"The dinner was a sign, that Ursa and Ozai have found a sollution for the custody and that they plan to present this to Azula and Zuko." They have but they haven't. They wanted to give the siblings a choice and some input. "So many things are to consider for her now." But the options are definitely good for her even if they are intimidating. She wasn't really given a choice before so having one means the world to her.

"To see Azula and Katara together and to get all this acceptance and support is so wonderful." Azula finally gets some positivity so that's a plus. I feel like her family would be rather accepting. "The self-made gingerbread cookies are so adorable." Mai may or may not have taught her a lesson about trying to buy affection lmao. So she gave her something more personal. "Being forced to move away from them would also force her to face a new enviorment and a new school at a point of her life, where she still is trying to get accustomed to her face." It kind of gave her a new perspective that she really needed. "Azula's plans for the future." These are also important for her. They give her reasons to keep fighting and show her that she has something to look forward to.

"She wants to stay with Ozai. Yes he has done terrible things, but he has also helped her to become strong and Azula has decided to leave the past behind and face the future." She kind of wants to move on. She doesn't hate him but she's still rather mad but she knows where her future lies. And yeah, Ursa isn't innocent either so she kind of had a discussion that needed to happen. But she still wants to have a future with Ursa.

"I think she has noticed that Ozai has tried to fix the damage" She has. She noticed the effort even if he is bad at showing affection and apologizing. She picks up on that because she has the same temperament as he. But also she is laying out some boundaries. "I also think that in this one here he really cares for his children deep down in his heart, but in a very strange and twisted way so far." He does care in this one but doesn't really know how to go about that. "But I have to say I'm unsure about his intentions. Is this new quarrel all about win and loose, about not loosing his face by loosing against Ursa? A part of it maybe. In this case his final quote, that he would let her go could have been a manipulative scheme to convince Azula to stay." But this also isn't an irrational theory. Because he is Ozai. But I'll let the fic speak for itself.

Ozai doesn't enter the room again and the dinner table is uncomfortably quiet until Zuko clears his throat and launches into a story about how he tried to ask Mai out again and ended up spilling the milkshake he'd bought her into her lap. Ordinarily Azula would have at least chuckled, but she is preoccupied with the line she has just crossed with her father.

She finishes her meal and pushes her chair in.

"Azula…"

She doesn't feel like talking to her mother. She isn't in the mood for conversation with anyone. Instead, she makes her way up to her room so that she can finish the last of that night's assignments and prepare herself for her upcoming doctor appointment.

Tomorrow she will have her first physical therapy session and they will tell her their predictions as to how far her recover will extend. She looks at her arm, at the very least they will begin her facial physical therapy. Resentfully, she notes that she still has at least another week of working around that sling.

She sighs, pushes her classwork to the side, and lays back with her good arm behind her head. For some time she simply breathes in and out as she watches the ceiling fan spin. Her cheek seems to tingle, just faintly enough for it to be a mild irritant. She supposes that it is a comfort, however annoying it is, she thinks that it is a good sign. At least she is feeling something on that side of her face.

Her thoughts wander to a more pleasant place, but one that is daunting no less. The Sozin's Comet viewing festival is next weekend. With any luck she will be out of the sling by then and with more luck she will have managed to keep Katara around long enough for her to be able to attend it.

Azula can't keep the prickles of doubt from her mind. Apparently she hadn't been an entirely pleasant person to talk to; she had driven Chan, Mai, and Tylee away with ease. She rolls onto her side and draws her legs up. She tries to remind herself that Katara had been there, however reluctantly, in the middle of that mess.

She draws in a long breath and releases it. One of these days she will have to break this habit of overthinking things.

.oOo.

Azula stares at slightly peeling wallpaper. It is floral pattern of gold and green, gaudy if she must say. She supposes that it is better than that unsettling and dismal grey-white that she has grown accustomed to. Ming-Kwo is a private doctor and her living room doubles as her office. It does make things cozier. The flames blazing in the fireplace are rather soothing, for a moment she forgets that she is at a physical therapy appointment and check up.

Katara's hand moves atop hers. Ozai leans against the wall closest to the fireplace.

"Good evening, Ms. Kasai." Ming greets.

"I suppose. It could be better." She mutters.

"I'm going to check on your arm."

"It's still attached, even if I can't feel parts of it. There isn't much to see."

"Can you flex your fingers for me?" She requests as she inspects Azula's sling.

Azula does as instructed.

"How much movement can you feel?"

Azula flexes her fingers once more. "Everything but my pinky and index finger."

Ming-Kwo nods. "But you can move them just fine?"

"Most of the time."

She nods again. "We'll work on making sure that you'll be able to keep using them." She readjusts Azula's sling. "We should be able to remove the sling next time you come here and then we'll begin the physical therapy for your arm. For now we'll work on movement with your face."

"Sure." Azula replies dully.

"Your speech seems to be improving. It is clearer than when we'd first spoken."

"That is my goal."

Ming-Kwo smiles. "Does it take effort and difficulty to enunciate properly or is it coming naturally."

Azula thinks for a moment. She can't say that she has to force her mouth to shape things as she'd like, but it takes more of a conscious effort to do so. "Not as naturally as before. But it isn't hard."

"That's a good sign, Ms. Kasai." Ming responds. "We'll work on making your speech come naturally again. With luck we might be able to get your speech where it used to be."

"Luck as nothing to do with it and there is no might. My speech will be as it had been."

"Yes, I think that it will be. There's power in that kind of determination."

.oOo.

Katara sits at the foot of her bed. Azula is still running it over in her mind, the possibility that her speech might have a hint of a slur. That small seed of doubt that she needs to kill before it can flourish.

"I'm glad that you didn't just give up." Katara says. "You and Toph are...amazing. I don't know if I would be able to fight as much as you two. I don't think that I'd be able to live my life the same way."

"You would. Fight, anyways." Azula mutters. "Maybe it looks like we're living just like we used to, but we're not."

"I mean that you two can still do all of the things that you used to do. You're not letting this stuff stop you. I don't think that I could do that."

"I suppose." Azula replies. "I think that you could. People are freakishly good at adapting. It's probably the only thing we have going for us as a species. Your brother has proven time and time again that commonsense isn't in human nature."

Katara laughs. "No wonder you and Toph get along so well." She pauses. "Did she ever tell you how she went blind?"

"Several times, different story each time." Azula glances at her phone. "She told me the true version. At least I think that it was true. She said that she was bullied as a child. That this kid who called himself the boulder held her down and his friends forced her to look at the sun until she couldn't see it anymore."

Katara confirms the story with a nod. "Yeah, that's why she acts all tough. She won't let anyone do that to her again…" she trails off.

"What happened to that kid anyways?"

"I think that he was put in juvie."

"How depressing." Azula stuffs her hand into her pocket and looks at the ceiling.

There is a knock on her door. Her father waits a few seconds before entering. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Talk."

He stares at Katara, "alone."

Azula opens her mouth.

"It's fine, Azula. I was actually supposed to be home an hour ago. Sokka said that my dad is on his way. I can wait with Zuko."

Azula crinkles her nose. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

Katara gives her a quick peck on her still crinkled nose and makes her way to the door. Ozai's face is rather photoworthy.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to know what exactly are the changes you want made." He leans in the doorway.

"I want you to let me make my own decisions." Azula leans back against the bedposts. "Stop telling me what is best for me. Stop making me feel like I'm not good enough."

"I didn't…"

"You did." She cuts in. "Whether you wanted to or not, you did."

Ozai sighs and rubs his palms down his face. He looks thoroughly exhausted. "Do you really want to stay with me?"

Azula swallows and looks at her palms. "Yes. I do."

"Do you want to stay here because you want to stay with me or because you want to go to Lake Laogai?"

She presses her mouth into a thin-albeit crooked-line as she ponders the question. "Both, I guess."

There is a flicker of relief on his face. "I won't be able to go with you to your next appointment…"

To the extent that it can, Azula's face scrunches.

"I." He pauses. "I have a therapy appointment."

"For what?"

"You and Zuko both know that I have a temper." He takes a long moment of quiet. "I know that the both of you might think otherwise, but I don't want you to be afraid of me. I expect respect. But I want you to be able to…"

"Draw a line." She finishes.

"Yes. Something like that." He puts a hand on her back. "Aside from making a corrective surgery appointment for you, I can't take back what happened. But I will do my best to make sure that it doesn't happen a second time."

Azula is somewhat glad that Katara has left. She takes a deep breath and rubs some wetness from her eyes.

"I'll start by giving you a choice. I can make a consultation appointment with Dr. Guhira. You can see what he has to say and decide what you want to do."

"Fine." Azula replies. "I'll hear him out."

"I just want you to know all of your options." He reiterated. "After you hear them, the choice is yours."