These stories are going to be a bit irregular, but I am going to try for once a week. I would love to get some feedback and if you see any typos or editing that needs to be done don't be afraid to comment.
Chapter Two:
Katara waved at her brother and son as they sailed away on a small boat with a small crew of only fifteen off to the South Pole for the Summer Solstice Festival. She and the rest of her family would be traveling separately, she was simply giving Bumi time to learn from his uncle who had long ago come to terms with having no bending.
"Mommy, where is Bumi going?"
Katara looked down at her sweet daughter who was still sucking her thumb at four despite being nearly as articulate as her eight year old brother.
"I told you sweetie. He is going with Uncle Sokka to the South Pole. We will see him in three weeks when we go to visit for the festival. We'll also see Great Gran-Gran, Pop-pop, and Granda. Everyone will be together and we will see the pretty lights, like last year do you remember?"
Kya shook her head and ran in the opposite direction of the pier toward the temple. Katara looked at her fleeting chubby figure. When she was born she looked so much like a Water Bender, now her features were sharpening and she was looking less and less like her namesake and more like the other half of her , at least, she held onto the Southern Water Tribe skin tone. Hopefully Kya would age like her brother and look mostly like her Water Tribe half and only enough like her father to pick up some of the subtleties.
"Mommy, hurry up I want to practice bending," Kya yelled from dry land bringing the ocean to her hands.
Not wanting to deny an eager student Katara raced after her daughter gathering some water of her own as she did.
Aang didn't always join them for dinner but for some reason tonight he did. They were ready to sit down to miso soup,vegetable dumplings, and a mixed salad (Airbender food) when he slid the door to the dining room open.
Kya saw him and ran over "Daddy!"
"Hi there Kya, darling." He spun her around in his arms with extra gusto the way she liked making her smile and laugh. Sometimes when he wasn't so busy or avoiding them he could be a good dad. He knew what they each liked and treated them with respect but also had fun with them the way a parent should.
"Okay I think that's enough," Katara said when Kya started hiccuping.
Aang and Kya went to their seats and they all sat down. They all said a silent prayer and started eating. They sat in silence for a few minutes not exchanging glances until their kitchen maid,Lori, came in and served them hibiscus tea. At which time Aang must have thought it best to seem amicable in front of Lori.
"Did Bumi and Sokka take off okay?" Aang asked making light conversation. Katara stopped chopsticks midair. The question innocent enough rubbed her the wrong way. Aang had known Bumi was leaving that morning, but didn't come to see him off, an action that left undone made his son seem sad when the ship finally pushed off from the dock. She looked down at Kya happily munching on carrot sticks and humming some tune under her breath. If Katara wanted to be mad at Aang the place was not in front of her drew her composure and set her chopsticks down.
"Yes,"she responded cheerfully. "He was a bit disappointed that you weren't there to say goodbye, but I think he and Sokka will have a good trip."
"That's nice to hear I had to be at a council meeting with Sokka being gone for such an extended period of time some of the plans for Republic City's downtown district have been pushed back a week or two. I really wish you two had given a bit more notice about this trip."
Another irritating comment and suddenly Katara wasn't hungry anymore. She looked at her daughter again reminding herself to stay calm. Family first.
"I'm sorry I just thought with a new sibling and Kya getting her bending Bumi could use a bit more attention than either you or I could give. Sokka was kind enough to agree to help Bumi come to terms with being a non-bender. You know out of everyone we've ever known I have never known Sokka to ever express wanting to have any kind of bending."
A gasp erupted from her left below her elbow.
"Uncle Sokka doesn't want to be a bender!" Mouth agape with unchewed dumpling Kya's face was plastered in shock. Not surprising from the moment she understood what bending was and saw the way Katara and Aang moved the elements around Kya tried nearly everyday to produce some form of water or air bending. Of course they had told her she wasn't an airbender, but she had tried and tried nonetheless out of pure will for the skill. She was fascinated with bending much like her brother had been.
"Now that you mention it Katara I don't think I have ever heard Sokka mention wanting to be a bender. He has always been proud of his swordsmanship skills and that boomarang of his. I hope he isn't going to teach Bumi any of that he is still a bit young to be learning how to handle weapons even though Sokka has tried before."
Kya and Katara laughed. Kya was too young to remember when it happened but her brother sported a scar on his lower shin and she never gave up an opportunity to tell the story of how her brother tried to teach his nephew to throw a boomerang at five and ended up getting it back in a big way. It had hurt at the time, but a week later Sokka was laughing at his own idiocy and didn't blame Bumi a bit. Kya had thus heard the story many times and found it hilarious and being so small when Sokka had his shin exposed she would run her hand over the scar and pat him like a sad puppy feeling sorry for poor idiotic Uncle Sokka.
"No I forbid him from teaching Bumi anything with weapons, plus I don't think he is eager to repeat past mistakes. Although I didn't expressly say no hand to hand combat so we might have a fighter on our hands when we get to the South Pole."
"That's good Toph is already teaching Lin and she is two years younger," Aang said with an approving smirk that pulled into a concerned stare in an instant. "Although, she is being a bit hard on the girl maybe you should get together with them. I don't think the girl gets outside of the precinct much and even though they are going with us to the festival we don't leave for another week."
"That's a good idea. Kya is coming along well with her bending and could maybe do with a good switch in routine. What do you think sweetheart?" She asked knowing Lin was a bit abrasive compared to Kya's sweet personality. Kya sipped on her tea and shrugged at her mother.
"I guess you have a date with the Chief then," Aang smiled at Katara.
Later that night as she was nursing Tenzin in her bedroom there came a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Aang, can I come in?"
"Yes, just be discrete Tenzin is having dinner," she whispered not wanting to disturb her youngest son, who had an aura about he that always seemed calm on the brink of breaking.
Aang slid the door closed quickly and silently and came over to peer at his son. They looked so similar and had such similar personalities. Even at dinner tonight when Katara had been mad at Aang he had made her laugh minutes later. Tenzin seemed to have that in him too. At moments he would refuse to sleep not crying or fussing just refusing to lay still and dream. It would frustrate Katara so, but then sensing her irritation Tenzin would giggle and blow bubbles of air at her causing her to giggle back.
For years Aang had frustrated Katara and she had wanted to leave and had come close several times, but then he would do something that would remind her of why she had stayed for so long and why she would remain. She didn't do it only for her children who needed stability, a home, a family, a father. She did it for herself in a way too. To give up now what she had held up for so long would be destroying her world her sanity for moments if only seconds of relief. In the end Aang was not a terrible husband or father he was insensitive at times but not cruel. She had a right to expect better, but she could have also received worse, she had certainly seen friends of hers settle for worse.
"He is so peaceful just being with him is restful."
"You obviously need to try to put him to sleep more often," Katara scoffed. She looked down at her son though, his sweet face so soft and eyes so bright and innocent. No, she understood what Aang meant if only in moment like these. "He is pretty great though," she cooed softly partly to Aang, but mostly to perfect little Tenzin.
"It makes you think"
"Oh about what?"
Aang leaned against the wall sizing up Katara and her expression. Katara saw this and became a bit panicked she knew what he was about to suggest. Oh, no, she didn't want to have this conversation not again. Not after diner had turned out to not be such a disaster. She couldn't handle it.
"I think we should have another child."
"No," Katara breathed almost inaudibly, but Aang heard her and scowled back. She took the opportunity of Tenzin finishing diner to turn her back on Aang and settle Tenzin into his bassinet. She wanted to break down and scream, but Aang had chosen the perfect moment to corner her.
"You won't even think about it, it's just, no?"
"Exactly, just like it was ten months ago when I told you I was pregnant. I told you one more child."
"And you think that's fair. One airbending child. Ho-"
Katara didn't give him time to ask the questions she had heard a million times over she did the right thing and slapped him. Tears welled in her eyes. Suddenly, she regretted any credit she had been giving him only minutes earlier. Fair he was going to bring up fair.
"You're lucky to have a single child that can be called an airbender. You're also lucky to have two other amazing children who may not be what you wanted or expected from the world, but life isn't fair Aang. Didn't we learn that years ago. I did. I gave up my life for you and this family. So don't you dare talk to me about fair."
At this point she had raised her voice loud enough to wake Tenzin and he was crying. She was sorry for that but not at all for the things she had said. She left the room and Aang with the crying baby needing to find a place where she could breathe. Right now she was gasping and sobbing, not loudly, but all consuming in a silent drowning type way. Down the halls she sped looking for double doors to the lily pond.
"Agni," she gasped in the crisp night air pushing onto the porch and the stone pathway leading to the ponds. She stumbled down the path toward the water trying to calm herself by wrapping her shawl tightly around her and taking soothing breaths.
As she approached the water she thought of all of the decisions that had lead her here. If only she had been allowed to be something other than "The Avatar's Girl" maybe she would have been able to choose a path of love and happiness.
"Oh if only," she sighed looking up at the full moon.
