Chapter 1: fever
P'li's POV
I stumbled after Warlord Diego and his wife, trying to keep with up with them, while they did their grocery shopping.
"I don't understand why I need to go with them... Diego hates me... his wife can't do anything to help me unless he is off on a business trip... "
I thought, trying to hold the basked and keep up my pace at once. But the basked was heavy and I was so badly weakened by the whipping I had gotten that day, during my regular training... that I collapsed on the floor, the things the warlord and his wife had picked earlier rolled on the floor.
"No... I have to get up... ore else..."
I thought, trying to push myself back on her feet, but I couldn't, my head was burning and my legs refused to let me get up again.
"Poor child... come on...let's get you up..."
A soft woman's voice, HER voice told me, while her soft arms rested around my weak body.
"Are you okay sweetheart...your burning up with a fever..."
her voice said shocked. I now felt she lifted me up and gently put something warm ( her Sunday's coat?!) over my face.
"sweetie ! she's only a "weapon"! you shouldn't treat her like this!"
Diego spat at his wife, while she rubbed me over my cheek, I groaned, half unconscious, half delirious with fever.
"I want to... I want to obey... obey my master...But... but...I can't... Can't get..."
I started, but before I could finish I lost my conscious.
Unown POV
That morning I had begged my husband, warlord Diego, to let me take P'li with us to the marked to do some grocery shopping. At first he didn't wanted to think about it at all, but after a while he gave in, since he didn't had to carry the heavy basket himself that way, and had more time for our son.
"Hong! were going into town... your coming?"
He called upstairs to our now 5 year old son, who was a spat image of what his father looked like at his age, at first I had always thought that was a kind thing, but now Diego was showing off his true colors... I was doubting the good of him looking like his father this match more and more...
"I wish I could tell him his half-sister is so close by his side...he would be able to hug her if would want to... maybe it would help him see how cruel his father really is"
I thought, gasping when I saw P'li walking up to us. She was wearing his usual rags... Flesh and bones beneath that... no warm clothes... not allowed to eat match more then some dry rice and sometimes a hard peace of breath,...
"You called for me sir..."
She asked with a small voice, lowering her face, not even daring to look him in the eye, knowing she would get whipped for that. And she was already so heavily wounded...
"yes... were going into town, and your coming with us to carry the basked... no slaking off, no accepting food from others, however kind they seem, understood?"
He barked at her. The girl nodded as a sign she understood, and quietly took the basked and followed into town...
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While shopping, I saw P'li had more and more trouble carrying the heavy basked. The more Diego just put into it, the more she had to struggle to keep it from falling. But after a while, the basked had grew to heavy for her to bear, and since she didn't had any food in her stomach, and no suitable clothes to keep the warmth in, she toppled over and felt on the floor hard. The food Diego and I had picked to make dinner rolled on the floor.
"Clumsy girl..."
I head Diego snap at her behind me, while I carefully picked up the things and put them back in the basked, after that I carefully walked to P'li to help her up.
"Poor child... come on...let's get you up..."
I half said, half whispered to her with a soft voice, feeling sorry for the way the poor child was treated.
"She didn't asked to get those powers, ore to be so tall... She only got these things... why couldn't he just treat her... normal..."
I thought while I carefully wrapped my arms around her waist to help her on her feet again, but while I did so, I noticed she didn't tried to get up herself. I looked at her with a worried look now, wondering what could be wrong with her.
"Are you okay sweetheart...your burning up with a fever..."
I said with a shocked voice, while I placed a hand on her forehead, and quickly removed it again, when I felt she was burning hot, but in the meantime I understood why she didn't tried to get up again,
"she was probably half unconscious at the moment... the poor thing..."
I thought while I carefully wrapped my Sunday's coat around her and carefully rubbed her cheek, trying to tell her she was in safe arms now.
"sweetie ! she's only a "weapon"! you shouldn't treat her like this!"
Diego spat at me, while I carefully cuddled her close, feeling tears well up in the corner of my eyes, feeling like this was my fault... If only I had ran far, far away from my parents and married Shao lee, then she would have been safe now, then she would go to school at age 4 , then she would be told she was special in her own way, instead of the whole "your a monster and you don't deserve love" Story Diego always spat at her, whenever she tried to be a normal child...
"Then again... Shao was a combustion bender as well... so she would have had someone to look up to...see that she wasn't the only one of her kind..."
I thought, ignoring Diego's idiot remark, while I kept cuddling my daughter... MY child...MY flesh and blood...P'li herself Groaned in her half-conscious state, whimpering at the sudden loving way she was held...
"she is delirious with fever, poor thing ...she should be in beth resting out her fever... instead of running around town in rags... "
I thought while I rubbed her cheek again , trying to make her feel warm and welcome, for the first time since last Christmas...
"sweetie ! she's only a "weapon"! you shouldn't treat her like this!"
Diego snapped at me again with a stern look. I now looked at him with a incredulous look, while I kept the combustion girl close to my hearth, were she belonged, in my eyes...
"She isn't and she should be treated like this... she should be in beth... resting out her fever..."
I snapped back at him, while I got up, my unconscious daughter in one arm, the far to heavy basked, he had made her hold in the other.
"You carry this from now on! she stays in my custody until she's full recovered... and that's final!"
I snapped at him, while I took Hong by hand and turned back to out home... Hong looked at me with a stunned look, when he saw I was carrying his daddy's precious "weapon" up the stairs towards the best spare room we had, up in the attic, with a nice outlook over the woods behind our home... She deserved this... after all she had been threw... she deserved a good room, a good beth, a bath and some decent clothes on her poor body... and especially food... good food, that was not under the mold, or half-eaten by moths...
"mommy... is P'li finally coming to live with us for good?"
He asked with a smile, while I bathed her and put the dress on her she always got to wear during her Christmas visit, then carefully tucked her in.
"No... only until she isn't ill anymore..."
I told him with a sad smile while I kissed her cheek gently. She was so close by my side now... my poor little girl...
"oo... too bad... I would love it if she could stay longer..."
The young boy said while he sat down next to me and looked at P'li with a pondering look.
"Hong... you really like P'li... right?"
I now asked the little boy...wondering if... maybe... just maybe... my son could help me convince Diego to adopt P'li and FINALLY give her a safe home... so she could AT LAST go to school... and receive the love she deserved so match...
"Yes mommy... I secretly go to play with her whenever daddy isn't teacher her new bending stuff "
He whispered the last thing, afraid his father would hear it, and make a end to his secret visits. I smiled to myself, at least I now knew he disappeared to after we ate dinner... he was helping my precious daughter do child stuff... like she SHOULD be doing...
"well... mommy has a secret two... but you have to keep it a secret... you can't tell anyone... not even daddy... okay?"
I whispered to him smiling, the little boys eyes grew as big as two perfect spheres when he heard this...He quickly nodded, eager to hear what kind of secret I had been keeping for him all this time...
"well... you have a half sister..."
I simply started, looking at P'li with a sad smile. Hong looked at me with a big smirk now. looking at P'li with a smile two, probably hoping I would call her name.
"really... what does she looks like?"
He asked with a excited look, hope blinking in his eyes, fully understanding that if I said P'li's name now... she would be his sister... I looked at her with a smile, knowing that I couldn't say her name, since I promised never to reveal her identity to anyone else to Diego... he had to guess it...
"well... She's very beautiful, aaaand... the has a pretty smile... and she has long black hair..."
I said, smiling, while I looked at her peaceful face. She was very beautiful indeed, a spat image of both me and her father... a man I just KNEW would love her and love to teach her everything he knew... not because he saw her as his property,... but because he LOVES her and CARES about her...
"wait...mommy... do you mean... is P'LI my..."
He started, looking at my daughter with a stunned look. I nodded while I carefully put him in my lap and hugged him.
"what is P'li? Except from a "weapon" and a very good actress that is..."
Diego's voice asked our little son, while he got up with a bowl water and a old cloth.
"She isn't either one of them... and I just told him P'li is very, very ill and needs her rest..."
I said with a stern look on Hong, telling him he couldn't tell his father their little secret. Hong nodded and looked at his father with a grin.
"mommy said, she's very bootefull twoo"
the 5 year old said, while he carefully let himself glide of my lap and walked towards him.
"Pfffff yeah sure... "
He grumbled, while he put down the water so he had his hands free to pick up our son, who giggled in delight.
"Daddy... why can't we make P'li stay forever... a...a-dopt her... "
Hong asked all of a sudden, causing the man I was forced to marry to almost drop our son in shock...
"wha... why would you want that... that THING as your stepsister..."
He asked stamming, looking from P'li to me with a shocked look. When he saw I was smiling at my son with a kind smile he narrowed his eyes.
"Hong... leave me with your mother for a while okay... I will come back on that question later..."
He said with a cold look at me. I gulped.. knowing what was coming next... He knew I told Hong about P'li... just because he asked him to adopt P'li and make her happy...
"but daddy,,... I wanne stay with mommy and P'li, so I can..."
He started, but he stopped when Diego looked at him with a angry look,.
"Do as I say... I will call you when you can come back..."
he snapped at him with a angry look. The little boy looked at him with a shocked look now, not used to the fact his father snapped at him, then quickly nodded and rushed out of the room.
"was it really necessary to snap at him like that... he's only 5 years old...he doesn't understand everything ye..."
I started my sentence, but I quickly stopped when he marched straight to the beth to yank the sick girl out of it... .
"Diego please... she's ill... please let her stay here..."
I said with desperate voice, trying not to yell at him, with P'li so close by, since she was yelled at all her life.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT BEFORE YOU LEAKED YOUR LITTLE SECRET TO OUR SON!"
He now yelled at me with a red face. I saw P'li whimper in fear, feeling she was the one that got yelled at once again...
"I didn't... He asked me why she didn't have a mommy and a daddy like everybody else and that's what I was explaining to him..."
I lied with a straight face, while I picked up P'li from the place he yanked her to, out of the warm beth were she belonged, and carefully hold her in my lap, rocking her back and forth while I talked.
"mom, Dad... were are you,... help me... help me please...I...I'm dying... help me... have mercy on me... please... save me..."
I heard her whisper in her illness... which made me bow myself over her, crying my hearth out now, she was begging the people that should have kept her safe for mercy... and a place to call home...
"I'm here baby... your mommy is here... and I'm never letting you go again..."
I told her in my thoughts, while I sobbed over her restless body. The moment I told her this in my mind she turned around and hold on to my clothes carefully, not intending to let go anytime soon...
"sleep my precious... you need all the rest, food and love you can get now you can..."
I told her in my thoughts, gently placing a kiss on her tattooed forehead
"Okay then, she can stay until she's fully recovered, but NO DAY longer, under stood?"
Diego snapped at me with a angry look, when he saw she wasn't going to let go however hard he would try, ore yell at her. I nodded and looked at P'li with a loving glace.
"Not needed, I will write Shao today... I'm going to get you to your daddy... were you belong..."
I thought while I saw down on before a old desk, once Diego was gone, and got a pencil and a paper from out of it, when I did so, I noted the letters I had kept in the old desk, the letters Shao had written to me, just after I was married off to Diego... that monster Diego...
"I almost forgot about those..."
I thought while I picked up one of the letters and opened it.
Dear Thina
I heard you married the son of the warlord. I want to congratulate you with that and wish you all the happiness I couldn't give you. I just hope you won't forget about me... and that we will meet again 1 day, and that we can be together forever then... I will wait for the day we can embrace again
..
love from YOUR Shao lee...
it said. I smiled and carefully put it back into the desk, then picked up the second one, the one I got after I told him we had a beautiful daughter, together with the only photo we had from her.
Dear Thina
I can't believe we really have a baby! but, she looks so match like the both of us this can't be a trick,... she's beautiful... I wish I could have been there... to support you when you gave her the live to this precious creature...that we could raise her together... with all the love she deserves to get... but thanks to Diego I will never see her, hug her... hold her close... ore learn her everything she wants to know about her powers...
whenever you find something out about the people that adopted her, please let me know, maybe I can get her back from them... then we will be together forever... and I promise I will raise her with all the love and care you can't give her yet... and
that she will know how match you love her...
Until then
Love Shao Lee
The second letter said, with it also came a photo of him, sitting on a bench before a old farm he bought from the money he had been allowed to keep, when he was banished from the lowest ring of Ba sing se, when we had tried to get together forever...
"this time I won't fail... P'li will be free... and get the family she deserves..."
I thought while I looked at my still unconscious daughter with a loving glace, before I started to write down my letter...
Dear Shao
It has been a long time since I last wrote to you, but that was because I was very busy raising the son Diego got me after our honeymoon. I hope your doing well, and didn't forgot about me and moved on... I still think about you every day and night, not only because I still love you as match as the first time I saw you, but also because OUR little girl is here with me...
she grew up a bit, but she's still as beautiful as ever, she has your height, and my eyes... do she is far to thin for a girl of her age, flesh and bones to be precise... covert in dirt and rags... Diego thinks of her as a "weapon" Only and treats her like that as well... The poor thing doesn't even knows how it feels to be loved and cared for, neither does she record nice me... But I'm intending to tell her as soon as I can... then let her... flee... with you... to your home... so you can raise her with all the love and the care she deserves... since she told me she was abused all her life... before she was sold to Diego and got abused even more violently...
Come over as soon as you can, don't let anyone spot you, ore you might get in trouble... let me know once your here... then I will get her to you...
I love you forever, but I can't come along... Hong needs me...
love from your Thina
once I wrote down the last line, I wrapped it up and put it in a new clean envelope, wrote down the address and posted it secretly, when I got into town to get some things we forget when I was to busy caring for my daughter.
"Now I only need to wait for him to react... then... she will be saved..."
I thought while I payed for my last groceries and walked home, to make dinner...
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And with that I end my newest story! I hope you all liked it.
A/N
Hong Lee is 5 years old here, which means P'li is 4 years old, since there's 1 year difference between them.
After Thina heard she was going to get married off to Diego she sneaked away to stay with Hong, the police got told he kidnapped the daughter of a rich family and got banished for that...
Shao lee is a combustion bender just like this father (Sparky, sparky boom man had kids back home... I think...don't hate me If I'm wrong...) and now his daughter is a combustion bender as well... since I think it can get passed on into the family line just like normal bending...
this was the story I hope you enjoyed it enough to leave us a revieuw
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