Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! I'm sorry I've taken so long to update. The day after I got back from New York my brother, sister-in-law, and niece came up from Texas and they only left the other day…so this is my first chance to write. I hope everyone is having a great summer! It's a shame it's almost over…….. Well, here's the next chappie!

Chapter Twenty-five

Zuko heard Katara's shriek and ran faster to her. She had turned into the meal and sleeping hall and so was momentarily out of his view. Thoughts quickly flew through his mind of her different possible perils. What he saw was not as life-threatening, but it would cause her honor and respect to be questioned. His eyes blazed threateningly and he stepped in front of her, shielding her bare body with his own. He did not mind if the male soldiers saw him in all his glory, but he would not have him see his beautiful Katara.

Zuko glared venomously at the soldiers for a full minute before he noticed someone was trying with all his might to push through the frightened throng. Thinking it was some foolhardy boy wanting a look, he spoke with a voice that shook the cave. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!"

"Oh, let me pass," an old voice said, still trying to get to the front. It was his uncle, Iroh.

"Uncle," Zuko said, fire still lacing through his voice, "what are you and the men doing here?"

"I ordered them into the jungle to find you. We were going to rest here for the night." A smirk crossed his aged face. "But I fear we have disturbed you and young Miss Katara. We will leave willingly knowing you are safe."

"Please do so, and quickly."

"Oh course, nephew. But I must ask you to please return to the stronghold soon. You have been wandering in the wilderness for quite too long already."

"Yes. Although there would have been no need for our wanderings if we hadn't been abandoned by you."

"Yes…you are welcome for that."

With that the old men ordered the soldiers from the room and barked at them that they immediately forget what they had seen. Then he turned and smiled roguishly at Zuko and left.

Zuko flashed him a dangerous glare before turning around to check on Katara. He noted instantly that her face burned crimson and tears were snaking patterns down her cheeks. Zuko wiped them away and looked at her with what he hoped was a soothing look. But he could not help but find the humor in the situation and he feared his eyes would show as such.

They must have, because her eyes also became filled with mirth and then she started laughing, almost hysterically. Zuko joined in with her.

"I have never been more embarrassed in my entire life," she said, tears running down her cheeks still, but this time from laughing.

"I am sorry for any embarrassment. I take full responsibility," Zuko told her, trying to stop the laughs coming from him.

"Oh, don't say that. I take a good amount of the responsibility."

"But I was the one that ripped away the sheet."

"Yes," she said, looking away from him as if pondering something. When her gaze rested on his again it was filled with mischief. "And you must be punished for that."

Zuko found that the laughter was able to leave him finally, but not his smile. "And how would you have me punished?"

"I'm sure I can think of something."

"Something horrible and demoralizing?"

"Of course."

"I'm trembling."

"Soon every part of you will be, that I can promise," she told him as she yanked him in front of her and gave him a shove in the direction of the bedroom.

Zuko turned his head around to look at her. He was completely and utterly stunned. What had happened to the innocent little thing that had been crying on the floor only moments before? Where had Katara drawn this courage and sexual appetite from. She was very bold in the area now, when she had been a virgin the night before. She caught his quizzical look and smiled devilishly.

"Who are you?" he asked.

But Katara didn't answer, she just shoved him along a little more forcefully.

When they entered the bedroom, Katara pushed him onto the bed and then walked to the foot of the bed and just looked at him, again with that devilish glint in her eyes. Zuko didn't know what to think. Not that he was worried, though. In all honesty, he was becoming incredibly aroused by her bold and erotic actions. He was not prepared for what she did next, though. Blood began rushing down from his head as Katara climbed onto the bed at the foot of it and started crawling up to where he was like some feral cat. When she reached the area his blood had gone to she smiled and licked him, once again like some sort of wild cat. She only tended to him there for a short time, but each moment felt sweet to him. She was surprisingly skilled and her willingness to service him took away the tension of him having to ask her, because he had definitely wanted to ask her. He had closed his eyes and was waiting with bated breath for her to make her way up the rest of his body.

But she didn't.

He opened his eyes and saw her sitting next to him with her legs tucked under her body. She was just looking at him with a different sort of grin. This one didn't promise what the other one did. This smile promised revenge. In a rush of blood to the head, Zuko realized what this was. She was an animal, an evil sex-refusing animal that aroused him with the intent to let him down. Try as he might, Zuko couldn't help but feel anger surge into his body.

He sat up quickly and leveled her with a glare. "That was uncalled for. You just-you just don't do that to people. It's not even in the least bit funny."

Katara watched Zuko's face contort in anger. She wasn't necessarily frightened, but it was unnerving to see him look at her that way. He hadn't looked at her that way in such a long time, not since before she had been captured. She tried not to look upset, she didn't want him to know how much his anger hurt her. She had only been playing, not trying to insult him.

"Calm down," she commanded with more conviction than she felt.

"I won't. Katara you do NOT do that to a man. Do you understand?" he asked, grabbing her shoulders.

Katara looked away as she answered yes. She did not know what to think. In a way, she felt refreshed to know that he had not been tamed, but his sudden surge of temper worried her as well.

As if he could sense that, his gaze softened. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to frighten you. You just," he took a deep breath as if to calm himself, "irritated me. I know that's not an excuse to blow up at you. Sorry," he said gruffly, as if the apology hurt him in some way.

"I'm sorry, too. It was unfair of me."

Katara got up and picked her clothes up off the floor. She quickly pulled on her undergarments and then her dress. Then she grabbed Zuko's and handed them to him. When he took them from her their hands touched and Katara felt that innocent rush that she had felt the first time they kissed. Carefully, she raised her eyes to his and saw that he had felt it as well. As if nothing had happened, he reached out and wrapped her into his arms for an intense kiss. Katara let herself melt into him as he slowly and rhythmically kissed her. When he began placing soft pecks along her jaw and down her neck, though, she pulled away.

"As much as I want to, I think we should be leaving."

Zuko looked at her longingly for a long moment before his face clouded and the Commander Prince took over. "Yes, let's."

He took her hand and they walked out. When he put on that determined face, she had wondered if he was going to be the old stern, cold Zuko, but she could tell by his touch that wasn't the case. He was simply preparing himself for whatever was to come, not closing her out.

She was glad. She didn't know what she would do without him now that she had him. It was sort of ironic. For years she had done everything possible to stay away from him, but now there was nothing in the world that could make her leave his side.

Nothing.

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry this took so long. School's coming up, so I'm not going to make any promises of when this is going to be updated. I hope to do better than I have this summer, though. I'm ashamed that I've been so neglectful. I can't assure you things will change but I aim for them to. By the way, the next chapter will be a check up on Aang and the gang………………

Please review!