I'm not gonna say much about this chapter. Just this. If I surprise you, yet again, please drop in a review.

Almost 250! Let's do it, guys, let's touch 250.

Also, remember the fluffy shorts I was talking about? Part 1 or the four-part story is up. A story called Tease. Please do take a look if you haven't.

Chapter 29

The storm outside rose to earsplitting levels, its howls cutting through the pin-drop silence that had fallen on the dining room. Zuko was the first to recover. He shot to his feet, and let the monarch take over. "Order a search party. Seal all exits. No one comes in or leaves without my express approval."

The servant bowed and hurried away. He then turned to Iroh, "Uncle, take the children away. Keep them safe. Suki, Toph, I would require your skills. Ty Lee, Katara, please be ready. We would need you at any moment. Azula responds the best to you. Sokka, I'm entrusting the safety of the family to you. We don't know if this is an attack or Azula has walked off somewhere of her own volition. In case it is the former, I want you to make sure that the children and the elders are taken to safety. Now, move, everyone."

The authoritative voice and his decisiveness spurred everyone into action. Zuko, however, did not wait to see if his words were followed, for he knew they were. He marched out of the dining room, undoing his mourning robe of white as he walked. Within moments, Mizu and Taro had taken their positions next to him. Zuko handed his robe to one of the servants, and accepted the tunic, mentally thanking his exile years where he had taken to wearing slacks under his robes so as to be ready for a battle within seconds. He undid a hair tie that he always wore around his wrist and tied his hair into a low-hanging ponytail. He was set.

"Details," he said.

Taro filled him in, "Sena, the Princess' maid was the one that realized that the Princess wasn't in the chambers in the afternoon. She searched her majesty's usual haunts, but she was nowhere to be found. We assumed she maybe attending Lady Mai's birthday celebrations, given their past, but when the dining room attendant came looking for her, Sena realized that the Princess was truly missing. That's when you were informed."

Zuko exhaled, feeling a lick of dread flit through him. Ozai loyalists, even though they had reduced in number since the time he had taken the throne, were still not an insignificant minority. Ren's hate-filled tirade came back to him and he had to wonder if putting Katara on the throne had spurred them into action. The general populace of Fire Nation did not know the real nature of his sister's affliction. Rumors of her condition ranged from being exaggerated, at best, to it being a downright lie. Right after his coronation, a faction of people had rallied against him, clamoring for Azula to be reinstated as the Fire Lord, as Ozai had planned. Over the years, the protests had reduced to a bare minimum. But now, with Katara's arrival, things were bound to get nasty.

Azula! Where are you?

The next two hours was spent combing every inch of the palace, as the storm built and built into a frenzy. Zuko stood in the middle of the garden, drenched to his skin, now at a complete loss as to what to do. He was vaguely formulating a plan for a city-wide search when Hena, one of the Imperial Fire Benders, came running to him.

"Milord," she said, panting, "Lady Suki has found the Princess."

Zuko closed his eyes and sent a prayer to Agni. "Where is she?"

"Next to Lady Mai's grave. Lady Suki, along with Master Toph and a couple of guards, are keeping a watch."

"Get Lady Katara and Ty Lee to the grave," Zuko said as he took off. He ran through the corridors, vaguely aware of the guards following him. By the time he reached the grave, he was slightly out of breath and clutching a stitch in his side. The sight that welcomed him froze his feet to the ground.

Suki and Toph stood a little distance away from Azula, while six guards formed a half-circle around them. Azula herself lay across Mai's grave; her muddied hair splayed around her hair. His body informed him that Katara had arrived, but he kept his eyes fixed on his sister.

"What do you want us to do, Zuko?" Katara asked, coming to stand next to him.

"I don't know," he whispered. "Maybe you can reach out to her?"

Katara had barely opened her mouth to say something, when Azula stirred. She pushed herself up and turned to look at them. Seeing her, Zuko took a step behind. In one look, he was transported back to the Agni Kai, thirteen years ago. The similarities were eerie, to say the least. Azula sat in front of him, her face covered in mud, hair hanging around her in matted clamps and a feral look in her eyes. Beside him, Katara let out a gasp of horror and Zuko knew she was thinking the same thing. She had been the only other witness to Azula's breaking, after all.

"Zuzu. Or should I say Fire Lord Zuko?" his title and name were thrown at him like the poisoned dart that had claimed Mai.

Katara and Zuko exchanged a look and came to a mutual, unspoken decision. With a flick of her hand, she dismissed the guards. Reading the situation, Suki, Toph and Ty Lee stepped away as well. Unmindful of the change in her surroundings, Azula rose up unsteadily, her arms hanging limply in front of her and her left knee bent slightly – yet another throwback to the wretched Agni Kai.

Katara grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his skin. Zuko took a deep breath and steadied his stance for whatever was coming.

"Why are you here, Fire Lord?" she made the title seem like an insult. "What is my punishment, Your Majesty?"

Zuko and Katara shared another perplexed look before he said in a hoarse voice, "Punishment? What are you talking about?"

"For being your sister!" She screamed.

"Azula… what are you talking about? Why would I punish you for being your sister?"

In response, she snorted. "Why not? I have always paid the price for being your sister."

The words hit Zuko with the same intensity as the lightning she had shot from her fingertips. "Azula!"

"What? Don't tell me you don't see it," she sneered as she half-walked, half-lumbered towards him. "Grandpa died because of you. Mom died trying to save you. Because you had some stupid moral indecision, my brother was exiled. You left me! Mai and Ty Lee betrayed me because of you! You took my throne from me. Father died in prison, where you kept him. Mai died because she was married to you. And now… he is gone because of you! You take everything away from me!"

It was as though, with each word, she had twisted daggers into his heart. Zuko felt a tremor run through his spine. Swallowing the cold, painful sob lodged in his throat, he straightened his spine and said, "Katara, take Azula to her chamber."

Saying so, he spun on his heels and walked away.

"Where are you going? Come here, Zuko! Fight me! Agni Kai! I'm challenging you to an Agni Kai!" Azula screamed.

Zuko paused, and turned slightly, such that she could see his scarred side, "No. I refuse. You are in no condition to fight."

Without waiting to hear her screaming protests, Zuko marched away.

When Katara walked into his chamber, Zuko sat on his bed, his head in his hands and elbows on his knees. He had done a rudimentary job of drying himself, but he was mostly still wet, little water droplets gathering together to form a small puddle at his feet.. She stepped next to him and ran a hand through his hair. The simple action broke something in his and he crumpled. His arms went around her hips and he burrowed his face into her abdomen. Hugging her, he broke into anguished sobs.

"I can't, Katara. I can't. I can't do this again. Last time… last time it took her seven years! Seven years before she even had a modicum of control on her feelings and emotions. I… I can't do all that again. I can't. I can't. Katara… I… she… how could she do this? How could she do this? She took every pain, every hurt of my life and threw back at my face."

His anguish broke something inside her and a sob escaped her own lips as Katara held him closer. "Zuko, it'll be okay."

"No," he shook his head and pulled away, wiping his tears. "It won't. Azula hates me. She always has. These past years, she was being a little better and I thought… maybe…. But no. I don't catch a break, Katara. Not me."

"Zuko!" she said and knelt in front of him, holding his hands, forcing steel into her voice. "No. I won't accept this answer. No. It won't take her seven years to recover from this. I will get to the bottom of this. She was fine a few days ago. Something triggered this relapse. I will find it out and I will make her better. Like hell I'm letting my family suffer."

Zuko held her gaze for the longest time, a hundred emotions swirling in the beautiful golden eyes. She could see the miasma of gloom dissipate from his face and getting replaced by a small smile. After a long time, he cupped her face and said, "How did I get so lucky, Katara?"

She leaned into his touch and smiled, "I was the one who got lucky. For the first time in years, I am happy."

He shook his head, grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her up to sit next to him. "You… You gave me a family, Katara. I didn't even know how incomplete I was until I held the four of you in my arms today. And now, now you are taking care of Azula when I can't. Tell me how am I not the lucky one?"

Katara smiled and leaned over, touching her forehead to his, "Fine, we both got lucky. Does that work?"

He wound a hand through her hair, "Hmm. Maybe we should send Hahn a thank you note instead?"

Katara snorted and lay her head on his shoulder. Zuko, Iroh and her had been breaking their heads, wondering what to say to the Water Tribe Chief. "That'd stroke his ego."

"Like it needs any more stroking," Zuko mumbled against her hair and pulled her into his arms. Patting his back, she asked him something that had been bothering her from the moment the words had slipped out of Azula's mouth.

"Zuko, what did Azula mean when she said, 'he is gone now'? Who was she talking about?"

Zuko pulled from her embrace and sat straight, his hand laying on her thigh, face tight with concentration. At that casual touch, Katara realized something. Zuko touched her. Ever since he had realized that she didn't flinch at his touch, he would, sooner or later, touch her. A hand on her head. Her arm. Her face. Her back. Her knees. Her thigh. He touched her. These were outside of the times he kissed her or when they made out. No. These touches were different. More often than not, like right now, he was not even aware that he was doing it. Katara weighed on what she thought about these touches and decided she liked them. Scratch that. She loved them. These little contacts sent tiny explosions of pleasure through her. She was not going to bring it to his attention and make him conscious about it.

"I'm not sure," he said, cutting through her thoughts. "Maybe she was talking about Ozai?"

She shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate on the conversation at hand, "She seemed aware that Ozai was dead. I think she was talking about someone else."

He frowned, "Who?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. But… that guy, her therapist, he might know."

At that Zuko's eyes widened and stared at her, "Jion! She was talking about Jion!"

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes. He came to me day before yesterday. He told me that he was having some issues in his family back at Tetsu and he wanted an extended leave. I granted him that leave."

At his words, something clicked. "Zuko… I… it may sound very strange, but I think Azula is in love with him."

He stared at her, mouth agape. "What? Really? What makes you say that?"

Katara got to her feet and began to pace across the room as she tried to rein in her thoughts. "I should have seen it that day. On my coronation day. Remember how I fought with you?"

"Yes?"

"I was distraught after that," she brought her palms together and lay it against her lips. "That was when I met Jion. I didn't notice it then, but Azula was looking at him in a way that…" she paused, realizing what she was about to say. Oh, Tui and La!

"That? How was she looking at him?"

Katara closed her eyes. The words dancing on her lips, coupled with the things pages from Mai's diary had revealed, set her heart beating in a wild frenzy, "She was looking at him… how…how… I looked at…"

Her words and courage faltered. When he didn't say anything, Katara felt her heart skip a beat. Had she, maybe, spoiled the tenacious place their relationship was at? The nebulous, undefined quality of their relationship where they were somewhere between being friends and being lovers? What were they? They were married in the eyes of the law but were not really a couple. They were great friends, but they were also attracted to each other. They were a family. One that was cobbled together by misfortune and was only now finding a path to walk on.

Plagued by self-doubt, she did not hear him move until he was right in front of her. He snaked an arm across her waist and pulled her flush against himself. "Say it. Finish your sentence. How you looked at…what?"

Katara scrunched her eyes shut and burrowed her head under his chin. "You know."

"I do. But I want you to say it."

She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent that was now mixed with the smell of rain. "You," she whispered. "How I looked at you."

"Looked?" he said, and she could hear the hum of his voice against her ears. "In past tense?"

"I… Maybe not. I'm… I can't say yet," she lied. She was sure, she just wasn't prepared to say it.

"Hmm," he ran his fingers along her spine, a featherlight touch that set her body on fire. "You'll let me know if things change?"

"I will."

"Good," he placed a small, barely felt peck on her head and took a step back, hands still placed lightly on her waist. "Where is Azula now?"

"In her chamber. She was exhausted by the time we got her there. She's sleeping now. Ty Lee is with her."

"Good. Let me send a message to Sokka that he can get off his guard duty."

Sokka sat on the ground leaning against the door, elbows on his knees, his eyes fixed on the three children who were busy chattering. His dad and Gran Gran were making full use of Iroh's tea making skills, enjoying a hot brew. In his hands, Sokka cradled a brew of his own. Although his eyes were fixed on the people in front of him, he was looking inwards.

Over the past couple of days, he had been watching his sister and her new husband. He had also taken to casually asking his friends things about them, masking it as concern. Toph has seen right through him. She told him to mind his own beeswax and to let Zuko and Katara be. According to her, they had gone through some really bad times as individuals, and if being together was making them happy, then that was all that mattered, and that Sokka should not stick his nose where it did not belong.

The outcome of the conversation with Ty Lee had been very different. The conversation ate away at him and he could not understand what to make out of it. Sokka pursed his lips, thinking back to the words the woman had said.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked me this because I have been dying to tell this to someone. You see, ever since they came back from Ember Island, their auras are a bright orange."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they are in love!" she trilled happily. "I am so happy for them. They needed this. Their auras have been a jumble since…forever. It is finally uncluttered and steady."

"What do you mean their auras were a jumble? How so?"

"Take Katara for example. Her aura has always been orange around Zuko. But it was riddled with green. Like… green spots in an orange sheet. Green is guilt. Her aura around Aang was more confusing. There was pale orange and grey, and green, but most disturbingly, black."

"Okay, so orange is love. Green is guilt. What are grey and black?"

Ty Lee bit her lips and looked down, "Grey is sorrow and black is fear."

Sokka nodded, his brows tightening. "And Zuko? How has his aura been around Katara?"

"Zuko is a little more complicated," Ty Lee answered, rocking back and forth. "His aura used to be grey and red. Grey for sorrow and red for anger. But then, when Mai came around him, he would take on a shade of orange."

"Yes, understandably."

"But then, when Mai died, his aura was so dense grey, it was almost black. Not quite but almost. But then, when you guys came in, I saw spots of orange. Not bright, but noticeable. I figured, he loves you all. That helps."

"Yes. I understand."

"Then, as years passed, the grey reduced to a lighter shade. It was still there, but not as prominent. But, sometimes, on occasion I would see orange smeared here and there. I didn't pay it much attention. But then, he got married to Katara and the orange smear was brighter. But there was also red. And green. I never understood what he was angry about or what he was feeling guilty about. But yes, he loves her. No doubts in my mind. Just like she loves him."

Sokka took a deep breath and pinched his nose. A part of him was happy for his sister. She had found happiness and he could not bring himself to begrudge her. But… what was he supposed to do with the knowledge he had gained? The evidence had been staring at him, he had just not seen it. How had he not seen it? How had he not realized?

The reason Katara's aura had always been orange around Zuko, while mottled with green, grey, black and orange around Aang. Clearly it was because she felt guilty for loving Zuko and sad for having to live her life with Aang. She was clearly scared of what would happen when Aang found out. The green came from the guilt that originated from her feelings for Zuko. As for Zuko, he was clearly better at hiding his emotions. But he too had a guilt-ridden aura.

All of this added up to one thing and one thing only – Katara and Zuko had an affair behind Aang's back.

A/N:-MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA