A/N: Happy Halloween, everyone! I have a new poll up on my profile, just for fun. And, as always, thank you for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one. Nuff said.

Chapter Eighteen: Mistaken Identity Part I

If there was one thing I knew I could do, it was haul ass. And that was exactly what I did the moment that little runt had cut my coin purse.

At first, I ran just to keep the kid into my line of sight. We weaved in and out of the alleys, into the backstreets where Shen-Long and Bo-Fen carefully kept me from wandering into. I could immediately see why. Everywhere I looked, these seedy looking people were shuffling around, pandering drugs, hookers, and children to the even creepier-looking customers.

Of course, nothing was discreet or illegal in a place like this. That's why they didn't give two shits about discretion.

But this kid had no idea who he was messing with. I had paid nearly in blood for that money, and there was no way in hell some street urchin was going to just snatch it from under my nose. Drawing in a deep breath, I went into my sprint.

I saw him half glance over his shoulder, and then yelp when he saw that I was gaining on him. I could tell now that he really was only just a little kid. He was getting tired out. It was only inevitable that I'd catch him.

At the last second, he veered left into another alley. I turned and followed him all the way to the dead end.

We both skidded to a stop.

"Hey, kid," I said, panting because I was almost out of breath. "I just want...my money back. Oh...okay? I won't hurt you."

The boy scowled at me and backed up against the wall. He never blinked, breathing in and out of his nose as though he couldn't get enough air. He looked exhausted.

"Did you hear me?" I said, taking a step closer. The boy didn't move an inch, so I took another step closer. Then another. "Look, if you're low on cash, I'll give you some, but you can't have the whole thing. I need money too."

He didn't say a word. Puzzled, I moved within an arm's reach of the kid.

It was a stupid thing to do.

In that split second, the child's face changed into something determined and angry. It was an expression that said survival. His eyes flashed the rabid will to live as the dagger I had completely forgotten about came whisking out of its sheath.

"Shit...!"

I had relatively quick reflexes. I needed them to be able to deal cards the way I did; I mean, what good would my three card be if I couldn't read the people playing my game? So as I saw the knife coming towards me, I gave a violent start. I ended up falling on my ass. Just inches away from my face, I felt the air swish from where the blade had nearly cut me as I fell to the ground.

Actually, it's better to fall on your ass. It's the most cushioned part of your body. So I was only slightly stunned as I looked up at the six-year-old child who seemed eager to decapitate me.

But he hesitated. "Go away," he said.

I blinked at him. "Aren't you going to kill me?"

"I...I'm tired of blood. Just go away. I'm not going back with you, and...and you can't make me!"

I felt some of my fear leave me. This wasn't some crazed pirate who was likely to kill me, do questionable things to my corpse, and then toss me overboard to the bull sharks. No, this was just a kid. He clearly wasn't out to murder anybody. He just wanted to survive. To be perfectly honest, that was one of the most sane motivations I had encountered thus far.

But what did he mean? Go back with me? Did he think I was trying to kidnap him? He was the one who stole my money.

"If you didn't want me to follow you, then why did you steal from me?" The boy was as silent as a stone. "You needed money?"

There was a long pause. Then, after a minute or so, the child assented with a defiant nod. "I'm keeping all of it. And if you try to take it back, I'll cut you."

"But you won't kill me?"

Again, that hesitant look. "Only if you try to take me back."

Huh. Something was clearly not right here. I'm thinking that, once again, I was being mistaken for someone else. And I was really starting not to like the sound of this someone else, either, if little six-year-olds were willing to carve me like a turkey just for looking like them. What was going on here?

We stared at each other, sizing each other up.

"Kid, what's your name?" I asked.

He didn't answer me. He just stared into my face. He was clearly perturbed for some reason, and that something had to do with me. I was getting tired of all the weird looks from people today, so my voice was like flint when I broke the silence.

"What's the problem?"

"You should know my name. You know everyone's name."

Really, now?

"Well, that's news to me. As far as I can tell, we've never met in our lives. So I'll ask you again, what's your name?"

He frowned. "Kuba," he muttered. "I'm Kuba."

"Just Kuba?"

Again, the defiant nod.

I stared at him a bit more. He wasn't very tall, not very surprising since he was just a little kid. But he stood as tall as he could, dark eyes flashing with all the tenacity he could muster. His skin looked vaguely sun-kissed, which indicated he spent a lot of time outdoors.

His hair looked unkept and his clothes were scraggly. But the strange thing was that the tunic and pants he wore, while simple and plain-looking, seemed to be of relatively good quality even though they were dirty. This made me think he was a runaway rather than an orphen.

How long had this kid been on the streets for good clothes like that to turn to rags? I looked closer at him and saw that even though he was tan, his skin looked slightly sallow from malnourishment. It seemed like he was eating just enough to survive, but definitely not enough to stay healthy.

I frowned. "Are you hiding from someone? Is someone trying to hurt you?"

Again, puzzlement flashed in his eyes. "You really don't know?"

I sighed. "Do I look like the kind of person to waste time asking questions that I already know the answer to?"

Kuba frowned contemplatively. For a kid, he was pretty reserved. Cautious. He didn't trust me yet, which was smart, but still kind of frustrating for me since I genuinely wanted to do something for the kid if I could.

"Tell me who you are," he said finally. "If you aren't who I think you are, then what's your name?"

"Julie," I responded immediately. "Julie McVay."

"And what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was shopping until you went and stole my money. I'm kind of supposed to be somewhere, actually."

"Where?"

I wasn't sure if I should be telling this kid I was traveling with the Fire Nation. I couldn't tell what nation he was from, but chances were that he was Earth Kingdom. I doubted a kid would understand the concept of neutrality. If I was traveling with the enemy, then that clearly meant that I was the enemy too.

"A ship. I'm a passenger on a ship...Prince Zuko's ship, actually."

"Of the Fire Nation?"

I frowned. Instead of looking angry or shocked, like I expected, the kid looked relieved. "Yeah," I said slowly. "I thought everyone hated the Fire Nation around here. Don't you?"

"Doesn't matter to me. The only people I hate are the Brotherhood."

"The who?"

"The Brotherhood...you know?"

"No, actually. I don't."

He looked really confused now. "But you look so much like her!" he blurted. "How can you not know anything about the Brotherhood? They belong to you! Don't they?"

"I already told you, I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never met you, and I don't know anything about this...Brotherhood thing. Who...or what are they?"

Kuba looked a little worried. "I...I'm not supposed to tell. Outsiders aren't supposed to know who we are."

"So you're one of them?"

He looked sad and angry. "I was. I hated it. I hate them. I'm never going back. Never."

"What about your parents?" I asked. "Are they part of this...Brotherhood?"

He nodded hatefully. "They don't want me," he muttered. "They gave me up. So I ran away."

We were both quiet for a minute. Kuba glared at the dirt, no longer bothering with caution as he blinked back the tears that were forming. I started to feel really bad for the kid. Besides, I could kind of relate to the whole "my parents hate me" thing.

But as much as I hated to push an unpleasant topic I was really curious about this Brotherhood thing. What did Kuba mean when he said that I owned them? Was he kidding?

Clearly, he had me mistaken for someone else. But who?

Meanwhile, Shen-Long and Bo-Fen were frantically searching the alleys for me.

"Damn it, Shen! Why didn't you grab her?"

The two siblings stood in front of another dead end. Apparently, when they had tried to follow me, they ended up getting completely turned around in the backstreets of the market place. It was the most they could do to find their way back to the main road. But they had no idea where I was.

Shen-Long glared at his sister. "Why didn't you grab her, Bo-Fen? For that matter, why did you let that urchin go right up to her like that? I though you were supposed to be guarding her!"

"So were you! And you were standing right by the alley they disappeared down. Or did you forget that?"

He sighed. "Well, this is just great. What are we supposed to tell General Iroh?"

"Forget General Iroh. Prince Zuko is going to have a fit when he finds out we lost his girlfriend."

Shen-Long wheeled around to face her, startled. "What do you mean, girlfriend? I thought that they hated each other." He scrutinized her face for a minute, trying to figure out if she was being sarcastic.

"Well, I don't think he hates her. Actually, I was only joking about the girlfriend thing, but he does seem to care what happens to her. He's not such a bad kid, in a way."

"He's bad enough to make our lives hell if we don't meet that damn curfew," Shen-Long muttered bitterly. "Of all the things that had to happen...there's no way we'll find her before the last hour is up."

Bo-Fen thought for a long time. Shen-Long, though impatient to find a solution, hesitated to act when he saw that crafty gleam in her eyes. Slowly, a smile spread across her face.

"Shen, I think I have a way to save our skins. Let's go back and tell Prince Zuko what happened."

Shen-Long jumped. "Are you insane? We can't go back without Julie!"

She smirked. "Trust me, brother. I've got a plan. Just leave the talking to me."

She turned around and started walking back towards the ship. She seemed oblivious to her brother's incredulous reaction. His face clearly said what he was thinking: I've got a really, really bad feeling about this. One way or another, it didn't matter to Bo-Fen. It rarely ever did.

Ten minutes later, Kuba and I were sitting by a couple of trash-bins. We were well-hidden, both by the bulky sacks stuffed in and around the bins and by the bad smell coming from them. The only living things that dared to bother us were rats, and they were only interested in the hot meat-filled pastries we were nibbling on.

"Thanks," Kuba said when he had finished his. He used his sleeve to wipe the crumbs off of his mouth. "You didn't have to give me your food. I already have your money. I could have just gotten my own."

"You would have blown it on candy or something. You need protein."

Geez, I was starting to sound like Jessie. But seriously, someone had to make sure this kid ate right. Who knows how long he had gone without a decent meal.

I knew I had to get back and find Bo-Fen and Shen-Long, but I felt terrible about leaving Kuba alone in a place like this. What would he do? Where would he go?

"Hey, Kuba, do you...I dunno...have a place to stay? I mean, when you get tired and stuff, where do you sleep?"

He glanced up at me. "Wherever."

"But..." I shook my head, disturbed at the thought of a little kid just sleeping on the ground. Anything and anyone could just kill him in his sleep. That didn't sit well with me. "What about food? What do you eat?"

He shrugged. Not very talkative, this kid.

"Okay, that settles it then. You need some serious survival skills."

Kuba blinked at me. "I nearly cut your face up with a knife, and you're going to tell me how to stay alive?"

I scowled. "You know, you're pretty ballsy for a six-year-old. But clearly you haven't learned not to underestimate people."

He gave me an irritated look. "I'm nine."

Whoops. I guess I was the one doing the underestimating around here. But, damn he was one short nine-year-old. Part of me was convinced that he was lying. Either that, or he was really shrimpy for his age.

"Okay, so maybe we both need to learn a bit more," I said, blushing a little. "The point is, I know what it's like not feeling safe at home. I know a thing or two about making money. And I had a friend who nagged incessantly about taking care of myself." I felt a pang when I thought of Jessie, who was probably worried sick about me right now.

"Honestly, I don't care if you don't want to listen. But I don't feel right about leaving you here by yourself. I'm going to teach you a few tricks, and you're just going to have to deal with it."

Kuba stared at me when I made my little speech. "Lady, you're...kind of weird."

"Damn straight. Now will you let me teach you?"

He shrugged. "Well, I guess. I mean, I don't have anything else to do right now?" He narrowed his eyes at me. "Will you give me another pastry if I learn something good?"

I sighed. What a one-track mind this kid had. "Sure. I'll buy you some food that will last you a long while if you do what I say. Got it?"

He nodded. After all, what was the worst that could possibly happen.

"What do you mean, she's missing?"

Shen-Long kept his mouth shut, as Bo-Fen had instructed him. Still, he found it very difficult not to flinch at the look Prince Zuko was giving them. He didn't just look annoyed. He looked downright furious.

Bo-Fen just kept her face carefully blank. "We were headed back to the ship, but Julie stopped to buy a pastry from one of the food stalls. There were a lot of people crowding the street, and before I could get to her, a strapping young man just grabbed her and ran off. There was nothing Shen or I could do, your Highness."

Shen-Long swallowed his surprise. A strapping young man? It was a street urchin! And she chased him down the alley!

Zuko paused. "She was kidnapped?"

General Iroh and Lieutenant Jee had exchanged a quick glance. "What did this...kidnapper look like?" one of them asked carefully.

"Well, he wasn't particularly tall, but he had a knife." This was sort of true. "Dark hair, messy clothes. I think he was after her money, but Julie wouldn't give it to him."

There was a brief silence. The men in charge were silently comtemplating what should be done.

"So he manhandled her into the nearest alley?" Zuko said, giving Bo-Fen a piercing look. "Did you follow them?"

"He moved quickly. And those backstreets are like a maze. We almost got lost three times trying to track them down."

The Fire Prince cursed under his breath. Iroh looked at him sharply. It was a point of fact that Zuko rarely, if ever, uttered a curse word. It was a matter of honor as well as higher-breeding that kept his mouth clean. Which meant that he had to be in a particularly foul mood to drop the f-bomb.

"What I want to know is why someone would kidnap Julie at all," said Lieutenant Jee. "I mean...she's not exactly a goddess, her manners are terrible, and she's just a commoner."

"Unless someone knew that she was traveling with us," said Zuko angrily. "I bet that whoever took her thinks she has some valuble information about the Fire Nation..." his eyes widened in horror. "Or the Avatar."

No one said anything. No one had to. It was obvious how bad things would get if word got out that the Avatar had returned.

"They'll probably torture it out of her, one way or another," said Bo-Fen. "But don't worry. Julie's stubborn. I doubt she'd rat on us right away. They'll most likely have to peel the skin off of both of her hands before she'll talk."

The men cringed. Not a pretty picture, that.

"And who could forget that arrow she took to warn everyone," she added. "And she just got out of the infirmary, too. Talk about ironic."

"That's enough," Zuko snapped. "Lieutenant, I want you to form a search party. As soon as its ready, I want every street searched until that girl is found. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

Lieutenant Jee did a quick salute and left the room. Whatever issues he had with Zuko, they had nothing to do with the orders he had just been given. At least, if his quick response was any indication of this fact.

Iroh came up to Zuko. "Am I to assume we will be doing our own search, nephew?"

"We'll leave immediately. We can't let anyone find out about the Avatar."

"Hmm..."

The Prince looked at his Uncle. "What?"

"Nothing."

Zuko apparently caught the older man's drift. "I will capture the Avatar, Uncle. But Julie's already been hurt once trying to help us. As troublesome as that girl is, that doesn't mean I'm willing to let her suffer just so I can achieve my destiny. There's no honor in that."

Iroh smiled. "Whatever you say. In any case, I am proud of you."

"Tch."

"Okay, time for your first lesson."

Kuba looked apprehensive as he regarded the crowd of people swarming the streets. "I don't like this," he muttered. "There's too many of them. They're like a hive of fire ants...it's almost like being back at the Brotherhood."

"Just think of them like koala-sheep," I replied.

I saw him regard the multitude, and if anything he looked even more tense than he had before. "Okay," he said doubtfully.

We walked down the road as casually as any other customer, examining the wares when really we were examining the people at the booths. I had Kuba try to pick out the people who seemed the most easily distracted. We would follow them for a block or two before I showed Kuba how to "bump" into them and pick their pockets. But I wasn't an expert at this, so we only tried this on the people who were least likely to notice. For the most part, it worked great.

I would have rather taught him how to deal cards, but it wasn't a skill I could teach him in a day, let alone in an hour. Besides, I didn't have a suit of playing cards with me. Only my tarot, and those weren't the best for gambling. They were too valuble to me. So I settled for pickpocketing.

The problem was that Kuba tended to get antsy. I had to admit that he was great when his back was pressed against the wall, but all too often he tended to overlook things when he got nervous. He started to make mistakes. I quickly realized that it would be a better idea for him to learn how to pick targets. That way, when I had left with Zuko, I wouldn't have to worry about him trying to steal from a mercenary or someone equally as dangerous.

"The important thing is figuring out which people are safest to take from," I told him. "I know that sometimes you see a guy with a lot of cash, but you can't get greedy at your level. You need to be patient and smart." Another reason why I wasn't so good at pickpocketing. I lost my cool at the drop of a hat.

Kuba nodded. "So if I take from a whole bunch of stupid people, I'll be safe?"

"Well..." one should never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. "Safer than trying to steal from one rich soldier."

"There's no such thing as a rich soldier. Don't you know anything?"

I glared at the kid. I decided to ignore his cheek for now. Not that I could have done anything, anyway. And besides, it's not like I was in the habit of beating up children. I wasn't about to start, either.

"Another thing to consider is begging," I said reluctantly. "While you're still young and shrimpy, you're bound to get plenty of pity money. But don't forget to pick your target carefully! Don't try begging from assholes, or they'll kick you in the face or something. Try the sappy rich people or old ladies. They tend to be nicer..." I hoped.

He frowned. "I heard some weird stories about rich people and what they do to street kids..."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Only beg from people who aren't murderers and pedophiles."

It was sad that I even had to say that. It really was. Kuba was a bright kid, but jumpier than a squirrel.

The sun was starting to sink low in the sky so I was really eager to wrap things up. Kuba and I started walking back towards the docks. The boy was practicing people-watching while I was praying that Zuko wouldn't be too mad that I had gone off on my own.

If I had a watch, I would have realized that I was already three hours past my curfew, and that Zuko would be a ticking time-bomb by the time I found him. But it didn't matter. We never made it to the docks.

"How does that guy look as a target?" Kuba asked, nodding towards a rotund man in fire nation robes. I glanced over in that direction and gave a start.

Crap! It was General Iroh! And Zuko was with him!

"Um...bad idea. In fact, let's get the hell out of here."

"Why?"

There were too many people to move quickly, but I grabbed Kuba by the arm and hauled him towards the docks as fast as I could go. I think it was because of all those people that I wasn't spotted right away. But what really took me by surprise was that the farther we got away from Zuko, the more the crowd seemed to surge. People seemed to be gathered around something going on in the town square.

Huh?

I stopped short in my tracks, glancing down at Kuba. "What do you think is going on?" I asked. "Is this a festival or something?"

"Are you kidding me? It's the middle of Harvestmoon. And the Day of the Spirits isn't for another two weeks."

"Day of the Spirits?" I wondered if he had meant Halloween. "Is that the day where you...um...dress up in costumes?"

"Duh. What do you think I meant?"

We were thoroughly wedged into the crowd at this point, and I could make out the sight of a couple of people in maroon robes flocking around the town square. Some of them were handing out flyers while others were emphatically preaching about something.

The moment Kuba laid eyes on them, his body stiffened. "It's them...!" he breathed.

"What?"

"We need to get out of here! Come on!"

Kuba started pulling on my arm, trying to push through the people back the way we came. But a large burly man we had bumped into got angry at us, and shoved me back into the crowd. I felt my hand being ripped from Kuba's, and within seconds the boy had been lost in the tide of people.

I tried to push through and reach Kuba, but the asshole who had pushed me kept getting in my way. I couldn't move.

"Hey!" I snarled at the guy. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You should have watched where you were going, brat. Now get out of my way!"

"The hell I will."

The man glared at me and showed me the hilt of his blade. "Want to rethink that statement, boy?"

I might have backed off if it weren't for the boy-crack he had just made. That, and the fact that I had managed to hold onto Kuba's dagger. It wasn't much, but at least I could defend myself if things got ugly.

Common sense said to back off, but I was pissed. "You want to start something in broad daylight, shit-for-brains? Then try it."

He let out a snarl. I had been watching the hand on his knife so intently that I didn't see the other one when it came up and boxed me across the ears. I fell back into the crowd, my head spinning.

There was a ringing noise in my head. I groaned, and ten seconds later I realized I was on the ground. At first, I was worried that I might get trampled, but when I looked up I saw that the crowd had parted. Apparently the guys in the maroon cloaks were getting ready to make their exit, but I had fallen into the path that had been cleared for them.

There was a few beats as we regarded each other. I clutched my head, trying to get my vision to stop blurring. After a tense minute, one of the cloaked men came up to me and knelt down in front of me.

It took me a few moments to realize that he was offering me his hand. Numbly, I reached out and grasped it, and he helped me to my feet.

"Are you all right, Miss?" he asked.

I looked at him sharply. The first thing that caught my attention was that he hadn't mistaken me for a guy. Wow. That sounded really, really pathetic, didn't it?

At a second glance, though, I took notice of the prominent nose and heavy brow, the dark, intent eyes that scrutinized me. Those eyes made me feel really uncomfortable. They reminded me of coal mines; they were cool, dark, and deep. Like the mouths of dark tunnels that snaked twisted into a convoluted maze that led to who knows where.

I am never that eloquent about people who mistake me to be a guy. Let that be a lesson to you 'tards. A first impression can make all the difference in the world.

The others grouped around the man, and I soon realized that he was their leader. They all waited for him, alert and menacing.

"Um..." I said slowly. "I think I'm okay. Thanks."

He stared at me. "What is your name, girl?"

They were all staring at me. I could hear the crowd murmuring, but I had no idea what they were saying. It was like trying to listen to a swarm of unnerved cicadas, humming and whispering in the summer heat. In a heartbeat, I remembered Kuba's warning to flee. I had bad vibes about these guys.

"Sorry I got in your way," I said, dodging his question. "Um...it was nice of you to help me up. I'll...just be going now."

I turned to leave, but was startled to see two more cloaked men blocking my path. I blinked, wondering if it was something more than foreboding that made my heart sink into my stomach like that.

Slowly, I turned to face the leader. "Is something wrong?"

He smiled, but it was a cold smile. "It's not very nice to leave without introducing yourself, young lady. I asked for your name."

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. The two men behind me came closer, and as they did this I could hear various phrases from the crowd. They weren't bothering to keep quiet anymore, it seemed.

"Is that her...?"

"Splitting image of the..."

"Can't believe it! After all this time..."

I looked around at the people surrounding us. Some looked confused, others merely curious, while others looked simply flabberghasted. I stared at each face with a sense of rising alarm. Did I run into some kind of cult recruitment meeting or something? What was going on here?

"Girl? Your name."

"Julie," I finally squeaked. Then, I coughed, trying to bring my voice down a few octaves. "Julie McVay."

The man smiled at me. Now that I had given him what he had wanted, he seemed downright pleasant. The change was abrupt and unsettling.

"A pleasure," he said. "You may call me Delun."

I didn't want to call him anything. I just wanted to get the hell out of there. These people were really starting to freak me out, and I saw no way of pushing through the crowd. There was no escape. I felt trapped.

"I admit, when I first saw you, I thought you might have been someone else. In fact, you bear a striking resemblance to our Red Lady."

"Who?" I said, distracted.

"She is our patron spirit. She watches over our brothers and sisters of the Crimson Lotus."

"And I assume that you're...um...a part of this...Crimson Lotus."

"We just call ourselves the Brotherhood for short. But let's not talk here. Perhaps you would like to join us for dinner?"

I remembered Kuba's warning, and shook my head. "I...um...I can't. Actually, I'm supposed to be meeting someone else. I should have been back a long time ago."

Delun put his hand on my good shoulder, stopping me from retreating. "I insist that you join us, Julie."

Only an idiot would have missed the implied threat in his voice. His face was calm and even slightly hospitable. But his eyes remained cold and black. It was like they were stealing the warmth out of my body. I shivered involuntarily, tried to back away, but felt his hand like a vice, holding me still.

"Maybe later," I said, squirming against his hand. Strangely, I felt weak.

"Why not now?"

"My...my friend is waiting for me."

"I'm sure your friend will understand."

I sucked in my breath, panic starting to take hold of me. I summoned my force of will and made myself look away from him. Then, I jerked myself out of his grip. The moment I got away from him, I felt warmth return to my arms and legs.

Okay, weird.

"I said I don't want to go with you," I snapped. "Now leave me alone. Or else."

Delun didn't say anything. I glanced warily at him and saw that he looked surprised. Within the tense thirty seconds that followed, I saw his bemused expression mingle with a menacing scowl. He made a single gesture, and the rest of his cloaked grunts closed around me like curtains. I was surrounded.

The men took another step closer, when all of a sudden a plume a flame rocketed through the air. It snaked over my head and crackled over Delun like a whip. The men had to stagger away from me to avoid being burned.

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice barked.

I wheeled around on the spot, relief flooding through me. It was Zuko and Iroh. They had found me.

Shen-Long and Bo-Fen were with them too, and among the four of them it was easy for them to force their way through the crowd. The Brotherhood goons were now several paces away from me, eying us in apprehension. They stood by, waiting for Delun's instructions. But he didn't give them any. Instead, he just stared and stared at me.

I shuddered.

Zuko stalked over to me. "Where were you?" he demanded. "You were supposed to be back hours ago!"

I couldn't take my eyes off of Delun; not while he was staring at me like that. It was so creepy. When I didn't answer him, Zuko followed the direction of my gaze and sent a glare at Delun.

"Is there a problem?" he snapped at him.

Reluctantly, he met Zuko's gaze. "None at all."

"Then why were you attacking my servant?"

There was a beat. I gave Zuko a scathing look. "Servant? I'm not your servant, you dolt!"

He didn't even credit that with a response. He kept his golden eyes locked on Delun, who seemed to be sizing Zuko up. Apparently, he didn't want to take his chances; not with Iroh and the others there too. I saw him motion to the others to leave.

"This was merely a misunderstanding," he told Zuko. "But if you like, we'll be willing to buy your servant. I assure you, we can pay whatever price you deem fit for her."

I was outraged. First the bastard tried to act like my friend, then he tried to kidnap me in front of a crowd of people, and then he was trying to bribe Zuko to look the other way while he snuck off with me. Of all the damn nerve! I couldn't believe anyone could be so freaking two-faced and ruthless.

Zuko kept his face blank, but I could see that he didn't warm to the offer either. "No deal. I don't have time to make business transactions with the likes of you, anyway." He gave me a brief, annoyed look. "Come on."

I paused only to give Delun the finger before following him back to the docks.

The whole way back we were dead quiet. I wanted to say something, anything in my defense, but strangely no one brought up my misdemeanor. Even Iroh was eerily silent as we walked up the boardwalk, but he smiled reassurance at me when I gave him an inquisitive look. So I guess I wasn't in trouble or anything.

Man, I really missed this old rustbucket. Anything was better as long as it was far away from that Delun guy.

"Are you hurt?" Zuko asked me suddenly, shooting me a quick, furtive look.

"What?"

"The man who kidnapped you," he said. "Did he hurt you?"

I assumed he was talking about Delun. But for some weird reason, Shen-Long and Bo-Fen both went still, listening intently to our conversation. Zuko didn't seem to notice, but I could have sworn that Shen-Long had a vaguely guilty expression on his face. Bo-Fen, of course, looked impassive as always. Her poker face.

"I'm fine," I said. "I don't...I didn't mean to be late."

"It wasn't your fault," he replied, surprising the allmighty crap out of me. I had expected him to be a real prick about this. "Bo-Fen explained everything. But you didn't tell him about...you know..."

I looked at him, confused. "What? You mean the Avatar? No. Why would I do that?"

He ignored the question. "Don't say his name on these docks," he snapped. "And make sure that you keep your mouth shut, like before. The last thing we need is for other people to realize that the Avatar has returned. Uncle, the same thing goes for you."

Iroh nodded, but I gave him an infuriated look.

"Is that the only reason why you didn't sell me back there? Because you thought I'd rat you out?"

Zuko didn't look at me, but I could tell that my accusation had disgusted him. "Look," he said, "once the word gets out, every Firebender will be getting in my way. I can't afford that right now. There's too much at stake."

I opened my mouth to reply when suddenly I was cut off.

"Getting in the way, of what, Prince Zuko?"

We all turned in tandem and found ourselves face to face with none other than Captain Zhao.

A/N: Another long chapter, but I wanted to tie this in with the next episode. Julie's adventure ends abruptly as Zuko comes to the rescue. And now they find themselves confronted with Zhao. Dun, dun, DUN! How will Julie and Zhao react to one another? Will things go awry when the Gaang visits the Southern Air Temple? And just where in the name of Agni is Momo? MOMO!

Man, what a weird author's note. But, meh. Review!