Don't own Avatar. Ok, I've had like four squeeze pops, three cans of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, two whole days to figure this out and a Momo in a pear tree! Lets get this thing started!

Chapter three

Assassins in the Night

As they entered the tent Katara felt the stench of the animals wash over her. It was disgusting; feces mixed with urine. The animals were in bad shape as well. They looked sick and unhappy. How she wished she could release them all. But they would live unhappy lives. As they walked through the store a sleazy clerk stepped up. He was crippled and grinning like mad, "May I help you Lady and Gentleman?"


Katara sat at the front of the small boat facing Zuko and Iroh who were facing forward. The small bundle in her lap kept on moving softly in her arms; mostly it was the little animal shifting in its sleep. She looked up at the two fire nation soldiers who were rowing them out; their masks hid all emotions and facial features. An hour or so ago they had passed The Hatchling, still anchored in the harbor.

Where are we going? She thought to herself. Since they had shoved off, she had kept her eyes downward. Now, two hours later, she dared to look up. Zuko's already maroon shirt was completely matted with blood on the left side from the wound on his upper left arm. There were scars all on his body and he was refusing treatment, he looked pale. Iroh sat quietly next to Zuko with a strained look on his face. He was obviously worried.

Slowly Iroh lifted his heavy gaze to Katara who was staring right back at him. He made a jerking motion with his head towards Zuko and moved his eyebrows up and down. Katara nodded and turned her gaze to Zuko, "Umm… Zuko I-"

"Just shut up, okay? I don't want any dammed apologies. You got your stupid animal so just shut up…" there was a silence where Iroh looked uncomfortable and was about to say something when, "Look, there… that's where you're going to be for a very long time. I don't want any complaining. You are going to be treated as a guest; though a captive one. If I here any complaints I swear I'll…" Katara nodded and lowered her gaze to the bundle in her lap that was now stirring lightly. Normally she would have smiled, instead she just stared at it with absolutely no emotion what-so-ever.

Then she turned around and nearly fell out of the boat. It was huge. No, not huge H-U-G-E! The hull was painted a very dark maroon with a gold stripe three feet from the railing just like on The Hatchling. On the side, in huge fancy letters, was the name The Phoenix. Several ropes were being lowered down the side of the hull; which the soldiers set tying to the boat in what Katara thought were very slipshod knots. Suddenly she felt a huge jerk. They were out of the water and being slowly hauled up the side of the ship. Could she jump now and save herself? Would they come after her? If she let herself be helped onto that boat, she'd probably never get away…


Katara found herself in the huge bedroom Zuko had sent orders ahead to have prepared. Technically it was a series of rooms, a small study, a very small entry room and a bathroom. The bedroom had a plush oriental rug on the floor, in the corner was a bed which seemed to be round but fit into the corner. The sheets were black silk and a red down suede comforter. There were red pillows, seemingly hundreds, and black gauze curtains that huge all around the bed. A mahogany vanity took up another corner of the room with a huge mirror that folded into thirds. There was also a small velvet couch with black silk pillows by the fireplace.

"I've never heard of a fireplace on a ship before." She whispered to the bundle in her hands. A servant was preparing a bath in the next room and setting out bandages for the little animal. Zuko had left her alone on the ship after refusing a doctor and storming away into a door that lead seemingly into nothing. Iroh had beckoned three men before turning to her.

"This is Tatsuya and Rueshi." He said pointing to two of the people that walked up. They wore a different kind of armor that the soldiers and didn't have masks over their faces, "They will be your body guards. And this is Sora, your servant. Sora, Tatsuya, Rueshi, please escort the lady to her chambers." Iroh bowed and excused himself before following Zuko into the nothing door.

"My Lady?" Sora stepped out from the bathroom and bowed her in, "the creature's bath is ready."

"Could you please stay and help me Sora? I don't think I can do this alone. Once we start it will probably get scared and irritated." She looked up him and smiled. Sora nodded and stepped into the huge bathroom behind her.

Katara unwrapped the blankets from the animal in the bundle. It had pitch-black fur with maroon on it tail, ears and paws. She wasn't sure if it was dye or not. Basically it was a fox with black, semi-furry batwings. It was too plain, that's why it hadn't sold. It's maroon eyes were clouded with pain and it didn't even try to bite Katara as she lifted it up over her head to see whether it was a boy or not.

"A girl." Katara said and smiled, "Good, Zuko said I would be the only girl, now I won't." setting the bat-fox down again, Katara looked at the water and tested it with her fingers, it was steaming hot. She lifted the bat-fox into the water and that woke it up. She roared in pain as the hot water enter her wounds and bit Katara, hard.

"Ah!" Katara bit her lower lip to prevent from screaming, her servant Sora looked very confused as to what to do, "Umm… let go please?" it didn't let go. So she sighed and began to wash it one handed while trying to persuade it let go of her finger.


"Damn woman… I'm about this close to calling off the whole plan and throwing her into our dirtiest cell on The Hatchling! Or the sea…" The Hatchling was Zuko's old scouting ship. Iroh watched his nephew pace the floor in the navigation tower of The Phoenix. He was still refusing treatment and though the blood had slowed down, Iroh feared infection.

"Please Zuko, get some treatment for that arm! We don't want it getting infected now do we?" Iroh sipped a cup of jasmine tea calmly. He'd offered some to Zuko, only to be snapped at.

"No!" Zuko said sitting down. He took a map out of a cabinet nailed to the floor and unrolled it, "Now we're here." He poked the sharp end of the compass into the map where their location was, "I'm planning to head to The Nest and stay there and wait for the Avatar. That should take uuuuuusss… a month and a half…not to horrible." He rose and began giving instructions to the helmsman as to their new course. Then he went to deliver instructions to The Hatchling and The Fledgling's helmsmen. Several hours passed when Zuko finally returned to find Iroh just entering also.

"Where were you?" Zuko asked. His face was horribly pale and Iroh could tell he felt sick.

"I went out." The door shut and Iroh sat down. From the corner of his eye Zuko saw a tapestry in the corner of the room move, "Now that you have nothing left to do, will you PLEASE have your arm treated." Silence filled the room. Zuko reached out with his good arm and poured him and his uncle some tea, a very unusual thing.

"No." he said simply, "I will not. The only way this arm gets fixed is if Katara does it. She caused it." Iroh's jaw dropped. Was Zuko, his overly worked and mature nephew, acting like… a child?

"Ok then… Katara?" the tapestry moved again and Katara stepped out. In her arms was the little sleeping fox-bat; which had finally submitted to being wash and cared for. And by the door was a white box; which Zuko assumed had first aid like supplies.

"Lord Zuko, I'm sorry. But please, have your arm examined! I'll do it… if you wish." She sat down across from him, putting the animal in her lap and lowering her eyes.

"What did you name it?" Katara's head shot up. Zuko was looking at her with calm and steady golden eyes.

"Aria, it's a her… please… Zuko?" Zuko sighed and Katara took it as his assent. The next thing that happened was done solely between them. For them, not even General Iroh was in the room.

Katara slowly got up, as if her whole body hurt. She felt she had to do this. It was for her that Zuko had been injured. Even if he was her enemy, her capture, he was still her savior.

In her mind she replayed what happened as she walked the length of the table to him. The many men from the Fire Nation, springing out from behind boxes and cages containing animals; it had been a trap that she had led them to without knowing. The battle that followed. Katara using water from the animals' cages to Water Whip her enemies. Zuko pulling out two curved swords and slicing at his foes. Then Katara saw what was about to happen. How Zuko almost crushed the poor bat-fox. How Katara had leapt forward and knocked him into the blade of a soldier, injuring him.

Zuko sat still on his seat cushion and watched her as she moved next to him. She kneeled down on his left side and tugged at his shirt; which had begun to cement to his skin. She slowly peeled the shirt away and finally uncovered the wound completely. It was already in bad shape due to being in the filthy air of the Animal Bender's tent and open salty air of the sea. She took the box and opened it and pulled out several salves, bandages and creams. Carefully and gently, as a mother with her child, she cleaned the wound and rubbed a few oils and such to help stay infection and for the wound to heal faster. Then she took out a roll of white bandages and began to wrap his shoulder and part of his arm with definite expertise.

Soon she was done and she looked up from her finished task to find Zuko staring into her eyes, he was utterly intrigued by them. How could this woman, who he had captured and embarrassed, be so kind? Surely she was scared, right? Or was she so happy to be away from her tormenters Aang and Sokka that she would even go to her enemy? He remembered how he had seen her dance on the waves of the lake. Her beautiful body becoming one with the water, the body of a woman. He leaned forward and smoothly pressed his lips against hers.

Katara's eyes widened as Zuko's lips pressed against hers. Unknowingly to them, Iroh was now sitting straight up and watching them with mischievous interest. After a moment Zuko pulled away and looked into her eyes once again. Katara looked back at him. He wore a dangerous smile and his eye was half shut making him look sly and yet attractive. He tilted his head back and laughed.

Laughed long and hard. Katara sat back and watched him until he was done with his chuckle and turned to face her, "Heh heh. I advise you not to take that too seriously. I am a Prince. The future of the Fire Nation. I kiss who I want and when I want." His eyes were dark and so was his laugh. Zuko continued to smile into her face.

He had always imagined what his first kiss would be like. How he would steal from whoever it was and laugh. And she would blush and put her hands over her face crying, "Oh Zuko!" That she would be honored that this Prince had looked down on her and smiled. He expected Katara to do just that. Suddenly he felt a very sharp pain across his cheek.

"Yo-You've slapped me." He laughed out. Suddenly the joy form the moment was gone and his temper flared, "YOU SLAPPED ME!" Iroh was definitely entertained, though still on guard to save Katara if necessary. His nephew was finally getting a chance to be a boy.

Katara stood up, "And you just stole my first kiss!" her fingertips flew to her lips as though trying to erase his presence, "I come in here, worried to death that you may be dying or something. I fix your dammed arm and you steal my first kiss then tell me it means NOTHING?" she jumped over the table, scooping up Aria and running to the door, "BASTARD!"

As she slammed the door shut she heard Zuko's dark laughter once again. He thought this was funny! Aria, who had figured out that Katara was good, looked up at her and yawned. Katara's temper subsided and she hugged the little creature as she ran back to her rooms.


The dark of Katara's room was almost unnatural in its depth. It was hard on her eyes to see Aria sleeping peacefully on a pillow next to her head. Katara slowly turned on her back, sore from doing nothing and everything. Slowly she raised her fingertips to her lips. She hadn't felt anything, only anger. She did not get a funny feeling in her chest, nor a desire to giggle and twirl her hair about her finger as she'd seen other girls do. All she wanted to do was slap him. After a moment she sat up in bed and stared into the impenetrable darkness. A thought came over her and she said, "That was not my first kiss. I declare it so. I am still officially waiting for my first kiss." Her voice dropped in volume, "That special kiss, that will cause my heart to flutter, my knees to buckle and invoke a silly little giggle." She smiled. It actually did make her feel better.

Laying back down she curled up and remained motionless for a while. Just as sleep was about to claim her, there came a very odd noise.

It was the sound of a vase being upset and turning on its bottom. It started slow then got faster and faster then it stopped.

Someone had stilled it.

Who was in the room?

The sound of bare feet on the plush carpet filled her ears. Whoever it was running across her room.

Then it stopped. She heard a scrapping like noise on the wall. Like nails digging into wood.

Katara looked at Aria who was still sound asleep, though her ears were erect and sensitive. Katara turned on her back and looked up. On the ceiling was a person. In a tight black body suit and a strange mask on their face. Katara's mouth flew open and she screamed as loud as she could.

Did ya like it? I finally did it. I was gonna go further. But I couldn't go. I kept thinking, I need to finish this stupid chapter. Then I realized, IT WAS FINISHED! After a very long time here it is. I hope ya'll haven't all gone away. I'll begin work on the next chapter soon. I have a few projects to work on. Such as making a new purse and reading Christopher Paolini's new book Eldest. Sorry for the huge and unnecessary delay.