A/N: Back with A long Chapter! Hope you all like it! And if not, that's fine too, feedback is great for future reference. Thank you all for Reading!

WARNING: Language, Smut, and minor violence.

Chapter 28:

The entire room was silent. Eyes locking with others. Fist clenching tight to sides. Teeth grinding. Nerves completely wrecked. Hearts pounding. Fidgeting. Sweating. Heavy breathing. An overall loss for words as thoughts struggled to wrap the gifts of understanding because it was just too much to behold. Too much to make sense of. If it wasn't for the two calm and composed members of this group of conspiracies, lies and betrayals than there would be nothing to stop one side from raising fist at the other. If it wasn't for the fear of wedging a greater divide and the possibility of causing more strife, there would be no doubt be a fight like no other. Three benders versus three very skilled non benders with only two peacekeepers to intervene. If a fight broke between the groups no doubt there would be a great consequence. But luckily, everyone had agreed to a cold war. Settling for just snide remarks, glares, underhanded implications, and mocking. It was childish of course but if it weren't, things would become a lot more problematic.

Completely disappointed at everyone present in the room, Aang and Iroh scolded all six members that tried to tear apart one another.

"You are all well beyond that of childhood. Talented and skilled warriors but over the last week you've gone and caused such a mess. What have you to say for yourselves?!" Iroh was not at all pleased with what had taken place over the past week. Especially what happened today.

"Obviously, the problem is you have two traitors, a lunatic, an old hag, and a father that holds secrets." Sokka spouted.

Everyone looked at him as if ready to tackle him from his chair, even his father was ready to backhand him into the next life. Lines between family, friend, and foe were blurred this previous week.

Katara glared out of the side of her eyes at her idiot brother. "Some of us think we're mature enough to handle delicate topics but as soon as we hear them we blow our top."

"Speaking of blowing." Ursa jeered at the girl.

"Will you stop!" Zuko hissed at his mother. "None of us want to hear about that!"

Ozai laughed abruptly, "A Fire Lord that's a prude, how unexpected."

"Unexpected is the man that tries to kill the last waterbender of the South and then takes her to bed!" Hakoda growled viciously.

"Hey! That's enough!" Aang bended wind into each of their faces. "Fighting each other won't fix anything."

"But it'll quiet an idiot's blabbering." The former tyrant shot at the younger tribesmen who had been calling out the entire time they had all been sitting here.

"As if that'll shut him up."

Sokka stood from his chair. "You got something to say Zuko?!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Yes, let's pick a fight with the one that didn't even make the comment."

Ursa glared at the waterbender. "Don't you have a lot to say for someone caught performing such an act."

"Oh what a jealous bitch, you've become dear Ursa " Ozai tossed.

Hakoda was cracking his knuckles, "you speak to women that way?!"

Smirking, "I see being between those legs has you a little confused, Chieftain. Surely, if you weren't so deprived all these years you'd know that that is no woman."

Sokka and Katara literally swung around staring in utter shock of the comment at the three adults. Zuko just about collapsed in his seat and Aang's face turned red. Iroh just shook his head.

"Can none of you put aside your spite so we can address the issues at hand?" Iroh sighed deeply.

Ignoring the old man. "We are two consenting adults. There is nothing wrong with what we've done."

"Oh it's fine if you do it but I do it and it's the end of the world!" Katara yells.

"Because you fucked Ozai!" Sokka retorted angrily. "You fucked the one person none of us like!"

Zuko chuckled. "Well at the moment none of us likes you."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Aang shouts and everyone stills. "Enough of the fighting! Just shut up! You're all going to sit there until we fix this!"

Iroh could not believe how immature they all were. Three of them were young adults, though it was somewhat excusable for them, the older three it was just plain ridiculous. All he wanted them to do is quit their arguing and move forward! They had a festival coming up in a week's time! The only way for their plan to work was by them working together and that wasn't going to happen like this.

~Day 1~

"Tell me this isn't true?" Aang was beyond himself in disbelief.

Just several minutes ago, Sokka burst into the dining hall yelling and swearing. He walked up to Zuko calling him a traitor and then punched him in the face, saying it was all his fault. All his fault for what? Well everyone seemed to know but the young Avatar. Hakoda rose to confront his son but was greeted with equally harsh words. It was pure anger in each of his tears carried as he tossed his mother's necklace on the table and glared at all present when he told them that they were all responsible for Katara's disgrace. Aang had continued to be left in the dark until after the young tribesman left and he begged to know what had taken place. Hakoda, Iroh and Zuko took turns explaining everything. Every detail. Even their plans for the Summer's End Festival. It was their hope that the monk would be more receptive.

"I'm sorry, Aang but this is all true." Hakoda closed his eyes feeling ashamed.

Iroh and Zuko could not hold their gaze with him either. Guilt rested too heavily on their hearts.

"But how- I mean, only the Avatar can do that right? An-and Ozai? I-I thought Katara and Zuko were-. Wait, Ozai doesn't hate the Water Tribe?" Aang was so confused and baffled by all the information he was forced to consume. So this is what Katara was hiding? Why she couldn't go home? Why she felt she didn't belong? No, this couldn't be. This wasn't for real.

Zuko walked around the table to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please, Aang, forgive us. We didn't mean to hide this all from you and Sokka."

The Avatar was still trying to process everything but he wasn't too far gone in shock, he was still able to establish things in his momentary state of confusion. Like how this was all utterly insane but somehow understandable. Zuko loved his father still, he couldn't just let him die, right? And Katara was always compassionate, even to people who didn't deserve it. So saving Ozai's wasn't incredibly unbelievable. Restoring bending? That was a far stretch but it made sense. Waterbending had proved to have many unique abilities, like bloodbending. Falling in love with the man that wanted to ruin the world, scarred her friend and tried to kill him, wanted to destroy the Avatar, responsible for her mother's death, now that...that was just too much to take in. Katara with Ozai. Wasn't he like her dad's age? Maybe a year older than the Chieftain? He could see Ozai possibly having redeeming qualities and Katara seeing past his committed atrocities, but the gap of ages….the monk could not understand. That was what his mind was hung over the most. Forget Zuko busting him out jail and Katara restoring his bending and falling in love with him. Forget all that. They were like years apart.

"I can't- I can't believe it." The monk's mouth slick.

Hakoda could tell the boy wasn't handling it too well. "Don't worry Aang, we're not asking you to accept all this at once."

Turning to face his friend, Aang just stared at the Fire Lord. "Zuko, how? How could you let her be with your father?!" He grabs him by his clothes. "Do you understand what this means?!"

Everyone quietly watched as the boy started to lose it. Zuko tried not to show too much concern in his eyes as the Avatar yanked him, starting to go mad with all that he was told. It was already bad Sokka was going bananas but Aang, that just was too much. The last things anyone needed was the Avatar going on rampage.

"No, Aang. I don't understand." The young lord shook his head in shame.

Aang's eyes got bigger and he visibly clenched his teeth. "She's going to be your step-mother!"

The room went silent. They all stared with different expression. Zuko held a mixture of surprise and sudden realization. How had he not thought of that? Iroh seemed to be more thoughtful than the others, as if trying to find deeper understanding of what the monk had just said. Then Hakoda, he was just plain disturbed. His daughter would be the Fire Lord's and his deranged sister's step-mother. What kind of mess had they gotten into?

"No! What!" Zuko snapped and pulled himself away from Aang. "They're not getting married!"

"Oh."

"Is that all you're worried about?" Hakoda was confused.

Aang shrugged. "Yeah, everything else makes sense once you think about it."

"It does?" Iroh had never been more puzzled than in this moment.

"Sure does but I can't say I'm not incredibly surprised. I mean like WOW, Katara and your dad, Zuko. That's gotta suck for you."

~Day 2~

Lounging off the side of her sofa, Katara sulked as she stared blankly at the floor. She was clearly still upset about Sokka and her fight. Even with all the words exchanged between them, he was still her brother and it hurt her just as much as him how things turned out. She didn't regret any of her decisions. Not for a second. The only thing she wished was that her actions weren't seen as treacherous or sinful deeds.

Flipping over, she placed her arm over her eyes. As soon as she was settled in the position, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in." She shouted for whoever came.

The door opened and still with her arm over her face, she listened as someone's footsteps were brought into her sitting room.

"Aang knows now."

Knowing exactly who was here. "How did he take it?"

"Better than any of us." The person stated and flopped where her feet were positioned on the couch.

"That's terrific." She replied with a bit of sarcasm.

Removing her arm from over her face, Katara saw Zuko sitting where her feet were and placed them into his lap. She could see he had a red mark on his face and he was in a worse mood than his tone lead him on to be. Sokka probably came and punched him or something.

Tilting his head to the ceiling, Zuko sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm throwing a party in honor of you during the Summer's End Festival."

"How nice of my beloved fiancee." She flicked her wrist in a lazy manner.

"It's more than that." He said quickly and then proceeded to tell her his plan.

For about thirty minutes after learning of Zuko's plan Katara thought over some of the important details. Ozai will be freed from hiding. They will all probably have to face a lot of people's scrutiny and temporary uncertainty. And above those two, her relationship with him, was still to be hidden. Not only because even with people coming to see him differently, they would never accept a war hero like her, going from the girlfriend of the Avatar to fiancee of the Fire Lord to lover of the former Fire Lord. The world wasn't ready for that, Zuko explained and perhaps, they never will be.

As soon as this was all made clear to her, Zuko kissed her forehead and got up to leave. When he was gone, all she could do is lay there in another daze. So what did this all mean? Ozai and her could never be together. Publicly. What if she wanted to get married? Or even have children? What was she to do? Not have that because the world wasn't ready. But what about her? What if one day she was ready? Was she supposed to live her entire life as a lie? And the engagement to Zuko. How much longer must this to last? She had enough of being the fiancee knowing there was nothing between them but friendship and a one-sided romance. Besides, this couldn't go in for much longer. The people would want a Fire Lady and an heir in no time. Was marrying Zuko the closest she'd get to having what she wanted? Because she couldn't have that with Ozai. What was with all this? All this nonsense. Constant and unwavering nonsense.

Not wanting to think these thoughts or feel these feelings, Katara got up to go to her bedroom. A nice will do.

…..

~Day 2 part 2~

"You and Lady Katara have become intimate, I see." Iroh sipped tea and looked at his brother that was sitting in a mediating position on the floor.

Only replying with a grunt that signaled 'yes', Ozai went back to focusing on his medication. Even after Katara had fixed him up, he had to continue meditating, it was mainly out of habit. Plus, hearing about a certain plan his son had, had added to his cause of meditating. He'd be free from hiding but not his relationship with Katara. It would continue to be a secret. This angered him because while he could have her when everyone's eyes were turned, it was his son that everyone would think she belonged to. He could have all the nights with her but never the days. How was he supposed to accept this? He wanted all of her.

"Have you been careful with her?" Iroh sighed.

Ozai knew what his brother was asking. Did he make sure not to impregnate the girl? As if he could even if he wanted to. There was a high chance he couldn't even have his own children. From what he understood of his previous marriage, Ursa had not once became pregnant with his seed but did by his brother's. Not to mention, his concubines had barely had to order the special blend that kept things such as unwanted conceptions from happening. It could only lead one to believe they were incapable. So as far as the waterbender getting pregnant, that was highly unlikely.

"I couldn't do so before, what makes you think I could now." Ozai said as he balanced out his anger.

Iroh, understanding that his brother probably thought he lacked in that area, placed his cup back on the table. "The women of the Water Tribe tend to be very fertile. It would be wise to at least make sure she has taken some kind of contraceptive."

Opening his eyes, Ozai looked at his brother from the corners. "She is fine. Leave it be."

"Ozai, we cannot take that kind of risk. If she becomes with child it would be devastating." The old man urged.

"Because it will be mine?" His hissed. "Neither you nor father wanted me to have my own. Perhaps, you both slipped a serum in my drink. Taking that choice away from me."

They went silent for a moment and Ozai thought it over. Thought over the likability that the girl could become pregnant with his child. Not in the least bit possible but if it were, what would that mean? For him? She'd give him what he's wanted. Do what no woman before could do. He'd be a father. An actual father of own child. It would no doubt cause problems between her friends and family. However; he'd still have his own. But then…. His son would probably seek to protect the girl's reputation by claiming it was his. So in all, Ozai would have his child but not to hold. What was the point in that? Good thing that was impossible so he wouldn't have to think any further on the subject.

"I only mean it would be devastating as far as what it might do to Lady Katara's image." Iroh stated.

Ozai could no longer focus on mediating and rose to his feet, "I don't believe this topic need further discussing. I'll have her drink a blend if it'll shut you up."

"Thank you, brother." Iroh smiled and picked up his tea. "You won't be coming back tonight, I take it." he received only a small smirk before the man made his way to the shower.

….

~Day 3~

Breakfast was held in the dining hall with only the Fire Lord's closest friends and family in attendance. Which was basically his inner circle. Katara sat at his side as she usually did. His mother to his left and his uncle beside her. To Katara's right was her father, Aang and Sokka. They all ate in silence. Quietly noting the tension in the room was grow as a certain member of the group glared at each person.

Dropping his silverware as he could not longer take the thickness of the air. "Sokka, if you would like to say something please do."

Katara placed a hand of Zuko's to calm him. She's noticed he hadn't been in a very good mood lately. Most likely due to her brother's frustrating behavior.

The young tribesman, too, dropped his silverware. "I don't get it." He said.

"Get what?"

"Get why you let this happen?" Sokka said twisting his face into a snarl. "I thought you were in love with her. Why hand her over to that bastard?"

As angry as he was, he knew I speak in code. They may have been alone but that didn't mean someone wouldn't be listening.

"I didn't let anything happen. It just did." Zuko was starting to earth and the waterbender squeezed his hand some.

Sokka lean back in his chair and crossed his arms. "But you love her? Why let him have her?"

"Sokka!"

"No, Katara." Her dad interfered, having enough of his son's behavior. "Son, you should really calm yourself. We understand you're upset but turning this into an ongoing event to attack Fire Lord Zuko and your sister is not the way to go."

"So we're all going to let this continue?" The young man burst.

Aang looked at his friend and gave him a hard look. He couldn't fathom why Sokka was acting like this. So what if Katara fell in love with their greatest enemy and it was partially Zuko's fault while everyone else covered it. There was a good explanation for all that were he not so wrapped in his own feelings. The monk wasn't too happy with Sokka's attitude. Wasn't he the one that wanted to make peace with Katara and that's why they all ended up here? What was he trying to do? Make her run away again.

"Dear boy, none of us have any say in that matter unless things were to become unsafe. But as long as it remains as it is, we cannot do anything." Iroh stated calmly.

Sokka looked around to everyone present and they all looked at him, aside from Ursa (she didn't matter at the moment). It was clear everyone had sided to allow this craziness to go on. They were all sided with his sister and Ozai. Was that not the most deranged thing ever? They fight a war. Watch people be killed and people be badly injured. Sacrificed everything. Lost very precious moments. Feared for their lives on the daily and more. They suffered endlessly at the hands of that tyrant and now they were okay with him being with Katara. The girl who not more than four years ago defeated his daughter and helped end his reign. How the hell?

"Sokka, please ju-" Katara was cut off by another one of her brother's blow ups.

"No! I don't need to just anything." He barked. "If you want to be the whore of the man that killed our mother, fine! But don't think I'll ever be okay with that!"

The boy didn't stay long after saying that and they all knew he had to have meant what he said and was terribly angry because he hadn't finished his food. Katara couldn't eat either. Her brother called her a whore. A whore. Her brother called her that. He said that. To her.

Zuko saw the instant result of Sokka's comment surfacing his friend's face as she looked down into her lap. He took her hand and squeezed, then leaned in the kiss her forehead as he always did whenever he got the chance. He hated seeing her like this. Especially when he knew she was beating herself up worse than her brother was. He just hoped Sokka would soon get over it and just accept it.

~Day 4~

Ozai was walking down the hall carrying in his pocket the blended herbs Iroh had talked him into. He personally didn't see a need for them. She wasn't going to become pregnant. It was highly unlikely. Regardless of how fertile her people were. As he headed to her room, he spotted his ex-wife walking alongside the Southern Chieftain. They were arm in arm and Ursa was clinging a little too closely for it to be a friendly conversation. He smirked behind his mask. The whore must be at it again, I wonder what she's playing at this time. Ozai wasn't blind to the fact his ex was scheming. Scheming to get him back.

Leaving the two to their own device, the man made his way to Katara's rooms and let himself in. As soon as he entered the first thing he saw the girl walking from the bathroom with a towel over her head and body. He concluded that she must have just finished bathing. It was not easy to watch her dripping with water and go unaffected. She walked up to him, her beautiful big blue eyes on his gold ones as he took off his helmet. The conversation from earlier surfaced his thoughts for some reason and he began to remember the dream he had a while ago when he been ill. It was all coming to mind.

The girl was approaching him and he didn't think he was going to be able to make it to the bedroom with how tempting she looked to him. The thoughts still in his head as he stared hungrily at her, if he could get her pregnant, what would their child look like? The one from the dream? Would it look more like him or her. Perhaps, them both. Agni! These weren't sane thoughts. No. Not now. It was driving him mad with the desire to fill her womb with his seed and take the chance of her conceiving.

"Umm...Ozai, are you alright?" She waved her hand around in his face.

A dangerous smirk pulled at his smiles and before fear could even enter her, she was hoisted up into his arms and forced against the wall.

"Ozai!" She squealed before his mouth was on hers.

There didn't need to be any words after that. It was clear what he wanted. Katara honestly really enjoyed how he didn't say anything and used his actions to speak for him. Her fingers laced into his hair as she let his tongue enter her mouth. She moaned into his and felt his callous hand pull at her towels. The two towels fell off her and she was then, completely naked.

"I need to get you out of this armor." She gasped as his mouth went her neck.

Maneuvering out of his arms, Katara pushed him back and stared at him. Not long, she started untying the lacing and unbuckling the belts of his armor until he was down to a simple tunic and pants.

Capturing the naked girl back into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck. He nipped at her neck and then her collarbone, all as he carried her to the bedroom. As soon as they were in, Katara yanked his shirt off and slipped to the floor on her knees. She reached for his pants and looked up at him with her ocean blues.

Ozai took in the position she was in. Kneel in front of him as she untied his pants. It aroused him more as she looked at him. Did she know how desirable she was? Especially now, with her naked and knelt before him. When his pants fell, the girl took his erected length in her hands and gave it a few strokes. He had her experiment the night before when he came to visit. She was nervous and her strokes were uneven but now, it would seem there was a sudden confidence. She learned quickly.

"You prove to be more a minx each time I'm with you." He looked down at her as she continued stroking him.

Katara playfully narrowed her eyes and brought the tip of him to her lips. She was feeling overly confident. Mostly due to the rush she felt every time she was about to have him. And maybe even more because she needed to be. She needed to feel like she had some control over their encounters. He dominated her every which way and she loved it. But submitting wasn't the only thing she was wanting to do. Planting a little kiss on his manhood, she looked back at him with glassy eyes and opened her mouth.

"Are you sure, waterbender?" He grinned at her and began lacing his fingers into her hair.

Nodding, Katara immediately took him into her mouth and extracted a groan from the man above her. She couldn't help but feel extremely high off of the instant pleasure she was giving him. He was too big to take completely but she would try, nonetheless. Pulling back only to the tip, she slurped the saliva that rested on his cock and felt his hand grip tighter on the back of her head. He was enjoying it. She continued this, sucking and slurping the thickness in her mouth. Ozai sometimes moved her head on his length and even thrusted forward. She gagged here and there as it was too much at once but it somehow turned him on more. Katara let his cock slip entirely from her mouth and then licked down his shaft, not once taking her eyes off him as she took him back into her mouth again.

As for Ozai, this was sending him over his edge. He had not expected her to be so skilled for her first time at performing this act. It was everything he had not to cum in her mouth. He needed to draw this out as much as he could. He had other things he wanted to do with her before that.

"Stand up." He demanded when he felt he was at his limit.

Katara rose to her feet and stared up at him, drool hanging off the side of her mouth. It was probably one of the most enticing sights he's seen. He grabbed her without another thought and bent her over the bed. She had expected him to take her from behind as he liked to do often but was surprised when he didn't. Instead, he knelt down behind her and just as she was trying to figure out what he was going to do, he grabbed both her thighs and spread them apart. When she was spread before him, her fist clenched into her sheets and she gasped as she felt his tongue slide up her folds.

"Ah!" She squirmed as he did it again and again. All thoughts of finding control left her. She couldn't. No way she could compete with him. He'd wreck her senses before she could even raise against him. Oh, this felt so good. The feel of him licking her warm flesh. Burying his tongue in her as he gripped harder onto her thighs.

The waterbender felt herself about to cum and he must have known because he moved back onto feet, leave her hanging on the edge of the bliss she was about to reach. He always left her hanging at some point. Wanting to draw her out longer. Or torture her, she didn't know which it was sometimes.

Ozai could hear her soft whimpering as he pulled away from her. She wanted him and he'd give her just that but he liked to make her beg.

"You know what you have to say." He took his index finger and traced it into her back.

Hating having to beg him to continue every time he decided to make her. "No."

"Defiance, I see." Ozai slide his finger down her back and slowly to where she was starting to drip from. "Well, I guess I have to discipline you."

The girl shouted loudly as he heated his hand and slapped it across her ass.

"You can decide now between pain or pleasure, my little waterbender." He leaned down and whispered in her ear as he grabbed a lock of her hair.

Katara fought the urge to surrender. As much as it hurt, a part of it made her want more. His aggressive approach seemed to have the opposite affect on her.

"All you have to do is say it." His husky voice sent shivers down her spine.

"Or I could wait to see how long you'll last until caving." She retorted back. She found a way. A way to claim dominance over Ozai. If she could take his disciplining and make this go onto till he gave in then she'd have him under her control.

Ozai smirked. He liked a challenge. Somehow he knew this was going to go in for the remainder of the day.

…..

~Day 4 part 2~

"It's getting late again." Ursa stated. "I swear I'm always losing time when in your company, Hakoda."

The Chieftain chuckled a little. "I'd have to agree."

The two stood up and began walking to the door of his chambers as they had done every time it was time for her go. The last couple of days they had gotten quite close. Even Ursa was fighting the fondness of spending time with the man. Hakoda was incredibly charming, handsome, intelligent, and an overall kind man. Something she was not accustomed to in men. However; her plans remained the same. Ozai was her one true love and regardless of her attraction to the Southern Chieftain, her ex-husband was the one for her. Reaching the door, they said their goodbyes and she placed another kiss on his cheek before swayed away.

The woman made her way back to her chambers but along the way, she heard light whispers as servants passed her. They made bashful giggles amongst themselves as they left from the direction she was heading. Making her way passed Iroh's room and then closing in on hers, she heard it. Sounds that could only mean one thing and they were coming from where the Water Princess's chambers were.

Ursa's face dropped. It wasn't even ten at night and already they were at it. This was ridiculous. And why so loudly that? Practically everyone on this end of the palace could hear.

"Zuko's having to hide in my chambers until that dies down." Iroh came up behind the woman. "This has been going on all day."

All day? Ursa was disgusted at the thought that the two had been in bed all day together. Why was he allowing himself to be with that filth? It was deplorable for him to take a woman of the opposite element. Even worse to become utterly enthralled by her. No way the water wench hadn't managed to bewitch him.

"I know what you're thinking, Ursa." Iroh narrowed his eyes.

Rolling her eyes and snarling venomously. "No you don't. You haven't a clue as to what I'm thinking."

Before she could spare her former brother in law another second. She turned around and headed back to where she came. If Ozai could take a savage to bed then so could she. It wasn't to fulfill any desire of her own but only to get back at him. Besides, what was it about those savages that made them so desirable. She saw how the nobles and other residents eyed the three tribespeople. What was it?! She needed to know.

Knocking on the door from which she came, Ursa waited for the door to open and the tribesman appear.

"Ursa." He said a bit shocked to see her. "Did you leave something behind?"

"Yes." She said with a mixed expression of frustration and need. "You." And tackled him, closing the door behind them.

…..

~Day 4 part 3~

"Say it again."

"Ah! I can't."

"Say it!"

"Ahhh! Fuck me harder!"

Katara screeched then biting into her pillow as the man behind her pounded into her savagely. Her eyes watered and she felt that she'd come undone any minute but she couldn't. Not after she was defeated earlier. She ended up begging him desperately to take her. Ozai had spanked her harder and while it felt so good, it was also making her want him all the more. But she hadn't giving up yet. There was no way she'd let herself be first again this time. Nope. He'd be first. End of story.

Ozai smirked down at the ruins of the defiant girl beneath him. She had been quite feisty today. Attempting to challenge him when they both knew that wasn't going to end well. He just kept thrust into the lovely minx, feeling her insides gripping his length, finding himself on the verge of spilling into her. Suddenly, earlier's thoughts poured in. Flashes of the girl's belly swollen with his child inside appeared in his head. She'd carry his child. His first. Even if he couldn't outright claim it, the child would be his and that's all he wanted. The waterbender to be completely his and to have his own child, that's all he wanted. But right now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

"Roll over for me." He pulled out of her and watched as she quivered in his absence.

The girl flipped over and spread her legs for him, staring up at him with cloudy eyes that told him everything he needed to know. She was his. Re-entering her, Ozai felt her legs wrap around him as she moaned softly. He leaned downward to take her lips and her arms settled onto his neck, bring him closer. Thrusting into her at an even steady pace, he reached his hand to the side of her face and grazed the side of earlobe. Katara smiled against his lips, loving the sudden gentleness. It was as passionate as his previous pursuits but there was less of dominance in it.

"So does this mean I win?" She murmured when he moved his lips to her neck.

Kissing down her neck and giving her a hard thrust that extracted a beautiful moan from his lips. "Not in the slightest but you're welcomed to surrender."

"Never." She whispered lustfully.

….

~Day 5~

Zuko was lounging in his father's bedroom, waiting for him to return already. What was it? Nearly ten. Did he really need to stay with her any longer? They had all afternoon and the rest of the night. There no reason for to continue into the morning. That couldn't possibly be normal. Most people would be exhausted or sore or simply unable to repeatedly do that. He just wanted his dad to get back already, so he could leave and get to his next meeting, that no doubt everyone was going to make remarks towards him. Ugh! This set up was becoming too much for him. He had things to do other than cover for them.

Suddenly, the door swung opened and in came his father. "What are you doing in here?"

Rolling his eyes as he stood up, "Waiting for you finish, so I can finally leave."

"So you were making sure that everyone believed it was you in there giving it to the waterbender." Ozai crossed his arms over his chest and grinned smugly.

Walking to stand in front of his father, Zuko looked up at the man that was at least a head and a half taller than him. It was strange for him in this moment. That he was technically looking into the eyes of his uncle and not father. It was his 'uncle' that was standing before him. It was his 'uncle' that was just with the woman her was still in love with. This thinking helped him not be too intimidated by the callous cold gold eyes that had wanted him dead before and even after years and reformation, still they seemed to gleam with that dark glow. It hadn't returned till recently, which told Zuko that something must have come up to rekindle this murderous look.

"What's wrong, Ozai? You're old self is starting to show." Zuko mocked.

Not liking the provoking tone, Ozai stepped up and towered over the younger man. His height and build contrasting greatly in comparison to the boy's. It was like a God to a mortal. A mountain to a hill. A man to a boy. Zuko was right to think there were still fragments of his former self in him but he'd better learn his place or they'd have another father-son moment and that would not be good for anyone. It was clear the boy still had feelings for Katara but he'd kill him before anything manifested of those feelings. Ozai did not trust his son would stand by much longer, he saw it in his eyes. Zuko was barely containing himself. His bad mood said it all.

"I do believe you have a meeting to get to...Fire Lord Zuko." His son's name like poison on his tongue.

It was Zuko's turn to grin, "Ah, yes. I do think I have much to discuss with the council about the arrangements for my fiancée's party next week."

Ozai balled his fist as his son brushed past him. Not for long, he growled inwardly. That was it. He wasn't going to settle for a secret affair with the girl while his idiot son would be able to formally court her. That just simply would not be. Not for him. Ozai knew Zuko was planning something. Something he wasn't telling anyone. Perhaps not been Iroh knew. But Ozai knew there was something wrong with the boy and his plan. Some terribly wrong. He needed to figure it out.

….

~Day 5 part 2~

"Sokka!" Aang jumped and placed a hand on his chest trying to calm down. "Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack. Where did you come from?"

The monk sat on the edge of his bed as he watched his friend climb in through the window. They shared a room with two very large beds across from one another. Sokka jumped down from the window and planted his feet into the ground and looked at his friend as he rose. Aang was the only person he had talked to in several days but that was more to do with the fact the monk had no clue what was going on and wasn't involved at all. Despite them both seeing differently on the topic, they were able to continue their friendship in peace unlike the rest.

"Don't tell me, you were spying on the others again." Aang seemed a little irritated all of a sudden.

Sokka looked away and walked over to his bed, sat and rested his head in his palms. "Aang, you don't understand. I'm trying to protect her."

"By stalking her? Monitoring where Ozai goes after he leaves her rooms. Ordering the kitchen servants to spike her drink with those herbs because you don't trust that she's being cautious. Even listening to conversations Ozai has with Zuko and Iroh. Do you really not trust them? Any of them?!" Aang stood to his feet in frustration. "How long do you plan to keep this up? How long are you going to make her think she's as unwanted by her people as she thinks because she just so happened to fall in love?"

"What are you saying, Aang?! That what I'm doing is crazy?! What about them?! All of them! Their acting like this is all fine and dandy! That's crazy! Crazy as hell!" Sokka yelled jerking into a standing position.

The Avatar groaned loudly and threw his hands into the air. "I'm not saying that! I'm saying that out of everyone, you're the one causing the most trouble for her! Not even Ozai has been giving her problems like you are! I don't blame her for not telling you! Look at how you're responding! At this rate, she might run away but this time with Ozai and for good! Then you'll never have your sister! And she'll NEVER come home!"

Taken aback for a moment. He was the problem? Out of everything happening, he was the problem? Really?! What kind of crap was that?! Katara was banging the Fire Lord everyone had fought hard to destroy. Zuko had busted him out of jail to save his life. The bastard had his bending again. His father knew all this and kept it from him. Yet, with all that being said, he was the problem? Sokka was the problem because he had a problem with the problems. Yeah, that was sound!

"Get out, Aang." Sokka collapsed into his bed. "I need a minute."

"This is my room too." The Avatar crossed his arms and eyed the tribesman.

Sitting up enough to look the monk in the eyes. "Sure then stay and I can use you for target practice with my boomerang."

Aang let his harden look drop and just left. There was no point in fight Sokka. He was as stubborn as it gets. Only time could help him and hopefully it didn't take that much either. The Summer's End Festival was the following week, they all needed to be on the same page before then. Or else, things could go horribly bad.

….

~Day 6~

Heading to Zuko's study, carrying a tray of two freshly brewed cups of tea, Ursa smiled brightly. For some reason she was in a good mood. Maybe it was because the sun was extra bright today or that the moon the last two nights had been luminous on the delicious brown skin of the man she had been underneath. Whichever it was didn't matter, all that mattered was that she was deciding to spend time with her son. If she was going to bring her family together again, she needed to make sure she had spent time with all of them.

Walking into her son's study, she saw him sitting at his desk looking over a few documents and writing something down off to the side. He looked incredibly stressed and tired. But good thing she had come to save the day.

"Zuko," she said with a heavenly smile. He looked up from his desk to see her hold a tray, beaming brightly at him as she would do when he was younger. It suddenly felt nostalgic.

Putting down his pen, "Yes, mother?"

Swooping in merrily, she placed the tray in the coffee table and looked at her son. "Care to join me for tea?" Gesturing widely at the table holding the tray.

"Uh, sure. Why not?" He stood from his seat and went over sit with her. "I was in need of a break anyway."

As her son took his place in front of her, she poured his tea and dropped a mint leaf in. Handing the cup to Zuko, he sipped it as soon as it reached his hands and a delightful hum escaped his lips.

"Jaded berry mint tea from Omashu." He closed his eyes a blissful memories returned to him. His mother and father sitting beside one another, viewing the courtyard as he and Azula played. It was a distant and rare memory of happy days. Days he knew were long gone.

Ursa smiled and took a sip of hers. "Like old times, right dear?"

Zuko opened his eyes to see his mother taking in her drink and scrutinized her while she was gone in her own thoughts. "Why are you here, mother?"

"Am I not welcomed, sweetheart." Her eyes opened in a graceful flutter.

"No, you are but I want to know your reasoning." he stated before taking another sip.

The woman sighed and placed down her cup. "Zuko, I have missed my family greatly. All I wish is for us all to be together again."

"That can't and won't happen." Zuko looked away and placed his cup onto the table.

"And why not, my son? Why can we not be as we were in those wonderful years?" She reached over the table and gently touched his forearm.

Grabbing her hand, he gave it a squeeze and then removed it. Deeply her breathed in and looked back at the woman. Now he understood. Her motives. She was lost in the past. Craving for what no longer existed. Desiring something that could no longer be. Nostalgia. The poison of hearts and minds that are not willing to move on.

"Azula is in a mental institution. She has completely lost her mind and may never recover. Dad, well he isn't really dad is he? And besides, he has Katara. I doubt she's just a faze with him. He's obsessed. Literally." Zuko faded behind a mask of indifference as he continued. "As for me, I don't wish to live in the past. There's nothing for me there. Not like there is in the present."

Ursa stared at him with a small brokenness in her blissful mood. How was he saying this to her? Did he fear it was impossible? Because if so, she could prove that it wasn't. She could show him that they could all be a family again.

Standing up, Zuko dusted himself off and sighed. "I have more work to do. Thank you for the tea."

Slowly she rose too and looked at her son. "Well yes, of course." And started to clean up their cups.

As she got ready leave and Zuko had already gone back to working, she spared him a glance. Seeing him as the boy he had once been. I'll unite us again, my son. Just give me more time. A sadness weighed in on her heart as she left. She had to work harder. If her family was going to get back together, she needed to make due with her time and plan her next course of action. Of course, whatever she came up with would have to wait till after the festival. Ozai's name needed to be restored. Even if it meant everyone would find he was guarding the Water Princess and cheer for her as she had 'tamed' girl was only useful in this sense. After the festival was over and her purpose was fulfilled, Ursa would take her out. Permanently. No more games.

~Day 7~

There wasn't much to say about day seven other than Iroh and Aang had gone out into the capital for only two hours after a rumor of rebels aligning in the city reached them. In that time alone the three fights broke out and sent the whole palace into chaos.

The first fight started while Katara was lying in bed with Ozai, snuggled up against him under the sheets. Everything was fine until she had to get out of bed to answer the door. But as she pulled a robe over her, the person trying to come in must have grown impatient and opened the door themselves. Katara stood frozen with her naked body barely covered by the silk red as Ursa barged in.

Ozai laughed at the utter shock on his ex-wife's face. Perfect. Ursa's shock immediately turned to rage as she noticed they had just finished committing the 'act' but like the deranged woman she was, she didn't attack the man laughing at her. No. That would never happen. Because he wasn't her enemy and because even a mad woman like her knew he would not hesitate to kill her if she went against him. No. She attacked the water girl that she despised with such a passionate it rivaled the love she had for her husband. A hate that brought along a ugliness in herself that she didn't know she possessed. Ursa loathed that savage water wench.

However; Ursa had severely underestimated the petite girl's strength. Katara grabbed onto her hair and drove her onto the floor. The older woman shouted the most obscene things as she and the girl fought each other. When Ozai got up to stop the two, Katara looked up and growled at him. She wasn't going to have him intervene. Not because she feared he was going break the woman's neck but because Katara had simply had enough of the woman's unwarranted scorn. What the hell was her problem?!

The fight somehow got dragged out into the hallway. Probably because they were shoving each other further out of the bedroom and managed to find themselves in the hallway with multiple people watching in utter surprise. The Fire Lord's mother and fiancee were in yet another altercation. How exciting for them to be able to witness the scene. Even more, the noblemen all noticed the exotic princess was dressed in a mere robe that was drawn open and hanging off her arms. Exposing her portioned and supple breast.

Katara and Ursa went on fighting. Kicking, punching, and pulling hair. The older woman happened to sink her nails into the girl's cheek enough to leave claw marks. The waterbender screamed and knocked the woman's hand away from her face, then proceeded to hit her in her face. Ursa stumbled backwards and Katara jumped onto her, pulled water from the tea cup one of the bystanders had in hand and used it to freeze the woman below her wrists.

When she had the insane woman restrained, Katara looked up to see Zuko running towards her. He first noticed that Katara was exposed entirely. Somewhere between his mother clawing her and falling back, the girl's robe was pulled off all together. As soon as he reached the women, he took off his outer robes and threw it over the naked girl.

As Katara's indecent exposure was taken of and her brother and father rolled onto the scene. They caught the last moments of the fighting when Katara took the woman down. Hakoda was confused to as why his daughter was fighting the woman he had been seeing privately. Yeah, he knew there was bad blood between them but what was it this time?

Sokka, pent up with anger over the week, didn't think, he just acted. And the act was a heavy blow to someone's face. That someone being Zuko who was trying to calm Katara down enough to get her to tell him what had happened. Why hit him now of all moments? Well because to the young tribesman blamed everything on Zuko. Zuko started all this shit. So why not? When Zuko took the hit and all his subjects gasped, he paused before flaring up. Fight two!

Hakoda had come up and removed Katara from the two young men, taking her back inside her quarters. As he opened the door and looked over his shoulder, shouting for one of the dumbstruck guards to gather Ursa. Entering the room, the first thing the Chieftain noticed was his daughter running back to her bedroom and shutting to down behind her. He had thought it was only to hurry and dress. When one of the guards came with Ursa and placed her in the sitting room, he questioned her about the fighting. But before she could respond, a fully clothed Katara and Ozai surfaced. Hakoda was sort of confused. Why was the man in her room? Bedroom? If her father had paid more attention to the courtly gossip, he'd know exactly why. But he seemed to figure it out on his own. And thus the third fight took place.

Iroh and Aang returned to loud shouting, mused chattering, cheering and chanting, two fights taking place right as fight one was about to be rebooted. The two looked at each other. This was becoming too much. Way too much. Things needed to be sorted out. And fast!

….

~Present (An hour after the fighting was dissolved)~

"Honestly, I don't see how we're going to fix any of this." Sokka leaned into his chair. "Not unless, we're planning to lock Ozai back up, send my sister back home, have Zuko claim full responsibility of this shit show, get my father to apologize for not telling me any of this himself, and make that 'not a woman' pay for the insults she keeps dishing out. That's our only solution."

Again, everyone glared murderously at the boy. When was he going to learn to just shut up? Like was he just begging to be beaten into the marble flooring? What an idiot.

Iroh shook his head. "No, we cannot tread from the path we have already taken. All we can do is take what we have and work with it. Now, let's all let this go, alright?"

"No! This is nuts!" Sokka shouted. Everyone groaned and rolled their eyes.

"By Angi, if you don't shut him up, I will!" Ozai growled as he was getting frustrated. Never in his life had he ever come across a imbecile such as the boy.

Katara just shook her head, leave it to her brother to make things worse. "I agree, Sokka, please shut up."

"I wish you had followed your own advice the other night, child." Ursa jumped in. "What a bold display that was. The whole palace heard you."

Feeling this wasn't going anywhere until everyone got what they needed off their chest, Iroh and Aang sat down. They would wait while the rest argued. Not like they could focus on anything else but that.

Ursa smirked bitterly at the tribal girl, "How dishonorable."

"Dishonorable! At least I didn't sleep with my husband's brother!" Katara hissed and got up from her seat. She was about to lunge at the woman when Ozai caught her and held her back. Clearly, the women were just as willing to continue their fight as much as the men. Maybe even more. "Spirits I swear! You should look to yourself before you call me out! I know what you did!"

"Katara, let it go." Zuko told her.

Trying to calm down, the girl took her seat and looked away. She was so frustrated. So tired of being referred to as a whore or something degrading because of who she was with. Honestly, between her brother and Ursa, they were the ones striking deep blow. Let them do any wrong and they'll be an excuse but for her, one wrong thing and it's like she the enemy of the world. It was really getting to her. All the criticism.

"This is what I mean! There is unnecessary beef because of this crap you've all gotten yourself in!" Sokka stood, losing his patience.

"The ones causing the problems are you and that foul wench your father mistook for a woman." Ozai shot.

Zuko nodded his head in agreement and as before, Sokka totally ignores that Ozai had said anything and holds the young Lord responsible. "Look, you fucking bastard. This would have never happened had you not freed Ozai!"

"Son, stop it." Hakoda finally said.

"Great, now you shut him up." The former tyrant said sarcastically.

Eying each other dangerously, "No but maybe I should shut you up."

Standing. "Try me, peasant." Ozai hissed.

Katara rose and moved between the two men. After watching them fight the first a while ago and then seeing a repeat, she really didn't want to see it again. Something told her neither were going to hold back this time around. This was getting out of hand she realized. This really was. And it was making her so upset. Like her senses all felt so strange in this moment. Her focus seemed to become acute as the verbal fight continued between her brother and Zuko, her father and Ozai, then the mumbled words of Ursa. Everything seemed to be happening at once. She couldn't tell what was happening to her or why specifically it was happening but suddenly she could feel everyone's pulse. It wasn't even a full moon but she could feel it. Her fingers twitched. An urge or maybe a need came to her, wanting to silence the noise. She started this, she realized, feeling incredibly guilty. Everyone was at odds because of her. It was her fault. She was at the epicenter of the quake. It was her the rattled the bones of each person in the room. But she would not allow this to go any further. No. It's gone far enough.

"STOP IT!" She shouted and everyone went mute.

Aang stood from where he had sat patiently for everyone to shut up and saw it. He saw it. The sight he wanted never to see again. Everyone was frozen, still, but no ice. Their eyes were wide, knowing they were paralyzed by some force other than themselves. The monk looked at Katara's fingers and saw how they were in that puppeteer formation. Bloodbending. She was using it.

Iroh saw this and was in utter shock. He knew of this bending from Zuko's description to him but he had never seen it for himself. It gave a frightening new perspective to the young waterbender. For her to wield such power. Not only a master of the formal art of water and ice, but healing, extracting water from plants, returning of bending, and bloodbending. The old man realized the girl could be the most powerful waterbender of all time.

Holding her grip on all of them, Katara glared at them and moved them to all sit. It was hard and draining. Perhaps due to the number she had at her control at once or maybe because her bending would be stronger on a full moon. Either way, it was already tiring her, so she needed to get her point across.

"You're right Sokka, this is all me and Zuko's fault. We caused this mess. We did this. However; it's done now! We can't take back anything that's already happened but we can work towards fixing it. That's what we're trying to do, so please shut up and let us fix this!" Katara let go of her grip on her brother and Zuko.

Feeling slightly relieved, she turned her focus to her dad and Ozai. "I'm nearly twenty years old, dad. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I can handle myself. Did you forget I taught the Avatar and help end a war?! If I feel threatened or feel I'm being taken advantage of, I kill him my own self!" Then she released the two men.

Ursa was next. "And you! Call me a whore again." Katara took a step towards the woman and even stood her from her seat, "Call me anything related to that or make a fool out of me again, and you better pray it's Ozai and not me you're faced with."

The room was in silence as the waterbender let her final victim go and watched as the older woman was dropped to her feet. Katara went back to her seat and sat as if nothing happened. She was tired. Drained and still hungover with aggravation. They'd all better have learned their lesson. Exhausted as she may be, there was still enough in her to demonstrate just how angry she was with all this.

Aang and Iroh decided it was time to step in, now that Katara had settled everyone down. Quite literally.

"Ummm...Now that you're all quietly seated. Are you ready to move passed all this and work together this coming week?"

Everyone's eyes shifted to the waterbender and instantly nodded in fear of her becoming angry again.

"Good." Iroh beamed all too happily. "Now we can start planning everyone's task for this week in preparation for the festival."

A/N: Hey, guys I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry to everyone about the sex scene. I'm not too skilled in that department but I'll be sure to improve! Thanks for reading and please remember to review! ;)