Hello!

So I have officially changed this to an M rating for some adult themes in this chapter... that being said, I should warn everyone that this story may go to go to some dark places - this chapter is called 'Breaking Down', after all. I can't help myself, I often draw from my own experiences when writing.

To those of you who like the slow burn, worry not! Slow burn is the only way (:

Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review!

I hope you enjoy this chapter and please please please let me know what you think! (Via reviews?)

Chapter 6: Breaking Down

…

All alone even when I was a child

I've always known there was something to be frightened of

I can see it coming from the edge of the room

…

All alone on the edge of sleep

My old familiar friend

…

I think I'm breaking down again

I think I'm breaking down

…

He couldn't believe his luck – of all the people that he had expected to find in the dungeons below the Omashu Palace, the waterbender was a pleasant surprise. The only way the situation could be better was if the Avatar himself had willingly walked into one of the cells and waited patiently for Zuko's arrival. But the waterbender was a valuable prisoner; perfect bait for a trap. The Avatar's waterbender. He'd seen how the boy looked at her.

She had been using her waterbending to pick the locks, he marveled; it seemed as though every time their paths crossed he discovered something more intriguing about her. She was beautiful and determined, she was a fighter, and apparently also a bandit.

When he whispered in her ear, her knees had gone weak and she all but collapsed into him. She seemed to be somewhere else – in shock perhaps – and she didn't fight this time. Her eyes were clouded and distant as he scooped her up and she said nothing. Now, she was draped across his arms, as he walked up into the palace.

"Prince Zuko," Ukano approached with Iroh, when they reached the top of the stairs, "I must thank you for your help in subduing the rebels and capturing a prisoner. Surely she will be a useful source of information on the rebel movements."

"This is my prisoner, Governor," Zuko's tone was stoic as the Governor blinked and stammered.

"But- Prince Zuko, this rebel- she broke into my home! She must have detailed knowledge of the rebellion. I need her for questioning."

"She's not a member of Omashu's rebel organization, she is a hired lockpick with no information about the rebel movements. Though, she is wanted in the colonies and I intend to collect my reward. I will ask her what she knows about your rebels, but I will not hand her over." Before Ukano could reply, Zuko was walking up to his chambers with Iroh in tow.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Governor!" Iroh waved as they turned a corner.

When they reached Zuko's chambers and closed the door behind them, Iroh turned to him, voice low, "So, this is one of the Avatar's companions. What do you plan to do?"

Zuko put the waterbender down and went to the canopy bed where he untied the decorative ropes that held back the curtains. They were a soft material and would do well as restraints until something more practical could be obtained. The waterbender didn't show any signs of fighting him at the moment, but based on their previous interactions, he figured it wouldn't be long until she came out of her haze.

"I'm going to set a trap for the Avatar, Uncle," He replied, matter-of-factly.

"And when you capture him?"

Zuko paused as he pulled the girl's wrists behind her back, securing them together with the decorative rope, and led her to a chair in the corner.

"I'll put him in chains and take him back to the Fire Nation," Zuko scowled. He knew his Uncle was trying to suggest something, trying to make him think his plan through. They were far away from his ship and he knew he couldn't trust Governor Ukano. If he caught the Avatar in Omashu, it wouldn't be any easy feat getting him out of the city and back to his ship without attracting attention. While Ukano was a weasel of a man, he was also power-hungry and eager to please the Fire Lord – if given the opportunity, Zuko was certain the man would take the Avatar from him.

"We have to leave Omashu tonight," He frowned, "I need to get back to my ship. That's where I'll set the trap."

His Uncle nodded, "I will inform the soldiers," Then he bowed and backed out of the room, closing the door once more.

Zuko turned to see that the waterbender was staring at him now, eyes narrowed.

"Why did you lie?" Was the first thing she said.

"What?"

"You told the Governor that I'm a lockpick and I'm wanted in the colonies. Why?"

"He wanted to keep you here for questioning. I couldn't allow him to take you – you're my bait. Even if he does find out who you actually are, we're not heading towards the colonies." Zuko replied nonchalantly. She just stared in response. At length, he broke the silence, "We're leaving before dawn."

…

Katara wriggled against the ropes he had restrained her wrists with, feeling like she was stuck in a dream. It was a dream, wasn't it? She would wake up back in the underground base of the resistance with her sleeping friends around her and Sokka's snores ringing in her ears. This couldn't be reality.

The room she sat in was grand and opulent, richly decorated and spacious; nothing like the tents and ice huts of the Southern Water Tribe. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. So this is how royalty lives, she thought, glaring over at Prince Zuko. She watched as her captor strode across the room and pulled out a scroll, scribbling something down and rolling it back up. The sky was visible through the window and stars shone in the darkness.

She had never felt so helpless and alone. How was she going to get out of this? There was no water in the room and she doubted she would be able to trick him into giving her any. She was trapped.

"My water skin," She suddenly said, "It's back in the dungeons."

He turned to her, a surprised expression on his face that quickly turned into a scowl, "If you think I'm going to give you water, you're wrong. You're not going to get away."

"Not water," She responded, shaking her head, "My water skin. It- it was a gift from my grandmother."

"Forget it," He replied.

A knock on the door indicated that the old man – his Uncle? – had returned. Zuko grabbed the scroll and glanced back at her before he stepped out into the hallway. They spoke in hushed voices, but she couldn't make out what they were saying through the door.

The realization that she may never again see the water skin that Gran Gran had made her left an ache in her chest that only grew when she continued thinking about her situation. Surely, Sokka, Suki, and Aang had now realized that she was missing. Would they know where she was? Who she was with? Would they be able to find her? Could she find a way to warn Aang about the trap Zuko was setting? She had to come up with some kind of plan. She wasn't going to sit idly by while the Prince of the Fire Nation tied her up and waited to capture Aang. Keep a level head, she told herself. When they left Omashu, she would figure something out – she had to.

…

Iroh handed him a small tray from the kitchen that contained leftovers from their dinner; a bowl of rice, braised duck, and some fruit.

"Here," Zuko traded his Uncle for the scroll, "Send one of the soldiers back down into the dungeons. There's a prisoner left down there and I need this message delivered. Tell him if he finds a water skin to bring it along."

Iroh nodded, taking the scroll from Zuko and tucking it into his robe. "Ukano asked us to join him at breakfast in the morning. I agreed."

"Good," Zuko replied, "Let him think what he wants."

He entered the room again to find the waterbender hadn't moved. Her steely glare was bothering him. He had expected her to cry or shout or fight him – anything but this. Her sapphire eyes were full of contempt and the fire still flickered in them, but she said little and didn't try to escape. Had he broken her?

He dropped the tray of food on the low table in front of her with a clatter, choosing not to succumb to her stare. He was in control, not her – he would have to make sure she knew that.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Food." Zuko responded flatly, refusing to look back at her.

"I can't eat anything with my hands tied behind my back," She said defiantly, "And I'm not hungry." He heard shuffling as she crossed her legs.

He didn't justify her with a response; if she wanted to go hungry, that was up to her. Eventually, she would come to the conclusion that it was pointless trying to rebel against him. He was going to succeed. The Avatar would be his and his honor would be returned. Then, he could finally go home. Nothing was going to get in his way.

…

Katara tried not to stare at the food he had placed on the table next to her. She lied – she was starving. The food smelled delicious and she wondered why he would bother to try feed her something so lavish, let alone anything at all. Had he just put it here to torture her, knowing she couldn't very well eat anything with her hands tied? She frowned, trying to ignore the intoxicating scents that were filling her nose and making her stomach twist and grumble. One grumble came too loud and was clearly audible throughout the room.

Zuko turned to look at her, a smirk on his lips, "Not hungry, huh?"

She scowled at him for commenting on it then averted her gaze, "Maybe I am hungry. But my hands are tied," She wriggled her bound arms to prove the point.

"I'm not going to untie you, waterbender. You can't be trusted."

"Then how am I supposed to eat? Or is your plan just to starve me until I can't move? Then I won't be able to put up a fight. That is your plan, isn't it?"

"I'm not untying you," Zuko strode over, scowling back at her. He sat down in the chair across from her and a staring match ensued. He won when she grumbled and shifted her gaze to the window.

"Then, what? You're going to drag me through the Earth Kingdom to your ship? Don't you think that looks a little suspicious? I don't look like much of a criminal; what if someone tries to help me?"

"If you behave, then I might consider untying you at some point," He growled, his tone low. "But for now, you'll just have to deal with it." He picked up the chopsticks and bowl of rice, watching her eyes widen.

"What are you doing?"

"Feeding you."

"No."

"Yes. I'm not untying you and you won't make very good bait if you starve to death before the Avatar shows up to collect you," He hissed. "And I don't want to listen to your stomach grumbling all night."

"I'm not hungry anymore," Her stomach groaned again, as if calling her a liar.

Zuko snarled at her defiance, "Look, there are two ways we can do this: you can cooperate and eat this food, or I can hold you down and force it into your mouth. It's your choice."

Katara watched as the candle flames in the corner leapt and grew in response to his annoyance. The same thing happened with her and water sometimes; she would get frustrated and ice would crack, snow would fall, and water jugs would topple over. She considered the options he gave her. Neither were ideal by any means, but she certainly did not want to be held down and force fed – being restrained was already bad enough.

"Fine," She responded eventually.

With the chopsticks in hand, he picked up some rice and moved it towards her face. She was watching him, her eyes narrowed. Then, as she opened her mouth to receive the food, he met her gaze and she briefly noticed embarrassment cross his face. No doubt he just recognized that hand feeding a prisoner wasn't very princely. Either that, or under all the finery and titles he was just another hormonal teenager. While she chewed on the rice, she thought on this more. A plan started to formulate in her mind. It also wasn't ideal, but perhaps the best she could do for the time being. She would have to make him uncomfortable, catch him off guard, wrestle away control of the situation.

Her thoughts drifted back to the Southern Water Tribe, to the last summer solstice celebration. At 16, she was finally allowed to join the women in the late night festivities which involved eating dreamfish, dancing, and gossiping around the fire. Gran Gran wouldn't let her try the dreamfish until she was older, but she was present for the conversations that the inebriated women had around the firepit. There was lots of talk about men; their husbands, the young handsome warriors they hoped would return, how someone met their betrothed, and how to lure in a man. Katara had been fascinated – and the women had noticed. They had told Katara all they knew. When the warriors return you will be of an age to marry, they said, these are things you should know. She had never put any of their advice into practice, not having any boys her age around, but perhaps now was the time to try.

As Zuko brought another bite of duck to her mouth, she met his gaze, her eyes no longer narrowed suspiciously, but large and innocent. She kept the chopsticks in her mouth just a moment longer than necessary and licked her lips when he pulled back. His eyebrow on the unscarred side of his face twitched ever so slightly. That was a good sign, right?

Determined to keep at it, she puffed out her chest a bit and the action reminded her of the penguins at the South Pole; she bit her lip to stifle a chuckle at how absurd this was. That, too, seemed to get a reaction out of him as his gaze traveled down to her lips. Was this really working? Men are such simple creatures, she thought.

When the duck hit her tongue, she let go of her inhibitions and let out a low, "Mmm," which sent Zuko to his feet. He scowled and turned away from her.

"What?" She asked, as innocently as she could muster. Katara couldn't believe how right the women had been; it was way easier than she had thought. "Don't stop… I'm still hungry." Quite pleased with herself, she watched the muscles in his back tighten and his shoulders go stiff under his silk shirt and tried not to snicker triumphantly.

"You've had enough to eat," His voice was low and raspy as ever, "It's getting late now and we have to leave early." After a while, he turned back to her scowling and grabbed her upper arm.

"What are you-" She started to say before he yanked her to her feet and led her over to the bed. The feeling of triumph melted away and she wondered why the women hadn't explained how potent these techniques were. Suddenly, she was scared. He pushed her forwards onto the bed, grabbing her wrists.

"What are you doing?" She gasped.

He didn't answer but loosened the rope around her wrists until she wriggled one hand out, immediately relieved. He turned her around so she was sitting on the edge of the bed and brought her hands together in the front, tying up her free wrist once more.

"Your arms will probably go numb if you sleep with them tied behind your back," Zuko replied, no emotion in his tone.

"Oh," She averted her gaze and tried not to stammer, "I thought…"

"You thought what? I was going to let you go?" He took her bound wrists in his hand and brought them up above her head. She fell backwards onto the bed as he pulled her hands towards the headboard of the canopy bed. Katara twisted under his grasp, trying to wrestle free; the fear – and much to her dismay, a hint of desire – washed over her once more when he smiled wickedly and growled, "You aren't going anywhere, Little Rabbit."

He had another tie from the canopy drapes and quickly secured her wrists to the bedpost. Now, it was his turn to smirk triumphantly down at her as her face turned shades of red. Then, he was wrapping more rope around her ankles. Aggrieved, she struggled against him, kicking and rolling to keep him from binding her feet together and to the bedpost.

"There it is," He sneered, "I was wondering where your fight had gone."

"I'll show you a fight," She bared her teeth as she bent her knee and slammed it into his chest above. He staggered back with a shaky gasp to regain his breath. But then he was on her again, his weight holding down her lower body as he grabbed her ankles. He fastened them to the bottom bedpost and she realized she was trapped. The Prince's gaze moved up to her face as he lifted his chin and looked down proudly at his work.

"You'd better start behaving or I'll never untie you." He breathed, his voice a husky timbre. Then he was reaching for her face. Reflexively, she flinched away from his hand but was surprised when he brushed some of her hair that had been mussed during the struggle out of her face. Then he stood.

She watched, perplexed, as he crossed the room and removed his shirt, stretching his arms before laying down on the window seat. Her eyes involuntarily fell on his shirtless form. His shoulders were wide and the muscles in his back tensed as he adjusted his position, turning to lie facing the ceiling. His pale skin caught the moonlight, adding definition to the ripples of muscle across his abdomen. She was surprised to see the collection of faint white scars that marked him, vestiges of wounds shallow and deep that he must have acquired from training exercises, she assumed. Seeing her captor like this was odd, far too intimate for their limited interactions up until this point, and she quickly looked away.

"Why am I the one on the bed?" Her voice came, unbidden.

He rolled his head to face her, staring blankly, "Do you want me to sleep on the bed with you?"

Her face grew hot and she averted her gaze once more, "No."

"I didn't think so," He grumbled and turned over, "That was the only place I could tie you down. Go to sleep."

Silence filled the room and she watched his back as his breathing deepened. Teetering on the edge of sleep, she felt like she was losing it; like she was broken. There was something about him – what it was, she didn't know what exactly – that she found intriguing and mysterious, and she hated herself for it. He had tied her up, threatened her, and had knocked her out on multiple occasions. She hated him, she reminded herself. When she got the chance, she would end him and do the world a favor. Half-formed plans circled in her head until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted into a dreamless slumber.

…

The ache in his neck finally woke him. Zuko sat up, stiff and annoyed, wondering why he was so sore. Then he remembered his captive and glanced across the room, afraid she might have escaped while he was unconscious. She was right where he had left her, tied down on the bed, still in the throes of sleep.

Standing up, he put on his shirt and gathered what few possessions he had brought along with him to Omashu. By the sliver of light on the horizon, he judged that it would be another hour until sunrise. They had to get going before the palace woke and alerted Ukano of their departure. He strode over to the bed to wake up the sleeping waterbender.

Her head lulled against her arm as her chest rose and fell rhythmically. She looked so peaceful and demure in her sleep; nothing like the obstinate little vixen she had been the night before. Zuko brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying to repress the images that threatened to float to the forefront of his mind. It didn't work. The moaning noise she had made when he was trying to feed her filled his ears and it was infuriating. Had she known what she was doing to him? The way that she had looked at him and licked her lips – that couldn't have been unintentional. She had gotten to him and he was a little rougher with her than he had meant to be as a result. Tying her to the bed wasn't entirely necessary, but he had to show her he was still the one in control.

With a throaty groan, she shifted in her sleep, twisting her hips slightly. He did feel a little guilty for tying her up like that. If she would just cooperate, their journey through Earth Kingdom territory wouldn't be so bad. He had allowed 13 days for the trip back to the ship instead of the 6 it had taken him to get to Omashu.

Leaning over, he nudged her shoulder and grumbled, "Hey."

Her lips parted but otherwise he got no response, so he did it again.

"Mmm… hey," She mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. When she tried to turn to the side and the ropes tightened, restraining her movement, her eyes shot open. As if she had forgotten where she was, she tried to sit, eyes widening as her gaze shifted from her surroundings to him standing over her. Then she scowled at him, "So it wasn't just a dream."

"Dream about me often?" He asked, dryly.

"They're called nightmares."

He ignored her barb and moved to untie her ankles, "We have to get going."

…

Katara was not a fan of komodo rhinos. She sat upon the lumbering beast, sweating in her cloak as the sun blazed down on them. They had left Omashu hours ago; it was afternoon now and the heat was blistering. They stuck to the forest for cover, but the canopy was sparse and didn't provide nearly enough shade over the path on which they traveled. The beast between her legs looked to be a vicious thing with sharp claws and deadly horns protruding from its face, a visible scar stretched down its neck to its shoulder – this was an animal used for war. Her legs were aching fiercely, unused to the bowed position she had been holding them in since before the sun rose above the horizon.

She had been surprised when Zuko had given her her own rhino to ride out of the city; he had also forced her to wear a cloak and claimed it was to appear less suspicious, despite still tying her wrists together. However, when they were out of sight of the gates, which wasn't far in the pre-dawn darkness, Zuko had opted to loosen her wrist restraints and tie a rope around her waist that he held onto like she was a pet. If she did spur her beast to run away, the animal would run out from under her while the Fire Nation Prince yanked her out of the saddle.

"Can I take this cloak off now?" She turned to ask him, "It's too hot."

He just nodded, not meeting her gaze. When she continued staring back at him, he got annoyed, "What?"

"I need you to take it off," She sighed. When his eyebrow shot up, she lifted her arms out from underneath the cloak to show him her wrists, "Remember?"

The old man – Iroh – turned in his saddle, smiling, "I think now would be a good time for a break, nephew. There's a town at the edge of the forest and we could use some more supplies for our journey. You three, come with me," He pointed to the three mounted soldiers directly behind him.

Katara sat atop the rhino while Zuko gathered the reins and walked the two beasts into the forest, tying them to a tree. Then he reached up to grab her waist to help he down from the saddle. His hands felt large around her slim waist and he lifted her with ease. She felt like a child.

"This is a bit ridiculous, don't you think?" She gestured at the ropes binding her wrists and the one wrapped around her waist, "What if I just promise not to run away?"

The Prince scoffed, and sarcastically replied, "Yeah, and I'll promise to give up on capturing the Avatar."

"It might not be such a bad idea," She pondered out loud, "Why are you so intent on capturing him anyways? What has Aang ever done to you?"

"It's the only way I can get my honor back," He responded, coldly, "I'm not going to give up."

When she didn't respond, Zuko helped her with the straps on the cloak and removed the rope around her waist to get it off.

"I'm thirsty."

He gave her a wary stare.

"My hands are tied," She reminded him again, shaking her wrists.

Sighing in resignation, he pulled the gourd of water out of the pack on his rhino and opened it for her, "Here. Try anything and I'll have to tie you to a tree next time I give you water."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She hissed, before tipping the gourd to her lips. She had never enjoyed water so much.

He watched her intently, obviously expecting her to try attack him at any moment. They were both caught by surprise when one of the soldiers in their procession yelled, "Bandits!" from somewhere nearby. Before either of them had time to react, there were six figures surrounding them, all dressed in green and brown hues that blended in with the forest.

Zuko attacked straight away, shooting fire at the bandit on his left. The man gasped and went flying backwards into the brush from the impact.

"Look out, boys. This one's a bender." One of the men said.

Zuko kicked another blast of fire at the man behind him, connecting with his shoulder and setting his shirt on fire.

"What about you, sweetheart?" Another took a step towards Katara, noticing her hands were tied, "Is this man bothering you?"

Katara bit her lip. Well, yes, he was bothering her a lot. But she was stuck between a rock and a hard place and she wasn't quite sure yet which one Zuko was. While he was absolutely despicable and she hated his stupid smirks, he was a familiar kind of despicable and she was a little less frightened of him in that moment than she was of the bandits in the bushes. Either way, with her wrists bound, she wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight, aside from splashing the gourd water in someone's face. She cursed the prince for putting her in this position.

Hoping that if she remained silent they would leave her alone, she bit her tongue and looked over at Zuko. Her tactic didn't work; the bandit grabbed her by the arm and pushed her back against a tree. Before she could do or say anything the man was tugging at the hem of her shirt. Horrified, she screamed, tossing back and forth, and kicked at him, landing a strike to his shin, but he didn't let go. Instead, he pulled out a knife and her eyes rounded while her vision went red. She had never been more frightened in her life and tears welled up in her eyes. This was apparently when Zuko noticed what was going on. The man had just finished slicing the front of her shirt open when Zuko's foot came out of nowhere, connecting with the side of the his head. Through her blurred vision, she could make out some of the men stumbling away into the woods, dragging their injured bodies.

Zuko was walking towards her and she tried to back up, but instead tripped over a root protruding from the ground and fell backwards. He caught her arm before she could fall but the feeling of someone else's hands on skin her made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Get off me!" She yelled at him, tears running down her face, "D-Don't touch me!" She slumped down the trunk of the tree and started sobbing. It was entirely his fault that this happened. If he would have just untied her wrists, she could have fought those men off. If he would have just not kidnapped her, she would be back in Omashu with her friends, not fighting off depraved outlaws who seemed intent on violating her. She sobbed harder, shaking violently at the thought of what could have happened. And, in a brief moment of clarity, her mind lingered on a single decision: she was was going to kill him for subjecting her to this distress.

…

Zuko didn't know what to do. He wanted to burn the forest down around them. When he tried to help her, she had treated him like he was the one who had cut her shirt open. She was crumpled against the tree, now, sobbing into her hands. His rage demanded action, so he ignited his fist and punched the nearest tree to his left, which splintered in a fiery explosion. He was angry at the bandits for showing up and touching her like that, he was angry with his soldiers for not giving them more warning, and he was angry with himself for letting it all happen the way it did. He should have protected her first; she couldn't do anything with her wrists tied – waterbending like that was impossible at her level.

At length, he sank down next to her while she sobbed. He didn't dare touch her, he just leaned against the tree and listened to her cry. When her sobs quieted to sniffles, he turned to her.

"Hold your hands out," His voice was almost a whisper, fearing if he spoke any louder or harsher that she would start sobbing again.

When she reluctantly complied, he untied her wrists and dropped the rope at her feet. She examined her hands with red, puffy eyes.

The look on her face sent a wave of guilt over him, like he was drowning in open water, being battered by a storm. He took his shirt off and handed it to her. She didn't look at him. What was he supposed to do?

Thoughts swirled in his head, a vortex of indecision and despair. What could he do? Some part of him wanted to hold her again; to tell her he wouldn't let her get hurt, that he would protect her, that she had nothing to fear. But he couldn't make that promise, could he? He couldn't protect her and she was still clearly afraid of him. Should he leave her alone? Should he... apologize? Zuko opened his mouth to say something, but words caught in his throat like choking on water.

"I'm-... I won't tie you up anymore."

So that was kind of heavy... I hope I didn't turn anyone off from this story! I should probably note that this story will contain some violence and adult themes; not unnecessary gore or anything too vulgar, but you know, blood.

Please let me know what you think!

...

With love,

A Storm