Chapter two: Saving yourself

Zuko followed behind her as closely as he could without her knowing that she was being followed. He saw her look around a few times and he would duck out of sight. Obviously, she was unaware that he was following her. He saw her go into a small house near the capitol of the town. All he could do was wait for her to go back out on her own, or for the rest of the household to leave. He sat there thinking. He was once again, in one of those tricky situations because of his inability to think things through. He would have to make sure that she didn't tell her little companions or worse, the Earth king. If word got to him about Fire Nation or Ex-Fire Nation civilians inside the walls of his perfect city, he shuddered to think what would happen to him or his uncle.

He sat outside of there house, hidden, for what seemed like hours. The sun had already set at least. His head jolted up as he heard the front door open. He looked to see her brother, the Avatar, and the blind earth bender leave the building, as well as their pet lemur. But there was no Katara in sight. She was alone. He could make his move. He slowly crept to the front of the house to see steam rising from one part of the house. The young water bender must have been cooking or taking a bath. He pushed the door open as quietly as he could. He stepped into the house to feel the air thick with steam. His hypothesis had been correct. She was taking a bath on one side of the house. He made sure that his shoes did not squeak as he approached the bathroom. He saw her in a long white robe testing the temperature of the water. She slowly slipped it off making Zuko flush red as soon as he saw it hit the ground. He tried to look away, but it was like a car crash, a very beautiful one at that. She was perfectly shaped from all the training she had to do to keep her strength and it showed. She had a flat stomach and perfectly shaped breasts. He turned away from the scene so as to not blow his cover. He turned back around to see her under the water.

Thank the gods, he thought just to make himself feel better.

She had her eyes closed as she let the sensation of the water come over her. If there was anytime to strike, it would be now. He readied himself and ran into the room. Before she could make a sound, he had knocked her out with a blow to her head. He took her white robe and redressed her in it before slinging her over his shoulder and carrying her out of the house. He stayed completely hidden when taking her to his little cabin that he had been working on.

Katara awoke with a jolt. She found herself bound to the wooden floor of a small hut by Fire Nation chains. She held a chained hand to her head. She had a throbbing headache and couldn't imagine why. More importantly, she looked down to see that she was only wearing her white robe her Gram-Gram had made her a few years ago…and it was open. She yelped and closed it. She heard footsteps approaching and saw the one person in the world that could make this worse. Zuko.

"You!" she yelled trying to lung at it but was bound to the spot by her chains. She reached down to open her bending water canteen, but it was gone.

"Looking for this?" Zuko asked with a smirk holding up the canteen. Katara smiled and tried to bend the water from outside the container. But nothing happened. "You don't seriously I wouldn't empty it before coming here, did you?"

"You better let me go if you don't want to feel serious pain," she growled struggling at her binds.

"Let's see, you're in my cabin, kidnapped by me, and you're my prisoner," he said mockingly. "My, my, my it seems there is little you in that phrase. You have no room to bargain and that's about all you have while here."

"I swear when I get free," she threatened.

"You'll tell the Earth King what he already knows," Zuko said angrily.

"Earth King? What are talking about?"

"Well of course you told your little friends that my uncle and I were staying in here."

"I did no such thing."

"You lie!"

"No I don't! Why would I tell them? You said it yourself I would have nothing to bargain."

"Then I am sorry about the misunderstanding."

"Then let me go! You have your information, I am no use to you," Katara pleaded.

"On the contrary, you are the one thing I want here right now," he replied smirking at her once more. "Tell me Katara, is there anyone who desires you right now?"

"What are talking about? All I know is that Aang likes me as more than a friend, but that's it," she responded taking aback.

"Wrong! The Avatar desires for you to be by his side, yes. But your brother desires to protect you. And even the Blind Bandit desires to have your eternal friendship. But I, I desire more. I desire you and although in the years I chased the Avatar it did not show, I get what I want."

"You're sick," she snapped. He looked like he was going to hit her, but instead he held out a bowl.

"I am not sick. The sick deserve sympathy. I am a monster. I was created by a monster. I do not deserve the sympathy you and your people do. Never call me sick again," he said extending the bowl to her.

"It's poison," she told him skeptically.

"It's a cure for your headache. I'll be back in a while; I have to check in with my uncle."

"Very unprepared for me I see." Zuko got close to her and looked her in the eye.

"Although I have a problem thinking before acting, I was perfectly prepared for you." He wrapped an arm around her waist and breathed in her ear. "No matter how disgusted you may appear, you want me just as every other girl in this city does." He slowly breathed in her ear and she closed her eyes at the sensation. "I may not be a healer like you or my uncle," he whispered, "but a quickened heart rate does mean something."

He released her making her insides yearn for his warmth. "I'll be back."