Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, but before we commence, I would like to put out an apology to anybody who felt 'annoyed', 'disappointed' or otherwise offended by my asking for a certain number of reviews before publishing a new chapter. However, while I do understand your reasoning - as once upon a time, I felt quite the same - I ask you now kindly to understand mine. Writing a chapter by chapter story without very many reviews is a disheartening experience. Reviews provide encouragement and the reassurance that somebody out there is definitely reading and enjoying a story. Favouriting or following a story does not guarantee a dedicated readership, just as buying a book in the real world does not guarantee that you will read it. In the real world, author's need reviews too. At the end of the day, it can actually be quite challenging to satisfactorily write 1000-3000 words and post it online for an audience, and that task becomes increasingly harder when there is little feedback given. Meanwhile, clicking a couple of buttons to leave even just a very simple review does not take much effort, especially not in comparison. If I'm putting in 1000+ words of effort in, I don't really think it's too much to ask of you for a handful of reviews. I'm not asking for much. I'm not even asking for more than I've been getting. Frankly, I think it was rather petty that two people had a poke at me for it last chapter. But whatever, it's only fanfiction and if that's your opinion then once again, I apologize.
Now, for the rest of you lovely people, have a chapter and if you wouldn't mind, do kindly leave a review. Enjoy.
Chapter 18
When the police finished their questioning, Dr Pakku had Suki move Zuko to a ward. He rubbed his wrists where the handcuffs had sat and was glad to be rid of them, even if he was forced to be transported by wheelchair. "It's just how it works in hospitals. We don't ask sick and injured patients to walk when we have the ability to move them ourselves," she said, somewhat indignantly. Zuko didn't answer her as she wheeled him into a room with two beds. One bed was already occupied by a younger girl with short black hair.
"Suki, that you?"
"Hi Toph. How are you today?"
"The stinging has finally stopped. Can I come home soon?"
Zuko left the wheelchair and sat on the bed. The girl across the room gazed in his general direction with a frown. He realized with a small start that she was blind. Suki went over to her. "They're looking much better today. I'll get Dr Pakku to look at them again and he'll tell you if you can go home soon. I'm sorry the treatment didn't work, Toph. You were so excited."
She shrugged. "It would have been nice to be able to see for the first time, but I've been blind my whole life, so I'm use to it. I guess I don't care either way; it was just the thought of something cool and new. Who else is here? That doesn't feel like Aang."
Suki grunted. "It's not Aang. His name is Zuko and he was shot earlier this morning. Dr Pakku wants to keep him here until someone he lives with comes to take him home, just so he's not left on his own with the injury." She glanced over to Zuko. "He should be gone in a few hours."
Toph shrugged. "Whatever. How is Aang anyway?"
"Still pretty out of it. Though there is a bit of good news; he's been moving a little in his sleep. I'd say he's going to pull through."
The blind girl's face cracked into a smile. "Finally. Sugar Queen will be happy to hear that. Hey, give me some gossip. Has she told you anymore about that guy she had detention with? I got the vibe that they were getting friendly."
With a sigh, Suki turned to look towards Zuko again. "Yeah, her new boyfriend. Apparently, he visited our house last night before he got himself shot."
For a moment, Toph frowned, trying to sense the direction of Suki's voice. When it clicked, she gazed blindly towards Zuko and indicated to him again. "This is the guy?"
Suki nodded. "This is the guy."
Toph gave him a sly grin. "Kid, you're going to get Hell from me. I love stirring Sugar Queen up, and I haven't had the pleasure to use a boyfriend to get under her skin for a long time."
Suki started laughing. "Zuko, she isn't kidding." She stood up. "I'll send Dr Pakku to see you when I bump into him, Toph. Maybe he'll let me take you home tonight." She left them alone.
Toph turned to gaze blindly at him once again, a mischievous grin spread across her face. "So, you and Katara slept together yet?"
Zuko stared back at her, dumbfound.
Sokka dragged Katara straight from the police station, to the supermarket to buy the groceries – their original task for the day – and then straight back home. "I cannot believe you didn't tell me about this guy! Look how much trouble you're in now!"
She sighed. "Sokka, didn't you hear them? I'm not in any trouble. And from the sounds of it, he's not in much trouble himself." Sokka grunted. "Sokka, he is a hero! If it weren't for what he did, Azula would have gotten information to the Red Army. Then Ba Sing Se and every refugee in here would be screwed. Including us."
He huffed irritably. "It still would have been nice to know who my sister was hanging out with!"
"I was trying to introduce you to each other today! It's hardly been a week. Give me a chance!"
He rounded on her suddenly. "It was him you were with the other night when you didn't come home, wasn't it?!"
Katara bit her lip. "Yeah, and what of it?"
"You slept at his house and he slept at ours without you even telling anyone!"
"He didn't sleep when he came to our house. He was just making sure his psychotic sister hadn't abducted me."
"Oh my God!" Sokka yelled out as they approached the house. "Why does the universe do this stuff to me?"
She shrugged. "What stuff? Come on, Sokka, it isn't that bad."
"Oh yeah? Tell me, what could be worse?"
"Um, it would be a lot worse if his sister had come and abducted me. She was threatening to kill me, Sokka," she pointed out.
Sokka just shook his head. "Katara, why didn't you go to the police?"
"You know that's not how it works," she sighed. "If I'd gone to them, she would have done something before they caught her and come back for revenge."
Sokka raised an eyebrow. "What do you think she's going to do when she realizes that she didn't get the stuff she was after?"
Katara shook her head. "She's gone now. And the police know what she could do, so they'll be keeping an eye out. It was too late to go to them before. It's safe for them to know now."
He shook his head. "I still can't believe you and your little boyfriend are getting out of this one so easily. Those files must have been really important for them to be letting Zuko off like this for saving them."
Somewhere far outside the walls of Ba Sing Se, a woman dressed in a Red Army uniform entered the underground bunker and made her way through the passageways. Other members of the Red Army trembled and bowed to her as she passed. A cruel smile graced her lips as she went by. Two guards standing in front of a door bowed and stood aside for her. She didn't even have to slow down as she approached or entered the room.
Her Father – Lord Ozai, as he had everyone calling him – stood on the other side of the room, his back to her, facing a burning fireplace. Azula moved forward confidently and stopped a few meters away. "Father," she said with a bow. "My mission is complete. I have brought you the files of King Kuei from the royal palace itself." She presented the package wrapped in bin-liner to the man.
He turned to face her slowly and took the parcel from her hands. Holding it out in front of him, he addressed her. "My sources tell me that your brother has been left alive."
Azula frowned. "I shot him as I left and I watched him fall. He should not have lived!"
"WELL HE LIVES!" Ozai yelled, suddenly furious. "I told you clearly that if he was not to return with you willingly, you were to end his life on completion of your mission."
She nodded frantically. "I am sorry, Father. I will return to Ba Sing Se tonight and finish the job. I will get it right this time."
"No," he said. "You will not go back to Ba Sing Se tonight. The city is on high alert now. Your brother has told the police everything he knows." His eyes burned on her face. "You will return another time. And you will complete your mission properly."
She nodded. "Of course, my Lord."
He glared at her for a moment longer before he began unwrapping the package in his hands. Azula raised her head proudly as he pulled the files from the bin-liner. Her smile faltered for a moment when she saw them. They were not how she remembered them. She'd taken an A3 folder, not –
"What is this?" Ozai asked venomously, flipping through the pages. "You dare to mock me like this, Azula?!" he roared.
She resisted the urge to flinch at his tone as she reached forward and pulled the files from his hand. They weren't files at all. She flipped frantically through the blank pages of a sketchbook, her heart-rate rising in panic and embarrassment. "What?" she hissed at the empty pages. "The files, I even looked at them to check, but they were in a folder, not a…" Her brow creased as she remembered that she'd given the package to her brother when they'd first been confronted by the guards. But how?! "Zuko!"
Iroh had gone straight to the hospital after the questioning was over. Zuko had only been in the room with Toph for an hour before he arrived. He chatted animatedly with the blind girl while Zuko sulked on the other bed, asking if they could go home yet. Toph sighed inwardly after finding herself alone once again. It wasn't long before Suki rejoined her though. "You sound exhausted," Toph said as she slumped into the chair next to Toph's bed.
"I have been working way too hard." Suki complained. "I need a holiday."
Toph laughed. "Dr Pakku seemed pretty happy with my eyes, but he didn't say if I could go home or not."
"Not to you. He told me to take you with me."
She grinned. "Really? Finally! I am so sick of this place."
Suki glared at her, not that she'd be able to tell. "How do you think I feel? I work here!"
She laughed again. "Whatever. Is it time to go now?"
"Yes… let's go. We're picking up dinner for everyone on our way. Noodles again. Yay!" she exclaimed sarcastically.
"Yes! I am so done with hospital food. Suki, that stuff is gross!"
It seemed to take Suki until they were leaving the noodle shop to remember that Toph didn't need babysitting and a hand to hold just because she was blind. The girls walked home, chatting like old friends as the afternoon turned into night. Momo became frantically excited when Toph arrived, running around her in circles. Katara, Sokka and Gran-Gran all came to greet her happily as Sokka ushered Suki towards the dinner table with the food. The noddles were gone within minutes and Katara began the washing up.
"So Katara, I hear your boyfriend got shot," Suki said casually.
"You knew!" Sokka gasped, turning on her. "You knew!"
"Oh… yeah, I kinda did."
Sokka threw his arms in the air in disbelief. "I hate the universe!"
Katara frowned at her. "I'm guessing you saw him at the hospital."
"More than saw him. I helped keep him alive and then I had to sit in on the police questioning him to monitor his condition, as Dr Pakku put it."
"How is he?" she asked, a little worried.
"He's fine. We moved him into the room with Toph after the questioning until his uncle came to take him home."
Toph laughed evilly. "Katara, I love the guy already. He's so much fun to pick on!"
"Toph!" Katara whined. The girl just laughed again.
Sokka grunted. "Why am I the last one to meet this guy?!"
"Hey," Gran-Gran said. "I haven't met him yet either. Stop your complaining!" A sudden outburst of barking interrupted the conversation and announced that Momo was suddenly running amok, scampering to the front door and yapping excitedly at somebody on the other side. There was a gentle knocking. Gran-Gran started. "Oh, now who could that be?"
"I'll get it," Suki volunteered. She stood up and disappeared from the room. They heard the door click open. Suki gave a small gasp and a sound of indignation. "Come in then," she said. Then as she reappeared in the kitchen, "Katara, guess who?"
Katara set down the dishes and was walking towards them before she was even certain; but her guess was right. "Zuko!" She threw her arms around him.
"Ow… Katara… pain…" he winced, patting her back gingerly.
"Katara, he got shot this morning, be gentle with him!" Suki said.
She pulled away. "Sorry! I'm just glad you're alive."
"You and me both…" Then, turning to Suki. "Can't half tell that you're a nurse."
"Watch it kid, I saved your life this morning!"
"And for that, I thank you."
Suki smirked and took her seat next to Sokka again. "No beating him up for being your sister's boyfriend until he's recovered."
Sokka moaned. "Why not?!"
"Can he just not beat me up at all?" Zuko said, half-hopeful.
Sokka scoffed. "Forget it, buster!"
With a sigh, Katara took Zuko's hand and led him towards the dinner table where her family waited for the official introduction. She glanced worriedly at his too-pale face. "Alright everyone, this is Zuko. Be nice to him because he probably saved my life last night."
Toph waved mischievously while Suki rolled her eyes. Gran-Gran smiled at him in welcoming and stood up. "It's nice to meet you, young man. You're welcome to come over anytime, as long as you treat my granddaughter properly."
He smiled sheepishly. "I'll do my best."
Katara felt somewhat relieved at the sight of that awkward half-smile. "This is my grandmother."
"Call me Gran-Gran."
Katara pointed across to Sokka. "And this is my brother. I brought him over to The Jasmine Dragon this morning to meet you, but… well, you weren't there, obviously."
With an uncertain shuffling of his feet, Zuko held a hand out towards Sokka, who rose from his seat and considered the young man for a moment longer. Zuko was probably three inches taller and had a stronger build, but Sokka was sure he could take him in a fight. He shook Zuko's hand. "Hurt my sister and you die."
"Sokka!" Katara, Suki and Gran-Gran all scorned him.
He put his hands up defensively. "Hey, give me a break! I'm only pulling his leg!" He turned back to Zuko. "But seriously, dude, don't hurt her."
The others convinced him to stay for a while and they sat around the dinner table talking as if Zuko was any other young girl's new boyfriend who'd just met the family. Gran-Gran and Sokka were the most inquisitive, though while the former was gentle and genuinely curious, the latter seemed to be searching for something to use against him.
"So let me get this straight, you and your uncle run that café by yourselves? No one else?"
Zuko nodded. "He's a dedicated business owner and can handle the customers single-handedly. I just pitch in when I'm not at school to give him a break."
Sokka smirked, grasping at a thread of something funny. "Does that mean you have to wear an apron?" Scowling, Zuko stared at him and then nodded. "Ha!" Sokka burst into laughter as if it were the most hysterical thing in the world.
In the corner of his eye, Zuko saw the rest of the family frowning at Sokka, and Katara slammed a palm against her forehead. He reached for her hand underneath the table and flashed a half-smile at her. She couldn't stop herself from smiling back. All in all, meeting the family hadn't been that bad.
Author's Note: You know what sucks? When you upload a document to the doc manager, do a bit of proofreading, fix a couple of mistakes, write up a seriously thought-out author's note, format the document, click save... and then your laptop/internet screws up and the saving process times out and you have to do it all again. Yep, that's what just happened to me. Well, let me know what you thought of everything here: Azula and Ozai, Sokka's reaction, Toph and the rest of the family meeting Zuko, etc. Do feel free to leave a review :)