"Yes…" she was about to continue, but got pummeled over by Aang. She wheezed for breath as she spoke "Do… I… know… you?"

"It's me, Aang." He replied his eyes softening. "How has he been treating you?"

Katara, Sokka, and Zuko looked on in confusion.

"Aang!" This time Bit pummeled him. "I haven't seen you since you were two!" She hugged him tighter. "Oh, yeah. I was kicked out of my home. I'm staying with Zuko." She smiled.

Zuko turned red at her words. Bit giggled at the way he looked.

"May we please have an explanation?" Katara demanded , a little jealous of this strange girl.

"Ya. Are you two married or something?" Sokka added, also suspicious.

Bit and Aang looked at each other. After three blinks, they burst out laughing.

"No we're not married. As if I'd marry my own cousin. Eeeewww!" Bit made a face.

"You're cousins?" Katara, and Sokka asked at the same time.

"Yep." Aang replied.

Bit giggled, "Besides, I already like someone else….." she blushed.

"Oh really? Who? Is Mr. Big and powerful Zuko? Geez, I'm hurt." Aang replied as he feigned mock hurt.

Katara and Sokka, at the same time, replied, "HIM!" They both looked at Zuko.

"No…." Bit's blush gave it all away of course.

Aang started teasing her. "Bit likes Zuko, Bit likes Zuko!"

"Do not!" She stuck her tongue out. "Besides, if I did, that would mean that you like Katara." She smirked at seeing Aang turn red.

"Do not!" he glared at her.

"Ah ah ah….I know you have a crush on her. Don't forget about my telepathy." She pointed to her forehead.

Zuko, Katara, and Sokka all replied, "You do?"

"Yep." Bit smiled. "My mother was one too." Stray tears rolled down her face.

For some reason, Zuko walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. The other people looked on in astonishment.

"Wow, the big, meany is being tweet to that pwetty girl." A young girl spoke through the silence.

Everyone heard the mother silencing her.

Bit looked up at Zuko and smiled through her tears. Then, much to everyone's surprise, she hugged him. And…. he hugged her back.

"Let's leave them be." Aang whispered to everyone. Everyone nodded and tiptoed away.

"Let's go back to the ship." Zuko's strong voice sounded throughout the area.

Bit nodded and they walked back to the ship. They walked straight to his quarters.

"Am I allowed to ask you where your scar came from now?" Bit smiled lightly.

"Ok, fine." He said through gritted teeth. "I lost a battle with a person named Commander Zhao. Ever since then I've been banned. You were right from the beginning." He looked ashamed. "No one would ever love me." He shut his eyes tight.

"Now you know that's not true." Came her voice. "I'm not allowed back at my home either so we're even." She hugged him again. "You're shaking. What's the matter?"

"I-I-it's just that no one has ever been this kind to me before. T-t-t-t-t-th-ha-n-nk y-y-ou." It was his first time saying it and it was a little hard to form the two words.

"It's ok. And…you're welcome." She gave that cute smile of hers.

He could hardly bear it. "I'm going to talk to uncle." He left her alone in his room.

"Uncle? Are you in your room?" the prince asked through the door.

"Yes. Come in. And bring some tea." Was the reply he got.

As he got the tea from the kitchen, he thought about how different she was from anyone else he knew. He knocked on his uncle's door. "I'm back."

"Come in. What did you want to talk about Prince Zuko? Is it that girl?" his uncle actually sounded serious for once.

"Ya, I……I think…..that….I'm in love with her. She's acted different when she was around me. She didn't glare or tease me. She understood…" the prince started daydreaming and soon he fell asleep.

The uncle slipped silently out of the room and snuck into the prince's quarters. He saw Bit fiddling with a broken tapestry trying to fix it.

"Hey Bit." He said quietly.

"Oh hi. What are you in here for?" she continued to fiddle with the tapestry.

"I just wanted to ask if you liked Zuko in that way." The uncle hid his snicker with his hand.

"Of course I do." She whispered, stars sparkling in her eyes. "He saved me and he's nice to me. Of course I love him. Why?"

"No reason." The uncle replied. "Just curious. I'll take my leave now."

He left after hearing a soft goodbye. As he walked back to his room, he woke the prince up.

"What do you want uncle?" he growled.

"Well, your little friend is in love with you. She said so herself. You better get her. She's your only chance of happiness and you know it." The uncle sounded wise at that moment. Little did he know, Bit was standing outside the door.

'Oh no! I didn't want Zuko to know.' She rubbed her temples with her fingers, then went in acting like she heard nothing. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing!" Zuko answered immediately.

"Well, I wanted you to know that I finished the damaged tapestries." She bowed. "Your majesty."

"How did you find out!" he demanded shoving her hand off him.

"After your uncle left, I found the royal crescent on the last one I finished. I am not fit for someone like you." She ran out of the room, tears streaming down her face.

She ran until she was in the bathing area and stripped nude. Then, she got into the warming water and sighed.

"What's the matter honey?" the big and greasy man, known as Mitzu, asked.

"What are you doing here?" she looked confused.

He grabbed her naked body and flung her over his shoulder.

"Help me! Someone!" she screamed as loud as possible. Her mouth was covered quickly. He dragged her to his room and threw her on the bed. He turned away to undress himself.

Bit took her chance. "ZUKO! HELP!" came her mouth shattering scream.

"I need to find her uncle something's wrong." He searched the entire boat except for Mitzu's room. He made his way there as fast as he could.

"Shut up! You wench." Just as he positioned himself over her, Zuko burst through the door.

"What the hell are you doing to her!" Zuko didn't wait for an answer. He punched Mitzu right in the face. "You bastard."

Having it said and done, he picked up the naked girl gently in his arms and took her back to the bathing area. There, he washed her entire body as gentle as possible.

After Zuko was done with that, he carried her sopping wet nude body back to his room. The prince towel dried her head to foot.

"Are you ok?" he asked her as he handed her black pajama bottoms and a dark red top. 'So much for my goal of not seeing a naked woman till I'm married.'

As she put on the clothes, she replied. "Yes…it was because you came. Because you saved me. You're going to need to stay by me every second."

"That's fine." He embraced her. She looked up with pink tinted cheeks.

Now Zuko couldn't bear it. He claimed her lips as his. It was his first kiss, as well as hers. Her lips were soft against his. It felt……..right. They stood there, kissing, for the next 90 seconds.

The uncle barged into the room with Aang, Katara, and Sakka. The two quickly pulled away, but it was too late. They saw the whole thing.

Sakka looked disturbed while Aang and Katara looked excited.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Bit blushed a bright red.

Aang smiled, "I was right! I was right!"

Bit pushed everyone out. "No need to brag. After all I was almost raped, but Zuko saved me. Now that has to mean something." She closed the door and sat on Zuko's bed.

"Zuko….." Bit started.

"Yes, what is it?" He looked at her.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm in love with you!" she spoke fast, but not too fast. Her cheeks tinted red and she turned away. "I know that you really don't feel the same way, but—"

He pulled her into a passionate kiss, then asked, "What do I need to do to prove my love?"

"Simple. Marry me. In front of your family. Even if you are banned and a shame to the fire nation."

Receiving no answer, she put her hand on top of his. "It will be fine. I promise."

He sighed and nodded. "Ok. I will let out the word to start heading back." He left to command the ship.

Aang, Katara, and Sakka came into the room. "We're coming with you. We want to be in your wedding."

"Ok, just be careful."

PERSONALLY, I LIKE IT. SHRUGS