A/N: I came up with the idea for this fic based off the picture I'm using as cover art. As far as I know beanaroony from Deviantart is the original artist.
Also, just putting it out there, this is an AU where Katara and Zuko are married and have a daughter. In other words, Zutara. You've been warned.
Zuko's POV:
"I'll see you Monday." Katara leaned in and kissed me sweetly before kneeling before our four year old daughter. My wife was going to spend the weekend with her brother and Suki, they needed help going over a few details for their wedding while I had an important meeting to attend here in the Fire Nation.
"You be a good girl for Daddy while I'm gone okay?" She pulled our daughter close, hugging her tight.
"I will Mommy!" Azaria giggled, hugging her mom back. "I'll miss you!"
"I'll miss you too Zari." Katara kissed her head and ran her hand through our daughter's dark hair. "You look just like your dad. So beautiful." Katara mused. I rested my hand gently on her shoulder.
"She's got your eyes." I smiled, Katara smiled back very proud of the perfect little girl we created together.
"I love you, but I'm going to be late." She sighed, not wanting to leave. This time I leaned forward and kissed my wife.
"I love you too Katara. Tell Sokka and Suki I say hello."
"Me too! Tell them I say hi too!" Azaria jumped up, pulling at Katara's dress, I scooped her up in my arms.
"I will." Katara laughed. "I love you both." She kissed my scar, then our daughter's forehead and left for the boat.
"Bye Mommy!" Azaria smiled and waved after Katara. I waved too, a little bit sad to have to spend the weekend away from Katara, but I still had my other favorite girl by my side. I turned to my daughter.
"What would you like to do today Princess? Anything you want, it's yours." Azaria giggled and clapped her hands.
"You promise?"
"I promise." I smiled, wondering what my baby girl would have us do for the rest of the afternoon.
"I want to feed the turtle-ducks in Mommy's pond!"
"Sounds like fun." I lifted her onto my shoulders, one of her favorite things, and carried her to the backyard, putting her down by the edge of the water. She started splashing around, trying to hold the water in her hands without letting it drain through her fingers, I had a sneaking suspicion that she'd turn out to be a waterbender just like her mother. She flicked a few drops of water at me.
"Look! I can waterbend like Mom!" She giggled, wiping her wet hands on my arm, I pulled her close to me, hugging her close as I let myself fall back into the grass.
"Maybe someday you'll be a waterbender like Mommy."
"Maybe I'll be a firebender like you Daddy? Wouldn't that be cool?" She rolled over resting her elbows on my stomach, propping her face up.
"I think you'd be perfect no matter what baby girl. I wouldn't care if you never bend at all, I'd love you just the same."
"Can you show me your magical fire again?" Azaria sat up, waiting for me to show her the flames. I sat up, producing a tiny fire in my palm, she looked at it, mesmerized. I extinguished the flames as she reached out to touch it.
"You can't touch it sweetheart, I don't want to burn your pretty little fingers." I took her hand in my own, kissing her fingertips. I was always extra careful with my bending around Azaria because I didn't want to burn her, Katara says I'm just being paranoid but I didn't want to take a chance.
"What's burn Daddy?" Azaria tilted her head looking up at me curiously. I sighed, I couldn't keep putting it off.
"This…" I pointed to my scar. "Is a burn. It happens when you touch fire…" I was trying to explain this in a way a four year old could understand.
"Wait… why did you touch fire with your face?" Zari reached out, touching my scar, I forced myself to stay still as she ran her fingers along it's outline. Until now only Katara had been allowed to do this. "Does it hurt you?" She frowned, concerned about me.
"No. I got it a very long time ago."
"How?" She questioned. That one innocent little word tore at my chest. I wished Katara was here to give her this talk with me, but I guess I was on my own.
"My dad was the Fire Lord…" I started, but she interrupted me.
"You're the Fire Lord!" She giggled. I sighed, running my hand through her hair.
"Yes, I'm the Fire Lord now. Please let me finish honey." She quieted, folding her hands in her lap. "So, my dad was the Fire Lord and I was the Fire Prince, I wanted to sit in on a special meeting and I was allowed to do so as long as I didn't interrupt. I interrupted and my Dad got very angry with me. He challenged me to an Agni Kai…"
"What's an Algi Ke?" She wondered out loud. I laughed lightly.
"Agni Kai. An Agni Kai is when two firebenders get into a fight using only fire. They stand in a fighting ring and keep attacking each other until someone gets burned."
"Oh." She pouted, a habit she'd adopted from Katara. "That sounds mean."
"It is mean baby. So, like I was saying, my dad was very mad at me and he challenged me to an Agni Kai. I lost." I looked away from my daughter. "He burned me when I was thirteen, then he sent me away because he didn't want me anymore."
"Don't cry Daddy." Azaria crawled into my lap, hugging me tight. I wiped at my face, I hadn't even realized I'd started crying, but I wrapped my hands around my daughter, welcoming her embrace. "Me and Mommy will always want you." She kissed my nose, turning my mood around, I smiled slightly.
"Thank you Zari." She smiled back at me before picking up some stale bread to throw to the turtle-ducks. I smiled watching her, she was so young and innocent, I would work hard to make sure I never turned into my father when it came to her.
"Daddy they like me!" Zari giggled as the turtle-ducks swam up to her, taking little pieces out of her hand. They would do the same thing for Katara, but never really for me. I would always just leave the pieces in the water for them.
…
Azaria and I spent the rest of the night playing outside together. When it started getting late I took her inside and we had Roast Duck and Dumplings for dinner. After that I gave Azaria her bath and it was bedtime. Together we walked down the hallway to her room and she leapt onto her bed, jumping up and down.
"I'm not tired Daddy!" She giggled, prancing around on the mattress.
"Come on now, bedtime. You don't do this when Mommy's here. Am I going to have to tell her when she gets home?" I kept a straight face even though I knew I wouldn't rat my daughter out for something so silly. It worked though, she settled down. I took her headpiece out of her hair and placed it on her nightstand before I pulled the covers up.
"Goodnight Daddy." Azaria yawned, closing her eyes sleepily.
"Goodnight baby girl." I leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. I smiled slightly and quietly turned the lights off, making my way to my own bed. Katara wasn't around for me to talk to and I was all caught up with my Fire Lord duties so I decided to turn in early. I changed into my pajamas and laid in my bed, wondering what the rest of the weekend had in store for me.
…
"Daddy?" I barely registered hearing the little whisper, but I couldn't ignore it anymore when I felt someone shaking me. My eyes flew open, and I sat up. It was only Azaria… I sighed in relief, but quickly realized my daughter was crying and became worried.
"What's wrong?" I asked, waiting patiently for her to tell me.
"I had a bad dream." She sniffled, hugging onto the little blue blanket Katara had given her.
"What was it about?" I frowned slightly, Katara was usually the one to take care of the bad dreams… I still got them myself.
"It was about an Agni Kai." She sniffled. I bit my lip, Katara was going to kill me.
"Honey…" I started but she cut me off.
"You were so mad at me…" She pressed her face into her blanket crying harder. My heart broke. I didn't realize that she might think I'd challenge her to an Agni Kai if I got mad at her. "You burned me." The words stung.
"Azaria…" I pulled her to my chest, holding her tight, fighting my own tears. "Baby girl, I will never ever be so mad at you that I turn into my father. I will never ever burn you."
"But Daddy you were really, really mad." She sobbed into my chest. I shook my head.
"Zari, you don't understand sweetheart, there is nothing in the whole wide world that you could do that would make me ever even think about using my fire to hurt you. I promise." I kissed the top of her head, my words seemed to calm her down a bit. "Your dream wasn't real. I swear I will never let anyone hurt you like that."
"You promise Daddy?" She pulled away to look at me. I nodded.
"I promise you, Azaria."
"Okay. I'm sorry I woke you up." She frowned, looking guilty.
"You can wake me up whenever you need me baby girl. Now lay down." I lifted my blankets up for her and she crawled underneath them. "Now try to get some rest."
"I love you Daddy." She cuddled up to me, closing her eyes as she curled into my chest. I smiled softly, hugging her close to me.
"I love you too Azaria. Goodnight."