Zukaang-The Reunion
Sequel to "The Kiss on the Balcony"
It had been ten years since the end of the war. Every year since, their whole group had gotten together to celebrate peace. My brother and Suki had welcomed their first child two years earlier, a daughter named Yue. Toph and Teo were bethrothed. Iroh's tea shop was flourishing. Zuko had found his mother. Azula had regained her sanity, and was no longer evil. And Zuko and Aang were still happily together. Damn.
All my attempts over the last ten years to steal Aang back had failed. Aang was now twenty-two years old. More than old enough to be thinking about children. Children, I had come to realize, were my best chance to reclaim what was mine. Zuko couldn't give Aang children. I could. The comment I had overheard ten years earlier had given me hope that Aang would realize his mistake, would leave Zuko. That he would marry ME.
This year the reunion was in the Fire Nation. I stopped just outside the massive double doors that were the main entrance to the palace. A servant hurried over to open them for me, bowing deeply.
"Lady Katara, welcome to the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord and the Avatar are waiting for you in the study. Li will escort you there." I bowed in return, hiding the anger that had tightened in my stomach when he said 'the Fire Lord and the Avatar.' Zuko did not deserve Aang. I did. I followed Li through the twists and turns of the palace, planning what I would say to Aang when I got him alone. I had to convince him that the time was right for him to have children. With me, of course.
Arriving at the study, I smoothed my hair and dress as Li opened the door. I smiled broadly and entered the room.
"Hey, Sugar Queen! About time you showed up!"
"There's my little sister. You get prettier every time I see you. Did you get my letter telling you that Suki's pregnant again?" His words were accompanied by a warm hug.
"Hello, Katara." I had been about to answer Sokka's question, that no, I must have just missed his letter, when Aang greeted me. The smile died on my lips when I saw him.
Aang was pregnant. And sitting on Zuko's lap. I felt the hope that I had nurtured for ten years wither and die.
"How did you get pregnant?"
"A little help from the spirits. That and lots and lots of sex." Zuko blushed bright red, and everyone laughed. Everyone except me. Aang's smile faded. "What's wrong, Katara? I thought you would be happy for us. You've been hinting-none too subtly-for eight years now that I should be thinking about having children." Yes, yes I had. But I meant with ME. Zuko frowns at his words and then pulls him closer to press a kiss to his temple. Apparently Aang hadn't told him about my hints. That or he had been genuinely worried about the possibility of my stealing Aang back. Maybe both.
"Yes, but I meant with me!" The words burst out before I can stop them. The entire room falls silent except for Azula's barely suppressed snort of laughter. Aang looks stunned by my words. Zuko tightens his possessive grasp on Aang and glares at me. Maybe Zuko knew that I planned to use children to get Aang back. Oh, spirits. How could I have just blurted that out loud?
"Jeez, Sugar Queen, it's been ten years. Are you honestly telling me you still haven't gotten over Twinkletoes yet?" Mortification swept through me. Toph and Mai, to my knowledge, were the only ones who knew of my feelings for Aang. Now everyone did. Aang's eyes widen in shock at Toph's words. He exchanges glances with Zuko, then slides off his lap and walks over to me.
"Katara, we need to talk." Aang takes my arm and then leads me out of the room. As he shuts the door I hear Sokka trying to change the subject. Aang leads me down the hall to an empty room. "We won't be interrupted in here. Sit down." Aang gestures to a couch and then sits on one opposite.
"You returned my feelings at the end of the war? Why did you ignore me? Why did you pretend that nothing happened after I kissed you before the invasion?" Aang sounds hurt.
"Yes, Aang, I did. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to distract you from your mission. And because-" I break off.
"And because you thought of me as your son? As just a little kid?"
I bite my lip and fiddle with my dress to try to avoid answering, because honestly, I had. I wondered if he would believe me if I lied and said no.
"Did Zuko tell you I thought of you that way? Is that how he stole you from me?" I spit the name 'Zuko' like it was venomous. Aang goes from hurt to angry in an instant.
"No, Katara, he didn't. I figured it out by myself. I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am. And he didn't 'steal' me as you so crudely put it. I fell in love with because he was sweet, caring, and compassionate. I heard you threaten to kill him, by the way. I never said anything because I was still in love with you. By the time I wasn't, you and Zuko were friends and he'd forgiven you. So I saw no reason to bring up the past.
"You know what's ironic, Katara? If you hadn't been such a bitch to Zuko, I might never have fallen for him. And you would never have had to consider something so depraved as getting pregnant in order to break us up." Aang smiled coldly at me before standing up to leave.
"Aang, wait! What do you mean, you might not have fallen for him?" I was responsible for them being together? Impossible!
"I started to spend more time with him to make up for the way you treated him, Katara. I wanted him to feel welcome in our group, to make up for your open hostility. I wanted to be his friend. I ended up falling in love with him instead."
"Sokka was hostile to him, too!" I was grasping at straws and I knew it. I couldn't be the reason the man I loved was in love with someone else. I just couldn't be.
"Sokka was nowhere near as bad as you, Katara. And once he got to know Zuko a little better, he started being nicer to him, too. You're the only one who remained a complete bitch after realizing Zuko had changed, that he wasn't trying to hurt or capture us anymore."
"But, but I didn't realize Zuko had changed, Aang. I swear I didn't!" Tears were sliding down my cheeks, making Aang look uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, Katara. But I love Zuko with all my heart, just as he loves me. And he's the father of my unborn children. There's no way I would ever leave him for someone else." Children? Aang was having twins? "I think Zuko and I were destined to be together, Katara. That he was destined to help me rebuild the Air Nomads because he's descended from both Sozin and Roku." He used a handkerchief to gently wipe away my tears. "I really am sorry, Katara. You're my friend. If I had known you had feelings for me, I wouldn't have let you find out about my pregnancy that way. I would have told you beforehand. But other than nagging me about children, you've treated just the same as you always did. So I never even guessed." His smile was a little rueful. I blinked up at him and managed a smile back. "Actually, you used to nag me before, if I remember correctly. Just never about hurrying up and having children."
"It-it's okay, Aang. It was a bit of a shock. And you're right, using children to steal you back is a bit depraved, isn't it?"
"Yes. Now let's get back to the others before they start worrying. Especially Zuko. He's insisting on treating me like I'm some delicate little orchid that will wilt if someone looks at me sideways." He pulls a face as he talks, and I laugh. Aang's face lights up. "So we're friends again, Katara?"
"Yes. Just friends." I mean those words, too. That ship has sailed. It's long past time for me to move on and find someone else.