The small room was as silent as a grave at Ji Li's last statement. Su bowed and muttered, "As you wish." She led her husband out of the room and shut the door.

Katara slipped out from behind the curtain. "That was close, huh, Zuko? Zuko?" Katara turned to the prince.

Zuko had his head in his hands. "Is something the matter?" Katara asked, full of concern. Zuko muttered something Katara didn't catch. "Zuko, speak up."

"Everyone I know gets harmed in some way."

Katara laughed. "You think you're jinxed? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard out of your mouth, and I have heard some really stupid things come out of your mouth. Before I left to go with Aang, Gran-Gran told me that anyone that is caught up in this whirlwind is going to have danger following him or her. Even Momo, Aang's lemur! It's not you, it's this whole adventure. Trouble is attracted to us like Sokka to lichi nuts. It's not just you! Trust me, I don't fall in lo- I don't do well with doomed men," Katara said quickly. Zuko stood up.

"What was that you were going to say?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Nothing! I said what I meant," Katara said, blushing.

"You stopped yourself."

"No, I didn't! I said what I intended to say."

"What were you going say?"

Katara sighed. "I hate it when men do this! They think they know everything!"

Zuko smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Women do the same thing, only more often." He moved closer and put his hands on Katara's shoulders. "What were you going to say?" he repeated in whisper. Katara tried to look away, but Zuko brought her gaze to meet his.

"That I don't fall in love with doomed men," Katara whispered, embarrassed.

"What?" Zuko asked, almost sure he had heard her wrong.

"I don't fall in love with doomed men," repeated Katara, now a vibrant shade of red. She fell into Zuko's embrace. "This is embarrassing. I didn't want anyone to know, especially you."

"Why especially me?" Zuko asked. Katara gave him a look. "Why would anyone reject you?"

"Someone has. Jet." Katara scowled. "He only wanted to use my Bending skills to flood an innocent village. It was sick. And wrong." She shuddered.

"Forget about him."

"I wish I could forget everything; the war, Mom's death, everything except becoming a Master Bender," Katara said. "And meeting you."


Everyone gathered in Su's room. "Here's the Fire Rose bloom, the Ice Lily roots, the petals of a Breeze Violet, and a section of the Rock Ivy I have growing outside my window," Su said, handing Katara each plant part as she named them.

Katara nodded. "Kyru, Kiena, could you please grind them?" The twins nodded and Earthbended a medium sized rock onto the flora laid out. Katara swept the now-crushed plants into a small, metal pot. "Zuko, Li Se, if you would heat this as soon as I get the water into it, I'll give this to Su, who will lace Ji Li's wine with it. If he sees you adding it, say it's a pain killer."

"And as soon as you give me the go ahead," Kyru said, "Jin-Se and me start the break out."

"And Katara and Zuko get outta here at light speed," Su said, then quickly covered her mouth. The prince and the Waterbender looked at the others.

"I wasn't told anything about this, were you, Zuko?" The Fire Prince shook his head. Li Se blushed.

"We weren't going to tell you until Su left with the potion. But somebody has serious problems keeping her mouth shut!" Li Se shot Su a glare. Su blushed apologetically. "If this attempt fails, Ji Li will kill every male Firebender and female Waterbender possible. Since Katara knows the Avatar, she would be the only one who could convince him to come back and help if possible. And we know that Zuko's uncle would not be happy if Zuko died, but Zula would, and I don't want the bastard to be happy about anything. I still haven't forgiven her for stealing my sister's crush when we were ten," Li Se said.

"I thought I recognized your sister; she was my sister's playmate when she was younger," Zuko muttered.

Kiena looked at the two teens. "You two are somehow connected to this, and if everyone thought that you had escaped, it would bring them hope and maybe we could win this thing. Don't argue; everyone here is older than both of you, with the exception of Li Se here. And since none of us (except Li Se) are Fire Nation, you can't pull the prince act on us. Respect those who are older than you; didn't that crazy uncle of yours tell you that?"

"Multiple times," Zuko admitted.

Kyru nodded. "So it's settled. Su d-r-u-g-s" (Spelling prevented any spies from ratting them out) "Ji Li, then you two get outta here and find help."

"No." Katara turned to Kyru. "We get out only if everything looks like it's going to fail. Otherwise, Zuko and I will stay here." She had a look in her eye that clearly dared anyone to contradict her. No one did.

Katara added the water to the crushed plants and handed the pot to Zuko, who heated it up, handed it to Li Se, and waited.

Soon the mix was the color of the wine Ji Li loved. "Here, Su. Good luck." Su nodded at Katara and slipped out.

"Wait in your rooms," she whispered. Kyru, Li Se, Zuko, and Katara left.

Once in their room, Katara burst into tears. "Oh, I'm so scared. What if Ji Li doesn't drink his wine? What if he tastes the drug?" Zuko took her in his arms.

"Hush, Katara. It's going to work out, trust me." Katara smiled through her tears.

"Y'know, about a month ago, if you had told me to trust you, I would have laughed in your face. I wouldn't have let you anywhere near me, either," she added.

"Things change. Or, as Uncle Iroh says, 'Life changes as often as the seasons.' Why I remember that, I don't know." Katara laughed.

"It's one things that you can't help but remember for some crazy reason. It's like I remember what my mother's favorite food was and how to prepare it perfectly, even though I haven't made it in…over two years now." Katara wiped away her tears. "Oh, I hope that Su can do it," she muttered.


Sorry, short chap. Thank you to my wonderful reveiwers! You lot rock!