To say Zuko got a good night's rest would be a lie so bold even Azula couldn't pull it off. He was dreading the coming disaster that was bound to happen on the arrival of Sokka and Suki. He understands his friends' concerns and has it handled; he just needs them to trust him. He went into his office and began preparing for the day. He asked his assistant to ensure the guards were aware of the extra guest arriving today and that Princess Azula may need extra protection until everything was worked out. Mai thankfully seemed to be on his side and said she'd stand by his decisions if his friends pushed back. He was eternally grateful that she was understanding of the situation and while she didn't love Azula she was still fond of her and didn't want her dead. Zuko was hoping that'd give Azula a few points. Aang also seemed to be pro Azula which wasn't exactly surprising given his nature, but Zuko was still grateful. He made his way for the door. He was to meet Azula for tea to discuss the day and what it may hold. As he rushed through the halls he felt restless and overwhelmed. He just wanted his sister to be safe and grow the way she needed to. She was making an effort! He wasn't crazy! She saw a therapist three times a week and made conscious choices to change her behavior. If she wanted to kill him she surely would have done it by now right?

He paused at the entrance of the garden. His sister was lounging in a chair, tea on the table. She was sketching with one hand and shaking the crumbs of a rollout with the other. Her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth and her face was drawn with concentration. His heart warmed at the sight of turtle ducks at her feet. If only Suki and the others could see her like this. The old Azula would've never allowed the babies to be so close to her unharmed. She never would've drawn in view of others, but here she is sitting with the creatures close and working diligently on her art. He stepped towards the table, being sure to make a sound so as not to startle his sister. Hearing his approach she looked up and shut her book. She smirked as he sat.

"Come to tell me of my execution?"

Zuko groaned. "I will not allow any killing. From anyone."

Azula put her hands up in mock defense. "I will not lay the final blow."

Zuko rubbed his temples. Why did he let her out again? "Azula be serious. I've already instructed your guards to be cautious when the new guests arrive."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Good to know they'll do their job today."

"I need you to play nice today." Zuko pleaded

Azula narrowed her eyes. "I always play nice Zuzu."

"I mean it, Azula."

A groan. "Yes, my Lord! Whatever thine shall wish of me."

" 'Zula I'm sorry." Azula stared at him. "I'm sorry I fumbled this so much and I'm sorry I didn't come get you sooner. You didn't deserve to be treated like that."

Azula scoffed. "Yes, I did Zuko. I killed people, the least I deserve is a little jail time. I needed it. If I didn't go into that cell I would've never gotten better. I'd still be-" She pursed her lips. "I'd still be after the throne." She looked him in the eyes and he could tell she was being sincere. (Or as sure as he could be.) He nodded and moved on to telling her his plan for the day and what he needed from her. She would stay out of sight until dinner and only if he sent for her otherwise she was free to do as she pleased. She hummed as he explained how he was going to try and convince his friends that his little sister, the war criminal, was safe around kids. Maybe he should have Izumi talk to them.

"Hey, you know I love you." Zuko's face was tired and worn for his young age. But his voice was sincere.

She smiled and pushed him. "I know dum dum."

With that, the siblings split and got ready for the day.
_

Zuko rushed about as he ensured that everything was ready for Suki and Sokka's arrival. Mai caught him a couple of times and made sure he ate and drank water. He was sitting in his office reading over a new proposal when his assistant announced that the guest had entered the city and should arrive at the palace shortly. Quickly he changed into more casual clothing and headed to greet them at the door. He wanted them to hear him as their friend and not as the fire lord. He stood anxiously as he waited for the guest to arrive. Mai appeared next to him pulling his arm to hold her's. He instantly relaxed into the touch and took a deep breath. Outside he could hear the guards moving to allow the guest into the palace. The door opened and Sokka ran inside scooping Zuko into a big hug. "Hey, Sparky! Long time no see!" Sokka turned to Mai and gave an exaggerated bow. "My lady" Mai rolled her eyes and greeted Suki. Suki approached Zuko and gave him a serious glare.

"I'm glad to see you, knucklehead." Suki crossed her arms and held herself tall. "But we need to talk."

Zuko nodded and had the servants come to retrieve their belongings. "Yes, we do. Would you like to settle your belongings first? Or talk right away."

Suki kept step with him. "Talk first."

"This way to my office then."

Azula laughed as Toph tried to grab her. They were in her private garden and it had turned into a game of tag, somehow. She dove under branches and lept over tables to avoid the metal bender. Toph huffed, catching her breath as Azula perched on a bench across the garden from her. Azula called out "I thought the best earthbender in the world would have better stamina." Toph muttered something under her breath as she took off after Azula again. Eventually, Azula stumbled and it gave just enough time for Toph to grab her shirt. It did not give her enough time to stop her momentum and they ended up crashing to the ground. She landed on top of Azula, her face right next to hers, their chest pressed together and legs tangled. "Are you okay?" Azula's voice was soft, as she practically whispered in her ear. Toph nodded and moved to get up. She didn't miss the way the person under her sighed as she moved away or how her heartbeat had picked up as they lay on each other.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, the great earthbender has finally defeated me by trampling me in a children's game. Whatever shall I do?" Azula feigned fainting and dramatically lay on the nearby bench.

"Well fuck you too, sparkles."

Azula snorted. She lay on the bench letting the sun recharge her and resting her eyes. She always felt safe with Toph. She isn't quite sure when it happened or how but she can't bring herself to care. It's freeing to be able to close her eyes and trust someone will have her back should something happen. Toph sits next to her on the ground and picks at the dirt. Azula brings a hand up and massages Toph's scalp and the shorter girl leans into the touch. This is soft. This is nice. Azula thinks she could stay like that forever. Relaxing in the sun, her person was right beside her and relaxed into her side. Her person? She jerked at the thought. Quickly relaxed back, but she was tense. When did that happen? Toph was her friend, and probably her only one, but this feeling. It was something else, and it made Azula incredibly anxious that she didn't know what it was. Toph mumbled into her side. "Hmm?" Azula turned towards her.

"I can hear you thinking. Stop it."

Azula chuckled. "I can't help it. I'm a thinker."

Toph rubbed her eyes. "Don't I know it. You think all the time. Give the gears a break." Azula smiled and stood.

"Come on lazy bones, let's go to my studio."

Toph lit up and followed. "I want to use the clay! It's so squishy!"

Azula rolled her eyes, but her heart gave her away. She was happy and it terrified her.

_
Zuko sat in an armchair and waited for Sokka and Suki to sit as well. Mai took a seat next to Zuko offering silent support. Once they were settled Zuko sent a servant for tea and rested his hands on the chair. "So you wanted to talk."

Suki looked pensive. She glanced at Sokka and over at Mai. After a moment she looked up at Zuko. "Why is she here, Zuko?"

Zuko took a breath and held Suki's gaze. "She is my sister and this is her home."

Suki crossed her arms. "She's a murderer."

"And you never killed anyone?"

Suki pulled a face. "I'm not like her."

Zuko softened his gaze. "I didn't say you were, but you have also killed people. Suki, we were at war."

"She left me to rot!" Suki was clearly trying and failing to stay calm. "She disgraced my name."

Zuko sat closer to the edge of his seat. "I understand that Suki. I'm not asking you to forgive her. I'm not even asking you to be nice, just please don't hurt her."

Suki took several deep breaths. Sokka rubbed circles on her back, whispering in her ear. "How can you let her live in the same building as your child?"

Zuko was struck by the accusation. He froze trying to think of an answer, but he was still reeling.

"She has her own private guard loyal to us. I personally get reports on her location and her general habits. She typically stays sequestered to her private wing of the palace with the exception of meals and when Izumi invites her for tea. Which is supervised by myself and guards at every door. She has earned enough trust for me to allow my child not only near her but to play with her." Mai had broken the silence, her voice firm and unwavering. "Don't get me wrong, Azula has her moments and she does stupid stuff, but I know she'd never hurt Izumi. Azula has taken the steps to get better and is currently seeing doctors multiple times a week."

Suki sat as she absorbed the information. Both Sokka and Suki seemed shocked by her revelations and needed time to digest them. Luckily the tea had arrived just as Mai finished giving them plenty of time to adjust. Zuko looked at Mai lovingly and handed her a cup of tea made how she liked it. (Bitter) He takes a sip of his tea. (Sweet) He sits patiently as he has learned that silence is a valuable tool. (Thank you Azula.) Suki sips her tea and leans back onto the sofa. "She is under guard?"

"24/7"
"How often must I see her?"

"At most probably meals, but she will skip some as she is avoiding you as well."

Suki looked surprised. "She's avoiding me?"

Zuko nodded. "She is nervous about seeing you. She knows that she was in the wrong and well…"

"Katara beat her ass when she first saw her," Mai smirked at the pair.

Sokka's eyes went wide. "She's afraid of us?"

Zuko hesitated. "Sort of. She knows that anything you do she has coming, but that doesn't mean she wants to endure it." Zuko sighed. "She's different now. She loves to spare, but she isn't interested in fights anymore. At least not physical ones."

Suki seemed to be convinced by this and set her teacup down. "I'll give her a chance. I'm not going to be nice and we will never be friends." She paused to give a glance to Sokka. "But I will be civil, so long as she is." She stands to leave. "Or I will try to be at least." She turned to Sokka, but he waved her on.

"You go ahead, I want to talk to Sparky here."

Mai stood and declared she'd show Suki to her room. When the door shut Sokka turned to Zuko. "How is she really?"

Zuko looked at him and thought about how to answer. "She's getting better." Sokka looked at him with disbelief. "Toph seems to think so at least. They are practically joined at the hip these days." Sokka hummed and thanked Zuko for being patient with them. Zuko apologized and thanked him for their patience. Then alone in the room, he slumped on the sofa. Why was everything so complicated? He drank the rest of his tea and made his way to Azula's chambers.

His guard informed him that his sister was actually in her studio, so he made sure to knock and wait to be told to enter. Azula was embracing the artistic side of herself but was very guarded about who saw her art. The only person allowed inside while she worked was Toph. Well, that was for obvious reasons. He entered the room and Azula was wiping her hands with a rag in an attempt to wipe off the charcoal. Toph was at her usual spot with a lump of clay making intricate statues and designs. It was honestly breathtaking what the earthbender could do, but she often smashed her works to reuse the clay. He walked in and stopped at his usual spot by Toph.

"What news have you brought, oh mighty fire lord?" Azula walked over and leaned on the table.

"You are able to attend dinner if you so choose. Suki said she'd try to be civil so long as you were." Mischief lit up in Azula's eyes. "Please be civil with her and Sokka. They are still very suspicious of you being here." Azula's face fell dramatically but she agreed to play nice. Zuko wandered around the room and observed the art pieces Azula chose to have on display. She was very particular and would have anything she didn't want someone to see covered or stored. He stopped in front of an abstract painting. He could tell it was supposed to be fire. Blue swirls covered the canvas with orange flames breaking through the blazing wall. The flames seemed to bend and twirl around each other. Almost like a dance. He liked this one, sometimes when Azula tried a new style of art if she didn't like it she'd burn it right away, but he was glad she kept this one. He said so and Azula waved him off saying she did that "ages ago" but Zuko could tell she was happy to have the compliment. He said his goodbyes and went to find his wife.
_

Toph turned to Azula. "Are we going to dinner?" Azula shot her a look, then tapped her foot.

"I am not your keeper. You may go if you wish, but I'd like for them to have a meal undisturbed by my presence. Besides, I am busy with my art."

Toph waved a hand. "Twinkle toes and Waterworks will have more than enough to catch up on. They won't even notice I'm gone."

Azula hummed. "I wish you would go. You've been excited to see the brute for days."

Toph laughed and walked over to her. She slung an arm over Azula's shoulder. "Aw, are you jealous? It's okay I'm not going to abandon you because I have another best friend here."

Azula huffed. "As if I'd be jealous when I am clearly the favorite." Toph grinned and messed with the firebender's hair. She turned and scooted back to her seat. Azula groaned. "You are a burden."

"But I'm your burden." Azula froze, just for a moment but it was there. There it was again. Toph was her's and it didn't make her feel trapped. She turned back to her canvas.

"You should go to dinner."

Toph hummed. "You're probably right."

"I'm always right."
_

Everyone was already in the dining room by the time Toph arrived. She walked right over to her usual spot and to her right was an empty spot. No one dared take Azula's seat even when she was absent. The air in the room was thick and heavy. It was miserable. "Don't worry sparkles isn't coming to dinner. She's too focused on her new art piece." Toph threw her hands in the air. "I couldn't even get her to spar with me!" Toph felt the tension leave the room at the news. Part of her was annoyed, but the other part was thrilled to have her meat and sarcasm buddy back. Conversation picked up as they got caught up on each other's lives. Sokka had finished supervising the construction of a hospital in Republic City. Suki had selected her replacement in the Kyoshi warriors. There was lots of news shared as the evening went on. Toph found herself wondering what Azula was doing and longed to go back and check on her. Azula was fine and she could handle herself, but Toph was worried that she was lying about how much Suki's presence was bothering her. But as she moved to go back to Azula, Sokka asked to talk to her. She followed him to a nearby balcony. She could feel that he was nervous and that worried her a little.

"Are you okay?" Sokka asked with concern, filling his voice.

Toph's face scrunched in confusion. What did he mean? She was doing fine. "Yeah, I'm good. Why?"

Sokka lowered his voice. "Zuko said you and Azula were attached at the hip. Is she threatening you? Do you need help?"

Toph flinched back as if struck. Did he just ask if Azula was forcing her to spend time with her? Like a hostage? "Sokka, she is my friend. I like to spend time with her. She's funny, you'd like her if you got to know her."

Sokka stood firm but loosened his posture. "Okay, I trust you. I just had to ask ya know?"

Toph did know. "Yeah, I promise I'm not a hostage."

Sokka chuckled. "Good, I don't want to fight while I'm here. I need a break."

Toph tilted her head. She asked how things were in Republic City and Sokka started dumping everything. She sat and listened as Sokka explained that everything was coming together and falling apart at the same time. And they ended up talking into the early morning returning to their respective beds when Sokka saw the sun peaking the horizon.
_

Azula was stressed. She paced her room until she was sure she'd worn a path in the carpet. She wasn't scared. Azula didn't get scared. But waves of nausea flooded her when she thought about going to breakfast. She tried to move towards the door, but as her hand grabbed the knob she felt bile rise in her throat. Taking a deep breath she swallowed the bile and opened the door. She walked down the halls towards the dining room and paused in front of the door. She stared at the massive wooden doors, the dark gloss doing nothing to bring her comfort. With a trembling hand, she opened the door and stepped inside. Her heart raced as she moved to her seat and sat beside Zuko. She purposely avoided the Kyoshi warrior's gaze and held a neutral expression. Zuko seemed pleased by his sister's presence at the table, but he may be the only one. Except Izumi of course. "Auntie 'zula!" The girl beamed as she waved to her. Azula gave her a small smile and waved back. The young girl turned back to her food and wiggled in her seat. Zuko continued to talk about some of the trading disputes in the Earth kingdom as they ate. Izumi finished quickly and begged to be released to play. Her mother gave a small nod and the girl squealed with joy. Running over to give Azula a quick hug, she made Azula promise to have tea soon, she left with a wave as her nanny took her to the gardens. Azula took a breath and continued to pick at her food. She was barely able to stomach what she had eaten when the child was here. Risking a glance she caught the Avatar's gaze and he grinned at her. The air was heavy and he made her feel just a touch lighter. She offered him a small smile in return and went back to her food. A few minutes of silence passed and she was going to try and leave. "So what are your plans for today princess?" Aang spoke to her as if she was another person. As if he didn't die from her strike. Caught off guard she paused before she spoke.

"I think I will spend most of the day in my studio. I may retreat to my study and review some papers as well, but I don't have much in my schedule these days." She managed to keep her voice steady as she spoke and she hoped no one noticed the tremor in her hands.

Aang nodded. "Zuko has told us you are skilled at Pai Sho, do you think you could join me for a game at some point?" His smile was sincere as he tilted his head in question. She managed a nod and gave him her full attention.

"I would enjoy a challenge for once. Without Uncle here I'm afraid it is quite boring for me to play. Send for me when you find an agreeable time and I will meet with you." She organized her cutlery so that it was easier for the servants to collect. She was about to thank her brother for the meal when a voice called out to her.

"What papers could you possibly need to read?" Suki's voice was cold and emotionless. Azula looked to her brother for guidance (something she'd never admit) as she had no idea how to answer. How was she to tell someone who hated that she was alive that she was reading over official policies at her brother's request. Obviously, she could say that, but she could also lie. No, Zuko told her not to lie unless someone was at risk and she didn't think this counted. She opened her mouth to speak but Zuko beat her to it.

"She is reviewing some policies for me at my request. I'm working to get rid of old policies of our father's and she is much better at spotting them than me. Either way, all of her notes are reviewed and considered by a counsel before I make my final decision. She is simply speeding the process along."

Suki paled and gripped her fork like she might become a metal bender. "You let her review laws and help govern the country?" She practically spat the last few words. Zuko moved to speak but he was cut off. "Are you insane? She won't even need to kill you, she'll trick you into giving her the throne! I can't believe you've clearly fallen for a trap." Suki stood and turned to Azula. "I'm on to you. You can't fool me and I don't care what they say, you're a monster. I can't believe they'd let you near their child." Suki had kept going but Azula's ears started to ring as she spoke. Her heart was in her throat and she couldn't move. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Her vision was blurry, but she wasn't really there. She was back in a dark room. She was back in a cage, freezing, shaking, sucking in painful breaths. She could feel the chains tight around her wrist. Sharp freezing pain as she tried to twist her hands free. She couldn't breathe, she was going to die in this cage. She wrestled hard with the restraints, pulling as hard as she could manage. She heard the guards yelling her name in the distance. She had to escape, she had to get out. She twisted, kicked, tugged and yanked. She had to Get Out. She felt her body heat up with flames she didn't know she had. She heated her body so that she could maybe get the air to stop hurting her lungs, but it didn't work. Her lungs seized as she tried to fill them with air. She needed air, she needed to breathe. Where was Zuko? Why had he sent her back? Why had Toph let him? She couldn't breathe, she needed to breathe. The guards were getting closer. She forced as much air into her lungs as she could and attempted to heat her body again. She managed to suck in a few lungfuls. It still hurt to breathe, but the restraints were released. She could get out! She stood quickly and her vision blurred viciously. She stepped back and hit something, instinctively she kicked the object and it shattered, clearing her path. She made it a few feet away before the guards caught her. "Azula you're safe!" She recognized the voice but could not place it. She fought the guard's grip. With a thud, she was free and ran forward. Directly into another guard. This one was female. "Azula, snap out of it." Azula froze in the grasp. She knew that voice. Mai. Mai was here. "Azula, it's okay." No, if Mai was here she was dead for sure. She couldn't bring herself to move. She leaned into the hold. "Just breathe. Just breathe Azula." Azula gasped for breath as she clung to soft robes. Her legs gave way as she exhaled. The figure holding her up lowered her to the ground, whispering that they were in a safe place. She leaned into the figure and to her horror started to sob. They wracked her whole body, filling the room. She didn't know how long she sat there for, but soon she could identify the scent of Mai's perfume as she breathed in. With wide eyes, she realized where she was. Mai was holding her on the floor of the dining room. A chair shattered beside her and Zuko talking to Aang a few yards away. Katara was sitting on her other side with several inches of space between them, but ready to assist if needed. Azula took another breath and allowed her fingers to release their vice grip.

"I apologize." She kept her gaze down. "I don't know what came over me."

Mai looked down at her with a frown. Then she looked at Zuko. Zuko could see what Mai was frowning at. Azula has always been small, physically at least. But looking at her still in Mai's arms, she was practically swallowed by the robes Mai wore. Azula looked tiny, almost frail. (The chair would disagree) He knelt in front of his sister. "You have nothing to apologize for. Suki was out of line." Azula kept her gaze out of sight of the others.

"She wasn't wrong."

Zuko's heart broke, and Mai felt hers squeeze. Aang looked about to cry and Katara….well she looked distraught. She turned her body towards Azula. "There was a time I believed that Azula." Katara took a deep breath. "There was a time I would have written you off as a lost cause. I would have been happy watching you rot in a cell. But this past week I've seen you do things I didn't even think you were capable of. You are Izumi's favorite person and Toph has sung nothing but your praises. You have a lot of growing to do, but Azula you are not a monster."

Everyone was stunned. Katara of all people just said she didn't hate Azula. Zuko put a hand on Katara's shoulder in silent thanks, but the water bender never let her gaze leave Azula's face. Azula was stunned, her face loose in shock. Then her eyebrows knit together in confusion. She shook her head in disbelief. She raised her head and gold eyes met blue. They held their gaze for a long time. Azula's face hardened. "I'm sorry." Her voice was soft as she spoke, her eyes carrying the message to the water bender. "I'm sorry for everything." She held her gaze. Fighting against the urge to take it back and insult the other woman.

Katare nodded. "I know. Me too"

With that, the spell was broken and Azula was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. She rose from her position and leaned into Zuko's side as she swayed. Weak from the episode, Zuko wordlessly helped her to her room. Mai followed and gave an appreciative nod to Katara and Aang. Letting them know the worst of it was over now. They moved through the halls in silence and when they made it to Azula's room Azula was practically asleep already. Mai pulled back the sheets as Zuko laid his sister down. He went to leave but Azula gripped his hand. He turned to her and she pulled at him. "Mmtay, sleep" Zuko didn't even think she knew she was speaking, he sat on her bed and she rested her head on his thigh. A content sigh left her lips as she drifted off to sleep. Mai leaned on a bedpost watching the siblings interact. As much as she wanted to hate Azula she never was able to. At least not for long, the girl had that effect even in her terror days. She was glad Azula had her brother looking out for her. Mai knew she'd never be able to support her the way she needed, but she'd help when she could. Zuko looked at her helplessly gesturing at his sister. She rolled her eyes and carefully assisted in moving the slumbering firebender's head. Zuko led them out into the hall and immediately pulled her into a tight hug. "I thought she was getting better." Zuko held her tight and she could feel how his breath caught on his words. She squeezed back and held him as long as he needed.

"She is, she just needs time. She's... She's healing. She just has more than the rest of us to sort through I think." Mai pulled back and looked at him. "You are a wonderful brother to her, Zuko. She loves you more than you think. She's lucky to have you."

He looks at the ground, then turns his gaze to her. "Thank you for helping her."

Mai shrugged. "She got panic attacks sometimes when we were younger. She never responded to soft coos, she needs a firm tone."

Zuko studied for a moment before planting a kiss on her head. He grabbed her hand and led them down the hall.
_

Katara and Aang sat in the garden and held each other. Katara couldn't help but recall the morning. She watched as Azula's eyes glazed over at Suki's words. She knew immediately that it would not end well if Suki continued. As Suki's words continued the room was cast in blue light as the words registered somewhere in Azula's brain. The firebender probably wasn't even aware she was doing it in the first place, but Suki took that as a threat and moved to a defensive stance. Immediately Aang placed himself in front of Suki and made sure she removed herself from the room. As he did that Katara grabbed at Azula's wrist to prevent her from clawing out her throat as she scratched at it. This made Azula panic more as she fought against Katara's grip. Zuko and Mai were by her side calling to Azula and attempting to calm her. Azula's body started to heat up until it burned for Katara to hold her. She let go with a gasp of pain and watched helplessly as Azula smashed the chair behind her. Zuko came and scooped her up trying to assure her that she was safe. Zuko slammed into the wall as Azula threw him off her. Unknowingly she ran directly into Mai who told her to snap out of it. The firebender froze in Mai's arms and stood in place as Mai whispered to her. Katara wished she could hear, but she settled for placing herself beside Azula leaving plenty of space so as not to startle her. Her heart shattered at the sobs that left the firebender. It took her back to all those years ago hearing the girl scream while chained to the grates. This time however she was crying for another reason and was in the arms of someone who cared about her. The cries echoed in the room and the pain filled her chest. Katara knew this was about more than just a single thing. This was a cry of grief, pain, and fear. As the sobs subsided she watched Azula's hands loosen their grip and the girl sat up. Katara realized that the firebender felt ashamed, and maybe fearful? She wondered what it was like to grow up in these halls. How ghosts must follow the princess everywhere she goes, palace or not. They all had their moments, but Azula's were much more complex than she'd ever seen. She was brought out of her thoughts by her brother running into the garden. He was huffing and his clothes were disheveled. "What happened?" He looked at her with an earnest gaze. She sighed as she stood and told Aang she needed to talk to her brother alone. Aang getting the message immediately shot into the sky and landed on a nearby balcony disappearing into the palace. Rolling her eyes she turned to her brother.

"What did you hear?" Her arms were crossed.

He took in more air. "All I heard was that Azula is still crazy and that Suki didn't trust her and that she wanted to leave." Sokka looked to his sister desperate for an explanation.

Katara softened her features and guided her brother to sit beside her. "Suki was upset by Zuko's decision to allow Azula to help get rid of their father's hidden laws. She started to yell at Azula saying that she wasn't going to fall for her games." Katara took a deep breath before explaining the rest of what occurred. Sokka's face looked grim by the end and he nodded in understanding.

"She had a flashback." He frowned. Katara nodded. They sat in silence for a while, just observing the plants and animals in the garden. Sokka picked at the grass as he continued. "Suki is returning to Republic City." Katara looked at him with shock. "She can't handle being here knowing Azula is free. She…..She still has nightmares. About her time in prison, so I understand why she was so upset." He threw a twig at a tree and let out a breath. "It doesn't excuse her behavior, but I can't find it in me to blame her. I'm still upset too. But I don't want to leave. I miss you, and the rest of the gang." He smiles at her. "I'm going to stay as planned, and Suki is going to return to the city. I just wanted to hear a different perspective before I decided." He looked at her with a grateful expression and hugged her before going to help his wife pack her belongings.
_

Toph walked the halls of the palace. She couldn't find Azula anywhere. Normally she'd know exactly where in the palace the princess was, but she seemed either to be gone (highly unlikely) or off the ground. (More likely) She headed in the direction of Azula's room as it wasn't uncommon for her to take a nap. She gently knocked as she entered the room. Toph could hear Azula's breathing and let out a breath of relief. Turning she left the room and went to go see Sokka. She found him in his room with Suki, but as she approached she could hear them arguing from the hall.

"I don't understand how you can take her side!"

Sokka's voice echoed in the hall. "Suki, I'm not taking her side! I'm staying for Katara and the others! I don't trust her either, but I want to see my family!"

"I'm not apologizing, I meant every word I said! She is a monster and I'm not staying here." Toph's blood ran cold and she immediately booked it for Zuko's office. The voices faded behind her as she ran. Monster? That could only be about one person. She was out of breath as she slammed the door open and stopped in front of the Fire Lord.

"What happened to Azula?" Toph's voice strained from the run.

Zuko looked startled and his heart rate was accelerated. "She had an episode after Suki confronted her." He ground out the last part. Toph could tell he was upset.

"How is she? I know she's sleeping so it must've been bad."

Zuko nodded and leaned in his chair. "She didn't know where she was, who any of us were. She clung to Mai like she was a lifeline."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "That's bad. That's really bad." Toph moved for the door.

"Where are you going?" Zuko called.

Toph yelled over her shoulder as she walked. "I'm going to be there when she wakes up." She knows Zuko is probably making some comments to her, but she honestly doesn't care. She just wants to get to Azula as quickly as possible. She slowly enters the room, careful not to wake the princess. She moves to sit by Azula's side and pauses. Did Azula even want her right now? What if waking up to a person nearby was too much? Toph settled on sitting at the nearby desk and fiddling with some of Azula's stuff.

Azula woke sometime later and sat up immediately. She wiped her eyes and realized she wasn't imagining another person in the room. Toph sat by her desk messing up her organization system. At the moment she couldn't bring herself to care and took a steadying breath. She had an episode. She forgot where she was. She could've hurt someone or burned half the palace down. She needed to be more careful. Agni, why can't she do anything right? Azula knew if she had hurt someone she'd never get over it. A cold chuckle passed her lips. Imagine what 14-year-old Azula would think now. Azula wasn't afraid to hurt someone, she'd kill someone if it came to it, but she wanted to be aware of what was happening. She wanted to be in control. It was stupid of her to go to breakfast, she should've hidden away until Zuko's stupid friends had left. "Hey princess, How are you feeling?" When did Toph get so close? She was standing next to her blank eyes not quite in the right direction.

"I'm fine. Just tired."

Toph smirked. "I can hear the gears, remember?" Azula groaned and pulled Toph into the bed. She laid her head on the metal bender's stomach.

"You irritate me. Must you remind me of my weaknesses?"

"I wouldn't call it a weakness. It comes in handy quite often right?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Not in peacetime." Toph stilled at that. She wrapped her arms around Azula and gave her a quick squeeze. They lay there for a long time just soaking in each other's presence. Toph could stay here forever. Azula had her head in the crook of her neck at this point. The hot breath coming from her steady breaths lingered for just a bit too long. The earthbender quickly realized the princess had fallen asleep again. Smiling, she allowed her princess to rest. Toph spent some time making a list of people to talk to and eventually found herself drifting off.