Prince Zuko was eating breakfast with his Uncle in the mess hall as they actually started to talk to each other. Prince Zuko normally didn't enjoy talking with his uncle. Iroh was sipping his tea as usual and Zuko was just nibbling some bread. "I'm worried about her uncle. She can't let go of what she's done. And it wasn't her fault. Zhao has manipulated her to his fitting."

"She is battling her own war inside of her. It's easy to see why she doesn't think much of the war as it is. She is preoccupied, she has transgression."

"I just don't see how it's all possible. This isn't the Leiko I remember."

"What you need to do is sit down and discuss with her all that has happened since you left the Fire Nation. It will open your eyes more I believe."

"But she may not want to talk about it."

"She is harboring a lot of anger, it will be good for her to let it go…and you as well." And then he smiled, "Remember, the only person you ever unburdened your heart to was Leiko, and it was the same with her to you. She needs you Prince Zuko." And with that a man burst through the door and yelled to them!

"Prince Zuko, Admiral Zhao has cut us off! His boat is readied and armed, it's battle!" she ran off after and Zuko and his uncle followed. They ran out to the deck and saw Zhao's boat in front of them, blocking their way. Prince Zuko was ready to call to his men to prepare the weapons, but Leiko ran out.

"Father!" she yelled out, silencing everyone and walked to the tip of the ship. She took a place next to Zuko and crossed her arms. "What do you want!" she demanded.

"I've come to collect my daughter." Zhao answered, "Either as a whole or in pieces." And his men laughed. Zuko tugged at Leiko's arm.

"Leiko, maybe you should get below deck." He offered.

"No," and she turned to him, "I'm not letting my father harm anyone on this ship." And she turned back to her father and threw a flame out as she yelled, "I stayed here by choice, Father! And I am not coming back home with you!"

"I figured you would say that. So I am giving you to the count of three to change your mind, or I will destroy the ship!" and the men on Zuko's ship began to chatter. Leiko glared at her father, the man she hated more than anything in the world, and was not afraid. "ONE…" and she didn't budge, "TWO…" still nothing, "TWO AND A HALF…" he gave her some extra time. But instead of giving in, she did something very expected.

Reaching out one arm, she placed it around Zuko's neck and pulled him closer to her, wrapped her other arm around him, and planted a kiss right onto his lips. Zhao was dumbfounded and stared with his mouth gaped open. General Iroh and the crew watched in awe…the "evil" prince's first kiss…and with his friend. It was an awkward moment for everyone to see that. But despite the timing, the prince seemed to enjoy the moment his lips locked with Leiko's, for he didn't protest or refuse.

Leiko pulled away from his lips and faced her father again while gripping onto Zuko's arm. "Just play along." She whispered to him. But of course he was too shocked to say anything. He had just been kissed, by his best friend! "THIS IS WHERE I BELONG!" Leiko yelled to her father, "YOU CANNOT TAKE ME AWAY!" and she turned to one of the soldiers. "Ready the catapult and aim it at the left front side of the ship, 45 degrees. That's where the runner will be. We will disable it and take down his ship by force."

"But, Leiko…you're just a girl."

"I know what I'm doing. Now go!" she finished and the man ran off. Leiko ran from Zuko's side and over to some other soldiers and gave them orders. Zuko exchanged glares with Zhao and something came over him. He remembered all that Zhao had done to Leiko and what he had turned her into. How he took her away and forced her to become a one man army. General Iroh ran up to Zuko.

"Prince Zuko, what should we do?" he asked.

"Fight," he replied, "No matter what, Zhao must not get Leiko."

"Tie that down tighter!" Leiko commanded a soldier. She walked around deck to make sure everybody was ready. "Prepare for battle! Zhao will not make it out of this with a ship! We musty stay and fight!"

"Listen to the girl!" Iroh demanded to the men that just stood and watched.

"Believe me; I know all of Zhao's battle strategies! He trained me, I know how to beet him!" Leiko reminded them. They just snapped into their work. Zuko stood at the tip of the ship and looked back to see that his men were ready. Then he turned back.

"FIRE!" he yelled to his men.

"FIRE!" Leiko yelled out after him. The men fired the catapults and sent fireballs flying at the ship! Leiko watched as two fireballs hit the sides of the boat. "That's it!" she shouted, "Hit the same place again! You there!" she pointed to a group of men, "Aim your weapons at the incoming fireballs!" and they shot theirs up into the air, hitting the incoming fireballs head on and bursting with it into small bits of fiery rocks! The other fireballs hit the runners and engines in Zhao's ship and smoke began to come from the giant holes in the sides! "DIRECT HIT!" and she ran over next to Zuko to watch as her father's ship began to sink. Men jumped onto get away boats and abandoned the ship as it went down into the blue waters below.

"Take them down!" Zuko yelled to his men. "See to it that they are punished!" He and Leiko began to shoot fire down at the smaller boats, igniting soldiers, sending them into screaming fits and off the sides of the boat! They continued to shoot fire at the enemy until the tiny boat was destroyed by Zuko's incoming ship! The men cheered in victory! Leiko turned and lifted her arms into the air.

"WE ARE VICTORIOUS!" She shouted! "ZHAO WILL RUE THE DAY HE CHALLENGED THIS CREW!" and she turned back to Prince Zuko. "We did it!" and she looked at him funnily. "You let me command the ship? Why?"

"This was your father who attacked us. If anybody knew how to bring him down it was you." Zuko replied. She just looked into his eyes. "Besides, I wasn't about to let Zhao take you away from me again." And Leiko smiled as compassion came to her eyes.

"That's something the old Zuko would have said." She gave him a sly look. Zuko just blushed, realizing she was right.

"That's something the new Zuko won't let happen." Leiko just smiled and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against him. He just placed his arms around her and held her back. "It's good to have you here."

"It's good to hear you say that."

Later that night, she ship was celebrating the miraculous victory that Leiko had led them to. There was plenty of music and good food, not to mention dancing, drinking and laughing. General Iroh was playing on his Sungi Horn and telling war stories. Leiko was petting Tila and listening to Iroh. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up and saw Zuko standing over her, with a smile on his face. He took a seat next to her and handed her one of his sweet rolls. They nibbled on it and Leiko gave a piece to Tila, who scarfed it down. Zuko pet Tila on the head. "I thought you didn't care about Tila." Leiko brought up what he had said before. "Now you like her?"

"You shouldn't take everything I say so seriously." He replied.

"Maybe you're just a grumpy prince when you're woken up from your beauty rest."

"Maybe you should respect the fact that people are sleeping."

"I thought you'd be up and thinking about the Avatar." She teased him. "I mean, he is the only thing on your mind."

"He is not!" and then they were silent for a minute and listened to Iroh. "You enjoy listening to my uncle's war stories?" he sounded astounded.

"Your uncle is full of wisdom and knowledge. You used to love listening to his stories too."

"How do you know?"

"Because we used to go see your uncle after war meetings all the time, and ask him to tell us stories. You loved hearing his stories."

"They put me to sleep."

"I know, but that's only because he used to tell them to you to put you to sleep when you were little."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you told me. There's almost nothing I don't know about you."

"Oh really?"

"Really, but there is one thing I don't know."

"What's that?"

"How did you sneak into the fire nation and free the Avatar?" she asked. He shushed her and placed his hand over her mouth.

"Nobody knows about that."

"Nobody but me." She replied after he removed is hand. "I knew it was you the second I discovered it." Zuko pulled her up with him and walked with her away from everybody else. "Tell me Prince Zuko, how did you do it?"

"Well, it all started when Zhao's men came onto my ship and told me about his commands on the Avatar." He began as he and Leiko leaned against the side of the ship. Leiko settled down to listen to his riveting story.