Gift

Prince Yukio swims in the ocean every day after training. Sometimes the sea is so cold he has to raise his body temperature to stand it. Today is one of those days. The bracing chill takes his breath away as he dives headlong into the waves and moves with strong strokes against the current.

The twins cannot accompany him into the ocean. Their sensitive skin makes the reflective water a danger, even with healers in residence at the palace. Yukio doesn't mourn the lack of company though. He likes the solitude of his daily swim. At one point he'd thought of inviting his cousin to join him, but even Zuko's presence would feel like an intrusion.

As he strides through the surf up to the rocky beach he shakes the water out of his hair like a dog-parrot and then reties his ponytail with a leather thong. He has a security contingent waiting for him not twenty-five yards away. Since he became the prince he's had hardly a single unwatched moment. He's not even sure there isn't someone assigned to check on him as he sleeps.

A cloud of steam engulfs him and he steps out of it dry, although somewhat salt encrusted. He towels off the residue and as he's giving attention to his seasoned knees a movement behind a boulder catches his peripheral vision.

His daily training and Bokkusu's firm mentoring allow him to continue his action without the slightest hint of hesitation. He watches out of the corner of his eye, focusing without turning his head, and he finally sees it. It reveals itself to be the fluttering corner of some kind of fabric: a robe or dress or perhaps a blanket. He wonders if there's a person attached.

He has a couple of choices and, although he longs to take the riskier path and walk right up to the boulder and see who it is, he decides to do what Zuko would want. He heads over to his security team. At his nod, the team leader approaches.

"There's something behind that boulder over there. I'm going to check it out. Cover me from here." Okay, he thinks, it's not exactly what Zuko would want him to do.

"Your highness, I'll check." The team leader steps forward.

"I just told you what's going to happen." Yukio raises an eyebrow. He hates to play the royalty card, but he also hates being followed around all day and protected like an old lady. He's learned to live with those things he hates.

He turns purposefully and stalks over, daring the bearer of the fabric to attack if that's the motive. Of course, it could simply be a scarf blown down the slope and trapped by the rocks, which will be humiliating since he just acted so tough with his security team leader. Again, he's learned to live with such things.

The wind ruffles his salty hair pulling some shorter strands free of the binding and he pushes them out of his eyes.

On the other side of the boulder, curled around a small, wooden box is a child. He can't tell if it's a boy or a girl, but it's small. Not a baby. More like a toddler or even a small version of a four or five-year-old. Dirty, pale, and clothed in shreds, Yukio is not convinced he isn't looking at a corpse.

Still cautious and prepared for a trap he steps around the sheltering rock and crouches to touch the still form. The grimy flesh is not completely cold and he puts his fingers to the spot on the child's neck where the pulse should be. He feels a faint, but steady thrum and looks up at his team leader. The man comes running, his sword drawn.

"Stand down!" Yukio barks. "Uh…please. Go get my shirt and bring it to me. There's a child here who needs warmer clothes."

The man turns and jogs back to the bundle of clothes on the rocks by the security team. He hurriedly brings them back as Yukio turns the child onto its back and checks for injuries. A fall or even a roll down the slope could cause a number of broken bones, although he sees no blood or bruising, only dirt. Lots of dirt.

He pulls his shirt over the matted hair and peers down at the angelic little face as he maneuvers the skinny arms though the sleeves. He looks closely at the box and sees no opening. He places it on the child's stomach, rests the tiny hands on top and straightens the tail of the shirt under the feather light body.

As he lifts the little one in his arms the translucent eyelids flutter open and look dazedly at him.

"Brother?" Barely audible the raspy, childish voice fades as the dark eyes focus on Yukio's face.

"You have a brother?" The prince asks gently, smiling kindly.

"Tinn." It comes out a moan rather than a statement and the child closes its eyes and drifts again into unconsciousness.

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Katara walks as quickly as she can down the corridor toward the family wing. It is not often a meeting is interrupted, although this particular one had been boring and she had been staring into space, trying to think of some way to adjust her demand that she be included in the entirety of her husband's life. She actually didn't quite demand that, but in his own passive-aggressive way it's what he's doing. She's determined to show him she's not as much of a bleeding heart as he thinks she is, but attending every meeting in every day could just be the end of her.

By the time she reaches Yukio's rooms she's picturing any number of horrible things that could cause this summons. She's not at all picturing the tiny form on the prince's bed, wrapped in his shirt and pale as a ghost.

"Who is this?" She asks rushing to the bed.

Yukio shrugs his still-bared shoulders and steps to the side to give her access.

"I have no idea. I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl." He answers.

"You didn't check?" She asks pulling the shirt up to reveal the tattered clothing.

"No!" Yukio blushes deeply, horrified that someone would suggest he peruse a strange child's private parts even if only to determine the gender of said child.

Katara suppresses a chuckle. Being a healer she's seen countless bodies both young and old and only on very rare occasions has she been embarrassed. This little girl is in good hands.

"Does she have a name?" Katara asks.

"She? Um… no." Yukio says taking a closer look at the little girl as if she'll look different to him now that he knows at least one thing about her. "I think she might have a brother named Tinn. I left half my security team out there to search."

"She looks to have been abandoned." Katara pulls Yukio's shirt over the girl's head and begins to remove the rags.

"I thought so too." Yukio nods before turning away.

"You're very sweet to be concerned with her privacy Yukio. I know you want to be here while I clean and examine her so why don't you go behind the dressing screen and we can talk about how you found her." Katara says kindly.

"Okay." He immediately goes to the rice paper screen and sits behind it. From his vantage point he can just see Katara but the screen cuts off his view of the bed. He'll remember this angle in case one of the occasionally amorous maids sneaks into his room again and he needs to hide.

"You said she spoke to you." Katara has disrobed the tiny body, fretted over the protruding ribcage with the filthy skin stretched tautly over it, and set her water to her hands to determine any injuries.

"She woke up for a second when I picked her up and she said 'brother.' I asked her if she had a brother and then she said 'Tinn.' She was upset about him I think."

"I wonder where he could be." Katara checks the legs and, feeling no breaks or deep contusions, moves up to the torso.

"I can only think he went to get help and didn't come back." Yukio says. The supposition breaks his heart as he imagines the little girl waiting patiently for her brother to return.

"How awful." Katara checks all over the little girl's head for concussion but she's already concluded that malnutrition is the cause of the persistent unconsciousness.

"She had that box over there on the table with her. It's a puzzle box. Maybe it has some clue as to who she is in it." Yukio says.

"Toph's good at those. Too bad she's not here. But before we invade this little girl's privacy further lets see what she can tell us when she wakes up." Katara grins. She wants to solve this mystery as much as Yukio, but they have to give their patient at least a couple of hours.

The door opens quietly and Ahni and Sokka slip into the room. The Water Tribe captain looks over at Yukio behind the screen and furrows his brow.

"Put a shirt on." He tells the prince.

"I'm salty." Yukio scowls back.

"Do we know who she is?" Ahni asks going to the bed and touching the young cheek.

"No, but there's a search party looking for her brother. At least we think she has a brother. I'm going to join them." Katara returns the water to the pouch and nods to the nurses who have come from the palace nursery to help with bathing and clothing the child. Gingerly the older women lift the little girl from the bed and carry her to the bathing chamber.

Yukio emerges from behind the screen, startling Ahni who hadn't noticed him there when she came in..

"I was giving her some privacy." He grumbles wondering why everyone is looking at him so amusedly.

"I'll join the search party too." Sokka says turning for the door. "Any idea how old the boy might be?"

"I don't even know if he exists." Yukio responds and once again shares his account of finding the girl.

"I'll go with Sokka, Katara. You stay here." Ahni says moving past her husband even as he reaches out to take her arm.

"This could take a long time Ahni. I'd rather you stay." He tells her.

"I know you'd rather that, but if you find the boy it would be beneficial to have a healer immediately to hand. He's been out there longer than the girl, the difference between immediate care and attention delayed by a trip back to the palace could be death." She explains and watches as he very quickly decides she's right. It's a sight she's seen a lot since their marriage. She never wearies of it.

"If you get tired, you rest." He orders.

"Aye-aye." She says amiably, kissing him on the cheek and he pretends to glare down at her.

"I should go." Katara says. "You're due much sooner than I am."

"No." Ahni smiles sweetly and walks out of the room.

Katara shakes her head. Her sister-in-law does that often. She rejects a suggestion in the most blunt way while leaving the impression of having just given a loving hug. It's quite a talent.

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Zuko enters the bedchamber and smiles at his wife and cousin hovering over the still form of the sleeping child. Unfortunately, the contented scene is an illusion. Katara is trying to spoon some clear broth into the girl's mouth and it keeps dribbling out. She's obviously getting frustrated and Yukio's trying to help.

"Why don't you bend it?" Zuko suggests.

"What if she chokes?" Yukio asks, concerned.

"It's just broth, she might cough or throw up but I can keep her from choking." Katara eyes Zuko, almost annoyed that he pointed out the obvious solution when she had been sitting there for half an hour spooning tiny bits of soup into the girl's mouth and trying to catch it with the spoon before it ran into her ears.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. Bending used to be my go-to. Now that I'm not sparring, I only ever think about it for healing." Katara shakes her head.

"Maybe you're losing your mind." Zuko suggests sincerely and smiles at her as if he's quite proud of the fact that he's figured out the cause of her difficulties.

"I must be." She looks at him pointedly and works on getting the broth down the girl's throat.

"She'll be okay?" Zuko asks.

"I think so. If I can get something in her stomach, she should recover. She was pretty well frozen but Yukio warmed her a little on the way back and now she's under the blankets so her body-temperature's back to normal."

"Any news of the brother?"

"None." Yukio answers. "Maybe I should go out there too."

"Stay here. She'll want a familiar face when she wakes up." Katara says.

"Let me know of any changes. Katara I'll give your regrets to the comptroller for the Mon Tsu ruby mines." Zuko smirks and moves to leave but then turns back to kiss his wife on the forehead.

"You should learn his name before the meeting." She says turning her attention back to the broth and the child.

"I'll try." He promises as he exits the room.

On the other side of the door Zuko turns down the hallway and heads to Minister Kuo for an impromptu meeting.

The poor urchin's timing could not have been better for the plans he needs to put in place before his life can get back to normal. Katara's interest in the young girl will give him more flexibility in his meetings with the security man.

Bokkusu should be home soon and that will give him even more leeway as they spend time together before and after training every day already.

Zuko takes a deep breath and opens the minister's office door. Soon. It will all be a plan -- a list of events -- and he can finally wipe it from his mind and get on with his life.

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"It'll be dark within the hour." Sokka points out grimly.

"We're assuming he's on the beach. He could be anywhere." Taoki mutters looking up the slope for anything that looks like a cave or indent where a child could hide.

"It's all we've got to go on." Kenya says narrowing his eyes as he gazes down the shoreline.

"There are people searching all over the capitol." Ahni says putting her arm through Sokka's. "I think he's either here on the beach or at the Harbor Market trying to get some food."

"Taoki." Kenya puts his hand on his brother's arm. "See that black speck way up there?"

"No." Taoki snorts. "If you're calling it a speck it's invisible to the rest of us."

"Straight down the beach. Between the ocean and the cliffs. Go see if it's something."

Taoki stares intently down the shoreline and then shakes his head. He takes off in a high-speed run down the beach. Kenya looks at the others.

"He's a fast runner." He says defensively.

A few minutes later a fire blast lights the sky and Kenya grins happily. As he and Sokka jog toward the site of the flare he can see Taoki approaching what appears to be a boy of around eight years who seems oblivious to him. The child walks in a pattern back and forth on the beach, unaware of anything else around him.

When they reach the two they find Taoki softly talking to the boy, calming the child but allowing him to keep pacing back and forth. The boy's panicked expression and hysterical muttering pulls at their hearts.

"He thinks he forgot where he left her. I'll bet he's been looking for hours. He's miles from where Prince Yukio said he found her." Taoki says quietly.

"Tinn?" Sokka says calmly, but the boy doesn't stop moving. "Your sister's at the palace with my sister. We left her in good hands and she wants to see you."

"He's not listening." Kenya says worriedly. "How are we going to get him to the palace?"

"Is there anything Ahni can do?" Taoki asks.

"I think so. We'll have to wait though. She's definitely not going to run here." Sokka looks down the beach at his wife who walks at a fast clip toward them but is still far enough away that they may as well get comfortable.

Suddenly, over the rise above them a large group of Fire Nation soldiers on ostrich-horses appears and races down the slope to surround them. Part of the search party, they are responding to Taoki's flare and they wait for their orders.

"Can one of you go get my wife?" Sokka asks and he watches as a member of the coterie of riders races off to do the job. "Be gentle!" He calls after him.

Suddenly the boy's eyes focus on the soldiers and their mounts and he screams and falls to the ground, covering his head and curling himself into a tight ball.

Taoki drops down beside him and pats his back, whispering calming words while Sokka and Kenya organize the soldiers in a retreat, pushing them out and away from the boy's immediate line of vision.

Ahni soon appears beside them and kneels by the boy, pulling water from her pouch, coating her hands with it and stroking his head with long, leisurely movements. His trembling stops almost immediately and after a minute or so his muscles start to relax.

"Tinn?" Sokka crouches beside his wife and speaks gently to he boy. "Your sister wants to see you. Come with us. I promise the soldiers won't hurt you." If anyone had ever told him he'd say something like that about Fire Nation soldiers he'd have laughed in their faces and then given them a lecture about stupidity in all its forms.

"Kim." The boy's muffled voice says.

"What?" Sokka bends closer.

"Her name is Kim. I lost her on the beach. I forgot where I left her." He's crying now, big, helpless sobs and Ahni gathers him into her arms.

"It's okay Tinn. A handsome prince found Kim and took her to the palace. She's waiting for you there." She rocks him soothingly for a long time until he stops crying while the others look sympathetically on.

"I can't go to the palace." Tinn says brokenly, wiping his eyes and smearing dirt across his face.

"Why not?" She pushes his grimy hair back out of his eyes and smiles at him.

"Because the Fire Lord will kill me."

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A/N: More OCs!! But there's also Yukio, who has been requested more than once. Our handsome prince is growing up. ;-)

MacFie xoxo