Ozai's Vengeance

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T for Teen

Summary: Twelve years after the final battle, Zuko summons Katara to heal the victims of an epidemic sweeping the Fire Nation.

Disclaimer: ATLA is the property of Nickelodeon and VIACOM. No profit is made by this story.

≅

They arrived later that morning. The announcement of their arrival must have garnered significant attention, because a crowd awaited them. It was mostly women and children and dock-workers. It was almost noon, and they stood eating dumplings and yuzu as they waited. Surely these people have work they could be doing. Zuko descended the steel staircase to polite cheering, but Katara's appearance ignited raucous shouts and foot-stomping.

"Are the rumors true, my Lord?" one of Zuko's secretaries, a thin little man with an old-fashioned mustache, asked, as soon as Zuko set foot on the ground. "Are you and the Bloodbender adopting the child? When is your wedding?"

"Excuse me?" Zuko asked as someone pushed him to the forefront of the crowd. He turned. Katara stood beside him, bouncing Kurzu. Her hair was loose, the way he liked it, and Kurzu's eyes had gone huge. Even Katara looked surprised by the attention. Why should she be? The two of you weren't even the slightest bit discreet. Someone must have sent a letter ahead. Of course these people are expecting a familial announcement.

Still kicking himself for his lack of foresight, Zuko raised his arms. "People of Kaino-tama!" he shouted. "Please, bear with me. Lady Katara and I have only just now returned from Tetsushi. While we were there, we saw many terrible things. We saw an entire town brought low by one man's greed." As the crowd quieted, he explained: "The people of Tetsushi were poisoned by one of their own citizens. His name was Tizo, and he failed them both as an overseer and as a neighbor. As refinery overseer, he allowed lead to taint the water supply." Zuko half-turned to Katara. "But without Lady Katara's help, we would never have learned this. With her healing skills, she was able to diagnose the problem. Thanks to her, we have stopped the poisoning of Tetsushi. The surrounding area is now safe."

Again, polite cheering. Katara tried bowing -- it was difficult while holding Kurzu -- and then the people roared, as though seeing her for the first time. Zuko raised his arms again. The sun beat down on him. He began to sweat. "There are now wanted posters circulating with Tizo's face on them. I want every citizen to memorize his face. Let it be known that any individual who so thoroughly betrays the Fire Nation will no longer have a place within its borders. Tizo's greed almost caused the needless deaths of an entire town. I refuse to allow or forgive such behavior."

This brought the mood down a little, to Zuko's relief. This lasted only a moment, however, as Katara stepped forward and held Kurzu to face the crowd. "This is Kurzu," she said. The crowd squealed and made "ahhh" noises. Zuko barely restrained an eyeroll. "His mother was a Fire Nation native of Tetsushi, but his father was a Water Tribesman from my own community. This boy -- this beautiful, healthy boy -- is an example of what can happen if two nations decide to work together. Orphans like Kurzu are abundant at the Southern Air Temple orphanage. It's for them, and for all children, that the four nations must continue to uphold the Avatar's peace."

This time there were yips and whoops from the crowd, and Katara stepped back. "Spoken like a true Fire Lady!" someone shouted, and the people erupted into laughter and cheering. Zuko risked a quick look at Katara, who laughed as well before adjusting her grip on Kurzu and making for the carriage.

Inside, she sighed and leaned against his shoulder. "Can we not do that again for a while?"

"But they love you," Zuko said. "They love you more than they love me."

She snorted. "They love the idea of me as Fire Lady," she said. "They love the idea of you having an heir." She sat up and re-positioned Kurzu on her lap. "I'm just a walking womb to them."

The carriage rattled uphill. Small stones struck the axles and made irregular popping sounds. Zuko sat, swaying, staring at Katara in her seat of crimson silk cushions. How can you say such an evil thing, he wanted to ask. How can you even imagine someone thinking of you that way? But he knew. It was Aang and his wish for airbenders all over again.

≅

His uncle was not there to greet them when they arrived at home. Instead, a gaggle of secretaries and ministers awaited him, all seemingly intent on grabbing a piece of his attention: "My Lord, the latest report on rice yields." "My Lord, the Northern fleet specifications." "My Lord, the drawings you requested." Soon his arms overflowed with scrolls of all sizes.

He affixed Katara with a wry look. "It never ends." He turned. "Have my mother's old room prepared for Lady Katara," he told the head of housekeeping. "Where is my uncle?"

"With his guests in the western garden, my Lord."

"Guests?"

"He said he wished it to remain a surprise, my Lord."

"Why are you giving me a new room?"

He turned to see Katara frowning at him. "Dismissed," he said to the waiting crowd, and waited for them to leave before touching Kurzu's head lightly. "There's a trundle under the bed," he said. "That way, this little one can have his own bed, and you still have plenty of space to spread out."

One eyebrow arched. "Spread out?"

"You do tend to sprawl," he said in her ear. "Let's see my uncle."

They found Iroh seated on a stone half-circle before a portable brazier scattering the crumbs of moon-cakes for a horde of waiting sparrowkeets. He sat with his broad back to them, and two women sat on either side. Low, artfully-maintained trees dotted the gravel path leading down to them. As Zuko and Katara stepped down into the garden, the woman sitting to Iroh's left pricked up her ears.

"Now those are some footsteps I haven't heard in a while."

Suddenly Zuko's arms were full of Kurzu. "Toph!" Katara nearly skipped down the steps. She caught the other woman in her arms and hugged her tight. Toph coughed and patted Katara on the back.

"Easy there, Sugar Queen. I'm not going anywhere."

"But what are you doing here? When did you arrive? How did you-"

"Who is this?" Iroh asked, as Zuko descended the stone steps. The old man put down his teacup and opened his arms.

"This is Kurzu," Zuko said, handing the child over. "He's a refugee."

"Well, we wouldn't know anything about that, would we?" Iroh asked, winking at his nephew and bouncing the child on his ample belly. "Honestly, nephew, you never so much as let a pygmy puma follow you home, and now you return with a child?"

"He's very beautiful," said a quiet voice, and Zuko turned to see the woman at Iroh's right inclining her head in Kurzu's direction. She was taller than Toph, with delicate features and long, tapered fingers. She wore her black hair in one long cascade from a silken headband, and a matching robe of pale green.

"You must be…" Zuko didn't know how to finish his sentence.

"Ling," she said, bowing deeply. "Toph's traveling companion."

"Traveling companion," he said. "Of course."

Ling pinked a little. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Oh, please," Katara said, finally disentangling herself from Toph. "We're the ones who are honored. Toph has told me so much about you."

Ling only blushed more deeply. "I hope only the good things…"

"Nonsense," Toph said. "I told them all that you're a picky eater and you can never decide what to wear."

"Oh, is that all?"

"Well, I left out the part about the platypus bear."

For some reason, all three laughed. Clearly, a joke was afoot that Zuko was not privy to. He made to pour himself a cup of tea, but there were no more cups. Standing fully, he began making his way up the steps again. "Nephew?"

"More cups," Zuko said over his shoulder.

When he returned, Katara was telling the story of Tetsushi. Iroh sat beside her and bounced Kurzu on one knee. "So, the overseer is still out there," Iroh said.

"Yes," Katara said. "There are wanted posters up everywhere, though."

"We'll find him," Zuko said, and handed Katara a cup of tea.

"Thank you."

"And will you be returning to your orphanage?" Ling asked.

Katara hesitated. Zuko's stomach tightened. "That was my plan, yes."

"Oh, but then you will miss your brother and sister-in-law, and all your nieces and nephews," Iroh said.

"What?" Katara and Zuko asked in unison.

Iroh smiled. "Well, I got so lonely without you, nephew, and it was lovely to hear a woman's voice in the house again, so I invited Toph and Ling. But then I thought, why not have an impromptu family reunion?" He grinned at Katara. "Your brother and his family should be here soon."

"How soon?" Zuko asked.

"Well, that depends on when my dragon-hawk actually reaches them. You see, I have yet to hear back from them."

Zuko wasn't sure whether to strangle the old man or applaud him for his craftiness. Knowing Sokka and Suki were on their way would only delay Katara further, and keep her in the household longer. And you thought his meddling ended with that little attack of faux food poisoning.

Katara fixed Iroh with a suspicious glare before shifting her attention to Zuko. "You won't hear from them," she said. "I asked Sokka and Suki to go to the temple in my place." She looked back at Iroh. "They had probably left by the time you sent your message."

"Never fear," Iroh said pleasantly. "I sent several messages, including one to your friend Haru. He should be at the temple by now." He lifted Kurzu in the air. "There is nothing to worry about. The children are safe." He said it in his best baby-talk voice.

"The kids at the temple need me," Katara said.

"Your family needs you, too," Iroh said. "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

"The old man's got a point, Sugar Queen," Toph said. "The last time we were all together was…" She trailed off and dug a hole in the gravel with one toe. "Well, you know."

Katara sighed. "I just don't want to shirk my responsibilities…"

"Lady Katara, I hope you will forgive me for saying so, but I believe that it is also your responsibility to return to the temple refreshed and relaxed, so as to best serve the interests of the children," Ling said. "Over the years, I have grown used to being Toph's eyes. If she were to ask me how you look now, I would tell her that you are in obvious need of a good rest after working so hard."

"What an eloquent young lady you are," Iroh said. "I could not have said it better myself."

As though mention of rest brought on thoughts of sleep, Katara yawned. "I guess I haven't been getting much sleep lately…"

"No, you haven't," Zuko said, before instantly clamping his lips shut. Katara shot him a lethal glance. He felt Toph and Iroh's direct stares burning little holes in his chest. "The baby kept you awake the whole trip back, I mean, and you were pushing yourself so hard in Tetsushi trying to heal everyone…"

"That's true," Katara said. "Speaking of which, I suppose I should get a nap in before dinner." She stood.

"An excellent idea," Iroh said, following her. "Would you like to take Kurzu with you? The nursery hasn't been prepared in ages, but I'm sure we can find someone to do it."

"That won't be necessary," Katara said, taking Kurzu from Iroh's arms. "He's used to me by now, and anything else that disrupts his routine will probably just make him fussier." She frowned and looked at the child. "Although if there are any baby clothes in the house…"

Iroh offered an arm to the two Earth Kingdom women. "Ling, we are now on a quest for children's clothing."

"Yes sir," Ling said, smiling and twining her arm with his.

"Does this quest involve as much time in the market as the last one did?" Toph asked, and the other two laughed.

Zuko sidled up to Katara and Kurzu. "I'll walk you to your new room."

"That's all right, we can find it ourselves," Katara said, and strode on ahead. Her footsteps rang dryly on the flagstones. Kurzu watched Zuko from over her shoulder, his hands making fat fistfuls of her hair. The scene reminded Zuko of something, but he couldn't remember what.

≅

That afternoon Zuko's scar throbbed. Heavy clouds moved in over the palace, and the air hung heavy and damp over the grounds. "I wish it would just rain already," Toph said at dinner.

"It does make our quest more difficult," Iroh said. "I would hate to give Kurzu my nephew's cast-offs, but if Katara insists…"

Pleading exhaustion, Katara had requested dinner in her room. Iroh had pledged to send her a special calming restorative tea he blended himself: ginger, chamomile, rosehips, "and a little something sweet," that Zuko suspected might be cherry blossom liqueur. Without her and Kurzu at the table, the state room seemed oddly empty. Zuko tried to recall the last time he had sat in this room with his entire family. "It must have been before the first siege," he said to himself.

"What was that, nephew?"

Zuko shook his head to clear it. "Nothing, uncle."

"It's not nothing, you said something just now," Toph said. "So. Out with it."

Zuko folded his napkin. "I was merely trying to remember an occasion when the whole family used this room for dinner."

"Before the siege," Iroh said. "You were very young, and Azula was even younger. My father sat where you are now, with me beside him and Lu Ten beside me, with Ozai on the other side and Ursa beside him." He smiled. "You were beside Ursa, and Azula sat beside you. I seem to remember her poking you with one of her toys."

"But what about your mother?" Ling asked. "Where did she sit?"

Iroh blinked. "My mother? Oh. Well. She was like my own wife, Ku Mei. In fact, I think they were even distant cousins. Both of them died in childbirth." Iroh took a sip of his tea. "My father, Fire Lord Azulon, never truly forgave my brother for that."

Zuko's chopsticks clattered to his bowl. He turned to his uncle. "Is that true?"

"When I enter the Spirit World, I will be sure to ask him, but I believe it to be so," Iroh said. He held his bowl in one hand and grasped noodles with the other. "It was a very long time ago, nephew, and my father was old-fashioned. He believed that Ozai had somehow stolen your grandmother's life. Of course, he would never say such a thing -- he was a superstitious man, but hid it very well -- but I noticed that he treated Ozai differently."

"Guess we know why Ozai favored the youngest child," Toph said, her mouth full of noodles. "Sorry, Sparky, but it had to be said."

"Were there any signs?" Zuko asked.

"Of my father's disfavor? Well, first, he-"

"No, I mean of Grandmother and Ku Mei's childbearing trouble," Zuko said. He felt his good ear go pink. "I mean…they must have seen the palace physicians and their own midwives… Couldn't someone have warned them?"

Iroh frowned and squirmed a little. "Well, if anyone gave my mother such a warning, she told me nothing about it." He shrugged. "Then again, my mother was a woman from a different era. Perhaps your generation shares things of a more private nature with children, but you would have to ask Sokka and Suki about that."

"Those two can't keep a secret to save their lives," Toph said. "Their kids know when another one's on the way before they do."

"That's not necessarily bad secret-keeping," Ling said. "Perhaps the children are simply clever."

"It doesn't take a genius to know why your mom's vomiting all over the place when you've seen it a million times before."

"And there goes my appetite," Zuko said, pushing his bowl away.

≅

He waited until the rain came. By that time he had caught up on most of his reading, having chosen to defer the most technical texts -- new ship designs, a geological survey -- for the morning when he could approach them with a sharp mind. Now his pot of tea had gone cold and he listened to the rain pattering on the tiles above.

It had been on the tip of his tongue to ask his uncle if Ku Mei had ever miscarried a child. Somehow the two things seemed to fit: if a person's body had difficulty doing a certain task, then perhaps a previous failure was a sign of a fatal one to come. But it's not like that, Zuko thought, it's not like bending. The body can't practice carrying a child. Perhaps there were census records on the subject. Would questions like that be included? If they were, would Fire Nation women answer honestly? Katara had kept her miscarriage a secret from everyone, even her brother. Would women answering a census tell a complete stranger such things? Would his uncle tell him, if he asked? Somehow, he doubted it.

Zuko stood and stretched. His neck popped as he twisted it from side to side. His eyes itched. Soon I'll need glasses like the old Earth King. He looked at the room: spare and austere aside from the vibrantly-colored maps he'd had hung in place of his father's antique weapons. His twin blades hung above a bed sheathed in black silk brocade. It looked big and lonely tonight, like the sea under a new moon.

Sighing, Zuko shrugged off his outer jacket and vest, and slid on a pair of slippers. He cleaned his teeth, washed his face, and opened his armoire. Stepping inside, he blew softly in a dragon-shaped pneumatic lock. The other side of the armoire opened quietly, and he stepped through after closing the armoire after himself. He stood now in a dusty, narrow passageway. His right hand found the slender railing and he began walking. He hadn't used this passage since first discovering it, having no need for it, and his skin crawled at each sound that he imagined might be a rat or a spider. Lighting a tiny ball of flame in one palm, he proceeded down the rest of the passage until he found a door. This too he opened with a fire-tinged breath. Resurrecting his Blue Spirit stealth, he slipped into his mother's old room.

In the light of his own flame, he saw Katara asleep in his mother's old bed, surrounded by gold brocade and deep amber satin. Although someone had pulled out the trundle and dressed it, Kurzu lay curled up under Katara's arm. May the sages bless whichever Fire Lord commissioned the building of that passage. Snuffing the flame out with his fist, Zuko approached the bed. He pulled off his shirt and cautiously lifted the covers. His fingers had just grazed Katara's hip when he received a sharp elbow to the stomach. Katara rolled over top of him and he felt a pressure building in his neck, it was getting hard to breathe…You were a fool for surprising a bloodbender, Zu-Zu, his sister's voice taunted him.

He took hold of Katara's wrists and pried them away. "It's me," he hissed.

She punched him in the stomach and he coughed. "It serves you right for sneaking in here like a thief!" she said in a terse whisper. "How did you get in here, anyway?"

"Secret passage," he said, gagging.

She snorted. "Typical. You couldn't just ask to spend the night."

"And have the rest of the palace know?"

"What, are you ashamed?"

"Of course not!"

"Don't shout!" she said in a stage whisper. "You'll wake up Kurzu!"

He re-lit the flame in his palm and stared at her. One strap of her plain white shift had fallen from her shoulder, and he had to forcibly direct his eyes away from the surprisingly-enticing patch of shoulder it left bare. "Don't you want me to be discreet?"

"Not if it's because you're embarrassed about this!" Her eyes narrowed. She pointed at the secret panel from which he had entered the room. "This is the real reason you switched my room, isn't it? So you could just have me anytime you wanted, and no one would know. It wasn't about Kurzu at all."

She has you, there. He stammered: "It was… It wasn't just about Kurzu."

Katara's palm met her forehead. "I thought you cared about him, Zuko."

"I do. You know I do."

"You just happen to care about sleeping with me more."

"Don't make me the villain because I happen to enjoy taking you to bed. The last time I checked, you liked it, too."

Her arms crossed. "Well, I don't like being shuffled from room to room just for your convenience! Did you ever stop to think about what I might want?"

"Apparently not," Zuko said. "While we're on the subject, what do you want? Are telling me you wouldn't have minded if I had chosen to tell my uncle and Toph and Ling this afternoon about how we've spent the past three days. Wouldn't that make a nice welcome gift for your brother? 'Please enjoy your stay in the Fire Nation, Sokka, and by the way -- did you know your sister enjoys letting the Fire Lord ravish her every night?'"

Katara blinked. Her mouth opened, then closed. She seemed unable to contain something -- wrath or laughter, Zuko couldn't tell. Finally she succumbed and giggled through her nose. "Ravish?"

He ducked his head. "It was all I could think of that wasn't…vulgar."

"Oh, and you've never been vulgar."

A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "Only with you, Sweetness."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Lucky me." Smiling, she re-settled herself on top of him so that her breath tickled his nose. His fire petered out and the sudden darkness left him hyper-aware of her warmth, her smell. "You've been a very bad boy, Mister Fire Lord."

Zuko arched up helplessly and whispered in her ear: "You have no idea."

"And that's really too bad."

"Why's that?"

"Because bad boys aren't getting lucky, tonight," she said, and rolled away. "I just got this baby to sleep, and it's a miracle he hasn't woken up again. And I think I'm still a little mad at you. So you'll just have to grin and bear it." She dug her head into the pillows.

Restraining a frustrated groan, Zuko followed her and looped an arm over her. "One kiss," he said, nuzzling her neck. "I haven't kissed you in ten hours."

She shifted. "You counted?"

"I happen to have a very accurate internal chronometer."

"Oh, is that what that is?" she asked, wiggling. "It doesn't seem so internal, to me."

He nipped her ear. "Now who's being vulgar?"

"You've caught me. I confess."

"You're lucky I don't tie you to a tree," he said. "Kiss me."

Katara turned and he pulled her close. His hand plunged into her hair and held her face. He made the kiss last as best he could. It came out gentler than he'd intended, softer, more reverent, as though he really were as new to this as she made him feel. When they pulled away, Katara wavered a little. "You really know how to say goodnight," she said.

She settled into the pillows. He molded himself to her and buried his nose between her neck and shoulder, sliding a hand over her belly. "You should hear me say good morning."

≅

The next morning, Zuko's eyes opened to find Kurzu playing on the floor. The child had somehow crawled away from Katara, down to his trundle bed, and onto the floor. He headed straight for a heavy cabinet. Zuko watched in sleepy amusement as Kurzu tried to climb up the glossy, slippery surface of lacquered wood. He failed each time, and finally voiced his frustration by banging on the door with his tiny palm. The door rattled on its hinge and the cabinet made a deep, resonant sound. Beside him, Katara startled awake.

"It's nothing," Zuko said as she sat up. "Just Kurzu."

As though he knew he were the subject of conversation, Kurzu turned to them, smiled, and banged on the cabinet even harder. Katara groaned. "How does Suki put up with so many babies?"

"The same way she puts up with your brother, I suspect."

Katara sent him a look that said she was not amused. Rolling his eyes, Zuko sat up and slid off the bed. "Kurzu, as your Fire Lord I order you to make less noise." He bent and picked up the child. Kurzu reeked. "Ugh! Dear sages, have you been tracking shit all over my carpets?"

Behind him, Katara stifled laughter. He turned to her, holding Kurzu at arms' length. For some reason, she found this terribly funny, and she hid under the covers giggling uncontrollably. A Katara- shaped lump trembled under the gold brocade. Zuko marched for the bed. "This isn't funny!"

Katara only laughed harder. From beneath the covers, she pointed at him. "Don't bring him over here. Take him into the washroom and bathe him."

"Would my favorite waterbender like to help me with that particular task?"

"No. Your favorite waterbender intends to sleep in."

Zuko looked at Kurzu. The child blinked. His hair stuck up on one side and Zuko had the oddest urge to tamp it down. "I'm re-opening the nursery, and hiring a nanny," he said. "The greatest men in this country were looked after by nannies, and you won't be any different."

"Stop stalling, Sparky."

≅

Zuko navigated the passage back to his own room with a spring in his step. Bathing Kurzu had somehow turned into a bathing party with him, Katara, and the child crammed into his mother's cedar-and-granite tub. Firebenders and waterbenders were uniquely suited to the best bathing experience, Zuko had decided. One could keep the water moving while the other kept it warm. And washing Katara's back -- and washing her hair -- was the perfect way to start his day. Meditation just paled in comparison to all that dark, fragrant loveliness tumbling through his fingers while the woman in question squirmed and purred under his hands.

He had resolved to spend every morning thusly until Katara either left or came to her senses. He was in the midst of a happy daydream involving her and a bar of soap when he emerged on the other side of his armoire. The room was as he left it, the bed still made, his clothes hanging on the chair. Only one exception dimmed his mood.

"So, nephew," Iroh said as he poured a second cup of tea, "is there something you would like to tell me?"