A/N:
Second chapter of the night! Enjoy! And just a reminder, this is my darker themed story so you've been warned again if you've forgotten.
Chapter 19:
Bursting into laughter, "What?! Would you rather I killed you?!"
Katara's face didn't betray her at all but Ozai could read a person enough to see beyond their expression.
Raising his brow, "You would have?" Tilting his head in confusion. "What the hell are you? Mental? I wouldn't be surprised. I attract the crazy type of women."
Somehow, Katara actually believed him.
Sighing as his gaze soften, "Well I guess you could say I was just being a horny bastard. It would have been a shame to kill a perfectly healthy pretty face."
"So you planned to use me the entire time?! You said I was filth!"
Smirking, "My kind and your kind don't have the best history, sweetheart. Even before the hundred year war. It's only natural we hate each other from the start." Ozai told her.
Katara tilted her head. Her people's history was wiped out so she really didn't know much about their people's relationship with the Fire Nation prior to the war. She knew Fire and Water were opposite but she didn't know they had conflict before the hundred year war.
"Need me to answer any other questions for you?" Ozai asked because he just knew she did.
"Who sent you after me?" Katara narrowed her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Who said anything about someone sending me to kill you? Maybe I was just so pissed off about what you did to me in my cell that I wanted revenge." Ozai replied with his trademark smirk.
Katara narrowed his eyes, "and maybe you still think I'm an idiot but that's fine, we can just do this all over again and I can find out just who it was."
Ozai took a rather liking to how she would flare up at him. It was that that he originally began to admire her. He could knock her down all he liked but she seemed to find a way back on her feet.
"Fine, waterbender. You win. I was sent after you though it wasn't like I wasn't going to target you after what you did." Ozai started as he looked directly at her. "I was rather surprised when I was face to face with that woman. I knew she loved my son for many years and couldn't fathom why she would offer me freedom until she tossed me your necklace."
Katara's eyes widened. She knew exactly who he was referring to. "Lady Mai freed you?"
"I never bothered to learn her name. She was just the dreadful bitch my daughter was friends with." Ozai stated. "I could see why she wanted you dead. You were in her way."
"I wasn't in her way! I literally left the Fire Nation and quit my job as ambassador to get out of her way! She still sent you after me!"
Ozai could see Katara wasn't very fond of Mai and that was reasonable. They were love rivals and not to mention one tried to kill the other. He could bet good money on Katara going after Mai for this, which would be very humorous to watch. No doubt Mai believed Katara was dead. How surprising would it be to see your fallen foe come back from the grave to kill you.
"Wait, how do I know you're not just trying to set me up?" Katara became suspicious.
Ozai couldn't help but laugh, "And what reason would I have to set you up? What? Because you're free now and I'm in chains? I'm not that kind of crazy, Katara. I like to think I'm fair. You defended me in the courtyard, you even begged my son to spare my life. I'm returning the favor. You want the woman that started all of this, you have her name and you know who she is now. I think getting revenge would be a good score settler."
Katara couldn't deny that one. Besides, what would it benefit him to set her up?
"I do hope this won't be your last visit. It does get quite lonely in prison." Ozai remarked.
The waterbender looked at him, "I'll see if I can visit you again but I don't know if Zuko will allow it."
"I'm sure you'll find your way to me whether he does or doesn't."
…
Katara returned to her chambers after her visit with Ozai. She couldn't believe she offered to visit him again. Well, it wasn't like she was afraid of him. Besides, she was pregnant with his child so it wasn't that big a deal. But there was one thing she knew she wasn't going to do and that was make Zuko aware that she would be seeing his father. La, she couldn't even bring herself to look at him let alone tell him that she was actually quite chummy with his father despite everyone believing he raped her. Not that she was going to correct any of them, there were some encounters with Ozai that had blurred lines between force and consent and Katara honestly didn't know if she could say if Ozai had raped her or she had wanted him.
Ugh! I gotta get out of my head! None of this is important right now! The only thing I need to be worried about is Mai. She started this. She had sent Ozai to kill me. Anger and frustration started to build in her. Mai knew she hadn't even batted her eyes at Zuko, let alone try to take him from her. Zuko had his feelings and he made them very clear but that didn't mean she still shared them with him. After Zuko dumped her four years ago, Katara lost all romantic feelings for him. So what the hell was Mai thinking?
I should tell someone. No, she probably shouldn't. She should deal with this on her own. It was probably just a misunderstanding and that Katara was completely prepared to forgive the noblewoman. She knew how Fire Nation people were after getting a chance to learn them and they were very intense and competitive people. If they felt they were being challenged then they struck back. Katara would explain to Mai that she didn't want Zuko and just wanted to go home. Hopefully, that would be enough for Mai, if not, I'll just kick her ass and get revenge.
"Katara." She heard her name and looked up to see the last person she wanted to see right now.
Damn it! Can't I catch a fucking break! Katara gave him a quick look and went back to staring at the floor. "Hi, Zuko."
It was made apparent to Zuko that Katara didn't really want to talk to him. He figured after dealing with his father that she wanted nothing to do with him. And he didn't blame her. If he hadn't sent her to interrogate his father, then she would have never been harmed.
As Katara walked around him, dying to get to her chambers, Zuko grabbed her arm and she stiffened.
"Look, Katara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen and I know most of this is my fault but I'll try to make this right, okay?"
"Sure, Zuko." She said.
Zuko didn't necessarily like that reply and looked her in the eyes. "What do you mean 'Sure, Zuko'?"
"I mean sure, Zuko. What else would I mean?" Katara snatched her arm from him.
"Do you not trust that I'll protect you?"
"Zuko, I don't want your protection. I'm fine on my own." Katara said before pushing on to leave.
However; things never seemed to be that simple for her. It was always more difficult than that.
"Well look what good that did for you. You got captured."
Katara stopped in her tracks. "What did you say?"
"I said you got captured and you did. You need me to protect you, Katara."
Katara pivoted and marched up to Zuko with her finger in his face. "Let's get this straight, Zuko. I don't need shit from you! Last time I saw you, you were planning to make me your concubine! If that's what your protection entails, I'll take my chance on my own!"
Glaring at her, "What about our son?"
"He's not your concern. You didn't even know he existed."
"And who's fault was that?!" Finally losing his temper.
"I was planning to tell you but before I could you announced to everyone that you and Mai were engaged! You wouldn't even see me when I requested an audience! I tried to tell you for weeks but when I realized it would be too much a hassle to get your attention, I figured you didn't need one more burden on your shoulders so I left and everyone agreed with me that you didn't need to know!" Katara shoved her finger in his face.
Zuko simmered down as he started remembering around that time when Katara left. She had tried seeing him for three weeks and he thought she was just trying to talk him out of being with Mai. But that whole time she was trying to tell him she was pregnant.
"I'm so sorry, ka-"
"You're not sorry! Because if you were then you wouldn't be talking to me like you own me!"
"Katara, I don't think I own y-"
"But you do, Zuko! Even when I came back to be your ambassador, you wouldn't let anyone look at me! You wouldn't let me leave without being followed!" Katara decided to just throw it all out there on the table. "And after dealing with your father and how he claimed I was his when I never agreed to any such thing, I realized you did the same! But guess what?! I don't belong to either of you! Neither of you own me! And I'll be damned if you think you can get away with what you were planning to do with me just because you saved me! At least, I'd understand if it were your father but you Zuko, you were supposed to be different! And you're just as fucked up!"
Zuko stood there speechless as Katara stormed off. His uncle and Suko had caught the whole argument and could say, Zuko walked himself right into that one. No one could disagree with Katara. Zuko hadn't been very fair to her over the years.
….
Two weeks went by and they were all about to head to the Fire Nation. They were just waiting on Sokka and Toph to show up. But in the meantime, Ty Lee had finally awoke from her injuries. Aang and Suki kept her company to make sure she recovered completely. Katara spent time with her son and Shinji, trying to get her head in the right space and she felt she was coming back into normalcy. However; Zuko was having a fit that she would rather Shinji be with her than him. He didn't like how she was so friendly with a man that used to take orders from his father and helped kidnap her. But Iroh reminded him that Shinji had went out of his way to help them get Katara and Kai back, so he tolerated it for now.
When Sokka and Toph finally arrived in the palace, they stormed into the corridors where their friends resided as guests.
"Where's my sister and nephew?!" Sokka shouted as he barged into Zuko's chambers.
Having just woken up and in the middle of brushing his teeth, Zuko looked exhausted already by the tribeman's presence.
"Down the hall." Zuko replied with his toothbrush in his mouth still.
Sokka ran out and headed down the hall, Toph peeked her head in and laughed at Zuko.
"Your energy is all over the place, Sparky. I hope it wasn't too much work getting Sugar Queen back."
Spitting his toothpaste into the sink, "That was the easy part. It was the aftermath that was difficult."
"I'm sure she tore you a new one but no worries, she's going to tear Sokka one too."
Katara had just finished bathing with Kai when her bedroom door slammed open and she saw her brother running towards her. She and Kai were pulled into a great big hug.
"Thank la! I thought I lost you both!" Sokka cried as he held them tight.
Trying to breathe, Katara chuckled and hugged him back. "We missed you too, Sokka." Kai patted his uncle's head in affection.
Toph enters the room and smirks as she feels the relief from Sokka finally come over him. He was getting really frustrating to deal with on the way here but now they could finally relax. However, as she came up closer, Toph noticed four heartbeats. She was familiar with three of them but the fourth one was smaller and it was coming from where Katara was standing. Her eyes widened.
"Sugar Queen, don't tell me you and Sparky hooked up again." The Earthbender groaned in annoyance.
Sokka pulled away from his sister and looked at her, "What? What is she talking about?!"
Katara backed away as she looked Sokka in the eyes. Kai smiled at his uncle.
"I'm gonna be a big brother!" He said.
Sokka looked at his sister as if he didn't believe this.
"It's not Zuko's."
Several hours later, Katara explained to her brother and Toph everything. Sokka nearly fainted at the table while Suki shook him back. When Katara finished explaining the rest, it seemed she filled in more information that Aang, Zuko, Iroh, and Suki didn't already know.
"So that bastard raped you is basically what you're telling us?!" Sokka growled.
"Sokka, it wasn't lik-"
"Did you consent?!"
"Well...sometimes I didn't really care. It was that or he'd get angry." Katara said looking down at the table. "And it wasn't entirely unwelcome. I came onto him the first time."
"Yeah but you were drugged that night." Shinji reminded her.
Fucking hell, this shit was just getting worse. Sokka couldn't take it. His sister had been assaulted the entire time she had been kidnapped and now she was pregnant by someone way worse than Zuko, his father.
"You can't keep it!" Sokka said. "There's no way I'm allowing it! You're not having that bastard's kid!"
Katara gaped at her brother.
"I knew it." Zuko said as he folded his arms.
Suki glared at Zuko as she slapped Sokka upside the head. "This means nothing! You're not getting what you want! It's Katara's choice!"
"She can't keep it! That thing will ruin her life!" Zuko shouted.
"Nephew, it's an innocent child." Iroh looked at Zuko in disappointment.
"But it's his spawn!" Zuko hissed.
Aang raised his brow, "But aren't you also his spawn? Were we supposed to say fuck you cause you were his son and let you figure out your destiny on your own?!"
"Whao! Twinkle toes, language!" Toph laughed.
"It's not the same! I wanted to be good!" Zuko defended.
"Yeah but that wasn't before you chased us all over the world, betrayed Katara in the catacombs, and then sent some assassin to kill us!" Aang threw it out there.
"Hey, enough guys! Katara's been through a lot! You shouldn't be talking like this in front of her!" Ty Lee tried to get control of the outrage.
"And weren't you there with my sister?! Why didn't you help her?!"
"Sokka! Stop it!" Suki whacked him again.
The group argued as Katara sat there listening to them fight over whether she keeps the child she was carrying or get rid of it. It honestly upset her to no end and she felt like taking Kai and getting the hell out of here. When it became too much, the waterbender snapped.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! ALL OF YOU!" Katara screamed.
Everyone went silent as they looked at the waterbender. She looked at every last one of them and then looked dead at Zuko.
"You jealous cruel bastard!" Katara snapped. "Your issue isn't that I'm pregnant or what happened to me, it's because it wasn't you! You piece of shit!"
Then she looked at Sokka, "I told you someone was following me and you made it into an argument about how I'm a shitty mom and loved Zuko more than I did my own son! Well, I'm not! I fought to get my son back! And I'm going to fight to protect him and the one I'm pregnant with! Now you all leave me the hell alone! I don't want to be bothered!"
….
It was the night before they were supposed to leave for the Fire Nation and Katara couldn't sleep. She just kept tossing and turning. After everything she heard them say, she realized she was making the right decision. This baby inside of her was innocent and it wasn't fair to judge it before it could even prove itself. It wasn't like any of them chose who their parents were. She thought Zuko understood that the most but he was on Sokka's side. La, she couldn't believe them! Those jerks!
Sitting up in bed, Katara threw the sheets off of her and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
Racing through the halls and hiding behind the pillars from the Earth Kingdom guards, the waterbender slipped past many and found herself at the entrance to the catacombs. Sneaking inside, Katara tried to remember where it was Iroh took her last time. As she reached the door she believed was the place she had come last time, she unlocked it with the keys she snuck off a guard she passed by.
Once unlocked, Katara went inside and shut the door behind her. Turning around, she didn't see Ozai chained up on the wall, this time, he was on the floor, chained by his ankle. As she approached him, she saw he was curled up and his hair was over his face.
Kneeling down in front of him, she brushed the hair from his face and immediately saw the bruises on his face. When she looked at his form, she could see him holding his gut. Moving his arm out of the way as he laid there asleep or unconscious, Katara hissed as she saw the burn marks along his middle. Someone had come in here and tortured him. She didn't have to guess who. There were only two other firebenders here and only one of them had the anger issues to do this.
The waterbender slipped out for a little while, going back to her chambers and acquiring a few supplies. When she returned, Katara got straight to business and started healing him the best she could. There was no way he'd survive the trip to the Fire Nation like this. This was brutal. She even noticed the gash to his forehead and had to heal that as well.
With his head in her lap, Katara combed out the tangles in his hair after having given him a sponge bath with the bucket of water she brought. She had even changed his blood stained clothes and brought some food in case he woke up, she doubted he was being fed.
Still combing his hair, the waterbender sang to herself to keep her mind off the fact that she was literally helping out the man that had kidnapped her. Just as she was about to move on to the next lock of hair, a hand grabbed her wrist and she stopped what she was doing.
"You came back." He barely managed as he still held his eyes shut.
"I told you I would." Katara stated as if it wasn't that big a deal.
"So he allowed you to come here."
"I don't need that asshole's permission." Katara spat as she went back to detangling his hair.
Ozai grinned as he moved his hand from her wrist and laid there, leaving her to finish his hair. "I'm guessing you two are at odds. I hope it has nothing to do with me."
Tugging the comb through his hair, "He wants me to think it's you but Zuko and I have had issues since the day we met. We were rarely on good terms. I don't know how I ever let myself be fooled by him. He's an asshole. A self righteous asshole!"
The former tyrant chuckled to himself. He didn't have any qualms with hearing how his son seemed to ruin an easily fixable relationship. All that idiot had to do was feed her more of his lies and bullshit and she'd be like putty in his hands. Of course, Ozai didn't doubt the waterbender would see through his pathetic son. But it would have worked out much better than the current approach he was using.
"I bet that son of a bitch did this to you out of anger." Katara scoffed in disgust. "Some good guy he is! You couldn't even defend yourself!"
"Is that sympathy I hear, Katara?" Ozai finally opened his eyes and looked up at her.
Rolling her eyes, "No, I just don't like cruelty even towards my enemies."
"But I don't think we're enemies anymore."
"And why's that?"
"Enemies wouldn't hesitate to kill one another. We've both had our chances to strike the other down but fail to go through with it. I say we're somewhere in the middle. Maybe more. I guess only time will tell."
Katara rolled her eyes and he laughed again. When she finished with his hair, he sat up and winced a little at his middle. The waterbender pressed her hands there and told him not to move so much.
"Oh now I know we're not enemies, waterbender. You've even fixed me up." Ozai pulled his shirt up to see his burn marks had lightened up.
Pulling it back down, "I just told you I don't like cruelty even if it's you. I'd do the same to anyone else that crossed me and I found them like I had you."
Scoffing, he highly doubted that. If this girl wanted to be vindictive, he figured she would. She had that sort of spice to her. And after witnessing a portion of her power when fighting the Avatar and the chi-blocker, Ozai knew she'd make whoever's crossed her suffer.
"Here, eat." Katara pushed a small plate of food to him.
He eyed her for a moment.
"I didn't cook it! Geez!" She snapped.
Snickering he began eating as she folded her arms and mumbled something about being a great cook. He was sure a peasant like her was a good cook, he was just picky about what he ate.
As he finished, Katara pulled out one last thing, throwing a blanket over his shoulders and pulling it to him. "It gets cold down here."
"Did you forget I'm a firebender?" He raised his brows at her.
"Actually, yes, I did but whatever. Now you can conserve energy and stay warm." She said as she stood up and readied to leave.
Ozai watched as she went to the door and disappeared behind it. That waterbender was strange. Even more than he noticed before. And to be quite honest, he thinks he likes her more this way that way he tried to make her before.
…..
The voyage to the Fire Nation was quick. Katara was thankful for that. If she had to spend any longer than she did listening to Zuko and Sokka talk shit about something neither of them had a say in, she was going to drown them both. When the hell did they become buddy buddy?!
Anyway, Katara had visited Ozai every other night. Sneaking in the dead of night to go see him. She told herself it was just her wanting to check on him and make sure Zuko hadn't done anything else to him. But she knew in the back of her mind that wasn't the reason.
"I'm fairly confident that's not how the game is played, Ozai." Katara said as she watched him put down more than one card.
"This is how I've always played." He told her.
And she was fairly sure that was because no one was going to tell him any different. Where the hell did he learn to play like this? Laying her card down, Katara knew she had beaten him but Ozai took the card and tossed it across his cell.
"What are you doing?!" She growled and crawled over to where he tossed her card.
Smirking, "I'm a sore loser."
"Who are you telling?" She scoffed as she crawled back with her card.
Ozai watched her as she sorted the cards out and reset the deck. He hadn't as much touched her since they had been apprehended by her little friends. Of course, that wasn't to say he didn't want to. He had done more than touched her before. The proof was growing inside her and he couldn't deny how undeniably aroused that made him.
Too busy dividing the cards to notice the look she was getting, Katara chuckled.
"You're returning home after we arrive in the Fire Nation?" He asked her.
Sighing as she tilted her head and dished out their cards, "Don't know. My brother's the Chieftain and he says he won't let me return to embarrass him with another Fire Nation man's kid."
"So you'll stay?"
"More than likely. But not at the palace, I might kill your son if I stay too long."
Ozai grinned at the thought of this waterbender killing Zuko. "And what of Kai? How's he feel about his actual father?"
"Doesn't know him. Zuko hasn't bothered to see him since he and I are at odds right now." Katara literally cooled the cell from simply talking about Zuko.
Noticing this, Ozai reached for her hand as she sat a card down in front of him. Her eyes looked up at him with question. He knew she would be suspicious of him touching her but to be very honest, he couldn't help himself. All he could think about was having her again. With her legs around his waist and her nails digging into his back. Agni, he wanted to hear her moan his name again and beg him for more. Slipping her hand from his, Katara eyed him before returning to what she was doing.
They played another game and Ozai once again lost, but he wasn't all too upset about it. He was too busy looking at her. She pretended to not notice until it became blatantly obvious.
"What is it, Ozai?" She asked as she collected all the cards.
"Nothing."
Sighing as she shook her head, "if it was nothing then you wouldn't be looking at me like that."
"It's best if you didn't know, waterbender." Ozai said suggestively.
Katara rolled her eyes as she stood up, "I'll see you once you're put in your cell in the tower."
…
Katara was surprised no one had yet caught onto her meetings with Ozai. Well almost no one caught on.
Having caught the waterbender leaving his brother's cell several times on the voyage, Iroh decided to finally confront the waterbender. This was going on too long. Waiting for her outside her cabin around noon when she usually rose, Iroh greeted her with a warm smile and she scoffed and told him she wasn't speaking with anyone.
"So am I to believe you don't exchange words with my brother when you see him?"
The waterbender froze.
Moments later, Katara was talked into sharing tea with the old man and she had to honestly say, if there was anyone to discover her, Iroh was the best person. He was understanding and saw things from different angles and that was something she desperately needed. Someone to be understanding.
Sipping his read, Iroh had listened to everything the waterbender had to say. She admitted having a strange relationship with Ozai that not even she fully understood. She didn't know if she was drawn to him because she was pregnant with his child or if it was because of how she had gotten used to dealing with him on a daily basis. If you asked Iroh, he'd say it was both. That and perhaps, his brother wasn't alone in his attraction. Perhaps, it was mutual. Katara did express how she wouldn't necessarily say Ozai forced her seeing as she had warranted his affection on a few occasions.
Iroh was honestly completely fine with the waterbender seeing his brother. If it gave her some sort of comfort, then he wasn't going to tell the others about it because he knew, no one would take well to this.
"I don't know." Katara shrugged her shoulders. "I feel like everyone either pities me or wants me to do things their way and he's neither. He just acts as if we're friends. Like he didn't kidnap me, threaten me, torture me, and had his way with me." She twiddle her fingers. "I like him this way. He feels like a normal person and not that asshole I was with for the last few months. Plus... he's actually funny and I need a good laugh right now."
Raising his brows, Iroh eyed her in confusion. Everything made some sense to him until the last part. Ozai isn't funny. He wasn't a funny person. He had a sense of humor, yes, but it was twisted. Not funny.
Sighing, she knew she sounded crazy. Even hearing herself, she felt crazy just thinking about it. She tried to remind herself every time she visited that this bastard had broken her wrist, cut her hair, threatened to kill her, told her she was filth and yet tried coming onto her, he then tortured her when he caught her after she tried to escape, he forced himself on her plenty, and locked her in a cage. But every time she looked him in the eyes, it was like looking at someone different and maybe it was him, maybe it was her, but he didn't look the same to her.
Maybe she needed to not visit so frequently. Maybe she needed to try getting along with her friends and try to go back to how things were. Iroh convinced her to try and so she did.
Walking into the common room where they used to all gather after the war. Sokka was lounging in the chair with Suki sitting in his lap. Toph was on the floor picking her toes. Aang was trying to learn how to walk on his hands like Ty Lee and was doing well. As for Zuko, he sat away from everyone with his arm over his face. Shinji had looked up from where he was posted against the wall when the waterbender walked in the room. And then soon everyone's eyes were on her and she froze.
"Katara!" Aang said with a smile.
Katara's eyes widened as she felt her breathing escalate. What the fuck was wrong with her?! Get a grip!
A hand fell on her shoulder, "Come now, Katara. You've been avoiding your friends long enough."
Backing away, Katara shook her head and then took off running out the room.
"This is all your faults Sparky and Snoozle." Toph said out loud.
Aang, Suki, Ty Lee, Iroh, and Shinji all nodded their heads in agreement.
"Go fix that shit before we have another problem on our hands." The blind Earthbender could just feel something was up with the waterbender.
Walking to her guest chambers with Kai holding her hand, Katara tried to avoid eye contact with the nobles and her former colleagues as they saw her with a child in her arms. They must have thought she was supposed to be dead. A lot of people did but she was sure her four year old son was just as shocking to see.
Nearly reaching her rooms, Katara paused mid step as she saw Mai standing a few feet from her with the look of horror on her face.
"We should talk sometime Mai. I think there's a lot that needs to be sorted through because we have many misunderstandings." Katara says. "I just want you to know, I forgive you." And with that Katara goes into her chambers and shuts the door behind her.
…..
Mai stormed her way down to where she knew Zuko and his friends were probably hanging around. She had a mouth full to give him. Why was that whore alive?! How the hell was she not dead?! Did Ozai not do what he said he would?! That son of a bitch!
"Zuko!"
Everyone in the room looked up and saw the noblewoman and groaned to themselves. Here was some more dumb shit that they weren't going to put up with.
"Well we're out. See you guys for dinner." Sokka said as he and Suki got up to leave.
"Yeah, I think I'll go plant my feet in some nice soil in the courtyard. Excuse me." The Earthbender said.
Ty Lee looked at Mai and noticed that her friend refused to look at her. So she left with Aang, who tugged her along with him.
Shinji eyed the woman as he slipped out. He'd go check on Katara to make sure she was alright. After all, he was there when this woman asked Ozai to kill the waterbender.
As for Iroh, he stated that he would go look for Ursa to see how she was doing. Leaving Zuko to deal with his fiance alone.
The young Fire Lord looked over to his fiance and groaned himself. Katara was a difficult situation by herself, he didn't need Mai added to the equation.
Sighing, Zuko stood up and walked over to her. "Looks like my father staged her death." He started. "She was his captive this whole time."
"I don't give a damn about that, Zuko! I just want her and that bastard son of yours out of here!" Mai snapped.
"She doesn't really have anywhere else to go, Mai." Zuko tried to tell her.
"She can go back to her block of ice!"
"No, she can't. She won't be welcomed." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck.
"And why not?! Because you claimed her son already! You son of a bitch! I knew it! You-"
"She's pregnant, Mai! Alright! She's pregnant again and Sokka already said the first time was different! She can't go back with another child and her not be married!"
Mai was now seething with rage, "YOU GOT HER PREGNANT AGAIN!"
"No!" Zuko growled. "It's my father's!"
Mai felt she could burst into laughter. His father. His father impregnated that Water Tribe whore? This had to be the most funniest shit she has ever heard because she actually laughed. And she laughed hard in his face.
Zuko furrowed his brows at her. Of course, she had to find this humorous.
"You royals are pathetic!" Mai croaked with laughter. "A Water Tribe girl shows up and even though she's your enemy, you can't help but fuck her till she's pregnant!"
Zuko wasn't going to sit here and listen to this shit. And as he left, Mai finally got a grip. She couldn't help it. This was too hilarious. Maybe she would talk to that water slut later. But first, she needed to speak to that lying bastard.
…..
Ozai was in his original cell but this time with a chi-blocking brace around his neck. Seemed the Avatar couldn't remove someone's bending twice. Which was fine by him. Made it a lot easier for him to escape again. He just had to figure out how to remove the brace on his neck.
But as it was getting dark, he just waited to see his waterbender and yes, he still claimed her. She was practically his. Pregnant with his child and visited him without permission. He liked the fact that she was willing to go out of her way to see him despite their past.
As he waited, he noticed the sound of keys jingling at the door. Aren't you a little late?
However; as the door opened, he didn't see his waterbender walk in. Even though they were in a cloak, he knew it wasn't her. Katara was a petite girl. She had absolutely no height on her, he rather liked her small frame. But this person here, they were tall. Close to his son's height.
Pulling her hood off, Mai looked Ozai into his eyes. "Couldn't kill the water bitch, huh?"
"Well if it isn't the cold jealous bitch that can't seem to keep my son's attention. It's good to see you." Ozai smirked as he sat against the wall behind bars.
Scowling, "You had one job, Ozai."
Sighing as he looked away from her, "Kill the waterbender? Well, I'm sure you know that's not exactly how it went."
"Of course not." She sneered. "You had to fuck her first."
Ozai chuckled. "Doesn't matter what I did with her. She was out of your hair, wasn't she? Not that it mattered much whether she was dead or alive, Zuko still doesn't care much for you."
"You bastard!"
"I recommend a change of personality which you sorely lack. What man wants some lifeless corpse to make love to every night for the rest of his life? You might not like her but you should take a note from Katara's book, she's having more luck than you in that department and she doesn't even try." Ozai laughed.
Mai glowered at him as he laughed and he laughed the whole night.
…..
Katara came to visit Ozai the next night and she found that his eyes never left her. Like he was entranced by her. She felt slightly uncomfortable. Mostly due to the fact that he tried to touch her whenever he got the chance. She knew he was aroused but said nothing. Pretended to not even notice.
However; when she slipped her water on her crop top, Katara saw his eyes stare dead at her breast when she tried drying herself off. It was getting a little frustrating having him eye her so hard. So she confronted him.
"What's the problem?" Katara sighed.
Ozai grinned and looked back at his deck of cards, "I was curious."
"About what?"
"Your nipple rings. What are they for?"
"I mastered waterbending at 14. They're for masters only." She told him as she laid down a care.
Ozai studied her. It never dawned on him that she was a master waterbender. He had only seen her fight once with her bending and he had to say, it was impressive. But he figured she'd have to be a master in order to teach the Avatar.
Katara watched as he flicked her nipple with his finger, she shooed his hand away and glared at him.
"Stop looking!" She folded her arms over her breasts.
"Won't you need to get rid of them for breastfeeding?" He still seemed curious.
"No."
"Oh really?"
"Yup. I kept them in when I breast fed Kai." Katara said.
Ozai continued eyeing the waterbender's breasts. It couldn't be helped. Being in his cell with nothing to do all day but have a pretty little woman keep him company, how could he not be thinking about that? Plus, he knew exactly how her body felt and it drove him mad. He just wanted to touch. A single touch.
It didn't go unnoticed to Katara that Ozai was in longing and had been giving her looks for a while. Sure, they had a plethora of sex when she was his captive and ended up pregnant. However; Katara tried not to think about what it was like being his captive. It was very confusing for her, frustrating, and in many ways a lot of what happened had hurt her more psychologically than it did physically. So to be Frank, the only reason she was able to even be around him now was to push those memories to the back and focus on here and now. But the question still remained, why did she even come to see him like this in the first place?
…
Mai decided after what Katara said to her upon arriving that they needed to talk. Obviously, Ozai told her something he shouldn't have and she needed to deal with it. However; Zuko's mother insisted they go together to check on the waterbender. Mai really didn't know what was up with Ursa lately, but the woman seemed so tense all of a sudden. Maybe it was being so close in proximity to her ex-husband.
Ursa walked alongside Mai as they headed to see the water woman her son had once been involved with. She wanted to make sure the waterbender stayed safe after having overheard that Mai was involved in freeing Ozai to have the woman killed. Fortunately, the man that Mai sent to kill her grandson did not succeed in harming the boy.
After knocking on the door, Katara answered with Kai was pulling on her skirt. Ursa saw the little boy and shrieked as she reached for him.
"He looks just like how Zuko looked!" Ursa said picking him up.
Katara raised a brow at the strange woman.
"This is Lady Ursa. Zuko's mother." Mai said.
"Oh." Katara said as she let them enter.
"Lady Ursa, do you mind helping Kai figure out how to wear his clothes." Katara asked chuckling. "I don't know how to work Fire Nation clothes for little boys."
Ursa nodded her head with a beam so bright on her face as she couldn't believe how cute her grandson was.
As the woman took Kai with her to dress him, Katara looked at Mai. She figured it was just a matter of time before the noblewoman would want to speak to her.
The two sat in the sitting room and Mai sighed as she looked away from Katara. "So he told you?"
"Yes and I was rather surprised." Katara folded her arms. "I didn't actually believe him at first because I thought I made it very clear to you and Zuko that you both could go fuck yourselves."
"Well-"
Sitting to the edge of the sofa, Katara narrowed her eyes at Mai. "Do you know what you let happen to me?! Do you know what his father did to me?! Because you were jealous! I don't even look at Zuko that way anymore! I barely see him as a friend after what he's said to me since returning." The waterbender stood up. "You both deserve each other because if you ask me, you're both responsible for why Ozai came after me!"
Mai looked back at Katara and stood up, "I didn't think you have feelings for him. I saw that look on your face when you heard we were engaged. I saw how you avoided being alone with him when you became ambassador. You've made it very clear how you feel, Katara."
"Then why?! Why did you send for me to be killed?!" Katara desperately wanted to know.
"Because Zuko always closes his eyes during sex. I know he's picturing you. I know because your name slips from his lips when he kisses me. He does it so much he doesn't even notice it." Mai told her. "I wanted Zuko to feel like I did. So...I asked Ozai. He seemed to want you dead already so it was a simple request."
"But why kill me?! I was already gone! I was home! Thousands of miles away!"
"Because the Zuko that returned from defeating his sister and winning the war with the Avatar wasn't my Zuko. My Zuko died and I felt he needed to know what it felt like to permanently lose someone."
Katara looked at Mai and saw she was definitely hurt in her eyes. Zuko hurt them both. And here they were fighting each other because of the hurt they felt.
"Look, Mai, I won't say anything about this to anyone. I just want to bury it all. Okay? I forgive you. Besides, you know what it was like for me when he took you as his betrothed." Katara sniffled. "I'm not angry at you. I might have done worse than try to disappear if I wasn't pregnant with Kai."
Mai nodded. "I'm grateful, Katara."
"Great. Now can we be friends?" Katara smiled.
Mai looked her up and down, "Sorry but that won't be happening. You still have a living heir of his."
"Kai is a bastard. He doesn't have a claim."
"He does if I can't produce one."
"Then I can help you with fertility issues."
"I'm sure you can." Mai said, glancing down at her stomach. "I guess I could tolerate you a bit more if you're willing to help me."
"Deal."
Ursa sighed as she had heard what the two were discussing. She was very pleased to know the two could bury it all and they could move on.
…..
A/N:
Wonder if how confused and vulnerable I'd be in Katara's position. Not gonna lie, I'd probably be pretty unstable.