A/N: Happy New Years, y'all!
A few more chapters and we'll be saying good-bye.
It's been a crazy ride.
Healed and Hunted
Touch
Chapter Thirty Six
Getting a Broom
Mushi
He doesn't even know what to do. What to think. His niece is out there, just sitting. He thinks Katara has moved the woman to a seat, and served her tea. He can hear voices filtering into the kitchen, but can't make out the words.
All he can worry about is his nephew. Today was the anniversary of his sister-in-law's death, oh sweet Ursula. And now, his niece. A childhood antagonist for Lee. But here he was, hiding in the kitchen. Time to quit hesitating.
Mushi knows it hasn't been more than forty seconds, but it still feels like forever. Azula is sitting at the counter, staring down at the steam rising from her cup. She looks so different. Mushi remembers her looking so devilish as a child.
But it has been almost fifteen years since then, and now he just sees a tired young woman.
"Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat, if you'd like." Katara was saying. Her voice was gentle and non-invasive. It was as if Katara could see something Mushi himself couldn't see. What was he missing?
Azula looked up to the dark-skinned woman, "I'm alright, thank you."
Things were strangely tense, and Mushi wasn't sure what to do about it. He watched his nephew, who had picked Kyoshi up and was trying his best to seem calm. Mushi could see the emotional undercurrent, though, and knew Katara could, too. She was staring unobtrusively at everyone in the room, seeming to collect some sort of data.
"Here, I'll sweep that up." Kyoshi offered, worming her way out of Lee's arms. The girl took the broom out of Mushi's hands before anyone could stop her. This course of action took her right next to Azula, and Mushi tried not to suck in too much air in- what, fear?
The glass he had dropped was being very carefully swept by the young girl while Katara moved around the counter to help. Before the task was complete, Azula's hand was resting on the young girl's cheek.
"I suppose this is why you never came. She's a precious child." Azula said, not looking at her brother.
Lee was quick to spit back, "Don't touch her."
Almost as instantly as he said it, Katara reprimanded him, "That's enough."
But the damage was done. Azula had withdrawn her hand, and was back to staring at her cup. It almost looked like she was ready to…cry. But Azula had never cried in her life.
Mushi looked to his niece, who seemed uncertain as how to proceed.
Katara blinked, "Kyoshi, why don't you go and take a bath, okay? I'll be up in a minute."
"Okay. Here," Kyoshi surrendered the broom. Before she moved to go upstairs, the girl grabbed Azula by the waist, "I'm sorry you're so sad."
And then the child was gone, leaving four confused adults in her wake.
There was silence until they could hear water running upstairs. Mushi didn't know what to say. It was…strange, to say the least, that Azula was here. Mushi could think of only one thing that would bring her to the States.
His brother was dead.
Just a few Feet from his Sister
Lee
There is an urge to just leave. Just grab Kat and get the hell out of dodge. Another urge to stay and fight, or whatever it is Azula came here to do. Mostly he wishes Kat would go upstairs so she didn't have to see what Azula had always turned him into. That horrified little thirteen year old he can already feel bubbling up to the surface.
Except, she isn't going to budge. He can see that. He wishes he had at least told her his real name before this point. It would have been less awkward.
"Why are you here?" He demands. The sooner this confrontation is over, the sooner things can keep moving forward. He has this awful feeling she's come to take him back to Russia and he isn't going to be able to stop her.
His sister doesn't move, "He asked for you, you know. After the fever set in, he was delirious half the time. We had to lie to him to keep him calm. We told him you were on your way. Except you weren't."
Lee looks at his uncle, not sure what to focus on.
"He died yesterday morning. One of the last things he said was for me to tell you how sorry he was. For everything. And that he never got the chance to tell you in person. The doctors forbade him from travel of any sort. He had a plane ticket booked anyways, but…" Azula continued. Her voice was strained and Lee wasn't sure what it was. Emotion? From her?
His fiancé grabbed his sister's hand, and neither of them shrank from it. It should have been awkward, for both of them. What was happening here?
His sister stood and spoke in Russian, "Why didn't you come? He was dying, and you didn't come."
It isn't regret that washes through him, but almost. How do you feel regret for the death of someone you didn't care for? Someone who had done you such wrong in your life?
Katara looked to him and gestured for him to move closer. Not to her, but to Azula. She wanted him to comfort his sister. And that was something he wasn't capable of. Azula didn't need comforting. She was made of steel. Heart of ice, black soul. All of that.
But here she was, on the brink of tears.
"I'm going to check on Kyoshi." Kat said suddenly, as if she'd just remembered. As she passed Lee, she elbowed his side and shot him a very serious look.
On his part, he understood her desire for him to support his sister. Her family was nothing but love and support. But he never told her about the horrible person Azula really was. How did you sum something like that up?
He grabbed her hand, an attempt at rallying his own spirits. She was, as she had been for a while now, his life line. Without her, it felt like he was drowning. Lee knew her presence would keep him tethered. He would be safe. He would be Lee. Not Zuko. He would not deteriorate into Azula's whipping boy.
Katara put her arms around him, and whispered very quietly, "You haven't seen her in almost fifteen years. Your father is dead, and you are all she has left. You are strong enough to let go of the past."
She disappeared up the stairs.
He didn't want to believe her. That kind of thing stayed with a person their whole life. It messed them up, and put them in a situation just like he was in before he met Katara. Dark and alone with nowhere to go. Waiting for someone to reach out and tell you, You are free. You don't have to hurt anymore.
Oh.
Oh, of course.
He was free. He was free, and happy and nothing would ever ruin that. As he looked at his sister, who was trying to keep her face still, he could see the same pain he had felt for so long. He remembered thinking it was alright to shut everything off. To let the rage and anger flow through, but ignore everything else.
And then someone picked him up, dusted him off, and showed him a better way.
So, in order to pay it forward, he did something he had never done in his life. No one expected it of him, except Katara. She knew, as she always did, exactly what he needed. And, to his surprise, what his sister needed.
He pulled Azula into a hug, arms tight around her. She did nothing at first, just stood in shock. But then the tears came. It wasn't pretty- it never is- but it was right. His sister grabbed the front of his shirt, sobbing, and Lee-or was it Zuko, now?- refused to let go. He began to cry with her, not because he missed his father or because he felt guilty. But because he finally understood something.
This was his ability to say, I have grown beyond this. This, he thought, was the fruit of every word Katara had ever spoken to him.
This was his freedom.
It was his, and no one had given it to him. Not his father's death, not Azula's tears, not even Katara and her kindness. Because that was the thing about freedom. It was yours, and no one controlled it. It was his choice to forget the pain of the past and move away from it.
The Bath Tub
Kyoshi
"She was so sad." She told her aunt as she scrubbed at her hair. Aunt Tara was rubbing in the conditioner now. Kyoshi was capable of doing it herself, but she thought her aunt wanted to not be downstairs.
Aunt Tara sighed, "I know."
"Is she going to stay with Uncle Lee?" She asked.
"I don't know, Yosh. I don't think they're very close." Her aunt answered.
That was sad, too. Kyoshi thought about her mommy, and her brother or sister in mommy's tummy. She hoped it was a sister. She wanted another girl. Or, if it was a brother, she hoped he was nice. And cute. No matter whether it was a boy or a girl.
"I was thinking. You want to make a quilt for your little sibling? I think your mom would really like that." Her aunt was talking while rinsing out Kyoshi's hair.
"When my brother or sister is born, will you paint them for me?" Kyoshi looked at her hands. They were wrinkly from being in the water so long. They reminded her of little raisins.
Aunt Tara nodded, "Sure, Yosh. Alright. I'm gonna let you get dressed. I'll be in your room in a minute, alright?"
The little girl nodded and crawled out of the tub. Aunt Tara let the water out, and then left. Kyoshi watched the water swirl in the drain, and reached out to it. The liquid stilled instantly.
She lifted her hands, trying to remember her lessons with Aunt Tara. Water could be brought to life, if only you'd show it how, Aunt Tara had said. So, she tried. Her arms started to circle, her wrists calling to the water. And, just like magic, a small stream lifted from the tub. Kyoshi smiled, then let the water drop.
She hoped that, when her brother or sister was born, they didn't have to look at their abilities and be afraid. But, despite all the things she had had to go through already, in school or not, she hoped her brother or sister was an Inheritor. It would be easier, she thought, if she had a younger kid to share the experience with.
Sonogram Room
Suki
She wished her husband were here. She remembered being eighteen and being so afraid. The child- Kyoshi- had been unexpected, unplanned… and, at first, unwanted. She and Sokka had been on the run with his siblings for a while.
And that was no life to bring a child into.
They had loved running, really. It was an exciting life, though they never expected it to last forever. Just until things calmed down with the anti-Inheritor stuff. But then Kyoshi happened.
She remembers the look on Sokka's face when she told him. Nineteen and had never lived in one place for too long. Not since he was a child, anyways. He cried that day. Because he loved her, because he was tired of running. Because he was scared.
This child was different. Now they were married, they had a house and a family. Even if this was never where she imagined she would be, here she was. This was her life, his life. Their life.
Right now she's in Washington, helping Aang sort through the storm that was his peace movement. Sokka was in Connecticut, helping out an old friend.
The doctor was running the scanner over her protruding stomach. She could see the child there, small and almost grown. She tried not to look too closely, because she didn't want to know the sex of the baby just yet. Not without her husband.
The doctor paused, looked at the screen and frowned. She adjusted the scanner several times, and seemed displeased with what she was seeing. A heavy panic set in Suki's stomach.
"Is everything…alright?" She asked, trying to keep her voice even.
The doctor was still staring at the screen, "I… It's hard to tell at this point. I don't think there's any cause for alarm."
And yet somehow, Suki was alarmed.
"If there's something wrong-"
"Your baby is fine. Just keep taking your supplements and see me in another two weeks." The doctor told her.
She left the doctor's office feeling a little…numb. It was cold, paralyzing dread. Something was wrong? Suki didn't think she was going to be able to talk to Sokka right now. Or anyone, really. If she opened her mouth, she was going to cry.
She opened the door to Aang and Toph's loft, where she was staying. The two of them were staying here indefinitely, while she was just a visitor. There was plenty of space, of course. It was just...not her home, after all.
"Anyone home?" She asked, hoping the answer was negative.
Life rarely worked that way, though.
"I am." Toph answered.
Suki took in a breath, "Well, I'm gonna go take a nap."
"Hey, come here real quick." The blind woman was probably in the living room. As soon as Suki crossed the threshold, she saw her sister sitting on the couch.
"Need something?" Suki stood right in front of Toph. She watched the bandages on Toph's hands. They were still broken and bruised from Toph's exam, almost two months ago. Was it two months ago? More, less?
Toph tapped the seat next to her, "Just wanted someone to talk to. Aang's been gone all day, and I'm tired of tee-vee."
Suki wasn't much up for conversation.
"Did your appointment go alright?" Her sister asked.
And she was trying not to cry.
Her silence lasted too long, "Suki?"
"I'm fine." Suki knew her voice squeaked. She was trying to breathe, now. Panic was back, however far it had gone.
Toph, who was never a touchy-feely person, grabbed her hand. The two of them, while family, had never had a particularly close relationship. There was love, of course, but nothing so individual between them. Nothing like this.
"You can tell me anything." Toph told her, and gave her hand a squeeze, "Anything."
That was more sympathy than Suki could handle at the moment. She burst into tears and buried her head in Toph's shoulder.