Confrontation is what was needed, decided Zoe. It had been a week and Zuko had been ignoring and avoiding her at all costs. Even if he just told her it that was an accident; that he tripped or that she had an over active imagination and it had never happened. Then she would be happy. But, the ignoring? No thank you.

He had skulked off the previous evening all wearing black and carrying broadswords, then been tucked away in his room ever since his return. Zoe had decided that the worst that could happen in visiting him was that he could throw her out and she'd be severely embarrassed and then would make an escape and find the Avatar. Or she might be able to talk to him, to be a friend, to just listen. She felt he needed a friend.

She was outside his door now.

Ok deep breaths, one…two…three: She knocked on the door.

No answer.

She knocked again and heard an angry sigh, "What?" snapped Zuko's voice from inside the chamber.

"Prince Zuko, it's me, Zoe. Can I come in please?"

There was a small break of silence, then another sigh. "Hurry up."

Well that was a surprise. Softly she turned the knob, her stomach was twisting; she was very nervous. For what reason she did not know.

But, she stopped as soon as she entered his room, because there he was: shirtless and scowling, sitting propped up against his bed rest. She wondered how it was possible for someone to be so angry yet look so amazing at the same time. Some people have all the luck…

"What do you want?" He asked without looking at her. Zuko had convinced himself that what he had done was due to pure, inconvenient, teenage hormones. Something even he could not escape from. It was nothing more than that and it would never happen again. She was merely some insignificant air bending peasant, weirder than weird.

"To talk." Zoe said slowly, "I just wanted to be friendly-"

"Friendly?" snapped Zuko, he took a personal insult to that term. The Avatar wanted to be 'friends' too. "Why do people think I want friends!"

Well, she certainly wasn't sure where that came from, but as usual it sparked her temper. Zuko had a talent for that.

"Well what's so wrong with friends? You know maybe you'd be a little more pleasant if you talked to some one for once!" Her voice rose with every syllable and she flayed her arms through the air.

"I don't need to talk." He hissed, "And certainly not to you. All you are is an annoying, little-" He struggled to find fords to express her for a moment, "Fly!"

Zoe blinked. "Fly?" She repeated shocked, "Fly?"

Zuko nodded annoyingly, that little scowl on his face, but then Zoe burst out laughing. "What!" he demanded, infuriated.

"That was my nick name at the circus," She giggled, "The Fly; it's just funny that you should have chosen that as an insult."

"Circus?" He repeated blankly. Oh right, Zuko neither knew nor cared about Zoe's life.

Why would he? Thought Zoe, he had more important things to worry about, and she knew that. She was just selfish.

"Don't worry." She said, mirth dying instantly from her eyes, "Anyway, I just came in because I wanted to see if you were OK, we haven't trained in over a week and I know I'm no good, but surely it helps a bit right?" Uh oh, she had started rambling, she always did that when embarrassed, flustered or hurt. "And I just wanted to say that you really don't need to worry about Zhao," she continued, with no idea why she was saying these things, "He has nothing on you. So what if he's got ships and men; you...you have determination, honour and skill! So just…don't give up. Ok?"

Woah, Ok. Well she wasn't sure where that little emotional speech came from. This was the spoiled, angry boy she hated, now she was trying to inspire him? Or maybe he wasn't, maybe he was that hurt, sensitive boy who had kissed her.

Zuko wasn't sure what to say. It…it made him feel nice though, kind of all light inside. But, what do you say in response to something like that? Thanks?

"Did you know a girl called Ty Lee at the circus?" He asked. (Well he had to say something!)

"Uh," That wasn't the response she expected, but then she didn't really know what to expect. "Yeah, she was my best friend. And I know she knew you as a kid."

"Oh, she told you that did she?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Yep," Zoe thought perhaps she could tease him a little, he seemed a bit happier. A very little bit. "She said you were a cute, charming little Prince."

"Well that was nice of her; I suppose you've changed your mind on that though." He didn't say it like a question, more of a regretful statement.

"Sometimes." said Zoe evasively, but it was the truth, sometimes he was his old self, but that was scarce. "Not really though." She added when she thought he started looking miserable. Underneath she knew he was still what Ty Lee had described him as being. "She also said you have a temper. So that's still the same too, obviously."

Zuko gave a reluctant smile, "Why are you being so nice? Actually, why are you helping me?" He couldn't help letting the demanding tone enter his voice. "Isn't the Fire Nation your enemy?" A little bit of suspicion was evident now.

"No." said Zoe simply, moving forward hesitantly and sitting on the end of his bed. "I know that they're responsible for killing my people, but that was 100 years ago. It's history and it's a war. There are evils in the Earth Kingdom too." Her eyes went wide when she realised what she said. "What I mean is, there are evils in every Nation." She covered quickly.

"No, you said the Earth Kingdom, why? What happened?" He was so curious he actually didn't even mind that she had sat on his bed.

"Nothing! I didn't say that, stop assuming things!"

"I'm not!" He retorted, voice rising, "You're the one that said it, I thought you wanted to talk, but now you try to hide!"

"Well just quit it ok?" Zoe snapped, struggling not to shout, she got off his bed in an irritated flurry, "It doesn't matter, and it's all in the past! Who cares?"

"Well clearly you do if you're getting so uptight about it!" snarled Zuko, standing up too.

"Uptight?" repeated Zoe spluttering manically, "I am not the uptight one around here!"

So much for that friendly conversation.

"Oh don't try to spin this back around on me! You started this!"

"You are so infuriating! Do you know that?" And with that she threw her arms up into the air and stormed out of his room, slamming the door behind her.

"Agh!" Zuko kicked his bed angrily, "What is wrong with girls!"

Zoe doubted that kiss, or anything on the topic would ever happen or come up again.

"If I declare you to be a guest, not a prisoner on my ship would you leave?"

It shocked her that she could not answer immediately; it did no take her long to reply with the truth however.

"No, I wouldn't."

He nearly smiled. "Good, then you are now a guest. Feel free to join us at meal times and don't make me regret my decision."

Zoe grinned as she remembered this conversation she had had with the Prince earlier that week. It seemed whenever they had conversations you never knew what direction they could take you. Either they would end up in a steaming argument, an awkward silence or a contented agreement. She preferred the Latter, though the arguments could sometimes be fun.

Right now however, she found herself in a rather awkward situation. She was seated between Zuko and Iroh on the back of a shirshu currently racing toward the definite path of the Avatar. This put her in a little bit of a dilemma. If she ran off with the Avatar, she would really let Zuko down and they had just started making progress to a possible friendship! She couldn't bear to see the look of hurt and betrayal on his face if she ran away with his enemy, whom she had solemnly declared not to be allied with.

But, the selfish part of her still wanted a teacher! She would be a fool to say her bending was good. Her feeble gusts of wind struggled to knock someone off their feet, and when it did it was a real surprise.

Well, she decided, what happens, happens. She would see what fate told her when the time came. If it said go, she'd go. And if it said stay, she wouldn't budge.

Zuko on the other hand, was having rather different problems. He currently had his hands clinging the sides of Zoe's firm hips and was finding it hard to think of anything else. Especially as while they rode she was knocked up and down slightly, bumping her seat; that is to say: his lap. Meaning it was reminding him every second of the type of position they were in; he couldn't say he disliked it.

Suddenly Zoe moved. She laid her head back on Zuko's chest behind her, apparently dozing off. Her face was turned inward towards his neck and he could feel her every breath tickling the sensitive skin.

Zuko realised he wasn't breathing, and hurriedly took in a ragged breath, trying ever so hard to ignore the warm body pressed so close to him. Luckily or perhaps unluckily the shirshu came to a very sudden halt, nearly throwing them off.

Zoe jerked awake and glance around. Where was the Avatar? All she could see were the two Water tribe siblings. Figures, he just had to use that girls necklace to find him didn't he. Damn it.

"So this is your girlfriend," Said the bounty hunter who owned the shirshu, her name was Jun. Zoe felt a trickle of…anger? No that wasn't quite it, but whatever it was, she didn't like the water tribe girl being called Zuko's girlfriend. "No wonder she left," continued Jun, "She's way too pretty for you."

She's not that pretty…

Ok fine. Maybe she is.

Agh.

Zuko had jumped of the animal now, glaring at the cornered pair and ignoring the bounty hunter, much to Zoe's delight.

"Where is he?" He demanded, fists clenched and looking adorably angry. She didn't just say adorable did she? Zoe shook herslef mentally, get a grip. "Where's the Avatar?" Zuko snarled.

"We split up," Snapped the Water Tribe Boy, Zoe realised this boy had a pony tail too. Haha. "He's long gone."

"How stupid do you think I am?" snarled Zuko, Zoe thought that was a silly thing to say, it's just walking into an insult.

The other boy grinned, "Pretty stupid."

Yep, walked right into it.

"Run!" He then cried, grabbing his sister by the arm and attempting to escape. They got about 5 steps before the tongue of the shirshu shot out, paralysing them in a second.

With a new scent, (apparently something the Avatar had held) the group were racing back in the direction they had come. The Watertribe pair was slung over the rump of the shirshu; it was getting to be a little crowded up there. They ran back into the Abbey that they had gone by earlier and the shirshu started circling.

"Well, where is he?" Asked Zoe, she was a little confused, "We are just walking in a circ- WooAH!" She didn't get to finish the sentence because the next second the animal was rearing back, back and over it went.

Everyone was thrown off and Zoe saw what the reason was. The Avatar, on his glider (one which she was quite jealous of) spiralling down towards them.

Zuko had seen too.

He lit his fists to face him and the master airbender took up a stance, holding his folded glider in front of him like a weapon. Jun had resaddled herself on her pet, only to be thrown into the wall by the Avatars flying bison.

Zoe noticed their two watertribe captives getting pulled over to the edge of the courtyard wall by some nuns, so as not to be in the way of the battle. This left her a little dizzy in the centre of the courtyard unsure what to do.

That was until Zuko and the Avatar began fighting.

Wow, she had never seen anything like it. His airbending was amazing! Yeah…she certainly wasn't helping Zuko any in their training sessions. Before she could study his moves closer however, the two collided in their attacks; a fist of fire to a fist of air and the centre of the courtyard exploded.

Zoe heard two shouts along with her own as the three of them were blown backwards. Zuko landed on one roof, the Avatar on the other, whereas Zoe hit the shirshu in its side. It didn't like that much. It was previously fighting the Avatars rather large pet, but seemed to decide it could spare a flick of it's tongue at that annoying little thing that had just struck it a blow.

It was a rather weird sensation; it sent a tingling down her spine, through every nerve. Not a pleasant tingling either, more of an 'agh I haves spiderants all over me!' type of sensation. Then, everything went numb; if it was stiff she couldn't even tell that. Merely all she could do was lie face first on the ground as the fight wore on.

There were a few more minutes of roaring animals, manly grunts, flashes of fire and wooshes of air before a mix of strong, bizarre scents assaulted Zoe's nose. They weren't distasteful, but they weren't pleasant when all mixed together like that. She could hear the shirshu going nuts, sniffing and flailing and she realised how smart who ever it was is; of course, the animal see's with its nose. They sure gave it something to look at.

"OOF!" Cried Zoe as suddenly a hard mass fell on top of her, with nothing she could do.

"Aagh," moaned Zuko from above her, his face stuck in her hair.

"Well of course it'd be you." Zoe said sarcastically, rolling her eyes though Zuko couldn't see.

"Would you have rather had Uncle Iroh fall on top of you?" He slurred, teasing.

Iroh laughed boisterously from somewhere to their right, Zoe blushed.

"Uncle?" said Zuko surprised, "I didn't see you get hit with the tongue."

Zoe heard him chuckle and say 'shh', she could only assume he had somehow positioned himself with Jun.

"Did you actually get hit with the tongue?" Questioned Zoe suspiciously.

"No, I just decided it would be a good idea to fall on top of you while letting the Avatar escape." Replied Zuko and she could nearly feel him rolling his eyes.

Then, she burst out laughing, as much as one could when paralysed and sat upon, because she registered the fact that Zuko had just joked, actually joked!

The destiny of the shirshu's tongue had set it. Her path was right now with Zuko.

A/N OMG! You have read this lol, ok so I was re watching this episode (Bato of the Water tribe) I have it on my computer and I was pausing it and happened to get it on the spot where they run back into the village, paralysed Katara and Sokka on the shirshu's back (this next bit happens very quickly, you don't notice it if you're not focusing on it…well I didn't anyway till now) and Katara slips a bit and Zuko grabs her and holds onto the back of her dress for a second to keep her up! It looks SO CUTE! Go look... If you are Zutara fans…it's adorable.

Also, lol I would love any comments you feel like making =)