No one saw Zuko at school for almost two weeks, Katara said nothing but heard the rumors that begun so easily.

"I heard he's back in jail," a girl whispered to her friend.

"Surprise surprise, some people just don't belong anywhere else, he's still a criminal," her friend snorted.

Katara kept her head down as the seat next to her was empty, Jet sat in front of her and saw she was trying to fight off tears, he rolled his eyes a little.

"Did you tell him?" Jet asked keeping his back to her.

"No, we had... an argument bout other stuff," Katara sighed a little as she picked at her nails.

"An argument to send him off back to jail? Jesus Katara," he snorted but the silence filled him with worry, not even a kick to his chair like usual.

"He's not in jail, I know he's not," she covered her face. "But he's not home either, I tried to go check on him but the shops closed, no ones home,"

"What do you think happened?" Jet turned around to her wide eyes.

"I don't know, we got in a fight because of his fathers job offer but I didn't think that'd be the last time I'd see him," she shuffled a little in her chair.

"Ugh he's fine, it's Zuko, he's probably figuring out some issues, otherwise I'd start checking hospitals next after you check the jails," Jet sighed shaking his head but she kicked his seat.

"He's not in jail jackass," Katara spat.

—

"Dads going to kill us," Azula groaned a little as she sat in a jail cell with her brother, she had a scratch on her cheek as Zuko has a cut on his bottom lip.

"Wasnt my fault, your the one that got us caught after you dropped the lighter," Zuko crossed his arms as police officers walked past them.

"You punched the guy!" She hissed.

"You shot a guy," Zuko shot back defensively.

"Yea but they never found him or the gun," she smiled a little as she swung her feet.

"Aren't you like 10?" A man looked at them confused as they weren't alone in the public cell. Only Azula was handcuffed still...

"15 and 17," Azula hummed.

"What did you do?" He asked the children as there was one other man with them.

"Assault and arson," she smirked.

"I robbed a place with a gun," the man smiled proudly.

"Congrats you can hold a toy while screaming in a gas station, no one is actually impressed," Zuko rested his head back on the wall with his eyes closed.

"What'd did you say brat?" The man snarled now.

"I said what I said, you look like your 50 and robbed some dump on your block, don't act like your a fucking vigilant for it," he sighed annoyed.

"Said the kids that probably got in a fight with some middle schoolers," the man scoffed.

"You definitely wouldn't have done well in prison," Azula smiled as she could feel the tension.

"Look my brother is right, so stop acting tough, we don't give a shit," she crossed her legs but the man stormed over to them.

"You think your top shit bitch?" He towered over her.

"I am the only one still in cuffs for a reason," she showed and yanked on the chain a little.

"Touch her and I'm breaking your jaw," Zuko didn't bother opening his eyes as he kept his arms crossed.

"You son of a bitch- ah!" The man screamed as Zuko kicked his knee in and elbowed his jaw to send him to the ground.

"He's so annoying," Zuko sighed shuffling to get back into a comfortable position.

"I do hope you two are playing nice," Ozai walked to the cell bars as a cop opened it for the siblings.

"Perfectly fine," Azula stepped on the mans hand as she walked out of the cell, Zuko followed with his hands behind his back. The cop also uncuffed the youngest and let them walk free.

They were silent as they walked to the car outside waiting for them, Zuko felt sick as he watched the little family he had left get in the car and wait for him to join.

"What the fuck went wrong?!" Ozai roared as soon as Zuko closed the door.

"I should've known a bastard like you couldn't get this shit right," he poured himself a glass of bourbon as Zuko clenched his fists in his lap.

"It was my fault," he nodded not wanting to have any of their fathers rage on Azula.

"I made the wrong call and that's on me but we finished the mission over all, we just got caught by the cops," Zuko gulped a little as he bounced his foot anxiously.

"And the fucker that got shot?" Ozais eye brow twitched in anger.

"Azula shot him but the guns gone, he was threatening to not give us the product," Zuko nodded.

"But you got it right?" Azula cut in.

"... I did," Ozai sighed.

"So no worries," she smirked.

"Is it on our record that we set a building on fire and sent two people to the hospital?" Zuko gulped looking at his father worried.

"No, I sent people to kill those two before they even had a chance to talk, and your records are clean still," Ozai rolled his eyes sipping his drink.

"Let this happen again and your on your own, I don't give a shit if you rot in prison, I have men in there that would kill you if you said a word," he glared and Zuko nodded.

"Yes sir," he whispered.

"But other than getting caught like fools... good work you two," Ozai sighed heavily as Azula shrugged it off. Another half hour they pulled up to a mansion just past the city as the car came to a stop.

"Breakfast is waiting, I'll send a car to take you two back to my office at noon so clean yourselves up until then," Ozai told them sternly as the children got out of the car.

Zuko closed the door after Azula got out and they were left in the drive way of their home. For the last week Zuko was living with his father again...

"Could've gone worse," Azula pulled her hair out of the high pony tail and let it fall down her back.

"I just want to take a shower, I'm not hungry," Zuko walked into the mansion as they saw zhao walking up the stairs of the center.

"You're home? Thought you'd still be in jail," zhao glared at them.

"Dad cares about us, he knows we'd be in there longer cause of mr. temper over here," Azula glared back.

"How's the hand?" Zuko bit back a smile as he saw zhaos hand wrapped in a bandage.

"How's the whore?" Zhao barked.

"Dont be jealous zhao, it doesn't look good on you," Azula hummed as she walked down the hall to the dining room that had breakfast waiting with fruits, pastry's and some protein.

"I would've killed him if I were you," Azula sighed pouring herself a glass of wine.

"It's nine in the morning," he took away the glass and handed her a glass of water instead.

"And I had Katara there, I wasn't going to kill a man in front of her," Zuko glared a little.

"Ah yes your little Katara, does she still try calling you?" Azula asked curiously as she drank the water anyways.

".. no not anymore," he sighed and sipped the wine.

"Pity, I thought you two were really hitting it off," she smiled.

"It was never like that!" He snapped.

"And after what happened with zhao.. I promised her brother I wouldn't get her involved, it's better if I just drop the whole thing," Zuko crossed his arms and finished the glass of wine.

"I fucking hate it here," he spat and left the room to take the shower he desired so much.

Zuko locked the door to his old room so no one would disturb him, he peeled the shirt off feeling dirty and grimy from the all-nighter, it was covered in gunpowder and sweat as he kicked his shoes off as well.

He went to his bathroom to start the water so it would be warm by the time he stripped the rest of his clothes off. Zuko stared at himself in the mirror, barely recognizing himself as a child anymore.

He had a large bruise on his shoulder from where he fell off the building when it set fire, he had to jump when it lit to fast, he cracked his neck with a sigh, he raised a brow at his tattoo on his other arm.

"Maybe I'll get another," he looked at his body thinking of how he'd be able to fit more tattoos.

He finally stepped into the grey and gold tile shower as he cupped water in his hands and splashed it on his face, letting his hair get soaked under the shower head.

He stared down at the drain where there was dirt running off his body, he sighed softly checking out his old stick and poke tattoos on his thighs and calves where he couldn't sleep and wanted to try something new. Maybe a tattoo on his legs to cover up his boredom.

He sighed enjoying the sound of water, it was relaxing and helped him calm down after a stressful night, the cuts on his knuckles stung but he didn't care

He wondered how Katara was doing, did Sokka tell her anything? Did Aang? Did they care?

Course they didn't care, they barely knew him, why would they care? They didn't owe him anything, not after the night they saved him...

"Come on Zuko it's not that bad just try it!" Sokka whined as they sat in a McDonald's and Zuko made a face at the food.

He shook his head frantically as he only ordered French fries.

"It's amazing just eat it!" Sokka held up the burger that was cut in half as Zuko covered his mouth.

"I don't like burgers," he gagged.

"How about a nugget?" Katara offered as Aang also was the only one with fries.

"Get that away from me," Zuko leaned away.

"I watched the documentary on McDonald's food," Aang nodded as he sipped his sprite.

"Prissy boy just eat it!" Suki groaned.

Zuko whined like a child but took the chicken nugget from Katara and she offered him ketchup.  He sighed dipping it.

"You know that's not real chicken right?" Toph sipped on her soda on the side.

Zuko was mid chew and immediately spit it in a napkin as he gagged.

"Your such a baby," Katara leaned on him frustratingly.

"It's gross!"

He covered his face with a sigh.

"Why did you have to be nice?" He whispered.