AN: Disclaimer in Profile. Hope you enjoy.

Night Terrors

or

The Subconscious Actions of Zuko and Katara

The first time Sokka woke up in the Western Air Temple, in the middle of the night, he was met with a soft melody. It spoke of soft ice and the treasure of family. It wrapped around him and made him feel secure. When he fell asleep he dreamed of penguin sledding and playing in the snow with a pile of Gran-Gran's seal jerky. It took him waking up the next morning to realize that it was the same lullaby his mother sang to Katara and him. It took hearing Katara humming the song to realize that she sang it. That she had plucked him out of the claws of the night terrors.

The second time Sokka woke up in the Western Air Temple, in the middle of the night, he heard a different voice. It was warm and definitely lower than Katara's. It did not sing, but it instead spoke. It told you of distant lands and heroic deeds. When he fell asleep, he dreamed of adventures and brave warriors that couldn't bend, saving the day. It took ribbing Zuko into telling a story to realize, it was him that told that tale. It was him, surprisingly, that gave him a talisman against the night terrors the second time around.

The third time, Sokka didn't even go to sleep in the first place. No. He had to find out why Katara was singing lullabies, why Zuko was suddenly a storyteller. So he followed his ears. To the right, towards Toph's room, he could hear Katara's singing. To the left, towards Aang's room, He could hear the beginnings of another tale. He had to choose.

Toph's room was unsurprisingly, filthy, although she chose to call it a healthy coating of dirt. And Katara was in the midst of it. She was singing the lullaby as she rocked Toph back and forth. Toph looked up at Sokka, her feet telling all. She pressed a finger to her lips in the universal quiet sign, then gestured for him to look at his sister. Katara was asleep.

"How long has she been doing this?"

"I dunno, I just know that somehow, whenever Sugar Queen is asleep and one of us is having trouble getting to, she just… knows and sings you back to sleep."

"What about Zuko?"

"Snoozles, Sparky's asleep too…"

Night.
The perfect time to try and kill somebody. The time when she was at her strongest. The time she slept walked and comforted her 'children'.

Night.
The perfect time to try and escape. The time when he was at his weakest. The time he slept walked so they wouldn't bear the burdens he did at night.

She despised him.

He coveted her forgiveness.

But at night, all that changed.

They worked together subconsciously, unknowingly. They lifted the burdens the others carried and placed it on themselves. By day, she was the cause of their bane. Forever accusing a relatively innocent party. By day, he was earning their trust. Forever churning out acts of kindness.

At night, they were a single unit. Two teenagers that could lift the pain of being blind, lift the weight of the world, lift the loneliness of a warrior that couldn't bend. Give the rest a good nights sleep.

Hakoda noticed it.

He just didn't want to believe it.

Sokka, Toph and Aang all looked up to Zuko, while leaning heavily on Katara. A combination he had only seen one other time. When Katara and Sokka were small children, and Kya was around. These children had a family. It was strange and mismatched and by day they wouldn't act like it, but at night he could see them patrol the rooms of the others. The others counted on it. He could see it. They counted on the fact that they would be comforted from their night terrors by either a soft melody or a warm tale.

Zuko and Katara were their talismans against the dark.

Suki experienced it.

It was still surreal to her.

One night after the other, the experiences of the failed invasion were dropping. Something in her was looking to them for reassurance and comfort. It was like having… nevermind. They didn't know what they were like so she wouldn't say a thing.

But still, it was nice having a place to hide where they knew best.

Their conscious mind and subconscious mind were linked, somewhat.

It was in the division of chores, the silent concession of the kitchen, the equal times of washing Sokka's socks; the carrying of responsibility.

For the first time, Katara had backup. For the first time, Zuko felt wanted.

This could have continued in this subconscious manner until the day of the comet. Azula's attack changed all that.

They were on Ember Island, hiding in Ozai's very house when Toph said it.

"Katara, don't be such a MUM!"

The whole group just froze. Hearts thumping wildly as they waited for the reaction of their 'mother'. She flushed. Mumbled something and took off towards the beach. Zuko fixed them all with a stern glance before chasing after her. Everyone sighed as he left them. The silence shattered only by Suki.

"Yes, he's definitely like our Dad."

"You know, I never thought that…"

"Katara… just… I don't know. I never thought that we…"

"Were acting like their parents? Tell me Zuko, when did we stop sleep walking and start doing our night rounds for real?"

"Straight after Yon Rha."

"When did we stat dividing up the chores verbally?"

"After Yon Rha."

"And when…"

"I get it. We were subconsciously acting the part this entire time. I guess we should just face up to it."

"Ha. Our children. Our children of resistance."

"And I thought my biological family was messed up…"

Ten years after the war and things couldn't be better. Some things couldn't be explained though. Like how the Fire Lord, given his example, was a great father, and how his Lady was a superb mother. No one would see, when they heard those comments, the secret look they shared as they hoisted one of their real, biological children up onto their person, to remind themselves of night terrors, comforting, chores and their children of war.

AN: Thanks for reading! please review!