Zutara Week Day 3
Prompt: Voices
Summary: Her voice had the power to do what he can't.
Zuko groggily jolts from the bed he lays on and the thick duvet fly's across the room. He bolts down the hallway and flings the door open to the baby's room. Wails echo off the walls and his heart nearly breaks hearing the sound. His wife's sleeping body lays on the stone floor next to the crib and her form shivers from prolonged exposure.
He shuffles around her and hefts the four month old into his arms. Her wails only seem to increase the longer he holds her and the sound grates against his eardrums.
This was their fifth attempt at a baby and the other four had miscarried before the third trimester. And now their precious baby had a heart defect. Her tiny squalls of pain were omnipresent and nothing they could do to cure it.
His wife had slipped into a depression and nothing could rouse her from it. He had only maintained his grip on sanity by throwing himself into his work.
His paperwork was completed weeks before due and the ambassadors were pleased with how fast he got back to them.
And he still felt himself sliding down that slippery road to depression. And the truth as that he was tired of fighting it. He was tired of pretending that the impending death of his child wasn't killing him.
He tucked Zara against his chest as his eyes filled with tears. They rained down his face and his daughter's onesie filled with wet spots.
He stayed that way for hours. Soon his body had dried itself out and his fevered sobs subsided.
So worn out was he that he didn't notice his wife pulling his daughter away from him.
He was pulled into a chair and a wool blanket tucked around him.
He was gradually drifting off when soft dulcet tones filled his ears.
Sleep now baby
Don't say a word
Mama's gonna buy you a turtle duck
And if that turtle duck don't swim
Mama's gonna buy you a water tribe ring
And if that water tribe ring turns brass
Mama's gonna buy you a fire tribe mask
And if that fire tribe mask gets broke
Mama's gonna get you a polar dog
And if that polar dog won't play
Mama's gonna buy you a cabbage cart
And if those cabbages don't sell
You'll still be our little girl
Zara's sobs trailed off and the tension in his shoulders relaxed.
Only Katara….
He slipped off into blessed sleep.
Two Months Later…
They stood holding each other at graveside. Tears streaming down their faces and friends attempting to console them.
Toph and Han's twin girls wrapped up on their legs and their tiny sobs just lost in the sea of wails.
The only other child who knew about Zara was Aang and Liana's child Sange was standing stoically beside his mom with the only trace of emotion being his tear tracks.
The whole nation mourned behind them and even ambassadors from other nations stood off to the side in white.
As the priest leaned forward and flames engulfed Zara's body soft singing filled the air.
He glanced around and saw Katara standing up straight with a remembering smile on her face.
She grabbed his hand and he recognized the tune she was singing.
The same song she had sung so long ago to send their child to sleep.
And now it was so similar. Because wasn't death just a long sleep?
And he joined in.
Proud, they stood before the nation and soon the rest of the gaang joined in.
Proud they stood, voices all joined as one.