Okay this is the one that will make ya think about crying. Maybe. Remember that thing I told you was very important a couple chapters back. IT is in here. Bet ya can find it. Well anyway enjoy.

Azula smiled as she watched the thick blood drip from her brother's lip to the floor. He was so stubborn. All he had to do was fight back and he wouldn't be hurting so bad. But just because of this girl and a child he was willing to rick his life and his well being to save theirs. How pathetic. She frowned for a moment. As fun as this was it would be much more so if he would fight back, she didn't really know how well she liked him allowing himself to be beaten with out the slightest about a fight in him.

But that thought was short lived. She shook head head and looked over to the water tribe girl then back down to her brother.

"She's to pretty for you. You should stick the worthless whores that you deserve." Zuko straightened out stood up tall on his knees. He looked over at Katara who was fighting back tears. He could see in her eyes that she wanted to fight these women so bad, but he could also see a tinge of fear hidden in her blue depths.

"She may be to good for me. But love knows no limits." Azula scoffed. Love? Hah that was a term used by the weak and the worthless. Love was only a term that made weakness sound better. She shook her head and walked over and took something from one of the hags. She returned to her brother with a malicious grin.

Azula calmly walked behind her brother. She brought her hand over her head and cracked the whip against the floor.

"Let's see just how long until you lose that temper of yours, Zuzu." Zuko closed his eyes and bit down on to his lip knowing what was coming next. Azula again raised her had above her head and brought the whip down hard against her brother's back. He fell forward catching himself on the ground with his hands, the chains falling hard by the sides of them.

Katara screamed out for him and closed her eyes turning her head to the side. There had to be something that she could do. Some way she could stop this. She had to get to Zuko. She had to get to Riyo.

Again the whip his Zuko's bare back. Zuko winced and bit down harder on his lip. He wasn't going to scream out, he wasn't going to fight back. There was to much on the line for him to risk.

After around fifteen lashes Azula tired of that method of torture and turned to the whore.

"I'm having to smuch fun. But this bores me. There must be something else I can do." She said then got an idea. She dropped the whip to the floor then pulled a small knife from her pocket. She grabbed her brothers hair and pulled him back up to his knees. She put the blade aginst the base of his pony tail and smiled.

"So you won't even fight back for this?" Zuko remained silent his eyes staring ahead. She grinned with a silent resentment that her brother would be so calm about his honor being literally cut off. Malana's eyes grew wide and her hand loosened around the daggar. If he lost his hair then her entire plan went down the drain.

"WAIT!" Katara jumped as Malana almost dived over her.. Azula glared at the young harlot.

"I mean, wouldn't it be so much more painful if the Fire Lord himself did that?"Azula stopped the stood up and nodded.

"I suppose it would. So then do you ohave any ideas?" Malana nodded and pushed the unfozen dagger against Katara's throat.

"We could kill this girl right here in front of him."

"No, I have to have her to take to my father as proof that Zuko is traitor and went out side his nationality."

"What?" Malana ask in a confused air.

"Have you forgotten? That is a crime so blasphemous that it would sure to call for his death. Don't you know the story of the last man who crossed that barrier?" Malana grined and leaned against Katara's cheek.

"Oh yes I remember now. The man had married an Earth girl. When word spread he was taken to the Fire Lord where he was sentenced to death. They tied each of his limbs to a different rhino and ran them in different directions, pulling him to pieces and quatering him like a beast." Katara's pupils drew in dilating to a pin point as she looked over at Zuko. His face was solemn. He knew this story all to well and he knew what his consequences were, and now so did Katara. She felt her heart drop not only had knew known this the entire time, he had given up his life to love her.

Azula shook her head she still wasn't satisfied. She looked over at the whore again. Surely the one with a mental illness could think of something.

"Malana. Your turn. You said you wanted to get back at him didn't you." Malana grinned and pushed Katara to the ground. Malana walked over to Zuko and knelt down looking him in the eyes.

"We have a confession, my lord. You have to understand though, I was sold into prostitution from nobility, so it is only natural to want to get back. But you were just a tool. I was visited by another noble, not so high as yourself but none the less." She stood up and stretched. Zuko's eyes narrowed as he watched her. He knew she was coming with something. What was it? Did she give him a disease? Was she going to say someone was beter? How did this tramp think she was going hurt him. He wasn't emotionally attached to her, and he had already thought about the health risks?

Malana stopped behind him and leaned over his shoulder close to his ear.

"You do know General Zhao, right?"

"What about the coward?" Malana grinned.

"That isn't a way to talk about the father of the child you call son." Zuko glared at her.

"Just what are you saying?"

"It's rather complicated. But I had nine months to think it up. The child isn't yours. Zhao was a the man that got me pregnant." Zuko felt his body run cold and he looked over to the baby asleep in the hags arms. Katara's mouth fell open as she watched the whore walk around Zuko like a vulture. The baby wasn't his? That didn't matter to Katara, she had fallen in love with the baby regardless of his parents, and she had already told Zuko that. But Zuko? All this time he had believed it was his child, he loved Riyo because he was his son.

Malana just smiled seeing the disbelief in the prince's eyes.

"Why would you do something like that!" Katara yelled and started to run over to Zuko's side but Azula stepped in front of her.

"Wait." Azula said coldly. There was an odd fire in Azula's eyes as she listened intently to the words roll from Malana's mouth.

"Why? Oh that is an easy one. You see I knew from the start that the general was the father. But I didn't want everyone else to know. Well when the village got word of the general's death at the Northern Water Tribe, there was no way that I was going to get back to power with the child of a man who couldn't even hodl his own against a worthless water tribe." Zuko just stared at her his eyes blank, and seemingly starting straight through her. But another set of eyes were burning on her. Azula's eyes were intense as she knew what the next part would be.

"But then I remembered that you had visited me a few weeks after Zhao. That's were you come in.What a good way to get back to nobility then to get the throne. Tell everyone that it was the prince's bastard child I was carrying. But things went wrong. The girl got in the way, you were supposed to take in usm you were supposed to fall in love with us. Then when you returned home with the avatar as your prize, I would be back and respected as the Fire Lady." Azula's face was red she walked over to Malana and grabbed her by the hair pulling her away from Zuko.

"Listen you worthless little wench. I knew all along that you were up to something. I don't care that you ripped my brother's world to pieces, but it is my throne that you are messing with. How dare you try to take my throne away from me you traitorous bitch!" Azula was boiling as she snatched the daggers out of Malana's hands. She turned and landed a hard kick to Malana's face knocking her to the ground.

"Now you will pay." She said grabbing Malana's long black hair and dragging her up to the deck. Azula didn't falter as the whore struggled and fought back even as she was pulling her up the stairs. On the deck a few crew men were lingering about but when the set eyes on the princess quickly began to 'work'. She shook her head.

"You men bring a rod! You two come and get this." She ordered and the men obeyed. Quickly and throughly Malana was tied to the iron rod. Azula smiled.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while." She grinned and brought her hand up, in a fluid and clean move she sent fire from her hand that enveloped Malana's feet.

Malana screamed out as the fire bit at her and burned her skin. But Azula wasn't done yet. With a sqift swipe of her hand she made the fire jump and completely cover the whores entire body. She sighed as she heard Malana's screams.

Katara waited for Azula to get out of sight before she ran over to Zuko. She grabbed the chains and quickly froze them causing them to breack. She grabbed ahold of Zuko and hugged himas he just sat there like a stone.

"Zuko please talk to me!" Zuko said nothing and stood up. He walked lifelessly over to the old hag and stuck his arms out.

"Don' t think so." He just looked at her with a hatred and resentment in his eyes that would have brought the Fire Lord to his knees. The old hag hesitantly handed the baby to Zuko. Katara walked over to Zuko and looked down at Riyo. Zuko gave the baby a gental shake, more like a slight wiggle,to wake him up. Riyo opened his little eyes and smiled up at his dad. Zuko put Riyo n his shoulder and hugged him. Then he looked over at Katara and pulled her to him with his free arm. He looked at her and said sternly.

"He is my son."

Ahh. But don't think they are out of hot water yet. This sotry will be over in either the next chapter or the one after that I haven't made my mind up yet.