Okay, MAJOR apologies for the delay. Life happens and laptops die sometimes, you know? Well, anyhow…

First, some notes: Chapter 14 has been betaed and updated, INCLUDING a changed ending to the chapter (Zuko-Captures-Katara Blackhole: "You can't escape me forever!"). I had some serious pacing issues for this chapter ("Okay…either I'll have to tack on another chapter, or this one's going to be a bazillion pages long. How will I make this all FIIIIIIT!"), but now that I've resolved them, I was able to go back and change chapter 14 to make things flow smoother. A major improvement, I'd say.

Yeah, okay, I'll shut up and let you read the final chapter now. :X

Chapter 15: A Conclusion

"Follow him. We cannot let him escape."

Katara gaped in alarm. He was still going after Aang? After all this?

"Prince Zuko," Iroh intoned seriously, "The crew is tired. And we are still in hostile waters. Perhaps it would be wise simply to let the Avatar go and leave while we can."

"No," Zuko said firmly, "I didn't come through all this just to give up! And now's the perfect opportunity! He's tired, his animal is wounded, and we have…" Zuko's eyes flickered in Katara's direction.

Katara flooded with anger. She had known things would eventually come to this; that the minute Zuko saw the first opportunity to go after Aang, he would. And worse still, that he would use her to do it. Katara knew that this would happen---yet she still couldn't help but feel betrayed. The girl quickly shoved her feelings aside. She should have known better than to put that much faith in Zuko anyway.

While Iroh continued pleading with his nephew, Katara made a discreet look around deck. Zuko's crew was everywhere, but they were more concerned with what their leaders had to say than her. If she could run to the edge of the deck and jump off, she could use her waterbending to get away…hopefully. And then she could somehow find a way to meet up with Aang and Sokka.

There were only one or two soldiers to her back left. She could make it to the railing, if she surprised them and ran now. Katara's heart sped up. The waterbender took a small step back, waiting for the right moment. When Zuko made a particularly heated point against his uncle, Katara turned and ran as fast as she could for the deck railing. She had been a mere ten feet from the railing when a fiery blast flew past her from the right, causing her to veer and lose momentum. The split second delay was all that was needed for one of Zuko's men to apprehend her. Before she knew it, she was right back where she had started, only now restrained by two of Zuko's firebenders. Katara could see from Zuko's smoking hand that he had been the one who had fired the shot. The prince regarded her silently.

"I'm not going to let you use me as bait," she snarled, futilely struggling against the powerful soldiers that held her.

"I don't think you have a choice. And seeing as you've decided to be uncooperative, I'll be forced to place you in the brig."

"You can't do this! I saved your life!"

"I had thought you had done all that out of kindness, not out of expectance to be repaid." Zuko snapped. Katara noticed a tinge of bitterness in his voice. "If keeping score is what's important to you, keep in mind I've also saved your life many times in return. I'm under no obligation to you. Especially since you were aware of my intent to capture the Avatar all along."

Katara glared at him, hurt and frustration in her eyes. She should have never agreed to help Zuko free his crew and uncle.

Zuko ignored the look and ordered, "Take the girl down to the brig for safekeeping. Get this ship moving immediately."

Katara closed her eyes and swallowed back the burning sensation in her throat as she was led below.

Captain Himoto stormed up the ramp to her ship, the only sign of her anger being how tightly her lips were pressed together.

Their attempt to capture the Avatar had been a complete failure. Not only had the boy and his companion managed to escape, but all the boats in the cove had been capsized, trapping her men and her on the island. Thankfully, the crew that remained on the ship had seen part of the enormous splash created by the Avatar's animal guide, and had sent reinforcements to help. The Avatar had already escaped by that time, of course, but at least the reinforcements had been able to return her and her bedraggled men to the ship before too much time had been lost.

Unfortunately, it was on her way back to her ship that Himoto was struck with more bad news.

Prince Zuko's ship was leaving.

The moment Captain Himoto stepped on deck, she demanded to know why the ship was permitted to leave. It was then she was informed that Prince Zuko and a girl had rescued General Iroh from her brig. Captain Himoto pursed her lips. She was growing quite tired of setbacks.

"After them! They have but a small lead---we can overtake their ship easily!" she commanded.

Her orders were carried out immediately, and it wasn't long before Prince Zuko's ship was back in her sights, the gap between them growing ever smaller. The captain noticed an excess of smoke coming from the engine room's plume just as one of her men approached her, panting and sweating at the brow.

"Captain! I've just come from the engine room. The entire set of engines are becoming overheated!" the soldier spoke.

"Why?" Himoto demanded.

"We're investigating that now—" the soldier answered, only to be cut off as Himoto strode past him on her way to the engine room.

When the captain reached the engine room, she noticed the normally heated air was sweltering. "What has happened?" she asked the engineer in charge of the room.

"Captain, we just received word from several soldiers who went to check on the cooling room. It's been completely destroyed."

Himoto pursed her lips even further. General Iroh certainly lived up to his reputation—he was a very clever man indeed. He had managed to come up with a very ingenious way to cripple her ship.

"Captain?" one of the soldiers interrupted her thoughts, "Prince Zuko's ship is not terribly far ahead. We can still catch him, if we push the ship a little farther…"

Himoto thought a moment. In all likelihood, they could catch up to Prince Zuko before the engines overheated. But, if the engines did overheat before she caught them, that could cause permanent damage to the ship—not to mention that the crew who operated the blistering hot equipment could be severely harmed. Himoto sighed. She would not endanger her ship or her men. The risk simply wasn't worth it.

"No. Stop the engines and let them cool. Send up a flare to alert any ships to this area. We'll direct them towards Prince Zuko's ship when and if they arrive."

The engineer nodded and relayed the message. Captain Himoto's lips were pressed to a thin line at this point. It seemed as though fate were conspiring against her. Hopefully, it would be on her side when she made a report to the Fire Lord. She had good reasons to end her chase, but Lord Ozai was not forgiving about failure, even if it meant the safety of ship and crew. Well, she did still have Admiral Zhao. Perhaps, if she was lucky, most of her Lord's wrath would be vented on him.

With another sigh, Captain Himoto wiped her brow and returned to the deck to see off the flare.

Iroh watched the purple flare explode high in the sky. He looked over at Zuko, his nephew's scowling face tinted with the purple light.

"More ships will be arriving," Iroh stated.

"I know."

"Captain Himoto will send them after us."

"I know."

"Hm. Then you must also know we can still make it to the border before any ships reach here. We have enough time."

"I'm not leaving the Avatar. He is tired and weak. We must capture him now."

"That will eat up too much time. Other ships will surely respond to Captain Himoto's flare and come after us by then."

"It won't matter. I'll have the Avatar in my possession by that time."

"Possibly. Even if you do, there's always the chance that he may be taken from you."

Zuko clenched his fists. "That won't happen."

"You are putting everyone at risk, Prince Zuko. Let the Avatar go. Let the girl go." Iroh sighed.

"I'm not letting the girl go!" Zuko snapped, surprising his uncle, "OR the Avatar!"

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said sternly, "Sometimes honor is not worth regaining if it is done dishonorably, and at the risk of others. Return her to the Avatar and let them go. It's the least you can—"

"Save it, uncle," Zuko hissed, "I'm going below deck to wash up. Have this ship cleaned and repaired while we trail the Avatar. I'll be back up shortly." And with that, Zuko stomped across the deck to the door leading below.

Iroh sighed heavily.

"Why'd the other ship stop?" Aang asked, peering over the edge of Appa's saddle with Momo.

"Dunno," Sokka replied, looking over his shoulder, "But there's a lot of smoke coming out of it. Maybe it's having engine troubles?"

"That'd be nice!" Aang chirped, "One less ship chasing us…we might be able to stop and look around for Katara…"

"I don't know," Sokka said grimly, "We still have Zuko's ship after us, and I don't think we can fly around in circles forever, so—WHOA!"

A blaze of purple light filled the sky. Aang winced as a startled Momo dug his claws into him. "A flare!" Aang cried, squinting against the light.

"Great, now more Fire Nation ships will be coming! Just what we need!"

"How are we supposed to look for Katara now?"

Sokka frowned for a moment, thinking. "Well, we're not going to be able to find her the with the way things are going…hmm. Zhao still has Zuko's ship, and there's a good possibility he found her after she jumped overboard…"

"You want to ask Zhao?" Aang cried incredulously.

"Well, I don't see too many other people we can," Sokka grumbled.

"So, you want us to fly down there and ask him? Um, you sure you're not too waterlogged from that dive with Appa?"

"I'm fine," Sokka snorted, "But no, we're not just going to go down there and ask him. We're going to ambush him."

"Ambush?"

"Yeah. Look, Appa can't do too much flying as it is. So, we're going to have to land sooner or later. I don't think we have to worry about the other ship or any new arrivals for a little while, so if we stop on an island, we can be pretty sure it'll only be Zhao coming after us. But, when Zhao and his men do come on the island, thinking we're all out of energy, BAM, we'll nail 'em with all these traps we'll set up. Then we can demand Zhao to tell us where Katara is…or else."

"But what if the traps don't work? And what if they don't know where Katara is? And what exactly is 'or else'?"

"Hey," Sokka retorted, "I'm just making this up as I go, okay? If you have a better idea than that, I'm all open!"

It was a slim chance. They probably wouldn't be able to set up enough traps in time. But the Avatar couldn't think of a better way to locate his friend. With a new energy, Aang started looking for a good island to land.

Zuko roughly washed off days worth of grime, scrubbing hard enough to turn his skin pink. He didn't have time for a bath, but he did have time for a fresh change of clothes and a quick scrubbing down with a washcloth. The prince splashed some water onto his face and rubbed, taking off all the dirt that had been previously there. Finished, Zuko looked down into his sink as the water drained away.

The newfound cleanliness was only of small relief. His mind was too busy elsewhere to appreciate it to any great extent.

Finally. Finally. Everything was going perfect. He had escaped Zhao and the captain his uncle had traveled with. The Avatar was tired from using his powers so extensively over the past three days. His animal guide was wounded and could only limp along at best. And he had the waterbender girl, whom he could use to lure the exhausted and trapped Avatar into his keep.

All obstacles were gone. Everything was lined up for his capture of the Avatar. He couldn't have asked for a more perfect opportunity than this.

Zuko thought of his father. Of bringing him the Avatar, as he had so often dreamed about before. How his father would take him into his arms, tell him how proud he was that his son had overcome all obstacles to bring him the Avatar, and tell him how glad he was to have him back as his heir.

His right to the throne. His home. His father's acceptance…and affection. He could have it all.

And yet…

No! It was all right there! He could take it! He could have it all back! Everything!

But…

Dammit! Zuko angrily slapped his washcloth into the sink. Why? It should be the easiest thing in the world! Hadn't he earned this? Why was it so difficult, then, to take it?

The prince watched a drop of water fall from the faucet into the sink. That damn girl. That damn girl. This was her fault!

Why should he feel any guilt about using her to get to the Avatar? She knew right from the beginning that, survival aside, capturing the Avatar was his top priority! It was her own foolishness that landed her in this situation. She had no right to look so betrayed.

I saved your life!

So what? He had saved hers as well! A life for an life. They were even. If what she had done was out of genuine caring for him, he could understand why she would feel betrayed. But he—but saving his life had meant little to her. It was an act of kindness and morality, not affection. And it wasn't like he wasn't going to repay her good deeds. He would set her free afterwards, along with her fool brother. And once he was Fire Lord, he would end the war and seek peace with the other nations. He would even help rebuild all the war-torns lands! There was nothing he could do about the Avatar, save ensure that he spent the rest of his days in relative comfort, but in the end, the waterbender girl would see that she had been used to bring about a good end.

Zuko tried to picture her happy with this outcome. However, all he could see was her looking even more miserable—something that made him feel a sympathetic pain for her. She was very loyal in her cause as well. She had shown the same dedication to her loved ones as he did to his nation and his father. Hadn't she fought as hard as he, bled as much as he, during this nightmare trip? Hadn't she too earned what she desired…?

It wouldn't be the end the world if he let her and the Avatar go. He would always have tomorrow. But if he did capture the Avatar…there would be no second chance for her. He could stand to lose the Avatar. She couldn't.

Damn. It didn't matter what her reasons were for helping him. It was like he said—they were even. He had no right to oppress his will over her. Not today. Not like this.

He couldn't stand to see that look in her eyes, anyway.

Zuko's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a soft creak from his door. He turned his head to see his uncle standing in the doorway. "Unless it concerns the status of the ship or the position of the Avatar, I don't want to hear it."

"The Avatar was spotted by telescope landing on an island up ahead," his uncle said quietly.

Zuko closed his eyes and let out a breath. "Take us up to the island a little further and stop. We'll advance on my command."

A long silence came from Iroh. "You're truly going to go through with this?" he asked. Zuko didn't answer. "Well?"

"Just do as I say," Zuko said dispassionately as he pulled a clean shirt on.

Iroh studied Zuko for a moment before nodding, "Very well." He exited his nephew's chambers and shut the door softly. His nephew was troubled—that was as plain as day. Perhaps he had a change of heart? Giving up a change to go home would have been something very painful for Zuko. Well, if such was the case…perhaps he ought to tell the guard stationed at the brig that he was needed elsewhere.

Prince Zuko stalked down the corridors of the lower levels of his ship as stealthily as haste would allow. In one hand he carried a mop. In the other, a half-full bucket of water. He peered around the corner to see the door of the brig. No guard in sight. Zuko was both surprised and relieved. It meant less work and suspicion on his part, though he would have expected better of his crew. Oh well…it would give him someone to scold later.

Zuko quietly opened the door and stepped inside. Katara sat in her cell on her bed, her head resting on her drawn up knees. So far she hadn't noticed him. The prince quickly put down the mop and bucket and snatched the keys from their hanging place on the wall. He walked over to her cell and unlocked her door. The metallic click of the lock roused Katara, who drowsily lifted her head. Her cheeks were puffy. She had been crying.

No sooner had Zuko stepped into the cell than Katara made a mad dash for the door. He easily caught her by the wrist, only to then become the victim of her anger. She thrashed and struggled and yelled so loudly he was sure one of his men would hear. He shook her slightly to quiet her, but this only seemed to enrage the waterbender even more.

"Let me go, you jerk!"

"Be quiet."

"Let me go!"

"Silence!"

"No! I'm not going to let you use me to get Aang!"

"The Avatar and your brother landed on an island not too far from here," he said flatly. The prince watched the color drain from Katara's face. "If you use your waterbending while swimming," he added slowly, carefully, "You could probably reach them."

Katara blinked at first, utterly confused by what Zuko had said. What did he mean by that? Reach them? The waterbender felt anger build inside her once more. Was Zuko playing with her? Did he think this was funny? She was about to shout something at him when she caught his expression. He was serious. Katara reverted back to confusion. What was he saying? Zuko slowly let go of her wrists, and finally she understood.

"You…you're letting me go?" she stuttered.

"No," he snorted, "Some idiot left a mop and a bucket full of water down here, and while my crew was busy preparing the boats to follow the Avatar, you used your "frost wedging" to break the prison door and escape off the ship."

Katara stared at him, stunned. "…You're letting me go?"

Zuko gave her an annoyed look. "Didn't you hear what I just—"

The prince was cut off as she grabbed his hands and cried ecstatically, "Thank you! Thank you so much! You don't know what this means to me!"

You don't know what this means for me, Zuko thought darkly. "Sometimes honor is not worth regaining if it is done dishonorably," he muttered gruffly, looking away. His gaze was brought back to Katara as he felt a quick peck on the scarred part of his cheek.

"Thank you," she said seriously, her bright blue eyes looking up at his earnestly. Zuko broke the contact, irritated with his sudden irregular pulse.

"Things haven't changed," he said stiffly, "I will capture the Avatar and regain my honor." His expression softened slightly. "Just…don't think so poorly of the Fire Nation anymore. Not all of us are like Zhao," he added quietly.

"I know," she said, smiling softly. Zuko returned a small smile before he could catch himself. He quickly turned and exited the cell, closing and locking the door behind him. The firebender prince took one last glance at Katara before he left the brig, memorizing the image of her face smiling happily at him. He closed the door to the brig, uncomfortably surprised at the first thought that went through his mind as it clicked shut.

I wonder when we'll meet again?

Iroh watched as Zuko marched all across the deck, barking orders at his men as they prepared the boats.

Did he let the girl go? Iroh scrutinized Zuko, trying to discern a clue from his nephew's face. However, the prince gave away nothing. It was only after one of the crewmembers reported, dismayed, that the girl's cell door had been broken and she was nowhere to found that Iroh had his answer. Prince Zuko put on a great show of scolding the men for their incompetence, but Iroh recognized a glint of satisfaction in his nephew's eye that gave him away.

"This is most unfortunate," Iroh interrupted the tirade with a dramatic sigh. "Without the girl, it could take some time to secure the Avatar, which would put us at risk of running into more ships," he continued, "Perhaps now would be a good time to cut our losses and leave?" The general gave his nephew a significant look.

"Very well," Zuko said, feigning reluctance, "Head for the border. Full speed."

The crew, eager to leave after so much turmoil, breathed a sigh of relief and set to work on the new orders.

"I knew you would do the right thing, Prince Zuko," Iroh chuckled to his nephew.

"What thing?" Zuko asked stiffly.

Iroh simply laughed and walked away. Zuko glared after him, wishing his uncle wasn't so perceptive.

Katara warily walked up the beach of the island, pulling the ocean water from her clothes with her bending powers. This was the island Aang and Sokka were supposed to be on, but she didn't see any signs of anyone being here. Maybe Zuko was lying? Tricking her? Katara shook her head. No. He had meant what he said. She looked over her shoulder to see his ship sailing into the distance. I wonder when we'll meet again, she thought, and turned back towards the island.

Navigating through the trees, Katara looked for any clues to the whereabouts of her brother and friends. Where were they? Had they left? Maybe she should call out to—

Whish!

Katara's worries were interrupted as she suddenly found herself suspended upside down from a tree branch.

The waterbender let out a cry of alarm. Straining her neck, Katara looked up to see she was hanging by a vine or something of the sort, which had clearly been laid out as a trap. Swinging from up high, Katara heard a rustling sound coming closer. She looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the noise.

"KATARA!"

The waterbender's head turned in the direction of the voice. That sounded like Aang! Sure enough, she saw his bright clothes and tattooed head bounding straight towards her. The Avatar raced to her aid, overjoyed, when—

"Aang! Look out!"

A second later, Aang was hanging upside down beside Katara, grinning ear to ear. "You're alright!" he cried, eyes brimming.

"Katara!" Sokka called up to her as he approached, his voice cracking. The waterbender looked down at her sibling. For several moments, a look passed between the brother and sister that said more than words could.

"We're so glad you're alright," Aang hiccupped, tears trailing past his eyebrows and down along his bald head. "We thought you might have…again…" Katara smiled gently and used her weight to swing towards Aang, grabbing him in an upside-down platypus-bear hug. The Avatar clung to her, smiling and hiccupping.

"I'll get you down," Sokka said, taking out his boomerang and flinging it. The bent blade cut through the vines that suspended them, and the two fell to the ground with an "Oooph!" Sokka ran over, careful to avoid certain spots on the ground. After helping Aang and Katara up, he pulled the two into an embrace. "I knew you'd make it…" he whispered to his sister.

Katara cried.

Later…

Admiral Zhao kneeled before the throne of the Fire Lord, trying his hardest not to shake. The fire-screen that separated him from his lord only flickered slightly every few minutes, but Zhao knew better than to be fooled by the seeming calm.

Lord Ozai was not pleased.

It had been but a day since he arrived at the capital's palace with Captain Himoto. The flare she had sent out did eventually attract ships, but by the time they got there, both Prince Zuko and the Avatar were long gone. After her ship had been towed to a dock for repairs, word had gotten out about what had happened, and the two of them had been sent to the Fire Lord for an explanation.

It was a moment Zhao had been dreading.

After finishing reading the report, Ozai spoke. "One sunken battleship. Dozens of soldiers killed. Several other ships damaged. My son brought to the Fire Nation and allowed to trespass against his banishment. And no Avatar to show for any of it. Explain," he demanded.

"My lord," Zhao began, silently damning the quaver in his voice, "Had things gone according to my plan, you would be celebrating the capture of the Avatar, not reading a report on its failure."

"Your failure," Ozai corrected acidly.

"My lord," Zhao began again, "If not for the interference of General Iroh, Prince Zuko, and Captain Himoto, the Avatar would be in your grasp…" Zhao knew shifting the blame was not something Ozai responded positively to, but at this point, he was desperate.

"Admiral," Lord Ozai spoke, "The reason you were promoted so swiftly to that rank was to hasten the capture of the Avatar. Tell me, what am I supposed to do when the one whom I have given such innumerable resources to fails to complete his assigned task…?"

"Lord, you know my dedication to the Fire Nation—to you—is absolute. You can see by my records how I have strived to serve the advancement of our nation. I would not be here today, reporting failure, unless my very best efforts had been bested. And for that, you can hold responsible the treachery of your brother and son, along with the incompetence of Captain Himoto."

"Captain Himoto will be dealt with accordingly," Ozai said darkly, "As for my family members, I am well aware of their shifting loyalties. Their interference in the Avatar's capture during the Winter Solstice is proof enough of that. But I am not concerned about them. I am concerned about you. What use do I have for you if you cannot overcome these obstacles? At your, as you claim, 'very best'?"

Zhao swallowed. "My failure this time has only steeled my resolve even further, my lord. The mistakes I have made will not be repeated, I assure you. The next time the Avatar and I meet, I will bring him to you—no matter who or what stands in my way."

A deathly silence filled the room. Zhao remained frozen in a kneeling position, eyes locked on the floor. Finally, Ozai spoke. "Very well. Be aware, however, that I do not accept repeated failures. I expect all the tenacity you have shown in the past regarding the capture of the Avatar, and none of the mistakes. Understood?

"Yes, my lord," Zhao breathed.

"Then go."

"Thank you, my lord," Zhao whispered, and quickly rose and left the throne room. Zhao let out an enormous breath once he reached the halls of the palace, relieved beyond all belief that he had survived the encounter with Lord Ozai.

So relieved was Zhao he did not notice Princess Zula until she was walking astride with him. "I trust things went well?" she asked, a little cat smile playing on her face.

Zhao looked over at her. "Princess…" the admiral began, surprised by her sudden appearance. "What are you…" Zhao trailed off. In a moment, he realized why Lord Ozai had been so uncharacteristically lenient. "…You spoke on my behalf?" he asked.

The princess shrugged casually. "I might have insinuated a few things in your favor when I spoke with him…"

Zhao raised his eyebrows in surprise. Lord Ozai typically didn't bother with the opinions of his children, save those that went against him, but apparently the princess's words were enough to sway him into being more forgiving of Zhao's failure. A saving grace for him, to say the least. Still… "Why did you help me, Princess?" Zhao asked cautiously.

The princess gave another of her little cat smiles. "Knowing your…dedication…my father promoted you to admiral in order to speed up the Avatar's capture. However, you provide another service I find to be even more valuable," Zula explained smoothly, "You help keep my brother from regaining his right to the throne, leaving me first in line for rule. So long as you keep him from returning home, as far as I'm concerned, you're still of use." Zhao frowned slightly at the condescending praise. "Besides," Zula added, looking up at him through her long lashes, "The army needs more men like you…"

Princess Zula's meaning was not lost on Zhao. He looked down at her from the corner of his eyes, meeting the girl's coy gaze. Her yellow eyes glittered with want, envy, frustration, hate, fear, and cruelty. Not at all clear and pure like…

"Well," the admiral replied with a cough, "I thank you for your kindness, princess."

"I hope it will not soon be forgotten," she said with a smile. Zhao hid a scowl behind a mask of neutrality. Did she expect him to repay the favor? He certainly didn't want to play into the princess's hand…but then again, it would be unwise to displease her after she had most likely saved his life.

"Of course not," he replied cordially. She stuck out her hand at him, waiting expectantly. The admiral reluctantly placed his lips lightly on her hand, then made a hasty bow and exit. The princess watched his departure with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"Hmm…"

Katara sat, leaned up against a tree, enjoying the heat from the campfire and quiet of the night. They had managed to make it out of the Fire Nation a couple days ago by island-hopping during the night, and were now in safer territory. The waterbender took the more peaceful time to recuperate from her adventure with Zuko.

Aang was asleep, nestled in his sleeping bag with Momo. Katara smiled at his sleeping face, though, to be truthful, she was a little glad to get away from him for a while. The Avatar had practically become her fifth limb over the past few days. Sokka knew Katara well enough to give her room, though some of his questions had put her in an awkward spot. Mostly ones concerning what had happened with Zuko. She had told pretty much the whole truth on the matter…excluding some of the more heated confrontations she had had with the firebender prince.

When Sokka asked her how she escaped, Katara had been unsure how to answer. Would they believe her if she had said Zuko had, essentially, let her go? Aang might, but she doubted Sokka would. So all she had said was, "I used frost-wedging to break the door." Sokka had sagely nodded, as if he had expected exactly as much.

Katara stared at the campfire in front of her. Despite the fact that she had been continually chased and nearly put to death by firebenders during that three day ordeal…she couldn't help but feel her opinion change about them. The Fire Nation did have more than its fair share of terrible people, like Zhao…but the more firebenders she met, the less evil they seemed. Things certainly weren't as black and white as they used to be…

Zuko was probably the biggest contributor to that. She had met other firebenders that she felt weren't evil…Zuko's uncle, Jeong Jeong, Shiyu. Come to think of it, Avatar Roku had been a firebender too. Still, traveling with Zuko for three days, fighting side by side, had a greater impact on her so far than all the others put together. Sure, Zuko was no picnic, but he did have good qualities that made him admirable. Katara wondered what it would be like if the Fire Nation was ruled by him. That didn't sound so bad to her, actually. He would probably make a great Fire Lord. He's certainly good at bossing other people around, she thought with a dry smile. She hoped he would find a way to get back his right to the throne. One that didn't involve capturing Aang.

Katara glanced back at the sleeping Avatar. Her friend, whom she would fight to protect. They were going to have to face Zuko in the future…Katara wondered how things would be then…

Footsteps brought Katara out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Sokka stepping into their campsite. "Whew, I really had to go," he said lightly. Catching Katara's pensive expression, he asked, "What's up?"

"Hm? Nothing. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The future."

Sokka gave her a sympathetic, lopsided smile. "Just don't forget to take things one day at a time too, okay?" Katara nodded. "I love you, you know." Sokka said, looking at her over the fire.

"I know. I love you too, Sokka."

"I missed you. Aang too. It's really nice to have you back."

Katara nodded again, smiling.

"Cause now I don't have to cook anymore….OW!"

Zuko breathed in and out evenly, the flame lighting the candles before him shrinking and growing with each breath. It was nice to finally have time for meditation, now that he and his crew had managed to flee from his hostile homeland. It was hard to leave his native country after being so close to regaining his right to it…yet strangely he wasn't saddened or embittered by it. He had done the right thing. And there would be another time to continue his chase of the Avatar…and see the girl again. The candles before Zuko flickered.

Zuko heard a knock on his door, and with a final exhalation, finished his meditation. "Enter," he commanded. His uncle stepped inside.

"Prince Zuko, evening draws near. The cook wishes to know what you would like to eat. We have recently restocked on pork and fish…which would you care for?"

"Fish," Zuko answered simply.

"An excellent choice," Iroh said jovially, "I hear the cook has a new recipe for fish. A type of ginger-glazed dish. I am dying to taste it…"

"Uncle."

"Yes."

"I'll skip the ginger-glazed fish. I'd like to try my fish…raw."

THE END (for real this time)

Huzzah! It's finally over! Did you all enjoy Close Combat?

Audience: Fifteen chapters and only one quick kiss on the cheek? You stingy wench!

Hey! I said it was a quasi-romance!

Audience: There was more Aang/Katara and Zhao/Zula in this fic than any Zutara!

NO COMMENT.

Audience: Well, do you at least like Zutara more now?

I'm still reluctant.

Audience: Come on. You know you like it…

Noooo…. (sweatdrop)

Audience: Uh-huuuuuh…

Noooooooo…(locks secret inner Zutara fangirl in closet) Shh!

Well, thank you all for reading my fanfic. Special thanks to all my reviewers, who encourage my deranged writing! And super-duper gold-sticker thanks to my betaer, Whomever, as well as all those reviewers who pointed out little glitches here and there in CC—you guys keep me on my toes!

Well, thanks again! So long, folks!

(and no, there will not be a sequel, so don't even ask! DX)