Didn't See That Coming

by Rebirth of the Phoenix

Hi there! I really enjoyed all of the reviews, keep 'em coming! It's so weird, I have the middle and end of the story already worked out in my head but I won't get to write it for a couple more chapters yet! Well, while I'm writing this I'm listening to Bon Jovi and Evanescence, hopefully they'll give me some inspiration!

Read, Enjoy and Review!

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The ocean lay black and empty below Aang and Sokka. They had searched the island for Katara to no avail. Deciding that Zuko had taken her they had taken off on Appa in pursuit of the Fire Navy ship, but they hadn't sighted it yet. Sokka sighed and lay on his back. The stars winked down at him from the velvet sky. Sokka thought about how much Katara loved star gazing and sighed again. His sister was in the clutches of vicious Firebenders and worse of all she was in the hands of that maniac Zuko! Sokka just hoped they would find Zuko's ship soon, he desperately needed to know that Katara was alive and well.

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Zuko sat in the corner of his bedroom looking at the sleeping girl on his bed. It had been several hours since Zuko had brought her back to his room. The doctor had been summoned to check on Katara and had long since left. He reported that apart from a few cuts and bruises she was physically fine. If she was emotionally unharmed remained to be seen. Zuko hadn't left Katara's side, she had yet to awaken but her sleep seemed untroubled.

Zuko had sent two of his guards to recover the unconscious soldiers he had left in the corridor below deck. He ordered for them to be locked in the brig until he could decide what would be done with them. Zuko was thinking about what he had said earlier. He would protect the girl, especially from himself. He knew that he wouldn't purposely hurt Katara but he was aware that he was beginning to look at her in a different light. This scared Zuko. He knew that if he got close to her she would be taken away from him. It was a pattern that seemed to work through Zuko's life. Everything he had ever valued had been taken away from him; his mother, his home, his freedom. Zuko knew that he didn't have freedom, he was trapped in a endless pursuit for the Avatar; trapped by his desperation for his father's love and acceptance. Zuko sighed and pushed the painful memories out of his head. He would not act upon his feelings for Katara, he would not become close to her just to have her snatched away. He would provide her with basic friendship, if she wanted his friendship, and that alone. He would protect and care for her as a friend and nothing more.

Zuko sat up a little straighter as Katara began to stir. Her eyes flickered open and she seemed to have no idea as to where she was. She pushed herself into a sitting position, grimacing as she changed the pressure on her bruised back. She looked around the room and saw Zuko in the corner watching her.

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Katara was a little shocked to see Zuko staring at her. She wondered for a moment why she was doing back in his bedroom when it all came back to her. She remembered how she got her cuts, bruises. She remembered running away from Zuko, crying below deck and the attack. Her mind began to play her the past couple of hours, she could see the men, feel the hands striking her face and hear their laughter. She also remembered her saviour... Zuko.

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Zuko watched as Katara's face turned white and her eyes grew wide. 'She's remembering' he thought. He got up and went over to the bed. He sat on the edge and place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Katara?"

Katara blinked and looked up at him. She stared at him for a moment and Zuko was shocked to see her give him a small smile. "Hey. Um... thanks for saving me and..." She trailed off.

Zuko sent her a small smile as well. "It was the right thing to do. How are you feeling?"

"Alright I suppose, a little sore is all."

"That's not what I meant." Zuko frowned, was she trying to avoid the issue?

Katara sent him another small smile. "I know. Really I'll live. I just feel a little scared still and remembering it isn't the most pleasant thing in the world. Have you been in here with me the whole time?"

Zuko could feel himself getting embarrassed. "Uh... yeah, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I... we were all getting worried you've been out of it for a couple of hours."

"A couple of hours?" Katara tried moving again but winced in pain. "Why does it feel as though someone's been using my back for target practice?"

Zuko chuckled slightly. "Your back is bruised quite badly, apart from that and a few cuts you're fine." Katara nodded and Zuko decided to ask her something while he had the courage. "Katara, look, I was thinking, it's stupid for you to be treated like a prisoner the whole time you're on the ship. I mean, you could be here for a while so I think it'd be smartest if we could be civil to one another."

Katara looked at him quizzically so he continued. "I guess what I'm saying is that do you think that it would be possible for us to be... friends. Even if it's not forever, do you think we could make it work?"

Katara's face broke into a full smile and she began to laugh. Zuko was shocked and confused to say the least. " What's so funny?"

Katara's giggles subsided and she looked at Zuko. "It's just how you made friendship sound so much like this big strategy and how you suggested a temporary friendship." She looked at Zuko seriously. "Zuko, I refuse to be your temporary friend for convenience sake."

Zuko felt his stomach slip a few notches, he was thinking about leaving when Katara spoke again.

"I will however be your real friend for the sake of friendship and because I want to."

Zuko was taken aback. "Really?" Katara nodded. Zuko smirked. "Well, I guess that could work too."

They both looked at each for a moment then burst out laughing. After a minute the laughter died down and Zuko spoke to Katara. "It's good to hear you laugh."

Katara smiled. "I was about to say the same thing to you. Um... Zuko. What happened to the... the two men?"

Zuko looked at her as she looked down at her hands. "They're locked in the brig. I was thinking about what to do with them, but maybe you'd like to decide?"

Katara looked at Zuko and her face broke into a devilish grin.

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Over the next couple of days Katara's health improved greatly. She was regularly visited by Iroh, and Zuko spent most of his time with her. They spent a lot of their time talking over their plan for Katara's attackers, and soon she was no longer haunted by memories of her attack. They both thought their plan was a highly amusing way to get revenge and on the third day after the attack the plan went into action.

Zuko led Katara up on to the deck where most of the crew was assembled. The crew had all heard of what had happened and most felt sympathy for the young Waterbender. A large crowd had tuned out to see how her attackers were going to be punished. Katara went and stood next to the railing of ship with Iroh, away from the space that had been cleared in the centre of the deck. Zuko stood in the middle of the space and watched as Katara's attackers were brought from below deck. They were pushed roughly in front of Zuko and they promptly dropped to their knees in respect.

"Private Ping and Private Juntao, three days ago you committed a serious crime against honor. You have been brought here today to receive punishment." Zuko spoke in a clear voice that carried to the rest of the crew. "Is there anything you would like to say in your defense?"

Ping, the shortest, shook his head. Juntao however, looked at Zuko. "My Lord, I know what we did was wrong but I beg you to have mercy when punishing us."

Zuko looked down at him with disgust. "Oh, I'm not going to be punishing you." Zuko smirked. "She is the one who'll be punishing you."

Katara stepped out of the crowd and stepped up to beside Zuko.

"On your feet!" Zuko barked at the two men before him, they hurried to obey. "Now as you may or may not know, Katara is a Waterbender. Therefore I feel it is only fair if she can punish you with her element, so get into the water."

Ping and Juntao stared blankly and Zuko smirked. "You heard me. Jump over the side of the boat and into the water."

When they still didn't move, Zuko growled and shot a ball of fire at both men. Their clothes ignited and the men let out yells of horror. Need less to say Ping and Juntao both sprinted to the railing and dropped headfirst into the ocean below. The rest of the crew rushed to the railing and laughed at the sight of the pair resurfacing and gasping for air. Katara and Zuko made their way to the railing and the two men below looked up at them with fear.

"Take it away Katara" Zuko smiled.

Katara grinned back and stepped closer to the railing. She remembered her time in the North Pole. Master Paku's training had helped her hone her skills to that of a master, and she had a few tricks to try out on these fools.

Katara raised her hands over her head and the water under the men rose too, taking the men with it. The water rose ten, twenty, thirty feet in the air and Katara blew a breath to freeze it at its peak. The men looked down on the deck of the ship with fear on heir faces. The crew around Katara roared with laughter and Katara smirked. She brought the wave, and the men, crashing back into the water. The men went under the water for a moment then bobbed back up spluttering. Katara lent her elbows onto the railing and started to twirl her finger around in circular movements. The water below her started to swirl. It formed into whirlpool and Ping and Juntao screamed as the water began to spin them around. Katara carried on swirling the water with one hand and raised her other hand above her head. The whirlpool rose into the air and formed a water cyclone. The crew on the deck gasped at the sight and Ping and Juntao could still be heard screaming in terror. Katara pulled the hand above her head into a fist and Ping and Juntao shot out of the top. Katara lowered the cyclone back into the water and it calmed and ceased to exist.

Ping and Juntao crashed onto the deck with a rather loud thud. Katara, Zuko and the rest of the crew turned around and burst out laughing at the sight of their sopping wet faces.

Zuko stepped forward. "You both got off lightly, if it was up to me you'd both be dead by now. You both owe Katara your worthless lives. You will both be shoveling coals in the engine room until we get to the next Fire Nation port. There you will cease to be members of this crew, and I will never want to see your worthless faces again. Now get out of my sight!"

Ping and Juntao both scrambled to their feet and rushed below deck.

Katara was being congratulated on her impressive Waterbending by various members of the crew. Soon the crew dispersed and went back to work. Katara walked over to Zuko and he offered her his arm to escort her to lunch.

As Katara walked towards the dining room with Zuko she couldn't help but smile. 'It's strange,' she thought.'Seeing as how I'm still a "prisoner" on a Fire Nation ship, life's pretty good.'

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Hey. This chapter was harder to write than the others so I apologize if it sucks. Let me know what you think, if you enjoyed it or if I've confused you with something. I'll get the next chapter out ASAP.

REVIEW! (P.S: reviews seem to make me want to write more and make me write at a quicker pace!)