A/N: Chapter 2, woo. I am seriously planning of really expanding this, got an interesting idea, what do ya guys think?

~Not Me~

Chapter 2

"I brought tea,"

He should have expected her to return, there was more to her last visit than simply trying to shift the blame. However, in the way she left the last time, Ozai was sure she would never make the horrid journey down to his cell again. Perhaps he would have preferred that. He wanted to prefer that. Unfortunately, ever since Zuko decided to cease visiting him, he had found the loneliness gnawing at his soul to be bothersome. He hated it, the feeling of dependence, the feeling of a weakness. Most of all, he hated that she of all people seemed to give him the smallest relief.

"What kind? I'm very particular," Ozai droned, his corner of darkness enveloping him like a shroud.

"Dragonlily, I hear it's very good. Your brother always knows the best teas," Ursa said lightly, a beautiful tea-set in her hands.

Iroh. Merely thinking of the name made him gag. The treasured first son of Fire Lord Azulon, the man who had everything and tossed it away only to become a dithering old fool in a teashop. Ozai almost relished in the fact that no love was lost between them any more. Iroh was the one who used to be always one step ahead, mastering strategy and lightning with an ease only the mighty Dragon of West could attest to. However by the time Ozai had mastered them, it was the status quo for his father, who merely scolded him for not learning fast enough. If it weren't for his brother's constant encouragement and support, Ozai might never have been as successful as he was. This single thought has haunted the former Fire Lord all his life, that even at his most powerful, he was still just a cheap imitation of what his brother was.

"What does he know..." Ozai's voice was much smaller, almost as if he was answering another far off question. Ursa had to admit, that she did feel a strange sense of pity for the man. As hateful as she was, Ursa knew there was something else to the man that was buried deep in an attempt to hide it forever. She lived with him for over a decade, and he never was perfectly able to hide those secrets on his face. No man can hide who they were for that long.

"Look, I think you can guess I didn't come here to chat over tea," Ursa sighed as she sat gracefully, placing the set down and pouring two cups. She placed one carefully inside the cell, and set hers aside to cool. "You were right though".

This at least elicited some response, as he crept from his corner like a skulking animal of prey and sat in front of the cup in front of him. As long as you think you've been right about something, you'd want to listen. Ozai's eyes moved between the steaming tea and the woman, who decided the liquid had cooled enough in her own cup to drink and took a sip. Her eyebrow raised at the wary expression across the man's face.

"It's not poisoned if that's what you think,"

The man just scowled, he was seriously in a bad mood right now. Great. Ursa had at least expected him to be jovial after hurting her the last time they spoke, why was he suddenly angry again. She guessed it was simply to do with his imprisonment and didn't wish to explore a better reason during this conversation.

Silently Ursa picked up Ozai's cup and sip it, deliberately showing the liquid in her mouth to prove it was safe. It felt ridiculous, but she had more important matters than her own dignity to attend to right now. As she placed the cup back, Ozai snatched and downed the whole cup, tossing it unceremoniously back towards her. The sharp action causing Ursa to visibly jump and eyes flash with a tinge of fear.

"It tastes terrible". For all his attempts to appear threatening, even Ozai had to admit that was rather petulant of him; he was acting like Zuko more than he would like to admit. At least the display of fear from his estranged wife gave him some comfort he still had power over something. She didn't beat him last time, she won't beat him tonight. At least that's what he thought until he saw the confused and oddly amused expression form across Ursa's face; it did nothing to assail his current mood, only giving him a worrying sense of dread.

"What was I right about?" Ozai asked with haste, trying to divert the entire conversation away from his childish attitude. "Apart from everything of course".

Ursa smirked. She never smirks, Ozai thought. That was something he does, or Azula. Not Ursa. That sense of dread crept ever deeper as her eyes slowly passed to the shattered teacup and then flicking back to Ozai. She said a thousands words with only a smile. Ozai gripped his throat, his eyes wide in rage and fear. He never wanted to die from poison, it was disrespectful to his warrior nature. Worst of all, it was all so terribly ironic; Ozai hated irony. He launched himself upwards, standing over the woman, but feeling thoroughly under her control. He found his attempts to seem imposing just made him feel even more powerless; like a crippled animal growling at an approaching hunter.

"You...how could you...I'll...KILL YOU!" The words roared out, echoing around the cell; he could hear the guards outside shift uncomfortably. Good.

Then, Ursa began laughing. Actual sincere laughter, not the revenge-lust cackles he thought to be hearing, but sweet chuckles. Ozai never thought he had heard her laugh in all their years together. It was not vindictive or harsh like his own, but soft and gentle; as if she was remembering a joke told long ago. Ozai stood staring in stunned disbelief as the death never came. Like a fool, he slowly became aware of the joke Ursa found so amusing. He couldn't believe he fell for something so obvious.

"That wasn't funny," he muttered, begrudgingly offering a tiny bit of respect for playing him so well. For as distant as they were, Ozai knew Ursa was parley to a few secrets and she most certainly knew of his abject fear of being poisoned.

"Well, it's you fault for forgetting right?" Ursa replied still chuckling softly.

Ozai closed his eyes, a distant memory when they were first forced together by his father flowed into his mind. It was a time when the two did at least try to form some bond; they both knew it would be easier that way for both of them to at least care about the other, made navigating the political scene much safer when you knew someone had your back. But Ursa loved someone else, and Ozai hadn't loved anyone for a long, long time. But it was a time when the two tolerated each other as forced friends, before it all burned away.

"Urgh, why do I have to learn this?" Ursa sat behind a large desk littered with various pages detailing confidential information about every major player in the court, and some minor ones too.

"Information is a powerful weapon. It can save our lives one day," the young prince replied with blunt indifference to the girl's boredom. It had only been a few months since she was taken, and the two had hated every moment they were together. Ursa missed her lover and Ozai missed being alone. "Lady Aki of house Ziang, go".

The command was as dry as the ones before, but at least he tried to be civil this time and not aggressive. From the stories she had heard of the Fire Nation court, Ursa knew it was important to not be ignorant, even the royalty can be destroyed with enough information against them. They needed plenty of collateral to keep those secrets silent.

"Lady Aki Ziang, the wife of colony general Kuzo Ziang of the coastal Earth Kingdom province of Sha Long Bay and is a serial adulterer. Has a particular taste in women and goes to the Bleeding Dragon Brothel under the guise of Lady Red, right?" Ursa leaned against her hand after finishing her answer hoping that it would be enough for them to end this for today."Lady Red is such a boring name for an alias".

Ozai seemed to slump at the sight of his new wife's casual nonchalantness at critical Fire Nation politics, but curtly nodded in agreement.

"Are we finished?"

"Not yet, one last thing," Ozai replied as he sat opposite the woman he was set to marry in a week. "My secret is that I am absolutely terrified of poison" He said with a firm strength that belied how vulnerable the information was.

Ursa perked up at this revelation. Ozai had always attempted to appear strong at all times and this seemed oddly out of character of him.

"Why tell me your secrets?" Ursa sincerely asked, already seeing the young prince shift uncomfortable.

Ozai seemed to genuinely contemplate the question, until he firmly replied.

"We are going to be married, and so we need to have our backs in the court. You need to know my secrets so you can talk about me in a way that deflects that information, even the smallest suspicion needs to be quelled quickly. And I will have to do the same for you".

Ursa was silent as she processed this information. She had to admit that she never considered that Ozai was equally bothered by this as she was. He just looked so smug when he came barging in with his father. But she had to agree, if she was to survive here amongst dragons ready to eat her at the merest sign of weakness they needed to support each other; there were more dangerous figures than Ozai to worry about.

"Losing him...I fear losing him..." she quietly replied. She didn't to mention the name for Ozai to know who she was talking about. And with a small nod the two sat in silence, with perhaps more comfort between them knowing their secrets.

"I didn't love her by the way," Ursa interrupted Ozai's memory and he wasn't quite sure he had accidentally missed half a conversation as he reminisced. "I said you were right about something, and I'm telling you I didn't love her".

Azula. So its going to be this conversation again. Ozai thought as much, he could only imagine the reunion with Zuko was full of hugs and other platitudes that made him sick. He wasn't expecting Ursa to ever admit to not loving her daughter, forever remaining in denial, but she was always proficient at surprising Ozai.

"I never knew her anyway, you gave her the attention she craved, and I didn't give her the attention she needed" She continued, speaking as plainly as she could to avoid giving away any emotions like last time that Ozai could exploit. Her stint with the poison charade had been to place him on the back foot and keep him defensive.

Ozai calmly listened, knowing Ursa was not expecting any response from him, and for the first time he felt the desire to merely listen to the woman. He would prefer hearing her voice than the multitude of voices that sometimes creep into his mind from the darkness.

"But I would like to" she paused afterwards, clearly waiting for a reply to a question not asked.

"I don't know where she is Ursa" He replied genuinely, almost with a tad of sorrow. He would also like to talk to his daughter again, they had much in common; though he would doubt that would ever happen if it were even possible being such shrewd schemers.

"But you know what she is like Ozai, help me find her. I treat Zuko like he's only my son, but I have to face facts. They are our children, and if there is only one good thing you want to ever do, let it be for the sake of your children".

Ursa's eyes were filled with sadness, but also of hope. Ozai thought he would want to crush it, burn it, say words to ruin her entire futile desire to fix her wrongs. But all he could do was look Ursa in the eye and calmly answer;

"Ok...I'll help you"

A/N: Hello, er...after a whole year...yeeeeeah. But hey I'm back finally, the previous year has been a rather eventuful one. Plans, an engagement and yadda yadda, but finally found time to start writing again, sorry if the chapter feels rushed. But hey, reviews are still much appreciated.