Ok, I'm writing this at school during a first period free, so I'll see how far I can get. (My free ended, but I finished a test early, so I'm finishing up now) Whee! Enjoy, people, Zuko realizes his mistake!

Sokka sat up, looking around. He was in a room…a lavishly decorated room, with a fiery red theme. He was sitting on the bed, and a very large bed, it was too, with huge plush pillows and red satin sheets.

Red satin? Where am I, a brothel?

Katara's light blue parka outfit, which he was still wearing (Sokka blushed until his face matched the sheets…to be cross-dressing in a room like this was so embarrassing!), clashed shockingly with the all the red, and Sokka had a distinct urge to rid himself of it. But then he reconsidered; red theme, iron walls and floor, and a large bump on the back of his head; he must have been kidnapped by someone in the Fire Nation…but by whom? Who would put him in such a weird room?

Someone with either really weird taste, or a really dirty mind…

Katara and Aang finally reached the shoreline; obviously, Zuko's ship was long gone.

"Aang, we have got to catch up with them! You know how uptight fire-benders are – when they see that he's a cross-dresser, who knows what they'll do to him!"

The Avatar called to Appa, and they climbed on. Aang looked around in the saddle for Sokka's fish, but it was gone, so he figured Momo must have eaten it. Sokka would be pissed…oh well. With a resigned "Yip yip!" Appa had them up in the air, following the ship full of fire-benders and one cross-dresser.

Zuko's mind had been running full steam since he had retired to his room. The easiest way to get the peasant to talk would be to have her fall in love with him, he reasoned, so all he had to do was convince her that he loved her, and would protect her, and all that juicy information would come spilling out. Probably. So he began planning a way to turn himself into a good guy in her eyes. Finally, as a new day had begun, it was time to put his brilliant plan into action.

He gathered his crew before the prisoner's cell; he explained what they were to do and nodded at them to begin. Several looked uncomfortable, and a few looked pleased at their role. Well, it didn't matter how they felt, as long as they got the job done. Still, he ordered the pleased ones to the front.

They pulled open the door a crack. The water-peasant, hearing it, sat up on the bed, looking in alarm at all the greedy faces staring through the door. The crew whistled and catcalled at 'her,' and smiled lasciviously. The peasants face was hidden under a hood, but they could see her eyebrows were contracted in fear. 'She' opened her mouth to cry out – and Zuko 'arrived' valiantly on the scene.

"What do you think you're doing? Get away from there, leave her alone, you mongrels…" he cried, ushering them away from the door. Sadly for his plan, one of the stupider crewmen felt obliged to protest,

"But Zuko sir, we were only obeying your orders, just like you –"

"Shut up!" Zuko hissed angrily, giving the crewman a kick and propelling him away from the water-peasant's cell. Fortunately, Sokka had been caught on the words "her" and "Zuko, sir," and hadn't noticed what else had been said after.

Crap! He thinks I'm a girl, thinks I'm Katara…What do he and Katara have going, that he'd protect her so boldly? And that he'd put her in a room like this…?

Zuko entered the room, striving to look embarrassed by his crew's "assault." Then he noticed the room's décor, and blushed furiously.

"Uncle! What did you do to her room? It's all, all…red! And whatever!" Sokka raised an inquiring eyebrow. Zuko hadn't known the room was like this? Zuko turned back to his prisoner, now truly embarrassed, and apologized profusely.

"I'm very sorry about my Uncle…I didn't realize he'd done this to your room, I told him to prepare it while I went to get you, but I didn't intend…"

Sokka cleared this throat. It was time to get this over with.

"Look, it doesn't matter, 'cuz I'm not who you think I am." He removed his hood, and Zuko's eyes bulged in horror and anger. This was not according to plan. He'd captured the water-bender's brother. Well, there was no way that Zuko was going to try to seduce him for information, not a chance. Ew!

"You…what are you doing here? I thought you were Katara! And what's up with your clothes? You're a cross-dresser!" Zuko cried, upset at the lost opportunity.

"I'm here because you kidnapped me, you jerk! It's all your fault, don't blame me! Your stupid fire-benders burned my clothes so I had to wear Katara's while she went to buy more!" Sokka retorted, getting annoyed, "And how do you know my sister's name, anyway? You'd better not have touched her or anything, or I'll –"

Zuko paused. How had he known her name? He'd been calling her "water-bender" or "peasant" the whole story so far, so where had that come from? Whatever.

"Um…I heard you yelling at her, last time when I was chasing the Avatar…I guess."

"Oh. Well, anyway, you'd better keep away from her. And what was up with your lecherous crew? Trying to make a good entrance to get on my good side? Well you canthink again, Prince!"

At this point, Uncle Iroh entered. He was annoyed that his nephew's plan had not worked out, and that he wouldn't have any grand-nephews anytime soon, and that they were yelling up a storm. So he decided to intervene.

"Prince Zuko, you captured her brother? No matter. An annoyance, and a delay, but in the long run, it comes to the same thing. He knows the Avatar, and he is very close with his sister; she will come to rescue him soon." Zuko nodded and calmed down (just as well, because satin burns very quickly, and Zuko had been starting to throw off sparks). Sokka didn't, but he shut up and listened too. Iroh, seeing that he had their attention, continued.

"Now, Zuko, why don't you go tell the helmsman to stop the ship at the next port, and give the Avatar a chance to catch up, hmm? I will refurnish his room, in the meantime." Zuko smiled; his uncle was a genius! Sokka smiled too, the clash of red and blue was really getting on his nerves.

Later

His room was finally they way he wanted it. Ok, not really, but it was better, at least; the red had been replaced with black or taken out entirely; Sokka was no fan of black, but it was an improvement (and he still got the big comfy bed!). Just one thing left to do.

"General Iroh, sir –"

"Call me Uncle."

"Uncle Iroh, sir – oh, I'm Sokka, by the way."

"Pleased to meet you, Sokka, but don't call me sir. Now, what did you need?"

"Uncle Iroh…Can I have some clothes?"

Yay! Done! I hope you like it! Sokka and Zuko could have argued for years, so I made Iroh break in. Too bad he has to wait for his grandnephews...R&R please! 3!