Back Up Plans

Chapter 3: You Can Choose Your Friends

Zuko rubs his eyes as he looks up from his desk. The clock on the opposite wall slowly comes into focus.

"Almost six," Sokka says with inexplicable cheeriness. He leans around the panel dividing their cubicles eager for conversation. Choosing to ignore him, Zuko stretches in his chair unconcerned with anyone who might stare. They were all interns anyway.

Every other year Noriko & King Consulting hired a dozen interns to do the company's most menial work for three months. The reason they got hundreds of applications every spring was because of the promise to hire two onto the staff at the end of the term. As the largest privately owned consulting law firm in the nation- not to mention the excellent political ties it boasts- Noriko & King Consulting is the opportunity of a lifetime for students graduating from a variety of programs. Naturally, the entire second story of the office is filled with clusters of cubicles like the ones Zuko and Sokka sit at.

Running through the day's list of tasks in his mind, Zuko realizes with a grimace that he can't avoid a report assigned to him any longer. He glances at the clock once more as he debates what to do.

"Hey," he addresses Sokka reluctantly. "Do you know if President King is still in the office?"

"I heard Kaseem mention that he'd left early," Sokka replies. Zuko tries not to flinch away from his boisterous presence as he leans around the partition once more. "Something about an appointment with the District Attorney. Why?"

Zuko grimaces both at the mention of Zhao, the District Attorney, and Zuko's missed opportunity to get his assignment over with. "Just deciding what to do about the Phoenix Report. I can't really afford to put it off for another day," he answers. The report had him working directly with the company's President – much to his dismay- so procrastination would last long. Every other intern was working with a junior employee doing entry level work, but of course Zuko had somehow been singled out by their honorable leader. It did little for his popularity, not to mention his emotional well-being.

"Yeah, that's a bummer," Sokka sympathizes. "But, hey, at least you get to pick the brain of one of New York's most successful guys."

"Right. Nothing but the best and brightest..." he mutters.

"Well, I'd offer to help but I've got a date with Suki in an hour," Sokka adds with transparent nonchalance. Zuko offers no reply, but Sokka continues fishing for interest. "You met her," he continues expectantly, "- sort of." Zuko raises a disbelieving eyebrow at him. When had he ever been a part of his coworkers' private lives? The idea seemed especially unbelievable with this particular coworker. "C'mon you remember a few days ago when we stopped at the Four Nations."

"Oh, you mean when you made us late from our lunch break? Yeah I remember that."

Sokka's exasperation is almost comical to Zuko. Almost. "God Zuko, we worked through lunch and how many times do I have to say it? We weren't late because-"

"-There was technically no limit on the meeting with the Mayor's staffers. Yeah I remember. How's your sister by the way?" Zuko wonders as he speaks how his mind latched onto that thought. "She was that girl who was attacked in the subway station last night, right?"

"She's doing okay," Sokka replies with some surprise. "How did you know about that?"

Zuko shrugs. "The story was on the local news. I recognized her name."

"Oh right…" Sokka contemplates his coworker for a moment. "Well she's doing okay. She got released this morning. She's gonna hate using crutches."

"I can imagine," Zuko says and a violent memory flashes through his mind. Screeching tires and that flash of horror when he had realized on that rainy night what was about to happen. Crutches had been the least of his worries all those years ago.

"You heading out?" Sokka asks finally noticing Zuko's jacket and briefcase tucked under his arm.

"Yeah," he says grateful for the distraction. "I'm gonna get an old professor's input on this. He holds up a thick folder with the company seal on it. Zuko doesn't share his suspicions with Sokka about some of the contents of the file, but he will be glad to talk to his Uncle about them.

Sokka shakes his head in disappointment, "And here I thought you might actually have a social life." He slaps a comradely hand on Zuko's shoulder before an icy glare has him quickly withdrawing it. "Suki has a lot of friends, ya know."

Zuko wishes he'd been able to control the automatic roll of his eyes. The proposition didn't merit acknowledgment. "If I ever get that desperate I'll let you know." Turning on his heel he decides it's time to leave before any more 'good will' finds its way into Sokka's head.

"Well don't blame me when you die alone," Sokka raises a hand in mock salute as Zuko departs.

"I won't," he mutters, though he's not sure exactly which part of that statement he's agreeing to. As he heads toward the lobby of the multilevel building, his path leads him past the spacious office delegated to the company's President. As usual, his eyes find themselves inevitably glancing inside. Today, however, he is surprised by an unwelcome sight.

"What are you doing in Ozai's office?" he demands as he stands in the doorway.

Azula glances up from the file lying open on the desk to discover her big brother standing a few feet away. "So the workaholic does leave the office," she marvels.

"You didn't answer my question." He postures himself determinedly in the doorway.

"Oh, Zuko," she sighs while flicking the folder closed. "Daddy's not here so you don't have to try so hard to seem competent."

Zuko clenches his jaw irately as his sister's jabs continue. Taking a slow breath, he manages to reply in an even tone. "If you're looking for Ozai he's out of the office. I suggest you come back some other time."

"I'm not looking for father. I'm here for you," she says as she saunters forward. Zuko looks down at his little sister with obvious distrust. To most of the world she appears a little lamb, but he knows a wolf in sheep's clothes when he sees one. She sighs again as if the pretense was impossible to maintain. "I guess technically I'm here for Mai," she confesses. "We were in the neighborhood and she wanted to say hello."

Zuko's muscles immediately tense at the mention of Mai. Azula's exaggerated innocence isn't his only clue that she's working to keep the subject away from her. Despite this knowledge he can't squash his reaction at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. A quick glance around the room confirms that she isn't in the immediate vicinity.

"I-I don't have time. To say hello I mean." Azula watches with vindictive pleasure as her brother's cool demeanor cracks. "I have to catch a train." he stutters steps away from her.

"Let us give you a ride," she offers, but makes no effort to follow him.

"It's too far out of your way." Two feet to the door. Then just one more step.

"We've got all night. And that way you two could have a nice, long chat. Catch up and all that."

"Tell Mai…" Zuko's hand squeezes the door handle as he pauses at the stairwell. "Tell her whatever you want." The door slams shut behind him. Azula watches his retreating figure through the glass doors.

"Mai will be so disappointed," she says when his thin frame disappears from sight. She turns away from the empty lobby and returns to her previous endeavor.

Out on the street, Zuko barrels through the building's glass doors but quickly halts when he spots the sleek, black sedan idling next to the curb. His reflection in the tinted windows glowers back at him until he realizes that no one is rolling down the window; either because no one is there or because Mai has no desire to speak to him. He stalks away from the vehicle feeling the old hatred begin to resurrect itself.

"Calm down," he commands. "There's no point in letting her get to you." Azula had enjoyed causing upheaval since they were kids. Unfortunately, disappointing Mai had also been one of the constants in his life.

A half hour later Zuko sits on a train headed into the city and still lost in the past. He'd never really figured out what to call his relationship with Mai. They'd gone down the messy road of trying to transition from friends to more, but had never become legitimate couple despite Mai's efforts. His negligent attitude had placed a tall hurdle before the goal, and 'lovers' usually implied a symbiotic relationship. He'd been in too bad of a place after his Mother left to offer anything close to love.

The thought of his mother sends a wave of sorrow through him, but her forces his mind back from that avenue. When he'd nearly flunked out of school he'd decided to swear off everything that tied him to his past; the past that drew a line and said 'proceed no further.'

It wasn't Mai's fault that the universe messed up her timing, but he knew that didn't save her from the pain of their separation. Regret seeps into him as he stares out the window of the train. At the end of the day, like every other day, he wonders if he's made a single good decision. It was probably a mistake to fight destiny and grasp at an undefined dream. After today, he's certain his decisions will not go unpunished. All of his old demons have begun to rear their ugly heads, and, apparently, Azula has decided to be their catalyst and ring leader.

As Zuko wonders 'what if' at every turn, he considers that a visit to his uncle is perfectly timed. No one helped him find clarity quite like he did, not to mention the campus was his home away from home. After tonight he would be able to finally get some work done. When the train doors eventually open up at his station, he exits the dirty subway and hustles toward his destination.

"Knock, knock." Zuko's knuckles rap lightly against the door frame. The older man behind his desk appears surprised when he looks away from his computer.

"Nephew!" Iroh calls and beckons the young man. His familiar, gravelly voice starts unwinding Zuko's taught emotions. Zuko sets his bag down on a square of tidy space and greets his uncle.

"I was not expecting to see you so soon," Iroh says happily.

"Well, I have to defend my title as favorite nephew. " Zuko glances around the cluttered office and sighs. "Besides," he adds. "I had a feeling you weren't going to organize this hell hole."

Iroh chuckles in self-deprecation and shrugs. "I believe there's a saying about old dogs and new tricks isn't there?" He runs his hands across his generous torso as he looks fondly around the room. "You might not like my system, Zuko, but it is a complex, fine tuned masterpiece. How about you stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself for a change."

"There's nothing to worry about," Zuko replies as he thumbs through a stack of pages.

"Oh really? Then my brother grew a heart, my niece some compassion and you met a nice girl you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

Zuko releases a long sigh. "If that were true I might actually start worrying."

Iroh laughs heartily at his nephew's pessimism. "Only the first two my boy. A pretty young woman falling in love with you would not surprise me at all. Although, you will have to venture out of your apartment and the office if you ever want to find her."

"I go to the grocery store too," Zuko says earning another laugh. As their humor simmers, Iroh looks at his nephew with a penetrating gaze. Not ready to have his mind read just yet, Zuko steps away from his Uncle under the pretense of removing his jacket. "Before I tell you the exciting new developments in my life, let's at least try to sort through your mail, okay?"

Iroh raises his arms in surrender. "Alright, but I reserve the right to veto any suggestions to get rid of my favorite magazines."

"Which are those?" Zuko asks as he digs into the nearest pile.

"The Victoria's Secret catalog."

Iroh is rewarded by having said catalogue chucked at his face. Eventually, the two roll up their sleeves and spend the next forty-five minutes discussing everything from Zuko's love life to the declining political culture, and, of course, how to make the perfect cup of tea. After they've uncovered the top of Iroh's desk and chairs, the older man breaches the unspoken agreement between them.

"So tell me how you're really doing, Zuko."

The young man doesn't halt his shuffling until Iroh rests a paternal hand on his shoulder. Iroh can feel his shoulders grow tense as he attempts to answer.

"I had a pleasant conversation with Azula today."

"I see." Iroh's tone does not imply any of his worry. Iroh watches Zuko's eyes find their way to the pictures that sit on Iroh's shelves. The people behind the faces smiling out of the frame have changed so much, but they had sat on his desk since the day he began work in university's college of Liberal Arts nine years ago. He knows that Zuko will not find peace looking at his family. "Zuko?"

Zuko abandons his project and Iroh sense him carefully put away his emotions.

"She was snooping through Ozai's office. I don't know what for."

"Sounds like she's finding things to keep herself busy. A little socialite like her has priorities too."

"Right. Who needs a degree when you can blackmail your way to the top?"

Iroh doesn't laugh at his nephew's revealing joke. "What does she have on you, nephew?"

Zuko rises from his seat on the floor so he can pace across the office. "Nothing really."

The older man nods thoughtfully. "I guess she doesn't really need to with the history between you two."

"Yes, and the fact that I can't stand being within a hundred yards of her and her friends Ty Lee or...Mai."

"Zuko-"

"It's okay. I'm fine," Zuko insists cutting of whatever sympathies his uncle was going to express. "I actually came down here because I wanted to get your opinion on something from my internship. It has some suspicious records." He reaches over to his bag and pulls out a thick folder. "I didn't want to jump to conclusions but I think- well look at the numbers."

He stands up and hands the folder to his Uncle pointing to specific numbers and businesses associated with the company. "Noriko & King- minus the Noriko now- are apparently changing their financial strategy. It wouldn't have bothered me if I hadn't seen Zhao's signature on the back of each of these checks."

Iroh continues flipping through the file's pages. "What's so troublesome about the company aligning itself with the District Attorney and the public sector?" he asks.

"The fact that these are all different entities that Zhao is signing the checks for; and that these entities are part of different JPA's. Obviously Zhao is double dipping and you know even better than I do what a kind of a person he is when no one is looking."

Iroh regards Zuko thoughtfully for a moment. "You came here for the advice of an old law professor did you not?" Iroh asks with raised eyebrows.

"I came to you because you're not just a law professor," Zuko replies in frustration. " You know what these people are capable of."

Silently, Iroh acknowledges that he knows even better than Zuko what crimes their family is capable of. He counters Zuko with a question. "And what is it that you think they're capable of?"

Zuko begins pacing agitatedly stopping only to stare out the large bay windows. "When Grandfather Norino died, all the company stock that reverted back to him when my parents split up became available to Ozai. I my father would do whatever it took to have total control of the company. It would mean a foot in the door of every important businessman and politician in the new England area."

"So you think he did whatever it took to remove his company from the hands of his Ex-father-in-law and is now laundering money with the help of a corrupt District Attorney."

Zuko body language grows more and more agitated as the discussion progresses. "I don't know Uncle. Should I believe that? And if I do, what should I do about it? Ozai shouldn't be able to do whatever he wants. Whatever plans he has will increase his power at the cost of everyone else!"

Iroh let's Zuko finish his angry rant before responding. "Would you like to hear from your Uncle or your law professor first?"

"I don't care…"

"As your law professor, I believe it is your job and duty to maintain the integrity of the city," Iroh explains. "However, you should keep in mind that your career hasn't even begun, and making enemies in high places can wait for when you have more support."

"But if Ozai-"

Iroh raises a commanding hand until Zuko slumps against the bookshelf behind him. "As your Uncle, I want to know exactly why you wish to take action. Is it because you genuinely care about the integrity of the company you work for? Or are you allowing yourself to be pulled back under the influence of Ozai- letting your resentment toward him fuel vengeful desires and drag you back under his power?"

The tension in the room is a physical presence. Neither Zuko nor Iroh move until finally Zuko sighs. His dark hair hangs over his eyes as he dips his head in defeat. "I'll never be free of his power," he confesses quietly. "The only reason I can get through the day is because I can pretend I'm someone else. I can pretend I'm one of those people whose parents are the kind of people who think of their son everyday as he works in the big city becoming a huge success. For a few hours, I get to be that guy whose biggest concerns are the kind you can leave at the office," Zuko begins to pick at the torn cover of one of the books behind him. "But something always comes along to ruin it. She knows exactly how to get under my skin. Five minutes with any of them and I can't even think straight."

Iroh walks up to his nephew and embraces him. It takes Zuko a long moment before he can return the embrace but soon he is gripping his Uncle. Iroh places both hands on Zuko's shoulders when they break apart. Looking at his nephew's downcast eyes and he silently weeps for him.

"I don't expect you to forget everything they have done, nephew, but freedom will only come when you learn to forgive them. I know it is easier said than done," Iroh concedes when Zuko scoffs. "It is especially difficult because you have chosen to live within reaching distance of his long arm, but someday you will learn that happiness- true happiness- can only be found when you base your life on a foundation of love and forgiveness. People will disappoint you. You will disappoint yourself but love and forgiveness endure."

Iroh can feel the intense stress in his nephew's shoulders as he finishes. "Alright," he says ready to change the subject to a more cheerful topic. "Grab your coat. The only way to stop thinking about yourself is to think about others."

"I thought you said I should worry more about myself."

"That was before I remembered what an incredible pessimist you are," he replies with a chuckle. He tosses Zuko's jacket to him and flicks the lights off. As the pair walk toward the stairwell Zuko asks, "Where are we going exactly?"

"You never did like surprises," Iroh sighs.

"Surprises are for people who enjoy having the rug pulled out from under them."

Iroh shakes his head but chooses not to fight that battle. "I have a friend at the hospital who could use some volunteers. But on the way there I can tell you more about my new tea recipe!"

Zuko groans and seriously considers running in the opposite direction.