I examined the walls a little closer. Could I be able to use my waterbending to slice away the layers of rock? Or could I expand the rock by freezing water in the cracks? Either way, I would need water first.

"We just have to think of another way to escape," Zuko said firmly. Determined. He was dead set on trying to escape. That was all he was thinking about; I was sure of it.

But wait. Would escaping truly be the right thing to do? What would the risks be? If we escaped and were recaptured, they would be positive we were enemies of the Earth Kingdom. If that happened then we would have absolutely no chance of finding Aang again until perhaps the war was over, but the Fire Nation would have won by then without the help of both of us, and even then…there was still a small chance of being released.

For Zuko. The Fire Nation would never release a waterbender. Especially the waterbending teacher of the Avatar.

And if our attempt to escape was a success, then what? We run away as fast as we can, throwing fire and water behind us? Burst through the gates and into the woods with destruction and injuries behind us? No way! We couldn't do that. Ethically and physically. There was no way we could make it in a mad dash with hundreds of guards behind and before us anyways. If we did that, we would certainly be recaptured in a matter of minutes.

That was just a recipe for disaster. Not to mention all the innocent people we would hurt in our attempt to escape.

And if we made it out of the city, where were we to go? We couldn't go back to Iroh. He was on his way to the Fire Nation to tell everyone Zuko had died. We would be left aimlessly wandering through the woods without any place or idea of where to go. We didn't have a place to seek shelter since we couldn't go back to the inn even to gather our stuff.

When we had left this morning, we had left all our belongings in our room, thinking we would be back before nightfall. We had thought it meaningless to carry our packs and mats along with us as well. It would have been cumbersome especially while walking up that monstrous hill that led to the palace.

We didn't have any idea where Aang and Sokka were either. Omashu was our only chance of finding them. We were at a total loss. That stranger had gotten us. He'd gotten us good, trapped, restrained, stuck in place.

How humiliating.

He had gotten us stuck in a cell, and we didn't even know who he was. But we knew who we were! We were Katara and Zuko! Master benders! And yet…and yet here we were! In a cell, bumbling around like morons, trying to find a way to escape.

But escape wasn't something possible. It was in our physical and mental ability, but was not something we should do. We couldn't afford to try and escape. Victory or defeat in our attempt would lead us nowhere but more dead ends. Here in Omashu, we had the chance to find Aang and Sokka perhaps even if we were in a cell.

…Perhaps if we gained the man's trust, then we could learn of where Aang and Sokka are. Could…could the man learn to trust a waterbender trusting the Fire Nation Prince?

I mean, I learned to trust Zuko, so he could just as well I did.

"Wait," I said, my articulation breaking through the silence like a knife through silk, sounding sharp and piercing to my ears.

Zuko looked at me.

"Escape may not be the best thing to do," I said calmly. I gazed at Zuko, trying to read his emotions that I had hoped would stream across his face. But, as usual, nothing happened. He remained as stony and expressionless as ever.

"What?" he asked slightly shocked, his voice booming loudly through the small, earthen cell. "How can you say that? We need to escape."

I shook my head, feeling frustration building up much quicker than it should have been. I had a feeling this was going to be hard. I mean, how well were we going to work together? Zuko and I?

We both had two totally different ideas as to what we should be doing. I thought it best to sit and wait, but he wished to take action and try to escape. We were so much like our elements.

Perhaps too much like our elements.

I mean, water and fire couldn't ever coexist. They smother each other before anything gets accomplished. Water puts out fire or fire evaporates water. They are just too opposite to make good of anything.

Would we do the same to each other? Did we have enough sense and feelings for each other to keep each other from ripping each other's throats out? Would we even come that close?

I hoped not. But I knew deep, down, the worst was yet to come. I knew that our relationship would soon be tested. Would we survive with victory or as broken and dysfunctional as we had first started out?

"Well, maybe," I said, trying to show him I saw his side of things. I needed to show him that I understand where he was coming from, where he was going in this situation, but he needed to know that I saw a different way. Perhaps not a better way, but a different way nonetheless. "But don't you think that there's a better way to get out of this situation than by force?" I asked. "Perhaps if we talked—"

"Talk?" Zuko blurted out. "Talk? They don't want to talk," he interjected. "They mean only to throw us in here to rot until the war is over."

"But the war will not end unless we are free!" I added, vexation coming quickly, growing higher and higher in my heart and throat like vomit, ready to spill out.

"Exactly!" Zuko exclaimed, thinking I was on his side in the matter. "We must leave!"

"No, Zuko," I pleaded. "We can't leave. We need to talk with them."

He looked at me like I was a wild, mad woman. He looked upon me almost condescendingly, as if I was not getting what he understood, and I did. I truly did understand what he was getting at. I understood perfectly clear why he thought the best thing to do was escape. I just didn't think- no, I knew it was not the best thing to be done.

We needed to talk with whoever was in charge, whether it was Bumi or that strange man. That was the only way to end things on a good note. We needed to approach this matter diplomatically and not with rage and raw power. Nothing would get accomplished if we did that.

But I didn't think Zuko quite understood that.

"What is talking going to do?" he asked harshly, his voice rising in volume. "We already tried that, remember? But it got us stuck in this cell! Because you told him the truth!" he hissed.

His words hurt, like a needle piercing me right through the heart. His words made me flinch back, but I wasn't about to lose my ground. I had faced Zuko in a verbal battle many times before we had fallen for each other, this was no different. I just had some leverage to work with.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Stand quietly like you? Or, I know!" I exclaimed sardonically, hurtfully, tossing my arms up into the air and rising onto the balls of my feet. "What about lying? Would that have worked out better? Would that have met the expectations of his majesty?" I sneered.

"You couldn't have done anything to make the situation any better," he snapped.

I scoffed. I mostly definitely could have. Not that I could think of any better solutions at the moment, but I was positive I could have. "I could have done much better than you did. I wouldn't even be in this mess if it wasn't for you," I spat.

"It was you who opened their big mouth," he retorted.

"Hey, they wouldn't have had a problem with me if I wasn't with a firebender."

"And how do you know?"

"Because last time I checked, I wasn't the one leading an army to destroy and overrun their nation."

Zuko sneered. "You couldn't lead an army out of knap sack."

"And you can't even catch a little boy!" My tolerance for him had gone far beyond its boiling point. I had already gotten frustrated and then infuriated with him within a few minutes. Things were going from bad to worse, and I knew that if I didn't control my temper just a little bit, this whole cell would turn into an inferno just from Zuko's body temperature.

Fire crackled through the cell, making the air warmer and more bearable. Zuko's body heat made the tiny cell nice and cozy. It felt nice. I was definitely going to have to get him angry more often.

"You wouldn't understand the battle tactics of the Fire Nation," he huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Battle tactics?" I snorted. That was rich. Of course, he had battle tactics. Just like I was a purple egg. "What battle tactics?"

"You wouldn't understand," Zuko repeated.

"Well," I sighed, "looks like your battle tactics have been doing wonders." I extended my arms out, gesturing to the walls of the cell. "Congratulations," I said, quitting the fight, ending it right then and there.

I was sick of fighting. I was tired, fatigued, and irritated with myself. I didn't want to argue with Zuko anymore. It would get us nowhere, and it had gotten us nowhere except put a wedge between us again. And who knows how far it would drive us away.

Looks the like the honeymoon stage is over. I thought wryly to myself. I sat irately on the floor, the cold seeping in through my dress. I curled my legs up to my chest and held onto my knees with my arms. A small whisper of wanting Zuko beside me echoed for a second before I shoved it away. I didn't want him beside me, keeping me warm. I was mad at him.

But…I loved him more than I was angry at him. But I still didn't want to apologize to him! He was just too stubborn and prideful!

…Just like I am…

I sighed, knowing I was in the wrong as much as he was. There was no way around the fact. I had started the argument right along with him, ready to bite with my words. I was irritated and had been just chomping at the bit to blow off my steam. Regrettably at the man I loved.

I knew I should apologize, but I just couldn't find the courage to do it. I needed to patch things up between us, but it was just a thing that seemed to be so hard. To swallow my pride and admit I was wrong was something I had always struggled with, and right now it seemed to be the hardest thing imaginable.

And that made me no better than Zuko.

I breathed deeply through my nose. I didn't want to apologize, so I wouldn't right at that moment. Perhaps I would in the near future. "Listen, if you want to escape, then be my guest," I said with a shrug.

Zuko stared down on me, his golden eyes hard like stone. His lips were set into a firm line. An unwilling line. He watched me for a second or two, studying me, watching my face.

And for a moment, I felt as if we were enemies again. I felt as if we were still fighting with each other on everything. The way Zuko stood towering over me gave me a sense of déjà vu. It sent a small shiver up my spine, telling me that if I wasn't careful we would end up being just like we had been when I had been captured.

We were treading on dangerous grounds. Oh, so dangerous. And if we weren't careful, this entire journey could tear us apart. If we weren't on guard and careful with our words, things would fall apart completely and possibly without any hope of repair.

He exhaled deeply, irritably. "Katara, I just don't think waiting this thing out is the best thing to do," he tried to reason.

"And what do you suggest we do?" I questioned. "Try to escape and get captured again, reassuring their beliefs that we are allied with the Fire Nation? Zuko, you know we can't do that."

"We need to try and escape," he said again, holding so firm to his belief.

I bit my lip, anger and frustration with him already coming back. "And where do you propose we go? Back to the woods?" I looked at him earnestly, willing him to understand my side of things. "Face it, Zuko; we don't have anywhere to go."

He looked at me grimly and determined. "I'm going to try to escape. You can join me if you want to, but I'm not going to give up."

I stood right up. He thought I was giving up! How dare he! I was not giving up! I would never give up on trying to find Aang and Sokka! They were my family for crying out loud!

"You think I have given up?" I cried. "How dare you! I would never give up on Aang and Sokka just as they wouldn't give up on me!"

"You think they haven't given up on you?" Zuko asked loudly with a smirk starting to spread across his lips. "Where have they been for the past six months? Where were they? Huh?"

I stared at him in shock at his words. I knew that they were reasonable questions. Questions that I had not even asked myself. But to my ears at that moment, they sounded unreal and fake. I didn't want to ask myself such questions at a time like this. I didn't want Zuko to think that they had deserted me. And they hadn't! They hadn't given up on me.

…Had they…?

"If they hadn't have given up on you, then why weren't they trying to rescue you?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but I could find no words. And instead of words forming, tears did instead. I felt furious with myself for getting upset, but I couldn't stop myself; Zuko had really hit a tender spot with me.

Why hadn't Aang and Sokka come for me? Why hadn't they tried to rescue me? Where had they been?

My confusion melted away, becoming a memory. Anger and ire took its place. I was starting to become furious with Zuko. He had crossed the line by saying Aang and Sokka had given up on me. "You have no idea what they are like!" I shouted at him, my fist balled. "You have no right to say they have given up on me!"

"Katara," he said, "it is so obvious! How can you stand here and argue with me?"

"Because you know not of what you say!" I cried.

Zuko looked at me, his body not as tense as before. The temperature had decreased considerably. He looked at me withdrawn, wounded to some extent, and I felt a pang within me, knowing I had hurt him. His eyes flickered to me and then the ground.

I gulped. Oh, boy. I had really done it this time. I took a step towards him with my arms outstretched, ready to comfort him and apologize. "Zuko, I—" I started.

He waved his hand in front of me. He still didn't look at me, and it gave me so much pain. "Just…forget it," he said sullenly with a small shrug.

I froze, shocked by his words. I felt tears start to form in my eyes and my lip quivered. I knew tears would fall within a second or two and I didn't want Zuko to see me cry, so I turned away. I stood in front of the door, my back to him. I leaned my forehead on the cold metal of the door.

Tears flowed seamlessly and I didn't bother to wipe them away. I cried silently aside from a sniffle or two. It didn't surprise me that Zuko didn't try to say anything to keep me from crying anymore like he usually would have. I didn't expect him to. I expected what happened.

Zuko stayed behind me as I cried. Whether his back or front was to me, I didn't know. I didn't bother to check. To have Zuko see me with tears streaming down my cheeks was something I didn't want him to see. I just didn't want him to see me cry.

It seemed like we were enemies all over again. It felt like we were still arguing over morals and over feelings. It felt like we hated each other once again. It felt…so wrong. So wrong… And I couldn't shake that deviant, haunting feeling. Like it was foreshadowing something.

Whatever it meant, I was going to fix this matter. I twisted around to face him. We had to solve this problem. If we were going to find a way to escape or calmly wait for whatever they had planned for us, we couldn't do it while we were waging war without our words. "Zuko," I sighed. "I'm sorry," I admitted. "I didn't mean to say that."

He kept his gaze downcast.

"I just let my temper get the best of me, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me." I gazed at him concerned, worried for his answer. Anxious. I prayed he would forgive me. Our mission depended on our cooperation and willingness with each other.

He sighed and looked up at me. "Of course, I forgive you," he finally said. He stepped towards me, his arms outstretched.

I fled into his arms, ready to be enveloped in his warm grip. And he did. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, comfortingly.

A/N: Hey! Ok, wow. That was just one or two days shy of a month! I'm so terribly sorry! It has been so crazy I haven't had hardly any time to write. School is a killer, so many assignments, tests, and projects to worry about. And church is keeping me on my toes. I've been freaking out about college and such. I've been trying to finish up my manuscript for this novel I wrote and trying to come up with the money to publish it with. And there's been a bunch of drama at school. Haha, to fill you in a little bit, I like my best guy friend and his best friend likes me. Not exactly what you would call a good friendship haha. I

t's nuts. I hate it. But, hey, that's life. And I'm so glad I could get away for one evening and finish this chapter up! Really! I can get away from life for an hour; it feels so good! Haha!

Well, this chapter is really...negative almost. I mean, it talks about how their relationship could fall apart if they weren't careful and they already got into an argument. And Katara hurt Zuko. Not exactly what you would call a happy couple. This was really just a filler actually. I'm not sure what sure happen. I mean, I know where the story's going to go, but filling it in up until there is kind of hard.

I have, though, figured out how I'm going to end this story! And Silence Before the Storm! You're gonna hate me once Silence Before the Storm is over. Really. And I may just hate myself for ending it the way it's going to, but unless things start to change up in life, it's going to end the way I've planned it to.

I have found a cover for Fate's Sense of Humor! Yah! Haha, exciting, huh? It is a drawing by Irrel at deviantart! She is so incredibly talented! Here's the link: .com/gallery/14176?offset=48#/djbjcp Um...if they don't allow the link here, it's posted on my profile, so go check it out! It's awesome!

Thanks so much for reading! I truly appreciate it! Please review!

-Neon