A/N: Haaaa! I'm the worst because I don't finish stories well. Gah, I know I have two that need ending now and yet I have an absolute new series of stories that came to me. Oh Fan Fiction, why doth thou torment me so!? Anyways this series is called Story Time with Zuko. Zuko is a father now and Uncle to Aang and Katara's children, Bumi and Kya. He occasionally does bedtime stories for the children because you just never know what adventure you're going to hear next and the kids love it. In this tale, Zuko tells the story of how he got double crossed by pirates (sort of). I felt like I needed to play with the strong friendship/ relationship Zuko has with Katara. Let me know what you guys think! And pray for me...I'll finish the others one day.
Disclaimer-No pirates here! Fan based works of fiction only...
Chapter 1-Pirates
"Story time Uncle Zuko! You gotta tell us a good one this time." Bumi said almost as a warning. "Yeah!" His sister and Izumi chimed in emphasizing the possible trauma to childhood bedtime Zuko would invoke if he messed this up. Zuko chuckled nervously. "Erm, do you really want me to do the bedtime story? Your mom and dad are so much better at it than I am." Zuko admitted. "No can do Unka Zuka! Your stories are always true, right Mama?" Kya lisped hopefully. Katara raised an eyebrow and smirked. She placed her hands across her swollen belly and sighed, "Looks like the munchkins have spoken 'Unka' Zuko. You're on story duty." She said barely hiding the humor in her voice.
Zuko makes a smile like grimace and whispers under his breath. "Ok, this has to be wrong on so many levels." He glances sidelong at the children and barks, "Right, kiddos buckle up. I'm going to tell you about the time I got double crossed by…Pirates." The children oohed and aahed as they sat wide-eyed and attentive. Zuko smirked at this and began. "It all started when your Mama (and your aunt) stole a waterbending scroll… " Kya gasped. "Mama, you stole sometin'?" Kya said with all the shock a 4-year-old could muster. Bumi's world was in shambles. "Mama? Does that mean you're a pirate too? Pirates steal and you stole so..." he mouthed in despair. Zuko tried to stifle a snicker, but Katara glared him into submission. Katara wanted to water whip him for the shit storm he just started with her children.
She sighed heavily moving her hair out of her face. "Yes, Bumi unfortunately that was one of MANY mistakes I made during the 100 Years War." She looked at Zuko emphatically when she said 'many'. Zuko glared accordingly. She continued, "I did take the scroll from the pirates who had stolen it from the Northern Water Tribe. No, it doesn't mean I'm a pirate, but yes, it was a terrible decision because your Uncle Zuko used the pirates to capture me and he tied me to a tree!"
All three children gasped in shock. "Papa…" Izumi wailed softly. "How could you do that?" she said tears brimming her eyes. Now it was Zuko's turn to glare dangerously at Katara. Zuko shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, teenage hormones or something. I—I was trying to capture the Avatar! Your mother was the bait. It was a stupid thing to do. I know that now. Besides, we're all friends and your mother was able to kick my butt in the North Pole that same month after the pirates blew up my ship." He rambled nervously to the children.
The children stared. Katara shrieked, "Oh my Gods! Is that what happened to you? You looked like shi—terrible! Tui and La, you looked so bad. I mean like really, really, bad. I felt sorry for having to fight you. It was almost like you were on the ship when it exploded, my gods! Oh, and you were wearing that ridiculous white suit, so you looked like death warmed over…" she droned. Zuko blinked. "Um, I was on the ship when it exploded. I was lucky to be alive. Thanks for that." He snipped sarcastically. Katara gave a beatific smile and said, "Oh, my bad." Her smile downgrading to a grimace.
Zuko glared at Katara. "You're so lucky you're pregnant right now. If you weren't, I'd totally kick your—" he stopped himself just in time. The children stared with wide eyes at his next words. Zuko cringed. "Uh, as—I was saying. Pirates… right. Um, so the pirates blew up my ship with me on it and I survived, went to the North Pole and looked TERRIBLE as your mother was so astute as to point out. And uh, you know, the end." Zuko bit his bottom lip and rolled his thumbs one over the other. He whispered "pirates" under his breath.
The children looked at their uncle and father. One by one they blinked. Izumi spoke first. "I don't like this story so much Father." She took a little more time to think about how she felt and said while shaking her head, "Yeah, no, I don't like it at all." Zuko nodded and said with remorse. "Kay."