49~

Katara had never spent very much time in Republic City, recreationally at least. She had attended a ton of ceremonies there, especially when it was just getting established, and gone to meetings at the City Hall on Aang's behalf when he was traveling. She had a passing familiarity with the city's layout, and could recognize most major landmarks. But it turned out she had no idea where her brother and Suki lived. She and Toph wandered for a while, bought lunch at an udon stall, and then Katara had the thought that they should just go look for him at the Council Chamber. At the very least someone there would know his address.

She found herself walking through the city with a sense of anxious expectation: she was so close to Air Temple Island, and Aang was so frequently at the Council (when he was home anyway) that she both dreaded and anticipated a surprised shout of her name and then those mournful grey eyes. She walked with her shoulders hunched, and became disgusted with herself when she realized it. And besides, it didn't happen. No one recognized her. It was thrilling.

The Council building seemed busier than she remembered it. There was a lot of hustle and bustle, and people hurrying to and fro, outside as well as in. She liked it: it made the place seem livelier, and less intimidating. She and Toph actually had to push and prod a bit to get inside, but before they could get anywhere but the foyer, a young assistant in a blue tunic hurried over to them. "Hello! My name is Shu-Ji. May I help you find an office?"

Katara blinked, surprised. "Hi," she replied. "I'm wondering if my brother is here, Sokka? Councilman Sokka, I guess?"

The assistant's eyes went wide. "Oh my! Then you must be Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe! What an honor this is! And that means…" Shu-Ji turned wide brown eyes on Toph. "Are you perhaps Master Toph? The blind Earthbender who can also bend metal?"

"You're very well-informed," Toph commented dryly.

Shu-Ji smiled slightly and waved a hand. "Through no virtue of my own, I assure you. Councilman Sokka mentions you both frequently." Katara practically felt the heat of Toph's blush. "You are looking for Councilman Sokka, Master Katara? I am afraid he is not in the office today. Perhaps you would like his address?"

"That's exactly what I would like," Katara agreed happily. Shu-Ji led them to a small office full of boxes full of files, surrounding a small desk also piled high with papers and reports. Shu-Ji navigated this mess unerringly and shortly produced a small card with Sokka's new address on it, and handed it over to Toph, who happened to be closer, and Toph promptly handed it over to Katara. Shu-Ji blushed and stammered something apologetic, and ushered them back to the main entrance shortly afterwards and sent them on their way.

"Well, that was something," Toph commented as they made their way through the streets towards the Street of Fishes, where Sokka now lived.

Katara smiled. She thought she was starting to like Republic City.

The Street of Fishes, was, predictably, in the burgeoning Water Tribe district, and Sokka's apartment was, also predictably, right above a restaurant named Narook's Seaweed Noodlery. Katara was amused and relieved. It seemed being a big important Councilman hadn't changed Sokka at the fundamental level. She wondered what Suki thought of the arrangement. They went to the side of the building and knocked on the door. Waited. Knocked again, more loudly, and heard movement upstairs. Then the window above their heads slid open and Sokka called crossly down, "What?"

Katara and Toph stepped back a few paces and tilted their heads up at him. His expression went from flustered and grumpy to elated faster than Katara could blink. "Katara? No way! And Toph! No way! Suki! Suki, look who it is!" He drew his head in so fast that he cracked it on the window frame and there was a string of extravagant cursing and some laughter before Suki's head appeared, still grinning.

"Hey, you two!" she called happily. "Long time no see! I'll come get the door." She drew her head in more safely than Sokka had and before the window closed, Katara heard her say, "Sokka, find some pants, you can't greet you sister buck- -" The window closed over the rest of her sentence, but Katara got the jist. She grimaced. Then glanced at Toph, and saw she was blushing dull red and scuffing her foot in the dirt.

Then the door flew open and Suki rushed out to hug them both, exclaiming how long it had been since she'd seen them and they looked exhausted and hungry and please come inside, and why didn't they send a letter that they were coming? Katara put in most of the talking, answering Suki's questions (yeah, they were pretty hungry, but not tired, and they would have sent a letter but they hadn't known they were coming till just lately) and asking a lot of her own questions, but then they were at the landing at the top of the stairs and Sokka was there, and he pulled Katara in for a big hug. Then he grinned at Toph with the most painful sincerity Katara had ever seen and punched her lightly on the arm. "How ya been there, Toph?"

"Okay," Toph said a little thinly.

"Come on in," Sokka invited genially, not noticing Toph's departure from her loudmouthed norm. The apartment was pretty large, and attractively laid out. The window Sokka and Suki had stuck their heads out of, along with several others, looked out over the street from the wall on the left. The whole place was constructed of pale timber that made all the colors seem deeper and more vibrant, and there were decorative hangings and artwork on the walls (equal amounts of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe art, Katara couldn't help but notice). Also on the left was arranged a low table and cushions, along with a big squashy sofa. To the right of that was the kitchen. The door to the bedroom stood right in front of them, a rumpled bed in sight beyond. Another open door showed a tiny bathroom. It was a sunny space, full of color and tasty food smells from downstairs. It suited Sokka and Suki so well that Katara nearly teared up.

"So what brings you two to our humble abode?" Sokka asked, grinning at them.

"Well, we were in the area and needed a place to stay. And like you said, it had been a while," Katara replied, smiling back.

"I'll say." Suki smiled too. "How did you find this address? Did your dad give it to you?"

"No, we went to the Council building and got it from an assistant there. Shu Ji? Someone you know?"

"Oh, sure!" Sokka exclaimed. "Shu Ji's great, very helpful. We've been working on a census of everyone of Water Tribe descent around here. There are more of us than you'd think."

"That's great! How's the Water Tribe Cultural Center coming along? Or rather, Centers?" The thought still invoked dim anger from Aang's failure to tell her of the original plan, but she chose to focus on the positives: the Cultural Centers would be a wonderful resource for everyone in Republic City, Water Tribe descendant or not, and she dearly hoped they would succeed.

"Ohh…" Sokka rolled his eyes. "They'd be going great if only Quool would cooperate. He and Kalak were just beginning to get along again when Kalak got sick, and now Quool won't work with me because apparently I'm related to someone who gave him a serious dressing down a while back." He raised his eyebrows at her, and she shrugged innocently. "So planning and construction are going fine on the Southern Center, but it would be really good if we could coordinate resources. We both want to have bending classes, but there are only so many Masters in the city and Quool doesn't want to share… Anyway." He waved his hand in front of his face as though dispersing a bad smell. "Plenty of time to complain later. Let's get food!"

They ate a combination of leftovers and takeout from Narook's downstairs, and then Katara and Toph took turns in the shower. Then they all sat around on the cushions and the squashy sofa and talked about how Republic City was doing, and Katara and Toph got to tell about a few of their adventures. Katara did not mention Xai Mi at all, in order to avoid Yue. Toph was subdued, but when Suki asked if she was okay she put it down to being tired, and that was enough to send them all to bed, Sokka and Suki in their room, Katara on the squashy sofa, and Toph on the floor.

"Hey Katara?" Toph said into the darkness, quiet as a moth.

"Yeah?" Katara had almost been asleep.

"I'm still scared."

Katara let that hang for a moment. "It's hard, isn't it," she finally said.

Toph sniffed softly. "Yeah."

A/N

Moral of the story: feelings are hard.

For those as detailed-oriented as me, the restaurant Sokka and Suki live above is a real place in Legend of Korra. And shout-out to K-the-Queen-of-Typos for noticing the very minor character I dropped in here a couple chapters ago. ;)

All characters are owned by Bryke, Nick, and Viacom

E.I. signing out