Author's Note: I would just like to say that it is so awesome to hear people say that my story is good. For anyone who liked this and wanted more but either didn't wanna review or didn't have time to, you owe chapter two to chasemycars. It is because of her, and only because of her, that I decided to keep this story going. Thank you for the encouragement! *applause sounds for chasemycars*

I apologize if towards the middle of this chapter it starts to drag on. I promise it'll get better.

Disclaimer: Avatar ain't mine, sadly to say…

Thief

Katara froze. After reliving the past memory, she was in no mood for a faceoff. Unfortunately, it seemed that luck held a personal grudge against her.

The boy currently sneering at her was proof of that.

"Where are my friends?" she demanded. Appa was gone. Maybe they got away.

Zuko's sneer grew. "Don't worry. You'll be with them soon enough."

So that meant he'd somehow managed to capture them.

She glared at him, not backing down. "I am so not in the mood for you. Let them go."

He laughed. "You can't be serious, peasant."

Katara snapped. Before Zuko had stopped laughing, a water whip cut across his face, taking them both by surprise. He hadn't seen it coming. She hadn't realized she'd done it. He touched his face, fingers coming away smeared with blood.

Katara's eyes widened. She'd never drawn blood before. Zuko's lips pulled back in a feral snarl, and a fireball grew in each hand. And so another fight began between fire and water.

But this time it did not end in the usual stalemate. Katara was tired an running an anger, an anger that could never match that of the banished prince. It wasn't long before she was on the defensive, and Zuko smiled cruelly when he saw she was giving out. A few more minutes and the girl stumbled. He seized the new opportunity, and Katara found herself backed against a tree, flames less than a foot away.

Gasping for breath, she knew she could not escape. Not by force, anyway. She needed a different approach. The flames danced a little closer, and sadistic triumph flickered across Zuko's face as he noticed her fear.

"Please," Katara whispered, eyes wide and frightened.

There was no reply. There wasn't even an indication that he'd heard her. But the flames stopped moving, and for that, Katara was grateful.

"Please," she pleaded. "Let me go."

The fire abruptly disappeared. When Katara looked up at his face, she realized she'd shocked him. "Let you go?!" he said incredulously. Another flame suddenly appeared, making Katara flinch. He laughed viciously. "Why in Agni's name would I do that?"

"Because," she whispered. "It's Aang you want. No one wants me."

He stared at her. "So you think I'm just going to let you go."

"Please," she begged again, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm of no use to anyone."

"What kind of fool do you take me for?" he demanded. "I know you. You'll try to rescue your little friends," he finished with a sneer.

"If I were dumb enough to singlehandedly try to rescue them, after you'd been gracious enough to let me go free, I think I deserve to be caught."

"Hmm. You're right," he replied thoughtfully.

There was a pause. Katara hoped desperately that he had the tiny remnants of a heart.

"Where will you go?" he asked curiously.

The question threw her off-track. "I…I guess I'll just go back home."

He nodded, as if in agreement. The flames in his hand had been put out once again. He was silent, and she was scared to speak for fear that he would capture her.

Finally his gaze met hers. "How do I know you won't try to save your friends?" he asked suspiciously. She supposed he didn't believe she would really stay away.

"I don't think there's much chance that I could succeed," she said bitterly.

Katara didn't like the way the prince was looking at her. He reminded her of a cobra just before it struck. "But how can I be sure you won't try?" Zuko persisted.

"It's called trust! Or do you want me to write it in blood?" she cried, tired of playing games.

"I think we can avoid that," he said, stepping close. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart began to race. Was he going to kill her?

Katara looked up with fear-filled eyes. She hadn't expected this.

His fierce golden eyes stared back, and he slowly raised a hand to rest on the trunk next to her neck. Katara trembled, more scared than she'd ever been in her life.

"Are you going to kill me?" she whispered, voice shaking.

Zuko looked aback, then his usual expression masked his face. "No," he growled. "I'm letting you go." With a swift motion, his hand descended, pulling her mother's necklace off and stepping back.

Katara started to protest, but instead bowed in head in submission. Zuko didn't see the fire flash in her eyes.

"Once my father has the Avatar, I will release your brother and give him this. If you attempt a rescue, I will destroy it."

Katara nodded, but kept her head down so he would not see the triumph in her eyes.

Zuko took another step back. "Goodbye. With luck, we will never meet again."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away. She waited until he was almost completely across the clearing.

"Zuko."

He stopped, but didn't turn around. "What?"

"Thank you," she said, just loud enough for him to hear. He stiffened, then walked away without saying anything. Katara smiled to herself. He had fallen for it! For a few minutes, she didn't think it would work. She couldn't believe that she had managed to beg and act so scared without gagging—or worse, laughing hysterically. She waited until she was sure the prince was gone, then packed everyone's belongings and hid them where they could come back later to retrieve them. For her journey, she could not carry unnecessary weight. Then she set off after a certain black-haired young man. This was the second time he had stolen her necklace. This time he would pay.

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It wasn't long before the ominous fleet of Fire Nation ships came into view. Granted, it was a very small fleet—only three ships, but that was three ships that Katara was going up against alone. Her words to Zuko flashed through her mind, and she smiled grimly. It was dumb to singlehandedly attempt a rescue. Katara was hoping no one would think she'd try. That way she'd have surprise on her side.

She stayed in the shadows, waiting and watching. She wasn't going to dash in like Sokka would. This mission required stealth and more importantly, brains. She was essentially voluntarily walking into the dragon's lair. If the dragon woke up, she was toast. Literally.

The moon was high when the ships were finally quiet. The only sign of life were the sleeping guards by the ramps. Katara grinned; they were making this so much easier. She slipped past them quickly, so silent that there wasn't even a break in their snoring. She was headed to the hold when a noise stopped her and she spun around, ready to fight. She relaxed when she realized it was just Appa. The poor bison was tied in crazy knots. He gave her another greeting, louder than the first.

Afraid that someone would hear, she decided to free him first. "Appa, you've got to be quiet," she murmured, hoping that for once the bison would listen to her as he did Aang. To her delight, the beast stayed silent while she worked on the bonds that held him. "Okay, now wait here while I go get Aang."

Relieved that he seemed to be obeying her, she set off once more towards the hold, knowing that would be where the prisoners were kept. Within minutes she found her friends. There was no guard in sight. Zuko must have been confident that his prisoners wouldn't be going anywhere. She almost laughed aloud when she noticed the keys across from their cell, just heavy enough that Aang wouldn't be able to airbend them. Arrogant jerk.

The Gaang was soon free and climbing upon Appa, who seemed eager to leave the ship. Katara hesitated, thinking of her mother's necklace. Then, making a sudden decision, she stepped away from the bison. Her friends looked at her, obviously confused.

"Katara? What is it?" Aang asked her.

"Go back to the camp. Your things are in the big tree. I'll meet you there. I have to get something first," she said, fingers absentmindedly resting on her bare throat.

Sokka gasped theatrically. "The nerve of that guy! He took mom's necklace!"

"Again?" Aang asked.

"He's obsessed with it!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Sokka! Shut up!" Katara hissed. "Do you want to be caught again?"

"Can we leave?" Toph said in a bored tone. "The sooner we leave, the sooner I can see again."

"Yes, go on," Katara replied. "I'll just be a minute."

As soon as she convinced Aang and Sokka that she could do it on her own—after all, it was just a necklace, they left. Katara sighed in relief. She was glad that no one had remembered that she was currently on a ship full of firebending maniacs. Okay, well, maybe just one of them was psychotic.

When Appa was out of sight, she realized that she had no idea where Zuko might have put her necklace. The more she thought about it, the more she was aware of the fact that this was a wild goose chase. Then it came to her in a flash: it was probably in his room. Groaning inwardly, she started walking in the general direction of the cabins, having no idea which one might be Zuko's. She'd probably have to peek in every single door. As fate would have it, the fourth door she looked in was definitely the prince's. no other room could possibly so fancy. Besides, her necklace was lying on a table next to the bed.

Heart pounding, she slipped into the room, terrified that the prince would wake up. It seemed dead silent, and she thought that the entire ship must be able to hear her heartbeat. It took her less than a minute to make her way to the bedside, though it felt to her like an hour.

Zuko looked nicer when he was sleeping. The usual anger was gone, and he looked almost peaceful. Katara could see where he might be considered attractive—if he weren't Fire Nation. She scowled as she realized she was having friendly thoughts towards the enemy.

It was definitely time to get off this ship. She was having crazy thoughts.

But just as her fingers wrapped around the smooth blue stone, a hand reached out and grasped her wrist. Katara squealed and tried to jump back, only to find her assailant's grip was unbreakable.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zuko growled.

"Taking back what's mine!" she shot back, still struggling.

"I thought I said I'd destroy that if you tried to free the Avatar," he told her, gripping her wrist tighter. Suddenly Katara's feet flew out from under her and she fell forward, landing on the prince. She shrieked and scrambled off the bed. He'd been so surprised he'd released her arm.

While he was trying to get his breath back, she made a beeline for the door, clutching her mother's necklace. He caught her just as she jerked it open. He slammed it shut and spun her around, breathing like a mad bull. She glared right back, not scared in the least—and not pretending to be.

Realization hit him. "It was all an act."

"You think?" she grumbled, trying to slide around him. He was having no such thing. He braced his arms against the door, effectively trapping her.

"You're not getting away this time. You're going to join your friends in the hold."

Katara grinned at him. "Okay."

He looked at her as if she'd gone mad. Then suddenly he cursed. "You already freed them!"

"You're not as dumb as you look," she said sweetly. His expression was murderous as he pushed her against the door, hands on her shoulders. Katara knew there would be bruises there.

"Do you realize how long I've been chasing the Avatar?!"

"No, I have no idea," she snarled sarcastically.

He growled again, faces inches from hers. "You will pay for this."

"No," she countered hotly. "You're the one paying. For taking my mother's necklace."

His eyes were full of fire as he glared at her. Without warning he bent forward and pressed his lips to hers in a angry, fiery kiss. Katara froze, not expecting this and not knowing what to do. Then she opened her water flask and used the contents to throw him against the opposite wall.

As soon as she was released, she ran out the room and fairly flew off the ship. She didn't stop running even as she reached the clearing where the rest of the Gaang was. She knew Zuko would be after them, and he wouldn't be in a merciful mood.

"We have to go. Now," she gasped, and for once, no one argued.