We're sorry… in advance. The last few chapters have been fun and cute and a little sexy. Well this one is none of the above and you will likely cry when you read it. So… sorry.

Unknown Caller

Zuko raised an eye brow as he looked at his cell phone. He usually did not like answering Unknown callers, but he still took them none the less. He did not have much of a choice.

"Kasai."

"Zuko Kasai?" It was a man's voice. He had never heard it before but there was something distantly familiar about it, like he had heard it once in a dream or something.

"This is he." Zuko looked next to him on the bed where Suki was sitting, his MacBook on their laps as they were shopping online for some clothes for him. She frowned a bit, closing the computer and sitting it aside.

"You likely don't remember me, but I'm Detective Carlton and I was the one in charge of the case of your mother's disappearance."

Zuko's eyes widened, making Suki's heart drop. She did not know what was going on, but she knew it was not good. "I remember you now, yes."

"I'm calling with some news..." Zuko swallowed hard clenching his eyes tight; he knew what came next. He had rehearsed this scene in his head over and over again through the years. He thought about getting the call, or about being told by Lu Ten or Uncle about it. He frequently had nightmare that he was the one to make the discovery. They had plagued him since he was a child, since she had gone missing. The only thing that he could think in this second was how grateful he was that his nightmares were not coming true.

"I'm afraid that we found her body."

Azula pulled the black jacket around her torso, making sure that the fit was snug, just as she liked it. She had not worn this suit for a while, and was pleased that it was still fitting. She looked herself over in the large mirror in their bathroom, a heavy frown on her face. She ripped the jacket off and walked back into the bedroom where her boyfriend was trying to maneuver his dress pants over the cast on his leg.

"I'm not going." She told him, throwing the jacket back into the closet.

Sokka rolled his eyes lightly, "Yes you are."

"I don't do wakes." She took her shirt off as well, her hands going to her pants. "So we stay home and have sex, how about it?"

Sokka, who had just managed to get his pants on, was sitting on the bed frowning, "We're going."

She shook her head, sitting next to him on the bed, "You can, I'm not."

His arm went around her shoulder making her snuggle close to him. "I know it's hard."

"Hard is not exactly the right word to describe what I feel about this situation."

"Well we have to go." He sighed, "It took me 15 minuets to put these pants on and I'm not about to do that for no reason."

Azula could not help but laugh, shaking her head, "I guess that we can go. I'm not going to be happy about it."

"Well I would home you would not be happy about it." He laughed, "It's only your mother's funeral."

The realization that this was in fact that was going on finally hitting her. She had, for so long, thought that her mother was simply in hiding, that she was not in their lives out of choice and not for any other reason. Knowing that Ursa had been dead this time though left an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She had been mad at her for so long, she had been mad at a woman who never did anything wrong.

"It's going to be ok." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, kissing the side of her head.

Red Tie? No. Blue? No. Black? No. Green? No.

"Just ware the black one, Zuko."

"You don't think it's too morbid, do you?"

Suki walked out of their bathroom and into the bedroom, her knee length black dress swishing around her legs, "It's a wake Zuko."

He looked at her with a smile, "That didn't stop you from looking pretty."

She smiled and walked to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Suki had expected him to be a bit off since the body was found but the reality was much different. He more or less acted the same as he took care of the funeral preparations as well as everyone else and their grief. She had been worried about him, and this behavior had only made it more so. "Are you ok?" She whispered.

"Yeah." He breathed, his hands going on top of hers. "I mean... I've know this was coming." Her lips went to his neck, closing her eyes. "Do you think I should be more upset?"

"I think you will grieve how you will grieve and no one can tell you anything about it."

He closed his eyes and nodded, "I know that Azula thinks I should be more upset."

"Fuck what she thinks." Suki snapped, her hand rubbing his abdomen.

He could not help but laugh a little bit, "You know what I've been thinking the past few days?"

"What?"

He spun in her arms, his hands taking her face into them. "I wish you could have known her." It was the first time she had seen him with tears in his eyes since the news had come.

She sighed softly, smiling at him lovingly. "But I do know her Zuko."

"How?"

Suki nodded, her hand going to his heart, "I know that she is a big part of the reason you are the man you are. So I know and lover her, because I know and love you."

The statement brought a smile to his face, his eyes locking with hers. He was also sad that his mother never got to meet her, that she would never know about the thing of sheer joy and love that that was Suki Kyser. He knew that his mother would be so happy with her, and would love her just like he did. It was the only thing that made him sad about the entire situation.

"I love you Suki." His whispered, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him close as tears dripped from her eyes.

Iroh had been the only one to see her before she was taken to the funeral home, if you could even call it her anymore. Zuko had wanted to but the man refused. He told him that someone so young should not has an image like that in their mind for the rest of their lives. She had been placed in a casket made of rich dark wood that Suki had picked out. She and Lu Ten had gone with Zuko to make the arrangements. It was also Suki who had picked out the casket spray of sunflowers and lilies. She felt it fitting.

It was a mild, sunny day, the wind blowing lightly and making the trees in the cemetery dance above them. More people attended the grave side wake than anyone had thought there would be. A sea of people in black gathered around the plot and the casket, their expressions solemn.

Ursa Harada - Kasai was buried next to her mother and father and not far from her Grandparents Avatar Roku and Ta Min. There had been a place for her reserved in the Kasai section of a near by cemetery, but everyone agreed that it would best she be placed here. It was a beautiful, peaceful spot and one that Zuko knew she would have loved.

He was not listening to the words of comfort that were being spoken to them, but instead his mind was filled with the list of things that he still had to do today. He had to make sure the caterer was going to be at the tea shop on time after the service and that they had made sure to bring vegetarian entrees. There was a lingering feeling in his stomach though, the feeling that he should be feeling something more.

Suki was holding his hand tight in as the service was going on. She had never been good with funerals, and since this one was what it was it was even more confusing for her. She wanted to support him though, she wanted to be there for him in any way that she could even if she did not really know what she was doing. She knew that as long as she tried it would help him.

Sokka sat in the chair they had gotten for him next to Azula, who stood. His father was not far away, standing just like everyone else was. Sokka was not surprised to see that Hakoda had shown up for the services, but was surprised at the man's behavior, with tears in his eyes as he looked at the casket. Sokka had known that he and Ursa had been close, but he did not think it was that strong of a relationship. Sokka himself was feeling a strange amount of emotion at all this. After his mother died Ursa had filled that role for several years and he missed her horribly, even to this day. He as more worried about his today girlfriend though.

It was Azula that was most effected by the event, or the only one that it was apparent as such. There were tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. There was guilt; that she had been resentful at her mother for no reason. There was anger; at how her mother could have let this happen to her. She could not decide if her mother was a coward or a weakling, and she was not sure which she was either.

People who attended all said that it was a beautiful service. But how beautiful could something like this be?

The caterer was on time and got all the food perfect. So there was nothing for him to worry about after all. He was still finding the need and means to micromanage though. He wanted to make sure that everything was fine for everyone. Even with all that he still had people coming up to him and asking if he was ok, if he needed anything. He always insisted that he did not, that he had it under control.

He made his way to the backroom, trying to find something that he really didn't need. He sighed to himself, his head shaking as he took a drink of his hot tea.

"Can I ask you something?"

Zuko's eyes snapped up, looking at his friend's father standing alone in the kitchen of the tea shop, "You can ask me anything you like Hakoda."

He looked at the young man in front of him, a soft frown on his face, "D-did you know about your mother and I's… relationship?"

Zuko blinked, then sat the cup he was holding onto the counter, "Kind of."

"Kind of?"

Zuko crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his hip onto the counter, "I knew that you cared about her, more than you should." He shook his head, knowing that was not the right word, "More than… more than if she was just the mother of your son's friend. I knew that you were in love with her."

Hakoda had tears in his eyes now, looking down as Zuko spoke.

"I did not put it all together till I was a teenager, fourteen or fifteen. I thought about all the play dates and how you two seemed to set them up more than we did. I thought about the way you two were with one another and it just kind of dawned on me the true nature of your relationship. I never told my sister, Katara or Sokka."

"We never wanted you kids to know, we didn't want you to be involved in that."

"And I respected your choice to keep it hidden," Zuko shrugged, "So I did, even now."

Hakoda nodded, "Your mother was a wonderful woman Zuko."

"I know." He sighed, "And I want to thank you for making her happy, for however brief a time that you did."

"It was my pleasure." He said to the young man before nodding lightly and leaving the room.

Zuko watched him go. It was only after than that he was able to acknowledge the shaking in his hands. They went over his mouth, trying to stop it so that he did not look shaken up when he went back out into the main room.

Suki had noticed his absence and gone to him, a soft frown on her face, "Are you going to eat anything?" She asked, walking to him with her heels clicking on the floor.

"I'm not hungry." He mumbled into his hands, "Thank you though." He pulled his hands away and smiled at her, "Did you get something to eat?"

She nodded, walking to him and wrapping her arms around his waist, "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry, Suki." He repeated. He wanted her to stop worrying, to stop asking if he was ok. He would be ok as long as people stopped asking. "Go on, I will be out in a second."

"Zuko…" She whispered.

"Suki." He snapped. She frowned up at him, his hand taking up hers, "I'm ok… really."

She just nodded and kissed him on the cheek softly, "Come on out, people are asking for you." With another kiss on his cheek she left, the fabric around her legs making soft sounds as she walked.

She joined Lu Ten and Kenton at the take she had previously been sitting. They were sitting side by side, closer than normal in fact. She had noticed that Lu Ten had cried during the service, and Kenton had been by his side the entire time. They were so good at comforting one another, without even really trying to. She wished that her and Zuko were more like that.

"Is he ok?" Lu Ten had asked, sipping some of his tea.

"I'm not really sure." Suki sighed, "He's not said anything." She shook her head, "And I don't know if it's cause he has nothing to say, or if I'm doing something wrong."

"I don't think you are doing anything wrong." Kenton told her, "This is just a really difficult thing that is going on."

"I know." She sighed, poking the piece of chicken that she had gotten.

Azula didn't want to deal with this, with any of this just, for a few moments. She was sick of relatives that she did not know coming up and telling her how pretty she was and Sokka acting way more happy to be there than he should have been. She didn't want to be happy, she did not want to be told she was pretty: She wanted to just get away. However when she entered the back room it occurred to her that she was not alone.

Her face got red as soon as she saw her brother standing there, "You should be hiding." She snapped.

"What?" he sighed, "I'm not hiding I'm looking for…." He took a deep breath, "I don't know what I was looking for."

Azula just frowned, rolling her eyes, "I can't believe you Zuko."

"What?" he mumbled.

She crossed her arms over her chest, "Here I was thinking that you loved her." She hissed.

"Excuse me?"

"You're walking around here like nothing is going on, like everything is fine." She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks, "You've been like that since we found out!"

"Azula…" he whispered.

"You always acted like you were so close to her! You were such a momma's boy, but now you don't even care!" He frowned lightly, looking at her. "And I know that she loved you, WAY more than she ever did me."

"Azula Stop!"

"What's the matter with you?! Are you unable to feel anything at all?! To think that everyone would always claim I was the heartless one... Look at you! You've just buried your mother and you act as if you were finished with a day's work! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!"

"You don't know what is going on in my mind." He insisted, "So don't you fucking dare tell me that I'm the heartless one!"

"Then why don't you fucking care!"

"I do care!"

"They WHY AREN'T YOU UPSET!"

"Because I knew she was dead the first time Ozia hit me!" The statement left Azula speechless as she looked at her big brother, a frown on her face. "I looked up into his eyes and I…" he shook his head, tears gathering in his eyes, "I knew she was dead and I knew he had done it. And I felt like such a fucking failure."

"Why?"

"Cause I should have protected her!" His hands were in his hair, tears streaming from his eyes, "I should have not let that happen to her."

"You were just a kid, there was nothing that you could have done!"

"I did not seen it like that." He sighed, shaking his head, "And I promised myself that I would never let him hurt you." His voice was shaking now, "That I would never let him hurt you the way he had her. I couldn't save her, but I would save you."

"Zuko…" She breathed.

"So I'm sorry that I'm not grieving like you are Azula." His hands went to his hips, his eyes looking down now, "But you have to understand that I've been grieving for sixteen years."

Zuko used to hide Azula in closets when him and Ozai would get into it. He would tell her not to come out until he came and got her. She would yell at him, telling him that it was stupid and that if Ozai wanted her a closet would not do any good. He would yell back, and tell her to do what he said. He usually had to lock her in the closet somehow and would come release her in a few hours, once he felt it safe. She hated it when he did this. She just thought he was being an idiot.

It was not that it came to her; the real reason that he would lock her in closets when they were children. That the entire time he was looking out for her, that he was protecting her, that he was making sure that what happened to their mother did not happen to her. She wanted to say something, anything. She wanted to thank him, to tell him that she was sorry, but nothing came out. The only thing she was to wrap her arms around her waist, her eyes exploding with tears, her head shaking.

Zuko frowned, his arms reaching out as he rushed to her. He captured her in his arms, hugging her tight with a frown on his face. Her arms went around him, her head on his shoulder as she started to sob. He held her tighter, his lips going to the side of her head.

"I love you Azula." He whispered as she shook with sobs in her brother's arms.

17 years Earlier

Ursa never knew why these pregnancy tests seemed to defy the laws of time. Never had she felt that 5 minutes had taken so many hours, days, years to pass. She sat the white stick on the counter, turning to her reflection in the large mirror in the bathroom. She studied her profile, a hand running along her stomach.

She found herself praying to any divine sprit that could hear her that her womb was empty, that there was no child. It was not just about her, and any inconvenience that it may cause, she would never think of a child as an inconvenience. Nor was it about her existing children, they would not care either way about a new baby in the family. And it certainly did not have anything to do with the father of the child she might be carrying. In fact that was the thing she loved best about the situation, about the possibility. She hoped that the baby would have the same beautiful blue eyes.

She looked back down at the stick, picking it up. She held it against the box provided, a sigh of relief coming from her as the results were negative. It's not that she didn't want the baby, she did. She loved the idea of having Hakoda's child. Her fear, her dread, came from the thought of her husband's reaction. She feared for her life, but she mostly feared for the life of any child that she would carry that was not his.

It was the first thing she had thought about when she thought she was with child. And it was as she was looking at this negative pregnancy test that she made up her mind.

She had to get out.

Money, status, marriage, all of that: None of it mattered now. She had to leave Ozai. For the safety of her children, both born and possible, her lover and his children, but most importantly herself. The thought scared her, but she knew it had to be this way.

She did not know how it would end. But as she placed the test and it's box in the trash, pulling the bag out to properly remove the evidence, she knew she had to try, even if it killed her.

She planned for months, telling no one of her intent, not even Hakoda. She was going to leave in the middle of the night, whisking her children away to the safety of a condo that she had rented a few towns over. Her stomach churned at the thought of ripping her son and daughter away from their friends, but she knew they would understand in time, they would have to.

It was on that night that Ozai found a receipt from a furniture store in the trash can. The address of delivery was not his own address, but one about 30 minutes away. He knew that something had been going on, in addition to the affair which he had known about for almost a year, and now he knew what.

It had happened in the bedroom. His fist on her jaw sent her stumbling back and into a dresser, her skull cracking open at the impact. He knew she was dead before she hit the ground. He froze, looking down at his wife, the mother of his children, the only woman who had never loved him and the person he had just killed. He had no time, no need to grieve though. He went to the phone, making a call to take care of it, of her.

The body of Ursa Kasai was weighed down and thrown into what was a quarry upstate that had been filled in with water. It was a spot that had frequently been used as a dumb site for bodies, unknown to law enforcement. It was only after the accidental drowning of a 4 year old girl in the water hole almost two decade later that her body, and the body of almost a dozen others were found.

Ozia Kasai would never be charged with the murder of his wife, no one ever would be. Even though no one knew the details of her death, they all knew he was the one who did it. There were little to no changes after she was put to rest, save a bouquet of sunflowers at a gravestone and two less people visiting a federal prison.