Disclaimer: I own nothing
Giggling. Giggling and a deep voice singing a silly nursery rhyme. That's what Katara was listening to as she signed documents in her office, while her husband played with their son down below in the private garden.
The Fire Lady smiled when Kai gave a loud happy screech followed by an uproarious laugh.
Putting her ink brush down, she stood and walked towards the window, smiling wider when she saw Zuko gently throw Kai up, catch him, and then blow raspberries on his chubby stomach all while singing a nursery rhyme.
Katara felt as though she fell in love all over again as she watched Zuko with Kai.
When Zuko finished the song and caught Kai for the final time, he hugged the baby to him tightly and gently swung them back and forth.
"Who does daddy love so much?" Zuko asked gently. "Kai! Daddy loves Kai!"
Kai laughed and grabbed onto Zuko's face. "Da! Da!"
"That's right, Da."
Ducklings caught Kai's attention and the little boy pointed to them.
Zuko smiled "Those are turtleducks, Kai. Want to go see them?" He put Kai down on the ground and watched as he waddled over to the side of the pond. "Don't fall in."
Kai shook his head and sat on his hunches, watching the little turtleducks swim around.
Zuko went and sat beside their son, putting an arm around him and Katara wanted to laugh at how similar her husband and son looked. Both with hunched shoulders and their heads tilted slightly to the side.
"You see all the baby ducklings, Kai? They're siblings," Zuko said. "Are you ready to be an older brother? I can't give you any advice because I don't really know what it's like to be a proper older brother. I think it's more of a question for Uncle Sokka."
Katara's heart dropped a little. It was sad that Zuko and Azula never got to enjoy a sibling relationship. Sure Sokka was annoying and more than half the time she wanted to throw him over an iceberg when they were younger, but he was her first best friend and she his. It made Katara wonder if seeing her and Sokka together made Zuko yearn for Azula back.
Kai heaved a tired sigh as he leaned against his father and Zuko laughed "Busy playdate this morning with Li Huan, hmm?"
The mini firebender just closed his eyes and snuggled some more into his father's side and even from where she was standing, Katara could tell Zuko was smiling.
"I love you very much, Kai," Zuko said softly. "I hope you understand why I'm not always around. I just want to keep you and mommy safe. But I promise, when all of this is over, I'm going to make it up to you and to mommy. Especially mommy because she's very mad at me right now and I'm afraid she'll be mad at me forever."
Katara smiled slightly, she was still mad at him, but it wasn't with the intensity it was at a few weeks ago. After Zuko got ill, she realized that just as he could lose her and the baby, she could just as easily lose him. If not at war than from sickness or something from the Brotherhood, anything could happen. And she didn't want her last thoughts of him to be angry thoughts. She will probably always be mad at him. If he wasn't doing something stupid he was saying something stupid and that always made her mad. But that's how all men were.
She loved him. She will always love him, no matter what idiotic or hurtful thing he says or does.
They sat like that for a while, until the rain clouds began to roll in. Zuko gently picked up the napping Kai and was heading for the palace when he noticed Katara's retreating figure.
Katara paused and they stared at each other before Zuko gave her a small smile and waved. The waterbender felt her heart twinge and gave her husband a small wave and a smile back.
.0.
Zuko felt like things were almost back to normal. Almost, being the keyword. There was still a threat of war and Katara was still mad at him. But her anger towards him was toned down to a simmer rather than a boil and things seemed almost calm when it came towards the war threat. But the young Fire Lord knew better than to get comfortable. Something was coming, he could feel it.
Until then though, he was perfectly content to sit in this bubble of almost peace.
Zuko inhaled deeply and opened his eyes. Taking a few moments to blink the sleep away, he untangled himself from spooning Katara and lay on his back.
The room was still mostly dark; he could see the smidge of dawn light from the cracks in the drapes. It was too early to get up. Council didn't start for another two hours and he didn't have any war meetings today, thank the spirits. But truth be told the Fire Lord felt rather…restless. Not restless in the way were he wanted to get up and do something, restless as in frustrated. And he knew exactly what that frustration was.
He turned to look at the back of his sleeping wife and pursed his lips. He wanted Katara. They hadn't so much as lay a finger on each other since their visit to the South Pole. Well, it was more like Katara hadn't made a move and since she was still peeved at him he didn't dare touch her without her permission, lest he wanted to find himself in a world of pain.
So, he would wait…and suffer, until his wife was ready to fully forgive him and offer herself to him again. Which could be a while. Because one thing he knew about his wife was when she was mad, she was mad for a while. And her libido tended to wane from the middle to the end of her pregnancy.
He considered his hand for a moment and almost wanted to laugh at himself. He hasn't used his hand since his days as Lei.
Plus, using his hand didn't bring him nearly the same feeling of satisfaction as being with his wife did.
'The best option,' he thought, 'is to go and spar. Maybe it'll help take the edge off.'
With another sigh, he was about to sit up when Katara rolled over and laid her head on his chest, stilling his movements instantly.
"I hope you don't plan on going anywhere," she said with a voice thick with sleep and throwing a leg over his hips. "Because you are entirely too warm and the baby seems to like it."
Zuko chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. "Is it the baby that likes it or you?"
Katara hummed as if contemplating the answer. "Both," she said. "It feels great to finally be able to cuddle with you and not feel like I'm in a burning furnace."
The Fire Lord smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "Glad I can be your thermal blanket."
"Well, it is your only use. Ow!" Katara said as she rubbed her side. "Don't pinch me, you dunderhead."
"You hurt my feelings," Zuko said with a small pout.
Katara scoffed and moved her head back so she could look at him. "You're a bigger baby than Sokka."
"Watch it, I'll pinch again," he playfully warned, gently pinching her side.
Katara smiled and closed her eyes when Zuko placed a peck on her nose.
The room was quiet as the two stared at each other. A tension was forming and for the first time in almost a month, Zuko felt the chasm between them slowly closing.
He leaned down and gently kissed Katara on the lips. She returned it fervently and didn't pull away when he deepened it.
It was like they were getting reacquainted, rediscovering how the other liked to kiss and soon how the other liked to be touched.
"Katara," Zuko whispered softly as he cupped her face with one hand and kissed her. "I'm sor—
"Don't," she whispered back and pulled away to look him in the eye. Her eyebrows were furrowed. "Don't, it'll ruin the moment."
They stared at each other for a moment longer. There were so many emotions going through Katara's eyes, so many things she wanted to say. But now was not the place or time to address things unsaid. Zuko knew that this was Katara's way of telling him that she was moving passed her anger. Not that she forgave or that she would ever forget what he said, but that she was ready to not be angry at him.
"I love you," he said as he kissed her. "I love you, I love you, I love you," he repeated with a kiss in between each proclamation.
They made love slowly that morning. Ignoring the servants ringing them for breakfast and the valets telling Zuko he was going to be late to his council meeting.
.0.
Katara hummed as her fingers went through the monotonous movements of crocheting. She hated crocheting really, but she was determined to finish the blanket before the baby arrived. She made one for Kai; she was going to make one for this one too.
She heard a gentle laugh and looked up at a smiling Song, her own hands going through the movements.
"What?" Katara asked. "Why are you laughing?"
"You are the happiest I've seen you in months," Song said.
Katara just shrugged and continued to crochet. "I am happy."
She felt Song's playful scrutinizing gaze and laughed. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You and Zuko had sex."
Katara guffawed. "Song!" and her friend laughed.
"What? You're allowed to. You are husband and wife."
"I can't believe this conversation is happening," Katara said as she chuckled. If it was any other lady that had said that to her, she would immediately put them in their place. But it was Song; she was used to these teasing conversations about their personal lives.
In all honesty, Katara enjoyed Song's rather blasé attitude. That's what originally attracted her to be friends with the older women, that and the fact that she was trustworthy.
"Listen, I'm sure every one of those men in the council is glad that you two had sex. Because from what Kahn has been telling me, the Fire Lord has been a right terror these past few weeks."
Katara smiled; guiltily enjoying the fact that her husband had suffered. "Really?"
"Really, he said that Zuko was so frustrated that it got to the point where he would snap at everything and anyone. He even almost set a couple of councilmen's clothes on fire. Kahn said that if you didn't forgive him soon, Zuko would probably burn down the country in frustration."
"Oh spirits," Katara said with a chuckle, not feeling a least bit bad. "Zuko has to have better control then that, right? He runs a country for spirits sake."
Song chuckled. "You think he's in control? No sweetie, you're in control. You're the wife. His entire being is controlled by you. They just don't know it."
"Of course not," Katara said. "They're men. They think they're masters of the universe."
The two women chuckled as there was a knock on the door.
"Your majesty," the guard said as he bowed. "A guest is here to see you."
Katara nodded, "Send them in." A familiar set of orange robs came into her view. "Aang?" She said with furrowed eyebrows, he wasn't due back for another three weeks, but seeing the blue arrows confirmed that it was indeed the Avatar. "Aang!"
Aang's smile was wide as he walked in, An in his arms. "Katara," he greeted as she brought him into a hug. Before pulling away and greeting Song.
Katara laughed, "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until next month? And An! Look how big you've grown."
An's smile matched her fathers as she outstretched her arms, demanding the Fire Lady to hold her.
"Well, there's only so much time you can spend with Sokka and Toph before it becomes too much and there really wasn't much to do on Kyoshi Island beside visit Suki. So, we decided to come back here."
"Kai and Li Huan are going to be so excited that you're here," Katara said to An before looking at Aang. "I'm glad you're here. Zuko is still in a meeting, would you like to crochet with us?"
Aang grimaced before shaking his head. "You know sewing was never one of my strong suits."
Katara laughed again as she remembered the onetime Aang attempted to sew. His stitching was awful and when he tried to mend his pant leg, he ended up sewing both pant legs together. "True."
"It's actually nap time," he said as he gave An a look. The little girl only grinned before tightening her hold on Katara and shaking her head. "Oh yes it is little one."
An giggled and protested as he took her from Katara, and the Fire Lady for a moment was amazed at how much An had grown in just the few months she had been with Aang.
"Kai and Li Huan are napping in the nursery if you wanted to bring her in there and seeing as you don't want to sit and crochet with us, Zuko's having his meeting on the veranda of his office."
Aang smiled and kissed her cheek "I'll see you ladies later."
Katara and Song nodded as they watched him walk out the door.
"You know," Song started when the door shut. "If I was thirty years younger, that man would be mine."
Katara almost choked on her spit before turning to her friend. "Song!" She laughed.
Song just shrugged as she resumed crocheting. "What's he like in bed?"
.0.
'It was a good day today,' Zuko thought as he lay in bed, listening to Katara's soft breathing. It was relatively early for him to go to bed. But he rarely got the chance to get a good night sleep so when the opportunity appeared, he seized it. 'Council was mild, no war meetings, no afternoon monsoon disguised as a thunder storm, Aang arrived, and now I'm going to get a good night sleep. It was a good day. I haven't had one of these days in a long time.'
Zuko smiled as he closed his eyes. It was silent. There were no sounds coming from the insects outside, no noise coming from the city, just complete and utter silence.
The Firelord began to fall into a deep sleep when a loud boom from the city startled him and Katara awake.
They both sat up and looked at each other, before another boom went off.
"What was that?" Katara asked as Zuko stood and ran over to their balcony; fire was coming from the city and he could hear people started to scream as another boom went off.
Guards swarmed into their room, followed by Aang and Iroh, both still dressed in their daytime attire.
"What's going on?" Aang asked as he tried to soothe An as she started to cry.
"Wake every solider and tell them to get down to the city," Zuko said to the head guard. "I will be there shortly."
The guard nodded as he and a handful of his subordinates left. "There is an attack on the city," Zuko said as he quickly began to dress.
Zuko looked at Katara, who had gone to retrieve Kai. "Take Kai and An and go into the safe room with Kyung and Shin, I'll come and get you when everything is safe."
Katara nodded and gave Zuko a kiss. "Be safe," she said to him.
An started to scream as Kyung began to take her from Aang. The little airbender clutching onto her father with all of her might.
"I'll get her," Katara said as she handed Kai to Kyung. "Come on sweetie." She gently pried An away from Aang, her screams of sadness reverberating throughout the room. "He'll be okay, don't worry."
"I'll be back in no time," Aang said to his daughter as he kissed her forehead before giving a worried look to Katara and following Zuko out of the room.
"Do you think this is the attack that Office Lian mentioned?" Iroh asked as they stormed out of the palace and towards Appa.
Zuko shook his head "The anniversary of Ozai's defeat isn't until August, but it very well could be."
"What are we going to do?"
The Firelord paused before looking at his uncle. "I'm not sure, but stay here while Aang and I go into the city. Keep a look out for anything suspicious. Stay safe uncle."
Iroh bowed, "You too, nephew."
"Appa, yip yip," Aang called and Appa lurched forward and up.
When they reached the city Zuko looked down, the whole meat district and shopping district were destroyed. Buildings were crumbled and fire was everywhere.
"Land where you can," he told Aang preparing himself for the onslaught of distraught and confused citizens.
And it had been such a good day.
.0.
Katara gently shushed the crying girl as she tended to her broken arm. "Only another few minutes, I'm almost done," she said as she wrapped the little girls arm in a bandage. The bone was broken so she couldn't fully heal it with water, but she did set it and wrap it to ensure that it healed on its own properly. "Keep your arm in a sling for the next six weeks; try not to move it and no running or any activity like it okay?" The little girl nodded as her mother bowed.
"Thank you Fire Lady Katara," she said before ushering her daughter away.
Katara was grateful that she was wearing a mask because she wasn't sure if she could muster a smile. She had been out all day tending to the wounded, and there were a lot. Starting in the amputation tent, water healing the freshly cut limbs to keep infection away and ending here, outside where the battered and scraped were trying to find the remnants of their homes or shops. There was such an air of despair. Something she hasn't felt since the attack on her village all those years ago.
How many had lost their homes? Their shops? Their Lives?
Katara willed her tears away, now was not the time to be crying. There were people here expecting her to be strong. And strong she was going to be for these people just lost everything and were scared.
"Katara?" She heard Song gently call. She turned to her friend, who was wiping her bloody hands on her apron.
Another thing Katara liked about Song was that she was a healer, just like herself. She had been a healer for the army before retiring, which was why she was in charge of the amputating. Katara was amazed that the older woman didn't even flinch when she had to saw right through a bone before cauterizing the flesh to stop the bleeding.
Katara had never seen fire healing until today; she would've appreciated its art if it wasn't being used in such a sad circumstance.
"You shouldn't be out here my Lady; you said you were going to retire hours ago. All this stress and blood isn't good for the baby."
"I know," Katara whispered as she sat down on a piece of rubble. "But I can't leave my people when they need me the most. They had just experienced a terrorist attack on their homeland, I can't leave them now."
"But the baby—
"Will be fine, this isn't the first time I've been stressed out and around blood during a pregnancy."
Song came and sat next to her. This area, the shopping district, was quiet. There was nothing but rubble, so the people who owned the shops couldn't even salvage anything. There were a few people here and there, standing at the place where their shop used to stand.
"What are we going to do?" Song asked and Katara shook her head.
"I don't know. I don't know what Zuko plans on doing. He doesn't know if the Brotherhood is behind this or if it's another hate organization or if it was his own citizens."
She felt so helpless. It was just like all those years ago. A city was destroyed. Some people's lives would never be the same after this while other people died. Men, women and children dead and who knew how many more would die by the hands of terrorists.
"Katara," Song said softly, "you're crying."
"I just—" she sniffed and wiped her eyes. Flashes of the attack on her home city coming to her mind, the black snow, the large steel ships, the men in evil masks, the death of her mother. It was all coming back in rapid images. Shaking her head, she slightly smiled. "I'm fine. I'm going to continue helping the search and rescue team."
"Please don't lift anything to heavy, I know you want to help your people in their time of need, but remember you do have limits."
Katara gave her a small nod as Song kissed her forehead. "I know. I'm only got to help out a little longer and then go back."
Song stood "I'll be in the medical tent if you need anything. Remember, nothing too strenuous."
The Fire Lady nodded as she stood.
Katara helped the search and rescue team for an hour. Song didn't have to worry about her doing anything strenuous because if she so much as went towards something that looked heavy someone was already at her side picking it up for her.
She almost snapped in frustration, but the kicks from her stomach reminded her that she wasn't in the shape to being lifting something that weighed more than her.
Almost done sifting through a pile of rubble, she was about it call it a day when she saw it. Something that made her pause momentarily as her brain tried to grasp what she was seeing. A tiny leg covered in dust. In a panic she began to uncover the body, hoping that whoever it was, was alive. She ignored the calls of the people around her, telling her not to do anything that would put her at risk and to let them do the lifting, but she ignored them. Tearing at the rock like a mad woman, her heart pounded as she kept repeating 'please let them be alive, please let them be alive' in her head.
When the rubble was clear what she feared was confirmed, the person was dead. But it wasn't just any person; it was a little girl, no older than five and Katara recognized her. It was the little girl from the orphanage, Kiera, who had been adopted by a local tailor and his wife. She was lying dead with a doll under her arm. It looked like she had been asleep before the attack happened. She stared at the little body before collapsing. Bringing the girl into her arms, she hugged her tightly to her as she cried.
.0.
Zuko strode through basalt caves; he could already feel the suns lack of presence the deeper he went in.
The two guards stood at attention as he walked towards them. "The prisoner has been alerted of you desire to speak with him."
"I can speak for myself you pieces of shit," he heard a familiar voice spit out.
"But a warning my Lord, he's very ornery."
Zuko nodded once, "He always has been," he said as walked towards the cell.
"Well if it isn't Prince Zuko, oh I'm sorry, I mean Fire Lord Zuko, fruit of my loins, successor to my throne."
"Ozai," Zuko said stiffly. Ozai looked pale and weak. He lost much of his muscle and looked older than Iroh. His hair had grown even longer and had turned gray; he looked every bit the defeated villain he was as he sat with his back against the wall and his head down.
"How are you? I hear you have a son. How is my grandson? I hear he's quiet the little firebender. Too bad he comes from that waterbending wench."
The fire from the sconces flared. "You will not talk ill about my child or Katara."
Ozai laughed. "That was always your problem, Zuko. You let your emotions control you. Any little thing that upsets you causes you to have a minor outrage."
"That's real rich coming from you," Zuko said as he pointed to his face.
"You spoke out of turn; you needed to be taught a lesson. Surely you know now how annoying it is when someone speaks out of turn during a war meeting."
"I do, but I don't go and burn their face half off!"Ozai was about to retort but Zuko cut him off "I'm not here to talk about your flawed methods of parenting."
"Oh? Than what are you here for?"
"I—" Zuko paused, gritting his teeth and clenching his fist "I need some advice."
"Well I'll be damned, Fire Lord Zuko coming to his dishonored father for ruling advice."
"The Brotherhood that you created attacked the city last night. The entire meat and shopping district is in ruins. About three thousand are dead and the number of wounded still hasn't been finalized. Half my council says go to war, but the other half says not to. The citizens don't want to go to war, but I'm not sure there is another option beside that. I'm-I'm at a loss."
"Having the council is just a gimmick to let the public think that there are people representing them. In the end, you are the Fire Lord, you are the one who is going to make the final decision and it's your decision that the people are going to follow. But it's also you who's going to live with the consequences of that decision."
"But if we are to go to war, how do I break it to my people?"
"Confidence and fear. Fear is like rice, if you plant it, it will grow. So you plant fear into the hearts of your people and then let confidence sooth them. Confidence is the way you lure the citizens into agreeing with you that going to war will be the only way to get the fear out of their hearts."
Zuko was silent as he thought over his father's words. He didn't want to admit that his father's advice was good advice. Fear and confidence at this point was the only way his people would agree with him.
"Remember that they attacked your country unprovoked. They attacked your wife and unborn child. They even attacked you. After living through all of that, deep down, what do you want to do?"
Zuko felt viciousness come over him. Everything up until this point played through his mind. Katara's poisoning, the attack on him, Officer Lian, Chae, the threats, everything came forward.
He looked at his father with blazing eyes. "Make them pay for it."
Hello, P here. Are we still friends? Even after I disappear when I promise not to? Is there anyone who still reads this story?
I literally have no excuse as to why I haven't been writing. I mean, yeah school and work are a little over whelming but I have free time to write. I guess I just lost interest for a while and then I had some writers block. But all of the love and pleas from everyone who messaged me and reviewed finally made me get off my ass and write.
We're at the home stretch now. Only I think another three chapters and the story will be finished. I can't tell you when the next update will be, but I'll try very, very, very hard not to have such huge gaps between updates. I hate it when authors do that so why would I want to do that.
If there are any mistakes please forgive me!
A huge thank you to everyone that continues to read, review/favor, etc. Like I said, it was everyone's plea to continue updating that I got off my ass and pumped out this chapter. So please, please, please, review. I love reviews and like I always say, the more reviews I get the more likely I am to write faster.
Please bare with me as I finish the story. I'm not going to abandon it.
Until next time,
P
P.S Don't get me started on LoK shipping, Makorra didn't become canon after them spoon feeding us the bullshit that they would be in the end, only to have Korra and Asami get together. Don't get me wrong, I like Korra and Asami together, they're a cute couple and the fanart is AMAZING (seriously, go check some of it out). Whats annoying is that Bryke didn't have the balls to just be like "Yeah no, Mako and Korra aren't going to get back together, like ever." Ugh, I just. I'm done talking about it. Although people on tumblr took it way too seriously and some still do. I had to avoid the Makorra tag for a long time. Anyway, the main story line's for season three and forth were really good. Stuido Mir did great animation as always and I really liked Zaheer and Kuvira's voice actors. Can't say I'm sad to see the series end though. Anyway, thanks for reading my rant. Now go and review =)