Previously…

The crisp morning air blew the thin cloak off Katara's head. She gasped slightly, reaching to pull it back up.

"Your head," he rasped quietly.

Her fingertips brushed the lump that had formed on her temple. "Yeah. I'm going to be black and blue all over here soon. That wave only did so much." She swallowed. "I saw you reach for me. Thank you for trying."

He scratched the back of his head, presumably at the band of his mask. Blue nodded at her one last time before she turned away, letting her tired limbs carry her back to the inn.

She had a feeling that wouldn't be the last she saw of him.

Katara had been so tired when she'd stumbled into the small room at the inn, that she didn't even notice if Zuko was there. She simply plopped down onto the bed, squirmed under the covers and threw the dark cloak on top of her bags at the end of the bed.

If Zuko had stuck around for her, he could wake her up when he was ready to leave.

Perhaps he'd be pleased, she thought, that she'd discovered a way to get Ren's ship and keep the money. The crates of supplies that Blue told her about would be another plus too.

Hopefully the rest of their journey would be a little less tumultuous then it had been. That would be nice…

With that final thought, sleep overtook Katara.

Midday sun shone through the shipyard, various folks out and about further down. Katara noticed no sign of Augustine, in town, or further down in the old warehouse they had been imprisoned in.

Perhaps it would be for the best, but she still wished to tell her goodbye and thank you again.

They'd happened upon the Akagi when an older man popped up from the deck, waving to them before trotting down the ramp.

"You must be Lee and June!"

Katara frowned, looking uncertainly to Zuko.

Had this been his doing?

"Who are you?" Zuko asked dryly, stopping a good distance back from the man.

"I'm Gin!" He chirped, smiling wide.

Gin sported a head of spiky dark brown and grey hair, square glasses set atop his crooked nose.

"I came to fill the role as your ship's helmsman!"

Katara bared her teeth, a pitiful attempt at a friendly smile.

Four hours of sleep had not been enough.

Half of her body ached. She couldn't wait till she had a chance to submerge herself in a tub of water. Partially to see if she could heal herself, partially because it sounded amazing.

That, and a nap. Preferably after the bath.

"Why do you think we need one?" Zuko snapped.

He seemed to need more sleep too, his social skills already lacking.

Gin stopped to shove his hand in his pocket, pulling out a scroll.

"An 'Augustine' posted this job flier in town this morning!" He presented a scroll with a flourish, still friendly as ever.

"Augustine," Katara echoed, glancing to Zuko. "I spoke with her -uh, yesterday." She said vaguely, hoping he would catch on.

Zuko stared down at her wordlessly.

Gin rolled the scroll up and tossed it to the pair.

The girl caught it, unfurled the paper, and scanned over the words.

Helmsman wanted. Ship traveling to Caldera. Free housing and food provided.

Zuko leaned closer to Katara to read the scroll with her.

"You're wanting to go to Caldera, too?" Zuko flicked his eyes to the man.

"Yessire," he gestured to the ship. "I have family in the capital and haven't had a way out to them, till now. I'm all set up and ready to depart when you are."

Katara's fingertips grazed Zuko's arm to pull him away to discuss when he said, "All right. Let's go."

Katara blinked twice, frowning.

They weren't even going to discuss it? Her fingers slipped back down to her side.

"Wait," the crates Blue had mentioned came to her mind. "I-I need help moving some supplies on board first."

Gin nodded, watching Katara patiently. After realizing he was waiting on her to show him where, she led him over to the front of the warehouse, the large door already up.

Once the supplies were loaded and the trio was aboard, Gin skillfully pulled the boat out of the harbor, making himself at home at the helm.

~0~

Katara stood on the deck of the Akagi, watching the port shrink in the distance. Salty air danced around her, stirring her hair up.

Mung's dead eyes staring at her through the bars of the cage danced behind her eyelids with every blink.

She was more then happy to leave the city behind.

He's gone now. Augustine took care of him. You are safe.

Katara's chest loosened slightly and she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

She'd have to remember to write to Augustine, if she ever got time. The woman sure had everything taken care of. Perhaps her and Blue had worked something out for them, as a thank you.

After the port was no more then a speck on the horizon, the young woman turned to take in the massive metal tower ahead. Zuko leaned on the edge of the railing beside the tower, being his usual quiet and brooding self.

She'd let him brood for now, she thought, flicking her eyes back to the structure. But they definitely needed to talk.

The main tower of the Akagi stood fives stories tall. The bottom level was one large room, full of massive metal shelves and some sort of water system. A stairwell near the bow of the ship led upwards. The next level held the kitchen and the mess hall, the latter's walls lined with large windows on two of the four sides. The ancient yellow-tinged glass lit the room with soft sunlight, offsetting the golden glow from the torches in the walls. The kitchen was next, situated near the stern of the ship, with a small cutout along it's front wall to allow a line of sight into the dining area.

Above that, lay four rooms that served as the crew quarters. Katara peered into each room, marveling at the preserved rooms. Each room held two beds, an armoire, a thin window along the outer wall and a tapestry with the Fire Nation's flame insignia.

Her mind conjured the images of her friends if they lived with her on the ship. Sokka's room would be a mess, Toph's being the only one capable of living messier than her older brother. Aang's would be near bear, his nomad lifestyle making it all to easy to up and move at a second's notice. His joyful laughter echoed in her head and she forced herself away from the rooms, going back up the stairs.

Just below the helm, Katara found a massive cog-wheel door right outside the stairwell, a new hallway now leading around to the right. Curiously, she peeked inside the door, surprised to find that this quarter took up the entirety of the level. Though the floor was notably smaller then the rest, it contained quite a suite. An outdated yet cozy living room sat just inside the front door to the left, the walls decorated with deep red tapestries to offset the dull metal walls. A long window sat high up on the wall above the tapestry, offering more natural lighting and overlooking the sea. The bedroom door was positioned on the right wall of the room, with another door in the back corner for the bathroom.

Katara followed the hallway to the right before climbing the last flight of stairs to the captains room, turning the heavy cogwheel to open the door to the room.

As expected, Gin sat at the helm in the center of the room, fingers lazily draped through the gaps. Outdated maps laid strewn out on the table beside him.

"Good afternoon, June!" He greeted, dipping his head. "I see you have come to check out my humble abode!"

"I've not been on a ship like this before," she commented, taking in her surroundings. Here too, windows lined the front wall and the side walls, a small door leading to the front-facing balcony. Not much else was in the room aside from the helm, his chair and the table.

Not even a Fire Nation emblem.

She briefly wondered why.

"Where are we headed?" She asked, before adding. "I'm sure we can't sail straight to the capital without any stops."

"Shu Jing," he tapped a smaller island on the map. "I would usually like to make more progress before stopping, but the next island is a prison - and a rather infamous one at that. I think it might be best to not stop there if we don't have to."

Katara feigned disgust, nose crinkling. "I completely understand."

There was no telling what type of prisoners - war or otherwise - that they held there.

The door creaked open behind them.

"Hello," Zuko's voice drifted across the room as he stepped inside.

She glanced over her shoulder, offering him a small smile.

His hair was fluffy, as if he'd been running his fingers through it repeatedly, and he'd changed.

Bathed, too? He looked…fresher? Brighter?

He wore a deep red top and matching pants, topped with a sleeveless darker red robe trimmed with a thick golden band.

When she met his eyes, she blinked nervously, looking away.

"Hi," she managed. "Gin said we're going to have to stop in Shu Jing. Are you familiar with it?"

Something flashed across his face. "Somewhat."

Gin silently observed the two for a few seconds before noticing Zuko's glare. He then began to busy himself with the maps in front of him.

"Somewhat?" Katara repeated, taking a few steps towards him. "Could you be more vague?"

He folded his arms. "What?"

"Somewhat," she said again, mimicking his deep voice. "Can you please just give me a straight answer for once? Would it kill you?"

Zuko huffed a sigh and she returned the breath, walking over to the balcony's door and opening it, staring pointedly at him before stepping outside.

Begrudgingly, he followed.

"If we're going to travel together, it would be nice if you could talk to me like a person." She grumbled. "You're so secretive for no reason."

"You're in a lovely mood," he retorted.

Her nostrils flared. "It's been a long twenty four hours."

Neither said anything for a few moments.

"So…" she mused again. "Are you familiar with Shu Jing?"

Zuko's lips quirked downward. "I am."

That earned him another strangled huff.

"As the prince," he continued, glancing sidelong at her. "I had to learn a variety of fighting techniques. I was expected to excel at anything I was put into...fire bending," he paused, looking annoyed at the words that were about to leave his mouth. "Tsungi horn, etiquette, and swordsmanship."

Katara pressed a hand to her mouth, resisting the urge to snicker at the thought of Zuko playing a music instrument or being taught the 'proper' way to hold himself. She didn't want to irritate him further, especially as he actually seemed to be trying to open up to her.

His gaze didn't leave the ocean.

"My sword master was a man named Piandao. He was from Shu Jing."

"Sword master?" She thought about the sword she'd noticed him carry their first night traveling. "Is that why you carry that sword around?"

She'd yet to see him use it.

Or so she thought.

A shrug. "I wasn't as proficient as my sister with my bending. Besides, it's a way to defend myself without fire bending. I'm already noticeable enough."

Katara looked up at his profile, gazing at the unmarred skin. He caught her gaze and his face slid into a neutral expression, the shield going back up.

Not proficient with fire bending? Was he kidding?

"Well," she said, deciding to let the blatant fib slide. "Maybe we can go visit your old master."

Zuko cocked his good eyebrow with a snort. "Yeah." He drug out the vowels of the word. "Greetings Master Piandao. I know I'm banished and a wanted man, but I just figured I'd stop by to visit."

She snickered, shrugging. He had a point.

"So," she thought for a second on how to word her question. "You picked your room yet?" She picked at the dirt beneath her nails.

"I've used the suite downstairs, but you're more then welcome to it." He said evenly, turning to go back inside.

Before she could get a word out to protest, he was through the door.

~0~

Katara stepped out of the warm tub, skin prickling at the cool air. The bath water was luxuriously warm; the tub deep enough to sink her shoulders beneath the water. The heated water easily made the list of the things she found she loved about the ship.

Once her long brown hair was combed out, she got dressed in her only other set of clothes and set off to find her shipmate.

She discovered Zuko back on the deck, shirtless and practicing his katas. His body flowed through the moves methodically. It didn't seem like his bending moves, however. Zuko's arms acted as an extension of his body, chopping and slicing the air before easily pivoting into a new position.

The flow was oddly familiar, but she couldn't place it.

The young water bender cleared her throat, smiling slightly when he startled.

"Sorry." She started, pushing a damp piece of hair over her shoulder. "I just was about to wash some clothes. Did you want me to get yours too?"

He balked at her for a moment. "Yeah, if you wouldn't mind. Thanks."

Katara resisted the urge to gawk at his torso, the abdominal muscles flexing as Zuko pulled his shirt back over his head. A handful of older green bruises dotted his torso and arms.

Where had he gotten those?

"Okay," she nodded. "Where are your bags? I don't want to interrupt you anymore then I already have."

Zuko shrugged, walking past her to the entrance stairs.

"It's fine. I was almost finished, anyways."

Katara followed him up the stairs.

"So, were those fire bending katas?"

She stood awkwardly behind the suite's couch, arms full with her own clothes, as Zuko rooted through a bag.

"No."

Two dark red tunics, pants and a robe flew towards her, one after another, and Katara teeter-tottered to catch them. She noticed Akira's handiwork in the stitching of the pants and top.

"You want me to wash that too?" She gestured with her head to a dirty piece of black fabric sticking out of his other sack.

"Huh?" He looked at the sack in question, swiftly shoving the cloth deeper inside and shutting the bag. "Oh. Um. No."

~0~

A load of laundry and a nap later, Katara stood on the deck near the bow, absentmindedly playing with a ball of water. The liquid occasionally evaporated into fog, the hazy liquid wavering in the sunlight before she ripped it back into its liquid form. The ocean swelled around the ship, the waves giving her flashbacks of her liberation.

Something clunked from behind her and she whirled around, water forming one long tendril in front of her body in response.

Zuko stood in front of the tower's door.

A relieved chuckle. "Oh. It's you."

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were so deep in thought." he murmured. "Are you hungry?"

She shrugged, rubbing the back of her arm, fingers tracing the raised scab that lingered from the blade.

Her bruises had healed during her dip in the tub, but the scab remained.

"No luck with that still?" He glanced at her skin beneath her fingers.

"No. I'm beginning to think there was mercury on that knife…hopefully Toph will be able to remove it."

The boat bobbed in the water, invasive thoughts scratching at her brain again.

"You wanna spar?" She asked suddenly, smiling. "I'm bored. It could be fun!"

Zuko squinted at her. "You want to fight?"

"Not fighting, silly. Spar." She slid back into a bending stance. "First to tap out loses."

"Gin would see us."

A water whip shot out, playfully swatting his cheek. A cheeky grin slipped across her pretty face at the scowl from the wetness.

Her mind ached for a distraction.

"Oh, please, Prince Zuko. You're not the only man in the world that can fire bend." She cooed. "Who's he gonna tattle on us to?" She gestured to the wide open sea around them.

A dark smile appeared on Zuko's face and he raised his fists.

"Alright."

The duo began to play-fight, using the entirety of the front deck as their battleground.

Zuko waved an arch of fire around him, sending a blaze towards the water bender, who easily countered, a wall of water erecting in front of her.

Fire, water and ice met again and again, each bender skillfully dodging with quick footing or countering with just the right amount of force

"You've got to-" she said, water tentacle knocking away a fireball. "Stop going easy on me."

Katara rode a wave closer to her opponent, a razor sharp water disk slicing dangerously close to his arm. "You're pulling your punches."

Fire lashed out, evaporating the water she'd been riding into steam. She stumbled, barely catching his raised eyebrow as if to say, oh yeah?

Zuko charged her, hands darting out to block her arms as she attempted to bend. His arms blocked her path with each flourish of her body, stopping any water from being pulled to her from the ocean. After a few moments of their dance, bodies flitting close together and then apart, Katara managed to knock him back with a wave.

He smirked, sending a wave of fire before rolling back towards her. A block of ice rose up from the decking, whooshing towards him.

Zuko shot out of the roll, kicking the ice back to her with force. The ice smacked into her legs, sending her careening backwards. Her back hit with a thud against the railing of their ship.

That was more like it. They'd always been near equals when it came to skill.

The blow stung slightly. She remained down, letting her head droop, hair falling over her face. A forced pitiful groan escaped her lips and quick footsteps approached.

"Katar-?"

She froze his feet to the ground, leaping up before he could get the last syllable out. Zuko grunted at the chill and stared down at the ice in surprise. With a flick of her wrist, she drug it further upwards.

"Okay, okay." He grumbled, wiggling beneath the ice. "You're right. I was pulling my punches a little bit."

Her blue eyes sparkled, crossing her arms. "I knew it!"

Ice melted around him, dropping with a splash to the ground.

"I'm hungry now," she said with a grin, turning to head in. "Let's eat."

Heat whooshed by her arm, heating the armband. Katara yelped, flinching away from the fire.

Zuko was upon her then, fingers swiftly gripping her wrists to turn and yank her body to his own.

"Who said I tapped out?" He rasped, warm breath caressing her neck, stirring her hair.

Katara squirmed in his grasp, desperate to wrench herself free.

She risked a glance up, eyes inches from his lips, infuriatingly turned up in a smirk.

"Fine," she studied his face. "I yield."

Katara tapped his shin with her foot, resisting the urge to kick him like a petulant child.

~0~

The dark haired girl whimpered in her sleep, tossing and turning in the bed. Her peaceful face marred with an anxious scowl.

"Katara," Zuko called for the second time, unsure if he should shake her awake.

A quiet gasp. "What's going on?" She mumbled, blankets rustling as she stirred.

"You were crying out and whimpering." Zuko explained, leaning in the doorway.

"Sorry," she mumbled, pushing herself out of the bed to sit on the edge.

He could barely see her in the dark, the white wraps she wore barely visible.

"Do you, uh," he swallowed, noticing her near nakedness. "Want to talk about it? What happened to you while you were gone, I mean?"

He politely averted his gaze as she rooted around in the dark, pulling a robe from a pile and wrapping it around her, the fabric blanketing her body.

They moved to sit on the couch; Zuko on the one he had been asleep on, Katara perched on the opposite, legs tucked beneath her.

The lone torch lit along one wall cast low light across the pair.

Katara absentmindedly played with the arm of the couch and told Zuko her tale from the previous night. She brushed past the part where she sent nearly half a dozen men into the ocean, heart panging guiltily.

"I-I don't know what I would have done if I didn't figure out how to bend my sweat…" she wrung her hands. "Do you think he would have taken me to your father?"

Zuko shrugged, eyes lingering on the seam on the fold of fabric around her chest.

What was so familiar?

"Or to my sister." He cleared his throat. "But, you didn't, you got out. Both of you."

Her eyes wide as she nodded, hugging herself.

"That was just as real as it's gotten," she murmured. "Being captured, I mean. It's happened before, but I haven't been taken away that far…"

They sat in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say.

"It's really affecting me…" she whispered, quieter than before. "As much as I hate to admit it…I just keep seeing his eyes, his face - staring at me through the bars."

Her skin crawled and she anxiously shifted in her place.

Zuko wasn't sure if Katara wanted someone to just listen, or to give advice, so he'd opted to remain silent, simply an ear for his friend.

"Hey Zuko?" She asked softly, eyes suddenly meeting his own. "Can I ask you something?

Are you really going to help us? Try and defeat your father, I mean."

His fingers raked through his hair.

Was he? He'd avoided the topic for so long. Thinking too long on it made his head spin.

Iroh's sage-like words echoed in his head.

Listen to your heart, Zuko. It often will do more talking then the mind, if you allow it.

"I'd like to," he settled with, taking a deep breath. "If you all will let me. I've gone through a lot these past few years, and I'm starting to believe that I've had to, to learn the truth. My father had me fooled - I've had myself fooled - into believing that my honor had been taken from me. He sent me on a fool's errand to chase someone that hadn't been seen in a hundred years. But in that time…I've seen the world. Lived in it." He hung his head. "I want to earn my honor back for myself, by choosing to do what's right. And…I think that's my destiny. To help Aang restore balance in the world and end this war."

When Zuko raised his head, Katara was gazing at him, a soft smile on her face.

"I'm happy for you, Zuko. I can tell, you know. The anger you used to carry with you…it's definitely lessened."

The banished prince held her blue-eyed gaze, a steely glint in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Katara. For everything."

He didn't feel like the words were enough, and it was written all over his face.

Kindness came natural to Katara; she possessed a willingness to help those around her, regardless of history or circumstance.

"For stealing your mother's necklace, kidnapping you, chasing you and Aang across the globe…" he continued glumly.

"Hey," she interjected, still wearing that same smile. "I forgive you."

He got to his feet, placing his fist beneath his open palm, bowing.

She got up to return the respectful gesture, the end of the too-big robe flaring out to show the inside, a thick gold border lining it.

A strange look spread across her face and before he knew what was happening, Katara's arms were wound around his torso in a hug.

Katara's body curved near perfectly into his own, their height difference making her head nuzzle so comfortably in the crook of his neck.

Zuko blushed, moving his limp arms from his side to embrace her.

She squeezed him once before quickly pulling away, averting his gaze.

"Thank you, Zuko." Katara snuck a glance at his warm eyes and face. "Night."

Nothing more left his mouth as she quickly scurried back towards her room, robe swaying behind her.

Wait a second, was the robe his? Was that it?

It did look larger…

The door shut with a clunk.

~0~

Zuko lounged in the mess hall the next morning, chowing down on a bowl of fruit and toasted bread. His bright eyes pierced her own as she entered the room, the inside-out robe still wrapped around her body. "Morning."

Katara made it halfway down the tower before realizing she'd not dressed, though her stomach protested so fiercely she didn't have the willpower to make the trek back up the stairs. Besides, she thought, it wasn't like he hadn't seen her in this same amount of clothes late last night…

She'd scooped a handful of nuts onto her plate when she realized the robe was inside out. And she'd made it halfway back to the table when she realized that the robe was definitely not her own.

It was Zuko's.

Her cheeks redden behind him and Katara did her best to hide her mortification when she slid into the seat across from him.

"Gin said we should make it to Shu Jing by this afternoon." Zuko mumbled, shoving another slice of fruit into his mouth.

A pot of jasmine tea steamed from beside him, tendrils of smoke curling out of the spout.

Katara hummed quietly, nodding. She snagged the warm pot to pour the liquid into the small tea cup, still not looking at him.

"Nice robe you got there." He commented, unable to help himself.

"Shut up," she growled from behind the tea cup. "It was dark, okay?"

He laughed, a deep rumbling noise.

She didn't think she'd heard his laugh before. It was warm.

Nice.

And something she'd hope to earn again, but preferably not at her expense.

"We'll be in Shu Jing this afternoon?" She repeated, changing the topic.

He hummed in agreement. "I went to stoke the fires in the boiler room and he was already in there."

"He's a bender too?" She smiled. "And here you were so worried about him seeing you bend yesterday," Katara teased, taking another bite of food.

Zuko rolled his eyes in response and the odd pair continued to eat in silence.

"I'm going to bring him some food," Katara announced some time later. "I don't think that poor man hardly ever leaves the helm!"

She loaded down a plate with various breakfast foods and grabbed a cup of tea from their table before making the three-flight hike back up to the helm.

Gin greeted her with his same friendly smile, pushing a map out of the way to make room for the plate.

Katara noticed he'd already predetermined their course to Caldera, a few islands marked with red ink.

They were to stop on the northern end of the next island, a small 'x' marked on where the town of Shu Jing lay. Next, they bypassed what Katara assumed housed the prison and stopped at the western end of the next island, Shuhon. The path continued, veering north before passing through the beginning of the main island. Red fire was depicted further down, the Great Gates of Azulon written beside it.

It dawned on her she hadn't the slightest idea as to when her and Zuko would go their separate ways, or how that would even work if he wanted to help Aang. She gnawed her lip uncertainly, still staring at the map.

"Don't worry my dear!" Gin cut through her thoughts. "We'll make it safely to Caldera before you know it!"