Lao and Poppy are Toph's parents. The characters are sort of ooc, but I think they are feasible projections of the canon characters. E.g. the Katara we see in the show was forced into the motherhood role at an early age and stuck with it whether or not people wanted to be mothered, Toph for example, but I imagine she would grow out of this as she matured and even get tired of it.

However, she was raised in a tribe where she would be expected to get married and produce heirs at an early age. Her father seems pretty young and presumably her mother was too. I would expect after travelling the world, she might realize there's a lot more for her to do than what is expected of her and she might jump at the chance to say screw it and do something else, like moving to Gaoling and becoming a wterbending teacher and she might be desperate to avoid the life that is being demanded of her, so she marries a friend who promises her freedom in order to dupe them.

I will think more about how to make the connections between the canon character and how I see them now more apparent, and I have some flashbacks planned to try and show what happened in between the war and now, but some more might help

Now they Know (something)

Azula had been in Gaoling for almost a week. During the day, Katara had to teach, which sucked, but Azula managed to sleep much of the day and be very well rested when Katara would return. She took her wife often and liberally, keeping Katara high on endorphins while she dealt with a job she hated.

"We should go out this evening, have a date night."

"But it's a Thursday?"

"So, Thursday's are awesome date nights. The bars still have happy hour, and Friday's not a real workday anyway. It's just a coasting day."

Katara looked at Azula's gold eyes. Her wife would win. "But I don't want to stay out too late."

"You won't. We'll get dinner, find a place with happy hour and leave with plenty of time for me to ravish you and for you to get a good night's sleep."

"Well, when you put it that way."

Zuko thought about trying to track down his sister. She hadn't been in any fights with anyone in the palace, so she had no reason to run away, but why not say where she was going? He wrote to his uncle for advice. Iroh sent this response.

Dear Zuko,

I have not heard from your sister and do not think she is in Ba Sing Se. Didn't Katara take a job in Gaoling? Maybe she went to visit her there? I'm on my way to the palace, so we can talk further once I get there. I think it's time for a winter break from this frosty city. (Ba Sing Se had lots of frost, but little snow.) Give my regards to Mai.

Iroh

Why would Azula visit Katara?

He showed the letter to Mai who also had no idea why he thought she was with Katara.

They didn't even ask Aang, figuring that Iroh just had a bizarre hunch. When the Prince did get there, Zuko warmly greeted him.

"Zuko, how are you?"

"I'm good, just wondering if I should be worried about Azula. She said she was leaving to 'get laid' and then she packed a big bag and didn't come home."

"Maybe she went on tour," Iroh teased.

"That is disgusting."

"Well, it still sounds like she went to see Katara to me."

"What?" Why would he think that?

"Aren't they dating?"

"HAHAHA!" Mai cackled when Iroh told her what he had told Zuko. "Katara is way to classy to fall for Azula's cheap tricks. She wouldn't just give it up to her like that."

Iroh frowned. Did no one know? "I'm not sure of the nature of their relationship, but I'm quite certain they're involved."

Mai was still laughing.

"Why do you think this?" Zuko asked him.

"At your wedding, they kept giving each other glances, and Azula would rest her hand on Katara's thigh, and they left at the same time, well one after another and then didn't come back that night." There were other clues as well. They had gone to Ba Sing Se and Jin had seen them hooking up in the alley behind his teashop. He had also seen them break apart after what looked like an embrace.

"Well the hand on the thigh is weird, but maybe Azula was just flirting with her. She flirts a lot, even if she'll get turned down," Mai reasoned.

"Do you know anything else?"

Iroh turned red. "I didn't mean to out them. I thought it was common knowledge."

"What was common knowledge?" Aang asked when he entered.

"Iroh thinks Azula and Katara are dating?" Mai laughed.

"What? Katara wouldn't date Azula. No way!"

Iroh frowned. Well, he is her ex. "I don't want to get into trouble here. Maybe you should just ask them."

"There's no harm in sending Katara a letter and seeing if Azula is with her," Zuko reasoned.

Katara got his letter, expedited of course and told her wife. "Your brother's worried about you. He asked if you were here."

"He's actually concerned?"

"He is your brother."

"So. Sokka doesn't know where you go."

"He also doesn't live with me. What should I write back?'

"Tell him the truth with as much detail as you feel comfortable relaying."

Dear Zuko,

Azula is staying with me. She came to visit after I told her how I was lonely in Gaoling, and I don't like my job. She didn't think you would be concerned about her absence. I will have her send you a letter when she has decided on a return date.

Hope this reaches you soon. Tell Mai I say hi.

Katara

Zuko got the letter. "Iroh was right. She was with Katara."

"That doesn't mean they're dating," Aang insisted.

"She didn't say anything about dating. She just said Azula came to visit. But why did Azula say she was getting laid?"

"Well, knowing Azula, she might have nailed a slut on her way there," Mai saw no reason to think she and Katara were dating.

"I guess. Well, she's safe, so that's all that matters."

"I can't imagine Azula being good company," Aang grumbled. Why would Katara write to her of all people if she were lonely?

Katara had a great time with Azula there, but she knew Azula could not stay forever. Her home was in the Fire Nation and soon, she would be returning to it, leaving Katara alone in a city working at a job she hated. She remembered the promise Azula requested of her when she had proposed.

"All I ask is that you are true to yourself when you live your life. Live for yourself instead of the expectations of others."

Katara thought about it. She was not being true to herself. She took the job thinking that she would get students who were excited to learn how to waterbend and instead she felt like she was running daycare for rich people. It left her drained and she had no feeling of fulfillment like she had when she had learned to waterbend. It was awful.

She quit effective immediately. They were not happy, but she didn't even stay to listen to them yell at her. She just walked out the door. When she got home, Azula was asleep in bed. Katara woke her up.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you at work?"

"I quit."

"What?"

"I wasn't being true to myself. It was a dead end job that made me miserable and kept me living here for no reason."

"How do you feel now?"

"Like an anchor has been lifted."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know yet."

"You could go to Kyoshi Island or you could come home with me."

"Can we do both? I want to visit my brother, but I don't think I want to stay on the island."

"Sure, we can take the long way home."

Azula wrote to her brother.

"Dear Zuzu,

As you heard, I came to cheer up Katara. Well, no amount of cheering up could save her employment in Gaoling. She hated it, so she quit. We're going to Kyoshi Island, so she can visit her brother on the way home, so I guess it will be another week to ten days before I am back at the palace. Don't wait up."

Azula

"She's travelling with her to Kyoshi Island?" Zuko was starting to get suspicious. Azula could have come straight home and let Katara go to visit her brother. Why does she need company?

He showed the letter to Mai.

"It still doesn't mean they're dating."

"But why not come straight home?"

"So she can visit Ty Lee and annoy Suki in one go."

"Oh, that's a good reason."

They decided not to share the information with Aang as he was not going to be here when they arrived anyway. There was no reason to rouse his suspicions.

Unfortunately, Aang had also decided to visit Sokka. Ty Lee thought he was cute and fair game and decided to flirt with him.

"I like your shirt," she told him.

"Thanks, Katara got it for me."

Ty Lee frowned. Not the best start. "So what have you been doing this winter?"

"Some ships were having trouble navigating through the choppy waters. I had to do a couple of rescues and guide the ships so they didn't capsize."

"That must have been exciting."

"It was fun. It was a true test to my waterbending."

"That's good, well as long as you passed right?"

He smiled. Ty Lee was sweet and pretty. Maybe they could date.

He spent the next few days trying to talk to her. She welcomed his advances and started to flirt.

Sokka looked at the two. "She's such a flirt."

"Well, maybe Aang needs this. He's been pining for Katara for too long."

Sokka had been rooting for Aang once, but Katara just did not want to stay with him. She broke up with him over and over again, and he kept coming back for more. Maybe it was time to move on to someone new.

"I know. He sounded depressed in his letter. Maybe Ty Lee can cheer him up."

Unfortunately, his cheer only lasted about 5 days."

He was on his way back to the house when he saw Katara walking towards it. He ran up to her, just to see Azula right behind her, carrying their luggage.

"Why did you bring Azula with you?" he had a bit of an accusing tone.

"Well, she needed help with her bags, but since you are the almighty Avatar," Azula dumped both bags on him and walked away, quickly.

"That was mean," Katara giggled.

"He deserved it."

Sokka was happy to see his sister, Azula not so much.

"You brought her?"

"Sokka, she's my friend, and she came to visit me in Gaoling, unlike someone."

"Fine!"

Ty Lee was happy. "Zula!" she hugged her friend. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"Well it would be a crummy surprise if I did."

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting you, while Katara visits Sokka."

"You two came together?"

"We are friends, Ty Lee."

"I keep forgetting that. You don't seem too friendly with each other."

"What do you mean?"

"I see you two bickering all the time."

"We just like to disagree with each other, kind of like Mai and me, well not exactly like that."

"Aang's here."

"I know. I already had the displeasure of seeing him."

"I don't know why you two can't get along."

"I can't explain it to you." The jerk wants my wife, and she doesn't like him like that.

"Well, maybe it will get better."

"Will he get reincarnated into a real man?"

"That's mean. I think he's cute."

"Well you would like a boy whose head looks like the head of a penis."

Ty Lee's mouth gaped open. "That is just terrible."

"I don't like penises."

Aang begrudgingly took Katara's and Azula's bags inside. Azula took her bag to Ty Lee's room. She was unsure where Katara would sleep, obviously sharing with Sokka and Suki was a no go, and she would not want to share with Aang.

Katara ended up sharing with Rai. "Thanks. Sorry I didn't give you any notice."

"That's no trouble hun. You're a cutie."

Katara blushed.

"What? You don't like girls."

"It's not that."

"Oh so I have a chance."

"Maybe, but not here."

"Because of your brother."

"Something like that. (because of my wife)"

"Well, a girl can dream can't she?" Puberty had treated Katara well. She had already started during the war, but after it was over, her breasts got fuller and her ass got nice and round, firm with just a bit of jiggle to it. She got taller too, which only made her curves more appealing. She was pretty freaking hot and even though she wasn't fully aware of it, she had been aware of her increased libido.

During dinner, the awkwardness began.

Aang asked Katara if she had been seeing anyone.

"Not exclusively," Katara said which was true.

"What does that mean?" he questioned.

"It means they see each other, but she was free to see other people, you know, like the opposite of what you want with her," Azula said bluntly.

"I didn't ask you," he snapped.

"Who cares? Anyone here can tell you she doesn't want you. How many times did she have to dump you, four, five?"

"It wasn't that many? Was it?" Suki was unsure.

"It was twice," Aang said.

Katara shook her head. It was at least four times, two of which he did not seem to take seriously. She would say it was over and he would say, you don't mean that, or maybe you're just tired. It was patronizing, like he didn't think she could make up her own mind. She would have to either put his stuff outside or take off before he would realize he had been dumped, no matter how many times she said it to his face.

"Anyway, how was Gaoling?" Sokka changed the subject.

"It sucked, so I quit my job."

"Why wasn't it fun?" Ty Lee asked.

"I didn't know anyone and my students weren't motivated. Their parents were awful. The most fun I had was when Azula showed up unannounced and insisted on dim sum."

Azula smirked. That's a lie. We did way more fun things than that.

"You like showing up unannounced," Aang said with a sneer towards the princess.

"At least I'm not homeless." He just bums of his friends.

He turned red. Her country destroyed my home. How dare she!

"Calm down," Suki said. "I do not want you two destroying this house."

"I can control myself," Azula said with a smirk.

"I know you can, but will you?"

"Yes. I will."

"Fine."

After dinner, Katara bee lined out of there to get away from Aang.

"Why did she run off so fast?" Sokka asked.

Suki gave him a look. Duh!

The waterbender was about to get to her room when she felt a hand pull her into the bathroom.

"You shouldn't antagonize him."

"You know you get turned on when I'm aggressive."

"So not the point."

"So is the point. He can't please you himself. At least let him give you some use."

Before Katara could retort, Azula captured her in a kiss, pressing her to the counter. Katara locked her legs around her wife. This was going to be fun.

Aang sat down outside. Suki went to talk to him.

"Are you okay?"

"I just don't know what I did wrong? I thought we were doing just fine, but then Katara said it was over."

"Maybe it was about her. She might not want to be tied down right now."

"But I love her."

"Then you have to let her go. If she's yours, then she will come back."

Aang hated letting her go. He almost died because he was so bad at it.

Ty Lee could hear whimpering in the bathroom. Was Azula banging a warrior already? She makes quick work. She didn't even get anyone drunk. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, Ty Lee waited down the hall to see who left the bathroom.

She was stunned when she saw Katara leave and then Azula two minutes later. She questioned her friend when it was time for bed.

"So what's going on with you and Katara?"

"We're friends."

"Friends who go to the bathroom together?"

"She needed help with her hair."

"Does she always moan like a slut when she needs help with her hair."

"She is not a slut," Azula said firmly.

"So she's your girlfriend."

"No. It's complicated."

"You're the non-exclusive person she is seeing."

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone, and I mean anyone. Not Mai, not Suki, not Rai."

"I get it, and that's why you got so annoyed with Aang."

"She doesn't want him. If he hadn't been so pushy with her, she probably wouldn't have wanted to hook up with me."

"Shouldn't you be thanking him then?"

"No. He stresses her out. I'm her stress reliever. I'd rather her not be stressed in the first place."

"So this isn't just fun for you."

"Like I said. She's not a slut."

"How did this start?"

"I can't tell you. I will, before I have to tell everyone, but for now, I need to keep this quiet. It's a long story involving a lot of stuff."

"How mysterious," a damsel in distress being rescued by a womanizing lesbian.

The next day, the group all went outside for morning training. Having been trained by Piando, Sokka helped the train the warriors with swords. Ty Lee was their expert in hand-to-hand combat. Azula's expertise, of course, was firebending. She offered to help them learn to fight fire. Every now and then, some rogue ex-military members came to start trouble.

"That would be nice," Suki said sincerely, "but it's kind of dry right now. I wouldn't want there to be a fire."

"I'm sure Katara could put it out." Azula winked at her. Katara laughed. Aang frowned. "How about we spar?" Azula said to the waterbender. "I think you're the only one here who can handle me."

"Challenge accepted."

Katara filled her waterskin and the battle was on. They had sparred several times since their agni kai, but this was the first one that people had watched. Azula went first. She always did since fire was faster than water. Katara easily evaded her and returned with an ice dagger, which Azula melted.

"Ice, already. You usually let me warm up first."

"No warm ups this time."

Everyone turned to watch. Was this normal for them?

Before Azula could attack again, Katara sent a whip right at her head. Azula rolled under it and threw fire at Katara's feet making her jump. They danced around each other, fire and ice getting dangerously close to the other, but they trusted each other not to get hit.

It started of slow and easy and moved into a frantic battle. Time was not on Katara's side as she would run out of water soon. Azula knew this. "What do I get if I win?"

"Who cares? You won't." Katara froze her hands together. Azula melted the ice with her mouth. Instead of sending the attack directly at Katara, Azula sent a fire wall behind her, forcing her closer. Katara moved on a diagonal, trying to keep her distance and avoid the flames. Azula knew that was her only option and met her on a diagonal, tackling her to the ground. Azula was the only one with trained hand-to-hand combat experience. She pinned Katara easily.

"I think I should get a kiss for winning," she declared before kissing her wife on the lips. Katara returned the kiss to everyone's surprise. Aang was furious.

"GET OFF HER!" He moved to intervene, but Azula picked them up off the ground before he got there.

"Jealous?" she loved to tease him.

"What's wrong with you? Katara is not some bar skank."

"I know. I've also conquered dancers, singers and debutantes. I go for women from all walks of life."

"She is not to be conquered," Aang asserted.

"Unless it's by you, right?" Azula stared down at him. Aang was a late bloomer. He was 15, and taller than he had been during the war, but he was still more boy than man on the inside and out. He was lanky, no broad chests or manly muscles coming in. Azula still thought he resembled a penis with that baldhead of his. Azula, on the other hand, was 17 going on 18 and had clearly matured as a woman. She was confident in her sexuality, and she had no problem showing it.

"How about we move onto yoga?" Ty Lee said breaking them up.

After their yoga and stretching, Katara went to freshen up before spending the rest of the workday with her brother. Of course, her wife caught her, as she was just ready to leave her bedroom. "You're so sexy when you fight me," Azula said as she pressed a kiss to her lips.

Katara wasn't sure when seeing Azula fight went from scary to sexy, but maybe the scariness never really left. Azula was powerful, sometimes more dragon than woman, and she had a temper. Once Katara started to trust her, however, she was able to focus on how thrilling it was to see her with her flame. It's like firebending and sex were one in the same for her, so much passion, so hot, and so dangerous. "Everyone's going to ask about that kiss now."

"Do you mind?" Everyone would know eventually.

"No." It's fun sneaking around, but it's also fun to not have a care in the world, to let passion take over in public. It was wrong, kissing like that in front of her brother and her ex-boyfriend, but that only made it hotter. "I like being bad with you."

"Good." Azula snuck out of her room before she got caught.

Sure enough, Aang invited himself when Sokka and Katara left to patrol their area.

"I don't know why you didn't just slap her," Aang growled.

"Yeah, since when does Azula kiss you?"

"She's just a little puckish."

"Puckish?" Sokka questioned.

"You know, playful in a naughty way, like a child pulling a prank on his teacher. She just likes to get people riled up." Katara had become used to her antics when she helped Azula transition from the asylum to the palace. It was Azula's way of deflecting tension or creating it.

"She shouldn't use you like that." Aang countered.

"If I didn't want her to kiss me, I would have stopped her." I can take care of myself.

That's all Katara said on the matter, leaving Aang and Sokka confused.

"What is going on?" Sokka wondered.

Aang wondered if Katara and Azula really were dating. Iroh seemed to think so. Azula had gone to Gaoling with her. She's here with her. Katara's going to the palace. No way. She wouldn't date someone like Azula, who flirts with every pretty girl she sees, who lies to girls to sleep with them, gets them drunk, and is generally a terrible person. Katara's better than that.

Ty Lee and Azula patrolled downtown. "What was that this morning?"

"What? Katara and I spar a lot."

"Do you always kiss like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you just came home from battle and your woman was waiting for you."

Azula laughed. "Sometimes. She likes variety, and I aim to please."

"I thought Aang was going to kill you."

"Like he could. What would he do? Take away my bending for turning his ex-girlfriend gay."

Ty Lee snickered. "She's hot."

"Yeah she is, hot for the Princess, what?"

"You're so boastful."

"I learned from you."

"What?"

"You hooked up left and right at the academy, no commitments, no problems. You're the first true player and I admire your work."

"Well, I'd like something more substantial now."

"Don't tell me you're still into penis-head. He's still not over her."

"I know. I tried flirting with him, but the conversation always comes back to her."

"How pathetic!"

"He loves her." That's not pathetic.

"No he's obsessed with her." Azula insisted, more aggressively than she had intended. "He doesn't know her. He thinks she's this precious doll that has to be handled with kid gloves, but she's strong, stubborn, fiery. She needs someone who will listen when she speaks her mind, let her do what she wants to without reservations, give her passion, intensity, and an argument sometimes. All he tries to do is keep her docile. It's like taking the claws from a wolf or the fire out of a dragon. That's not love at all."

"You love her."

"What? She's my buddy. You know, like you're my buddy."

"You're sleeping with her."

"I used to sleep with you."

"Not like that."

"Of course not. I had no experience before you."

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. "I don't mean your skills and you know it. You understand her. You care for her. You want to defend her against the world. That's love."

"No, that's being a friend. I was a jerk when we were involved and for a long time afterwards. I'm a better person now. It doesn't make this love."

"You just can't see it. Maybe she can't either, but what I saw today was more than just two friends playing around. Trust me, I played around with a lot of girls. I know." Ty Lee could see their auras, not that Azula would give that any credence.

"Well even if you were right, which you're not, I promised her I wouldn't be like Aang. I'll never ask her to pick me above everyone else and to settle down."

"Maybe she'll want to pick you and settle down."

"I doubt it."

Their conversation was interrupted by a scream.

The two girls ran to see masked men robbing a store. Azula ran to the front entrance while Ty Lee ran through the back. She chi blocked the man who had jumped the counter, sending him to the floor. There were three men, one of them was the lookout. Azula told him to move. He pulled out a dagger, but Azula fireballed him in the chest before he could use it. Azula ran inside. She looked around quickly, wanting to make sure she didn't hit any innocents. She engaged the other robber who was almost at Ty Lee. She hit him with a fire whip, singing the counter as she made him stop his attack. He turned around and brandished a large sword.

The battle was on, Azula avoided slashes while she tried to contain her fire. She did not want to set the store ablaze. She burned him, but not before he gashed her on the back as she was delivering a roundhouse kick. She winced in pain, blood going down her back, but she would not give in. For the first time in years, she struck a man with lightening. This bolt was smaller, subdued, but it knocked him out cold. Ty Lee rushed to Azula's aid, bandaging her back.

"Get Katara for me, please."

Ty Lee ran off to get her. The store owner came out of hiding. "Thank you, so much."

She got Azula a little couch to lie on. When Ty Lee found Katara, she was fussing with Aang. He had offered to fly her to her next destination. She insisted she was sailing with Azula.

"Why would you want to go with her?"

"She already bought us first class tickets."

"Nice!" Sokka interjected.

"Katara, we need you."

"What?" she turned to see Ty Lee.

"Azula got stabbed by a robber."

Katara took off running, leaving her argument with Aang behind. Aang froze there until Sokka ran after them and then Aang followed. On the way, Sokka saw Suki.

"Azula got stabbed by a robber."

"What?" She joined to and when they got to the store, they saw that the store owner had tied up the criminals. Suki lifted their dragon shaped masks. To her surprise, they were not Fire Nation. They were from the Earth Kingdom.

"The masks made people assume we were Fire Nation," the man grumbled when she asked him about it, of course, an easy disguise.

Katara got to Azula. "Take off your shirt."

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"You just got stabbed! Are you seriously that horny?"

"Do you need me to answer that?"

Azula tore off the shirt. It was ruined anyway and Katara cleaned the wound before beginning to mend it. She thought battle scars were sexy, but she didn't want to leave Azula marred more than she already was. Her father left plenty of marks on her, but they were hard to see, unlike Zuko's. When Katara realized how vicious the girl's upbringing had been, she began to see the firebender in a new light. "I'll need to treat this a few times to deal with the scar tissue."

"So I get to take off my shirt a few more times. I can handle that."

"You're a cow pig."

"Yes, but you like me anyway."

Aang came in to see Katara on top of Azula. She was topless and only had a shirt that was under her arms to cover her breasts. Katara had to take off her binding to treat the wound. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he said, not very enthusiastically. No one caught his tone, well other than Azula.

"We already sent the robbers to jail, and I think Katara has the healing under control." Ty Lee answered in her normal bubbly tone.

"Are you in pain?" Katara asked her.

"I've had worse, but I'll be okay."

"I can give you pain blockers back at the house."

"If you can just sit with me, that would be nice."

"Okay."

The store owner, of course, gave Azula a free shirt to wear home. It was the least she could do.

Katara took her back to the warrior house and Azula rested with her head in Katara's lap. "Sorry to ruin your day with your brother."

"Do not apologize for this. Plus it had already been ruined."

"Sokka didn't give you a hard time because I kissed you, did he?"

"No, Aang did enough of that for both of them. He even wanted to take me to the palace, so you wouldn't 'force yourself' on me. He doesn't trust us alone together."

"I could say the same for him."

"You know I don't want him!" Katara sounded offended, like Azula thought she would go back.

Azula realized she was in hot water. "I know you don't want him. I worry that he won't take always no for an answer."

"He's not like that." He wouldn't force himself on her.

"Not yet, but he's obsessed with you. He thinks you belong together, that he's entitled to you." Azula knew she was treading in dangerous territory. Aang was Katara's friend, but she had to let her concerns be known.

"I know he's slow on the uptake, but that hardly makes him a rapist."

"It's not like there's two categories of men, rapists and regular. Rape is about entitlement and power. He wants to be with you so badly he refuses to acknowledge that you don't want to be with him. He feels entitled to you, that he deserves you and he prioritizes his desire for you above your desire to be free of him.

I'm not saying he's going to try to force himself on you. I can't possibly know that, but I do know the way he is thinking and the way he behaves towards you: his jealousy, obsessiveness, trying to control your actions. All of those are bad signs. They show that he wants all of the power and he's trying to leave you with none. That's what rape is about.

I just don't want him to hurt you."

"I can protect myself."

"I know you can. I know that better than most people, but what if he tried something and you had to hurt him to get away. That would hurt you, even if you were physically fine."

Katara didn't want to hear this. Azula had to be wrong, but what she was saying made sense. "Can we talk about something else now?"

"Anything you want," Azula knew not to push her.

"Can we just sit here?"

"Of course."

On their last night at the island, Ty Lee suggested they all go out dancing at this new club. Katara put on a black leather shirt, sleeveless, showing a fair bit of cleavage and a skirt. It was cold, but she had a coat to go over it. She thought about getting a haircut as she looked in the mirror. Azula's looked damn good. Maybe her stylist could cut hers too.

Azula donned a sleeveless red top and dark pants, tight pants, painted on pants. She put on a gold necklace to catch people's attention, and it matched her eyes.

Ty Lee wore a cute pink dress. "Ooh! Someone's looking hot tonight." Ty Lee teased.

"I like to look my best when I go out."

"Dressing up for a waterbender?"

"No!"

"Dressing up for a bimbo?"

"No. I'm not going for a tramp tonight."

"There's a first."

They all got ready to go. Aang blushed when he saw Katara. "You look great," he squeaked.

"Thanks, Aang," Katara said in a subdued manner.

Of course, Azula made a crass comment. "Letting the twins out to play!"

"You're such a cow pig," Katara said to her with a slight smile.

"You say cow pig, I say a breasts- expert, breastpert, and yours are extraordinary."

Katara rolled her eyes.

They all went out to the club and Azula bought the first round of shots. "Let's have a good night on the party express!"

Katara took her shot easily. Aang didn't remember her doing shots when they were together. Azula must be a bad influence on her.

People started to dance. Azula started to dance by herself. She knew how to work her body, and she was getting people to cheer. Showing off was fun. Sokka danced with Suki. Most of the warriors danced together and of course, Aang went to dance with Katara.

Katara danced with him, but she kept her distance. Some of the couples on the floor, namely Sokka and Suki were grinding on each other and there was no way Aang was grinding on her. Katara saw Azula dancing with this random girl. Azula made sure to look Katara's way. Katara glared.

Azula thought she looked hot when she was angry. The girl kissed Azula. She didn't kiss her back, not with much fervor anyway, but she gave it a couple of seconds before she pulled back. Katara was annoyed, but she wasn't angry. She knew Azula wouldn't take this girl home or even give her an alley fuck, but she didn't like seeing her kiss a nameless ho. She was starting to feel her blood boil. "I need to use the ladies' room," Katara left the dance floor.

Azula took the tramp to the alley where she gave her money to get a ride home. "Sorry, I have my eyes on a different girl tonight."

The girl was drunk and would not say no to free money. Azula waited for the coast to clear and then slipped into the bathroom.

"Took you long enough."

"You know I have to keep up my image."

Katara kissed her. "You taste like cheap liquor and lip salve."

"Sorry, she had a cheap palate." Azula pressed her up against the stall, moving her skirt out the way as she got to her lover's sweet spot.

Ty Lee noticed that both girls were absent, those sluts. To distract Aang, she asked him to dance, taking him away from staring in the direction of the ladies' room. Eventually, Katara came back. Her hair was a bit mussed up, but other than that, no signs of hooking up. Azula on the other hand came back in from the alley with a smirk on her face.

"That girl who kissed me, totally nailed her," Azula lied (by omission). No one wanted to hear the story, but she told them all how she pressed the girl up against the wall and had her way with her. Only Katara and Ty Lee knew otherwise. It was kind of hot, hearing about her own sexual escapade, but Katara had to pretend to be repulsed.

"Do you do anything other than brag about your nasty encounters?" Aang growled at her.

"I also dance." She took Katara's hand and brought her to the dance floor, putting her hands on the girl's hips and swaying behind her.

"In my story, the girl was wearing panties. You weren't," Azula whispered in her ear.

"I took them off for you. They're back on now."

"Darn. I was wondering how much we could get away with right here, on this floor." She put her hands on Katara's behind and squeezed. "Do you think you could get off if you ground yourself against my leg?"

Katara leaned in. "Only one way to find out."

No one could ignore the sexual tension between the two women as they writhed against each other on the dance floor. Azula didn't kiss her. She had already laid her claim on the waterbender.

In the midst of the crowd, it was hard to see what they were doing. Katara was too close to her peak and if she screamed out loud, everyone would know. To cover their misdeeds, Katara pulled her wife into a kiss, using Azula's lips to mask the sounds coming out of her mouth. Azula was pleasantly surprised by the gesture. She wondered what Aang would do if he knew she was getting Katara off, at this very second, as he stared at her blankly.

Katara must be drunk, Aang realized, and Azula's taking advantage. No way would Katara kiss her like that if she were sober. Before he could get to them, Azula broke the kiss. "Let's get you some water."

At the end of the night, Katara went to Rai's room. Aang stopped her on the way. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you home tomorrow?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm fine?"

"But you'll be alone with Azula."

"I made it here in one piece."

"What is she doing to you?"

"What?"

"You aren't like this, getting drunk, kissing girls, Azula of all people. Does she do this often, get you drunk so she can have her way with you."

"I'm not even drunk, and she doesn't use me."

"She uses every girl, Katara."

"No, she doesn't." Aang didn't know the half of it. Katara went to bed.

Rai heard the argument from her room, but she said nothing about it. She was, however, curious about a related matter.

"Is Azula a good kisser?"

"She is," Katara told her.

"How many times have you kissed?"

Katara couldn't give her a precise number.

"That many times. She's the one you're dating, isn't she?"

"Yes," Katara whispered. "I knew everyone would react badly, so I didn't tell anyone."

"I can't judge you. She's really hot, but didn't it bother you when she kissed that other girl right in front of you. You aren't exclusive but …"

"That girl was nothing. Azula just paid for her carriage ride home. She made up the sex story to keep up her image."

"Or she lied about the girl to protect her image."

"What?"

"You were gone while Azula was in the alley."

"I wasn't in the alley."

"Was she?"

Katara blushed. "Maybe she came into the bathroom with me."

"You little minx."

The following morning, the two girls got waved off as they headed home.