Katara was allowed on the deck as ty Lee stayed with her to make sure she couldn't bend or escape. But she was to in shock by the murder that happened in front of her, she kept her eyes on the captain who helped his crew on deck, she glanced at the girl that was close to Lee, Mai her name was cause she was the one that threw the knife before.

She just couldn't believe someone that young just took a mans head off without much hesitation. He could be close to her own age or even her brothers, it was hard to tell with the dirt and his scars.

"First time seeing someone get killed?" Ty Lee skipped over to her with a smile.

"I mean I guess, more up close and uh.. more gruesome.." Katara looked down feeling sick, she saw the blood and where the blade cut right through the vertebrae, he knew where to cut.

"Oh trust me that was Lee's more kinder kills, he could've been worse," she laughed a little sitting next to her with her legs cross smiling.

"H-he tortures?" Katara whispered fearfully.

"Duh, a please and thank you doesn't get you far, besides he was trained by the best, picked up a few habits," ty Lee nodded happy she was getting out of work to babysit instead.

"Who's the best?" Her eyes widened.

"Captain who owns the ship, passed this baby and the title down to Lee like if he was his son, damn best captain if I wasn't bias towards Lee," the girl in pink giggled waving at him when he glanced at the girls.

"Lee honors his rules though, he's a good man," she looked back at Katara kindly.

"He's a murderer," Katara glared.

"We all are, from who we've dealt with we live in a kill or be killed world, I owe Lee my life for it, I've known him long enough," she waved the bender off and Katara was surprised.

"I knew him before a captain, before a pirate, trust me he's one of the good assholes on this ship, Mai and I grew up with him," ty Lee's smile dropped a little at the memories.

She remembered when Zuko found her after years of thinking he was dead, she was in shock of the gentle boy that grew into a pirate, he saved her life, gave her an out, she loved being a pirate rather than a circus freak. He gave her purpose again. Then they went to Mai.

Ty Lee smiled a little, she was thankful. Everyone thinks she still is in the circus, showed how much they actually cared about her.

She looked back at Katara who stared at her scrubbing the blood where the man died at. She laughed a little remembering Zuko kicking the head like a ball, she learned twisted humor over the years, especially since Zuko wasn't the one for jokes but he's grown more to appreciate life a little more.

Zuko walked past the girls to head back to his quarters, ty Lee jumped to her feet and followed him a little.

"Whatcha doing?" She bugged him as Zuko looked at her flatly.

"What does it look like?" He went to the door.

"Oh yea no one can go in whatever," she groaned leaning back and bent backwards to walk on her hands.

"You should talk to Katara though, she's pretty shaken bout watching her first kill," ty Lee brought her feet over her head with a smirk.

"Why would I talk to her?" He made a face.

"She's your responsibility, you wanted to kidnap her," ty Lee groaned.

"Is she bleeding?"

"Uh no?"

"Is she starving?"

"No?"

"Is she sick?"

"No?"

"My work here is done, that's all that matters," Zuko nodded and Katara looked back at him from the stairs.

"She holds no value to me, I could care less if she is a little upset," he gave her a fake smile and slammed the door in ty Lee's face.

Zuko leaned against the door with a sigh and took a moment to get his thoughts together. Finally silenced.

"Fuck," he ran a hand through his hair.

"Xan," he called to the door and saw his captain reading with a pair of glasses that had one side shattered but luckily it was on his blind eye.

"Ugh your still here?" Xan looked at him curious.

"Ozai got a stowaway on board," Zuko sat at the foot of his bed. Xan sat up a little more seeing the panicked on zukos face.

"What happened to them?" He asked more serious.

"I mean I killed him but still, he went after Katara but it's ozais man, his spy, he's after me again," Zuko bent down with his hands over his face.

"He's not going to get you again," Xan frowned.

"Yea and what are you going to do to stop him?" He scoffed sarcastically but looked back at his mentor.

"If he gets her he gets my family, Ozai will use Katara to get uncle and lu ten and azula, he'll kill them all for the crown," Zuko whispered bouncing his leg as he slid on the floor feeling dizzy. Xan set his hand on top of zukos head letting him know he was there.

"Your strong, you won't let him get her, as soon as June comes back we're back on the sea," Xan told him quietly.

"I know but who knows when that spy got on, I had to kill him before he got the word out," he nodded pulling his knees close and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"I should've killed him, I should kill him," Zuko whispered.

"Yea why not, go for it," Xan agreed. "I should've when I had the chance,"

"No shit," he scoffed shaking his head. Xan pursed his lips looking at the branding burn on the back of zukos neck where his hair brushed over. It was the fire nation symbol upside down with a skull over. It was the Ozai rebellion.

"Xan please don't leave!" The fifteen year old sobbed reaching for him from the bed with bandages covering most of his body.

"Don't leave me please please please I'm sorry please don't!" He sobbed hysterically to weak to actually move from the bed.

"I'm not going for long, I'll be back I promise," Xan whispered pushing his boy back on the bed to relax.

"Please please I can't, it hurts I can't-" he choked on a sob but the old man shushed him comfortingly holding his face gently to wipe his tears.

"Shh Shh hey don't talk like that, you're safe now, I'm getting you some food and medicine to get you to sleep again," Xan whispered, he couldn't hold the child to comfort knowing the wounds were to fresh.

"Xan please.. it hurt so much," he held the mans hands tightly feeling tears run down his face. Xan gently rolled Zuko over to lay on his stomach and saw the bandages on his back started to turn red.

"Relax, your going to make the bleeding worse, just relax," he stroked the back of zukos head gently trying to calm the child down. He felt pain in his chest seeing the bandage over the back of his neck where a fresh branding burn was sunk into his skin.

"I'm sorry dad, im so sorry," Zuko sniffled as he rested his face in the pillow.

Xan never cried since his wife died, but this was damn near close as he took his boy into his life, not thinking he was going to be like the son he never got, redemption for failing his daughter.

"You'll be okay Zuko, I'm sorry I failed you kid," Xan whispered as Zuko gripped the pillow tightly trying to ignore the pain but it was to much.