Disclaimer: O do not own Avatar or any of it's characters. I own Koima, Jin, Col…. and everyone else that was on the list in the last chapter.

Chapter 27

"You're worse than Zhao! I trusted you!"

"You were…" "Not that time…" Koima's face stayed in Zuko's minds eye. The look in her eyes….He could see the pain in them. Zuko sighed, trying to banish her words from her mind. She had been beaten…raped….for over three years. Zuko's chest was tight, making it hard to breathe. The woman he loved with all his heart had been brutally tortured and abused…even before he had been banished. If only he knew… he could've stopped it!

Zuko vaguely remembered when Zhao had stopped having war conferences in his room with Ozai and Zuko. Zuko hadn't minded at all, he hated going with his father to Zhao's conferences.

'It's because he had Koima in there.' Zuko gritted his teeth in anger, 'So much pain… all that Zhao had caused.' Zhao loves to put people in pain; taking all of Zuko's soldiers, his crew…but much worse….hurting Koima.

Zuko clenched his fists in the sheets, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling, 'I will get revenge. That bloody bastard will wish he had never been born! I'll kill him…I swear to Agni I will!'

There was nothing he could do now, Zuko tried to relax and drift off to sleep. His last coherent thought before he succumbed to sleep was one of guilt, "If only I knew."

(Dream)+

Zuko wandered through the halls of his palace, it was eerily quiet and the slightest noise sounded deafening. He could only hear the faint echo of his boots on the rock floor, echoing down the endless halls to fade into darkness. Zuko didn't know why he was in the palace; he didn't know he was even here. Wasn't he on the ship? He couldn't remember…he forgot all about it when he saw a familiar figure.

The girl was coming out of a room, closing the door behind her and walking away down the hall to another door.

"Koima!" Zuko shouted and ran after her. She turned to him. It was her! She bowed low, "Good evening, Prince Zuko."

"Huh?" Zuko stopped. Why was she being so formal? She had never acted like this even on the ship. What was going on? When Zuko didn't say anything, Koima moved on going to the next room. Zuko followed her in, curious.

"Koima, what are you doing?" He closed the door behind them. She was watering the flowers on the dresser table, no doubt this was one of the noble rooms; it was so elegantly furnished. Koima straightened up and smiled modestly at him.

"Water flowers and cleaning rooms, sire."

"Why are you calling me 'Prince' and 'Sire', Koima?"

She looked at him oddly, "Because you are, Sire. It would be disrespect for a servant to call you anything less."

Zuko frowned. This was not making any sense…Koima a servant?

"When did you become a servant?"

"I've been one all my life, Prince Zuko. My mother is one also."

'Hold up!' "You're mother? She's Earth Nation…she's dead."

Koima shook her head, "Earth Nation? No sire, my mother is alive and well, working in the kitchens. My father would never marry one of those heartless savages." Koima bent to straighten out the bedspread of an extravagant four-poster bed. Zuko's eyes widened. Koi's shirt rose in the back from the movement, exposing pale, smooth, unmarred skin. No burn mark of Zuko's hand!

'She's been a servant her whole life…her mother is alive…and no burn mark…that means no Zhao?' Zuko smiled, no Zhao…

Zuko reached out and grabbed Koima's shoulder and made her face him. She looked up at him expressionless, then he caught her lips on his, pressing her against him as he kissed her. Zuko didn't see her reaction; neither did he care what she was thinking. He had what he wanted now, and nothing was going to stop him from what he had so long desired.

"Mine." He growled hoarsely and threw her down on the freshly made bed, "You're mine." He pulled down the neck of her tunic, tearing it off without a care. He vaguely noticed Koima struggling under him. He could faintly hear her cries of 'stop!' and 'no, please!' It was like he wasn't all there, it was like he was watching it from far away. He wanted her, and he wanted her now! Zuko tore her shirt off, smothering her with kisses and groping her roughly. His only thoughts were of want and need, thoughts of having her naked under him as he satisfied his built up desire and lust…

"…Stop, Zuko! Uncle, Help!" Those few words brought Zuko back to his senses. He looked down at Koima, she was crying. She was not the servant girl Koima…She was Koi now, the one who had been hurt, abused, tortured, and raped for three years. Zuko had been forcing himself on her…

He pushed himself off away from her. Right before his eyes, purple marks were appearing on the exposed skin of her body, burns reforming and cuts indenting her arms and face at a startling rate. Koima seemed to shrink…She now looked like she had when he'd first seen her: Broken, abused, bruised, tortured, and burned. She stood up shakily from the bed; her bright amber eyes had tears in them.

"I-I trusted y-you, Zuko." She said, walking unsteadily to him. Zuko was horrified, she looked like a walking skeleton…he was disgusted in himself…he had hurt her!

"You were my friend-"

"I'm sorry!" But Koima didn't listen, she continued, "You said you would protect me from Zhao… you always said you would never hurt me…you couldn't even protect me from yourself!" Koima collapsed to her knees, her legs too weak to support her. Zuko ran forward to help her. She pulled away from him, slapping his hands away. "Don't touch me! I hate you! You're worse than Zhao! I trusted you!" Her words stopped Zuko's heart, stopping everything in him. He was worse than Zhao; he had betrayed her trust. She had trusted him…and he had been trying to force her…he had almost raped her…

"K-Koima-"

Zhao appeared beside Koima, his arms around her small frail body. Zuko stared in disbelief. "I got her now, boy!" Zhao grinned sadistically at Zuko.

"NO!" Zuko reached out for Koima, to save her from Zhao, but she pulled deeper into Zhao's embrace. Her eyes stared accusingly at him, "I rather be with Master than with a traitor like you!"

"Koima!" He pleaded.

She glared at him, "I'd rather die!"

Zhao smiled cruelly, "Worse than me eh, Zuko? Stupid boy, She's mine Bird, we have a lot to catch up on…" They vanished, leaving Zuko standing in an empty room. NO!

"KOIMAAAAAAA!"

(End Dream)

"Koimaaaaaa!" Zuko shot up in bed, breathing hard and heart pounding in his chest, sounding loud in his ears. He was in his room on the ship, not in the palace.

'It was a dream…a nightmare…' Zuko rubbed his face and eyes, trying to bring himself back to reality. It was a bad dream; he didn't betray Koima…

'You did, in your mind.' Zuko covered his face, "I'm worse than Zhao." How could he think of such things especially after what Koima had gone through for so long?

'What a nightmare.' Zuko could still see Koima's battered form in his mind's eye, her eyes mirroring his betrayal and her pain.

'Oh Agni, What do I do?…' Zuko closed his eyes, 'I love her, but I don't want to betray her, hurt her.' Zuko looked out the window. It was day, and he could hear the distant sounds of men on board. Zuko got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water onto his face. He breathed easier though his heart was still hammering in his chest. What if it had been real? What if he had done those things to her? Zuko knew it was only a dream, but he could not help wondering what would happen if he had? He'd kill himself from shame, he knew. Zuko stared at his reflection in the water, he pulled the drain and watched it swirl down. He shook his head, 'I will never hurt her.'

:;Koima;:

'Does everyone hate me now? Because I am an Earthbender?' This thought kept me from openeing my door. Would they kill me? Zuko and Uncle won't kill me, but that doesn't mean the others won't. I reached into my shirt pocket and touched the rough texture of the coal. It was Earth, and Earth was steadfast and unwavering. I would not find out anything if I stood in here worrying about it. I took a deep breath…and opened my door.

"'ello, Koi.":

"AIEE!" I fell down back away from the door. Jin looked in the room at me, he smiled apologetically, "Sorry. Did I startle you?" He helped me to my feet.

"Yes you did. What are you doing outside my do-" I stopped and stepped away from him. "You…you're not going to kill me..are you?" Jin looked genually surprised, "Kill you? Hell no! Why would I do that?"

I blinked, "You were there last night. You know that I am an Earthbender."

Jin shrugged, "That doen't change who you are. I would never kill you, or hurt you for that matter. You know me better than that." His words relieved me, it was reassuring that he was still my friend. Now it didn't seem like the whole world was against me, I had Jin, Zuko, and Uncle. But what about the others? Col, Icharu, Lt. Ji….the rest of the ship?

"What were you doing outside my door, Jin?" I asked now that my initial shock had worn off.

"Prince Zuko told me to stand guard to keep anyone from coming in except him and General Iroh."

"Did anyone try to get in?"

Jin nodded, "In fact, a few men came by asking if you were alright." He smiled at me,"Col and some of the others. When they heard that Admiral Zhao was responsible for…hurting you, they came to see how you were….the fact that you are Earth nation also doesn't mean anything to them. We like the same…Koi?…Koi are you alright?" He saw the tears in my eyes. I nodded, "I'm fine, just knowing that they don't hate me just….justs…" I smiled, "I don't feel so bad now."

"Why should you feel bad for who you are?" Jin said, "You didn't choose to be part EarthNation. You should be glad of who you are. You are the first Firenation Earth bender in the world!" That was news to me! "We care for you as you care for us. There's no way any of us could hate you." I smiled.

"I'll escort you to the galley, my little Geisha." Jin smiled kindly. I shook my head, "To the infirmary first, please?"

Jin bowed, "As you wish."

He and I left my room and went down to the infirmary. Just as Jin had said, I didn't receive any glares from anyone…only smiled…but there was something behind those smiles: sadness….

"Jin, what is going on?" I questioned as we entered the infirmary. Jin's eyes were downcast as he told me, "We're leaving, Koi, all of us except a few. You're among the few that are staying."

"What?" Leaving? "Why are you leaving?"

Col came up to us, his expression morbid also, "That's why Zhao was here. He's getting every soldier to join his fleet. We are all sailing to the North Pole. We're having war with the Water Nation."

"Oh Agni." I gasped, "But you're not a soldier, Col."

"Me also, even the cooks are going. He wants every avalible one." I looked at the four sleeping forms in the infirmary beds, "Who are the ones staying?"

"Them," Col indicated the four, "You, General Iroh, and Prince Zuko."

I had to sit down. Everyone except us? "So…everyone? But how will Zuko get the Avatar?"

"That's what Zhao is trying to do." Zuko repled solemly, "He's done everything; destroying the Water Nation and capturing the Avatar. We're leaving today." This was horrible; he had ruined everything for Zuko! I hate him!

I watched Icharu, Konan, Homeru, and Nihoku. "Do they know?"

Jin and Col nodded, "Yes, they're pretty down about it."

Col smiled at me, "Since I'm going, that leaves you to take care of them. Do you think you can handle it?"

I nodded, "Yes, Sir. I won't let you down.

He smiled, "Good girl."

"You men need to pack."

We turned to Iroh strolling in to the infirmary, "You all are leaving in an hour."

"Yes, Sir." Col and Jin bowed. Jin flashed me a smiled before disappearing through the door. When they were gone Uncle Iroh smiled at me, "And how are you feeling, Miss Koima?"

"Alright. But how come I didn't know about this?"

Iroh sighed, "Zhao came with the news yesterday. I don't want you to worry about it, okay? Matters are being dealt with."

"What about Zuko?"

"He's…well…he's not happy about this arrangement." Uncle saw that I was frowning, "Things will be alright." He assured.

I nodded, "Okay." But how could things turn out okay?…….


Sorry it took so long.

Thank you all for your prayers for my parents…because they have been answered! They are back together! Thank you all so much! Yall are the best people in the world! That dream came out of no where! It just got lodged into my head. Zuko had a wet dream gone bad. Lol.

Hey, I updated my myspace! Go to my Fanfiction profile and the link to my myspace is there. Just click it. My boyfriend is on there too on my friend list. Hehe! Come say hi! I'm always looking for more friends, especially from Fanfiction.

None of yall got the sequel title right. A lot of yall said, 'Goodnight little fish.' But that's not the title! The title for the sequel is… (drumroll)

"Stuck between Nations" Tadaaaa! It was going to be torn between nations, but no. she's stuck, not torn. Keep an eye out for the sequel. It will probably be up before the end of the summer. Don't forget to review!