Ursa looked across the fire to her sleeping children. They'd so far spent a week in the forest. Earlier that day, she and Ikem had set up a couple of lean-tos, one for them, one for the kids. Zuko and Azula had fallen asleep, Zuko about ten minutes before, Azula about one or two. They were on the ground, wrapped in blankets.

"They're cute," Ikem said.

"Aren't they? You'd never guess what a little demon Azula's been."

Neither of the adults saw the corners of Azula's mouth dip into a frown. She had been drifting off finally, and that was the last thing she heard before sleep overcame her.

"She's been bad, yes, but for good reason. She's homesick, I'm sure. She misses her dad. You get that, don't you?" Ikem reminded her.

"Well, yeah. But, she's ALWAYS like this. It's only been a little worse."

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why is she always so bad? That's a question you probably need to be asking."

"I don't know. Maybe it's because she's a miniature version of her father." Sarcasm laced her voice.

"You really don't care to actually think about it?"

"I don't... I don't want to see her become a monster."

"Neither do I. Do you talk like that around her?"

"Sometimes. The girl tests my patience."

"What is she supposed to do when her father rewards her for doing this sh*t and you make comments about how horrible she is?"

"I reprimand her-"

"She's nine, Ursa. She wants you to interfere, I'm sure. No matter how she acts. Do you pay her much attention when she's good?"

"Not really. She's behaving."

"So you mostly give her attention when she's bad?" Ikem raised an eyebrow.

Ursa was shocked into silence. Realization filled her and her stomach started to churn. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Great Agni, I'm a horrible mother."

"No, you're not. You just focused on the scapegoat. That's a mother's nature. You can make it up."

"Can I?"

"Of course. You're her mother, she loves you. It's your attention she wants. That shouldn't be too hard." Ikem smiled reassuringly.

Ursa got to her feet and walked over to the children, scooping Azula up from the ground. Her eyes fluttered open. "Wha-what?"

"It's alright. Go back to sleep, darling." Ursa placed a kiss on Azula's forehead.

Azula's eyebrows pressed together, but she just snuggled closer and went back to sleep. Ursa eased the girl into her sleeping bag before slipping out of the lean to.

The next morning, Ursa was prepping for breakfast. "I need to go gather some more firewood. Azula, would you like to come with me?"

The girl shrugged. "I guess." She climbed to her feet, following her mother into the trees. "Why aren't you taking Zuko?"

"I felt like taking you. Some mother-daughter time."

"Since when do we have mother-daughter time?"

Ursa's heart ached as Azula spoke. "I just thought it might be nice. As you said, we don't spend much time together."

"Wonder why," Azula mumbled, sarcasm lacing her words.

"Azula," Ursa sighed. "What is it? What bothers you so much about me?"

Azula scoffed. "You mean it isn't obvious to you? Even that peasant boyfriend of yours has picked up on it."

"Azula, please stop calling him a peasant." Ursa was itching with annoyance and she'd only been around Azula for five minutes.

"But he is."

"You're dodging my question."

"If you don't know, you're even more of an idiot than Zuzu, and that's saying something."

"Why are you so horrible to your brother?"

"Dad doesn't like him, says I shouldn't either. Duh."

"There's something else."

"You'll figure it out when you answer your first question." She picked up two more sticks from the forest floor.

Ursa took a second to just stare at her daughter. Azula's hair was pulled back in its usual style. Her pink and red outfit was torn and dirty, and her arms were full of sticks. There was a small cut on her chin that wasn't quite bleeding. Her golden eyes held a twisted curiosity. She was an adorable little girl, there was no denying that. But she was such a bad person. Ursa could hardly fathom it.

"Seriously, why? Maybe I am stupid. Why do you hate your brother and me?"

Azula kicked a mushroom. It broke from blow, and she crushed it underfoot. "I don't hate you."

"You really seem to."

"Well, I don't. You're both just so... lovey-dovey. It's insufferable."

"What's so insufferable about it?"

"It's stupid. By loving people like that, you're getting a weakness. People will know the best way to hurt you. Why do you think Grandfather thought the best punishment for Dad would be to have him kill Zuko? Of course, Dad doesn't love Zuko, but that spared him the pain of the punishment, didn't it?

"And Uncle lost Ba Sing Se because Lu Ten died. If he didn't love him, the fight would still be going on, and we'd win. But instead he's defeated and miserable. What's the point of love if it can hurt you so bad? It makes you weak."

Ursa was taken aback. Azula was clearly parroting Ozai. "Love can be a strength too, you know. There are many things that were done out of love that wouldn't be in other situations."

"Like what?"

"Like..." Ursa's eyes scanned the forest. Suddenly, a cat-owl attacked a baby possum-squirrel. Its mother sprung to rescue it. Azula and Ursa watched as the mother did her best to fight off the predator. Then suddenly, it hit Ursa. "What is happening with the possum-squirrels?"

Azula looked over at her mother in confusion. "They're being attacked. Duh."

"And why is that one trying to fight off the cat-owl?"

"Because she's trying to protect her baby."

"Why?"

That question shocked Azula. She watched as the mother possum-squirrel won the fight and her baby climbed back into her pouch. "Because she doesn't want it to die?"

"Yes. Why do you think that is, my dear?"

"Because... I guess... she loves it?"

"Very good!" Ursa smiled. "Now, did loving her baby make that mother weak?"

"It made her risk her life. Which is stupid."

"That wasn't my question."

"Stupidity is a weakness, Mother. Protecting her baby was reckless and could have gotten them both killed."

"Then why would she be willing to risk her life for the love of her baby if it wasn't worth it?"

Azula was stunned Into silence. "I-I..." She stuttered. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know."

"Do you think that perhaps you miscalculated what strength that love can bring? Love is stronger than most other things, most notably fear. That is your father's favorite tactic, but it didn't matter how much I feared your father to stand up for you and your brother. I'm your mother, and I will do anything to make sure you're safe and happy."

Azula's head tilted as she examined her mother. She shrugged and went back to collecting firewood. "This enough?" Sticks were threatening to fall out of arms.

Ursa smiled. "That's perfect." She almost reached out to pluck a leaf from Azula's hair, but remembered her arms were too full. "Let's head back."

Azula's pace was quick for someone her size. Ursa wondered how the girl could go from one topic to another so easily. One second, they were having a deep conversation, the next, Azula was practically skipping back to camp.

Azula beat her mother there. She unceremoniously opened her arms and let the wood fall to the ground. She then ducked into her lean-to and didn't come out.

"Azula, you still have chores to do!" Ursa scolded as she entered the small "building". Azula sat cross-legged, writing in a journal. "What are you doing, child?"

"Writing a letter to Daddy."

Ursa's heart twisted. "Azula, darling, you can't-"

"I know." Azula's small voice hardened. "It's just for pretend. Now, leave me alone."

"Azula, you have chores-"

"I SAID TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" Azula threw a fireball at Ursa, who ducked out of the lean-to so as not to get burned in the face.

She huffed. "AZULA, DO AS I SAY!" There was no audible response. Ursa was ready to march back in smack the little brat, but Ikem caught her arm.

"Hey, you're upset. Go sit and calm down before you do something rash."

"But she-"

"I know. Let me handle it, ok?"

"What makes you think she'll listen to you?"

"Nothing. But she seems to like messing with you. She will learn to obey you; but if you do that by making her scared of you, you're no different than her father."

Ursa sighed. "I suppose you're right."

Ikem smiled at her. "I'll go talk to her, ok?" He ducked into the shelter. Azula was still writing like nothing had happened. "Princess?"

Azula straightened up and grinned, clearly pleased to be called by her title. "Yes?"

"What are you up to?"

"Writing a letter to my father."

"That sounds nice. I bet you miss him."

"A little," Azula admitted.

"Why are you avoiding your chores?"

"I hate them."

"That's fair. I don't like them either. I never have."

"Really?"

"Really. Your mother and I used to come up with all these elaborate schemes to get out of doing chores."

"Mom did that?!"

"She did indeed. It was a lot of fun."

"It sounds like it is."

Ikem could practically see the gears in the little girl's head turning. "Maybe we could do that," He suggested.

"You mean it?!"

"I do," He grinned. "I've got chores I wanna get out of, too."

"What should we do then?"

"I'm not sure."

Azula dug through her bag. "Mom packed my 'book of schemes' as she calls it in my bag. I use it to plan pranks and stuff. Most of it I can't do anymore- I never did get my revenge on Sumiko-" Azula frowned for a second. "Anyway, we can use it to sketch plans and stuff."

She pulled the journal out, grinning. She grabbed a couple of sticks coated in charcoal from a small wooden box. She handed one to Ikem and opened her journal to a blank page and set it on the ground. She laid on the grounds, swinging her legs in the air.

Ikem smiled at her. He and Ursa had had a book of schemes as kids for this exact reason. Azula also looked adorable. She was bringing back childhood memories to him, likely due to her resemblance to her mother.

"Any ideas?" She asked.

"Well, what does your mom do when you get in trouble?"

"Usually she sends me to my room for a couple hours to 'think about what I've done'." Azula made air quotes.

"Well, we could pretend like you burned me or something and then, bam, you're not allowed to leave your lean-to, and I'm getting babied."

Azula contemplated it. "Sounds like a good idea, we'll have to use it later. But now won't work, cuz we've been in here too long. It would be suspicious. OOH I KNOW! We could say we're going fishing or something. As long as we come back with dinner, we'll get the whole day off!"

"That's brilliant!"

"I know."

"So humble," Ikem said sarcastically.

Azula grinned and put her stuff away neatly. "Let's go tell mom we're going fishing? Should we say fishing or hunting?"

"Fishing. I'm in a fish mood."

Azula nodded. "Ok!" She ran outside to her mother. "Mom, Ikem is taking me fishing! Something about getting me out of your hair."

Ursa smiled lightly. "Sounds like fun! Thanks, Ikem. Azula, tell Ikem thank you."

"Thank you," Azula mumbled ungratefully.

"Ooh, can I come?!" Zuko asked excitedly.

"No," Azula snapped.

"MOOOMMM!"

"Ikem, is it ok if Zuko comes?" Ursa asked.

"Not this time. Next time, though,"

Ikem replied.

"How come Azula gets to go everywhere today? It's no fair!" Zuko whined.

"Suck it up!" Azula said, glaring.

"No! It's not fair. Mom!"

Ursa out her hands on Zuko's shoulders. "Ikem-"

"No, Ursa. I already made my decision and his complaining won't change my answer. Next time it'll be just me and him, ok?"

"Alright. You'll just have to wait, Zuko."

The boy pouted and marched off to grab some berries, muttering under his breath as Azula and Ikem walked off.

"Mom, that wasn't fair!" He whined when he came back.

"It is fair. You'll go next time."

"I ALWAYS get to go with you, though!"

"Well, she's not going with me, is she? And you had time with Ikem this morning."

"And not you! Why am I suddenly not allowed to do the fun stuff?!"

"Because it's your sister's turn for some one-on-one time that usually only you get."

"Dad gives it to her."

"Your dad isn't here though, is he?"

That shut Zuko up for a second. "Ok then, so she gets Ikem and I get you! Then it'll be back to normal!"

"Zuko, you both will get both of us. It's not one or the other like it was at the palace. We're be like a normal family now."

"Does that makes Ikem our new dad?"

"Not quite." Ursa ruffled his hair. "But it means you'll get alone time with me and with him. So will your sister. And we'll have plenty of time for everyone to be together."

"Really?"

"Really."

"We'll still be able to feed turtleducks?"

"Of course."

"When?"

"Sometime soon, I promise."

-•-

A few hours later, Azula and Ikem returned with a bucket of fish. "Mom, look at all the fish we caught!"

"Wow, Azula! That's so many!" She squeezed her shoulder, smiling.

Azula looked taken aback for a second, then she grinned. "Look, Zuko! We brought back dinner!"

"I see that. How many did you catch?"

"Four! Even more than Ikem!"

"You got ONE more than me." Ikem complained.

"Doesn't matter."

"I bet I can catch more than that when it's my turn!" Zuko said.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"We'll have to see about that next time," Ursa said, interrupting before the argument could escalate.

"That we will." Azula said decidedly.