A/N: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I wish I did…but I don't. I'm working on that, tho. I have twenty-five cents and I'll keep saving until I can buy it…then everything will go exactly as I want it…now, to procure more quarters…

Chapter Five

"Did you tell her?"

Zuko looked up. "Why are you in my room, Uncle?" he asked wearily.

Iroh frowned. "You didn't tell her." It wasn't a question.

The banished prince sighed and sat on his bed. "No, Uncle. I didn't tell her. I—she was crying."

"Ah. Well, perhaps she's just a bit shaken from her kidnapping," the old man said. "I think I'll bring her some tea."

"All right, Uncle."

Iroh paused at the door and looked back at his nephew. Zuko sat on the bed, his head in his hands. The young prince was changing. Oh, the change was subtle, but there all the same. The ice around his heart was slowly melting. And his eyes were finally starting to open.

"Perhaps this Katara will be a good influence on him. If they were to talk… Hmm. I must think on this."

When his uncle left, Zuko huffed out a breath of air and shook his head. He hadn't liked seeing Katara cry. It didn't sit well with him. And he was the cause. He didn't like that either.

I thought you changed…

Zuko lay back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. She had offered to heal his scar. She had shown him a kindness he didn't really know. Now she must hate him for what he did. How could he ever apologize? How?

"Why do you care? She just a pawn, isn't she? She's your ticket to joining the Avatar."

"If she hates us, it will make everything harder."

At least, that was what he told himself. But the truth was, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He couldn't stop seeing the tears glistening in her deep blue eyes. In the cave, she had looked at him with trust. She hadn't even seemed afraid of his scar, as so many others were. Those eyes, gentle and caring, had shone with hurt and fear when he brought her food. It was…startling. And disappointing.

"Why?"

Zuko sighed and got up, determined to make things right. He needed to gain her trust if he ever wanted to join the Avatar. And the best way to do that was give her a little bit of trust. He opened his door and stepped out into the hall, determined to make her trust him, if only a tiny bit.

Katara tugged uselessly at the rope that tied her to the cot. She was usually an expert with knots but this one was hard. She sighed and tears began to well up in her eyes again. Angrily, she wiped them away, determined not to cry again. Crying was pointless, especially when she was trapped on a ship with the Fire Nation Prince.

She glanced at the tray beside her. The food was untouched. Katara hadn't wanted to eat it, especially after she had seen the look in Zuko's eyes. So…vulnerable.

"Vulnerable? Ha! As if. He's only doing that to gain your trust. Again. Won't you ever learn, Katara?"

The girl sighed and tugged at the rope again. She wanted to trust Zuko, really, she did, but things were just so complicated. He had already betrayed her once. She wouldn't give him the opportunity to do so again.

A knock sounded on her door and Katara scrambled onto the cot, giving herself enough room to stay fight whoever came near her. "Come in," she said regally.

The door started to open and Katara tensed but, when she saw who was there, she relaxed and even smiled. "Hello."

Iroh smiled back at Katara and walked in with another tray, glancing pointedly at the one on the floor. The Water Tribe girl blushed. "I was saving it," she offered weakly.

The old man nodded knowingly and then sat in a chair close to Katara's cot. "I brought some Ginseng tea I thought you might like. It's my favorite."

Katara's smile grew even wider. She nodded. "Of course…" the girl trailed off, frowning. "I—"

Iroh laughed. "Don't worry; you may call me Uncle Iroh. I assure you I won't mind."

Again Katara smiled and she took the cup of tea that Iroh offered her. "Thank you, Uncle Iroh," she said. "I was rather thirsty."

An eyebrow rose above Iroh's eye and he glanced at the tray on the floor. There was no water, he noted. But he didn't say anything, merely lifted his cup in a small toast. "It is good to have you aboard, young lady. Though my nephew could have found a better way to talk to the Avatar."

It was Katara's turn to raise a brow. "Talk?" she asked doubtfully. "The last time we saw Zuko, he tried to kill Aang. And now he just wants to talk? Am I supposed to believe this?"

"Yes."

The two turned to find Zuko standing in the doorway, his face blank. But it was his eyes that spoke. Katara stared at the hope and remorse in his golden eyes. For a moment, her heart melted but then her expression hardened.

"You want to talk to him so much that you kidnapped me and tied me to a bed?"

Zuko looked away, uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," he murmured. He turned back, eyes pleading. "I'm sorry."

For some reason, Katara knew he wasn't just apologizing for kidnapping her. Confused, she looked away and sipped her tea, trying to think of something other than how handsome Zuko looked at that moment.

"You can't just say sorry and expect me to forgive you," she whispered. "I know better than that."

Iroh looked from Zuko to Katara and decided that now was not the best time for him to be there. As quietly and unobtrusively as he could, Iroh rose and left the room. Hopefully no one noticed.

They didn't. Zuko moved to the end of the cot and began to move forward. He stopped when Katara moved back, a glimmer of fear in her sapphire eyes. Shaking his head, Zuko knelt by the side of the cot and took out a knife. Katara moved farther. With quick movements, he cut through the knot of the rope he himself had tied around her slim ankle.

"There," he said, moving back. "Now you can go wherever you want." Zuko paused. "But don't try to jump ship. I won't allow it."

He walked towards the door but paused there. Not turning to look back at her, not wanting to see the emotions shining in her eyes, he spoke. "Please trust me, if only a little. I only want to help." And then he was gone.

Still staring at the door in shock, Katara shook herself and wrapped her arms around her legs. She felt…confused. Burying her head in her arms, she began to cry, wishing she knew how she felt. "Oh, Aang. Please, come and find me."

Standing outside of her door, Zuko heard Katara's whispered words and winced. Would she never trust him again? Had he completely destroyed any chance of knowing her when he betrayed her in the cave? He sighed and moved down the corridor. Why did it matter so much to him?

Ty Lee looked at the burn mark on the tree with interest and then towards the berries scattered along the ground. The Avatar had passed through here but he wasn't a firebender yet. At least, not that she knew. So the fire had to have come from someone else. Zuko. And it seemed that the banished prince had managed to take one of the Avatar's friends hostage.

Shaking her head, Ty Lee turned back towards the village she had just come from. This wasn't fun anymore. Luckily, Azula was coming soon. She could join up with the princess and then maybe she'd have a bit of fun.

She sighed huffily. She hated tracking. She wished she was back in the circus. Then she'd have a lot of fun! But then again…Azula had made it pretty clear she didn't like Ty Lee doing such common stuff. Still. Was it really common if it was fun? She didn't think so but, when someone disagreed with Azula, they didn't think that way for very long before she did something about it.

"Aren't we going for Katara?" Sokka practically shouted. Beside him, Toph covered her ears.

"Look, Sokka. Aang wants to find her, too, but he made her a promise."

"So what? That Fire Nation ass has her! Who knows what might happen?"

"Sokka—"

"No, Toph. He's right. I can't just leave her alone like that." Abruptly, Aang pulled on Appa's reins and the flying bison turned directions. "They're probably going west, too, but I think they're a bit south of us."

As Appa flew out over the water, Sokka gave a small cheer, though his spirits were grim. He just couldn't help but think what might be happening to Katara. What was going on?

A/N: Oh, if only he knew…he would spit and shout and jump up and down like a furious two-year-old…mwahaha…

Okay! Sorry this one was so much shorter than the others…but, hey! I got it out on the same day as the last one. Kudos for me, right? So, you know what to do. Review! Please?