A/N:
Second chapter for the night! XD
Chapter 12:
Ami smirked from her vanity as Ozai told her that Katara was in prison. It meant Ozai didn't trust a word she said and that Atsou now knew where Katara was after her planned escape. She needed to contact Atsou quickly so he could finish with the waterbender…but first.
"Did you put the crystal brace on her neck?" Ami asked him.
Ozai nodded. He didn't like this at all but what could he do? He didn't trust Katara to be honest with him after her history with Atsou. What if she was truly working with him and put the entire family in danger? Not that he believed it would be her intention. That black serum might have her going against her better judgment and if she couldn't trust herself, how could he trust her?
"I need to go check on her."
"I'll come with."
In her cell, trying to think of what to do, Katara felt a little panicked as she wrapped her cloak around her body and paced around the cell. She needed to get out of here and soon. Last thing she wanted was for Ozai to notice she-
"Here, eat." Ozai brought a tray of food down to her and placed in on floor, scooting it to her.
Katara eyed the tray and then Ozai, "This is how you treat the mother of your children? Really, Ozai?"
"I'm not trying to be rude, Katara, but you have to see things my way. You went all psychotic on me when you were last with Atsou." Ozai's expression was lighter than earlier as he seemed unsure of himself or just hated seeing her behind bars like this.
Katara sighed and nodded as she took the try, bringing it to the small table in her cell. She immediately started eating the food, stuffing her face as she had been starving.
"Still no table manners." Ozai scoffed.
"No one to impress, actually."
"Fuck you." He chuckled.
Smirking at him as she licked her fingers, "Did you sit around waiting for me to show up or did you actually go looking for me this time?"
"I went looking." Ozai told her as he rested his forehead on the bars and gazed down.
Katara couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips, "Aww, you still care."
Rolling his eyes, "Of course, I care, Katara. It used to just be us. In the end, we only have each other."
"Then why are you keeping me locked up in a cell?" Katara asked as she continued eating.
Ozai lifted his gaze to her, "Because…I don't yet completely trust you. What if Atsou gave you the black serum and you don't know you're acting on his orders."
"Good point but I'm not attacking you. The black serum specifically makes a person violent, acting out on their darkest impulses." Katara explained.
Ozai stood there watching her and felt nothing but guilt. She was likely taken against her will and tortured but here she was being treated like she was the enemy all because he didn't trust her. Well, it wasn't her exactly that he didn't trust but the possibility of Atsou having her under his control.
As he opened his mouth to tell her something, Ami showed up and the words died on his lips.
"Why didn't you just bring me through the portal with you rather than make me walk?" Ami asked him before looking in the cell at Katara. "Oh, wanted a private conversation, I see."
Ozai and Katara rolled their eyes.
"You know that bitch actually works with Atsou." Katara said casually.
Ami folded her arms, "Here, I thought you were done being desperate."
"Bite me, bitch!" Katara hissed at Ami. "You injected me with some red vile of some sort!"
Ozai narrowed his eyes at this. "Red vile?"
Ami looked from Ozai to Katara in a bit of panic, "Red vile? Did Atsou somehow get to my research?"
"Ami." Ozai narrowed his eyes on her. "How does she know about the red vile?"
"Ozai, you don't understand, I was forced! Atsou threatened to kill the baby! That's why I gave up Hiroshi! I was saving him!" Ami confessed.
Ozai looked at her in disbelief and then narrowed his eyes back, "Get out of my face."
"Oza-"
"Get out!"
As Ami took off in tears, Ozai let Katara know he'd let her out soon but he needed to investigate this situation. Katara told him she could stay a little longer to ease his conscience. He reached for her hand through the bars and Katara walked over to take his hand in hers, placing it on her face.
"I'm sorry, waterbender."
"Thank you for trying to find me." Katara smiled at him.
Smiling back, Ozai caressed her face before pulling back. "Give me a few hours."
Katara nodded.
….
Feeling confident Ozai would discover the truth soon enough, Katara sat on her cot and waited. She figured she should rest as she was exhausted and had been on the run for weeks, unable to use her bending due to how weak she was from the torturing he did to her and the serum he injected her with. She had only just started to feel her bending return when Ozai placed this brace on her neck. She needed some rest. As she began laying down, a black portal opened and Atsou appeared.
"Been watching you, mean one. Why'd you run from me?" Atsou asked as he fiend being hurt.
Rolling her eyes, "You still think I give a fuck about you. Cute. Grow up, Atsou. I will never have feelings for you."
"You liked me when I was Cho-Seng." Atsou smirked.
"Atsou, leave, please."
"I'll come back to check on the two of you." Atsou said, kissing her forehead and patting her small belly. "Remember, a healthy immortal boy."
Katara snapped her teeth at him and retracted his hand.
Ozai was so fed up but he understood now. Ami explained the situation to him but it still annoyed him to no end that she wouldn't have told him. What was with Atsou going after his women and children and having him look like an idiot?
"Ozai, I mean it, I didn't want to but he frightened me. I'm not immortal like the rest of you. If he did something to me, I wouldn't survive."
Sighing as he pinched his brows, "This is what I wanted to protect you from. The plight of being my family."
"Well, it's too late for that."
"I know." Ozai rested his chin on his folded hands as he propped his elbows up on his desk and glanced to the side at the window. "But, next time you see him, let me know. I'll deal with him, got it?"
Ami nodded.
"Good, I'm going to go release Katara. You stay here."
Ozai made his way to the dungeon and found Katara resting. He unlocked her cell and was about to grab her when she sat up abruptly the moment he reached for her. She looked up at him as he was inches from her face.
"I was going to carry you upstairs." He said, backing away. "I didn't want to wake you."
Katara rubbed her eyes and sat back against the wall.
"Ami told me everything. Apparently, she was forced."
"Forced?!"
"Yes, Katara, forced." Ozai explained what Ami told him.
The waterbender called bullshit but Ozai just wouldn't hear her out. He really truly believed Ami's bogus lie. Katara knew better than to trust Ami. The woman helped Atsou willingly. Ozai was just blinded by his feelings and that innocent act Ami liked to put on.
Climbing out of the bed, Katara thanked him for setting her free and went on to cover her small belly. She needed to get home and rest. Get away from Ozai long enough to deal with her problem without him finding out about it.
"I'll see you around." Katara made her way out of the cell as she removed the unnecessary crystal brace from her neck, tossing it on the floor.
Ozai watched her leave and lamented that he didn't just tell her what he wanted to say to her. Maybe another time.
…..…
For several months, everyone had noticed Katara keeping to herself as she was not feeling good. Ozai had stopped by a few times to pick up the children as Zuko was busy overseeing the Fire Nation and his project since Katara was completely out of commission. She warded off her bedroom in order to keep everyone out and protect herself from Atsou. But then one day…
"Come on, guys. Let's get your things together. You have to-"
Zuko paused as he heard screaming coming from Katara's room and the kids shrugged their shoulders.
"Mom's been doing that all morning." Ryu said.
Mailan nodded, "I think she's sick right now."
Zuko patted their backs and told them to go on to the carriage while he checked on her.
The Fire Lord went to Katara's chambers and was surprised to notice that her doors were unlocked. He stepped inside and went directly to her bedroom where he saw her sheets were soaked and a trail of something wet led to the bathroom. Her crying and screaming came from there. As he followed the trail and screaming, Zuko saw Katara sitting up on the floor of her bathroom with a bundle in her arms. Around her were blood rags, a large bowl of watery blood, scissors, medical elixirs and other things he wasn't used to seeing all at once.
"Katara?" He called her name.
Looking weakly up at him as she had bags under her eyes, "Zuk-"
"What's thi-" Zuko paused as he saw what looked like a small still-born. His eyes widened as he saw Katara's lip tremble. Her whole body shook as she tried to get her lips to form the words but her voice wouldn't work. She just gasped a cry and pulled the bundle to chest to weep.
"Katara, I didn't know you were-"
"It keeps happening, Zuko! It keeps happening to me! Men are all the same! They use me and my body and I suffer!"
"Tar-"
"I told him I didn't want to have another child but he wouldn't listen! And I tried to deliver it myself, take it to an orphanage and have it raised away from the family but he wouldn't cry, Zuko, the baby…he wouldn't-...he was already-"
Zuko cut her off and held her as she sobbed against him, still clinging to the bundle. As he let Katara do her weeping, Mailan caught sight of them and the blood and screamed.
"DADDY!" she screamed.
Ozai showed up in seconds and looked to his little girl to see what was going on.
Mailan said nothing as she looked in horror and pointed to her mother and Zuko.
Furrowing his brows, "Mailan, let me deal with this. Go on to school."
As Mailan left, Ozai went into the bathroom and saw Katara trembling as Zuko let go of her to try speaking with his father. But Ozai didn't want to speak with him. He wanted to see what was wrong with Katara. She had been acting weird lately and stayed cooped up in her bedroom. He hadn't gotten to see her much and realized something was very wrong but didn't want to pry. Now, he regretted not looking into it.
"Katara, what's going on here?" He asked calmly as he crouched down in front of her and saw the bundle.
Ozai pulled back the covering of the bundle and saw the still-born. He immediately moved to his feet and stepped back in disbelief.
"Atsou, he did this to her." Zuko told him.
Furrowing his brows at Katara, "Why am I only finding out now? Were you planning to hide this?"
"Dad-"
"Shut up, Zuko!" Ozai hissed at his eldest son.
Katara couldn't answer that, she didn't know the answer. Was she going to keep this a secret from him forever? Did she ever plan to tell him?
"Here, I thought we could fix things between us and you go and try to hide this from me?!"
"Oz-"
"I don't want to hear it!" Ozai says as he storms out.
….
After burying her child and healing her body, Katara sulked in bed for the next few days. She was miserable and there wasn't much that could help with the pain she felt. Just dwelling in her melancholy. There was no joy. No bright sides to look on. She felt like her world was in pieces and she didn't know how to fit it all back together. She just wanted the pain to stop and go away, if even for a moment it would.
Due to the despair she was feeling, Katara kept her family away from her while she rested and tried figuring out how to come out of her depression. Zuko looked after Mailan and Ryu for her. Zhiar remained around the house to bring her meals and make sure she was okay. Kya wrote her to ask if she was fine and needed anything and Ozai, he was still angry with her. Not that she could care right now.
"Mom, dad sent out invitations to the wedding." Zhiar told his mother as she was lying in bed and set her tray of food on the nightstand.
Groaning something into her pillow as she stared at her son.
"You sure you wanna give up, mom?"
Groaning again into her pillow.
"But what if he makes her immortal?"
Katara groaned some more.
"You'd really risk losing dad forever?"
Katara didn't say anything as she sulked.
Zhiar sighed and shook his head, placing the invitation to the rehearsal dinner. "Dad, said be on time."
As her son left the room, Katara looked at the beautifully decorated invitation and opened it. It showed both the rehearsal dinner and wedding dates. There was even an invite to the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Katara contemplated going for the free alcohol and to show she didn't give a fuck but then again, she wasn't sure Ozai even wanted her to show up. He was pretty upset with her over what happened the other day and she didn't have time or energy to clear things up. Ozai should know better than to get upset with her when he doesn't have the full picture. But what did she care? He was marrying Ami and she would be little to none of his concern.
Sitting up in bed, Katara hugged her pillow to her chest and started thinking about how Ozai was angry with her. She played out an argument in her head. How it would go, what he would say, what she would say. Sighing as she sunk back into her bed and curled up with the pillow.
"I'm so used up…why would you even waste your anger on me?" She murmured in the pillow.
Zhiar sighed to himself as he heard his mother and tried not to be so upset with how his mother's life was going. She had literally been in hell since his father resurfaced from his execution years ago and instead of him taking responsibility for it, he decides to marry another woman. That pathetic bastard really rubbed him the wrong way. If he truly loved his mother, he would have done right by her. He'd have to have a talk with the man during the bachelor party. Maybe he would dump Ami already and do what everyone felt was right.
…..
Zuko and Zhiar had to say, this was a nice party. Only issue was they couldn't find their father anywhere. What man didn't show for his own bachelor party?
"Good thing you told me not to bring those hookers." Zhiar leaned over and whispered to his brother.
Zuko shrugged Zhiar away in disgust. His younger brother was an idiot. He hated to say it but Katara gave birth to a moron.
The party was not so bad. There were women, drinks, best catered food Zuko had had at any party outside the Fire Nation, and there were tons of people to chat with. Zhiar, of course, hooked up with a few noblewomen while at the party but Zuko wouldn't judge him much. The idiot was a known playboy and many of the women couldn't help but fall for the long hair mixed son of the Phoenix King. With his blue eyes and the few beaded braids in his hair that was in a long hanging topknot. He was easily the most eligible bachelor next to him but everyone was well aware neither of them planned to settle.
As the party went on till the wee hours of the night, both Zuko and Zhiar returned to the Fire Nation to have a few drinks and talk. However, when they got to Zuko's lounge, they found Kya was already there with Hama, having a drink.
"What the hell guys?!" Zuko said as he was trying to figure out who let them in here.
Hama had her feet kicked up on the table and smoking a pipe while Kya was drinking from a fask.
"Oh, calm your tits, Zuko." Hama said as she blew a puff of smoke out. "We're just getting back from Ami's Bachelorette party and have some news to tell you."
Zhiar went to his sister and snatched her fask, drinking it till it was empty. Kya gave him a scowl as she snapped her fingers and he was in excruciating pain. Snapping her fingers again, she relieved him and Zuko poured her a drink.
"What news?"
"We caught your father in bed with Katara." Hama smirked.
"We were just leaving Ami's stupid party and were about to tell mom about it when we found her with dad in bed."
Zuko furrowed his brows at this, "No wonder he didn't show for his own party."
Kya folded her arms, "How does he always win her over?"
"I've been asking that same question for two decade, trust me." Zuko said.
Zhiar poured himself some liquor and took a seat with the rest of them as his great-grandmother blew smoke in his face. He swatted it and glared at her as she smirked.
"I thought you two wanted them together."
"I do but not like this." Kya stated. "It's wrong."
"Agreed. Ami is not a simple woman despite what my father believes and Katara knows that." Zuko sighed. "She knows Ami is working for Atsou. So she needs to tread carefully when dealing with that woman."
Hama sighed and waved her pipe around, "Ozai is a fool and Katara's a fool too. Two fools in love sounds like a recipe for death."
They all nodded.
"Let's agree to look after the two. We can no longer watch from the side lines. We need to intervene." Zuko told his siblings and Hama.
They all agreed that the two were not sensible or responsible enough to manage on their own. So, it would seem they needed to butt in on the two's relationship.
…
"Night, mama." Ryu kissed her mother's cheek as she crouched down to him and his sister.
"Sweet dreams, mommy." Mailan said as she kissed his mother's other cheek.
Kissing them both, Katara sent them off to their room and stood back to her feet, heading back to her chambers. There, the waterbender slid off her robes and went to lounge in her sitting room, taking up with a book she stole from Zuko's bookcase. She let herself get lost in her reading, not noticing the shuffling going on around. As she flipped the page, Katara saw a finger come from above her book and pull it down from her face. Her blue eyes were soon focused on gold ones.
"Katara, we need to talk."
Setting her book down, Katara watched Ozai take a seat across from her and curled her legs up on the lounge chair.
"Alrighty, Ozai, we can talk."
"A few weeks ago when I found you bleeding in the bathroom, want to explain what happened?" Ozai crossed his leg over his knee.
Katara stared at him blankly, "What is there to explain?"
"How'd you end up pregnant? Who's the father? Why didn't you tell me? What are you hiding?"
Scoffing, "How do you think I ended up pregnant?"
"Don't get an attitude with me, Katara." Ozai narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm trying to make sure you're alright."
"You're trying to see if I was fucking your twin of my own choosing and the answer is 'no'! That bastard did to me what everyone seems to do with me! And I didn't tell you because I was tired of the humiliation that comes with being violated! And then to have my own body used to carry the seed of yet another man that's raped me! Do you know what that does to me, Ozai?! Have you a clue?!"
"No." He answered simply.
"Of course, you don't! I was going to have the child taken to a orphanage to be raised away from us and our fucked up family! Because that's what we are! A fucked up family! I'll have to answer to Mailan about who her father was and Ryu about how you're his grandfather and not his father! And Kya and Zhiar, oh my goodness! I love them but Tui and La knows they have their issues! Zuko's attitude has only gotten worse! And you! You just show up whenever like I don't deserve privacy and to have a moment alone! I'm sorry, Ozai but I'm tired! I'm so fucking tired and I haven't the words to describe how little I care about what you think or don't think right now. You are like the last person I want to see and aren't you supposed to be at your own bachelor party?"
Ozai could see the waterbender he had known since she was a mere girl was in misery and exhausted. He shouldn't have come here to integrate her on something he already suspected but he had to know. He felt he had to know. As she rubbed her temple as her eyes watered, Ozai moved from where he sat and went to sit beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there, waterbender."
Crying into his robes, "I'm so tired, Ozai! I'm tired!"
Tearing up as he heard her tell him she didn't want to live anymore, Ozai rubbed her shoulders and tried to keep it together. "I won't let it happen again, Katara. I promise. I'll protect you for once."
"It won't stop!"
"It will."
"It won't! Ever since Shin did those things to me, it keeps happening! They keep doing things to me!"
"Katara, I won't let that happen again!"
Katara shook her head and sobbed as she clung to him.
Ozai tried to comfort her the best he could. She was an utter mess and he knew he failed her once again. But he wouldn't let it happen to her again. He would protect her.
"Move back into the palace. I'll take care of you and make sure that Atsou never gets to you again." Ozai told her as he combed his fingers through her hair.
Katara looked up from his chest, "You want me back at the palace? What about Ami?"
"She won't be happy but it was your home first." He brushed her tears away. "Plus, I miss you being around more. It gets lonely."
Sniffling as she tries fixing her face and sitting up on her knees, "You really want me back?"
Ozai cupped her face and caressed it, "Yes, waterbender."
Katara swung her arms around his neck and hugged him. She held onto him and felt his heart beating fast. She pulled apart from him to look over his face to see if he were ok but as soon as she looked at him, Katara found his lips on hers. Her eyes widened as she pulled away from him.
"Ozai." She covered her lips.
Ozai took her wrists and removed her hands from her mouth, kissing her again. Katara tried resisting but she soon gave into it. Kissing him back with a feverish cloud of haze falling over her. She wanted more and more of him. Even if he was with Ami, she wanted to steal him back and hold him forever. What man did she love more than him? No one.
Pushing her down onto the lounge chair, Ozai began hiking up her nightgown and raining kisses all over her body. It was his last night as a free man and he wanted it with Katara. Even more, he wanted to erase the touch of the men that had wronged her. Make her forget them and their faces. He could do that for her tonight, if she let him.
Katara removed his hand from her panties to stop him and looked him dead in his eyes, "What are you doing, Ozai?"
"I want you." He said, nuzzling the side of her jaw. "I want you more than ever right now and if you let me have you, I'll make you forget everything and everyone that's hurt you."
"Not everyone." Katara told him. "You've hurt me too."
"I'll make it up to you."
Katara stared into his amber eyes and could see nothing but longing and need. She felt like a girl again. With this man above her, pleading to have her in a way that she always wanted but he was still marrying Ami. She couldn't. Nothing more disrespectful to herself and her body than to give it to a man that doesn't want her for more.
"I'm sorry, Ozai. I can't. Not this time." She told him as she kissed his cheek and wiggled herself from under him to get free. Once she was, the waterbender looked at him with disappointment. "You want me for my body too, Ozai. What makes you any different from my pursuers?"
"Because I love you!"
"Not enough to marry me." Katara looked at him tearfully.
"Kat-"
"I'm tired, Ozai. I'm exhausted from it all. Please, spend your night with someone else. I won't be your whore anymore."
"I'm not asking you to be my whore, Katara."
"You want to sleep with me and not make any commitment to me! That's asking me to be a whore! Haven't I whored out for you enough?! Why do you want to turn me into Hama?!"
Ozai furrowed his brows and stood up, "Katara, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"If you came here to be a friend, then be a friend but don't cross that line again unless you're ready to accept the consequences."
"I understand."
"Thank you."
Katara turned to leave and Ozai followed her, sensing him. "What?" She whipped around.
"Can I hold you tonight?"
Narrowing her eyes, "hold me?"
"Yes, like that time before." Ozai had a small smile appear on his lips.
Katara really wanted to tell him to go fuck himself but she really hated the power he had over her to make her weak to her own resolves.
"Okay, Ozai."
The two got to bed and Katara settled herself against Ozai after he undressed. He threw his arm around her middle and hugged her to him, burying his face in her hair. Katara was about to drift off when she felt Ozai rubbed her stomach.
"Night, Ozai."
"Goodnight, waterbender."
When morning came, Katara saw Ozai was already up and had made tea for her. She smiled a little at him as he sat on the edge of her bed and handed her the tea.
"You'll come back this week?" Ozai asked her.
"The kids are in school, Ozai." Katara sipped the tea.
"I'll get them private tutors."
"You sure you want me back?"
"Yes, I want you back in the palace. It's easier for me to protect you that way."
Sighing as she drank some more tea and sat it down on her nightstand, "Ozai, we need some ground rules."
"Like?"
"Like no confusing me because you yourself are confused." Katara told him.
"I'm not sure what you're saying but okay."
"And Ami is not allowed to talk to me in any kind of way. If I'm taking care of her son like he's my own because she's lacking, she needs to be more respectful."
"I completely agree. Hiroshi has missed you by the way."
"I miss him too." Katara grinned a little. "He's a cute boy but next, I'm not Hama. Don't disrespect me like you disrespected her time and time again, got it?"
"Of course, waterbender."
"Any rules for me?"
"No fighting." Ozai started. "With me or anyone unless the enemy. No servant duties, I'm serious Katara. I have people I pay every month to clean up shit, I don't need you lowering yourself. It's embarrassing."
"Fine." She folded her arms.
"No arguing and cat fights with Ami. I get she's not subtle about not liking you but I expect more from you. You're older and you have nothing to prove to her, your practically a god in your own right. What can a mortal ever say to you."
"Thank you, Ozai." Katara beamed.
"And most importantly, don't hide anything from me. You come directly to me when something happens and we'll work through it, got it?"
"I can do that."
"Excellent, I'll be expecting you sometime this week." Ozai kissed her cheek and got up to open a portal.
Making a funny face, "Aye aye, captain."
Rolling his eyes, "Grow up."
"You first." She through a pillow at him and laughed as he shook his head and disappeared into the portal.
…
A/N:
Wedding chapter up next!