Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own ATLA.

Aang's POV

I counted myself lucky that at least I hadn't been put in some sort of dark, horrible dungeon. On the contrary, the room the soldiers had left me in was almost nice. The bed was nothing more than a cot but it looked comfortable. The Fire Nation tapestry hanging on the wall wasn't quite as menacing as some would view it. There were a few candles, although they were unlit. Someone had even decorated the wall with what I assumed were antique broadswords. My hands and feet were bound uncomfortably tight. I wriggled, trying to loosen the ropes, but it was in vain. I sighed and leaned back against the wall. Who was this strange scarred man who had captured me? He seemed so angry. And so smug at making me his prisoner. I felt a growing sense of dislike towards him, but I told myself I would try not to hate him without even knowing him. He was somewhat mysterious, and I was curious.

The door slammed and I woke with a start. When had I fallen asleep? I was surprised to see that the person who had entered the room was none other than my captor. He was watching me from across the room.

"Who are you?" I asked him, trying not to sound too angry or impatient. If I wasn't civil, I doubted he would answer my questions.

"I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne!" he said defiantly, as if trying to prove it to me. "How have you, a mere girl, managed to evade me for three years?"

"I never evaded you," I told him. He sat down on the bed and started to remove his boots, and I came to a startling revelation. "Is this your room?"

"Yes, this is my room. You'll be staying in here until we reach the Fire Nation. I'll be able to keep a close eye on you better than if you were somewhere else. But if you misbehave, I'll make sure you're put somewhere much less comfortable. Got it?"

"Fine," I muttered. Plans of escape were already starting to form in my mind. He would soon see that he was not dealing with just a "mere girl."

"I'm going to get a bath now," he said. "A servant should be here with dinner soon." With that, he turned and went into the bathroom. I got as comfortable as I could, and soon I had an escape plan all lined out…

Zuko's POV

I eased into the warm bath and relaxed. Three long years, and I had finally found the Avatar. Of course, I had expected an old man, but no matter. As long as this young girl was the Avatar, I was happy. I was going home. Father would welcome me back proudly. I washed quickly, not wanting to linger too long in the bathroom. I would have to keep a close eye on the Avatar. And I had a solution for making her much less likely to escape. I put on my sleeping robes and left the bathroom. The Avatar was asleep again, laying somewhat curled on the floor. Her long, dark hair covered her face, but I could hear her soft, slow breaths. She was so small, so young… I wondered how old she was. A light knock at the door made me tear my eyes away from her and I went to open the door. It was a servant with dinner. I asked him if he had followed my instructions carefully pertaining to the Avatar's dinner and he nodded. I dismissed him and shut the door. I set the food down carefully on my bed and went about awakening the sleeping girl.

"Avatar. Wake up!" She sat up quickly and her eyes flew open.

"Dinner is here. You need to eat. I can't have you wasting away before we reach our destination," I told her. I grabbed her plate of food and brought it over to her. She glanced down at the food momentarily and then brought her eyes up to meet mine.

"How am I supposed to eat if my hands are tied behind my back, Zuko?" she questioned almost innocently, pouting just a bit.

"I'll have to help you, I guess." I hadn't thought of that. This was going to be awkward. I got a spoonful of soup and brought it up to her lips. She ate it slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. We continued this way until the bowl was empty. Her eyes stayed locked on mine. Those huge, grey eyes with those long lashes…

"Thank you," she said politely. I realized that I had been staring at her again and quickly collected the dishes. I sat on my bed to eat my dinner, and glanced over at her every few minutes. The anti-bending serum that had been mixed with her soup would become effective momentarily, and then I would be able to untie her. She would be helpless without her bending, completely unable to escape. I finished my dinner and then approached her slowly. I kneeled in front of her and started to untie the ropes binding her legs. She gasped, in surprise I guess.

"Why are you untying me? Not that I mind or anything."

"There's no need for you to be tied anymore. You can't escape." I finished with the ropes on her legs, and she drew her knees up to her chest, presumably so that she wouldn't have to be so near me. I turned her so that her back was facing me, and untied her arms. She stood up instantly and released a torrent of bending at me. That is, she would have. She ended up looking rather stupid, her arms moving wildly but nothing happening.

"What! What did you do to me? What happened to my bending?" she screamed and turned a scared face to me. I almost felt bad. Almost. Until she flew at me and started hitting me with her fists. I grabbed her wrists and shoved her against the wall.

"If you hit me one more time, you can share my men's quarters. They would be quite glad to have a woman spend the night with them. Your bending is not gone forever, just for a while until we reach the Fire Nation. Is everything clear?"

She nodded, and I noticed how close our faces were. Just a few inches away. She seemed to realize it too, and gulped. I realized I was still gripping her wrists tightly and I released her. She stepped away from me quickly and sat against the opposite wall. She hugged her knees tightly and turned her face away from me. I sighed and got into bed. It had been a long day, and I was exhausted.