Avatar: The Last Airbender is not my creation, the people at the Nickelodeon Studios created it, but that will not stop me from making my own little episodes of excitement and romance.

"Stupid brat," Zuko muttered and crossed his arms.

Katara rolled her eyes before letting out a short laugh. "It takes one to know one, your majesty," she reproached angrily and turned for her cot. "What would you know about me anyway. You don't know anything." She sat on the small mattress and pulled her knees up to her chest.

Prince Zuko looked at her, a bit surprised by the way that she spoke to him. He nodded and walked over to her. "I know you well enough to classify you as a brat. I give you a room instead of a cell. I give you food. And yet you yell at me." He sat upon the wooden chair that sat a foot away from her bed.

The waterbender glared at the Prince. "I have been blessed by an angel."

"You pretty much have," Zuko smirked and leaned against the back of the chair.

"Don't think too highly of yourself your highness," she said quietly. She looked at one of the metal walls of the ship and sighed. "Are you done patronizing me now?

Zuko stood from his chair. "I'm never finished." He pushed the chair into a corner of the room. "I'll be back to check up on you later." He walked towards the door and opened it widely. "Don't try anything funny. This place is surrounded by guards and we're far enough from shore to keep you trapped on this ship."

Katara looked over at him and smiled. "I would never try anything funny. Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Oh I don't know..." He stepped outside. "Maybe your constant sarcasm?" He closed the door and sighed heavily. He knew that this one was going to give her more trouble than the Avatar. And he didn't like that. Not at all.

"Zuko better not be exploiting Katara. Or straving her. Or--"

"Sokka can you stop putting ideas in my head? You're making me feel guilty about leaving her there. She's fine. The Prince can't be that horrible." Aang's worried grew with every statement that left Sokka. Ever since they had left the port, all Sokka talked about is how Zuko best not be interacting with Katara.

"Sorry. It's just that I can't stop thinking about my sister," Sokka said looking down at the ocean below. "...Where are we going anyways?"

"Well, Zuko is probably looking for us, right? If we disguise ourselves he won't know where we are. Then we'll get into the ship and get Katara."

"OK…but how are we going to disguise ourselves if we have a FLYING BISON?" Sokka yelled, Appa groaning at his remark.

"That's why we're dropping Appa off at a reliable site: the Animal-Holding Shelter."

"Animal-Holding Shelter...?" the Water warrior asked. "Where is that?"

"It's on an island around the Fire Nation," Aang answered casually and steered Appa to the left.

Sokka gulped. "Fire Nation?"

Prince Zuko walked down the narrow hallway, towards the deck of his Fire Navy Ship. He took a deep calming breath of the fresh sea-air and smiled somewhat triumphantly. Maybe the Avatar will come for her... he considered and scanned the level on which he stood. All I have to do is wait--

--"What do you think about that girl that's living here now? She's pretty, eh?"
-- "Yeah, maybe I'll stop by her room later."
-- "Tell me when you're done..."

Zuko froze before growling in anger. Disgusting. He turned his head and found two men talking a few feet behind him. He approached them slowly until their vicious laughter got on his easily-disturbed nerves, causing him to push them both against the hard metal wall with a giant ball of flame. "You are never to get near the girl. She's not here to entertain any of you. Understand?"

"Y--yes, sir! We didn't know--"

Iroh strolled around the corner, gasping upon seeing Zuko talking sternly to two guards that seemed shoved against the wall. His small legs picked up their pace as he walked over to his nphew. "What seems to be the matter Prince Zuko?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on the Prince's shoulder.

"Nothing uncle, I was just letting these guards know that the waterbender isn't here to entertain any of the men on this ship," he stated through gritted, his face holding that dangerous glare.

"That's right," Iroh agreed. "She is our guest, therefore, she will be treated with respect."

The two men nodded nervously.

"And by respect, he means that the crude comments will stop here. If you attempt anything disgraceful against her, you will be thrown over board. She must stay in a well state-of-being. She is the answer to the end of all our traveling. She is the Avatar's companion," Prince Zuko informed.

The General nodded and smiled peacefully at the guards standing back against the wall. "Yes yes, hands off the girl," he said with a light chuckle. "Now, if I may speak to you, Prince Zuko."

Zuko gave the guards a final glare of warning before allowing himself to be led away by his elderly uncle. "What is it uncle?" he asked, slightly annoyed by the imprudence of his own men.

"I think it more safe if you were to hold the girl under lock and key. As you can see, some of the men of this ship are...hungry."

"I don't want her down in the prison hold. There are rabid rats down there. I may not like her but I don't want her to get hurt either. And the only rooms in the upper level that have locks are yours, mine, and the washrooms." He sighed. "Her room will have to do. My men always listen to my orders--"

"When was the last time you told them not to do something as tempting as bedding a beautiful young girl?" Iroh asked, a smile creeping onto his face when Zuko blushed.

"Fine," the Prince breathed. "What is it that you want me to do? Put her in my room?"

The General smile turned into a smirk. "Well, it was about time that you had some company. And--"

"It wasn't a real sugestion uncle. I was--"

"Still, I think it best if she's with you. Besides, it's just for the time being."

Prince Zuko inhaled deeply, his brain trying to digest the thought of him sharing his room with a peasant. "Very well," he sighed, giving up. "But just for a few of days."

"A few days," Iroh whispered and patting his nephew's arm. He winked before turning around and trotting away.

Zuko began walking towards Katara's room, his heavy steps resounding on the steel floor. His loud sturdy knocks echoed through the hallway and it wasn't long before a young girl opened the door, annoyance etched in her pretty face.

"What do you want now?" she asked and crossed her arms.

"Come with me," he ordered coldly and began walking down the narrow passageway. He heard small quick footsteps behind him and the exasperated sigh of a girl humoring an arrogant Prince.

"What's going on?" Katara asked curiously when they stopped at the door at the end of the hallway.

"You're going to stay here from now on," Zuko said curtly and opened the door, stepping aside as he did so.

Katara entered the room with caution, noticing the large Fire Nation emblem on the wall. She gasped. This was Prince Zuko's room. She turned around, worry and confusion written in her blue eyes. "With you?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered sternly and shut the door.

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