A/N: Okay, so this is supposed to be after the episode 'The Chase'. But instead Katara gets hit by getting in the way of Iroh. So when she goes alone at night to find a river, in hopes of healing and bathing herself, right after that, she still is dizzy and weak from the injury. And so, while she tries to go back camp, she accidentaly goes in a direction that leads her farther and farther away from it instead. And when she finally collapses in the middle of nowhere, Zuko's there to pick her up again. And so, he brought her to this tower. It's not a bit tower, just the same sizes of trees. Or maybe smaller, since it's hidden in a place where the trees are really big.

And Iroh and Zuko split up. In this story, since Katara's the one that gets hurt, Iroh wanted to help, but Zuko urges to leave them instead. So they do that, and they leave. I hope it hasn't confused you.

Katara was shocked. She quickly backed up from the masked figure as she began to cry more. She was terrified!

"Ge - Get away from me!" she shreiked. "You - you..."

The masked figure muffled her words by putting his hands atop her mouth so as to shush her.

"Shhhh..." he whispered. She grabbed hold of his hand and tried to pull it away, yet he pushed down harder. With the other free hand of his, he rose it to his mouth and motioned her to be quiet. She shook her head furiosuly so that he'll let go. Once he did, she began to scream again.

"Let me out of here! Who are you!? Let me out now!" she yelled. Slowly he got up and walked towards the candles, bobbing them up and down. She still continued her rantings and tears as he focused on the flames the whole time.

I seriously wonder how many firebender does she actually know. Why hasn't she figured out it's me yet? I just bended the candles on. What, is she stupid or something? Ugh, she's yelling! Shut up peasant... I'm getting pretty sick and tired of you thought Zuko.

"Don't you dare touch me! Understand!? Don't you dare! I'm a master waterbender!" Upon realizing that, she felt her clothes if her waterskin had been there. Nope, nothing at all. Now she was defensless.

I wouldn't even dream of touching you. Filthy little thing. Psh, 'master waterbender'. Yeah right. Master waterbenders don't leave their elements anywhere behind. Zuko had wanted ever-so-much to shout at her already, but it would just ruin his plan.

"Tell me who you are!" she shouted. He walked over to the food that he set down for her. Grasping the spoon in his hand, he scooped up the food and held it out infront of her mouth. She looked questioningly at the spoonful of food infront of her. What the heck was wrong with him!? Here was some kind of stranger who was now feeding her... Kinda weird. For all she knew, this guy could even put poison in her food. She raised an eye brow as she shushed. "What do you think you're doing!?"

Trying to shut you up and feed you, that's what. Hopefully this food will make you be quiet. Now eat little girl!

"Hey! Get aw--" her words were cut off as the spoon of fruits speeded into her mouth, stuffing her so she won't say anything else. She tried to spit it back out, but the force of his hands wouldn't let her. So she had no other choice but to swallow it. "Hm... not bad. This taste goo-- You've poisoned me! I know you put something in there! It's poison!" she yelled out once again. He slightly growled under the mask in annoyance. But still, he had to keep his cool. So he shook his head 'No' in hopes of her settling for that. But nooo... she still ranted on. "Why can't you say something!? Speak!"

"Speaking will just let you notice my voice and fight against me. Wouldn't want that to happen now, do we peasant? No, we don't. So I suggest you stop assuming things, especially about poisoning your food. If I wanted to kill you, I would've let you faint alone in the woods and on the cold hard ground, not caring about what beastly animal comes by to take you. I would've left you to die then and there. But where are you now? With me." Zuko thought somemore. Though he mrely nodded his head to her.

"Stop it! I know you're not mute! Just speak! Why is that so hard for you!?" She stomped out of the bed and clenched her fist.

I do want to speak, okay!? I want to tell you to shut-the-Agni-up!

"Talk! Tell me who you are! Do s--" What came next shocked her. His body was pressed against her back as his left hand draped across her waist, pulling her into him, while his right hand covered her mouth. His warmth felt so comfoting to her as she began to blush. Either that, or it was the colors of anger. But as she shook her 'warm' thoughts and feelings away, she focused back on him, struggling to get out of his grasp.

So much for 'not-gonna-touch-you'... I'm already cuddling you to make you shut up! What more do you want!?

He whized her around to make her face him. In the moonlight, he could see her face, expressions full of anger and worry, of fear and a bit of embarrasment. Why was she embarrased? He had no idea.

Silence.

Both stared into the eyes of eachother, Zuko deep in the gaze of those blue sparkling orbs, and Katara glaring at the blackness of the eye sockets in the mask. But behind those eye sockets, she beagn to guess what eye color his were. The eye colors of Fire Benders differed from greyish hazel to shining gold. So she was plainly confused.

"Atleast... tell me what age you are." she demanded, breaking the silence up. He sighed and lifted his fingers up for her to see. Motioning it, he put 10 fingers up. "Okay, so you're 10?" He shook his head no, then changed it to seven fingers. "So you're 7?" Again he shook his head no. He kept puttin up ten and changing it to seven. Ten, seven, ten, seven.

It makes seventeen you idiot!

"What? I don't get it..." It tokk her quiet sometime to figure it out. "Oh, you're 17?"

Finally! He nodded., and pointing next to her.

"Oh, me?"

Duh!? Who else is here besides the both of us!?

"I'm... 15."

"We've lost them Azula. There's not even the slightest bison hair around." sighed Mai. All three plopping down on each of their sleeping bags. Azula didn't like this. She thought sleeping bags were for people who couldn't afford real beds. But there was no other choice. Bringing the futons were a little to exaggarant. Well, atleast she got to sleep in a tent big enough for the three girls to have enough space apart and away as possible.

"Well we're gonna try harder!" she yelled, infuriated. Mai simply shrugged and once again went back to sharpening her daggers and Ty Lee twirled her hair, staring above for no apparent reason. "I knew I should've shot Uncle right away. Those traitors." she spat out viciouly. "That stupid waterbender just had to get in the way! Well next time, that is not gonna happen. And I'll make sure of it." She grinned. Once again, no one else talked in the tent, until Ty Lee ofcourse got bored of the silence and began talking.

"Make sure of what Azula?" she asked. Azula growled at the cerry girl's annoyance.

"I just said it Ty Lee."

"Really? You did? I guess I wasn't liste--" A ball of blue fire formed in the firebender's hand as the acrobat gulped. "I mean, ofcourse I heard you! You're the princess! A very powerful one too! I've been listening to you, oh-great-princess." Azula laughed menacingly at the girl's words.

"I know Ty Lee. I know..."

"Phew. We've lost them! Finally!" shouted Toph gleefully hugging her rock tent. Aang and Sokka merely shrugged and went back to sulking.

"Where was the last place she's gone too?" asked Sokka.

"To find a river. Right after you and Toph fell asleep, she said she wanted to go bath and maybe heal herself. She wanted to go alone, since we're both boys. So I let her."

"Are you kidding!? After getting injured like that!?"

"I'm sorry Sokka! Okay? That's what she wanted!"

"Ugh. So where do you think she's off at now?"

"I have no idea..."

"Nephew, I do hope you are alright. And please, thank that waterbending girl for me. She nearly saved my life." whispered Iroh. He'd been staying in a village, a few miles from there. Looking out into the forest, he sighed and went back in the home he'd slept at.
"Are... are you going to... hurt me?" she asked, trembling with fear. Even her voice sounded like she was scared.

No. I'm not.

He shook his head 'No' as honestly as he could. She still didn't look convinced. So what he did next surprised both of them. He suddenly pulled her in again, but this time, for a... hug? She began to cry again.

"Please... just, let me go." she whispered.