It's Not Attention That I Want From You

Zuko reached up slowly and pressed his fingertips against the edge of his scar. It wasn't smooth like the rest of his skin. It was bumpy and uneven. It wasn't even colored the same as his skin. It was a blemish. A stain. A reminder. He didn't know what it looked like though. He had only seen it once, after he first got it. After that one time . . . he didn't looked at mirrors anymore. He would refuse to walk by one. He even avoided smooth water. He couldn't risk seeing it. The memory was too painful, even two years after it happened. Just then, the door to his mediation room was slammed open. Zuko looked over his shoulder and saw Aang stepping into the room and closing the door.

"Leave Avatar." Zuko looked back at the candles in front of him and began to control them. He found it difficult. His mind was to tormented at the moment and he did not wish to bother with the young airbender.

"No." Zuko narrowed his eyes as the candles flared with his anger. How dare that child argue with him!"

"Get. Out." Zuko bit out. Aang used a gust a wind to blow out the candles. Zuko stood and spun around, glaring at the younger boy. "I said get out!"

"Why did you have to be so mean to Katara!" Aang demanded, surprising the prince. His heart clenched at the name of the girl who he shared his affections with. However, his surprise disappeared as rage took over.

"Get out!"

"She loves you!" Aang yelled back at the prince of fire. Zuko looked away, his anger still rising.

"Avatar, she only mistakes her pity for love." It stabbed at his heart to say it, but it was true. "Not even my own mother would love me now." Aang's eyes softened at the mention of Zuko's mother.

". . . I've seen a woman near you, several times." The firebending prince looked up at Aang, confusion evident on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

". . . . At first I thought that I was seeing things. She was transparent and no one else could see her." Could it be? No, it couldn't be.

"Stop talking nonsense Avatar and get out." Zuko hissed.

"She always seemed so sad until after we were at the North Pole. Then she smiled. She has a very pretty smile." He was lying. But how? How could he know? Could Katara have told him? No, that didn't seem anything like her. ". . . . she spoke to me once . . . . a few days ago. I woke up and found her in my room. I was surprised that she left your side."

"Avatar-"

"She's here, even now. She looks sad. Like she's ready to cry." That froze the boiling rage inside of him. Aang pointed to the side of Zuko, causing the young prince to look at where the avatar was pointing, only to find nothing. "She's begging you Zuko. You can't see or hear her, but she's on her knees, begging you and crying." Zuko felt his eyes widened before narrowing as he rounded on the airbender.

"What do you know! You're a child! Get out of here!" Aang shook his head.

"She's your mother Zuko. She's calling to you and begging you to go back to Katara." Rage soon came back. It couldn't be true. No, his mother would have left for the heavens. Why would she stay with him? Especially after . . . . that didn't matter, all that mattered was that she just had to have left.

"GET OUT!" Zuko sent a blast of fire towards Aang but the young Avatar countered it with a blast of air, smoothing the flame.

"Why are you pushing people who care away, Zuko?'

"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"I know enough." Aang snapped. "I know Katara loves you. I know you don't think of yourself as anything more than a hideous monster. Your mother told me all about you Zuko." Zuko stepped back in surprise. He had to be lying. She had to have left. "She told me how Ozai scarred and banished you for trying to save lives. She told me that you were different before. That you weren't always so guarded. True, you became more cautious after she died, but you completely shut out the world when Ozai scarred you." No. It couldn't be true. His mother had to have gone to the heavens. She couldn't have stayed and watched him. She should have gone and been happy. Staying would only hurt. She couldn't have risked the pain of watching him. Especially when he became a hideous beast. Zuko turned away from Aang.

"Just . . . get out." The prince whispered, nearly broken. It was too much. His mother . . . . she had watched him turn into a monster. How he must have hurt her so. How she must hate him for what he's become.

". . . . I'm not going to pity you, if that's what you're worried about. You've hated being pitied, ever since you were young. You try to make yourself into a tyrant to avoid pity from others. You try to push everyone away. And Katara got too close. That's why you lost your temper. That's why you lost control. Because she got close enough and saw the real you."

"Leave!" Zuko roared, spinning around to face Aang once more, his anger renewed. The avatar didn't move. It was his job to settle fights. And right now Zuko and Katara were in perhaps the biggest fight with each other they could ever be in.

"I never knew my mother." Aang smiled bitterly at his own thoughts. He had to break through to Zuko. If he could do that . . . . then Zuko would go and make Katara happy. And his adopted sister deserved to be happy. "I was raised by the monks. They said my mother died in childbirth. If I had a mother like yours . . . . who would abandon heaven and stay by my side . . . . I would do my best to make her happy. And your mother seems to be happy whenever you're happy." Aang turned to leave. He had seen a strange look in Zuko's eyes and knew what it was. Zuko was thinking everything over. He was slowly coming to terms with everything. ". . . . and you seem to be happy with Katara." Aang opened the door and left.

- - - - -

Brenda sighed and looked over at Raymond.

"Raymond . . . ."

"Yes Admiral?" He didn't even bother to look up from the scroll an officer handed him.

". . . . Prince Zuko's mother . . ." She trailed off, unsure of how to word her thoughts, for once. However, she had caught Raymond's attention.

"What about Lady Leila, Admiral Brenda?" The admiral looked down with a sad far away look in her eyes.

". . . . she wasn't always frail." Raymond lifted an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? I thought the Lady Leila was just born that way." Brenda shook her head.

"No. She was fine until one day when my nephew was less than two years old . . . . someone tried to assassinate him."

Long black hair drifted in the wind as golden eyes danced with amusement as a sweet voice echoed through the garden.

"That's good, my preciously little one." A young woman no older than twenty reached forward and picked up a small two year old boy. His red robe covered the black pants and shirt he wore. The woman herself wore a sleeveless black robe over a long sleeved red dress with a golden sash tying the robe together. She rested the boy's weight against a hip as she looked around. "I wonder . . . where has your father gone? Do you know, my sweet Zuko?" A rustle in the trees caused her to look behind. Nothing. ". . . . must have been a bird." The boy's giggle made her look back down at him as he tugged on her hair. "Now, now, Zuko. That's mommy's hair, not a toy." She chided with a smile as she gently removed her hair from his grasp. Another rustle caused her to look back again. Once more, nothing. "Stop being so paranoid, Leila." She muttered to herself and began to make her way back to the palace. However, two arrows landed in front of her feet, one after the other. She spun around, clutching her son close to her as she glared at a man dressed in black. His face was painted white with two black tripes on each side. "Who are you!" She demanded. "This area is not open to the public!" She placed a hand on the back of her son's head and held him close.

"Give me the child and you won't be hurt." Came the cold whisper. Leila took several steps back, still holding her child close as fear took over her eyes.

"Brenda! Iroh! Ozai!" She yelled as she backed up.

"No one will come. Now give me the child." Leila spun on her heels and held Zuko close as she took off running. She heard the pounding of footsteps behind her, signaling that the strange man was following her. She felt a hand grab her from behind and yank her back. Leila tumbled to the ground and held tightly onto Zuko, shielding his body with her own. Zuko's crying rung out through the garden.

"OZAI!" She screamed as she tried to crawl away from the black clothed man. The man grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up. She stomped on his foot and he cursed as he let her go. Leila backed away. She couldn't out run him. And while she could firebend, she had no formal training. All she could do was make a few flames. Nothing that could really stop him. Leila put down Zuko and stood in front of her child. The man, enraged, charged at Zuko with a blade drawn. A green tinted liquid dripped off of it: poison. However, Leila moved in front of him. The blade pierced her skin and cut through her easily. She grabbed the man's hand holding the sword and held onto it, forcing him to keep the blade in her. "You will not touch my child." She hissed with a dangerous look in her eyes. The man reached back to hit her but a large flame engulfed him. Leila looked to see Ozai and several of the palace guards coming towards them. Leila smiled in relief and started to fall as he knees gave out.

"Leila!" He rushed forward.

"Ozai . . ." She whispered when he caught her, stopping her from falling forward onto the ground. ". . . . protect our Zuko . . ."

"Well, she didn't die of course. But she came close." Brenda sighed and closed her eyes.

"Admiral?" Raymond had been around long enough to know that she wasn't done.

". . . . the poison wasn't that strong, seeing as how it was made for a child. But it made her weak. Yet for some reason, she never let that stop her from playing with Prince Zuko, as much as my brother Ozai frowned upon it. That's probably why Ozai has basically disowned Prince Zuko. He blames him for Fire Lady Leila's death." Brenda looked at the ring on her finger. "In reality, it was her love for Zuko that truly killed her. Even Ozai knows that it was her love that brought about her death. Even now, I do not think she would ever leave his side. She's just that loving."

- - - - -

Katara had fallen asleep shortly after Aang left. Her brother was . . . somewhere. She didn't care. All she knew was Zuko was gone. She had pushed him. And he didn't like being pushed. No matter how hard she tried to stay awake, sleep haunted her mind. So she laid down in the ruined dining room she and Zuko would eat it and fell asleep. That's how Zuko found her. After Aang finally left, Zuko had stared at the candles for a little bit. He couldn't get her out of his mind. So he did the only thing he could think of. He went to see her. The only idea he thought she might have been was in the dining room. So that's where he started his search for her. Luckily, she was still there. On the ground asleep. Surrounded by the chaus that he had created. The firebending prince couldn't help but smile as he looked down on her. With ease he knelt down and scooped her up into his arms. Instantly Katara moved closer to his body. Zuko was careful not to jumble the young woman as he made his way to his room. Once there, Zuko carefully placed Katara under the covers of his bed. With a small smile he brushed some hair away from her face and rested his hand on the side of her face. Turning to leave, Zuko was surprised when his hand was gently held onto, stopping him from leaving. Katara's blue eyes bore into his golden ones. The young prince kept his face neutral.

"Zuko . . . ."

". . . ." Could he say it? Wouldn't that be a weakness? Something his enemies could use against him.

". . . ." Katara was at a loss for words. What could she say? He didn't believe that she loved him. She didn't know how else to convince him.

". . . ." Yes, he would say it. He had to. Even though it would be a weakness, it was too late to stop it. Anyone that saw the way he looked at her would know. "Katara . . . ." She looked up at him, hoping, praying, that he believed her. Zuko swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. ". . . I . . . ."

"Yes?" Was he going to apologize? It seemed unlikely. Zuko was not one to admit he was sorry. He would suck it up sometimes and admit he was wrong or that he was sorry, but only to those he truly cared for.

". . . . I love you." Having said that, Zuko leaned in and kissed her. Katara closed her eyes and felt a prickle behind her eyes. Soon tears ran down her cheeks again. Zuko pulled away, surprised. "What's wrong?" He whispered before he tentatively kissed her tears away.

"I . . . . I'm just happy, that's all." Zuko smiled as he pulled her close to him and kissed her again. Katara wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her close to him as she kissed him back with as much passion as she could muster. Well, that was before she heard the voice of her brother.

"Hey, do you guys know why the dining-OH MY GOD!"

- - - - -

Wow! Another chapter done! Did you guys like the stuff in there with Zuko's mother. Pretty sad about what happened to her. Honestly, that's a pretty loving mom. But I'm sure all of our moms would do something like that. And Zuko finally admitted his love too! Plus, it looks like Sokka finally found out about Zuko and Katara! Well, review please and tell me if something is wrong or what you liked about it and what you want more of. Ja ne!