A/N:
I'm back!
Chapter 36:
Katara stood quietly outside of her son's cabin door as he refused to answer after slamming the door in her face. She didn't know what to do. She didn't realize Kai would ever come to hate her. She didn't know what to do. He claimed she was trying to ruin his life by taking his father from him but she swore she wasn't. That's why she was doing the six months between them, though she'd like to have her children to herself completely. Dear Tui and La, she felt awful that her son thought she was trying to ruin his life. She would never.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Katara slapped it off of her and swung around, hissing through her teeth as she glared at him. "This is all your fault!" She hissed in a whisper. "That's my son in there and you've managed to turn him against me!"
Ozai shook his head, "I try to tell the boy you meant no harm."
"Harm?! How could I mean harm when all I wanted was to escape from you?! You ruined my life, Ozai!"
"I'm sorry, Katara."
"Sorry?! You're fucking sorry?! That's it?! You just walk into my life wreck it and tear it apart and all you can say is you're sorry?!"
"Kat-"
"Shhh! You asshole!" Katara was preparing to storm out when she nearly ran into the captain of the ship.
"Your majesty! The ship needs repairs before we set sail." the captain said in front of Katara.
Ozai smirked, "For how long?"
"A week."
"Damn it!" Katara hissed as she took off running in an angry fit.
…
Trying to rest before her shift at the healing hut, Katara had her head buried into a pillow about to doze off but was interrupted by loud knocking on the door. It was soon followed by her grandmother yelling for her to come downstairs as it was her ex-husband. Katara sat up in bed and groaned, pulling at her hair as she wanted to yank it all out after it had just grown back. Ozai was going to drive her to insanity. She knew he wasn't going to leave her alone. It was too good to be true. He was too persistent of a man to just let her go and be content. He was never really for the divorce and she should have known from how he acted leading up to her departure that he wasn't going to let her go completely.
But none of that mattered as she wasn't going to stand for this. Ozai wasn't getting his way. He refused to change for the sake of their marriage and he let it fall apart, she wasn't going to give into his whims now. Especially because she had no obligation to him anymore. They were divorced. Maybe she needed to help him understand what that meant.
Going downstairs, Katara saw her grandmother struggling to shut the door as Ozai's foot was blocking the threshold. She clenched her fists and marched up to door, telling her grandmother to let her deal with this. She saw Ozai's eyes light up as he saw her. He was wearing casual clothes and his hair in a high ponytail, he looked all too comfortable for a man that wasn't supposed to be here.
"Tell your grandmother to let me in." Ozai told her.
Katara glares at him and slams the door in his face, shutting it on his foot. She heard him swear and shout at his foot and apparently his nose as she had slammed it directly in his face.
Later that same day, Katara was taking the kids shopping for parkas and school supplies for when they start their education here in the South Pole. As she held their hands on both sides of her, the waterbender saw the Fire Nation visitors setting up camp nearby for their Fire Lord. However, as she passed by them, Ozai caught sight of them and came running over. Katara blew hot air from her nostrils as she groaned and paused when Ozai was upon them.
"What do you want?" Katara asked him all too nonchalantly for someone that was utterly annoyed.
Ozai smiled as he looked at her with his beaming gold eyes, "I want to have dinner together."
Before Katara could say anything, the kids both agreed they wanted to have dinner with both their parents.
"Just me and your mother, children." Ozai told them.
Katara rolled her eyes and continued on with the kids as she had nothing more to say to him. Ozai was a legitimate moron and she feared he might be going cynile.
…
Suki had been very weary of Ozai's presence in the South Pole in regards to her sister-in-law's safety. The man was down right obsessive and unrelenting. He literally stalked her around town and showed up whenever he pleased. It worried Suki to no end that this could end badly.
One day, Suki was passing by the vendors near where the Fire Lord's campsite was and saw Ozai, once again, being a creep. He was following Katara around and Suki watched the woman get fed up. Katara spun around and slapped him dead across the face. Next thing Suki knew, Ozai grabbed Katara around the waist and lifted her over his shoulder, hauling her to his campsite. Her sister-in-law was kicking and screaming and not a single person went to help her. Suki knew they were all terrified but it was wrong to sit there and do nothing.
Suki ran to get Sokka so they could confront the man trying to kidnap Katara. As they arrived in the camp, stopped by two soldiers that refused to let them further, the two spotted Katara. They all heard her yelling at the Fire Lord to leave her alone. It is then followed by the man forcing his lips on her and getting bitten as Katara was disgusted that he put his lips on her. The waterbender proceeded to kick her ex in the nuts and as he cringes down on his knees, Katara glares at him.
"I had real feelings for you, Ozai! And you threw them in my face! I'll never allow myself to go through what you put me through again!" Katara shouted at him before storming off.
As they watched Katara storm off, Ozai tried going after her but fell on his knees in the snow. He ends up begging in that position for her to come back to him. Honestly, Suki and Sokka could see that the Fire Lord did indeed have true feelings for Katara but his behavior and what he did was unacceptable. He needed to get it together.
Sokka heads to his grandmother's home to have a talk with his sister and hopefully get a better understanding of the situation. As he meets with her in her room and sits on the bed beside her, he asks her about why Ozai divorced her when he clearly doesn't seem happy about the situation.
Folding her arms as she was in her pajamas, "Ozai only granted it because we had spent almost two years apart due to his whoremongering and me being fed up. He probably thought he could coax me into staying or coming back but I'm completely against it. Ozai didn't count on me actually being done and plus, it got out to the public so he had to follow through for his appearance amongst the nobles."
Sokka sighed and nodded, "So, would you ever get back with him? If he changed?"
"Ozai will never change."
Returning home to the Fire Nation was challenging as he returned alone and didn't know how to focus on his work. Ozai tried to distract himself but he didn't want any of his concubine or consorts. Not even Rin was appealing to him. Then there was his work that he couldn't seem to care enough about to get done. He felt sick. Physically sick at all the reminders of his waterbender. The blue skies, the ocean, her clothes that still had her scent on them, the gardens that she loved to spend her time with the kids in, the empty spot in his bed where she should be, nearly everything reminded him of her. And he felt so sick knowing she was gone from him. He couldn't eat, sleep, think, or get out of bed. Ozai literally could care less about anything that wasn't her. Eventually, he got fed up and wrote to his eldest son, Zuko.
Zuko didn't know what was up with his father summoning him urgently to the Fire Nation. He was skeptical of it as he just recently caught the news that his father and Katara got a divorce. It was shocking but not surprising. He knew Katara likely was fed up with his father's bullshit and his father wasn't able to keep Katara from lashing out in her angry fits of disappointment. It was a doomed relationship from the beginning. At least, it didn't end in tragedy or disaster.
Arriving with his uncle to the Fire Nation, Zuko was greeted warmly by the guards and led to the throne room. There, he found his father sitting on the throne in his casual clothes and hair pulled back in a ponytail with his Fire Lord crown missing. Both of them eyed him strangely, wondering if he was having a midlife crisis or losing his mind. He looked like a commoner, wearing what resembled Zuko's Fire Nation commoner attire. Even down to the boots he was wearing.
"Zuko, you're here, excellent." Ozai said as he got up from the throne and rushed down the steps to his eldest son.
Zuko was stunned when his father looked at him with glee and placed his hands on both his shoulders. Iroh was even taken aback.
"Look, I need to ask something of you." Ozai said as he placed his arm around his son's shoulder.
Zuko swallowed hard, afraid to find what his father had in store for him.
…
It had been three months since Ozai left and Katara was living it up. She was hired by a different healing hut full of Northern women that didn't have the same bias about her past as the Southern women did. She had her own home and the kids were in the local school. People had begun to stop whispering about her as she was in public. Things were going good for her.
Currently, Katara was purchasing fruits imported from the Earth Kingdom when a person behind her came up and tapped her shoulder. She told them she was almost down selecting her fruit and to give her a moment. However, as Katara was about to purchase the fruit, she noticed the vendor's expression was one of shock as they looked over her head. While holding the orange in her hand, the waterbender turned around and saw a cloaked figure with Fire Nation clothes on.
"Ozai?" Katara squinted her eyes at him in question.
Pulling his hood off, Ozai looked down at her with a smile on his face. "Hey there, waterbender."
Katara turned to give the vendor her money and went to storm away from the man. Ozai quickly went after her and tried to get her to slow down as he navigated through the crowded streets. Eventually, he saw her take a turn out of the marketplace and cut through the crowd.
"Katara!" He nearly caught up to her.
"Leave me alone, Ozai!"
"Please, I need to talk to you!"
"I don't want to hear it!"
"Please, I have Kai with me!" Ozai shouted.
Katara stopped and then turned around to look around. "Where is he?"
"At the inn." Ozai told her as he finally got a hold of her and stood a little less than a foot from her. "I need to tell you something."
"What?! What could you possibly have to tell me that would change the fact that I don't want to fucking talk to you?! I don't want to see you! I don't want anything to do with you!" Katara shouted at him.
Ozai sighed, "I abdicated the throne, Katara. I gave it back to Zuko."
"What?!"
Ozai chuckled as he approached her further, "I'm just a commoner now. I gave it all up. For you. For us. I want us more than I want the throne. Please, I'm not lying. Ask Zuko. Go there and see for yourself." He told her.
Katara's eyes were wide as she had no idea what to say to him.
"Please, I gave it up. I couldn't do it. Not without you. It wasn't most important to me. Not more than you." Ozai explained.
Furrowing her brows, "Are you some kind of moron?"
"What?" Ozai chuckled in confusion.
"You gave up the La damn throne and your royal status for a peasant woman?!" Katara was in disbelief.
"Well…I gave it up for a woman I love not a p-"
"I'm a peasant, Ozai. A lowborn peasant with nothing to her name." Katara narrowed her eyes at him. "And you expect me to believe you gave up everything you had to be with me?"
"Yes!" He desperately wanted her to believe him. He really did give up everything for her. That's all he wanted. For her to believe him and try to make things work between them.
Katara turned and was about to leave when Ozai grabbed her wrist.
"Katara! Please!"
Snatching her wrist back, Katara turned around and poked her finger up at him as she scowled at him. "This changes nothing, Ozai! I'll let you stay with me but you're not my husband anymore! I'm not obligated to you, got it?!"
Ozai nodded.
"Good. Now, come on. People are probably back to talking about me again now that your ass is back."
Ozai happily followed behind the waterbender as she was taking him back to her place. He clearly was in the doghouse and needed to prove he's changed or willing to do so for the sake of their relationship. He wanted them to be back together and maybe that could happen if she allowed it and he had given her good reason to.
…..
"Katara, no!" Kanna couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Katara sighed as she went through her grandfather's clothes that her grandmother was still holding onto. She knew how much her grandmother hated the man that took her son from her but Ozai was still the kids' father and if he really did give up everything for her, for them, then she needed to at least let him prove himself. The Ozai she knew was not a man to sacrifice his worldly possessions and yet, he had and was here trying to win her back. She couldn't help but feel compelled to allow him a chance. However, she wasn't just letting him back to be her lover/husband. It would take a great bit for any of that than giving up the throne. Ozai would have to prove he was ready to be a real man to her and make her feel secure in their relationship. Only then would she be willing to 'try' and a hard emphasize on the 'try' part as even then, she didn't think it would work out.
The waterbender knew that a relationship between the two of them was doomed from the start. While she was grateful for her children, she didn't believe it was wise to have gotten involved with Ozai. Ozai was a man far older than her from a higher social class and status. He lived his life twice over compared to her and had done many evil things in that time. He didn't know right from wrong the way she did. He didn't understand the consequences of certain actions. Ozai probably thought as long as he provided for her, didn't kill anyone, and was loving towards her that that was all he had to do. That he was good for doing just that. But no, his morals and priorities were in the wrong place which angered her and caused a wedge in their marriage.
As she folded the clothes and stowed them away in a bag for Ozai to wear until she could buy him some new clothes, "It's not like I'm letting him back into my bed or anything. He and I have a lot to sort out before that will ever be a thought."
"But Katara, you're allowing him back into your life far too soon. You shouldn't let him in the house, dear. Let him stay at an inn."
"I told him that but he has nothing and I can't afford to keep him in an inn for however long he plans to stay here. It'll just be this way until he gets a job, if he does, and can get his own place."
Kanna wasn't so sure. She knew her granddaughter had a soft spot for the man, otherwise, she wouldn't have been opening her doors for that psychopath. All Kanna could do is sigh at this situation and try to be understanding of the situation. She knew this wasn't easy for Katara. The girl had dealt with a lot because of the man, yet she was willing to help him whenever he was down and out. It was always like this. She just hated it for her but she would try to accept this was how Katara wanted to do things.
Getting back to her northern style home with two stories, Katara unlocked the door with her bending and entered. She saw her two youngest come and greet her while Kai stood back with his arms folded, still not talking to his mother for leaving his father. Katara would give the boy some time but she also caught sight of Ozai working a knife against a block of wood. As the kids ran back upstairs to play in their room, Katara walked up to him and tossed the bag of clothes at his feet.
"These are some clothes you can wear, courtesy of my grandmother." Katara said.
Ozai looked at them and saw the dark blue parkas, white under tunics, and tan animal skin pants. They looked as if they'd fit.
"I'll go upstairs and get you some fur blanks so you can make yourself comfy on the floor." Katara told him and went to the stairs.
Ozai raised a brow, "Why the floor? Can't I stay in your room?"
Katara barked in laughter, "I'd rather drown than let you in my room and I only have three other rooms than mine, which belong to the children. So you can have the floor."
"But-"
"You can always sleep in a tent outside." Katara laughed as she went up the stairs.
Ozai could tell this time around, Katara was not going to let her soft and compassionate side be taken advantage of. Not that that was his intention but she was far more guarded to protect herself. He out ran his good graces with her.
When she came back with fur blankets, Katara made him a pallet on the ground and tossed a few pillows down for him. "There you go."
"Katara, I'm not as young as I look, I can't sleep on the Agni fucking floor." Ozai folded his arms.
"Then sleep on my sofa. Whatever but you're sleeping down here. Got it?"
"Why are you being so cruel to me, waterbender. I gave up everything for you."
Katara folded her arms and listened to his speech about how much he loved her and just wanted to make things work. Honestly, if she were a different woman, she'd hang onto every word and take him upstairs but she wasn't the dumb type. Ozai fucked up bad with her and she wasn't going to let him continue walking all over her. He didn't get to hurt her and get away with it.
"Ozai, look, you made the decision to abdicate your throne for me but that was your decision. I never told you to do that. If you want to make things work between us, you'll have to show me and prove to me that you've changed." Katara explained to him. "You're a jealous, selfish, scheming, trifling, unruly, cheating, lying, rotten old man. And I don't want anything to do with you if that is all you are. But I believe you have better things to show me you are so I'm allowing you this last and final chance, even though we both know you don't deserve don't screw this up, okay?"
The former Fire lord nodded.
Katara sighed and went back to the steps, "Goodnight, Ozai."
"Night." He said as he took the pillow and laid on the floor.
Truthfully, it wasn't all bad sleeping on the floor. He just had to prove to her that they could work, that he was a good man that was worthy of her. It shouldn't be too hard, should it?
Katara got up in the morning and saw Ozai was rubbing his back. She felt a little bad having him sleep on the floor. Honestly, he could have slept on the sofa. But she wouldn't guilt herself too much. She had to remember it was his choice to come here after all the things he put her through. All she was doing was keeping him off the streets. But it had to be said that seeing how far the mighty Fire Lord had fallen was hard to witness.
While he was picking the fur blankets and folding them, Katara came up behind him with a gloved hand of glowing water, placing it on his bare back to heal the ache. He paused as she undid the sore tightening of his shoulder blades and back muscles. When she was done, he thanked her and turned to see her dressed with her hair tied up in a braided bun. To him, she looked beautiful the way she was dressed.
"You look-"
"Mom, can I have a hug before you go to work?" Soji asked as he and Nanami came down to see her off before work.
Katara giggled and hugged her two youngest, kissing the crown of their head. She ignored Ozai as he stood there looking like he wanted a kiss on the head too.
As she got ready to leave, the waterbender paused and stopped herself as she forgot something. "Ozai?"
"Yes." He perked up like a little polar-bear dog cub.
"Get a job."
"A job."
"Yup, I can't afford to take care of you and the kids. Get a job and then your own place. You can't stay here. Not in my house."
Ozai scratched his head, "Okay…what should I do?"
"We need more fishermen, you could do that. Or maybe odd jobs would suit you. I don't know. Just look around." Katara was about to shut the door but stopped. "And don't forget to take the kids to school."
The door slammed shut and Ozai tilted his head, still trying to wrap his head around the fact he had to get a job because Katara planned on putting him out after long.
Taking the kids to school was no big deal but some of the tribesmen and women eyed him as he showed his face around them. Ozai didn't really care. He was used to the attention. Positive or negative, it was all the same. Attention annoyed him but he tried not to be so affected by it all. He just wanted to get the kids to school and return to Katara's place.
As he let Soji and Nanami run to their teacher, Ozai saw a man approach him and his guard went up immediately. The man looked familiar and Ozai saw a small smile on the man's features. He looked friendly but Ozai didn't know. He remembered this was Kholji, Katara's family friend and the talkative tribesman that coaxed him to use the male bathhouse just to freak out when he saw him naked.
"Hey, remember me?" Kholji said as he came up to the man.
Ozai nodded.
"And you're going by your real name or Kamishi?"
"Call me whichever." He told the man.
"Okay, Ozai. I think your real name will do." Kholji chuckled. "So, I hear you're trying to sort things out with Katara. How's that going?"
Ozai eyed the man with distrust.
Sensing this, Kholji apologized. "Forgive me, I'm just nosy."
"I see."
"I was just hoping everything was going well. I know she might not go easy on you but for your first visit, despite you lying about who you were, I know you care for her. Anything I can do to help?"
Ozai couldn't think of a single thing this man could do to help him. He and Katara's business had nothing to do with him. He could just be on his way and leave him be. But then he suddenly remembered what Katara told him this morning and figured out what this man could do for him.
"Know any jobs I might be able to take part in?" Ozai asked him.
Kholji smiled at this, "Yeah, me and the guys have been looking for another well built guy to hunt with us. Pays good and puts food on the table, the only problem is you could be away for a few days every so often. Sound like something you'd be interested in?"
While Ozai didn't want to be away for days, he knew Katara wanted him to prove he changed and this was perfect. Plus, he'd be able to keep his dignity doing this sort of job versus being a fisherman.
"We have our next hunt in a few days. You should tag along and see if you like it. Come, I'll introduce you to the guys." Kholji told him.
…..
It was quite early in the morning and the kids were all still asleep while Katara was sewing up a satchel for Ozai and his first hunt. She figured he'd need somewhere to put his hunting knives and supplies. It was common for women to do this for the hunters of the village and while it was more common for a woman seeking favor from a hunter, she was simply doing this for Ozai because he was after all someone that wanted to stay in her life. So much so that he abdicated his throne just to prove himself. It was unheard of and honestly, made her feel like he was truly wanting to win her back. That's why it wasn't a difficult process staying up all night to make sure the stitching was right and that it would hold all he needed inside.
As Katara was working on sewing up the satchel she made for him by the firepit, Ozai couldn't help but feel slightly more hopeful for their future together. It was a major adjustment coming out here to live and decidedly live a commoner life but Ozai never wanted anything more in his life than to be at her side. Sure, he wished he could have kept his throne but it didn't make him physically sick to part with it the way it made him sick to part with Katara. He loved her more than anything and so it was an easy call letting Zuko have it back if it meant he could get his wife back.
"Do you have all your knives lined up?" Katara asked him as she was still sewing.
Ozai nodded as he looked over the knives.
"What about your arrows and bow? Did you sharpen the arrow head and tighten the string of your bow?"
"Yes," he answered her.
Katara glanced up at him, "I packed dried whale meat for you in case you're gone for long so you don't have to eat your kills."
Ozai smirked at her, "You worried about me, waterbender?"
"Of course. I don't know if you're cut out for hunting. You grew up a royal. You haven't a clue what you're getting yourself into." Katara said as she furrowed her brows and pricked her finger by accident.
The former royal came up to her side and took her finger to look over, removing a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the blood away. She thanked him and went back to what she was doing. Ozai looked over her shoulder and saw she was stitching his name into the inner part of the satchel with a Fire Nation insignia. He didn't care what she said. He knew she still cared about him. She wouldn't have stayed up all night to help him prepare if she didn't care. People didn't do that sort of thing just for the heck of it. Katara was just hurt by him and had to keep her guard up with him. But one day he'd get her to let her guard down again.
Once his satchel was finished, Katara packed his knives and supplies into it. She helped him put it over his shoulder and placed his quiver on with the arrows inside. Ozai held to his bow as he watched Katara make sure he had everything he needed, tightening parts of his parka to ensure it was on securely. He could see she was worried about him and it made him grin.
"Be safe, you hear me." Katara told him in a hard voice. "Your children need a father."
Ozai smirked and leaned down to kiss her, to which she turned her cheek to him. He kissed it and chuckled. "I'll be fine."
"I mean it, Ozai." Her brows kneaded with worry. "Don't rush to your death. You still have to make it up to me."
"I will, waterbender."
As he turned to see Kholji and headed off, Katara stood in the threshold staring at him in worry. She tried to tell herself he wouldn't freeze as he was a firebender and his body ran hotter than the average person. But she felt something else could happen. What if one of the men turned on him? Sure, Kholji was with him but he couldn't keep an eye on him the entire time. Katara shut her eyes and prayed for his safe keeping.
Opening her eyes, she saw Kholji pat her ex-husband on the back and continue walking towards the other. Ozai turned to look over his shoulder and smirk at her. Her face turned red as she looked away. She glanced back for a moment and worry took over her as the men prepared to leave to the southern parts of the frozen tundra of the South Pole. Come back home safely, Ozai.
…
A/N:
Ozai the commoner, what do you guys think?