My motivations for sneaking out to the clearing started to shift. Kenshin was still very much in my thoughts, but I'd be lying if I said that Zuko wasn't just as prominent. My focus on training was waning; I wasn't fueling my firebending with the same intensity. That's why I didn't notice at first that he wasn't training me as hard as before. He was showing me less attack moves, more defensive ones. Sometimes I would realize that I wasn't learning as much as I had been, that it wasn't as intensive, but those thoughts leaked away when he came into the mountain clearing with that half smile I had to believe was just for me.

""""

The sun was deceptively bright that day and it lulled my mind into believing that the night would come faster if I could just get out of that shack for a few minutes. The streets were busy, as they always were, and the smells coming from the food carts was mouthwatering. One cart housed a spiced fruit that reminded me of something my father used to make and I reached out to grab one. A hand clamped down on my wrist and caused me to stumble.

"I know you weren't thinking of walking away without paying for that, bitch," the man growled, his hand twisting on my wrist. I winced.

"No, sir, I was just—" I tried to jerk my hand away, but the man was young and healthy, and his grip was strong. His heavy, black brows mashed together in anger.

"Liar. I've seen you before. Never seen you buy anything though. You know what happens to thieves?" Still holding my wrist, he reached under his counter with the other hand and brought out a knife. A couple people standing nearby turned their heads while the ones who were at safe distances all turned to watch.

"Let me go," I said, trying to be calm. "I'm sorry." I'd obviously been stealing; there was no talking my way out of that.

"Sorry? Not yet. Watch the cart," he said to a plump woman behind him, his wife, apparently.

I was struggling in earnest now, throwing my weight backward to try and wrench my arm out of his grasp, but it wouldn't budge. I frantically looked around at the small crowd gathering around us, but saw no sympathy. I craned my neck to look for soldiers, but there were none. My breaths were starting to come in panicked gasps. Before I could open my mouth to shout for help, any help, the hairy fist that was clenched around the knife slammed against my jaw. Lights splashed across my vision and my body went limp with shock and pain. I would have fallen if he hadn't hauled me back up by the wrist.

As I dangled from his hand, he leaned in close and whispered, "I hate thieves, more than anything. When you steal from me, you steal from my family. You literally take food away from my son's mouth. There's nothing more personal." A fist landed on my side, just below my ribs, then another in my stomach. I tried to inhale around the pain, but my lungs felt sealed shut. The fire licked its way down my arm, but I held it back with the last of my willpower. If I were caught firebending, I'd have worse problems than a beating.

The man shoved my arm away and I collapsed on the ground. A swift kick fell on my abdomen, followed by another. "Please," I choked out with my eyes squeezed shut. The voices around me were starting to grow faint and the man's face was morphing into Kenshin's. I was losing my grip on my firebending.

Before he could answer, I heard something I thought I'd never be happy to hear- soldiers. I glanced up to see the man being detained before my vision went completely black.

"Wake up," a gruff female voice said. A light tapping on my uninjured cheek welcomed me back to the world. I opened my eyes to see a pretty soldier above me. I looked past her and realized that I was still in the street where I'd fallen. "Can you get up?"

"I think so." She helped me to my feet and my head pounded like my brain was trying to escape. I stopped and held my head between my hands.

"You should see a healer," she said.

"Can't afford one. I'll be okay, thank you." Without another glance at her, I shuffled away. I'd been beaten before, and I was used to having to take care of my own injuries. When I'd taken a few steps, I turned back and asked, like an idiot, "Am I going to be arrested for stealing?"

She turned back and snorted. "I think you've been punished enough."

Too tired and in too much pain to find the same humor in my situation, I just continued on to my shack. Once inside, I collapsed on my bed and, even though I knew I probably shouldn't, I went to sleep.

"Rei? Rei, wake up." Zuko's hand fell on my shoulder. I cursed him for waking me up to the pain again.

With a poorly concealed moan, I said, "Why are you here?"

He sounded offended as he said, "You weren't in the clearing; I was worried." I sighed and braced myself to turn over. I could only manage to flip onto my back. My abdomen felt like it was falling apart and my head seemed to crack open with every blink. I couldn't see quite right out of my left eye and thought it must have been swollen.

Zuko hissed when he saw my face in the bright moonlight. I must have been asleep a long time. "Rei… Spirits, what happened?

"I got beaten up."

He rolled his eyes in exasperation and growled, "Obviously, but why? Who?"

I winced. "Don't talk so loud, please. It was a vendor. I guess you could make a case that I was stealing."

He threw his hands up and said, "Why would you steal?"

I glared at him the best I could through the pain and swelling. "I like the rush. I need to eat, Zuko. Didn't you wonder how I was staying fed?"

He clenched his jaw. "I guess I never thought of it."

I shook my head and immediately regretted it. I took a few deep breaths to calm the pain and said, "I should have known. You've never had to worry about where your next meal was coming from."

"Yes I have!" He almost shouted in his anger. I winced again as his voice set my head pounding.

"If you can't keep your voice down, then leave! I don't need this right now. You may not have noticed, but I'm in some pain."

He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry," he forced out. "I'm just surprised. Rei, why didn't you tell me you didn't have any money?"

"Because it's my problem."

"That's stupid. I want to take care of you…"

More out of habit than anything, I said, "Stop, Zuko. I don't want you to take care of me and I don't need you to—"

"Clearly," he said, gesturing to my curled up body.

"I don't want your money! I don't want money that comes from Earth Kingdom taxes and raids—"

He scooted closer and took one of my hands in his. I expected him to get angry and defensive about my digs at his family, so his calm voice took me by surprise. "I don't want to argue anymore," he said. "Tell me where it hurts and what I can do."

The rest of the night was spent with Zuko sneaking out to fetch cold water from the well to try to bring my swelling down. I didn't think I had any internal injuries, so it was just a matter of applying cold cloths and resting. He was quiet most of the time, following my orders with a detached focus. When he'd done everything he could, he stretched out beside me and took my hand in his. Both of us were shocked when my eyes filled with tears.

"What's wrong?" he said, looking over my injuries.

I shook my head slightly and whimpered, "Zuko, when that man was hurting me… I was thinking of Kenshin. It was as if I was back in my village and he…" I broke off into sobs.

Zuko eased his arm under my head and held me as close as he could while being mindful of my injuries. "Shh…" he soothed. I cried into his chest until I ran out of tears. I fell asleep on the wet pillow of his shirt.

A stream of sunlight across my face woke me. I had a split second before all the pain rushed back and I let out a shaky breath. Then, I realized that I was much too warm. He groaned as I stirred against him and I shot upright in shock, my body protesting at the sudden movement. I winced, but didn't take my eyes off him.

"Zuko," I whispered, taking a nervous glance at the door and windows. He just shuffled closer to me on the pallet, trying to hold onto sleep. "Zuko, wake up!" I kicked his foot.

"Go back to sleep, Rei," he murmured. I waited for him to realize. Suddenly, he gasped and bolted upright, looking terrified.

"Yeah," I said, "you may have overslept."

He cursed softly and gripped his hair. "What am I going to do?"

"I don't think we could sneak you out. Just walking around in a cloak in this heat will draw attention." I eased myself back to sit against the wall, cradling my stomach and trying my best to keep my face still so that my jaw wouldn't move.

"No, I can… I've had to move through a city before…"

"Really? One that knows your face and has guards crawling all over it? Do you really want to risk it?"

He turned to me, deep in thought. "It might be more dangerous to stay, though. Someone will notice I'm not there and they might come looking for me…"

"Maybe you should just tell them that you were with a girl, or even a prostitute. That way no one will ask questions and you won't…" I trailed off when I saw the look on his face. "But of course the fiancé wouldn't be happy about that," I said, my eyes focused on my lap.

He sighed. "I just don't want to hurt her when I don't have to. You can understand that?"

I nodded, but a stab of pain hit my chest. "So we're agreed that you can't leave until night?"

"I guess so. Damn it, this was so stupid!" His head fell back into his hands. I reached out, wincing, to run my hand across his back.

"I'm sorry about this. If I hadn't fallen asleep, you wouldn't have…"

"No, it's not your fault," he said, turning his body towards me. "How are you, by the way?"

"Better. Still sore, but better. First things first, though, we should probably cover the windows. Anyone could peak in." I made to get up, but he stopped me with a hand on my knee.

"No, I'll do it. Do you have curtains?"

"I have skirts. Hang those up."

I sat and watched him while he covered the windows and tied the edges of the door cloth to the frame, wondering at the strange direction of my thoughts. Seeing him move around my tiny shack, arranging my things and setting a pot of tea to boil with a quick flame from his fingertips, it felt almost… domestic. I wondered if, in another world, we could have just been a husband and wife, preparing for the day. I was so caught up in my thoughts that it took me a few moments to notice him watching me, a small smile on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"I haven't seen you in the daylight in months," he said. He set the teapot on the stone warmer I'd picked up in one of the little kiosks before my money ran out and crouched in front me. His fingertip traced the bridge of my nose and travelled across both cheeks. He smiled. "How have I never noticed these freckles?"

"They're only there when I spend a lot of time in the sun," I said, embarrassed. My eyes flicked up to his and I realized that I hadn't been under the full force of his eyes in months, either. I was caught in them and leaned in almost unconsciously. Our lips had just met when I remembered that I hadn't bathed or used the bathroom since I'd tried to steal the fruit. I pushed him back with a hand on his chest and said, "I have to make a quick trip to the bathhouse."

"I'll wait here," he said automatically. I snorted and he looked confused for a moment before laughing, too. "I mean, I'll see you soon."

The bathhouse was crowded, like it always was in the morning, so I got a few looks as I hobbled along in line, but no one asked me if I was all right. Some glances were sympathetic, but most rolled their eyes as if I deserved the beating I'd obviously gotten. Gossip travelled fast in the stacks, and they'd probably heard of the young woman who was stealing from one of her own. Like I belonged with them.

In the state I was in, and because of what happened yesterday, I didn't want to chance stealing any food. My stomach rumbled, but I just put a hand over it and walked to my shack. Zuko was waiting by the door and immediately took my hand and helped me sit back down. I wasn't injured nearly as badly as I'd been when Kenshin beat me, but it still hurt to move, and I was glad for the help. He secured the door again and sat in front of me. "Are you hungry?" he said.

I shook my head, but my stomach decided to growl at the same time. He smirked at me, but I looked away. "There's some dried meat in my pack."

He reached up and took my bag down from the hook it was hanging on and took the couple pieces of meat out. Then kept rummaging in the bag. "Is this it?" I nodded, still not meeting his eyes. "This is all the food you have."

"Why do you think I was stealing it?" I took a piece of meat and chewed forcefully, trying to shove down the stupid feeling of shame. Zuko didn't say anything, just put the other piece of meat in my lap. I glanced up at him, "I meant for you to eat some, too."

He shook his head. "I'm not hungry, really. You need to keep your strength up."

The day was one of the best I'd had since I was four years old. We sat and talked, he told me more about his family. I held his hand tight as he told me about his mother and why she had to leave, but he never talked about his father unless to say, "He's a monster," or, "He wasn't always like this." He asked me if I wanted to play Pai Sho, but I didn't have a board. Another hour was spent with him explaining the game that was his uncle's favorite. By the time the light started to leave the sky, I didn't have any doubts about my feelings for him anymore. I was starting to understand my mother's words about love. As soon as night fell, Zuko took down the makeshift curtains and untied the door. He crouched in front of me and ran his fingers down my face, looking at the bruise across my cheek. "Remember to keep putting the cold water on this," he said.

"Yes, healer," I smirked. He gave me a swift kiss on the lips and stood. "Wait," I said, "what are you going to tell them?"

He heaved a sigh and said, "I'm the prince. I don't have to tell them anything."

I swallowed and said slowly, "Thank you, Zuko. Really. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I'd be doing here."

"I don't know what it means, Rei, but whenever Azula says something terrible or I remember Uncle sitting in that cell, I just think 'I'll see her in a few hours.' You're in my head now… I'll try to come back tomorrow." Before I could say anything, he'd swept out into the stacks. Before any kind of fear or worry or anger could set in, a smile stretched across my face. I didn't even feel the pain of it.

I'd just managed to lie down on the pallet and close my eyes when the door fluttered again. The corner of my mouth lifted as his shadow fell across me. "Did I sleep through another day?" I joked, my eyes still closed.

"Well, you're livelier than Mai, I'll give you that," a coldly pleasant voice said above me.

For the second time that day, I shot upright and stared with wide, terrified eyes at the woman… girl, really… standing over me. She was wearing a standard officer's uniform, but no helmet. Her hair was done up in the customary ponytail I saw on all the posters, two pieces of black hair framing her face. The room was light enough for me to see that her expression was deceptively pleasant and open, but her eyes were dark and cold. Where Zuko's always seemed warm and alive, no matter what mood he was in, hers seemed almost frozen. They were still the same beautiful gold, but it was disturbing how different they seemed. Azula.

She cocked her head and looked me up and down. "Much more skittish, though."

"Your majesty…" I stammered.

"Royal highness, actually, but do we really need to worry about formalities? We're practically family after all. Almost sisters," her voice stayed the same but some tightening of her face or narrowing of her eyes made her words threatening. I stayed silent, waiting for her to get to the point. I wanted to stand, but I didn't want to reveal to her how injured I was. From what Zuko had told me, she was an excellent firebender. A duel between the two of us would be laughable. Finally, her face was back into those pleasant lines as she said, "How is Zuzu? You see him more than I do these days."

I decided to find out how much she knew. "I'm not sure that's true," I tried to keep my voice steady, but I was scared. She had such a commanding presence, and something about her just seemed cruel. Standing over me in my little shack, she looked every bit the ruthless princess of the Fire Nation she was rumored to be.

"Oh don't be modest! He's here every night… did you think no one knew?" My heart seemed to stop and she took a step nearer. "I haven't told anyone, of course. In fact, he's made it very difficult for me to keep it secret. From Mai, especially, but she's not dumb. She knows something is going on. You know who Mai is, I assume?" I nodded. "Then you're not quite so dumb. Or my brother is, I haven't decided. Did he tell you that Mai is one of my closest friends?" I couldn't stop the shiver that went through me. I'd never met anyone like this; she was… sinister. "Since we were children. I care for her like… well, like a sister."

She stepped back and looked around my shack before picking up my clay pot. It still had some tea inside from when Zuko had made it. I waited for her to smash it, or throw it at me, but she didn't. She just placed it back down gently, adjusting it so that it was in the same position Zuko left it in. "You look like you need some rest, so I'll get to the point. This was fine for a while; Zuko has actually been less irritating since he's been seeing you. Only now, it's becoming a problem. His absence all day today was noticed, and people are starting to look at Mai. Judging from that touching display a few minutes ago, he won't give you up easily, though I have no idea why," she threw a disdainful look at me. "If word gets out about this affair, Mai will be ruined and Zuko will be reprimanded. Do you want that?"

I clenched my jaw, fear giving way to anger. "Of course not."

"Good. Because, you know, Zuko has a responsibility. To his family, and his nation. Understand?" she talked to me as if I were a child, which only made me angrier. I raised my eyes and glared at her, not bothering to hide my hatred. "Ah, so she does have a little fire in her," she smiled. "Good, I was beginning to think Zuko had lost his mind." She took two firm steps toward me and crouched, her nose inches from mine. I pressed against the wall, but couldn't escape her. "I'm going to make this simple for you," she said. "You have one week to leave the city. I don't care where you go so long as it's far away from my brother. You don't want to be here next Sunday, anyway. If you don't leave, I'll send you back to your village in chains." My mouth dropped open in shock.

My village…?

A wide smile stretched her mouth, but to me, it was the deadliest expression she'd worn yet. "Yes, a most interesting wanted persons report came in a few months ago. Apparently, a captain stationed in the Earth Kingdom sustained heavy injuries from an unregistered firebender living there." I started to shake in earnest. "She's wanted for treason and attempted murder, but hasn't been sighted in the Earth Kingdom for months…" She stood and the smile turned into a smirk. "Well, I really should be going. I wouldn't want the smell of this place to stick to my hair. Wonderful to have met you, Rei." With a pleasant nod of her head, she walked out of my shack, her shoulders straight.