Finally an update. I know my continuity has gotta be out of wack somewhere because of the amount of time between updates, but I tried. lol.

i don't own avatar.

Hope you like it.


"Azula! What are you doing here?! You were supposed to be on a ship to your well deserved execution." She said, hate evident in her eyes.

Azula frowned, and grabbed the Avatars hand.

"Saving some Earth Nation lives it seems like." Azula said, not trying to let Katara get to her.

Katara sneered, "Oh please, as if the great Princess Azula would care about the lives of anyone but herself. You make me sick!"

At this point Azula was ready for an attack, just waiting. She figured Katara was just waiting for the perfect time, for her to let her guard down, but It's not going to happen.

"What you think is irrelevant, water peasant, as long as Aang trusts me that is all I need. Not the opinion of someone who knows nothing of what she speaks." She said, shaking her head.

"Ohh here we go. As long as Aang trusts you. And how exactly did you get him to trust you? What kind of web of lies has Azula strung this time? How long were you going to follow Aang around before you stabbed him in the back?" Katara said, her anger growing.

"Please! If I was going to kill him I would have done it already. You are not going to win Katara, get over it. Aang likes me and I like him. Nothing you could possibly say would stir me otherwise."

Aang smiled at that one.

It was then that both Toph and Zuko arrived.

"Azula?" Zuko said, in mock confusion. He had figured Aang was behind the break the whole time.

She looked over at her brother, "Oh, hello brother." She said, smirking.

Katara frowned,

"How can you expect me to believe you aren't the same, when you've been so deceitful and cruel your entire life?! Zuko told me stories about how you were as a child. You've been evil since the day you were born! How could you have suddenly changed? It's impossible!" Katara shouted, in reference to their childhood.

"I don't expect you to believe anything, I've already told you I could careless what you believe." Azula said, growing bored.

Katara smirked, somewhat evilly.

"…That's not all he told me. He told me about how your own mother was scared of you. Even she thought there was something seriously wrong with you."

Azula faltered at that, gazing down at the ground. She remembered her mother, gazing at her with a look of fear and disbelief. Disbelief that her own daughter had already begun to grow as evil as her father.

At the time she just smirked at her mother and ran along.

But.. She feels remorse. She made things so hard for her brother.. And she made them just as hard for her mother.. Who probably hated her, assuming she was still alive somewhere..

Azula could feel the tear run down her face but did nothing to stop it.

"Ahh! So the Great Azula does have emotions. It's hard to believe." Katara said, grinning at her.

Azula started to break as images began bursting in her memory. Every evil thing she'd ever done, from her childhood till the end of the war. She couldn't believe how she acted. She really was evil.. Pathetic.. She had shot Aang, HER Aang, with a powerful bolt of lightening. She killed him! But.. He forgave her.. And not just for that, but everything she's ever done.

She turned and looked into Aang's face.

"Thank you." She says, as she pulls him into a hug.

He smiles, returning the hug.

"Don't her her get to you," He says, "She's trying to push your buttons, to get you to lash out. Don't let her. We all make mistakes, and we grow from them. I want you to know, I'm proud of you." He said, smiling and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. She gazes into his eyes and smiles,

Before she feels something wrap around her leg and pull her violently away.

Azula comes crashing to the floor as Katara pulls her along with a water whip.

"Regardless of what Aang thinks of you, you're still a wanted criminal. You are going to face the consequences of what you've done."

Azula feels the water force her wrists into shackles before it freezes, but this doesn't last long.

The water unfreezes and she feels a gust of wind, just as she watches Katara land on her butt with a surprised look on her face.

"You are in the wrong Katara, and you know it." Aang says, helping Azula stand.

"Azula has changed. She is not the same as she was, if she had any mal-intent towards me she would have already acted on it and escaped, but she hasn't. What you did was low Katara, and I think you need to recheck your motives. You sit here and shout stuff about her past in some messed up attempt at getting her to attack you, just so you can justify your false theory that she hasn't changed. You are no better than you claim she was. Using words to hurt, in some flawed and misguided justice. Give it up, Katara. Azula is not going back into Earth Nation custody, and that's final." Aang says, gazing at her with eyes of disbelief and disgust.

Azula feels a dull pain on the back of her head and reaches back, when she retracts it she notices the blood on her fingertips.

Aang glances down at her hand then back up to her with concern.

"C'mon, I'll heal it." Aang says as he grabs Azula's hand and pulls her towards his room.


OUTSIDE

Zuko moved to help Katara up as the two disappear from view.

"Can you believe it? Aang's had Azula this whole time! What is he thinking? She's a danger to everyone!" Katara shouted angrily,

Toph frowned, "Well.. she hasn't hurt anyone yet. And she even fought off the fire nation that attacked here, and she didn't kill you. I'm pretty sure old Azula wouldn't have hesitated, especially the way you were talking to her."

Katara huffed, "Oh please. I find that hard to believe, I doubt even the Avatar could change her, you know what she's like, you saw how she was when she was imprisoned. She was insane; she had completely lost her mind! She's probably just using Aang. We need to capture her! She needs to be brought to justice for her crimes!" Katara shouted,

"I agree with Toph, although I can understand where you're coming from Katara." Zuko said trying to calm her, "I understand you are upset Katara, but I have to say, using what I told you against her was pretty.. Low. Like Aang said, and it did little to prove your point."

Katara frowned and looked down, realizing how.. Pathetically mean she had just been.

"The way I see it we are left with few choices. Azula or no, we have to put an end to this fighting. If Azula IS in fact using Aang, we will deal with it when the time comes. If it turns out her intentions are true, I feel we shouldn't interfere, let Aang deal with the consequences, let him plead his case to the Earth kingdom.. they will not be understanding, but.. he is the Avatar.. he might convince them otherwise. But, until then, we need to worry about the larger threat."

Zuko said, calming Katara.

"I agree with Zuko on this one Sugar Queen, Aang obviously doesn't feel like he's in any danger, and well, having her on our side could be a good thing."

Katara shook her head, "Whatever, when this comes back to bight us in the butt don't blame me!"


Aang's room

Azula sat on the bed Indian style, with Aang right behind her.

"This is a pretty nasty cut." Aang says, cleaning it up with a wet cloth.

She sighs, "Stupid girl.."

"I'm so proud of you, Azula." Aang says, "Even after she attacked you, you kept your cool. You didn't let her get to you. You did good." He says, rubbing her side with his free hand.

She shudders at the touch, not used to being touched like that.

He grins as he notices.

"Okay, now, I'm not an expert healer or anything, but I've picked a few things up. I should be able to handle a cut like this." He says, as he bends the water out of the bucket by the bedside.

A blue light floods the room as he begins harnessing his healing ability, in a few moments the wound is completely healed.

"All done!" He says, throwing the rag into the bucket.

She reaches around back and touches the spot the wound used to be,

"It doesn't even hurt." She says, "Thank you, Aang."

With that she turned to face him.

He smiles as they gaze into each others eyes.

"…I won't ever let them take you." Aang says, confidently as he leans his forehead against hers.

"..You're too special to me… I couldn't lose you."

She feels the tears spring from her eyes.

Aang is quick to notice,

"What's wrong?" He asks, concerned.

"..When I… lost it. I felt alone.. I felt betrayed, and alone. I had no friends, I had no family.. I had pushed everyone away. I always thought all I needed was myself.. But I was wrong. When I finally truly had nobody left I flipped! broke down. I became paranoid and crazy. It wasn't until a little after you started visiting that I began to return to normal. And after I had regained myself I realized I wasn't alone, that, even if I was to be executed, I knew I'd at least have made one friend before I went. I would have been content with going, knowing that I had you as a friend."

Aang was smiling at her as she continued,

"I had accepted my fate, and what was going to happen. I knew I deserved it, I had done horrible things. I was a terrible person. As I sat on the prison ship that was bringing me to my death I had only one regret. That I hadn't got to tell you.. How I felt. How I appreciated you, and what you had done for me while I was there. And I wanted to thank you.. For.. Well. Being my friend. A true friend. And even now, you stood up for me against Katara, someone I know you loved. You chose my side over hers.. I can't imagine anyone ever doing that for me.. It makes me feel wanted, like I'm needed. I.. just wanted to thank you, for everything, Aang."

She says, the tears in her eyes flowing more freely, Aang can't help but grin as he pulls her head against his shoulder and rubs her back.

"You are special to me, Azula. I don't want you to ever forget that." He says as he pulls her back to look into his eyes.

"You're my friend, my love, my Azula." He says, smiling at her before leaning a few inches forward and placing his lips on hers.

For the second time that night they felt the sparks shoot through them like nothing they've ever felt.

Aang placed his hands on her face and deepened the kiss, much to Azula's appreciation.

As his tongue slipped past her lips and began exploring her mouth, Azula's brain was on overload.

Aang himself was surprised he was doing this, but it felt right.

He slowly lowered them down to lay on the bed, on their sides.

He put his free arm on her side, caressing it softly. She gasped as his hand passed over part of her slightly exposed side, causing Aang to stop and pull back.

"You okay?" He asks, confused.

She smiles at him. "I'm fine, don't worry." She says, grinning and pulling his face back to hers.

This went on for sometime before they decided they should sleep. Azula turned around so that her back was to Aang's chest and snuggled herself back against him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Before they knew it they were asleep.

They awoke to a banging on the door and Toph's voice,

"Aang!! Get up! Kyoshi's under siege! We gotta go!"


lemme know if you liked it!

:)