A/N:

We're back with Drowning Lessons! Sorry for such a long wait! I got busy with my other story but I'm back with updates for this story and I can promise for at least the next month or so, you'll be getting regular updates. Two chapters tonight as an apology!

Chapter 18:

Ozai had given Yatori his orders. When he was done filling him in what exactly he wanted done, the former tyrant decided to go see his treacherous waterbender. As he entered the room, the doctor had returned to give the waterbender what looked like medicine. However; as soon as his presence was noticed, the doctor looked from Katara to him.

"Are you the father of her unborn child?" The doctor asked, having paused from giving the waterbender the medicine.

"No! Just give me that!" Katara hissed.

Ozai glared at her before stepping forward to the doctor and looking down at him. "Yes. Now what's in that vial you're giving her?"

The doctor stood up from his crouched position and held the vial out to Ozai. "I was told you wouldn't be interested in keeping a bastard child."

Katara could feel his gaze burning into the side of her face. As if she couldn't get herself in more trouble.

Ozai snatched the vial from the doctor and told him that they were keeping the child. The doctor goes on to inform him that the waterbender should be kept in different arrangements if he plans on keeping the child as she could easily lose it in her current accommodation. Ozai dismissed the doctor as he wanted to be alone with the waterbender.

"I see I'll need to be even more careful with you. You're a quick one." Ozai says as he crouched down to her level as she was caged. "You want to get rid of my seed inside you."

"I wouldn't dare bring a child in this world with you as it's father!" Katara spat.

Ozai sighed as looked from her eyes to her restrained wrists, "And why is that, waterbender? I take good care of my grandson."

"For now but you'll be cruel to him like you were to his father if he doesn't live up to your expectations!"

"Really must not know me, waterbender." Ozai told her as his eyes bore hard into hers. "But I guess that can't be helped. We did move things along all too fast for that but I assure you, we will have plenty of time to get to know each other."

Katara could no longer hold back her tears as she trembled. Was she really going to be stuck with him for as long as that psychic said?

Smirking as he wiped the tears from her eyes, "If you're good to me, Katara, I'll be good to you. I give you my word."

Katara stared back at him and didn't know if she could take him on his word but she knew with how things were going, she doubted things would get any better for her. Maybe she should just give up and accept this is how things were going to be. Even with Zuko knowing their location, she knew Ozai had a plan in motion to prevent his son from getting to her.

The waterbender's gaze was that of submission and that was all Ozai needed to see before taking the keys to her cage out of his pocket and unlocking the cage. As he released her, she fell into him unable to lift herself as her body had weakened. Ozai grabbed her and carried her in his arms, taking her to his bedroom, where he laid her door and strapped a chain to her ankle.

"I'll have Zhao check on you periodically. In the meantime, I need you to prepare for this evening. The moon is full and I need my bending back." Ozai ran his finger down the side of her cheek. "I know you'll give it to me. Isn't that right, waterbender?"

Katara only nodded her head as she stared at him.

…..

Zuko was done waiting. Tonight was the night he and Aang were going to storm the brothel and get Katara while Iroh and Suki went to grab Kai. It was enough waiting. Enough letting Katara suffer at the hand of his father. They needed to end this.

"Zuko, are you sure? Ty Lee is in there. If we storm the place, she and others could get hurt." Aang whispered to his friend as they both stood in front of the brothel with their hoods over their heads.

Zuko ignores Aang as he waltz in the brothel and immediately caused a group of people to run out screaming, Ty Lee being one of them. The acrobat ran smack into Aang and grabbed him.

"Why didn't you guys tell me you were attacking tonight?!" Ty Lee yelled.

Aang shrugged.

"Well do you guys need some help? I know my way around here."

Aang nodded and pulled her in with him.

Within the inner sanctum, Katara was brought to the courtyard and thrown to the ground by the pond. Ozai eyed his men for handling her so roughly. He knew that they weren't yet aware of her being pregnant but he still felt like bashing their heads in for throwing her to the ground.

Offering her his hand, Ozai glared at his men as Katara took his hand to stand to her feet.

"You have your moon." Ozai told her as he leaned towards her ear. "Now make this quick. I believe my son is making his move right as we speak."

Katara nodded her head. She knew what she needed to do.

Zuko and Aang took on the rebels that tried to attack them. This was it. They were getting Katara and taking out his father once and for all. Ty Lee figured Ozai would have Katara somewhere in the gardens. It served as a perfect place to fight Zuko and get his bending back. She heard that's what Ozai renewed purpose for Katara was. The garden had a pond with plenty of water to possibly aid Katara in restore what the Avatar took from him.

"Looks like the boy king has made it this far." Zhao smirked as Lao lit his fists and was about to attack. But before Lao could make a move, Zhao stopped him. "We don't have time for them. Allow our master to deal with them."

Lao smirked and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll want to deal with you both himself."

And before Aang or Zuko could get to them, the two took off in another direction, opposite to where they were headed.

"Come, Aang. We don't have time for them either. We have to save Katara!"

Aang nodded and the two of them raced behind Ty Lee as she showed them the way. When they arrived there, Ty Lee saw a few more men charge at them and so she left them to take down Ozai while she held off the others.

Entering the garden the two young men were stunned at what they saw.

"Katara…" her name fell off Zuko's lips as he sees his father embracing her with his mouth on hers.

Pulling apart from her, Ozai grinned as he looked over at his son. "So you've finally showed up. Good. I have a surprise for you."

Stepping away from the waterbender, Ozai's first are engulfed in fire and Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"Your water friend is quite the bender." Ozai grinned. "She was able to undo what the Avatar did to me."

Zuko's eyes went to Katara who was standing behind his father as if she were unphased by what was taking place. He figured she must have endured a lot for her to look so out of it.

"I'll take my father. You get Katara out of here." Zuko told Aang.

Ozai set his eyes on Zuko, wanting to end his life here and now. As soon as this was over, Ozai was taking back everything his bastard son took from him. It was about time the true Fire Lord had his throne back.

As Ozai and Zuko clashed, Aang rushed over to where Katara was standing just a few feet away from the fighting. She was just watching as if it weren't entirely a big deal. Aang came up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Come on, Katara." Aang says. "We're getting you out of here."

Eyes suddenly widening, Katara slaps his hand from heel and she wails as she backs away from him. She stares at him in fright and shakes her head.

"I can't leave."

"Why not, Katara?"

"He'll punish me if I try to leave again." She backed away some more.

"We'll take you where he can't get to you, okay? We'll protect you." Aang says as he approaches her. "We won't let him hurt you again."

Shaking her head, Katara didn't believe that for a second. Ozai told her while in prison he'd make her pay. He found her in her tribe and kidnapped her and her son. She tried to escape and found herself running back into him. She tried to fight but he knocked her back down. The waterbender wasn't going to challenge him again. He'd just find away back to her and make her suffer. Besides, if she was good like he told her to be than he wouldn't hurt her children.

"We're not leaving you here, Katara!" Aang said as he grabbed her wrist and started tugging her along with him.

"No!" Katara yanked her hand back.

"Kat-"

Aang was hit with several water attacks at once, knocked over and pinned to the ground with icicles. Okay, no more nice Avatar.

Ozai was about to wrap things up with Zuko. Even after four years, the boy still couldn't win against him. Zuko should have just fell in line as he couldn't have ever hoped to defeat him.

"It's time I finally put you in your place." Ozai's flames grew hotter and shifted blue. "Six feet under."

Wiping the blood from his mouth as he struggled to pull himself off the ground, "You bastard! If you just wanted to kill me, then you should have just come after me! You didn't have to drag Katara into this!"

Smirking, "We had our own score to be settled. You shouldn't have sent her to do your dirty work. Luckily for her, she was able to escape her fate by servicing me."

"DAMN BASTARD!" Zuko charged at his father.

But before he could attack his father, Aang was thrown into him and knocked into the ground. Zuko looked over to see Katara holding that creepy stance she had when she'd bloodbend. He was confused. Did she just bloodbend Aang into him?

Aang groaned as he got himself back up, "It's a full moon, Zuko. Katara's not coming with us. She's with him."

The two of their eyes widened as Katara stole the water from the grass and created an enormous ribbon of water.

"Leave!" She growled.

And before they could move, the ribbon turned into a stream and crashed into them both, knocking them into the wall and freezing them. Katara hardened the ice until she felt it was good enough to keep them at bay.

Ozai was speechless as he had watched the waterbender fight off the Avatar and subdue him with his son. He hadn't seen the girl fight before but after what she demonstrated just briefly, he understood now why she was able to defeat Azula. She was a force to be reckoned with. A powerhouse all by herself. Not to mention that strange ability to manipulate someone's body. He grinned as he approached her.

"Well done, Katara." Ozai purred as he kissed her forehead.

Katara stood there staring at the ground as she was given positive reinforcement for subduing her friends. She didn't know why she was acting like this. Why was she more terrified of disappointing Ozai? Why didn't she just go with Aang? He was trying to help her. Save her. Why did she freeze him and Zuko to a wall in order to aid Ozai?

Zuko growled and thawed the ice. Seeing his father pleased with Katara's actions made him sick to his stomach. Breaking free, the young Fire Lord, growled and was fully prepared to end his father's life.

"Get your hands off of her!" Zuko snarled.

Ozai smirked as he pushed Katara behind him, "I'll touch her as much as I like. She's my woman after all."

Roaring, Zuko launched several attacks of fire strikes with his fists before slicing the air with a fire kick, sending a wave towards his father. Ozai had no trouble dispelling it and using his much hotter flames to counterattack, causing Zuko to quickly move back to evade.

Aang rubbed his head after being knocked hard by Katara. He hadn't realized she would go all out to avoid being helped. Something was definitely wrong with her and he knew it had to do with Ozai. She had been missing for a few months and from what he heard had being happening to her from different sources, Aang knew she wasn't right in the head. The only way they were going to save her was by force.

The Avatar decided while Ozai was distracted with Zuko that he would try again to grab Katara. He figured if he could get the upper hand on her in a fight that he could subdue her and get her out of here. He was the Avatar after all, a simple waterbender wouldn't be that much trouble.

Wrong!

The fact that it was a full moon meant Katara's bending was enhanced and well beyond its mastery level. She used a mixture of blood bending and waterbending that Aang wasn't prepared for. Besides, he wasn't attacking at full force. He really didn't want to hurt her anymore than she must have already been hurt.

"Katara, please, we just want to help!" Aang cried out as she thrashed him with her water whip.

"I don't need your help." She told him a monotone voice as she was preparing to attack again.

"But Katara, you do! Look, whatever Ozai did to you we can fix it! We won't let him do it ever again!"

Katara wanted to believe that. She really did but unless they planned to kill Ozai, which she doubted, she wasn't safe. None of them were.

Ty Lee finally showed up to the fight to offer her aid. No way they were leaving her out of this. However; as she sees Zuko and his dad fighting, she also sees Katara and Aang fighting, which confuses her a ton. She knows she hasn't seen Katara in weeks but why would the waterbender be fighting Aang? They were trying to save her.

Seeing the acrobat, Aang thanked the spirits. If anyone could subdue Katara it was her. Just a few jabs in the right places and Katara would fall.

"Ty Lee! I need you to Chi-block Katara! She's lost it!" Aang says.

Ty Lee looked to the waterbender that literally had icicles ready to rain down upon the monk. She hurried over to the waterbender and took action to take her out.

Katara knocked the chi-blocker's hand away from her side just as she tried to sneak up on her.

"What's gotten into you, Katara?! Did that creep do something to you?!" Ty Lee asked as she could see Katara didn't look much like herself. She looked a bit deranged, sort of like how Azula did towards the end. This was definitely Ozai's doing.

"Just leave me alone!" Katara hissed as she blocked a kick from the chi-blocker with an ice shield.

"Not happening." Ty Lee slid her foot under Katara and knocked her on her back.

As the acrobat was about to deliver several jabs to prevent the waterbender from using her bending to fight back, blue flames rose in front of her, putting a barrier between her and her friend.

"She's not going with anyone but me!" Ozai growled as he drug his unconscious son through the grass by his arm.

Ty Lee and Aang backed up as the former tyrant approached them. Clearly, Zuko was no match for his father. Now they would have to face him and Katara.

Aang sighed as he took a defensive stance.

"I'll take Ozai. You get Katara."

"On it!" Ty Lee said as she flipped over the blue flames and tried striking Katara as she was in the same spot as before. But the waterbender rolled away. "Ugh! Stay still!"

Ozai tossed Zuko aside and focused his attention on the Avatar. He grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"I'm going to warn you now, boy. You won't get me with that same cheap shot again. I'm more than prepared to take you out."

Narrowing his eyes, "I won't be holding back this time, Ozai! This ends once and for all! No mercy!" Aang was pissed off now. This man hurt his friend and he was going to make him pay.

The fighting took of to a bad start for team Avatar. Ty Lee was able to but up a resistance to Katara's bloodbending but it was hard to dodge her attacks when she barely had control over her body. As for Aang, Ozai was surprisingly more formidable than before and the monk was constantly on the defensive. It would seem the former tyrant wasn't going to risk letting his guard down in a fight with the Avatar again. He wasn't about to lose his bending a second time.

"What's the matter, boy? You look like you could use a break. Well don't you worry, this will all be over fairly quick." Ozai generated lightning at his fingertips with more ease than Aang had witnessed Azula use.

Aang's eyes widened as he knew he would have little time to redirect that powerful of an attack. However; before Ozai could strike him, Ty Lee managed to finally get the upper hand on Katara and jabbed her in the side twice, causing her to bend forward from the loss of her feeling in her mid-area. The waterbender tried to make another attack in order to defend herself, but with another jab, this time to her left arm, her attack was sent in Ozai's direction.

Throwing him into the courtyard pond, Ozai seethed as he saw the waterbender be jabbed in the back and collapsed onto the ground.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ozai struck Ty Lee with his lightning in seconds upon seeing Katara lay limp on the ground.

The acrobat's eyes widened as she fell over and twitched on the ground, bolts of lightning traveling through her body. Being drenched in pond water had dulled down the attack but Ozai was prepared to end the girl with one more attack.

"Who told you to touch my woman?!" Ozai growled as he formed lightning back to his fingertips.

About to strike Ty Lee, Aang tries to dash for her as he sees Ozai is about to kill her but before he can reach her. A lightning strike strikes its target and the body falls to the ground. Aang's eyes widened as does Ty Lee's and Katara's.

Holding his side as he struggled to his feet, Zuko glared at his father was hot cold on the ground. Obviously, for his first lightning attack it wasn't enough to kill the man in one strike but Zuko was prepared to strike the man as many times as it took to kill him.

As he dragged his injured leg along with him as he approaches his father's unconscious body, Zuko hisses as he feels his side his killing him. His father had nearly killed him. Several punches of fire to his side, Zuko had almost succumbed to the pain.

"I should have had you executed years ago!" Zuko growled through his clenched teeth as his fingers sparked with lightning. He had finally been granted the ability to wield lightning. His father had pissed him off so greatly that he was able to tap into the sub form of his bending and what would you know, he could summon it without the same kind of effort his sister and uncle had to use like his father. "I won't make the same mistake again this time!"

Just as he was about to strike his father again, he saw Katara throw herself over him, shielding his father from the fatal attack.

"No." She curled herself around his head, "Don't kill him. Please, don't kill him!"

"Katara, he kidnapped and tortured you! I can't let him live!" Zuko growled.

"Please, Zuko! Please! I'm begging you! Don't kill him!" Katara pleaded as she moved over top of her captor even more.

Zuko furrowed his brows at Katara. He knew she was messed up in the head right now but it was still unbearable seeing her defend the man that had done terrible things to her.

"He's gotten into your head, Katara! This isn't you talking!"

"It is! Leave him alone!" Katara shouted.

"But he-"

"Zuko, I'm pregnant!" Katara cried as she shut her eyes and trembled. "Don't kill my child's father!"

Zuko and Aang looked at her in horror as she broke down and cried, still holding to the unconscious man. They didn't know what to say. Zuko had known his father had been taken advantage of Katara but he didn't think the sick bastard would impregnate her. Aang wasn't even aware that anything of that nature took place, not until now. He was baffled.

And as it began to pour down raining, the waterbender weeping as she remained protecting the man that had fathered her unborn child, Zuko screamed into the thundering rain, sending lightning into the storming sky as Aang stood there speechless. This was not how they expected things to end.

…

Shinji had taken off into the woods with Kai in his arms. Racing to reach where he and Katara's friends agreed to meet. He had to move quick. Yatori was after him and Kai. Seems killing him wasn't his only goal. The bastard wanted to kill Kai as well.

Seeing the path up ahead, Shinji dashed for it as he saw Suki and Iroh waiting just up ahead. But as he neared, Yatori caught up to him and tackled to the ground. Shinji pushed Kai away from him and told the boy to run. Kai hurried off to where he saw Suki and Iroh up ahead.

While the boy got away, Shinji rolled over and beat Yatori into the ground.

"You and whoever sent you can go to hell!" Shinji shouted as he lit his fists with fire and delivered a fatal blow.

Shinji immediately took Kai and to where Katara's allies were. They needed to get to safety quickly. If the Fire Lord hadn't yet taken out his father, then they'd be in a world of trouble.

….

Zuko and Aang sat in a room explaining what happened in detail to Iroh, Suki, and Shinji what happened in the showdown in the courtyard. They were in disbelief. Suki had to take a seat as she knew while Sokka would be thrilled to know his sister wasn't dead, that he'd begin to wish she was after learning what became of her.

"She's not sane." Aang says. "The whole way here me and Zuko had to restrain her whenever she mistook one of us for Ozai or Zhao."

Iroh listened to what had become of the waterbender he had grown fond of over the years. To know his brother corrupted her, it was heartbreaking. He had always known Katara to be a caring and compassionate strong willed waterbender with a fiery personality. He had only grown to like her more as she had been the mother of his great nephew. It was always a pleasure to see her and Kai. But now she was pregnant again, this time was his brother's child. It was a pity.

"Did you know anything about this?!" Zuko hissed glaring as Shinji.

Shaking his head, "I had my suspicions early on but this seems to have been a recent development." Shinji answered honestly. Katara had mentioned to him once that she had her cycle and was in the clear, so for her to have ended up pregnant, this had to have just happened

Zuko was angry and frustrated. He couldn't even bring himself to see his son, who had been tucked away in bed. His rage was too great and he just couldn't bring himself to be anything but angry. Even so, he didn't want the first time he met his son to be one that he was full of fury. Until he could simmer down from all of this, he would wait to meet his son.

"What are we going to do with her being pregnant?" Suki asked, rubbing her own stomach. "There's no way she's actually going to have your father's child."

"She said before she'd get rid of it if she ever got pregnant." Shinji said. "I don't know if she meant it, I don't think for a second she has it in her to make such a decision."

And neither could the rest of them as it just wasn't something Katara would actually do.

"So, we take this into our own hands. We make the decision for her." Zuko says. "We can't let her have this child! It would ruin her life!"

"Nephew! We will not do anything of the sort!" Iroh said.

"Yeah, Zuko." Aang said. "We can't make that decision for her. It wouldn't be right."

"My father raped her! And you want her to have his child?!"

"No, but we can't just force her to not have his child." Suki stated.

"I agree with Fire Lord Zuko. If we make the decision for her, then she won't have more stress on her. Whether she decides to keep it or not, she's not stable enough to make either decision." Shinji chimes in.

"Well what about Sokka? Shouldn't we let him have a say since we're just going to make decisions for her?" Suki said folding her arms.

Zuko was pretty sure Sokka was going to side with him. There was no way the young Chieftain was going to allow his sister to have another Fire Nation baby, especially not one from his father.

Suki was not liking this little meeting of theirs. Zuko was seriously not thinking straight and it was clear where his mind was. Katara was his girl. Even when they weren't together. She heard how Katara wasn't even able to move on and meet someone because of him. How he'd have men at court steer clear of her. How he was always keeping eyes on her when she'd leave the palace. Zuko was more upset that his father claimed her than the fact that Katara was hurting.

The Kiyoshi figured she'd go check on the waterbender. She hadn't gotten to see her since they arrived in Bei Seng Sei.

"So that wasn't my papa?" Kai tilted his head in confusion.

Katara gave a small smile and shook her head, "He was your grandfather."

"So he was my papa's papa?" Kai tried putting it together.

Nodding her head, Katara pulled him to her to kiss his forehead. The four year old laid on his mother's chest as they sat on a lounge chair in her bedroom. He missed her. He didn't get to see her a lot after she got back home from the Fire Nation. But she said she promised they wouldn't be apart again.

Seeing the door to her bedroom open, Katara instinctively held Kai tighter to her only to relax when she realized it was Suki and Iroh entering.

"Uncle! Susi!" Kai said as he jumped up and ran to them.

Iroh chuckled as the little boy ran up to them and bounced around in front of them.

"I got to meet my grandpa!"

Suki immediately cringed.

"Oh, you did?" Iroh entertained the four year old as he picked him up.

"Yup! He let me sit on his shoulders! And got me a teacher for my firebending! And he tucked me in every night like mama!" Kai said as he smiled widely at his uncle. "I wanted to see him but mama says I can't right now."

Iroh chuckled, "Well maybe one day you can see him again."

Suki eyed Iroh and wondered if he was just saying that to Kai or if he really meant it. There would be no way in hell Katara would allow that.

As Iroh talked with the little boy, Suki went over to Katara and sat on the edge of the chair with her. Cracking a small smile, the Kiyoshi reached to comfort her friend with a hug. Katara hugged her and held her tight.

"We're so glad you're back." Suki said. "Spirits, we thought you were dead!"

Tearing up, "I missed you all." Katara said.

Suki smiled and moved to look the waterbender in the face. "Sokka's going to be so happy that you're still alive. We just wrote him to come here."

"Oh...you did." Katara wasn't sure how she was going to handle seeing her brother. That fight they got into the night she and Kai were kidnapped, it had been playing in her head since she got here.

Knowing what she was thinking, Suki reached over to her friend for another hug. "Sokka blamed himself for what happened. He cried every night for you and Kai."

Katara sighed as she looked over to her son that was playing with Iroh. That wasn't what she was worried about. She was worried about what he said in particular. She was pregnant again. With another Fire Nation child. With another enemy's child. Tui and La, the tribe was going to throw her a pity party when she gave birth to yet another obviously Fire Nation child. Not that she planned to but this was seriously ruining her chances of getting married. Not only were her children Fire Nation. But they were children of royals.

"Lady Katara, if you don't mind. We'd like to talk to you about something." Iroh said as he placed Kai down.

"Yes," Suki said. "But should we talk with Kai here?"

"I can keep a secret!" Kai said.

Chuckling, "I bet you can but let us go play outside on the balcony while your mother and Suki speak. I'll teach you a trick I learned when I was your age."

Suki sighed as the two left and looked Katara in the eyes. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it but I want to help you get better. Can you tell me what happened?"

Katara looked away from Suki and moved to hold herself as she pulled her knees to her chest.

…

"Absolutely not! Are you both crazy?! I'm not letting her go near him ever again!" Zuko flipped his shit.

Suki sighed as she knew Zuko would react this way. "Zuko, Katara specifically asked to see him. She says she needs to see he's been chained."

Zuko didn't understand why Katara would even ask for such a thing. Maybe she needed closure. He knew after the war when they defeated his father, that he had visited his father plenty to see that he was still behind bars. He couldn't sleep right until he was sure. Maybe that was what Katara needed.

Sighing, "Ugh! I can't believe I'm allowing this but go ahead. Have Uncle escort her."

Suki nodded.

Katara walked alongside Iroh as they went into the crystal catacombs below the palace of Bei Seng Sei. She was surprised the King would allow this let alone Zuko. But she was thankful they did. She needed to see Ozai. She had to be sure they hadn't just killed him and were feeding her lies.

Iroh glanced over at the waterbender and noticed the dark bruises to the back of her neck. He could only imagine how she received them. The fact that she couldn't heal them like her other bruises meant they were burn marks or bruises that had been there for a while. Maybe a combination of both. Iroh was not particularly in agreement with her seeing his brother. He couldn't fathom why she requested to see him.

"I know you all think I'm crazy for doing this." Katara said. "I think I'm crazy too for this but I-I...I need to see him."

"It is from my understanding that you defended his life in the end. I wanted to ask you why that was if you don't mind."

Why did she defend his life? Maybe because she was just a good person. Maybe she felt death would be too kind a punishment. Maybe she wanted to kill him herself...or maybe after the last few months she spent with him she had been convinced that she had in fact become his woman and she defended him to protect the man that fathered her child.

Sighing, "I can't answer that yet. I don't really know the answer."

The old man stared at her with concern as they reached the cell door that his brother was behind.

"Do you want me to come in?"

Katara shook her head. "I need to face him alone."

And as Iroh unlocked the door for her and let her in, he sighed, asking Agni if this was the right decision.

Entering, Katara noticed it was much brighter in this cell than in the one she first met him in while in the Fire Nation. The green crystals glowed their ominous glow and beamed off the skin of the man she saw was currently chained to the wall. He looked asleep to her. She approached him with no hesitation and stood only a few inches from him as she looked up at his face.

Katara reached her hand to his face and touched his cheek. He was so warm. Warmer than before. Had Aang not taken his bending away yet? Sliding her hand from his face to his chest that was bare and felt the energy of chi flowing through him. Yes, he still had his bending.

"I can tell you're awake." She said as she looked up at his face.

Opening his eyes, Ozai grinned. "Was it that obvious?"

"No but I could tell from how your breathing increased when I touched you." Katara said, moving her hand from him.

"Well aren't you observant. I took you for just a lowly peasant that managed her way in my son's bed but you've proven you are a lot more." Ozai looked her over. "How is my child?"

Katara looked down at her stomach and placed her hand there. "I decided to keep it."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Ozai smirked. "I'm sure you're pleased to see I'm once again chained up. You never did stop hating me did you, Katara?"

"Actually, I don't really know how I feel about you to be honest."

Raising a brow.

"I know I don't hate you. At least not like before. It's somewhere in the middle." She told him.

"Between hate and what?" Truly curious.

"Between hate and tolerance."

"Oh, you wound me, waterbender. Here I thought you'd confess."

"Maybe if we were together a little longer, I might have lost my mind and fallen for you." Katara said, studying him. "You're a handsome man. Most attractive man I've met. If you weren't such an evil bastard it would be easy for me to fall for you."

Ozai was rather flattered. He hadn't realized the girl found him attractive. Sure, he had caught her showing admiration for his features when he slept but he figured it was out of curiosity. But it would seem she had actually thought he was good looking. Not that he was completely surprised. She had once been attracted to his scarred son.

"So tell me, Katara, why are you here?"

"I needed to ask you something."

"And that would be?"

"Why didn't you kill me back in the South Pole?"

…..

A/N: Ozai's captured and Katara wants answers. Wonder how that's gonna go?