Chapter 19:
Zuko walked into the Panera Bread looking for his sister, then noticed a large swarm of people around one particular table. Definitely Azula, she always needed admiration from her "fans". Truthfully he was surprised Azula had even invited him out. It's not like they weren't talking or anything. It was just he did his thing and she did hers, which happened to consist of not working, drinking and partying every night, posing nude for Playboy, and dating men that had expensive tastes. Zuko had given that lifestyle up when he became CEO, part of him wished he had the kind of freedom his younger sister did, but then again everyone with google can search up images her bare breasts and everything else au naturel she had to offer. Maybe he didn't quite want that much freedom.
Azula was surrounded by a hoard of teenage girls and young women who were screaming, jumping around, and trying to get a picture with her. It was like they could smell a man had entered the restaurant from the minute he walked in. They all turned and stared at him in unison like some creepy hive unit. Suddenly the eyes Zuko felt turned into many hands and arms feeling all over him. Sexual assault really makes a man feel flattered. He was completely surrounded.
"Ladies, ladies! You guys can all get a free preview of Azula's Fire Red lipstick outside right now!" Azula yelled and the herd went speeding outside, nearly trampling Zuko. He was now on the floor, feeling totally violated. How were they even able to unbutton his shirt and unzip his pants that fast? "Really ZuZu, get off the floor. That's an Armani and my food is getting cold."
Azula strutted her way back over to her table and flipped her hair as she sat. Zuko zipped his pants, buttoned his shirt, then tucked it back in and returned to looking like the wealthy business man he came in as. He sat at the table across from Azula as he straightened his tie that had been pulled during the attack from the pack of hyenas.
Zuko ordered the tomato soup with bread and the mac and cheese. He couldn't resist the mac and cheese. Azula had already ordered she had a chicken large Caesar salad with a wine glass full of clear liquid. Last time Zuko checked Panera Bread did NOT have a happy hour nor did they serve wine. Zuko picked up the glass and sniffed it. There was no doubt in his mind that that was Russo-Baltique Vodka. He knew because he had wasted numerous bottles of it, on his dad's expense of course, to act like the richest guy at the party. Stuff cost $1.35 million a bottle; it was literally the most expensive vodka in the world. Nothing that expensive could ever come in a bottle other than one made of solid yellow gold and completely crusted with diamonds. Here was his dear sister drinking it like was water. Zuko shot her a concerned look.
"Oh don't judge me. Don't act like you've never had yourself a little breakfast vodka!" Azula snatched the glass back and sipped it leisurely.
"One: it's not breakfast time anymore. It's NOON. Two: you're talking to the guy who had vodka for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Lay off the alcohol Azula… at least until I leave."
"Pst. I don't have a problem. You're the one who's the family disappointment. You haven't talked to dad in MONTHS."
"How many times has your bare ass been photographed from you falling out of a club drunk this month alone Azula and you don't think you have problem? And as far as dad is concerned I'm not speaking to him."
"What did he do? Notify you of your immense inadequacies. According to father you acted like some deranged monster. He said you attacked him. I mean honestly Zuko, father's so hard on you because he wants the best."
"Are you serious? HE'S THE MONSTER. Don't let him brainwash you into believing otherwise."
"You need to apologize to father ZuZu. He seems really hurt."
"Is this why you invited me? To beg for Dad's forgiveness because he will never get that. He's hurt huh? I didn't know he was capable of feeling a single emotion other than when it was convenient for him."
"Stop it! He is not emotionless. He loves us." Azula took another swig of her drink. She was starting to become more and more erratic as the conversation proceeded.
"Well if he traumatizes the people he loves I'd hate to see what he does to people he hates." Zuko took a spoon full of his soup. The burn of the hot liquid going down was just what he needed.
"Could you STOP bringing that up? You made that story up in that little brain of yours to get attention, but we're too old for this now. You did that to yourself. He paid for the best surgeons to help you. Now stop blaming Dad for your mistake. It's time to grow up. No one is going to take pity on you."
Azula was way too young to ever understand the full situation, plus she wasn't home at the time. Of course, he would lie.
"Is that what he told you? I made it up and then nearly burned half my face off just for attention. Why would I ever- Azula, he burned me for trying to protect mom from his abuse. Why would I lie about that?"
Azula banged her fists on the table, "You shut up! You and mom always hated me. I'm glad she's gone. If Dad was abusing her she deserved it. He's a good man and an amazing father."
"This is why I don't bring Maya around either of you. You and Dad are messed up. You know she loved us Azula and I love you too, but what would she think if she heard you say that. How dare you say something so awful?"
"How dare me! How dare her! She thought I was a monster! She never loved me! She gave all the attention to you as if you were perfect. Well guess what you aren't. You're 25, unmarried, with a child out of wedlock, and a horrid reputation. She would be ashamed of you. How dare she judge me? She was the one who committed suicide and left her own children."
"She LOVED you! Neither of us are the monsters. It's Dad. Believe what you want but he burned me. It happened. He is an abuser and murderer. He told me himself that he killed her on purpose. I don't know what he's done to you but it's obviously not doing you any good. You need help. Help that alcohol or parties or men can't give you."
"I don't want your help Brother. You're the one who needs psychiatric help since you continue telling lies." She chugged another sip of her drink.
"Tell me the truth. What did HE do to you? I'm your brother. I'll protect you from him, so don't be afraid. I know he's hurt you too. I know he's done something. Please, let me help you."
"The only one who's hurt me is YOU and mother dearest. I'm leaving. Talk to me when you have your life together. Have fun raising that abomination with my ex- friend Mai." Azula stormed out of the restaurant in a hurry. She was avoiding something and Zuko needed to find out what. Everything in his family was SO messed up.
~/~
It was 4' o clock and Katara had just finished cleaning the downstairs bathroom. Now she smelled like bleach and Pine Sol. In the middle of cleaning she was busy trying to decide what invitation to make for the baby shower. She printed some examples and laid them out for her to look at later. As she was returning the mop to the broom closet in the hall she was immediately tackled by what felt like a small child.
"MS. KATARA! I'VE MISSED YOU!" Maya exclaimed. Katara kneeled down and hugged her back. She really did enjoy how wonderful this little girl was. She was so cute it hurt. Today her hair was braided into two long braids and in her school uniform she was absolutely the most adorable thing Katara had seen all day. Considering most of the things she's seen today were dirt and grim it wasn't hard to top her cuteness list.
"Oh Maya. I missed you too. How was school?" Katara grabbed the girls back pack from her hand and led her to the dining room table.
"Goood. I learned addition. I can add THREE numbers together now. Ms. Yue said I'm the best in the class at math. I told her I didn't try hard at it. I'm just already good at it I guess." Maya shrugged nonchalantly. That was definitely some of the Zuko coming out from the sheer amount of confidence she had in her math abilities.
"That's really good Maya. I'm sure you can be an engineer or a scientist with good math skills like that."
"I want to be like Daddy when I grow up. I want to own my very own pony company. That way I can ride the pony's AND not work so much because I have workers to do all the hard stuff." She was definitely Zuko's daughter.
"Well, Maya you know your Dad does a lot of hard work. He's a busy man."
"Mom says he doesn't do much. He just sits in a chair all day and yells at people. I can be good at that" Mai eyed the pieces of paper on the table and picked one up. "What's this? What's a baby shower? It's not going to rain babies is it Ms. Katara?"
"Ha. No Maya, raining babies isn't a thing. A baby shower is a special party to celebrate the birth of a new baby. It's called a shower because well the mother-to-be is showered with lots and lots of gifts for her and the baby. There's cake and food and games. It's like a pre-birthday party before the baby comes."
"So are you and Daddy having a baby?"
"What?! NO! My, my brother and his girlfriend are. I'm just planning it. Which invitations do you like?"
Maya pointed to the grey and blue invitation out, "Can I come to the party Ms. Katara? I like cake and games and you'll be there so it'll be fun."
"I don't know Maya. It might not be a good idea. I'd have to talk to your parents. Although I'm not sure they'd let you go. It's a family event."
"Aren't you and Daddy and me a family? We can ALL go together." Maya's big golden eyes looked so hopeful.
"Maya-"
Before Katara could get out her statement Zuko came downstairs and entered the dining area, "Maya, go upstairs and start your homework. Ms. Katara has work to begin dinner."
"Okay Daddy." Maya skipped upstairs, leaving an awkward tension between Zuko and Katara. Katara got up and headed to the kitchen. She decided to make chicken; everyone likes chicken. Zuko had a different idea as he made his way to the kitchen cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine. Katara dropped the chicken and went over to grab the wine bottle from him.
"Zuko, NO! Your daughter is here, upstairs, right now. Don't do that."
Zuko reached for the bottle from Katara, "Give it back! I NEED a drink now."
Katara threw the bottle on the ground, causing it the shatter all over the floor, "NO! I thought you had changed!"
"I HAVE changed!"
"Really? You obviously haven't if you are going to resort to relapsing every time things get a little difficult for you."
"You don't understand!"
"Oh, I don't! Why don't we talk about it so you can make me understand? I'm your friend Zuko." Katara grabbed the broom and mop and began cleaning up the mess. Zuko sat at the island with his head in his hands. He had a bad day, a really bad day. "Talk. Now."
He picked his head up and began to speak, "It's just been such a long, awful day. Everything from my past seems to be coming back all at once to knock me down and me, I don't know how to handle it."
"What happened? Was work hard today?" Once she was finished cleaning the floor she started seasoning the chicken.
"Well to start, I fired your boyfriend and no, I'm not up for an hour long debate about how he deserves to work for my company. It wasn't a good fit; he's incredibly childish. You didn't break up with him like I warned you to and he decided to rub that in my face to no avail instead of focusing on the task at hand. Anytime I'm in his presence I just know I'm going to have a horrible day. It's like he's a curse or something with that ridiculous smirk on his face. I can't stand that a guy that acts like a four year old has a girlfriend and I don't. I get lonely and frustrated all the time. I don't get the luxury to whine to someone when things go wrong."
"Okay, I get it you hate my boyfriend. Can we not bash him in front of my face?"
"Sorry, Mai hates me again, after we both agreed to start over. She's back to her same idle threats like before. I just don't know what to say or how to fix things with her. All I want is custody of Maya but I don't blame her for hating me. I, I destroyed her. Azula hates me too, I mean it's not like we had a great sibling relationship or anyway but it sucks. I was telling her the truth about my father, how he, he hurt me when I was younger and she accused me of lying. It's fucked up when your own sibling doesn't believe you about your own childhood abuse. Ozai is a monster and I know he's damaging her, but she won't let me help her. I feel so powerless. I can't save her, just like I couldn't save my mother. To make it worse my sobriety is a thing in itself. I think about relapsing every single day, but I have an entire company of people depending on me. I'm so fucking tired Katara." A tear streamed down Zuko's face. "Everything is complete shit and it's all my fault. Azula's right my mother would be ashamed of me."
Katara ran over and hugged him. She placed his head against her chest and let him sob. He obviously had a lot of pent up emotion. Zuko gripped onto her shirt and cried hard. He needed this. Katara rubbed Zuko's head and leaned more into him. A few minutes later he finally stopped crying, Katara handed him a tissue.
His eyes were swollen and red. He blew his nose and said, "God, I'm a grown man and I just cried. I am pathetic."
"You aren't pathetic Zuko. You are a human being with feelings. You don't have to be so emotionless all time. Let me ask you: When was the last time you cried?"
"I don't know. Years ago but Ozai was quick to beat the notion into me that men don't cry early. I didn't even shed a tear at my mother's funeral."
"So you've never properly mourned your mother? I know it's devastating to lose a parent. My Gran Gran always said: 'No one is really an adult until they've lost a parent.' I lost my mom when I was 14 but I had Sokka and family to support me. You had no one to help you through it. I think it's time you properly pay your respects, Zuko."
"I, I haven't visited her grave since I was 10. She's buried at Air Temple Cemetery. Besides, I don't have the time to visit her. I'm very busy."
"Well I think it's time you take time off to pull yourself together. You can get through all of these issues Zuko. You just have to realize that you aren't a robot and sometimes you have to take time to sort your emotions out before you make another move. The world won't fall apart if you have a break, I promise you. Air Temple Cemetery is where my mother was buried too. I feel awful for not visiting her too but I think you need a friend. I'll go with you if you'd like."
"You would do that for me?" Zuko asked in a soft voice, leaning in closer to Katara.
"Of course. You are important to me."
Zuko cupped Katara's face tenderly, "You have to be the best thing in my life right now. I don't want you to ever leave."
Zuko ran his fingers, through Katara's hair. Their eyes met in an intimate lock. Katara's breathing sped up as she pursed her lips slightly. Zuko ran one hand down her back and brought the other hand to her cheek, causing Katara's body to feel warm. The moment seemed to be frozen in time.
Zuko leaned in closer causing Katara to whisper, "Zuko, what are we doing?"
"Katara, I-"
A loud, hard knock came at the front door. Zuko cursed under his breath and got up to answer it. A tall, slender woman with long, sweeping black hair and blue eyes came running through the door.
"June? What are you doing here? Head of my PR team doesn't usually make house visits unless requested."
June looked frantic and nervous. She was breathing heavy and looked like she had done a lot hair pulling before she got here.
June pulled out a folder from her bag and handed it to a confused Zuko, "I rushed over here Mr. Agni. You're going to want to sit before you look at it. This is a Level 10 situation!"
Author's Note: What do you guys think Zuko should do about his life right now? What does June have to show Zuko? See you all next time.