Disclaimer: As if you didn't already know, I tell you again, I DON'T OWN AVATAR!

Author's Note: This part is from Zuko's POV. Katara's unconscious, she has no idea what's going on. When she wakes up it'll be her POV again.

I carefully picked up the water-bending girl, 'Katara. Her name's Katara.' I reminded myself. I walked until I found something that was almost like a cave. I lay Katara on the ground and unrolled one of the bedrolls. I picked her up again and laid her back down on the bedroll. I leaned back on my heels, looking for my canteen, to wash her cut. I used one the bandages we were given to, what I hoped was gentle; wash away the blood and dirt on her face.

'She really is pretty.' I mentally kicked myself, 'Zuko remember Mai? The girl you're soon be engaged too? But I didn't pick her, Father did. Still it's not fair to Katara or Mai.' I stopped cleaning Katara's face, and thought about Mai. Mai was one of my sister Azula's friends. I'd known her my entire life. She was cold and emotionless. I honestly didn't think that I could be happy married to her. I could barely stand to be in the same room as her. I remembered my father's words to me when I'd said that there was no love.

"Love," my father scoffed. "Love is a weak man's emotion. Are you weak Prince Zuko?"

"No Father," I answered humbly.

"Then you have no need for love. Look at your mother and I, there's no love involved in our marriage and look at how's its working out."

I thought of parents' marriage and mentally cringed. I forced myself to concentrate on what my father was saying.

"We will announce your engagement when you return from the Avatar's quest. Now go I have other matters to see to."

As soon as I'd left my father's office, I went to see my uncle Iroh. I knocked on his door, after he called out, "Come in." I opened the door to find him drinking tea on his balcony.

"Ah, Prince Zuko. It is good to see you. Would you care for a cup of tea?"

"No Uncle," I sighed and sat down across from him. Uncle set down his tea.

"Prince Zuko is something wrong?"

I sighed again, "I'm so confused. You know that when we return from the Avatar's quest I am to announce my engagement to Mai."

"Creepy Mai? Azula's friend? The girl that's had a crush on you since you two were little? That Mai?"

"Yes Uncle, that Mai." We were silent for a short time and it was I that broke the silence.

"Uncle did you love Aunt Lu? I mean when you were first married did you love her?"

Uncle seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Zuko have I ever told you the story of how your aunt and I met?"

I shook my head 'no' and Uncle continued, "It happened one night that I and a maiden saw each other at a ball for the first time. I gazed at the maiden with great delight until I caught her eye. The mysterious communication that was established across a room between us, two strangers, by this means moves all the springs of wonder."

He chuckled, "You could say it was love at first sight."

"But Father says that love is weak and for weak men."

"My brother has never experienced true love; he doesn't understand its power."

Then, "Zuko, do you consider me weak?" I quickly shook my head; my uncle was one of the strongest people I knew. "'Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.' Does that help, Prince Zuko?"

I nodded and thanked Uncle. I went back to my room pondering Uncle's words. Once in my room I vowed that I would marry for love or not at all. Sure, Father said that love was weak, but I'd seen his marriage and it was far from ideal. Whereas Uncle's marriage had been a lot more harmonious in the time that Aunt Lu had been alive.

I brought my mind back to the task at hand. I finished cleaning her wound and put a bandage on it. I left to get firewood and built a small fire, through all this the sun had begun to go down and night would quickly follow. I ate a quick supper and set up my bedroll near Katara. I knew that there was the risk of fever and I wanted to be close by. I closed my eyes hoping to get a few hours rest. But when I closed my eyes I was plagued with memories and images of Katara. I remembered the first time I'd met her. How pretty I thought she was. Sure I'd seen Water Tribe women before, they often came with their husbands who were ambassadors or they were ambassadors themselves.

No it was something more than her blue eyes that matched the water in Mother's beloved turtle-duck pond and her mocha colored hair. There was something in the way she carried herself. I liked her temper and spunk; she could certainly hold her own. I liked how she never backed down from my temper, only Mother and Uncle would stand up to my temper. I snorted, 'I make her sound like a goddess or something else equally perfect.' Katara had her faults like any other person. She tended to go off in her own little world, continue to talk after you'd clearly stopped listening, she had her insane morning and nightly rituals that took forever and never seemed finished. Yeah, Katara wasn't perfect, but although I'll never admit it aloud, some days it's her faults I like about her best.

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Katara's POV

I opened my eyes slowly and found myself looking up at the ceiling of what appeared to be a cave. I licked my dry lips; I started to turn my head but instantly regretted it as a wave of dizziness washed over me. I closed my eyes against the pain. I heard footsteps and felt someone kneel next to me. I cracked open my eyes to see who it was. I found Zuko's face very close to my own.

"Good you're awake."

"Zuko, what," my voice cracked, Zuko gave me some water and after drinking, I tried to speak again.

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

I frowned trying to remember, "We were climbing a cliff, when I fell, you saved me. When we got to the top I discovered I was bleeding, that's all." I saw Zuko nod when I was finished with my story.

"Well, you passed out. I brought you to this and cleaned your cut. You've had a fever and have been sleeping since you passed out the day before yesterday."

"What?" I half-shouted, sitting up. I groaned and clutched my head. I lay back down.

"What?" I repeated. I quickly counted on my fingers, "That means, counting today, we only have four days."

"Actually it's almost mid-day, so really we only have three and a half days."

I glared up at him. He didn't seem fazed by my glare; instead he simply asked me if I was still thirsty. I nodded abandoning my glare seeing as how it wasn't' really working anyway. Zuko reached up under me to prop up my shoulders so that I could drink.

After Zuko lowered the canteen, I asked, "So what the plan of action?"

"Well, you stay here and rest, while I go take a look around."

"Wait a minute; I want to come with you. I don't want to stay here in this place."

"You don't really have a choice; your body is still weak from your fever. You can't even sit up by yourself."

I sighed, I knew that Zuko was telling the truth, but still I didn't want to be alone. "Oh, all right, I'll stay here and try to rest."

Zuko lowered my back down, kissed my forehead and said, "Good. That's all I ask."

With that he got up and left. I stared after him puzzled, by his actions. I lay back down, for awhile I stared at the ceiling thinking about how kind Zuko had been, he was unlike any other man I had ever met. I snorted, not that I'd met many other men. Sokka was way too overprotective. He scared most of them away. I closed my eyes and fell asleep still thinking about Zuko and his kisses.

Author's Note: I apologize for my delay in updating, but in the age old excuse of many college students, I've been busy with homework. But I will say that this as of right now, (I haven't written the rest of the story), this is my favorite chapter. I heart Zuko, just for the record.