It's a little rough around the edges. I had to work back into the particular style of this story. I know it has been a very long time. But I plan on writing a lot in the next few days. Keep an eye out. Enjoy. Epilogue is next.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Too broke.
Cellular
Zuko and Katara
Rated: T
It was like putting on armor.
Armor he'd thought he'd been fucking done with years ago.
Uncle wore it better. Years in this world hadn't been brushed by so quickly.
To Zuko, it was ill-suited, quite literally, and he couldn't wait to rip the tie from his neck and the cufflinks from his wrists.
Out of habit he nearly reached for his grandfather's watch, but stopped. He wanted no ties to the man on the other side of the door.
It was the exact kind of bullshit Zei had warned him about.
Zuko was in remission, Zuko was missing school, Zuko was ill taken care of, Zuko was not attending counseling, Zuko had no normal functioning relationships with girls-
At this Katara scoffed and went from indignant to outright pissed.
"What am I then?" She hissed.
"Not normal," Zuko muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
Her hand twitched like she was about to wallop him, but she settled for a look that clearly read he was in for it later.
Ozai had been going at in for a good hour, using teachers, the school counselor, principle and security guards to drill into the court that Iroh was a delusional old man, unfit to watch a troubled teen.
Zuko nearly gagged.
Watching his father fake compassion was almost as unnatural as watching his sister pet a kitten.
Uncle was handling it almost in stride, calming sitting next to him and sometimes leaning over to confer with Zei.
Little Ms. Blue eyes had been sitting next to him and his uncle on his side of the court, waiting to testify on his behalf.
Surprisingly (or not so much if you asked Zuko) it was not the brilliant legal mind of Zei that constructed his most compelling argument against Ozai.
It was the little fireball, spitting mad, at his side, looking like she'd like nothing better than to choke Ozai with his own smug grin.
She had bluntly pointed out that he couldn't exactly refute the claims of skipping and hostility.
"You nearly killed Song for calling your name, you made Aang cry, and Jet won't even speak within ten feet of you."
"You wouldn't be here if you thought I was that bad."
"Smartass."
The replayed conversation made him smirk. His uncle and Zei had been sitting in a corner, Iroh looking delighted and Zei blinking awkwardly at his paperwork.
Katara's presence had made the whole thing seem less hopeless and more like an upcoming fight to be won.
Zuko liked fights.
This time he could do some damage.
Ozai's counselor finally stepped down, looking every bit the concerned attorney.
Ozai merely looked like the cat that got the cream.
Zuko hoped he'd drown in it.
Zei stood easily enough.
"Even though we belief the plaintiff has absolutely no case whatsoever, we are willing, in the interest of thoroughness, to refute his claims."
It was inevitable really. If they had ignored Ozai's arguments, it was like hanging a sign over their heads reading "Well the mother fucker has a point…"
Dr. Bumi went first, describing the tumor as something hardly affected by external forces, but by something that was moving at the pace set forth by whatever was crawling around in Zuko's body however.
Bumi actually swiveled one eye to look at Ozai at this, something that amusingly enough seemed to put him off before he straightened up and glared.
Zuko snickered.
Iroh was next, easily detailing Zuko's commitment to martial arts and the difficulties of transferring into a gossiping high school.
Zei had made it clear that playing the sympathy card was probably the best way to go, if that failed it was Plan B.
Or Plan Watertribe, as Katara called it.
If they couldn't make Ozai's claims seem trumped up and ridiculous, they would question him having a claim at all.
Zuko was slightly torn at this.
In theory, it was a good argument. Get Ozai's ass thrown out of the court for time wasting. Satisfying mental image too.
However, it almost completely removed Zuko from the equation. His opinion wouldn't mean much as the troubled, unstable teen.
He wasn't sure yet if that was a good or bad thing.
It also made Katara far more involved then he wanted her to be.
And suddenly it was her turn, the one part he'd actually been dreading.
Who knew what Ozai would try to pull in reaction to her getting involved?
Zuko had tried to stop her. It was like trying to push a glacier by yourself.
Was not happening.
She walked to the front with all the dignity of any high bred his father was used to, and sat down.
Then surprisingly, she smiled at his father.
It was a sweet smile, benign and respectful to anyone who didn't know her.
Zuko did and saw the ice chips in her eyes.
Zei nodded to her in approval.
"If you'd state your name and your relationship to Zuko, please."
"Katara Lui."
She glared at Ozai.
"I'm his girlfriend."
Well.
News to him.
Behind him, he heard her brother's whine of protest as well as his grunt when his grandmother knocked him on the head.
Ozai nearly dropped his composure. His eyes narrowed at the girl, recalculating.
Ah fuck.
Zuko had seen that look before.
Katara easily answered Zei's questions
"How long have you been dating?"
"Five months."
He smirked.
Their first little lunch date.
"Had Zuko ever shown any signs of poor health?"
Katara snorted.
"Until now? Hardly."
There were murmurs throughout the courtroom.
Ozai's left eye seemed to be twitching. Katara looked thrilled with herself.
Zei went on to cover some of the areas his father had been so keen to press.
"Does Zuko skip?"
"All the time."
"Do you know where he goes?"
"My swim practices."
Iroh hid a smile.
They moved on, through his violence towards Jet, his tendency to not do homework, even through his fainting spell in the bathroom.
He blanched a bit at that.
He hadn't fainted.
Zei was done.
It was kind of pathetic really, but he had successfully painted Zuko as a typical teenage bad boy trying to impress a girl.
The room was murmuring. More and more faces looked as if they couldn't believe what a waste of time this was.
Ozai attorney stood.
"We'd like to ask a few questions of Ms. Lui, if we may?"
Zuko's fists clenched in his lap.
Katara looked serene.
The man launched into a report on Katara, asking her to confirm several things about herself.
Honor student, Swim champion, volunteer, orphan-
She tensed.
The sharks sensed it.
And pounced.
"You lost your mother fairly young, did you not?"
"Yes." Her lips were tight.
"Would you say it has affected your life?"
Katara looked at the man like he was insane.
"In that case," he said, pressing on, "Would you say it has instilled some sympathy in you?"
Zuko saw the trap before she did.
Ozai couldn't hold back his smirk.
"Pity, perhaps?" The attorney finished smoothly.
"What are you implying?"
Katara was practically growling.
"No one is accusing you, Ms. Lui. In fact, quite the opposite. It's obvious your tragic experience instilled a deep well of compassion in you. Compassion that made you reach out to an obviously troubled child."
Katara stiffened.
Zuko stiffened.
He'd been so damn sure she hadn't pitied him.
But what if he was a project?
Something to tinker with until it worked.
He could feel her gaze. He wouldn't meet it.
But then she spoke.
"He isn't a child."
She leveled her gaze at Ozai.
"And you aren't a father."
Zuko couldn't breathe.
Plan Watertribe it was then.
Ozai merely looked bored.
Katara was walking on thin ice here, they all knew it.
At any time Ozai could object to her speculation.
Zuko saw her inhale.
He's eighteen. Legally an adult. And I'm pretty sure the definition of a parent is the source of guidance, provision, and protection."
The crusader in her was coming out.
"Parents have a responsibility to their children! They owe them everything. Everything until they can do it on their own."
She looked at Zuko.
"And he can. He hasn't needed you for a long time."
This would not end well.
But Little Ms. Fireball wasn't done yet.
"Why now? Why all of a sudden? Why not when he was hospitalized? Why not after his cousin died? Or his mother?"
She took a deep breath.
Don't do it. Zuko urged her with his thoughts.
Don't you fucking dare.
"Why not after his face?"
Zuko could have heard a pin drop with his bad ear.
Those in the know were staring at Ozai. Those in the dark looked confused as hell.
"What exactly are you implying, little girl?" Ozai hissed.
She met his stare levelly, even narrowing her eyes back at him.
"At best you're a negligent jerk."
She scoffed and turned her head away.
"And at worst…"
Zuko was doomed.
She was doomed.
They were all doomed.
"You're a megalomaniac who burnt his own son."
AN: Review per favore, bitte, s'il vous plait...