Katara woke with an ear-spliting headache. She groaned slightly, then sat up alarmingly quick as it all came back to her. She then became aware that she was not alone. Apart from the sound of the waves crashing against the beach, there was... Wait a minute, waves? On a beach? she thought with alarm. How did I get to a beach? She then returned her attention to the person next to her.

He was obviously a guy, but with fire nation clothes! Katara moved away quickly.

"This could be a trap! I have to get out of here!" she told herself. But her voice had woken up the enemy.

"Huh? Wh-who's there?" he slurred. As he rolled over, Katara saw his face and yelled. It was Zuko! Then it dawned on her. He must be my opposite! Well that would be obvious, he's a guy, I'm a girl, he's a firebender, I'm a waterbender, etc.

As soon as Zuko realised Katara was standing there, he jumped up and said, "Why are you here? Where am I? WHERE'S THE AVATAR!!"

"Shut-up!" Katara snarled. ''I don't have the answers to any of those questions, ok? All I know is that I fell into this mirror and then I woke up here. We're probably stranded."

The fire prince looked stunned by her ferocity for a moment, but then recollected himself. "Yeah right. You probably brought me here or, what am I saying? You couldn't have captured me! I'm the one who's supposed to do the capturing! This is either a trap or you're telling the truth. And right now I'm inclined to believe the former."

During his whole little speech, Katara had been look at him as if the answer was staring him right in the face and he didn't know. And technically, it was.

"Fine, believe what you want," said Katara. "Go and search the whole island for all I care. At least that will mean I don't have to be here with you." The emphasis she put on that last word made it sound like she was saying an extremely dirty word. This was what angered Prince Zuko more than anything else.

"Fine!" he spat. "I wouldn't want to spend time with you anyway. I mean, who would?"

"Fine!" Katara spat back.

"Fine!" grumbled Zuko as he stalked away.

As soon as he had gone, Katara began to feel lonely. So, to occupy herself, she decided to try and catch some dinner before it got dark, as she was starving. It didn't take her long, as she had the water at her command. Although she hated to do it, she caught a fish for Zuko as well. Spoiled brat, she thought. He's got me catching his dinner for him and he's not even here! So she threw one of the fish back and kept the other one for herself. She then started to make a shelter. She put up some long sticks and tied them together with vines, then put some large palm leaves over the top.

Sastisfied with her work, she began to clear a space for a fire. She collected some dry sticks and leaves for the fire as well. Then she started to try and make some fire.

When Zuko arrived back at the place where he had woken up, he saw Katara sitting by a pile of sticks and leaves, trying to make a fire. He smirked.

"A little firebending would make that a whole lot quicker, wouldn't it Katara?" he taunted.

"Didn't find the Avatar hiding anywhere, I see," replied Katara coolly, not rising to the bait.

Stupid water peasant! I should kill her right here and now! thought Zuko angrily. But I won't, because if the Avatar cares about her, he will come running to rescue her. And when he does, I'll be here waiting for him.

He noticed a crudely made shelter to the left of the fire. It was big enough for two. But he was not going to sleep with her, oh no. She could sleep outside and freeze! As he pondered this issue, he saw Katara shiver, she was still having no success in making a fire. So he ever so casually sat down, and in the moment that she looked up at him, he put his finger near the fire and lit it, but in a way so that Katara would think that she did it.

"Ha!" she cried triumphantly. She then went on to cook the fish that she had caught. The only fish that she had caught.

"Where's my fish?" demanded Zuko. "You don't expect me to starve, do you?"

"Well, I figured that you could catch on yourself, considering you're such a big strong man," said Katara smugly. "You didn't help me with the fire, so I don't help you with your dinner."

"WHAT!? I can't catch a fish now! It's too dark! You are so infuriating, little water wrench!" yelled the fire prince.

"Excuse me?" Katara yelled back, really fired up now. "Me? Infuriating? How would you like it if someone was chasing you all around the world trying to kill your best friend? You are a really horrible person you know! What is your problem anyway? You are so, URGH! You never stop do you? I must capture the Avatar, blah blah blah!"

Wow, she's really getting into this! thought Zuko. She must have had all this bottled up for a loooooong time. But Katara was still ranting.

"Do you know what the Fire Nation has done to my life? You have taken almost all the good things! And most of all," she sniffed, "the Fire Nation has taken away my mother." And with this she turned away, with tears streaming down her face.

Zuko could feel himself starting to soften. "Well, there's something we have in common," he mumbled. Katara turned around slowly, and looked at him with bright blue eyes.

"Really?" she whispered.

It Zuko's turn to turn away this time. "I don't want to talk about it."

Katara glanced down at her half eaten fish. "Um, Zuko?" she asked tentatively.

"What?" he growled.

"Well, er, you can have the rest of my fish if you want. I'm going to bed." And with that, Katara got up and went inside the shelter.

When she was gone, Zuko picked up the fish and ate it, furious with himself for softening. But she seems so friendly and easy to talk to, he thought.

Not to mention stunningly beautiful, and SINGLE, said nasty little voice in his head.

How do you know she's single? And anyway, she hates me, replied Zuko.

But she gave you her fish ...

Shut-up!

Oo, now you're getting defensive, that means you liiiike her!

Now you're just being ridiculous! Go away!

Fine. But you DO like her.

Zuko then decided to follow Katara's example, and go to bed. He fell asleep watching Katara's slender form move up and down, with a strange expression on his face.