Author's Note: Just a quick note about my update schedule: I update everyday if not every other day. I already have the story written and edited so I can just post the chapters up quickly for your enjoyment. Within further ado, I present to you Chapter 5!

Chapter 5:

Zuko Agni put on his best black suit, brushed his black hair back, and tried his best to calm his nerves. Today he was meeting with Mai and a judge to talk about custody of Maya. He had never been so nervous in his life except when he walked into the courtroom with his lawyer behind him.

And there was the pain in his side, Mai, who rolled her eyes as he walked in. Did she think this was a joke? Did she think it was funny to keep his daughter away from him? He hated himself for once loving her but loved Mai for making an amazing child with him. Without Maya, Zuko would never know what happiness was. Maya saved Zuko from a long destructive path of alcohol abuse and arrests.

Zuko pulled on his tie a bit, fidgeting as the judge took his seat on the bench.

"Case #404: Mr. Zuko Agni and Ms. Mai Stone. Judge Richard presiding." The bailiff called out

"Thank you. I understand Mr. Agni wants sole custody of his daughter Maya Agni but Ms. Stone would like to not only raise the child support fee but also set new visitation rights and remain the sole legal guardian for Maya Agni. Council, are these the wishes of your clients?" The judge asked

"Yes Your Honor." Zuko's lawyer said.

"Yes Your Honor." Mai's lawyer followed

"Good. Please plead your cases. Plaintiff." He gestured towards Zuko and his lawyer.

"Thank you. Your honor, Maya Agni is now in the custody of her mother, Ms. Stone. While in her custody Mr. Agni has only been able to see his daughter once a week. The original document signed by both Mr. Agni and Ms. Stone stated that Mr. Agni was entitled to spending the full weekend with Maya. Mai has failed to provide Mr. Agni with his weekends and has violated his rights as father. She has deprived Mr. Agni of valuable time with his daughter. Mai purposely keeps Maya from her father and only damages her daughter in the process.

Mr. Agni also is the financial provider for Maya. Since the court ordered for child support he pays Ms. Stone $50,000 a month to care for Maya. Your Honor, Ms. Stone doesn't even have a job and is obviously taking advantage of funds that are meant to be for their daughter. Ms. Stone bought a new BMW and has since bought a house far beyond the necessity for just her and Maya. She has been photographed with designer clothes, bags, and also expensive jewelry. She is using my client for his money and using her daughter as leverage to get it. She is extremely selfish and Mr. Agni deserves sole custody of his child."

Zuko was fuming. The fact that Mai thought he wouldn't win Maya was ridiculous. She was robbing him of all his money.

Mai's lawyer began to plead the case, "While Mr. Agni and his team want to make my client out to be some self-centered woman who is only out for money but let's not let Mr. Agni be the innocent one. Need we not forget why Ms. Stone has custody their daughter in the first place? Mr. Agni was deemed unfit by the courts for his constant partying, drinking, and delinquent ways. Ways that Mr. Agni still has not gotten rid of. He was photographed just last night in a night club with a woman on his lap. In fact over the past few years Mr. Agni has been linked to 13 women alone. He was booked for a DUI also. This certainly isn't a good image for Maya that he respects women.

Mr. Agni was also elected CEO of Agni Corp, while this is a commendable task for someone his age, it is not conducive with having full custody of a seven year old. He is constantly working and that would make him otherwise unavailable to Maya as a father. Mr. Agni is not mature, ready, or capable of raising his daughter in a positive environment for her to thrive in. Ms. Stone has been consistent in caring for Maya since she was 3 years old. It would be awful to throw Maya into a chaotic environment like she would be is in Mr. Agni's care."

"Thank you Councilors. Plaintiff and defendant do you have any final words before I make my ruling on this matter?"

"I do Your Honor. At the time of the heavy drinking and DUI arrest I was only 17. I haven't had a single drink of alcohol in 4 years. I know the media portrays me as being with multiple women, but I haven't been with a new woman in over a year. Before I was using woman to feel complete. Well now I have my daughter to fill the void. I was young and wanted to feel like I was in control of my life. I was scared and frankly I wasn't ready to be a father at the time Maya was conceived. I can assure you that I am ready now and since I stopped drinking I have done nothing but try to be in my daughter's life. Mai keeps making it hard for me and it breaks my heart to not be able to wake my daughter up every day. I am her father and I would do anything shy of giving Maya the world. Please Your Honor, I love my daughter and I only want to be involved in her life. Don't judge me for my past. Judge me for the man I am right now; the man who desperately wants to raise his daughter." Zuko pleaded.

"That is very admirable Mr. Agni. Ms. Stone any last words?"

Here was Mai with the dramatic, fake water works.

"Yes, I love my daughter so much. To be separated from her would be devastating. I was in labor with her for 8 hours and losing her would be much more painful than that experience. Mr. Agni only wants Maya to clean up his image and to get back at me for leaving him. He doesn't know what it takes to be a parent." Mai was wiping her eyes with a tissue and purposely smudging her eye liner. "I have raised Maya on my own for 7 years. I'm the only parent she knows and Zuko could never love her like I can. Please make the right decision."

Was she kidding? Zuko had broken up with HER. She wasn't even crying for another thing and she wasn't raising Maya on her own. She was raising her with the grand accompaniment of Zuko's $600,000 every year and plus Zuko calls and texts and tries to reach out to her. Mai also ignores him, too busy getting her nails done. How dare she claim Zuko didn't love his daughter? Zuko was willing to go to war and back with Maya.

"Very compelling Ms. Stone. Now, my ruling." The judge scratched his beard and began speaking, "Mr. Agni, you do have a wild past and while I'm not judging you for it, it is still very relevant to this case. You have a long history of instability, having countless flings, and reckless behavior even up to 6 months ago. This is not the environment to raise a child in. I am also concerned about your availability for your daughter. Running a company should never come before your raising child. I'm not sure you can do both effectively. While Ms. Stone's use of the child support money is disheartening, it isn't damning evidence against her. What is disturbing is the fact that Ms. Stone violates your visitation rights. It's immoral to keep a child away from a parent."

The judge paused and pick up his gavel, "For these reasons stated before: In the case of Maya Agni, I rule that she remain in the custody of Ms. Stone, unless otherwise deemed negligent and an unfit parent. However, I hold Ms. Stone in contempt of this court for purposely violating the order for Mr. Agni's visitation. She is to pay a fine of 30,000. I order the visitation rights of the father remain the same. That would mean on weekends, Friday through Sunday, Maya shall be in the custody of Mr. Agni. If Ms. Stone violates the order again she will be thrown in jail and immediate custody will go to Mr. Agni. It is so ordered."

The judge slammed his gavel down. It felt like the judge just slammed the gavel down on his heart.

~/~

The weekend was here. Katara wanted to spend her Sunday soaking in a warm bath or asleep all day. Better yet she could just sleep in a warm bath all day but she was sure her father wouldn't appreciate that. Once she finally got up around noon she decided to do her makeup, hair, and put on a cute mini dress. She wasn't at work so she could actually dress like a woman and not an old lady. She decided to treat herself to a nice lunch.

She decided to head to the Jasmine Dragon. They had amazing sushi and delicious tea. When was the last time Katara spent money on anything other than paying back her loans? It had been awhile. Katara ordered spicy tuna rolls and ginseng tea, far too excited about the meal awaiting her. She sat at a table by herself just enjoying being out of the house. Her food came soon after and she was savoring every bite of it. As she stuffed a tuna roll in her a familiar figure approached her.

"Well if it isn't my old friend Katara. Funny seeing you here."

"We aren't friends Jet and this is the only place to get decent sushi in town so no, I'm not surprised to see you." Katara rolled her eyes as she sipped some of her tea.

Jet pulled up the chair across from, looking like he wasn't moving anytime soon. Jet was her ex-boyfriend from college. Katara hadn't so much of thought of Jet since then. The fact that he was here now only irritated her and ruined her relaxed mood.

"No one said you could sit here Jet."

"A lady as beautiful as yourself can't possibly be sitting alone."

"Um, I can and I just was, so leave Jet!" Katara snapped at him.

"Can't I talk to you?"

"I don't care about anything you have to say!"

"Come on Doll, can't we get along? Remember all the great times we had together?"

"Yeah I do and I specifically remember you ruining it when you cheated on me Jet!"

"That's old news Katara. Let the past die. I wasn't ready to handle a woman such as yourself."

Katara almost spit out her tea on that one. He only cheated on her with half the student body and a teacher. He definitely was just fine with having his "handle" in many women who weren't her before.

"Jet your 'handle' has been in every woman within a two mile radius of this restaurant. I'm not interested, so leave."

"Fine Katara but you'll be seeing me again."

Jet made his exited and left a card on the table behind him. Katara picked up the card and examined it. It was a business card. Katara had forgotten he had started his own company right after college. He was the CEO of Rebels Incorporated. His company was second only to Zuko's. No amount of money or success could ever make Jet suddenly turn into Prince Charming though. He was up to something and Katara didn't care to find out what it was. All she wanted was a takeout box for her sushi so she could curl up with Netflix at home.

~/~

Katara was hopelessly deep into Buffy, the Vampire Slayer at the moment. It was almost 10pm and she had done absolutely nothing but master new levels of what should be binge-watched in one day. Just what Katara had wanted. She had managed to make it halfway through season one before her phone started vibrating. She answered as soon as she saw who it was. It was Toph.

"Hi Toph. What's up? Can we make this quick? Angel and Buffy just kissed. I have to find out if she slays his vampire ass later."

"What are you even talking about? You know what, don't even answer you Nerd! Anyway, have you been tuned into TMZ lately?"

"No, why?"

"Just changed the channel, Sweetness!"

Katara changed to TMZ channel and there was Zuko Agni all over the screen making out with one girl and completely surrounded by six other women. His shirt was halfway open, conveniently so one of the girls who oddly looked like Suki could stroke all over his chest.

"Is that SUKI and Uh Toph, this is gross! Why would-"

Toph quickly cut her off, "Oh it gets worse. Keep watching."

Zuko was next photographed chugging beer from a keg that looked like it would be humanly impossible to drink all the beer from. Zuko was wasted, staggering, and acting a complete fool on national television. He was shown the next moment getting into a fist fight for making out with some other guys girlfriend. This wasn't the same Zuko loved his daughter so much just days before. Something had had to happen to set him off like this?

"Zuko Agni has proven he's still the same womanizer he always has been."

"No Toph this isn't him. Something happened, he would never jeopardize his daughter like this." Katara quickly wished she hadn't said that. Ugh, the disclosure form. Shit.

"His WHAT?!"

"Toph shut up. Forget what I said about Zuko having a daughter alright?"

"Too late! I knew it was impossible by the laws of physics for Zuko to have been with THAT many women and not gotten one pregnant."

"Please don't say ANYTHING more about this. I can lose my job. I'm serious Toph!"

"Fiiiiiiiiiiine but I demand to be silenced with tons of chocolate. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about Zuko since he is your boss and all."

"Yeah. Thanks." Katara quickly hung up the phone and threw the phone down.

What was Zuko thinking? Oh, the fun Katara would have trying to deal with his hangover AND his attitude problem at work.

Author's Note: Anyone feeling bad for Zuko or do you think the judge made the right decision? What do you guys think will happen next? As always, thanks for reading :)! ~Brie