Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the last Airbender or any of the characters

A note from the author: Hey everyone. This chapter takes place on Zuko's ship. Sorry about any mistakes. I was writing this at like three in the morning. Ok, I know I say this all the time but please, please, please review! I love to hear from readers. A special thanks to ZUTARiAN aNG3L for all the reviews! You rock! And thanks to WhiteWaterLily for the review too! Ok now on to what you came for.

Zuko was lying on his bed with the window open. The wind was cold on his bare chest. He rolled over on to his back and pressed his fingers against his eyelids. Blue dots danced across his vision as he sat up quickly. He stomped over to the window and looked out. The sun was almost below the horizon and he leaned out to catch the last of its powerful rays. As the sunset, the moon rose. The moon. The waterbender's source of power. How is could provide power Zuko did not know. The moon was cold and inconsistent. It didn't do anything except hang in the sky and laugh at those who are earthbound. He pondered the question of how the moon gives energy, and realized he had the answer, if only he could swallow his pride to get it. Zuko placed his hand on his warm, bare stomach and felt it growl. He was hungry. Katara was probably hungry too. Zuko made up his mind. He would ask the waterbender his questions, all of his questions.

He walked out his bedroom door and headed to the kitchen. There he picked up two bowls of rice with sweet and spicy sauce. It wasn't until he was outside Katara's door that he realized he had forgotten a shirt. He looked down at himself, shrugged, and let himself in. Katara was laying on her bed staring at the wall. She pretended to be asleep, slowing her breathing. Zuko walked completely silently over to the bed and sat down on the end. He leaned over and wafted the rice under Katara's nose. Her stomach growled loudly and a smile almost played across Zuko's lips. It had been one-day sense the dinner, and Katara had yet to eat. Knowing she couldn't pretend anymore, Katara sat up and glared at Zuko. Surprise flashed in her eye when she saw the way Zuko was dressed.

"I brought food in exchange for something," said Zuko.

"What do you want?" growled Katara.

Zuko passed a bowl of rice to Katara and said, "The moon, it's so cold and powerless. How does it give water benders energy?"

Katara was taken aback. "You don't know much do you? Either that or you don't want to listen," Katara sighed. Zuko had been nice so she decided she would answer. "Have you ever noticed that the tide reacts more when the moon is full?"

Zuko nodded his head and took a bite of rice.

"Well, the moon does that. The moon has a gentle persuasion over everything. It causes moonflowers to bloom, and the lunar birds to wake and sing songs of love to each other in the night. It gives waterbenders their power through this gentle persuasion, and in turn give us the ability to persuade too," explained Katara.

"Persuasion," Zuko said under his breath so that Katara would not hear. Persuasion explained everything, including how he felt a connection to the bender sitting on the bed next to him. He looked down at her hands that now cradled an empty bowl and noticed the Icefire necklace around her wrist. "Do you know what that necklace is, what it does?" he asked.

"Yes," said Katara, "Ty Lee told me. Do you know what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"The necklace glowed when I first put it on," she said. Zuko leaned back in surprise and looked Katara up and down. Seeing his reaction, Katara asks, "What does it mean?"

"It only glows for people who have more than one element in them… but you are only a waterbender. There is no possible was that you are the Avatar, there can only be one in the world at a time, as far as I know," Zuko said very confused.

"You said I had the spirit of a firebender…" started Katara but Zuko interrupted her.

"That must be it. There is no other explanation," stated Zuko.

Katara frowned at his roughness. Zuko looked up at her, deep into her eyes. He seemed to be held in spot by her gaze, and the he looked to the rest of her face. She had matured sense the first time they had seen one another. Her features were more rounded then, as if so part of a child remained in her. Now her features were more angled, and the slant of her eyes was accentuated by the makeup she had yet to wash off. Her lips were full but not big. They reminded Zuko of a lotus flower as he leaned forward wanting to be closer. Lotus. Uncle. Uncle! Zuko quickly remembered what his uncle had said and stood up immediately, knocking his empty bowl to the floor. Katara looked up at him in surprise. She could not believe he had leaned in toward her. Zuko stood panting with a look of utter shock on his face. His uncle had been right. He felt something for this waterbender. He felt something he thought he had lost. And that sad part was he felt it toward his enemy, toward his opposite, toward the one he had betrayed. He did not think Katara would ever forgive him for all the things she had done to her, all the pain he had caused, and he was not sure if he even disserved her forgiveness.

Zuko stared into her eyes again and became lost in their blue depths. People say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and what Zuko saw was a flame, a flare, burning. He became aware that the flame was a reflection from the torch on the wall. Zuko then shook his head, trying to clear these thoughts away. Katara returned his gaze, her mouth slightly parted as she stared at the prince. She lowered her gaze to her hands when Zuko shook his head, feeling embarrassed for the thoughts that had crossed her mind. She was thinking that Zuko had grown in to a strong young man. He had grown wiser and physically lost is boyish feature. Now his jaw was angled, and strong. His hair had grown out of its ponytail in favor of a more messy style.

"Is that all you wanted," Katara asked as she continued to stare at her hands.

"For now…" said Zuko as he lifted the rice bowl from he hands. "Don't get to comfortable… You might not be here much longer…"

Katara's head shot up to meet his eyes again but he had already crossed the room and had his hand on the doorknob.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked in a whisper.

Zuko half turned and whispered back, "Just be ready to leave at a moments notice.

He pulled the door open and stepped out, leaving Katara alone. He dropped off the bowls in the Kitchen and dismissed the cooks, telling them that they were free to join the other crewmembers for music night on the deck. Zuko then sprinted to his room and dressed. He grabbed three knapsacks, his broadswords, blankets from his bed, and last but not least, Katara's water skins. Zuko stuffed the blankets into the bag and ran back toward the kitchen. There he began to stuff the bags with food and provisions. Once his task was done he went back to his room and shoved everything into his closet. Zuko fell on to his bed and stared at the ceiling. He kept wondering to himself, what am I doing, or why am I letting this waterbender get me all worked up? I cannot feel anything toward her. It is just not natural. But he was about to risk everything, his throne, his honor, and his life to free the waterbender. And he wanted to leave with her, and not loose her again.