Unwanted Treasure

By: Sailorjj07

7. The Fifth Month

A/n: THIS IS GONNA BE LONG AS HELL! With lots o drama and issues. I'm telling you, this chappy, when I finished, was 11 pages long with over 5000 words. I just saw two new episodes of Avatar that like BOOSTS my whole story. So yah, if you haven't seen it yet, watch it because this chappy does have SPOILERS!

Disclaimer: I do not own!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Actions

(Me!)

I woke up that morning feeling sick and nauseated. I felt so horrible!

I had rolled over to ask Zuko to check my temperature for me, almost wishing to feel his hot hand against my forehead, when I realized he wasn't there.

I sat up, tired and sick, looking around the room for him.

He wasn't there at all.

A rumbling began to echo down the hall and I knew it was Toph, marching into my room.

"They left." She murmured, and I nodded as she came closer to my bed. "Here."

Toph handed me a letter in my brother's writing, which said something about fishing and meat. Toph's angry gaze brightened to a softer smile as I read it out loud and mentioned her favorite food. When I was done she laid down on my bed, feeling better.

"T-Toph...can you-? Is the baby alright?" I asked her, laying on the bed beside her.

She nodded and slowly reached her hand out to touch my rounding stomach, "He or she seems alright."

"Well that's good," I heaved a sigh of relief, though it didn't last long. I could feel bile rising up in my throat and began to take loud, deep breaths. I didn't want to throw up here.

It'd be so hard to clean it up or stop it, if I did.

"Hey Sugar Queen."

I sighed deeply one last time as the nausea began to ebb away. I turned to look into Toph's blank eyes then realized what I was doing, "What is it, Toph?"

"When are you going to tell Aang?"

I froze up all over again. Why must she do this to me right now?

"Toph, I really don't want to talk about it right now. I can't."

"You can't hide it from him for too much longer, you know." Toph's voice sounded all-knowing and I found myself wondering if she knew someone who had gone through this before.

"I know, Toph, I know. I'm just waiting for the right time to-."

"The right time was when you found out! The best time was when you told your brother! Now, Katara, its getting really close to late!" Toph's voice was getting higher pitched by the minute; a sign that she was really frustrated with me on the subject.

"Toph, why-?"

"Katara, you're supposed to be older than me and Aang. Act like it. I thought you were the mother here?" Toph admonished me, and I truly felt ashamed. Was I honestly doing the wrong thing? Was I unfit to support Aang as the Avatar because I can't even be truthful to him as a friend?

I shook my head, as tears began to pool in my eyes, which made Toph sigh.

"Damn mood swings...Look Sugar Queen, don't cry about it. Just tell him."

I nodded, burying my face into my pillow. My voice came out muffled, but I knew Toph could hear me: "I'll tell him...Tonight."

Later that day

"Sokka? Zuko? How on earth did you get one of those things?" A Fire Nation Warballoon floated in front of the platform as my brother and Zuko stepped off of the ship. It was huge; much bigger than Zuko's and I knew what had happened to it.

But I asked anyway.

"Zuko, what happened to yours?"

Zuko's smirk was delicious and I couldn't help, but giggle, "It got destroyed, of course."

"Did you at least get any meat?" Toph asked, impatiently. I had sworn to her that I'd make her something great from it earlier.

"Oh, I got the best meat of all time. The meat of friendship and fatherly bonds."

Did he just-?

As Sokka spoke, my father, Suki and a new guy stepped off of the ship with smiles. I could feel the anger radiating off of Toph as she stood beside me, and I wanted to look at her, but I couldn't.

Panic was too busy controlling all of my movements.

"That was some fishing trip," Aang said, and I could hear the happiness in his voice.

I ran to my father to hug him, in which he gave a happy laugh and hugged me back, but I knew he could tell as soon as I went to him.

"Katara, have you gained some-?"

I shot him a glance, but it was already too late. Aang had already come up to us, ready and willing to comment on my current state.

"I think its because she hasn't been water bending as often as she should, but I still think Katara's-."

"Pregnant." My father finished off and the look of sadness in his eyes nearly killed me. Aang looked between the two of us in shock, as if he had never heard the word before.

"Pregnant?" He repeated, and I could feel my entire body shaking. I just wanted to curl up into a ball and die. Aang looked at me as if his breath had been taken away, and for a second, I thought he had stopped breathing. Then his eyes began to fill up with tears and he rushed off, leaving me with nothing at all to say.

I had no right to say anything.

"Katara, how could you?!" My father's anger was quick. I knew he'd never strike me down, but the look of anger on his face was sickening. The tears were pouring down my face before I knew it, and I was still speechless.

"How could you...?" My father was crying now too, but he hugged me to him anyway, stroking my hair softly.

"Dad, it was-, it was-!" I sniffed, not even able to comprehend what I was trying to say. I couldn't believe I felt this badly now. I wanted to let Dad feel the baby, like I had done with Sokka, but that wouldn't work with him.

"Katara, you're with child? Congratulations!" Suki cried, clapping happily for me.

"Gods, nobody asked for your stupid two cents, Stupi." Toph muttered under her breath. My Dad was still hugging me as tightly as he could without harming my stomach, but I was trying to pull away.

Those two were about to go at.

"What did you just call me?" Suki was irritated already. She cracked her knuckles and continued to glare at Toph.

"I called you Stupi, which is one letter short for 'stupid'. Although, you seem to be about eight letters away from complete idiot, Stupi. Who glares at a blind girl?" Toph was really pressing buttons and I started to move away from my Dad to separate them, but he was only focused on me.

"Katara, who's the father?"

I looked at my Dad's solemn and serious blue eyes that matched my own and told him without hesitation: "Zuko."

Zuko's head turned in my direction, as if I had called him, and when his melting gold eyes met my father's, I saw him visibly straighten up. My father began walking in his direction, gently bringing me along with my hand.

We were almost to him when I heard Suki's response.

"What makes this little kid think she can talk to me like that?" Suki was talking to Sokka, who held his sword and sheath in front of him. He knew it was about to get really messy over on his end.

The new guy just sat and watched the events with an amused look.

"Uh, Dad, can you talk to him later?" I asked, trying to wipe my tears away. I glanced nervously between the two girls and my brother, trying to draw my Dad's attention to their fight.

"No, Katara, we need to talk to him now." My Dad said over his shoulder, pulling me along.

"But Dad, we can't-!"

"I'm NOT a little kid!" The temple rumbled along with Toph's anger.

Yup, she was mad alright. Stupid brother.

"You look pretty young to me!" Suki returned, glaring at Toph still.

"Young or not, I'll swallow you whole with these mountains. Do you know who I am?"

"The little brat who wouldn't stay off of my boyfriend at the Serpent's Pass."

"Stay off of? He came to me! If you weren't so busy trying to play super hero, he'd come to you too. But you're never there. What good are you as a girlfriend anyways? Sokka, is she a good kisser or something?"

Ooh. That one hurt me!

My Dad paused and watched the two girls go at it, as we all did.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Whatever you think I mean by it, Stupi."

"Look! I don't know what you're problem is, but-!"

Now Toph was really angry.

Pillars of dirt shot up from the ground, each taking hold of Suki's arms and legs. Toph marched right up to her and glared at Suki's face, "You want to know what my problem is? You. You don't deserve Sokka. You have no right to even say his name. Did you know he cried for you? For a week straight, after we found out what happened to you guys, he CRIED for YOU, damn it, and you had the nerve to get yourself caught and stay that way?! I'D never do that to him! I'd never let myself get so far in that Sokka couldn't find me! How is he supposed to guide others when the one who should follow him to the ends of the earth can't even be there for him?! I bent METAL to be with him again. Freaking metal! You're the sorriest excuse for a girlfriend I've ever met and I don't know WHY he chose YOU over ME!"

The entire temple shook in Toph's anger, and she growled loudly, apparently unhappy with how she felt. I had an idea she felt strongly for Sokka, but I never realized just how much until now.

"T-Toph, I-..." My brother tried to say something; looking at her with a mix of shock, fear and...admiration? Maybe it was some surprise.

"Save it. Make sure you're girlfriend knows you slept in my room with me too."

Oh Goddess.

Toph walked away from us, in the same direction as Aang had gone, ignoring Sokka's cries for her to come back and the tears that were clearly in Suki's eyes.

"Wow. I...wow. Sokka, what did you do?" Zuko asked, shaking his head. Sokka groaned loudly and plopped down on the floor, shaking his head slowly. His entire body was shaking, but he would be fine.

"You slept in her room?!" Now Suki was mad.

"Toph sometimes has nightmares, right Sokka? That's what you told me." Zuko interjected, and I could tell he was enjoying being a menace.

"So that makes it ok for her to sleep in your room?!" Suki yelled, at my brother.

Scratch that, Suki was more than angry. She was ready to draw blood. Sokka glared at Zuko, then, and in an effort of payback, "Don't try to make it worse!" Then as if an idea popped into his head, he added on: "Oh yeah, Katara, Mai was there! Hey Zuko, did you tell Katara who Mai was?"

Zuko's eyes got wide and his glare was angry as he looked at my brother, then turned to me. I tried to keep a blank face, but I could already feel myself getting slightly angry.

"We didn't do anything!" Zuko cried, with a look that was nearly pleading for me to believe him. But the feeling of disbelief inside of me wouldn't go away, and it hurt.

"Sureeeee. So she just saved your life because you guys didn't do anything," my brother muttered, and Zuko whirled to face him.

Zuko looked as angry as Suki, and more than prepared to kill my brother, "We. Didn't. Do. Anything!"

"Oh yeah? Then did you tell her about my sister's condition? Did you?" My brother wouldn't quit, determined to make Zuko's situatuion as bad as his own.

"Well no, but-!"

I looked at him, frowning and crossing my arms. I tried not to fall for my brother's trap, but this WAS Zuko.

"Zuko, why didn't you tell her? You should've told Mai, ya know." My brother said matter-of-factly and we both glared at him, before turning back to each other. My father had long stepped aside now and I could feel the urge to bend rising up in me.

"Sokka, shut up!" Zuko yelled at him, his eyes narrowing severely. He turned back to me and his eyes were clouded, which made me realize something had happened between them.

"It's not like we're together." The words slid out of my mouth before I had time to stop them. Zuko's eyes widened significantly and bore into mine as if no one else was around us.

"Excuse me?" Was what he said and I knew I should've stopped myself then. But I couldn't. I was hurting, now.

"I said it's not like we're even together, Zuko. You're nothing but the father of my child."

"And that's not a high-ranking position to you?"

"Just because we're having a child together doesn't mean that we have to be with each other, Zuko." I really really should've shut up by then.

Zuko glared at me, his golden eyes blazing in anger as he stepped closer to me, and grabbed me roughly by the arm, "Katara, you must be joking."

"How often do I joke, Zuko?"

"You have to be. Because I've given up a lot of things for you, for EVERYONE here, when I didn't have to. I left my girlfriend, who I liked very much, to come stay with you guys. I just turned traitor to my own nation and I've dug myself an even deeper grave when you became with child. What makes you think I want some kid with a mere Water Tribe girl? And now you have the nerve to tell me we aren't anything to each other? What makes you think I asked for this?" Zuko's words were cutting and cold, as much as the ice I wanted to freeze him with.

I heard my father give a loud sigh from where he was standing, and Suki and Sokka stopped arguing with each other. The entire world around us froze with Zuko's words, much like my heart had frozen and nearly stopped beating in my breast.

Within two seconds of the words falling upon my ears I was crying again. I knew it before I had time to think of anything else. Zuko's eyes were almost regretting within moments, but I wouldn't accept that.

Why did he have to say those things? Why didn't he tell me he was having doubts?

I've never been so emotionally ripped to pieces in my life.

I think I made some kind of choking noise in my tears, before I jerked my body away from his grasp and took off to my room. I could feel everyone's gaze on me as I walked as quickly as my pregnancy would allow me.

I crashed into my room, only to find Toph sitting on my bed in tears. I gave a sob as I saw her sitting there and slammed my door. I began to bend my tears and the water in my pouch until there was a thick layer of ice encasing the door on both sides. No one could get in unless I wanted them to.

"Oh Toph..." I whispered hoarsely and sat down on the bed next to her. She didn't say a word as she leaned against my arm and sobbed in earnest. As soon as she began, I started too, and we stayed that way for a while, until we fell asleep.

The Next Day

When I woke up, Toph was no longer beside me. I wiped a few tears away from my face as I looked around me, seeing that the ice around the door had been melted away. I felt a slight tug on my disheveled braid and found Aang beside me on my bed, leaning against the wall.

"Is it hard to sleep on your back and sides? Don't you ever want to sleep on your stomach?" He asked quietly, and the simplicity of the question shocked me.

I briefly wondered if he had been awake the entire night, before I answered him, "I've gotten used to it. I don't want to squish the baby."

"The baby..." Aang's eyes saddened as he said this, but then he looked up at me, a small amount of light going back into his big eyes. "C-Can I feel him or her?"

"Would you like to?" I asked, trying to stay calm. I didn't want to cry anymore.

"Yes, please." Aang held out his hand and I moved it to my stomach, where I laid his flat palm there to feel the baby. He or she was already awake and was moving around very much for him.

"If you speak to the baby, he or she will move for you, underneath your hand."

Aang's eyes lit up a little more, as if he had been introduced to a new plaything and he nodded, leaning closer to my stomach, "Hi little one. I'm the Avatar and...I want to make this world a better place, just for you. And your Mommy too." Aang wasn't looking at me as he added that little statement on the end, but I knew I had to do something about it now.

"Aang, I-."

"You don't want to be with me, do you Katara?" Aang rubbed his hand along the curves of my stomach and the baby followed him, making me giggle, despite the situation.

"No." It was easier with one word answers.

"Why?" He stopped and looked up at me, his eyes remaining as sorrowful as they had been.

"Well Aang...I see you like a little brother. I just...don't feel that way for you."

"And you feel that way for Zuko?" It was an honest question, but I knew I couldn't give him an honest answer. Right now, I barely wanted to hear Zuko's name.

"I-I don't know..." I said back, looking down at my hands.

"So how do you know you don't feel that way for me?!" Aang's eyes filled with tears and I wanted to hug him, but I knew that wouldn't make it better. Not right now. "Katara, I love you!"

"And I love you too, Aang. Just not in the way you want me to."

"But why?"

"I already told you, Aang."

"That's not fair!" Aang crossed his arms and pouted heavily, nearly sobbing as tears spilled down his face. I had never seen a young man cry so much before. But maybe that was the difference...Aang isn't a young man, he's a boy and boys cry when their feelings are hurt.

"Aang, life isn't fair. I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings. If I could I would, but I don't, so it's for the best. I'm sure this is just a crush that'll pass on as you get old-"

Aang cut me off, "It isn't a crush! I love you, Katara, whether you believe me or not!"

I shook my head, "Aang, you have to stop. You have to stop loving me, unless you can accept my love from a sister to her brother. I'm unclean! I have a baby in my stomach right now and I'm not married! The Avatar can't be with a girl like me! How can people follow you if you're sworn to such a bad girl?"

"You aren't bad, Katara! I still love you even though you're having a baby with Zuko..." Aang's words slowly died off because he knew this was getting him no where.

"Aang, I'm sorry."

That ended it all. Aang got up, slowly dragging himself out of my room. He stopped at the doorway, and looked back over his shoulder, "I'm sorry too." I saw him wipe at his eyes as he closed my door behind him.

I blew out a shaky sigh, before I tried to get myself out of bed. The baby moved in a position that made me very unhappy, and I kneaded my stomach as Sonatia had shown me to make it feel better. The baby could feel my fingers and moved away from the spot, as if to tease me. I got up and stretched, then went to wash my face, before taking my hair out of its braids.

As I brushed through my hair there was a knock on my door and I sighed, not really wanting to see anyone right now.

"Katara?" Came the voice from the door. It was Suki.

I ignored her for a little bit, but the knocking became more and more frantic, "Katara?! Please, come quickly!"

I got out of the chair then, hearing the panic in Suki's voice. I yanked the door open and saw Suki pointing frantically down the hall. I could hear a burst of flames and grabbed Suki's arm, pulling her into my room and slamming the door again.

"Are they fighting? Goddess!" I cried, and I got my answer with Suki's panicked nod.

Aang was going after Zuko because of our relationship.

Why was everything going so bad lately?!

"When did it start?" I asked Suki, opening the door again. The boys had moved back into the open area near the fountain and I knew I would have to get there soon.

"Not even five minutes ago. Aang came down this very hallway, wiping at his eyes, and as soon as he saw Zuko, he went after him. What are they fighting about? You aren't with Zuko, are you?"

"Suki, ask your questions later!" I ran down the hall, nearly sliding to a stop as I saw the two boys in front of me. Zuko was fairing well, since he wasn't as angry as Aang, but he did look very unhappy. And tired too.

"Aang, stop it!" I yelled, and Zuko turned his head in my direction as he heard my voice. His golden eyes locked onto mine and I could feel my heart beating faster, even in this moment. Aang took that as his chance and shot a burst of air at Zuko, who used his swords to weigh him down and keep him from budging.

Dad yelled something and tried to get between the two, but I shook my head, stopping him. I had to deal with this myself.

Then I remembered what I had to do, "Aang! STOP IT!"

Aang was ignoring me, so I knew I had to get their attention somehow. As the two made total circles around the fountain, with Zuko dodging Aang's attacks and Aang continuing to swing at him, I jumped onto the edge of the fountain and began my own bending. Soon I had all of the water from the fountain under my control and without a bit of notice, completely drenched the two in water.

"DANG IT, LISTEN TO ME! I SAID STOP, AANG!" I screamed and as the water pooled at Aang's feet, he looked up at me with his eyes in anguish. I stepped down from the fountain and walked up to him, and with a growl, brought my hand all the way behind me and slapped him clear across the face. Aang's head completely turned with the power of my slap, but I didn't care.

If he was going to be the Avatar, he needed to grow up. We ALL needed to grow up.

"Is this what you do when you don't have your way? Is this what you're reduced to, Aang?! Answer me!"

Aang was holding his hand to his face, as more tears appeared on his face and mixed with the water dripping off of him.

"You are the Avatar! I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings, I've told you that, but DO NOT go after your allies because you can't have what you want! You should be ashamed of yourself! Zuko gave so much of himself to be here and you're fighting him over a girl?! Even if its me Aang, you don't ever turn your back on the people you call your friends. Ever..."

Aang's tearful eyes twisted into anger as he glared at me unhappily, "You're only saying that because you care about him more than me!"

"Aang, I love you like my little brother! How can I care for Zuko more than you? I've even known you longer!"

"Then why can't you be with me?!"

"Because I have a baby, Aang! And like you have the responsibility of the world on your shoulders, I have the responsibility to raise and protect this child with my life. The only person who's equally suited for that job is the person who helped me bring this baby here. Are you jealous of Zuko because we have a child together? We may have a child but that's it for now, ok? We aren't getting married, we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend, none of that. So why are you attacking him?"

Aang nodded, even as he cried and then he reached out and hugged me, as wet as he was. I hugged him back and rubbed his bald head softly, before I pulled away from him gently, "You aren't going to train with Zuko on your Firebending today. I want you to go to your room and think about everything that's happened today, Aang. If you're still angry then you come to me, but Zuko is the only person who can teach you Firebending right now. You two can't afford to fight. We can't afford for you two to fight."

Aang nodded again and hurried off to the room he had been staying in for these past five months, not saying a word to anyone else.

As soon as he was out of sight, I felt myself getting dizzy and then I began falling as everything went black.

Two Hours Later

"Gods, Katara, don't you ever scare me like that again." Zuko was leaning over me as I opened my eyes. I sat up immediately, gasping and looking around the room.

As soon as I saw that I was in Zuko's room, I groaned and leaned back down on the bed, closing my eyes again.

"Katara, don't ignore me."

"I have every right to do so."

"No you don't. And neither do I. But I want to talk to you."

I rolled over on my side, ignoring him, "I don't care what you want. You didn't ask for this, remember? So stop acting like you care."

"Katara..."

I ignored Zuko, closing my eyes. I was still mad at him.

"Katara! Damn it, why do you always frustrate me so much?" Zuko's hands wrapped around my wrist and he pulled me up to a sitting position where he drew me closer to him and pressed his lips against mine without any warning.

The kiss surprised me and I wanted to push him away, but I just couldn't. I could feel sobs rising in my throat, but the kiss was too warm and too strong for me to let them out.

Zuko's hand cupped my face and he kissed me tenderly, teasing my mouth with his own. He kissed me so thoroughly that I felt a blush rising on my face and for a second, I was wondering how he was planning on smoothing things over with me.

It all ended too quickly though, and Zuko pulled away, stroking the blush on my face with the pad of his thumb.

"Katara, you have to listen to me. Will you listen?"

I nodded because I was too high up in the clouds to speak.

"I'm sorry I said those things to you. I didn't mean them and I won't ever mean them. I don't regret coming to help you guys, I don't regret meeting you, I don't regret kissing you, and I won't regret us having a baby together. I just...I just...Arg!" Zuko slammed his fist against the wall closest to him and turned back to me, his eyes expressing the turmoil inside of him.

"What's she like?" I asked, without looking at him.

"What's who like?" He questioned, a confused look on his face.

"Mai. She was your girlfriend, right? What kind of girl was she like?" I could feel Zuko's eyes on me, burning a hole into the side of my face. I didn't want to look at him as he talked about her...I was afraid of what I might see there.

"She's very different from you. She's always bored and she's always unhappy. She hates everything and she complains a lot, but she's smart. Really smart. And deadly too, though you can look at her and tell she's a fighter. She was pretty loyal to Azula, until now. She helped us escape with your father and Sokka's new friend."

I listened to his voice for any sound of longing or excitement, but I couldn't find any. It sounded more to me like Zuko admired the girl, but...

"Did you love her?"

"I don't think I can love anyone. That require trusting, and I don't trust anyone, but uncle."

"Not even me?" I looked up at him now, and I could feel my blue eyes slamming into his gold ones. I flinched at the thoughtful look on his face as he reached forward and captured a lock of my hair in his fingers.

"Maybe you...Just maybe."

"Only maybe?"

"You made me angry, Katara. I've never been so mad at someone that wasn't family before. I think I burned about 25 trees last night." Zuko admitted and I gasped, realizing why he had been so tired.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Are you?" Zuko watched me with shielded eyes, something I hated immensely.

"Yes, I didn't mean to say what I said to you either. It's just...I didn't know. I thought we were-!"

"You were the one who said we were nothing. I don't feel anything but sorry for Mai, Katara. Did you think I had done what we did with her?"

"Well, n-no, but-..."

"So why were you worried? I'm here, I'm holding you, and I'm as happy as my demented mind will let me be. Why were you so worried about what I had said to Mai, when I came back for you. I didn't bring her with me like stupid Sokka did Suki, so why would you doubt me?"

"I-I don't know."

"Maybe...Maybe we're better off if we don't try to be anything. To keep us both from..."

"No! No, no, no! Zuko, please don't say that! Please!" I latched onto him and buried my face in his shoulder, shaking my head as I reveled in his warmth.

"Why not?"

"Then I'll have no one. My baby will have no one but me. The baby needs a father that'll be there. I want him or her to have a father there." My voice was muffled as I spoke to him, but Zuko could hear me well enough.

As I sat there, leaning against him, I realized something: Zuko was shaking.

I looked up to look into his face, but his head was bent down and his eyes were shielded by his bangs. I felt a drop of water fall onto my cheek and gingerly touched my fingertips to it, knowing it didn't come from me.

"Zuko..."

He didn't say a word as he wrapped his arms around me, rubbing his hand along the sides of my stomach. The slow motions made me sleepier and I could feel Zuko slowly getting tired as well.

"Katara, I want to be there..."

"Uh-hmmm. I know."

"Will you let me?" Zuko's voice was soft as he laid us back against the bed. He leaned close to my ear, his breath tickling my neck and ear lobe.

"Yes."

His voice grew softer as he asked, "And will you let me be with you?"

I nodded, feeling warmth spread through me all over again, "Yes, of course."

End Chapter 7

A/n: Curious about what happened between Suki, Sokka and Toph? Read and review for Chapter 8: The Bad (Fifth) Month by Toph. A retelling of this chapter from Toph's POV!