Between Books 1 and 2


Katara rarely had contact with citizens of the Fire Nation aside from the royal family. On the few occasions that she could cajole Azula to go out and do something in public, they didn't really talk to anyone. It was just a bunch of ass-kissing that got old quickly. She was pretty surprised when the royal physician, a man she talked to all of twice, asked her if she commonly attended to women during childbirth.

She'd never particularly considered herself a midwife, not given all the other duties she had at home, but she realized her experience was probably as much as anyone could want. "I have a lot of experience, at least at the South Pole."

Ling regarded her with a steady gaze. "A friend of mine on Ember Island is looking for a waterbending midwife to aid him in an upcoming birth that's likely to be difficult. Unfortunately, there's a shortage of waterbending healers that have experience with birthing in the Fire Nation."

It wasn't exactly what Katara wanted to be doing on her vacation with Azula, but… "Sure. I'd be happy to help."

After a day of visiting with Zuko, a night sleeping in Azula's ever-empty bed in the palace, Katara was off to Ember Island full of anticipation of seeing her again. Not just anticipation; it was need too. Katara missed Azula so much. She almost forgot in the whirl that was the first few days of pretty much staying in bed with Azula.

She and Azula were playing around in the ocean one morning. Azula pretended to be stern about not doing her normal circuit swim. "We've both had more exercise than we can deal with," Katara asserted.

"True," Azula replied, floating lazily until she had to duck under a breaker.

Katara pulled her close when she resurfaced, and they kissed through the taste of the brine of seawater. "Breakfast?" she asked, aware by now that Azula had specific times for specific things, and one of those things was eating.

And so they walked back up to the house, sandy and salty.

A strange man accompanied Azula's majordomo in the study. He bowed low as they walked into the house. By the flush of his face, he was embarrassed to see them so casual. "Who are you?" Azula asked him flatly, ignoring her staff.

"Princess, it's a great honor. I'm Doctor Tam. I came to speak with Lady Katara."

Azula glanced at Katara briefly before walking out of the room without a word. Katara wasn't sure what that look was about. She glanced at Tam. "Are you Ling's friend?"

"I'm a former apprentice," Tam said.

"Do you have time to wait for me to get dressed? We're going to have breakfast after that."

He lowered his head. "Certainly, Lady Katara."

"Call me Katara, please."

Kota had already scrubbed Azula's back when Katara joined them in the bathing chambers. She hesitated, like always, until Kota left the bathing chamber quietly. It still pissed Katara off a little bit that Kota regularly touched Azula like that.

"Who's your friend?" Azula asked. Contrary to what Katara was afraid of, she didn't seem upset. Katara ignored the sarcastic note of Azula's term 'friend'.

"Ling asked me if I'd help him—Tam—with a difficult birth while I'm here."

"You're going to?"

"If I can help, then sure. I'd hate to refuse and then something go wrong."

Azula gave her a steady, judging glance before she obliged Katara's request to dump a bucket of water over her head to rinse her. "I asked him to stay for breakfast with us."

Azula sighed. "Lovely," she said in a tone that indicated the opposite.

The whole situation made Katara ask a question she already knew the answer to. "Do you want kids?"

"Few things terrifying me," Azula responded as she climbed in the bath. "One of those things is carrying a parasite in my womb for the better part of a year. The other is forcing that parasite from an area of my body I'm rather fond of."

"It shrinks back," Katara said with a laugh. "I don't think most women go through pregnancy and childbirth for their own sakes. They do it for the baby."

"That makes even less sense. All that pain for a little creature that screams until it takes nutrients from a woman's breast and then repays all that care by spewing bodily fluids from all orifices."

Katara burst into laughter at that description, even if part of her was disappointed. She wasn't surprised, but she had hoped a little that Azula would feel differently. Maybe she would change her mind if she actually interacted with a baby. There was nothing quite like holding a newborn child in her arms and listening for its gusty cry. Or watching the baby nurse for the first time and the look of gentle love on the new mother's face.

For all's sakes, Azula loved a bearded cat. How could she not love a human baby?


Katara went out with Tam once they finished their stilted breakfast. She still smarted from how Azula ignored everyone during breakfast and read silently at the table. Tam hesitantly made conversation with Katara until they picked up on their mutual experiences of medicine and birthing.

Katara pointedly didn't ask Azula's input when she agreed to accompany Tam to their prospective client. It was a big house—grander than Azula's but inland on a less desirable piece of property. Katara glanced around at the interior, hoping she hid her distaste of the gaudy decorations. She wondered if those decorations signified a less than polite view of the color of her eyes.

The servant that showed them into the house was polite, however. After a moment, he ushered them back through the house to an airy porch. There a light breeze carried across the slim wooden furniture, and the lady of the house sat waiting for them there quietly. She was a pale woman, and her smile seemed weak.

"Lady Han." Tam bowed low. Katara copied him only in her bow, but she simply lowered her head and shoulders in polite recline.

"This is Lady Katara, a renowned waterbender who has some experience assisting with childbirth."

"You're a waterbender healer?"

The 'renowned' part made her a little uncomfortable. "Yes. Tam mentioned to me that you're interested in my skills."

Han nodded. "I am. What is your fee?"

Katara was startled. She hadn't even considered being paid. "You don't—"

"Three hundred gold pieces is her standard fee," Tam said quickly.

The lady nodded. "Of course. It will be delivered to you by the end of the week." She took a sip of tea and sighed. "I carried a child to term before, but the childbirth… My husband chose my life over our son's." Her face shifted in brittle emotion. "We never planned to try again, but not all things are planned in life. I want everything possible to be done to bring this little one into this world safely."

Katara forgot about her anger over Tam's audacity and slipped to her knees beside Lady Han. She reached out and placed her hand over the woman's abdomen. The baby was strong—likely a boy, though she was still working on her pre-birth gender identification. She focused her sense and slowly worked through the lady's chi and her body.

Afterwards, the three of them discussed the best regimen for Lady Han's remaining days of pregnancy. They would check in once weekly unless a problem came up, and Katara would likely still be on the island when Lady Han went into labor.

It was only when they were in the carriage on the way back that Katara expressed her irritation with Tam's asking fee.

He was surprised. "You should value your services, Lady Katara. If these women think they can hire you without a fee, they may consider your services that of a servant. I was led to believe you're a professional.

"It's for the health and well-being of people, but healing is a skill and a profession. You may not need the money for an income now, but you should foster your profession and your reputation so you can use it if you do need it."

It was only that night, lying in bed beside Azula that Katara realized what he meant. He didn't think she and Azula would stay together. And that she was mooching off of Azula. Which, Katara realized, was kind of true. Azula's money paid for her clothing, her food, their entertainment, and all the supplies that Azula sent home with her.

"Oh," she said, disliking how this realization made her feel.

"Hm?" Azula lowered her book and turned her head. "What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking."

Azula set her book down entirely and blew out the lamp. She settled onto the pillows and sighed, a noise she made exclusively when she turned her mind off for the night.

"Do I cost a lot of money?"

Azula sat partly up. "What?"

"Feeding me."

Azula sighed deeply; this one expressed annoyance. "For Agni's sake. No. Go to sleep."

"How do you pay for all of this? Is it the crown's money?"

"Of course not. I make money."

"But you don't do anything."

"I invest," said as if Katara had insulted her. "I want you here. I love you. Don't insult me by proposing you must pay some sort of allowance."

"Oh. Okay."

Azula settled again, giving her pre-sleep sigh.

"I love you too," Katara thought to say.

"Good night," Azula retorted firmly.

For that, Katara snuggled up and kissed her shoulder.


Lady Han did very well through the following weeks, but Katara was roused by Kota late one night. Azula sat up with a gasp, but Katara pushed her back. "Go back to sleep. It's for me."

"What's wrong?"

"The lady is having her baby. I'll be back soon."

'Soon' turned out to be an exaggeration. Lady Han had contacted Tam and Katara at the first stirrings of contractions. It took her another day to be fully dilated. It was a trial to keep the lady from pushing, but they managed. Despite Lady Han's extreme exhaustion, when they told her to push, she did.

Katara had to gently reach inside the woman to reposition the baby's head, but at the next contraction, out came a healthy baby boy. Lady Han stared at her son as if she didn't believe he was real. His lusty bawls drew a slow, wide smile to his father's face. When he—cleaned and checked over—latched to Lady Han's breast, she began to weep.

"He's healthy?" she asked.

"Yes," Katara assured her. "Healthy."

Lady Han reached out and pulled Katara against her shoulder in a hard embrace. "Thank you," she whispered over and over.

All Katara wanted to do was take a bath and fall into bed, but she stayed another hour to help the lady deliver her placenta. She checked the placenta and talked to Tam about making sure it wasn't torn and there were no pieces remaining. Then she gently examined Lady Han and her child once more. They were both doing well; it was time for Katara and Tam to go.

Lord Han, an older man gaining fat around his middle, bowed deeply to Katara and Tam as they left. "Thank you for this gift."

On the carriage ride back to Azula's estate, Tam admitted, "I could not have done that alone."

"You need patience," Katara replied. "It wasn't a hard birth, just long. The baby fit through her canal, and he was positioned nearly right. He just needed a little help, and she needed to be told not to push too soon or she'd have torn herself."

"Thank you," Tam said quietly. "I was the doctor that saw to her first birth, and I'm afraid it went badly because of my own inexperience."

"Or they both might have died if you weren't there. If you ever need to ask me anything, I'll be happy to help," Katara told him.

"Thank you."

Finally, after a quick, wonderful bath, Katara slipped into bed. Azula stirred and rolled over, draping an arm over Katara's waist. Katara smoothed her fingertips over the soft skin on Azula's arm. If Azula had seen that little boy today, she might think of children differently. Though perhaps not about the birthing process.

"Did it go well?"

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"I wasn't asleep."

"It went well. Lord and Lady Han have a healthy baby boy to raise."

Azula rubbed Katara's stomach gently. "Go to sleep."

"I was," Katara mumbled, irritated at the command. The last thing she was aware of was Azula's irritated huff against her neck.