit a flying bison in my plot holes! Fortunately, I think it's all worked out now.

I go pretty hard on Zuko in this chapter. Sorry you guys. Hope you'll forgive me. Hopefully Zuko will forgive me too.


The next thing Zuko's brain registered was the vicious kick he received to his side.

He tried to cough, but the pain in his ribs made it hard to breath. He was kneeling on a cold stone floor. His hands were bound in chains behind his back. A dull ache spread behind his eyes.

He remembered a little of what had happened, but his head was fuzzy, making it hard to focus. He could feel something sticky in his hair and down the back of his neck. Probably blood from a head wound. His hair was out of it's bindings and it draped down, veiling his face.

There were men all around him as best he could tell. He was bent low to the floor, having little energy to straiten. His vision was dim, or maybe the room was just dimly lit. He couldn't be sure at this point.

One of the men lifted his chin to punch him in the mouth, splitting his lip. Zuko could taste the metallic flavor of his own blood.

The battery was halted when a powerful voice cut through the room. "Alright men. Let's not beat him too badly just yet. I want to know who he is, and what he's doing here. If he's unconscious I can't ask him." Several of the men chuckled cruelly.

Zuko spit blood and tried to lift his head to see who was talking. The sound of the man's voice played in his mind, trying to trigger a memory. The speaker was outside the circle of light and he couldn't see him.

One of the men closest to Zuko grabbed a fistful of his hair and lifted his face to the light. A shot of pain resonated through Zuko's scalp as the hair pulled at his head-wound, causing it to reopen and bleed again.

Once his face was more visible, several of the men closest to him took steps back. Mumbles started to float around the room.

"Fire Lord Zuko..."

"It can't be him. Why would he be here?"

"Maybe he just looks like him?"

"But he has the same scar."

The Boss' commanding voice rang through the room again, halting further dissension. "Allot of men have facial scars." A broad-shouldered man pushed his way forward and into the light to get a better look at his prisoner.

Zuko recognized him. He had a small scar on his cheek that he hadn't seen before. He had more gray in his hair and beard, and they were now styled in Fire Nation ways, but his strong build and mean expression were exactly the same as when Zuko'd first met him in the Earth Kingdom. "You!" he hissed out through his sore lips. He knew he was in big trouble.

The Boss took a step towards him, and without another word, punched Zuko in his good eye.

The force of the blow on his already injured head put Zuko in a daze.

The man holding Zuko's hair let go. "So Boss, is it really him?"

The big man smiled. "Yeah, it's him. This is going to take some careful planning."

Zuko could hear the men leave, but he didn't have the strength to lift his head. He shut his eyes. Thoughts were coming out of order.

He slumped to the floor and unconsciousness claimed him again.

Zuko woke sometime later, but it was so dark in the room he wasn't positive his eyes were open. Fortunately his mind was clearer now so he was able to take better stock of his situation. It was bitterly cold, his cloak had been taken with his weapons. His hands were too closely manacled together to firebend. He noticed there was a chain running from his wrists attaching him to the wall at his back.

He used his Breath of Fire to get his core temperature up. It also afforded him brief glimpses of the room. It wasn't large, maybe ten or fifteen foot square. There was one door to his left and no windows. Two pillars stood in the center of the room. He assumed he was in a building's basement, probably the Blue Penguin's.

He estimated that outside it was at least early morning. He could usually feel if the sun had risen, but he wasn't positive if he could do it in his current condition.

He turned his attention to his injuries. His head still ached but he was sure the bleeding had stopped. He was sore all over. He had moved into a kneeling position. He didn't think he could stand yet without fainting. His lip and eye were badly swollen. Once again, he cursed his Father for giving him the scar on his left side. It'd always hampered his vision on that side. And with the swelling around his right eye, it made it hard to see clearly.

He also cursed himself for his lack of observational skills lately. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He'd always had keen senses until now. It was that dancer that'd distracted him this time. She'd really gotten to him.

He would've shook his head at his own stupidity if it wouldn't have incredibly hurt to do so. He grimaced in pain and frustration.

He wondered if Katara was alright. He hadn't seen her since before the party. He wasn't even sure how long ago that'd been. She must be worrying about him by now. He didn't want to think about the possibility of her being in trouble. That would only drive him crazy.

"I should have listened to her!" He lamented to the darkness. She was right, it'd been too dangerous for him here. He thought he'd progressed past the stage of leaping into things blindly. Now this.

He'd put himself in danger, true, but he'd also jeopardized the future of his nation. If anything ever happened to him with no declared heir, his nation would collapse into civil war. 'Spirits!' He could be so stupid at times!

His self-flagellation was interrupted when the door to his prison opened, and a piercing light flooded the room. A gruff voice resonated from the other side of the door. "The Boss wants him treated nice. He's a very valuable commodity."

Zuko looked down, hiding his face in his hair. He heard the door bang shut and bolt from the outside. He didn't have much strength, but if he could catch whoever it was off guard, he might be able to subdue them.

He could see the shadow of a small flame make it's way across the floor. Maybe it was a firebender here to torture him some more, and the guard's words had been a cruel joke.

Then two feet came into view. They were small, delicate, ...a woman's. He straitened up, looking into the face of the last person he expected to see.

"Katara." he breathed in surprise.

She dropped to the floor next to him and threw her arms around him. "Oh Zuko! I thought you were dead."

He rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm fine Katara." 'Better, now that I know you're alright.' "Please don't cry."

She pulled away. "You're not fine, look at you." She gingerly touched his swollen eye. He winced from the contact. "What'd they do to you?"

"Nothing that hasn't been done before." He would've tried to give her a reassuring smile, but his lip would've opened again.

She looked at him horrified, maybe because he would joke at a time like this, or maybe because she suspected it was the truth. She went about checking his other wounds.

He looked at her puzzled. "Why did they let you in here? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. After I danced last night... did you see me dance?"

Zuko's eyes were as wide as his injuries would allow, but he nodded.

"Well, after I danced, the Boss called me over. He wanted a private show for him later. Revolting man." She made a face and Zuko tried not to laugh. "I was forced to wait for him in his room until after the party. I was planning to waterbend him into next week if he tried anything, but a few minutes after he arrived we were interrupted by one of his men. The Boss was furious, but the man had an urgent message and The Boss seemed very interested once he received it. I didn't hear what it was about, and he left me directly to deal with it. I suppose it was about you. Did you see him?"

"He's the one who gave me the eye." Zuko said tersely.

"Did you recognize him?" she asked as she looked at his eye a little closer.

"Yes." his voice went low. "He's a dangerous man. I want you to stay away for m him."

Katara raised an eyebrow at him. "You're kidding, right? If I do that you'll be left to them!" Her voice was rising. "I've faced some dangerous people in my life and managed just fine."

He winced inwardly knowing she included him in that lineup.

"Who is he?"

Zuko sighed in resignation. "I don't know what he calls himself here, but when I first met him in the Earth Kingdom his name was Gow. He was a soldier in the Earth Kingdom army, with a specialty in fighting with hammers." he looked at her earnestly. "Katara, he's a Earthbender with a serious grudge against me."

She blinked at him a minute. "Someday you'll have to tell me that story, but we don't have time now." She summoned water from a pitcher at her side.

For the first time Zuko noticed she'd brought a tray of food with her. "What are you doing?" he asked the waterbender.

She looked at him surprised. "I'm going to work on your wounds, then we're getting out of here."

He leaned away from her hands. "We can't. Even if you heal me, I don't think we can take down all of the guards, and escape. And we still don't know how they knew about our shipments. We need to stay, to root out the spy."

Katara closed her eyes in frustration and anger. He could almost see the vein on her forehead pulse. After a minute she still hadn't moved. He was a little scared.

"What about your wounds?" she finally said through gritted teeth.

"You can't. If they learn you're a waterbender they'll at least think you may have more to hide, at worst they'll connect you to me."

She opened her eyes. Her anger had been replaced by pain. "I'm sorry." She bent the water back into the jug.

Compassion flowed through him. "I know. I'll be okay."

"If you're staying you should eat something." She turned and started breaking off small pieces of bread.

To fill the awkward silence as she fed him, he asked her what'd happened, and how she was even there.

"When Gow returned to me last night he looked shaken and he immediately ordered me out. I was relieved at the time, but then I waited for you to return to the apartment all night. I was beside myself. This morning Gow's men told me I had a new job. At first I was worried I'd been found out. Then they handed me the tray and told me I had to tend to a prisoner. I suspect now, I was given the job because none of the men would do it. I think they're afraid of you."

They were interrupted when the door unbolted and a man leaned his head in. "You done yet?" he barked gruffly.

Katara turned to face him. "Be there in a minute. He's being stubborn."

Zuko knew she said that as much for his benefit as for the guard's.

The man chuckled and shut the door again and Katara turned back to Zuko. Tears started to well in her eyes again. She lifted her hand like she was going to touch his face, but dropped it before she did. He stared at her. The tears started to spill from her eyes. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so bull-headed, wanting to do things my way... I could've asked for help." She shook her head. "None of this should have happened."

He frowned, "Katara. Don't blame yourself, I don't. I'm just as much at fault, if not more. I could've put a stop to this at any time by sending in troops. But I didn't. Maybe it was pride, but I wanted to help you myself. Have another adventure like the old days." He chuckled, but because of his bruised ribs it ended in a painful cough.

She hugged him as tightly as she could without hurting him. "I'll be back as soon as they let me. We'll figure something out."

"Be safe." he said as she picked up the tray. "Um, Katara?" he wasn't sure how to put this.

"Yes?"

"Well, it's just... you've been crying, and if they saw..." he hoped she'd understand.

She smiled softly. She raised her hand and bent the tears out of her clothes and off her face.

He looked at her blankly. "Oh."

"You'd be surprised how handy that is during stressful negotiations." She looked like she was going to say something else, but turned and went to the door. The lantern she'd carried had been the only light, so when the guard let her out, Zuko was again left in darkness.

Though, it didn't seem quite as oppressive now.

A/N: I hope this chapter was ok. I know it's at least better than the original draft! I should be getting the next chapter up a little quicker.

For your patience in waiting for this chapter, I give an added bonus of a drabble! SUPRISE!!

Note: this is an AU version of Katara and Zuko, mostly due to the fact they're watching a DVD on a big screen. XD Also, it's written in a play-like style.

~~*~~

Katara wanted to know the story between Gow and Zuko, so pestered the Fire Lord endlessly. He's not the best word-smith, so decided to just show her the episode Zuko Alone (207). He watched it with her to gage her reaction.

- The show begins and they sit down next to each other on the couch. A few minutes into it Gow comes on screen. -

Katara: He's a world class jerk!

Zuko: *smiles*

- Young Zuko comes on. -

K: *clasps hands in front of her, eyes twinkling* Aw, look at you! You're so cute!

Z: *rolls eyes*

- Young Azula (yeah, pretty much any time during the episode). -

K: Wow. She was a psycho even back then.

Z: *grumbles* Tell me about it.

- Katara watches more of Zuko's family interacting. -

K: Your Mom and Uncle are awesome, but the rest of your family...

Z: Agreed.

- Ursa leaves. -

K: *crying* Oh, Zuko.

Z: *closes eyes and turns away*

- Zuko's epic battle with soldiers and end credits. -

K: …

Z: *worried* So?

K: Um... *blushes*

Z: What?

K: You were kinda hot. *smiles shyly*

Z: *turns bright red*