Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

The Shadow of the Past

Chapter 9 – To Lie or not to Lie

Story by Last Butterfly

Summary: Seven years passed since that tragic night in Zuko's life, and he and Katara had been together for more than a year now.
But after this peaceful time a shadow neared them from the past he tried so hard to forget... - Zutara, Zuko x Katara Modern AU

The still thirteen-year-old Zuko was staring into the mirror in the public toilet of the courthouse. Half of his face had been covered in bandages, so he could only look at his pale face through his right eye. He decided to grow his hair so that it would later cover the probably ruined skin. It was already brushing his forehead.

His gaze dropped to the white tiles beneath his feet before he started to walk towards the exit. He did not even look up until he heard voices through the door. "All right, but make it quick… you don't have the whole day!" Nearing voices…

"Yeah, don't want us to drag you out!" A throaty chuckle sounded, before another answered causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

"I still remember how these things go…" This certain voice stood out from the other two, and it became closer than Zuko ever wanted its owner to be. He started backing away as fast as he could when he saw the doorknob moving…

When the door opened then closed, he was crouching on one of the toilets in a booth. 'This must be accidental… he cannot be here! They cannot let him in here!' His heart beat so loud in his ears that he could not even hear the first steps the man made. But then with a click the lamps were turned off, and his right eye opened wide, trying to see better in the low light. He tried to hold his ragged breaths but it was not easy as he realized. 'He knows…'

His knees started shaking while he listened to the dripping of water from one of the taps. 'He knows I'm here!' His fingertips tried to balance him while those were touching the dim walls behind him. And then nearing footsteps echoed in his ears when the air started to burn his lungs…

The footsteps died out when a pair of shoes walked into his view, just below the door in front of him. His eye glued to the two dark spots before it slowly moved, but then his vision started to blur. He squeezed his eyes shut; trying to hold on just a bit longer but eventually he had to exhale…

Then suddenly the door was kicked in and he didn't even have enough time to yell before a palm pressed against his mouth. His head and back hit the tiled wall with a loud knock, but even in the low light he could clearly look into the cold pair of golden eyes. He tried to fidget in his place, but his father's arm fell on his chest, pushing him harder into the corner.

"Zuko," Ozai let the name roll of his tongue like sweet honey before the boy muffled something against his hand. "You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?"

He couldn't tear his gaze away from the man's face while his thoughts raced. Maybe he could kick himself free but he knew well that he probably couldn't reach the entrance of this place. But maybe he could gain enough time to shout for help…

The pressure against his jaw strengthened and this made his teeth bit into his tongue as the man spoke again. "Do you think you are a hero now? You little brat!" Ozai hissed through gritted teeth. Just a moment later his gaze moved from his right eye to the bandages upon his left. "Let's just see how you truly look like now…"

The arm from before his chest moved away, but when he tried to squirm away his father's knee replaced it, not letting go of his mouth. He grabbed the edge of the bandages, pulling them off with a swift move while he only tried to say no in vain.

"Well, well…" The edge of Ozai's lips curled into a cruel smile as he was looking at his face. He leaned closer to his good ear, turning his head slightly so that he was sure the boy could see himself in the mirror on the opposite wall. The marred flesh around his left eye looked deep red like dried blood against his pale skin. "This is the face a coward like you deserves." His words cut deep into Zuko's soul like a warm knife could slice the butter…

"Do you think that anyone would believe someone so miserable like you are?" Ozai's husky laugh made his heart clench. He tried to turn his head away, but his father's grip strengthened as he moved to face him, almost curiously looking at his scar like he would have been an insect. "I bet it still hurts, doesn't it?" Zuko's breathing became louder, but the man did not look back into his eyes only rose his free hand towards him with a sadistic frown appearing on his face.

"I'll teach you not to talk when you are not allowed to!" Sudden pain shot through him as the marred skin of his face met his father's fingers in three places, the skin sending his brain the feeling of being burnt over and over again. The hand against his mouth held him tighter as he screamed into it on top of his lungs…

--

Zuko yelled, kicking hardly into thin air as his weight suddenly fell off his bed. Even then he sat up looking frantically around as if the man had been near, while he felt sweat ran down his back and forehead. His limbs were trembling while he took deep breaths as if he truly couldn't inhale in the last minutes and the whirling feeling in his stomach urged him to hurry to the sink in his bathroom before the remainder of his dinner tried to say a bitter goodbye…

This had never happened. He knew he did not have any memory only slightly similar to this, so it could not have been more than the trick of his mind. It had been just an exceptionally… horribly vivid nightmare. It had to be…

He washed his face with still unsure hands with cold water several times before reaching for his toothbrush inside the mirrored bathroom cabinet. He only raised his head slightly when his hand almost showed off a razor from one of the shelves, but his gaze stopped on the mirror. As half of the cabinet was opened, he could only see the right side of his face without any sign of the scar on the other half. But this image was enough for him to come to a halt.

His right eye had a slightly darker circle from the lack of peaceful sleep, and his cheek had been even paler than usual but what made him froze was not that.

He did not know how much he looked like him…

The face of Ozai from his dream had been so clear in his head that while looking at his own reflection, he clearly saw all the resemblance he inherited from him. Only instead of the cruel smile and the eyes which shone up seeing him in pain, his lips remained in a frown and his eyes showed torment unlike those ever had.

He got a hold of the toothbrush then closed the small cabinet, facing the reflection of his whole face with a hardened frown. "You can't ruin my life… I won't let it happen." He said roughly as if his father could have heard him. "I am not afraid." He clenched his jaw and formed fists as he looked into the eyes of his own reflection. "Not anymore…"

Katara bit her lip not to swear. She was already ten minutes late from the first class just because she tried so hard to avoid her brother that morning and now this! Argh! And I wanted to catch up with Zuko, I'm such a…!

"Hey," She almost tripped on the last step of the staircase when a bored female voice called out from the side, but she could steady her stance just in time to see the faint smile fading from Mai's face. "Watch your step."

The blue eyed girl groaned. "Was that why you stopped me?! I'm already late, so if you don't mind…"

"No," The paler one spoke, finally moving away from the pillar she leaned against only to walk up to her. "There is something more serious I felt you should know about…"

The Water Tribe girl slightly narrowed her gaze, shifting her weight from the one closer to Mai onto the other. "Yeah, and what would that be?" She did not get why the other girl was even talking to her, she made it clear many times that she would rather cut her arm off than being friendly with her…

"I…" The dark haired woman brought her golden gaze to the side as if hesitating, but in reality she knew well what she was going to say. "It's about Zuko,"

"What about him?" Katara started slightly worried. "Did something happen with him? Did Azula ask you to tell…?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Mai spoke, crossing her arms before her chest as if she had been ashamed. But inside she smiled. "I just…" She let her voice trail away before looking up. "He wanted me not to tell you, but…"

The other's eyebrows furrowed. "Tell me what?"

The pale girl let her hands fall back by her sides, and for a half moment Katara only stared at how thin her arms looked like unlike hers. She probably did not need to worry about how much she ate, rather the opposite… This only made her feel worse when she answered. "Yesterday, Zuko and I slept together."

Katara gasped. Mai was looking at her in her usual cold manner; her eyes only showed a slight change at her reaction but that was far from guilt. It was the hawk-eyed girl's hidden victory; as if she had eventually kicked the chair out from below her while still sitting comfortably in her own seat.

"T-that… he couldn't…" She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as the voice in her head told her. Oh, sure he could, just look at her!

The pale girl allowed a smug smile to appear on her face, before bringing her gaze to the side. "It's just that… I thought you should know about this. I mean if I were in your shoes I would want to know…"

Blue eyes slowly moved to the ground… Lean muscled arms snaked around her waist under the sheets, soft as if he had been afraid to cause her pain, again. She snuggled to his chest; placing her smaller hands above his while he leaned to her ear, brushing her hair slightly away. "I love you…" He whispered, causing her to blush. "And only you."

"…I mean he was so let down because you broke up and all," Mai said while the other girl's hands clenched. "I was just trying to cheer him up, but then…"

"It's not true."

The pale girl's narrowed her eyes at her low statement. She looked up at Katara who was holding her gaze while shaking her head. "He wouldn't do that." The Water Tribe girl's voice had been firm, the edge of her lips was about to curl upwards.

"Are you that sure?" The other pressed on, but the dark skinned girl only returned her calculating gaze with honest blue ones.

"I am," She unconsciously brushed the pendant of her necklace and a smile appeared on her face. Just like the one when she first told him that she loved him… when he told her he loved her too. "Because I know him…" She could still see the expression upon his face when she told him she was ready to do that… He made her feel special, and had always been there when she needed him. "…because I trust him." She whispered, finally being surer in herself than in any moment of the last twenty four hours…

"Oh, so do you think I'm lying?" Mai asked and she sounded faintly offended, but then she crossed her arms as she played out her last card. "I'm sorry then… perhaps it was stupid of me to think you would believe me. Maybe you'll believe your own eyes then…" She spoke on a bored voice, turning in her place and only saying the last above her shoulder. "You should have a look at his back."

Katara was watching the disappearing girl with parted lips. This time Mai was directly swaying her hips, which the other never thought she was capable of. In the deep red top and black jeans se looked as slim as a model the Water Tribe girl always watched with envy. Her emotions from sureness slowly gave way to doubt…

It took her a minute or two to realize that she was late from class, but now she could not say that she cared too much. He wouldn't… it… this cannot be true…

Mai's golden eyes followed the distressed Katara from a safety distance as she left the hall. "You trust him, right?" She scoffed, letting a dark frown freely come to her face as she stood in the shadows. "We'll see you filthy little peasant…"

Zuko chewed on his lips while walking in the same small circle for half of an hour. He had been waiting for her even though he knew her classes would not end around now, but he could not calm down until he talked to her.

His fingers clenched and unclenched by his sides as he tried to bring his thoughts together. His uncle had been right… just as always. He should have told her who his father had been, from the beginning. She did not need to know all the details though; he still believed it was better if the cruelest things remained buried in a part of his mind where those could not hurt anyone else…

"Zuko!" He turned around to see the Water Tribe girl.

"Katara, finally! I'm so sorry, I just…" The words left his mouth so quick that if she knew for how long he had tried to practice this speech, it would have made her laugh. "I was an idiot, but since when have I questioned that? I mean…"

Her eyes focused upon his face but the frown she offered him made his heart sunk. She did not forgive him. It was so obvious that for a moment his voice had been trapped in the back of his throat.

One of her hands clenched the strap of her backpack, while the other wrapped around her stomach almost defensively.

His face dropped as she stopped before him, first looking to the side then back at him with strengthening frown. "Katara please, I'm really…"

"Turn around."

He blinked. What on earth…? "Look, I know that not telling you was stupid of me, but I truly did not want it to hurt you. It… all happened years ago, you can't know what it's like for me to even try…"

"Zuko," Katara said impatiently, cutting him off. "I said turn around. So please."

"What…?" He squinted at her completely lost before she reached out, and made him turn. He felt as she reached up to his neck, pulling his shirt downwards to have a better look…

Only when she gasped did he remember what she could see. Oh sh…!

As her hands left him, he turned away, raising his hands. "Wait, I can explain that!"

"How could you?!" Her fingers formed fists, her blue eyes reflecting betrayal. "And when she warned me, I told her that I trusted you! That it couldn't be true! You-you…!"

Zuko's eyes rounded as she suddenly beat on his chest, but he caught her wrists, not looking away from her teary eyes. "Katara, what are you talking about? I didn't do anyth-…!"

"LIAR!" She struggled against his strength, but he did not let go. "Mai told me everything! I can't believe you did that while I felt so horrible for not being able to reach you!"

A part of his mind realized that this other topic overweighed the first one, but wait- "Mai?! What did she say to you…?" His brow furrowed at once as she tried to avoid his gaze still resisting.

"You know that well! Let go!"

"Katara…!"

"No!" She shouted when one of her wrists got free, then she slapped him across his right cheek, leaving her fingers' place visible on his face.

For a moment none of them moved, but she spoke again while he remained turned to the side. "She told me you had slept with her. She told me that if I didn't believe her than I would believe my eyes, and she was right!"

"I did Not sleep with her!" Zuko growled as he looked back at her, and the rage in his eyes made her feel really small. When she took a hesitant step back from him with tears still in her eyes, his good eye suddenly rounded. He cast his gaze away, shaking his head. "I… I'm sorry, I just…"

"Then how did she know about those scars?" She asked lowly, and his lips turned into a narrow line. Then after a moment of silence…

"She knows because she made those."

The air seemed to leave Katara's lungs at that very sentence, the first tear falling from her eyes. "She did those before or after pulling your shirt off then?" She asked through gritted teeth, her fingernails digging into her palms…

"No," He looked up at her before speaking. "I just had a shower and I was calling you again, when she came in my room… I don't even know for how long she has been standing there…" The dark skinned girl tried to put her hands on her ears, closing his voice out but he did not let her. "She came in and kissed me, telling me how I shouldn't be with you…"

"I don't want to hear it," She whimpered, but when she effortlessly tried to pull on her arm, she realized that this time he held her hands with more strength than before. "Just let go, please…"

"But, I pushed her away. I told her that I love you and not her." He spoke calmly while she bit her lip, not looking directly at him. "Look at me, Katara." She only closed her eyes as an answer. "Please, look and tell me if I'm lying… you always know when I do."

Her fingers curled around his hands which held them in place, but she did not open her eyes. "I can't tell it. Not anymore… maybe I have never even known…"

His gaze broke while softening his hold, and she visibly shuddered as his thumbs stroke her palms. "You have always known, even when I myself didn't." She remained completely still while he leaned slightly closer to whisper it in her ear. "There's no one else who would know me so well like you. And there never will be."

She sniffed, slowly opening her blue eyes, meeting his golden orbs filled with both sadness and hope as those searched hers.

"I swear to you," Zuko said. "I've never slept with her. I told you what happened because I knew you wanted me to be honest." She remained silent, reading him without words as he went on after a sigh. "And I… I did not talk about my father, because… I don't even want to think about him." His eyes darkened while still not breaking their eye-contact, but his hold weakened as much as it seemed she held his hand in the first place. "He was a horrible person. And each day I'm more afraid of being like him than I could possibly tell you. But if that is what you wish, then I'll try to explain what happened years ago…"

She finally found herself reaching out to his face, brushing her fingers against the spot she slapped, and he slightly flinched at her touch. "I am sorry." She whispered in the end, letting a soft smile appear on her face. Then she pulled him into an embrace with closed eyes while he was still looking ahead of himself.

"So, do you believe me again?" He asked lowly, his hands only daring to touch her waist.

"Zuko…" She leaned backwards, her eyes filling with guilt. "I… I wanted so much to believe you, but after what happened yesterday, and then what Mai told me…" She eventually shook her head, while her hands moved from his shoulders to his chest. "Then I… Zuko, I hit you. I-I have never hurt anyone before, but I was so angry that I…"

She would have gone on while she was trying to find the words to apologize but he pulled her close, sealing her lips with a longing kiss. She almost crashed against him but she did not mind. Her fingers clenched in his clothes when she relaxed in his arms, her tongue fighting his in her mouth like she did in many other ways and they found themselves smiling. Her fingers moving into his hair while his trailed down her back…

It took her a while to realize that the low ringing came from her bag. Another to remember it was her cell's ring tone, and still another to finally pull away, making the scarred teen groan in protest.

"Oh, come on…" He murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist and he tried to continue, catching the base of her neck with his lips till she found her cell, pushing his head away with a giggle till she picked it up.

It had been Ursa, and she was waiting for her in front of the building…

The small crowd, which had gathered together in front of his shop, made Iroh frown before getting out of his car. Excited murmurs and low gasps reached his ears by the time one of the by-standers caught sight of him.

"Oh, Iroh!" Someone called out to him and after looking to the side, the trio his nephew had troubles with followed closely after him as he passed through the crowd.

"We're so sorry old man," Hama said as they were finally facing the shop. Two of the main windows were broken in and the others' surface were covered with weird signs and obscene words… some of the chairs and tables were turned over, some had even been in pieces.

Only when a hand fell on his shoulder did he seem to find his voice. "Has anyone seen something?"

"Not much," One of the twins spoke. "The cops are gonna be here soon though."

"We kind of guess that some kids are behind this." Hama said lowly, removing her hand from the man's shoulder. "I mean, just look around…" She waved with a troubled frown.

Iroh's slowly glance slowly neared his once so neat shop. "Yes," He murmured in thought as his gaze fell on one of the painted lines. 'Not forgotten, nor forgiven…' The golden of his eyes instantly turned vivid, burning with a fury he thought he had lost forever. "It must have been kids…"

A/N: Oy, what do you think?

O______O Wohoo, I was so cruel at start, sorry... but sometimes I just can't control my actions!...or Ozai's.

Hmm, I don't like Mai. Big deal, many doesn't and they don't get flamed, so plz leaf me alone! I just wrote her in this story as I imagined she would be in real life. Annoying rich only-child. Nuff said. (I'm a third child. XD I had to STRUGGLE for getting myself something NEW. - It was actually my radio, XD that my bro' borrowed and managed to deform its stereo's covering anyway... XD)
So, that's about her. I don't plan to write about her more from now on.

Oh, XD and Katara could have stayed angry with Zuzu... yeah seriously, but I just couldn't make them hate each other anymore! ;____; It would not be fair... according to what's going to happen in the next chaps! Mwuhaha~ XD

And poor Iroh... his teashop needs a great deal of repairing... :'(