A/N: Greetings, once again. I really liked writing this chapter. I think it's one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it! And thank you to Dark Hawk for your emails. Sorry I haven't responded to the last one, my email doesn't work sometimes. I promise to reply as soon as I can!

Disclaimer: Things I don't own: Avatar, Harry Potter, Viggo Mortensen, Canada…

Chapter Twelve: Beso Dulce

"Katara… Are you just going to sit there all day?"

What? Who is calling me?

"Come on, Katara. There's chores that need to be done…"

Are you Kaijin? Who are you? Show me your face!

"Hurry up, Katara… We don't have all day…"

Wait! Don't go! Who are you?

"Katara…"

Katara's eyes shot open and she bolted upright. Well, she tried to at least. She fell back against the deep red sheets of her bed. It had been a week and a half since she had been shot, but she was still weak. The motion had sent a wave of intense pain down her side.

Gritting her teeth, Katara cursed herself silently. She hated being that way. She couldn't wait until she was fully healed and could be on her feet constantly. She could walk now, but her mobility was limited. It was nothing but an annoyance.

Katara lifted her right hand to her forehead. She was damp with sweat and her heart was pounding. Again. Humph. So Kaijin has come once again, but I am not closer to uncovering his identity… she thought. It was the first time she had another one of her dreams in a while. She was missing them…

At first, she wanted them to go away. They only brought up more questions and confusion. It was easier just to ignore them. But then, it got to a point where ignoring them was an impossibility. These vague dreams constantly filled her subconscious as well as conscious mind. They had to mean something. If she was always dreaming about this person, then he must be important. Katara was determined to find out who he was and what connection he had to her. The dreams were exciting.

It was morning now and the first rays of the sun were creeping through Katara's window. She decided she was going to get out of bed that day. Katara didn't care what the doctor said. If she was forced to spend another cursed minute in the room, she felt like she would go crazy.

Katara took a deep breath and slowly climbed out of her bed. She sighed as she stood up. Not as bad as she had anticipated. She realized then that she was still dressed in the thin cotton gown from the infirmary. She had been released two days ago.

A light blush crept across the water bender's face. She had been wearing that when Kyo, Iroh and Zuko came to check on her. She had been under the covers the whole time, so they didn't see anything, but still…

With an effort, Katara gently pulled on her red dress and black pants on. There was no chance of her wound opening again, but it still hurt if she moved the wrong way.

After tugging here and there, Katara was finally satisfied. She ran her comb through her hair and decided to let it hang loose. Quietly, she opened the door and peered down the hallway. There was no one there.

Katara crept down the halls, hoping she wouldn't run into anyone. She wanted to get to the open deck. She felt deprived of the sweet fresh air and the calming sea. It was almost a physical ache she had. Just for a few minutes. Then she would go back so she wouldn't get in trouble.

Suddenly, the water bender stopped and shook her head. What's the mater with me? She thought. Get in trouble? It's not like Zuko is my babysitter… I joined his crew didn't I? That means I'm old enough to know what I can and can't do. I'm well enough to walk around for a bit.

When she reached her destination, Katara leaned against the railing and rested her head in her hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the sweet sea air. It was pure bliss to Katara. This was where she needed to be if she was ever going to completely recover. Why didn't anyone see that?

000

"So, tell me again what you said, Prince Zuko," said Iroh, who sat at a low table cheerfully drinking a steaming cup of tea. Zuko paced the room.

"I already told you, Uncle. I said, 'No, Katara! You're not expected to die for me. You're not a normal crew member. When will you see that?'"

Iroh smirked at Zuko. "What?" asked Zuko, annoyed.

"Hm...She's not just a 'normal crew member', huh? Elegant words… Trying to tell her… something else?" Iroh asked slyly, still smirking.

Zuko caught on to what his uncle was saying. His face turned a light shade of red as he shouted, "She's not an average crew member! She's not a crew member at all. She's not even from the Fire Nation! She's a water bender, and the Avatar's companion! On a royal Fire Nation ship! You consider that average?"

Iroh sighed deeply. "Zuko… The Avatar would come for this girl whether she were alive or not, yes? If you were to slit her throat right now, he would have no way of knowing. He would still believe she was alive, come for her, and then you would capture him."

Zuko looked at his uncle with a slight expression of horror. The retired general sighed. "Of course, I am not suggesting you do that. Such an action would be horrific. All I am trying to ask is… Why have you treated her so well? I am pleased with your behavior towards her for the most part. But… why? If it had been her brother you captured, would you show him the same courtesy you show her?" He paused and looked straight into the prince's eyes. "Would your heart have been torn at the thought of him dying like it was for Katara? Zuko… you should have seen yourself. The look in your eyes was that of a madman. No one has said anything to you, because they fear your response. But, I am asking."

Prince Zuko looked away from his Uncle's eyes. Someone has finally caught on… he thought. He had known the Avatar would come whether Katara was dead or alive. It was only a matter of time before someone else realized it. And noticed how the thought of her dying, especially for his sake, drove him to the brink of insanity.

Zuko clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

"Prince Zuko…" Iroh said seriously, "Tell me the truth now. Do you have feelings for this girl? This water bender?"

The Fire Prince flinched. A water bender… Did it matter if he had feelings for her? "Uncle, I don't see what that has to do with anything," Zuko replied stiffly and impatiently, shaking his head.

Iroh raised an eyebrow and replied, "It has to do with everything, Zuko. You obviously think of this girl as a lot more than bait for the Avatar."

"Why would I have feelings for her? She's a Water Tribe peasant!" he shouted defensively.

"That didn't stop you from nearly killing a man for her sake."

Now Prince Zuko was just angry. Angry because he knew his uncle was right. "It doesn't matter how I feel about her!" he finally shouted. "She could never possibly feel anything for me! To her I'm just an evil fire bender! She could never see that we're not all evil like Zhao! So, it doesn't matter how I feel about her!" Zuko finished and stood panting.

Iroh folded his arms and looked satisfied. "That's good, Zuko. That's good. It helps to tell the truth once in a while." He stood and walked calmly around the room, then turned to look Zuko in the eyes. "You're just forgetting one thing though… She thinks she is from the Fire Nation." He smiled. "And that's all that really matters."

000

The light breeze gently lifted Katara's brunet hair into the air as she gazed out over the water. She was resting her weight against the railing because it hurt too much to try and support herself for that long.

She was thinking to herself how beautiful the deep blue of the ocean water was when something hit her. It was a realization she felt like she had known all along, but just now remembered it. Like it had been buried somewhere in her mind and she had just uncovered it.

Blue eyes… Katara thought dreamily. He has blue eyes… Just like the sea….

Kaijin, the mysterious boy from her dreams, had blue eyes. It wasn't much information, but to Katara it was something wonderful. Any tiny bit of information was precious to her…

Kaijin was a connection to her mysterious past… She would do anything make that connection stronger…

Blue eyes… she thought again. That rules out everyone on this ship. And just about everyone in the Fire Nation. Was it possible that this person with whom she felt such an intimate connection was not from her homeland?

Katara's thought were interrupted when she suddenly felt another's presence. Her head whipped around to see Zuko standing just behind her. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed him. She suddenly felt awkward. They hadn't really spoken properly in a while.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "You should be getting rest."

Katara made a face. "I've gotten more than enough rest. Don't you know sometimes some fresh air and freedom is what a person really needs?"

Zuko couldn't help but smile slightly. "Stubborn as ever, I see."

Katara smiled too. "You bet."

He walked up and stood next to her. "You seemed to be in deep thought. Is something troubling you?"

Katara looked away. She didn't want to talk to Prince Zuko about it. She never liked to. "Oh, nothing really…" she replied dismissively.

Zuko fixed his eyes on her, carefully studying her expressions. She couldn't meet his eyes. "It doesn't seem like nothing."

The wind picked up a bit and Katara's hair flew in front of her face, obscuring Zuko's view of her. "Really… It's nothing important." Katara was starting to get tired now. The railing had helped support her weight and ease the pain of standing for so long, but there was only so much she could handle. She would never admit this to Zuko though.

The Prince caught the tension on her face. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Are your wounds bothering you?"

Katara scowled. Yes, but I'm never saying that to you… "No, I'm fine." She said in a tone that said the topic was not open for discussion. The prince looked doubtfully at her. It was obvious she was lying.

"What did you need?" Katara asked suddenly. "You came looking for me, I presume? Did you need to ask me something?"

"I-" Zuko was cut off as the boat suddenly lurched to the right. It knocked Katara off her balance and she braced herself for the impact against the hard metal floor.

She opened her eyes, however when she realized she hadn't fallen. Prince Zuko had caught her with an arm around her waist and another on her arm. She was awfully close to him, she realized.

A light blush crept up her face. He can let go now… she thought. She finally met his amber eyes. They held an expression Katara had never seen before. Her heart sped up and she relaxed slightly.

Zuko's mind was in turmoil. Should he? What consequences would it have? It certainly wasn't a smart thing to do… But, when had that ever stopped him?

"Zuko…" she began, but never got to finish because Zuko leaned his face toward hers and gently pressed his lips against Katara's.

Katara was shocked and taken aback; her first instinct was to push him away. She had brought her hands up, but then let them down. Having the prince's arm wrapped gently around her waist and having him so close to her was the most wonderful feeling in the world. She let herself get lost the kiss.

Zuko was relieved she wasn't pushing him away and thought briefly what a wonderful coincidence it had been that the boat lurched at the most opportune moment.

The captain looked out the window at the two benders below.

"Excellent job," Iroh said to the captain, smiling and watching his nephew.

000

The wind was strong that day. The two boys struggled to hold the map down as the wind whipped past them.

One pointed to a small island. "That's the island we just came from. Kasuke said there was a Fire Nation ship loitering around this island here, right?" He pointed to another spot towards the west.

The other boy nodded his expressionless face. "He shouldn't be moving around too much. He's waiting for us. For me," he mumbled.

The elder boy snarled. "Finally. We're going to catch that monster. I just hope that he hasn't…"

The younger boy fixed his now intense gray eyes on him. "I don't think he would. But if he has… I'll kill him."