WRITING SPREEEEE!! PLEASE READ WHOLE NOTICE!!!

BTW! Zuko will frequently use Ara as opposed to Katara, mostly whenever he's feeling unusually tender towards her, but when he's angry or frustrated, she's Katara.

That's what happens when you mess with an insane firebender's head :)

Oh, by the way, Zuko's attitude is REALLY confusing in this. Like, sweet one moment and furious the next. He's trying to psyche Katara out (which is working), and if he psyches you out, too, sorry, I tried to explain it like in his head.

ALSO! He's kind of mean in this one. Like, he lets ruling govern his actions, and his survival, and...does some pretty bad things. You may be ashamed of him...or incredibly turned on ;)

either one. He's a little evil in this one, PLEASE DON'T FLAME ME!! He doesn't mean it :(

he's just doing what he thinks is best.

PS!! if anything in this chapter bothers/confuses you, read the bottom paragraph, the author's note at the end. It explains a lot, and if it doesn't answer a question, send it in review-form.

Not too sure I like this chapter, I may change it in the future if it's not too popular.

It was not a pleasant walk back. Zuko dragged the wildly struggling girl to her feet, and was pained to have to twist her arm to force her to stand and walk. Katara's bitter, angry tears fell freely, and he could nearly feel the rage and disappointment oozing out of her. But his pity was gone for the waterbender, any feelings he might have acquired in meeting someone new were smothered by his prejudice. A waterbender; he had nearly been in love with a slut from the water tribe! He was as disgusted with himself as she seemed to be.

Suzu wordlessly left to melt the ice that trapped Rin. It wasn't the best idea.

"YOU BITCH!" she screamed, the moment she was free. Katara's feral snarl and renewed kicking and fighting nearly made him drop her in shock. Ara, the girl he had known for so long, was fighting viciously in his arms, fighting to free herself and take Rin down. He held onto her tighter, and saw too late that Rin was leaping towards them, ready to tear the girl's eyes out.

Zuko quickly turned, taking the brunt of Rin's attack on his back. Then, spinning back around, he brought his foot slamming into her chest (above her breasts and below her neck, to avoid any real injury), and knocked her to the ground. His foot held her there, while his arms were full of an extremely angry Katara.

"YOU BITCH! YOU TRAITOR!"

"I WAS NEVER A PART OF YOUR SLUMMY NATION, I AM NO TRAITOR!"

"BITCH! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

"JEALOUS? YOU WHORE, HE NEVER WANTED YOU! NOBODY WANTS YOU!"

"KILL HER! KILL HER!"

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

"ENOUGH!!!"

They both fell silent. He panted, looking from one girl to the other.

"Rin. I am not killing her. Rest assured, though, that she will be dealt with. Fire Nation style," he added, watching as her face glowed with wicked imagination. "You will never speak of this. As far as you know, this never happened. If you tell a soul, I will kill you. And I do not bluff."

Rin smiled, fluttering her eyelashes. Katara groaned. Even under the Fire Lord's foot, in the most degrading form of helplessness, she was ready to flirt. Disgusting.

"Of course, Fire Lord," she purred. "It'll be our little secret." Zuko began to walk away, pushing the conniving waterbender in front of him, with the annoying firebender walking behind, her quiet giggles driving him insane. The servant girl was no where to be found; she must have wandered off, or gotten lost. Not that it mattered; she wasn't the only servant around.

"Go ahead, and head back to the dancer's quarters. I will deal with this personally," he ordered Rin, the look on her face sickening. She was enjoying the idea that Katara could possibly undergo extreme torture, perhaps even death. But she flounced away, leaving the two alone just outside the palace, out of earshot from any eavesdropping guards.

He turned to face her, and his eyes were terrible. They were hurt, angry, and extremely deadly. Katara knew when to be quiet, and when to fight back; the time to fight and escape would come, but it wasn't now.

"You're life's going to get a lot more interesting," he growled, and she shivered. It was beginning to snow again. The rain had faded, and she felt naked without it. But, the icy droplets that spiraled around her gave her a cold edge. She jerked and lifted her head high.

"How so, Fire Lord?" she spat, her eyes glaring death into his. "What are you going to do? Kill me? I don't care. I don't have any hope, my friends are gone, and I'm in a world of liars and prostitutes. Torture me? I've undergone a lot of things since we first met, My Lord, and I don't believe you could do much worse than the things you did while we were traveling. Question me? I have no answers. My life has been within these walls for the past months, maybe years. I don't even know how much time has passed."

Zuko laughed darkly, and she was aware that her feet became very cold. It sounded like he knew something she didn't know...and at least one of her comments was wrong.

"Oh, I believe you know a lot of things, Katara," he spat, hatred clouding his brilliant face. "and I do have some questioning. Maybe some torturing, maybe some death. But that all depends on your answers, and what you choose to do."

She didn't know where he was leading her. Halls and more endless halls, the bright red and gold of the banners that adorned the walls began to make her eyes burn. Zuko's hand was tight on her wrist, but other than that they looked like a couple, just taking a romantic stroll through the palace. Katara gave a hollow laugh.

Zuko took out a small key, and stopped at a door that was identical to every other one. But when he opened it, she immediately knew it was his room. The walls were plain, but gold bordered the rich red hues. The bed was large and elegant, but the covers were rather plain and of common wood. Black weapons and swords were hung, and a small bookshelf contained a few popular novels, a few of which Katara recognized. But...in the back of the room, there was yet another door; this one was smallish, of thick brown wood and with a tiny gold funnel. There was no doorknob.

Zuko approached the door and stretched a finger to the funnel. Carefully, he shot a perfect, white-hot stream of fire into the gaping hole, and listened as the heat proceeded to work the lock. It clicked open, and he pushed the door back. He led Katara in behind him.

It was cold, damp, and miserable in there, quite a change from the warm, comfortable room they had just been in. Katara gasped and shivered from the sudden change of temperature. Her short skirt also didn't help her stay warm. They moved at a fast pace through the dark place.

Suddenly, they stopped. Katara could see nothing, it was so dark she couldn't even see Zuko, who was clutching her arm with frightening force. She looked turned blindly, making an attempt to see even the silhouette of anything nearby.

Suddenly, Zuko lit a fire in his free hand. Katara gasped, and though it wasn't a large fire or very bright, it hurt her eyes against the dark contrast of the blackness. Katara looked around, and screamed.

It was hell. It was worse. Because she was here, her worst enemy was here, and her best friend, her beloved friend, her companion for years was here. Chained in a small, dark, icy cold cell alone in this pitch-black pit of horror. There were knives, chains, screws, whips, ropes, every other item of excruciating pain and misery, hung on the wall. Her heart nearly stuttered with relief when she scanned Aang's thin completely unharmed body. No blood, no ugly twists, no shortness of breath. But still, simply imagining him here, alone, for months...

"You monster!" she screamed, hurling herself at Zuko, but weakened by the very rage that had powered her to intrude into the castle. She felt tired, hopeless, finished. He controlled her blows easily, grabbing her flailing arms and pinning them tight to her sides.

"I've done nothing to your friend," he snarled, but his voice dropped to a purr. "Yet." She nearly fainted.

"Please, no," she breathed, whipping around to face him, her eyes pleading. "Me. Take me, do anything you want to me. Please, don't hurt him. He's been through enough." She had been in awful situations, but none had been like this. She had been tied, threatened, beaten, hurt, burned...but nothing had injured her like this. Katara had never felt so trapped.

Aang lifted his head, squinting in the bright light. It had been a long time since he had seen anyone, including Zuko, and hearing voices was new to him. Especially one he recognized...

"Katara?" he whispered raggedly, love and hope rising in his thin chest. Then, the horror of her being here sank in and dragged everything else away."Run! Get away! Don't worry about me!" His voice broke in the middle of the last sentence. If Katara thought that was sentiment instead of months of disuse, she was terribly wrong. Unfortunately, old love will do that sometimes.

"Aang, I'm not leaving you!" she cried, leaping forward to reach her friend. She hit bars, and screamed her rage, wishing she were a metal-bender like Toph. Suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder, and she was jerked back.

"Anything?" said Zuko softly. One hand twisted into her hair, and the other (after lighting the torches) stroked softly down her slender arm. If Katara could have seen his face, she would have known that he was not watching her, he was staring at Aang, waiting for the reaction he knew to come. The Avatar was furious.

"Let her go! Leave her alone!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. His fists raised, but Zuko knew he wouldn't try to airbend. Katara was in between Zuko and the cell, shivering and feeling guilty that she enjoyed his heat. But that didn't quench her fear.

"Don't touch her! Hurt me instead," finished Aang softly, and Zuko nearly laughed at their foolishness. One or the other, they would both cave. But...he knew he could never hurt Katara. Severely, at least.

"No! Don't!" cried Katara, even as she gasped with the pain of his hand pulling her hair.

"No! Me!"

Zuko stepped forward, grabbing Aang's thin wrist in his larger hand. He held Katara's wrist with the other. Both were squeezed to the breaking point, and yet the two still watched the other, wishing to take the other's pain. It sickened him; what kind of weak-minded fools were these, to place their own survival in the other's hands? Zuko trusted no one, and therefore was safe from harm.

He stepped back, releasing the Avatar but not relinquishing his hold on the girl. He didn't really want to hurt them, he would never use the ugly instruments on the wall, but fear was an important factor in his survival; more specifically, others' fear of him. He knew what to do, what would drive the Avatar mad with rage, the girl insane with fear, and even (secretly) himself with a little bit of indulgence.

Pulling the girl's hair firmly, he tipped her head back and gently kissed her lips. He could feel her trembling, feel the suppressed anger and humiliation. But with the other hand he lit a fire, and fear quenched any idea of resistance the girl was feeling. She stood, timid, because his hand was aimed at her friend. At any moment, he could release a wave of flames and erase her friend's life in an instant. She knew that, because her eyes were darting to her friend both guiltily and worriedly.

She didn't respond, and neither did the Avatar. He could nearly feel the death look he was getting, but neither could speak, for fear of the other. It was wicked, it was cruel...but it was entirely necessary. Manipulating others was an enormous part of gaining a lead over enemies, and he needed this particular ally.

When nothing happened, he began using his teeth and tongue. She shivered and sniffed a little, but could do nothing else. When she tried to pull away, he lit the fire on the very tips of his fingers and she stopped immediately, her eyes on her friend. He lowered his hand, and rested it on the hem of her skirt.

"STOP!" shouted Aang, shaking the bars of the cell. His fury was terrifying, but Zuko knew he had won. Katara was frightened for Aang, Aang was frightened for Katara...it was all working out perfectly.

Zuko dragged Katara from the cold room, into his own. She was shaking and breathing hard, but there were no tears. Zuko half admired her courage, and half wished he could break her into pieces. He placed her into a chair none too gently, and leaned over, braced on the arms.

"What is Azula planning?"

"I...I don't know." He turned and cursed. After that, she was still lying. Protecting her friends; trying feebly to defend her family. He turned and glared at her.

"I already know where your brother is. Shall I interrogate him, too?" he hissed, leaning towards her. "I promise you I'll be much less sensitive with him."

"My brother isn't here," she said defiantly, meeting his eye. Good God, she was a wonderful liar! She nearly made him feel doubts about the man working for him right now. But...she was a lying waterbender, and didn't deserve the honor of his consideration.

"You're brother's name is Ta Kai. He is one of my personal bodyguards. He is 'dating' Ty Lee, if you will. He is the son of a merchant," Zuko spat, watching Katara's face grow paler. She could sure spin a lie, but was terrible when confronted with it.

"I-I..." Katara's voice faded. She knew Zuko was very aware that something was going on. He knew Toph had 'escaped.' He knew Sokka was here, and since he was 'dating' Ty Lee, it had something to do with Azula. Ty Lee and Mai weren't this deviant. Zuko's eyes said it all. 'I'll be much less sensitive with him.'

Katara had to tell him. He knew half of it, he had Aang, and in a sense he had Sokka. What he would do with them depended entirely on her answer. Her voice was hoarse.

"If...if I tell you what's going on, what do we get?" she asked quietly. She had to know they would be safe. She felt confident that, despite any other gruesome practices Zuko had learned in the Fire Nation, Zuko's honor meant everything. An honorable man made an honorable promise. Zuko seemed to realize she knew this, too, and was depending on it.

"The Avatar will be...moved...to a more suitable environment," Zuko said, choosing his words carefully. "Your brother will remain where he is. He will continue to work for me and reside in the palace. You, also, will continue your work, and your earthbending friend may stay with you." Katara turned her face away.

"But you won't let us go." It was a statement, not a question. The both knew the answer, but he couldn't look her in the eyes as he said it.

"I can't. You're a danger to the war. All of you." Katara frowned.

"How can we just..." but she stopped. If they were together, and working, they would be able to associate and perhaps come up with a plan to escape. They were closer than ever, except Katara was virtually Zuko's slave. She was under his control as long as Aang was held captive. Still, a warm bed and a hot meal for Aang was better than nothing. She still wasn't sure.

"I...I..." she tried to speak, but was unable. It felt so much like betrayal, it hurt. Zuko's golden eyes glittered maliciously. But suddenly, they softened. He gently cupped her cheek in his left hand, and she looked through tear-blurred eyes into his understanding face.

"I know. It hurts. But sometimes it's what's best for everybody." He moved forward hesitantly, and softly kissed her forehead. She was confused; it felt like she was running in circles. His intoxicating heat...she needed it, after the traumatizing scene in the dungeon. She couldn't stop a vision of Aang's smiling face from rising into her mind, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Why don't we talk later?" he asked softly, and Katara sucked in a breath as he lightly touched her arm. But, suddenly, he lifted her and dragged her across the room, pausing to throw her out the door. He frowned, disgusted by her clumsy fall and her cry of pain. He had forgotten about her broken wrist.

"Get back to your harem," he snarled, and slammed the door before her shocked eyes.

Why couldn't she think when he was around?

Zuko is both afraid that he is falling in love with a water tribe chick, and disgusted that she is from the water tribe. So, you see, he is satisfying his own desires a bit, and wreaking revenge/evil conniving plot at the same time.

Brilliant, no?

Katara is confused, Zuko is in control, and Aang is...Aang. I dunno, but he was perfect for blackmail. Not really anything else. Zuko is blackmailing Katara to do whatever he says, and is using fear to control her. I know, not very honorable, but it's very necessary. He's terrified that Azula is trying to get the throne through Katara and the Gaang (kill me now for giving in to that lame pun!!), and it'd be a lot worse for EVERYBODY if Azula got the throne. So, he's doing what he must to save the throne, the people, and himself from Azula. If Katara and Aang suffer for it, so much the better. They're a dying breed; but Zuko can't help liking Katara. Come on, she's just too cute