Note from the Author: Hello my Zutara Lovelies! How have we all been? Sorry I have been so M.I.A. I have been so busy with work, friends, and the boyfriend. But anyways, I'll try not to be gone so long this time. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Obviously.

Chapter 9

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Sokka yelled at Katara. He had found his sister in the library and after hearing what she did, he was outraged.

"Nice to see you too", she sighed," And I can hear you fine, thank you for checking."

"Well I can see you still understand sarcasm because for a minute there, I was worried you had no brains at all!" he walked around the table she was sitting at so he could face her.

"Hey!" she looked up at him from her book and frowned," What is your problem?"

"You know exactly what!" he eyed her," How could you let that psycho out of prison?"

"I had no other choice Sokka", she told him.

"Uh, yeah you did! You could have - "

"What?" she interrupted him," Tortured her? Beaten her? Humiliate her? She's already had all of those things done to her. Breaking her even more wouldn't have done anything. We might as well just do what little tasks she wants like allowing her to shower to get the information we need."

"I should have just done it myself", he sighed and sat down across from her.

"Oh yeah", Katara scoffed," Because you understand girls so well."

Sokka smirked and looked over to her," How do you know we can trust her?"

"I don't", Katara shrugged," But I feel like she isn't going to pull anything."

"How?"

"I just do."

"You know, this isn't as relaxing with you here Zuzu", Azula commented to her brother as she let the hot water cascade over her. She had already been in the shower for 30 minutes, but she was going to enjoy this.

"This isn't exactly my idea of a good time Azzy", he smirked knowing she hated her childhood nickname that their mother used to call her.

"So how did you survive the past two years?" she asked after awhile. She hated the silence after being locked away for what seemed like forever.

"Father and you underestimate me", he told her while sharpening his dao blades.

"Clearly", she nodded," Care to elaborate?"

"You're just going to enjoy how miserable I was", Zuko shook his head.

"Probably", Azula shrugged even though he couldn't see her," But I would still like to know."

"There's nothing to really tell Azula", Zuko snapped," I slept on the dirt, I starved, I got into fights, I had to hide who I was, I had to escape being arrested multiple times."

"You didn't have to go through all of that", Azula sighed," If you just listened to father and I, you could have been safe at home."

"No", Zuko laughed which surprised her," Azzy, you fail to see how demented father is. His plan for the future is psychotic. And Katara... Katara is worth everything. I know you haven't ever really loved someone, but when and if you ever do, nothing is worth losing that person."

"How do you know you love her?" Azula asked, after a moment of silence.

Zuko was surprised at his sister being so civil, but he wasn't about to ask her and ruin it.

"I don't know", he shrugged," I just feel it. Every time I look at her, my heart beats faster. I couldn't imagine life without her. Those years without here were the worst years of my life. She is my other half. I would do anything for her."

They were quiet for another couple of minutes, everything Zuko just told Azula sinking in. Azula would never admit this to anyone, but at this moment, she was actually jealous of Zuko. She had boys that she fooled around with and what not, but she had never experienced love. She wanted it, but nobody would ever love a monster like her.

Azula cleared her throat and lathered herself in soap," How is your... son?"

"He's amazing", Zuko smiled at the thought of Haku.

"What does he look like?" Azula asked with curiosity.

"He's beautiful", Zuko's smile widened," He has one gold eye and one blue eye. He has jet black hair and pale skin. He looks just like me."

"Does he bend at all?"

"He's a firebender, actually", Zuko nodded.

"Katara must hate that", Azula smirked.

"On the contrary, she loves him for all that he is", Zuko informed her," I have actually been teaching him firebending before we left home."

"Where is home?" her eyebrow quirked.

"I can't tell you that", he shook his head.

"It's not like I can come visit you", she frowned.

"Not only that, but there is no reason for you to know. He isn't expecting a visit from his aunt", Zuko told her. Azula was actually saddened that she might not ever be able to see her nephew.

"What's his name?"

"Haku."

Azula was silent a moment more before she commented," That's a really beautiful name."

"Alright, we allowed you everything you asked", Katara addressed Azula," Now tell us what we want to know."

"You don't understand", Azula squinted at her," You're asking me to betray my father. It's not as easy as it sounds. Would you disobey your father?"

"If he was ordering me to kill innocent people, yes!" Katara yelled at her.

"Fine! But when I tell you, I don't want to go back into that dark, damp cell. I want freedom to walk around the palace, to eat, my own room", Azula told them. Sokka, Zuko, Katara, and Aang were sitting on one side of the table and Azula on the other side with Toph in the library.

"No way!" Sokka yelled," You can't be trusted."

"I think you fail to understand that when I tell you all of this, my father is going to want to kill me", she told him," I'm going to be wanted for betraying my nation and handing over valuable information. I won't have anywhere else to go."

"She's right", Zuko told them," Their going to want to kill her just as much as they want to kill me."

"Fine", Katara eyed her," But you will still have guards watching your every move."

"And we have Toph here to tell us if your lying", Aang warned.

"That doesn't make a difference", Azula smirked," I'm a pretty good liar."

"Try me", Toph laughed.

"I am an ancient turtle lion and I live in a magic lamp that pours out salmon juice when you rub it."

"Alright, you're good", Toph's mouth set in a line.

"So how are we going to know if you're telling the truth?" Aang asked.

"You're just going to have to trust me", Azula shrugged.

"This is useless!" Sokka yelled," Just through her back in the cell!"

"No!" Azula stood," I'm not going back in that damn cell! I'm going to tell the truth because I don't want to be beaten, starved, and raped anymore!"

"Wha- what?" Katara's face fell," Guards were doing that to you?"

"Not that you care", Azula spat," Now are you jerks ready to do this or not?"

"Yes!" Sokka yelled," Finally, yes!"

"Ozai is planning on making himself called the 'Phoenix King' to rule all of the nations. He plans on making his final move during Sozin's Comet. He plans on using the comet's power to burn down the entire Earth Kingdom."

"Sozin's Comet... That's his plan", Aang mumbled," I should have known."

"When is it?" Katara asked, praying that it was months way.

"It's in another two weeks", Zuko frowned," In two damn weeks."

"I'm not ready for that!" Aang yelled," I haven't even been fire trained yet."

"Aang, it's okay", Katara comforted him," Zuko is here. He can give you a rush course."

"Katara, even if I had a year to teach him firebending, he still wouldn't be ready", Zuko shook his head.

"Way to be encouraging", Katara criticized him.

"I'm just being honest!" Zuko told her," Firebending takes years, decades! to train. Two weeks is just being unrealistic."

"Don't forget our deal now!" Azula yelled at them and they turned to face them," We had a deal! No more cell!"

"We have bigger things to worry about right now Azula", Katara eyed her," If you told us this when we first captured you, we might have been a little more prepared."

"Well excuse me!" she yelled at her," I'm sorry being tortured doesn't make me feel like talking, but I did tell you! I betrayed my entire nation and father for a shower and a bed. So you better hold up your end of the deal!"

"Guards, show her to her room", Toph told the guards at the entrance of the room. They walked over placed their hands under her arms and guided her out of her room.

"What are we going to do?" Sokka sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Aang, this is all up to you", Katara told the boy who looked older than he was in that moment.

Aang was silent as he got up and walked over to the window. His shoulders tensed and his mouth set in a firm line.

"I'll do it."

So there it is! Hope you enjoyed!

stordec23: My ever so loyal reader! Thank you for enjoying :) I must say, you are one of my most loyal readers and I don't know much about you. We must change that!

storyoftheunkownfangirl: I want Katara to be more uneasy with Azula. I don't want her to trust Azula just yet. Ya know what I mean?

Demonpie17: I'm so glad you liked it!

Ima Braxton: Hope this lived up to what you were expecting :)