Okay this is a short chapter. A little violence and a little Katara acting a little like Zuko. Weirdness. Oh well.

Zuko couldn't sleep. He would turn over and reach for Katara but she wouldn't be there. He grumbled and rolled back over. He couldn't even let his son sleep in the bed with him because the child might roll off. He rolled back over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Stupid wench. What kind of spell did she put on me?" Oh how he missed her. She hadn't been away from his side less then a day and he was already thinking of having the ship turned around to go and get her. But most likely she wouldn't be at the village when they got there. So his efforts would be futile. He sat up. He couldn't sleep, and when he tried he would always expect her to snuggle into his arms like she had done the night before. He was truly foolish he wanted her to be with him before, he just never had the nerve to tell her. Stupid. That was what he was. Stupid.

This quest for the Avatar? So what if he got his kingdom back, he already had the wealth, riches and pride that a man could ask for. A beautiful son and the love of a good woman. A good woman, that was hard to find. He had overheard many stories that were being shared amount his men. They all spoke of ladies left behind, but never once did they mentioned love, or how they missed them. Zuko closed his eyes. He hadn't met a 'good' woman yet, until that waterbender was forced into his life. The only women he ever even came in contact with was his cortisans. They were all ths same, and had truly affected his views of women. They wanted money, they wanted power. They cared nothing of the prince only that he was a prince. So why did should he care for them? He didn't. But this girl, she was something else.

Katara started out as his enemy. By a wonder of god they had fallen in love. He had to force himself to trust her, but he really didn't have to work that hard. Something in her eyes told him not to worry.

She wasn't going to be happy when she found out what the stone actually ment among the villagers, especially since it was under Fire Nation control. He smiled to himself as he stood up and walked over to his son's bed, and leaned down and looked over the small form.

It meant as of show that she was married. But he knew they wasn't. One day, they would be. He knew what he was doing though. If she were married, any proposals, or propositions she might come across, would be dismissed as soon as they seen the necklace. He was protecting her. He had to. He felt it was his fault that she was being put out, and it was. He walked over to the small table and picked up the stone she had given him to keep till she came to reclaim it. He wrapped his fingers around it. He looked around and found a small chain that decorated one of the candles. He sat back down on the bed, milling around the chain, in the complete darkness no less, until he got done what he wanted to. He put the chain around his neck and let the cold stone rest against his chest. He put his hand over it. Now he was 'married'. He laughed to himself.

Katara leaned against the bar and rubbed her feet. She hadn't worked like this in a long while. She looked up at the man, named Beris, and smiled. He was the one that offered her a place to stay free of charge if she would work a little for him.

"Just trying to get used to it." She said and went to clean another one of the tables. She hadn't ever seen a place like this. Sure they had tavarns back home, but the men that came to this one were barbarians. She had two men already in a drunken stuppor hit on her. But they quickly left her alone after she informed them that she was carrying a sword. Men hated threats and they would either run like mice or they would think they had to do something in retaliation. Which she knew was going to happen sooner or later. And as luck would have it, it would have to be sooner.

A man grabbed her wrist as she took his empty glass. She glared at him. His eyes were misted over and he was obviously very inhebrieated.

"Hey sugga, how abouts me and you leavs thes run don ol shanty and find us a plae a litl mor privat?" She snarled and pulled her hand away from him.

"Get a life." She growled and turned to walk off. The man didn't take this lightly. He stood up and grabbed her hair. She stopped and growled again.

"You let go of my hair right now!"

"Listen to me little girly! If i says somethin you are gonna do it!" It was at this time she realized just how much Zuko had rubbed off on her. She jerked her hair out of the man's hand and turned hitting the man square across the jaw.

"Like hell I am." She hissed and turned again to walk off. This man was one of those kinds that when they're drunk, they think they have to fight back...all the time. He jumped up and ran over to her grabbing her by the arm.

"I tool yous already!" She turned and glared at him. Had she been a firebender this man would have burst into flames. She regained a little bit of her composure and took a deep breath.

"Sir, you have two seconds to take your hands off of me." She was in no mood for this. She had lost her child, lost her man, had no idea where her brother or Aang was, and to top it all off she was abandoned in a little town where everyone thought she was married! The man didn't budge.

She then brought her leg and landed it in the danger zone. When the man fell down, the broad sword came out. She wasn't sure how to hold it, but she figured it out. She put the tip against the man's neck. It seemed that being kicked then having his life threatened was enough to sober him up.

"I warned you." She wasn't going to kill him. She didn't even want to hurt him. But he didn't have to know that. One thing good she had learned from Zuko, was how to bluff. With her he did that alot.

The man scrambled to his feet and apologized as he ran from the tavern.

"Well looky here Beris. Your little girl is being rude to our customers." A woman said coming from a room in the back. Katara looked up at the ceiling. What now? She looked back over the woman who was doing the same thing to her. The woman walked over to her and stood real close.

"Listen little girl. I'm the entertainment in this place. Not some skinny little twit like you." Katara looked at the woman with cold eyes.

"I was only defending myself. I'm not going to take your job." The woman nodded.

"No you are not. You need to leave." Katara scoffed and shook her head, resheathing the sword. She walked over to the bar and took the rest of her things from Beris, who seemed very nervous.

"Please miss. I'm sorry my wife is very adament about other women working her, Please don't tell the prince." She looked at him.

"The Prince?" Beris nodded.

"I recognized the stone. I know that it was Prince Zuko's. I truly don't wished to be flogged." Instinctly, Katara brought her hand up to touch the stone thorugh the fabric. How did he 'recognize' it? Was she not the first to bear the token? Oh this didn't set well. She jerked her stuff away from the old man and stormed out of the tavern.

That jerk! He gives me a used stone, saying he loves me! How many other women has he loved! How the hell does he get off giving me something that had obviosly at one time belonged to someone else! That bastard! Next time I see him I am so going to hurt him.

Okay that's it. Loves.