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.

Katara stood there in shock for a couple minutes. So many things were happening way too fast. Finally, she sat down on the bed and covered her face with her hands. What was happening?

For a moment she had forgotten how to breath, but as soon as she remembered how, she began to cry. Crying and muttering thanks to her mother was all that came out of her. Inside, she thought back on everything that had just happened in a matter of minutes. Her small, thin body shook with fear as every memory came flooding back. Yes, it was now just a memory, a horrible, horrible memory. And she hoped with all her might that this would never happen again. Hope. Such a wonderful feeling. Her mother's words had given her hope when she needed it most. "Thank you mother," she whispered between sobs.

Prince Zuko stood there, not knowing what to do. Comfort her? Go after that bastard for telling her his secret? Or just stand there like a complete idiot?

He walked over to her and sat down beside her. "Katara, I…," he stopped. Telling her that I love her won't do any good. It'd just stress her out more. "I'm sorry I didn't come faster," he said. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, showing her that he was there, but she gasped and stood up.

"Don't touch me," she yelled. "Don't ever touch me!"

She grabbed the large blanket that was lying on the floor and wrapped it around herself protectively. Giving Zuko an angry glare, she sat down on a chair on the opposite side of the room.

"Katara," he asked a little confused. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" she mocked. "How can you ask such a stupid question?"

"Don't get angry with me! " he yelled and stood up.

She shrunk back into the chair and cried, "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Prince Zuko's shoulders sagged and he sat back down. Admiral Zhao had traumatized her. She doesn't trust him anymore. "No Katara, I'm sorry. I left you alone, in this room, knowing that he was on the ship. I'm so stupid. I actually thought he was going to listen to me, and leave you alone."

Katara continued crying, it was as though she wasn't listening.

"I'll leave you alone. I'll be outside this door if you need anything," he said and walked over to the door.

"Prince Zuko." Katara stood up and wiped the tears off her red cheeks. "Thank you."

Zuko smiled and walked over to her slowly, not knowing if she would attack him if he came any closer to her. She took a small step towards him, telling him that it was okay. They were a couple inches away from each other when he stretched out his arms and pulled her closer, embracing her. She laid her head on his chest and cried. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back softly.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered as she continued to cry in his arms. He passed his hand over her head and tightened his hug, securing her. "Everything will be okay."

Her arms crept out of the blanket and wrapped themselves around his waist, making him smile. Her sobs slowly began to fade. "Thank you, Prince Zuko."

He passed his fingers through her hair. At least she's not asking me about what Zhao said.

"I need to put my clothes back on," she said as she pulled herself from his hold.

"Right," he agreed and let her go. "I'll be outside." He turned around and walked towards the door. He gave her a small smile and walked through the entrance, shutting the door gently.

Katara walked over to the bed and grabbed the clothes that Admiral Zhao had taken off her so easily. A couple tears slid down her face as the memory of him taking off her pants flashed through her mind, but she pushed it out and the memory of Prince Zuko holding her replaced it. She put on her clothes and braided her hair ever so slowly. She looked over at the mattress and sighed. What would have happened if Zuko had done the bed? Would she have been prepared to take on Zhao or would he just as taken advantage of her? She shook her head. Stop thinking 'what ifs' . There's no use thinking about what would've happened. She leaned forward and did the bed quickly.

Katara sat down on a chair and took a deep, even breath. And thought out each event as it happened. Suddenly her heart started racing. 'If you've been wondering why Prince Zuko gets so jealous about me being with you, it's because he's madly in love with you. A peasant and a banished prince, the perfect couple', Zhao's voice rang in her head.

"No, he can't be in love with me," she said to herself. "No, I'm his prisoner. Bait for the Avatar." She stood up and walked over to the window. "He was lying. He just wanted to anger Prince Zuko more." He's madly in love with you. "No he's not," she yelled out of nowhere.

A knock on the door, snapped her out of it. "Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah! I was just…talking to myself. You can come in now," she yelled through the door. Ask him yourself. That's the only way out of your doubt. She shook her head, No. That would just get him mad at me.

Prince Zuko walked in and gave her a weak smile. "Are you going to be okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes. I think I'll be fine."

"Do you still want to stay in this room or do you want your own?"

"My own room?" she asked, frowning. "You mean that dark disgusting room you had me in before?"

He laughed. "No, a nice bedroom."

She smiled at the thought. Her own bedroom. Privacy. Then, she started to panic. Anyone would be able to come in her room if she was alone again. After all, Zuko did say that there were guards that wanted to take advantage of her. She shook her head fiercely. "No, I want to stay in here. I'll be safe with you if I stay in here."

He frowned. She was so paranoid. So worried. Her once shining eyes were dark with fear. Discomfort overtook the beauty in her face, and her hands were constantly shaking. Katara was a total wreck. What did he do to her? "Katara, did he get any further than just touch you?"

Katara looked down. "No. But if you hadn't come in who knows what would've happened," she whispered.

Zuko sighed in relief. Good. "I need to go talk to my uncle, Katara. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stay here? It won't take longer than a few minutes."

She hesitated. Anything can happen in a few minutes. But no, she needed to show Zuko that she can handle herself. She can be brave. She can't be holding on to his hand all the time. "No, I'll stay here."

"Alright. I'll be back in a few minutes. If anything happens, I'll be in the Captain's Coop," he said, reassuring her, and left the room.

Katara walked over to the bed and laid down. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Everything seemed to be one giant blur. Everything except Admiral Zhaos' confession about Zuko. She just couldn't help but think about it. Had he been telling the truth? Was Prince Zuko really in love with her? …But he barely knew her. She had spent just six days with him on the ship, is that enough time to fall in love with a person?

Could I be in love with him? Do I love prince Zuko? My enemy-- the man who has been chasing us day in and day out, for the past month? My jailer, she thought She frowned. "Sokka and Aang would shun me. They would hate me for life. I can't love him. I don't love him."

Katara sighed in despair. "I'm not in love." Then, Iroh's words came flooding back to her. You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel.

"He's right," she said to herself. "I can't lie to myself. But I can lie to Prince Zuko. He can't find out about my feelings for him. It's back to Point A. I'll try to escape as soon as I reach the next island. Swallow your emotions for two days, Katara." She inhaled deeply. "I'll eventually forget about him. Everything will be like it was. Like Prince Zuko said, everything will be okay."

Prince Zuko walked down the narrow hall, out into the deck. He smiled to himself as he sawAdmiral Zhao's ship depart. I never want to see your face again, he thought. He walked up into the Captain's Coop and saw his uncle drink some tea and talking to the sailors. Laughter filled the entire room. "Uncle!," he yelled, startling the old man.

"Yes?" Iroh responded, placing a hand over his heart. "What seems to be the matter Prince Zuko?"

"I need to talk to you. Now!" Zuko said with an angry tone.

The retired general stood up and walked over to his enraged nephew. "Yes?"

"Come down to the meditating room with me," he paused and shook his head. "No, I told Katara I'd be up here." He looked over at the sailors and pointed to the door. "Everyone get out!"

The sailors obediently left and his uncle was more confused than ever. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Sit down uncle," Zuko ordered and walked over to the window. "Do you know what was going on downstairs, the whole time you were up here?"

"No. Why? What happened?" Iroh asked, confused.

"Exactly. While you were up here having the time of your life, Zhao was downstairs attempting to dishonor Katara!"

Iroh stood up. "What?"

"I was taking a shower, and all of the sudden I hear a faint screams. I ignored them, but then I realized that Katara was in the room all by herself and that the Admiral was on this ship talking to the Captain. I rushed out of the shower and put on my clothes as fast as I could. Then I heard pleas for help, and I panicked. I ran towards my bedroom and opened the door, to find Zhao on top of her."

"Did he succeed in...?"

"No, but if I had just ignored her cries any longer, he would have." Zuko sighed. "He hit her, Uncle. Badly, on the cheek."

"I told Zhao that I didn't want him alone with the girl. I thought that he had understood. I'm going to go and talk to him right now," Iroh said walking towards the door.

"Too late."

"Too late?" Iroh asked stopping half way. "Prince Zuko, tell me you didn't kill him. "

"No, but I wish I had," he whispered. "I sent him away. And I told him that I never wanted to see his face again."

"Good," the retiree sighed.

"Uncle, I want you to watch Katara when I can't. I don't want any more accidents."

Iroh nodded and gave him a small smirk. "I know this isn't the right time to ask such questions, but--"

Prince Zuko turned around and gave him a questioning look. "But, what?"

"Do you have feelings for this girl?"

The Prince gave him an angry glare. "I can't be answering such things. What I need to do is go back down and meet Katara. I don't want to leave her alone for a single second. It's not the right moment to answer such a question"

"Why not?"

"It just isn't," Zuko argued.

"Fine. I'll ask you later then. When you're with Katara."

"Don't you dare!" he warned.

"Why not?" Iroh calmly asked again.

"Fine, but hurry!"

The general smiled. "I already asked you the question, Zuko. I don't believe I have to repeat myself."

The prideful prince crossed his arms and turned his back on his uncle. Should I tell him the truth? "I--I don't--"

"Don't even think of lying."

"Yes, I do," he whispered shamefully. "Happy?"

"Very," Iroh said, showing satisfaction on his old face.

"Uncle, don't tell her…"

"But--"

"Uncle."

"I won't. Worry not. Now, run along," Iroh said and watched his love struck nephew leave the room. It was about time. Damn boy and his pride. Now, all I have to do is get her to tell me that she loves him back.

"Sokka you're paranoid. Katara is fine! Stop worrying," Aang said trying to convince Sokka that his brotherly senses were wrong.

"No Aang, she's not! I can feel it! She's scared. Something happened to her!" Sokka paced back and forth inside the room. "I hope she's okay now."

"How can you feel it?"

"It's this feeling, in the bottom of your heart. Like a sixth sense. I just know something happened to her."

"You're weird," Aang laughed. "So, if something bad happened to you, she would feel it?"

"Most likely," Sokka said. "But it would have to be something huge."

"What about good things?" Aang asked curiously.

"What about them?"

"Could you feel those, too?"

"I guess," Sokka said and sighed. "But it's been a long time since something really good has happened in her life."

"Oh," Aang said. "Because of your mother?"

"Yeah," he whispered.

"So, how does it feel when Katara's happy?"

"I'll become happy as well. For no reason at all, I'll be happy. Even if I were on the verge of death, I'd be happy. "

"Wow," Aang said amazed and leaned back against some hay.

"Yeah, I know. It's incredible."

"Imagine when she falls in love," Aang said, placing his hands behind his head. Then he shut his eyes, smiling at the thought of an in-love Katara.

"Why?"

"Because when she falls in love, it'll feel like a never-ending warmth in your heart, right?"

Sokka placed his hand on his chest and turned his back towards Aang. It can't be…, he thought worriedly.

"Sokka?" Aang asked and stood up from the pile of hay on the floor.

"Right," he whispered and looked out the window.

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