Two Truths And A Lie

by moviefan-92

One-shot based on a fan-theory I read. An elderly Katara reflects back on her life and all the secrets and regrets of her past that shaped not just her life, but the lives of her family, friends, and especially her children, particularly Bumi. As she gets lost in her memories, she dwells on her life choices and how they caused things to end up the way they are now. COMPLETE

1. Chapter 1: Two Truth And A Lie

(A/N: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! Hello, people, and thank you for coming to check out this new story of mine that's rather… unique for me. I had some reserves about writing it because of the subject matter, but I'm afraid creativity can't be held back. I need to give some backstory on it first, for disclaimer purposes and for understanding purposes. So, towards the end of 2012, I came across a rather… interesting theory that examined and explained a lot of things with the characters and events from ATLA and LoK, and how and how they ended up the way they did between the two series. This theory inspired another fanfic I wrote called The Zutara Affair, which ended up being pretty well received among those that read it, with the exception of a few haters of course. So, while I was cleaning up a few of my older short stories, including that one, I got reinspired by the theory that set that story in motion. So I thought, what the heck, since I already wrote a story that was inspired by the theory, why not write a story OF the theory. It has been requested before, and since the idea for a full story finally came to me, here we go. It's not my normal kind of story, so just be prepared for that. Also, if you're expecting something happy or romantic or feely, you're out of luck. This story is going to be deep, antsy and very dramatic, even tragic at times. So if that's not what you're into, you've been warned. And if you're curious about the theory itself that I came across, you can find information on it in the Author's Note at the end so as to avoid spoilers for this story. I'd post the link for the actual theory itself, but I can't find where I read it from. I don't know if the person who came up with it deleted it or if it was take down, or the website it was on just isn't active anymore, so I can't say who came up with it or provide a link to it, hence why I'm including it in the disclaimer and mentioning it here, and I'll include what I can remember from it at the end. So if you're ready for it, let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Credit to whoever it was that came up with the theory that inspired this fic.

"TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE"

They were fighting again, Toph and her daughters, Lin and Suyin. It was an old argument for them, one they had been having for years, about how their family had been torn apart. And, if the topic that sparked the argument was what Katara suspected it was, it was an argument that would never be resolved, which was a sad thing in light of all the reconciling that had been happening between the family lately.

It was common knowledge that Suyin and her older sister, Lin, were half-siblings who shared different fathers. And while that was somewhat uncommon, it wasn't unheard of. But that wasn't the source of the argument, not really. The real source of the argument was that, for the longest time, Toph refused to tell her daughters who their fathers were. And it wasn't like she had a long list of lovers and so didn't know; she simply hadn't been saying.

Katara could certainly understand the frustration. They had the right to know who her fathers were. Heck, if Katara were in their shoes, she would be just as frustrated if her own mother refused to tell her such an important detail. And while Toph had eventually revealed who Lin's father was, in a casually and dismissive manner no less, she still refused to say who Suyin's was. This is what caused the argument that ended up stirring up old grievances. But Toph wasn't budging on this, and no one, not even her closest friends, could convince her otherwise, or even get her to spill the beans to them, not even on the promise to never tell Suyin.

Strangely, it seemed that Lin was more upset over her mother's silence than Suyin, getting angry on behalf of her sister, claiming that not having a father in their lives, or even simply not knowing who their fathers were, had contributed to their family falling apart. This is turn rekindled the old argument of Suyin's more delinquent days, and how things may have been different if their mother had handled things differently. The argument had then shifted to Lin saying that Suyin deserved to know who her father was, especially after Toph had told Lin who hers was.

But it seemed that Toph was determined to take the secret to her grave, even if it meant her relationship with both her daughters fell apart once more. And what ended up escalating the argument further was that Suyin didn't seem to be as upset as Lin was about their mother's secrecy, which only made Lin angry at her sister for not wanting to know such an important detail about her life.

But even though Toph wasn't talking, Katara had a sneaking suspicion, one she always tried to push from her mind whenever the unwanted thought crept up into it. She remembered the day it had occurred to her, and ever since then, she had tried, unsuccessfully, to purge it from her brain.

Katara didn't like to think the worst of people. On the contrary, she preferred to think the best of them, which is why she hated this theory of hers so much. Besides, there was no real evidence for it, at least none that could be proven, even if there were… signs.

Only a handful of people knew that Toph had harbored a crush on her brother, Sokka, when she was younger. And Katara couldn't help but notice that Suyin had darker skin than her sister and mother, a trait found amongst the Water Tribe, not mention brownish-black hair, and a somewhat thin face with a somewhat pointy chin, quite unlike Toph's more round face, but not unlike someone else Katara knew.

That wasn't proof though that her theory was true though. For all Katara knew, Toph could have hooked up with some random member of the Water Tribe who also had similar features. But if that were the case, then why all the secrecy? No, not just secrecy, but adamant refusal to tell her daughter who her father was? Especially after Toph had revealed to Lin who her father was, yet she wasn't willing to grant Suyin the same courtesy. Well, unfortunately, if Katara's suspicions were accurate, then there was a logical explanation for that.

Sokka was in a very deep and loving relationship with Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors. Her brother was completely devoted to her, and she to him, and Katara knew that they would never cheat on each other. Not intentionally anyway. However, it was a well-known fact, practically a running gag, that her brother couldn't hold his alcohol, and when drinking would often act out of character and even more idiotic than usual, not to mention he became overly affectionate. And Toph could be a pretty heavy drinker under the right circumstances as well, and could become even more aggressive than usual when intoxicated.

As much as Katara hated to admit it, if under the influence, she reluctantly admitted that if Toph did still harbor feelings for her brother, or at least lusted after him, she could indeed see her making a move on Sokka. One that, while drunk himself, Katara could also see her brother succumbing to. Not that he would even remember once he sobered up; it was fairly common that he didn't remember what happened to him when he was drinking. And knowing her brother, he would never have been able to keep it a secret if he had remembered.

Toph would though, Katara was sure of that, no matter how hungover she was. She would undoubtedly keep it to herself though, so as not to ruin the relationship between Sokka and Suki, and her brother would be none the wiser. And if such a thing occurred between her and her brother, and Suyin was the result, then Katara knew why Toph wouldn't tell her daughter the truth. Not wanting to ruin things between Sokka and Suki, Toph would rather live with her sins and suffer the consequences of losing her family and have everyone think the worst of her, especially since she would be the one at fault. Perhaps her daughters' hatred was meant to be her penance.

Of course, this was just some wild theory that Katara's brain had concocted, and for all she knew, none of it was true. But even if it was, she was in no place to judge. Not in light of her own sins and her own secrets. Sins and secrets that she, just like Toph, would take to her grave. Sins and secrets that she prayed every single day to every deity there was to never be brought to light. Sins and secrets that were just as bad, if not worse, than Toph's, if her theory was correct. Sins and secrets that could destroy far more than her own life.

With a deep sigh, Katara turned her thoughts from Toph and her children and looked to her own. Her and Aang's. Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin. All so big now, so grown up. So… dysfunctional. Things were better between them now, but it seemed that dysfunctionality had always been a big part of their family.

Katara knew that she and Aang were mostly to blame. Aang for always being so busy with his Avatar duties, and when he was around, for the neglect he showed towards Kya and Bumi while openly favoring Tenzin and giving him all his attention since with their youngest child, being the only other Airbender in the world, and her for her own contributions to their family's dysfunctionality.

But while Aang's part in their family's dysfunction was unintentional, Katara knew that her own part in it was greater. It was also for this reason why she had never stepped in and corrected Aang's behavior and neglect, and why she herself, regretfully, never tried to do more on her end. For no matter how much she tried to run and hide from them, you can't escape the sins of the past. You could only face them and make amends. But in her case, that was not an option, as to do so would ruin everything, and so she suffered from them in silence instead, hoping to preserve things as best as she could.

She looked around the table she and the others were sitting at in the halls of Republican City. Family and friends had gotten together for old time's sake; even Toph had returned from her self-imposed isolation. Katara and her three children, Toph and her daughters, Sokka and Suki, Zuko and his daughter and grandchildren, among others, were present.

With as busy as their lives were, not to mention the different nations they lived in, it was a miracle that this many of them had been able to get together like this. But after Kuvira's attempt to take over had been stopped, they all felt the need to get together like they had in the old days, and so had made time to have this reunion.

Things had been going well, for the most part. They had been enjoying each other's company, reminiscing about the old times and playing games until, eventually, Sokka had innocently suggested that they play a game as a way to catch up on things. Two Truths And A Lie, that was what he had suggested. A game where a person said two things that were true and one thing that was not, and everyone was meant to guess which of the three statements was the lie. It had been meant to be a fun way to for them all to catch up on each other's lives, but it had been what had triggered the argument between Toph and her daughters, and had ultimately sent Katara on a trip down memory lane.

Katara could almost laugh at the irony. Two Truths And A Lie. It was funny how it had been that simple game that had caused the argument after it stir up old grievances, and it was extra ironic how it resurfaced Katara's old suspicions about her brother and Toph. Or maybe it wasn't so much a theory as it was her projecting, or trying to find another situation like her own she could relate to in order to make things easier on herself that had caused her thoughts to weave together such an elaborate theory. In any case, Two Truths And A Lie did seem to be the name of the game that was her life.

Her gaze went to her children once more. It had been a long time since they had been actual children. But still, they would always be her children to her, no matter how old they got. But no matter how many years went by, she would always be playing that childish game when it came to them. Two Truths And A Lie.

She still couldn't believe it had happened, even all these years later. But then, she supposed that anyone that such a thing had happened to would have thought that it would never happen to them. It wasn't like she had gone looking for anything like that to happen, it just did. Almost as if some evil spirit had been working behind the scenes in some last-ditch effort to ruin all they had worked for and destroy the fragile peace in order to restore the world to the unbalanced place it was before the war ended.

The war. The cursed 100 Year War. The defeat of the Fire Nation and the fall of the tyrannical Fire Lord Ozai and his psychotic daughter, Princess Azula, should have been the end of things. And it was, for the most part. Oh sure, there was some strife here and there, and some problems that sprang up across the nations, but for the most part, there was peace. It was meant to be happily ever after. And for a while, it was.

But that's where the stories get it wrong. There was no such thing as happily ever after, because nothing ever ends. Once one story finishes, a new one begins. Life was chapter after another in a never-ending story. And even when your story in the book of life ends and your time on this Earth is over, others continue, and new ones begin as the old pass into eternity. There is no ending, let alone a happily ever after one.

But things had gotten close, at least Katara thought so. After the war, once things had settled down and everyone's lives were no longer on the line, Katara had been able to focus on her own life and the things happening in it. Among those things had been her relationship with Aang. He had made his feelings for her abundantly clear, and she had decided to accept those feelings, and found that she did in fact return them. And although the war was over, that wasn't the end of their adventures together, this time as a couple.

Of course, like all couples, they had their share of problems. It was nothing they couldn't handle though. And when Aang eventually proposed to her, she joyfully accepted, and the two of them had been married. She had thought that these blissful times would never end.

But alas, those were the thoughts of a young, naïve girl in love who was living in a dream world. In these times of peace and happiness, she had forgotten how harsh reality could be, and reality eventually came calling for her to wake up.

As the last Airbender, the last of the Air Nomad race entirely for that matter, Aang had a duty to his people to continue the Air Nomad culture, particularly the Airbender race. And as his wife, Katara was expected to give birth to more Airbenders since the Fire Nation had completely wiped out the Air Nomad people over 100 years ago when the war first began. It was a big responsibility, but it was one that Katara knew was expected of her when she agreed to become Aang's wife. Besides, she loved children, and she wanted some of her own.

Fate, it seemed, chose to deny them this for quite some time. Again and again they tried for children, and yet every month her bleeding time came. But just like with any couple trying for children, they did not let it get them down, and just kept trying. Katara even found that she could use her Waterbending to see if Aang's seed had taken root mere days after an attempt.

With the importance of bringing forth more Airbenders though, Katara began to feel the pressure after several failed attempts. So she and Aang had gone to see different specialists. And while they found that Katara was perfectly capable of having children without issue, some of the specialists began theorizing that although there was nothing actually stopping Aang from producing children either, that having been frozen in a block of ice for 100 years had had an effect on his body and may have been making it difficult. It was, as Katara found out many years later, the reason why Aang had died so young, passing on at a mere 66 years of age. But they had been told that while being frozen like that for so long may have affected his vitality and potency, he should still be able to have children, and so they had kept trying.

That didn't make every failed attempt hurt any less. And although Katara knew that it was illogical, especially since it seemed like the problem was on Aang's end, as a woman, she couldn't help but blame herself each time she failed to fall pregnant, like she was somehow letting him down. She didn't voice these thoughts though, since she knew that Aang would just assure her that the problem wasn't her, and would likely end up blaming himself, not just for the failed pregnancies, but also for her feeling this way, so she said nothing.

She tried not to let these thoughts get to her though, and tried to stay hoping, but it was still hard. And with the importance of producing more Airbenders falling to her, she only felt pressured all the more every time she examined herself and found she still wasn't pregnant. But as long as she had those around her who loved and cared about her, she felt that she could get through these tough times.

And therein lied the problem. With the roles each of them had played in stopping the war, and the titles and positions they now held, they often had to leave each other to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. And that especially included Aang. As the Avatar, he was often called away to deal with conflict and other disturbances and duties throughout the nations. The war may have been over, but many problems still arose, and it was his duty as the Avatar to deal with them. And that didn't even include his standard Avatar duties.

Katara didn't blame him for that. She was actually very proud that he was taking his Avatar duties seriously. Back when they were a new couple and when they had first gotten married, she had even gone with him on his travels to fulfill these duties. But that changed when they started trying to have children.

To make it easier to conceive and to not be at risk or in stressful situations should conception occur, not to mention not knowing the affects flying around could have, Katara was almost always left behind whenever her presence wasn't required. Aang would be away for days, often weeks, at a time. He would always come back, happy to see her, and hopeful for good news, and she would always have to crush his spirits by telling him that she still hadn't conceived.

It was hard, very hard. And it only got harder each time it happened. Aang was always kind and supportive, acting like his usual happy self, even though she could clearly see the disappointment in his eyes. And while she appreciated it, there was a part of her that wanted him to be upset, at her, at himself, at the world in general. She wanted to tell him to stop bottling up his disappointment, to stop putting her on a pedestal like she could do no wrong, to stop acting like a carefree child all the time. Rather than act like it was no big deal, they should be getting through this hard time together.

She never voiced these thoughts either though. She knew it was just her frustration talking. Besides, Aang's happy, carefree, childish nature was one of the things she found endearing about him, even though she did wish that he would grow up at times. But as long as she had him by her side, she still felt like she could get through this.

And once again, therein lied the problem. Aang wasn't always by her side. His duties often called him away, leaving her alone to deal with the disappointments when she realized that she hadn't conceived. Her family and closest friends were often busy with their own lives and duties too, and so, more often than not, were unable to be there for her during these disappointing times, not even her Gran-Gran.

Of course, she had other friends in the Water Tribe, but none who she could really discuss anything deep or personal like this with them like she could her family and best friends. Besides, Katara didn't want to burden them with her problems. This should have been between her and her husband, who, through no real fault if his own, usually couldn't be there for her.

It had all come to a head one night while she had been in the Fire Nation, one of the many times she had traveled there with Aang. As the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, which essentially made her a princess, and the wife of the Avatar, Katara often found herself in the Fire Nation for diplomatic reasons. Several times she even stood in for her husband, father, or brother while they were handling other duties elsewhere. And although she had attended such events less when she and Aang had started trying to have children, they were still necessary at time. It was this time, however, that changed everything.

Katara closed her eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to creep up when she thought of what happened. That was when the lies had begun. The lies that began as a result of a sin that should have never happened. A sin that resulted from a horrible mistake. A mistake that had come from the buildup of countless disappointments and unspoken feelings.

During that particular trip to the Fire Nation, Aang had once again been called away to handle something that was happening in the Earth Kingdom. This was not uncommon. Before he left, however, the two of them had made love, once again in the hopes that they would finally be blessed with a child; hopefully an Airbender.

But alas, a few days after Aang departed, as Katara once again used her Waterbending to check for conception, she was once again disheartened to discover that it had not occurred. And, once again, her husband was not around to comfort her. And perhaps even worse, she knew that if he were, he would just smile at her and tell her not to worry about it and that they would keep on trying.

Everything finally accumulated until it was all just too much. Katara was a strong person, but even she had her limits, and this was her breaking point. She screamed out her frustration before finally succumbing to the weight of everything. It wasn't one of her finer moments, but she supposed she should have been happy that it was Zuko, and not a palace guard or servant that would gossip, who found her that way when he came to her room, presumably to check on her or talk about more diplomatic things.

There had always been a deep connection between the two of them, even during the hiccup in their friendship in the aftermath of the war. It had started in the Caves of Ba Sing Se, and become even more apparent after their journey together to track down the former commander of the Southern Raiders to find her mother's killer. He knew and understood her in ways no one else did. Not her father, not her brother, not Toph, not even Aang.

It was one of the drawbacks of the relationship between her and her husband. He almost saw her as some flawless goddess. He didn't see who or what she really was as a person, not some of the deeper, darker parts of herself, nor did he fully understand her inner thoughts and feelings. Not the way Zuko did. It was how he was able to know that she needed to confront her mother's killer. That she had to face that dark part of herself in order to move on.

Aang hadn't understood that. He had wanted her to just let go of all her anger and hate, to simply forgive and forget, not understanding that she couldn't. Not until she had been about to sneak away on Appa in the middle of the night did he realize how important this was to her and how much she needed this. And not even then did he understand how much she needed to face what she was feeling, what she had been carrying around for years, practically her entire life.

Zuko had understood though. He had understood even before she did. And that's why he had helped her find her mother's killer, ready and willing to accept her and whatever decision she chose to make when she confronted him. Aang may have let her go, but only after he realized that he wouldn't be able to stop her, though he still begged for her to just forgive the man when she met him rather than accept any other choice she might or might not make when the time actually came.

While she knew that Zuko would have accepted her no matter what she decided to do, Katara often wondered what Aang would have done if she hadn't had spared Yon Rha and realized she wasn't the perfect person he believed her to be. Would he have been able to accept her the way Zuko did, or would his ideal, flawless vision of her shatter and cause him to see her in a new light? She didn't know. And the truth was, she very easily could have done it. She had wanted to do it, but just couldn't bring herself to.

Forgiveness and moving on may have been what she needed to put all her anger, hate, and pain behind her, but she had needed to discover that and work through it herself, not simply be told. She'd needed to confront her darkness in order to conquer it. Aang hadn't understood that, just as he didn't understand many other things about her. In a way, he was usually living in his own little world, a rather self-righteous one at that, until he was forced to confront the real one.

But Zuko understood her. He could see the real her in ways no one else did, not even Aang. He understood and connected with her like nobody else could. Perhaps that was why when he asked her what was wrong that she had been able to tell him. Tell him things she had never told anyone else. Everything that had been happening to her, and all the thoughts and feelings she was carrying.

Zuko had listened. He listened and understood. And after she had calmed down, they had gone to his chambers to talk in more detail. Not about diplomacy or anything else regarding the nations, but about their own personal lives, just like two close friends who understood each other could.

She spoke of how she and Aang were struggling to have children and of the stress it was putting on them, which only made it harder. She told him of how she felt she was letting Aang and the Air Nomads as a whole down by failing to continuing the line. She knew it was irrational, and that the problem most likely laid with Aang, but as a woman, she felt like the failure was hers.

She spoke of Aang's reaction to their failure of conceiving, and how he acted like it didn't bother him. She spoke of how the whole situation was so frustrating, but neither of them acknowledged it. She spoke of the loneliness she felt when he was away, and the frustration and depression she felt when he wasn't there for her during all the times she found out that she hadn't conceived, and then having to practically go through the depression again when she broke the news to him.

She spoke of how as much as she loved his childish nature that there times where she wished he'd just grow up and act like an adult instead of a kid. She spoke of how she wished he would stop looking at her like she was this flawless goddess who could do no wrong and was perfect inside and out, and instead see and treat her like a normal person, to accept her for who she was, flaws and all, rather than dwell on this idea he had of her that wasn't anywhere as near as perfect as he thought she was. She spoke of how she wished he would talk to her of his own frustrations and disappointment of not having kids instead of just pretending that everything was ok.

In all honest, Katara had been surprised by just how much she talked. But when Zuko had asked if she wanted to talk about it, when she had decided to finally say what was on her mind, the floodgates had opened. And once she started talking, she had found that she couldn't stop. She surprised herself with how much she ended up opening up, saying things she had been keeping even from herself. She hadn't realized she had been subconsciously thinking and feeling some of these things until she had actually started talking about them. Or maybe she had, and just decided not to acknowledge them, choosing instead to look the other way, or had blocked them out in light of other things.

She blamed everything that happened after that on the alcohol. Upon realizing that they were going to be getting into some pretty deep and personal subject matters, they had broken out the wine when they had entered Zuko's chambers, eventually moving onto something stronger.

Yes, alcohol had certainly helped loosen her tongue, but it seemed like that was a good thing, as it helped get everything out. When intoxicated, a person could often say things they didn't mean, but at the same time, they often said what they were really feeling, and Katara had been feeling quite a lot. And if she was honest with herself, it had felt good to finally get it all out.

Zuko had listened to her and accepted and understood everything she said, letting her vent out all her frustration and other emotions. Katara was eternally grateful for that. It was one of his best qualities, and she was glad to be able to talk to him and confide in him things she couldn't speak to anyone else about, not even Aang.

As he listened to her, Zuko offered some input when he had anything helpful to say. He tried to be reassuring, but didn't just tell her that everything was alright and pretend that it wasn't a problem. But when issues of Katara's relationship with Aang came up, while he still tried to offer some advice and be supportive, he admitted that he probably wasn't the best person to talk to about romantic relationships. After all, he hadn't been able to make the only real relationship he'd had in his life thus far work out.

Which led to Zuko opening up to his own failed relationship with Mai. About his thoughts and feelings towards her and their relationship, along with everything that went with it and how it all fell apart until she eventually left him for good, not wanting to get back together with him later when he tried.

Katara's heart went out to him as she took her turn to listen. She had known that he and Mai had broken up, but she didn't know all the full details. She couldn't offer him much advice either, as her only other romantic relationship had been with Jet, and that had been a complete disaster. Despite her own problems with her and Aang's relationship, she was still, overall, happily married, but her and Aang were not Mai and Zuko, and their relationship was very different. So there wasn't much she could say that would help, especially since Mai had already moved on with someone else.

But just like he had for her, she simply chose to listen and be there for him as he confided in her. It turned out that he too didn't really have anyone he could talk to or who could understand him, as he didn't want to burden his own family, the ones who weren't in prison or on the run, with his problems. His mother had her new husband and daughter, and his uncle had returned to the Jasmine Dragon tea shop. What more, as Fire Lord, he had to put up a front for his people so he wouldn't appear weak; there were still those who even questioned his right to rule after all. So unlike Katara, he could never show how vulnerable he felt or rely on his people the way she could.

He opened up to how lonely he felt ever since Mai left him, and how he wished he had someone he could confide in and open up to. Katara was able to relate to the loneliness he felt, as she felt it as well during the times Aang was away, which was only made all the worse by the depression she felt each time she discovered that their latest attempt to have a child had failed, and he wasn't around to comfort her or share in her grief because he was off being the Avatar. She admitted that she was at least happy that she could confide all this in Zuko, and he said the same about her.

With all the gloominess and emotional stuff off their chests, their conversations began taking a more pleasant turn as they reminisced of happier times, not wanting to think about their problems for the rest of the night. And as the alcohol kept pouring, they switched over to stronger stuff as the sound of their laughter and fun talk of old times filled the room. The evening began passing by in a blur, eventually leading up to an unforgivable act of betrayal that could never be undone. It was a morning, or rather, late afternoon, that neither of them would ever forget.

When Katara had awoken the next day, it was to a pounding in her head and a blank slate of what had happened the previous night. It had taken her several long moments to realize that she was not in the guest bedroom she had been assigned to, and that she was in bed with someone spooning against her, holding her tightly as a lover would.

She jumped up with a start and realized that she was still in Zuko's room, in his bed, with not a stitch of clothing on her. Her hair was free of its braid, falling free around her in a messy curtain, and even her mother's necklace lay on the floor amongst her discarded clothes.

With a look of horror, she looked down to her bed partner, already knowing who she would see lying there. And sure enough, Zuko lay next to her, just as naked as she was, and the sight of him sent heat rushing to her face. Even if what had happened between them hadn't been obvious just from looking at them, the soreness of her body, particularly between her legs, was more than telling.

Hangover forgotten, Katara hopped out of the bed, as bare as the day she was born. Her hand went to her mouth in shock, her eyes wide in horror as she realized what this meant, and she turned away from the bed, unable to look at it or its remaining occupant. Her heart pounded in her chest, and it became hard to breathe as she tried to comprehend the situation. Her and Zuko, waking up together in the same bed, both completely naked, having very obviously done something that only couples should be doing.

By the gods, how could either of them have let this happen? How did it happen? Never, ever would Katara have done something like this, never would have believed it of herself. She was loyal, she was in a loving relationship, she would never betray anyone, especially not her husband. But evidentially, it had happened, there was no denying it.

But how could it have happened? She'd heard talk of friends falling into bed together after having becoming intoxicated, even if one or more party members were married or in a relationship, but she had always chalked it up to irresponsibility or a lack of self-control, and had never thought that it would happen to her. Apparently though, she had been very wrong indeed.

She thought back to last night, and the memories returned to her. She remembered feeling down about everything that had been going on in her life. She remembered her and Zuko opening up to each other as they broke out the alcohol. She remembered talking and laughing with him as they continuously refilled their glasses. And she remembered where the night had led to, and how they had ended up in bed together.

She wasn't sure who had made the first move, only that they had suddenly been kissing fiercely, and she had suddenly been more turned on than she could ever remember being, needing him with an animalistic fury. Then they had begun tearing off each other's clothes in a desperate need to come together. His hands on her, hers on him, touching, caressing, kissing, crying out as they reached their peaks over and over again, using each other as an outlet for all their pent-up emotions.

No, this couldn't be. She would never do something like this, and she knew Zuko wouldn't either, so she couldn't even put the blame on him. It had been the alcohol, they had drunken too much and ended up doing something neither of them would ever do, and Katara hated herself for it. She would never have done this had she been in her right state of mind; the drinking and feeling lonely and emotional had been what led to this.

Hearing a gasp behind her, she turned to find that Zuko was awake now as well, and he was looking at her in pure shock and horror, the color draining from his face as the realization of what had happened began to register to him. Katara knew that a similar look was on her own face, but neither knew what to do about it.

As she stared at Zuko, at the covers around his waist, at his disheveled hair hanging above his eyes, at his exposed muscular chest, her memories went back to their activities from last night, and she felt her heart race and heat filled her cheeks as she remembered everything, every last vivid detail. By the gods, they had done so much together, so much to each other, things she had never even done with her husband, things she never thought she would do or had considered doing before.

She remembered how it had all felt, all the sensations brought to her body. Her level of enjoyment in the act only made it all the worse. As damning as what had happened between them last night had been, it had also been the most passionate and erotic night of her life as Zuko made her scream in pleasure more times than she could count, until they had both collapsed in exhaustion and then fallen into a drunken sleep, still connected as they savored the closeness. Aang may have been good as a lover, but he had never made her scream like that, or caused her eyes to roll into the back of her head as she lost all control the way Zuko had.

She pulled her mind from her memories as she felt desire race through her body at her thought process, and the shame came along with it. Why couldn't the alcohol have at least blocked out the memories of what happened? At least then the extent of her betrayal wouldn't stay with her. And as she returned her attention to Zuko, she saw in his eyes that he remembered everything as well. It wasn't just the realization of what they had done, he also remembered it all; it was written all over his face. She could see him recounting it in how his expression shifted as he replayed the night in his own head the way she had.

The look of guilt and rising lust she felt as she looked at him, which she could also see in his own golden gaze, reminded her that she was still standing naked in his room, completely exposed. She immediately covered up as best as she could with her hands. But upon realizing the futility of the attempt, she simply pulled on her outer robe to cover up her modesty before quickly gathering up her discarded clothes and fleeing his chambers without saying a single word to him.

Sneaking through the palace, she quickly returned to her assigned quarters, being very careful not to be seen by anyone, and praying to every deity and spirit there was that no one in the palace had heard her pleasured screams last night, or at the very least, if they did, they didn't realize or figure out that the cries of ecstasy coming from Zuko's chambers had come from her, and had instead been from a maid or concubine or something.

Fortunately, she somehow managed to sneak back to her room without being seen by anyone. She locked the door behind her, standing against it for several long minutes, almost as if she were afraid that Aang or someone else would come bursting through it and call her out on her infidelity. She knew that no one had entered her room since last night though, since, as a diplomat, she was not to be disturbed by anyone, so no one would even be aware that she hadn't spent the night in her room. That didn't stop the irrational fear of discovery from gripping her though.

She still couldn't believe this had happened, would never have thought herself capable of it, alcohol or no alcohol. What had she been thinking? No, she hadn't been thinking, she hadn't been thinking at all. Neither of them had been. Both she and Zuko had been completely wasted. This wasn't them, it wasn't. They would never betray Aang like this, never. It just wasn't in their nature.

When she finally managed to pull herself away from the door, she made her way into the adjacent bathroom, slipping into the tub that had been prepared the previous night and using the bath water to heal away any love bites, scratches, or other markings that decorated her flesh. She then spent the next hour or so practically scrubbing herself raw as she washed his scent from her body and tried to rid herself of the feeling of Zuko's hands and lips on her skin, of the feeling of him inside her, of the pleasure he brought her again and again throughout the night as their sweaty, entangled bodies moved in sync.

But while she was able to wash away the evidence of her betrayal, she couldn't erase the memories of what they had done. She could still see it in her mind; the two of the repeatedly coming together throughout the night and long into the morning. She reluctantly let her memories play out, needing to make sure she really was correctly remembering everything that happened last night. And as the events played out for her, she shut her eyes, seeing it all take place in her head as if it were happening all over again. She relived the night all over again, recalling all they had done. From the foreplay of when they first came together, to the end of their intimate sessions, it all came back to her.

Him on top of her as she raised her hips to meet his thrusts, her arms wrapped around him, holding him close as her back arched off the bed and she clawed at his own back, her legs wrapped around his back or simply flailing about. His hands on her breasts or hips as she sat astride him, her own hands resting on his hard chest, running over her own body, or gripping the headboard as she rode him in wild abandon, her loose hair flying about her in a brown curtain. Her sitting in his lap with her legs wrapped around him as she grinded their cores together, their sweaty bodies pressed tightly together as they embraced while passionately kissing. Him pounding into her from behind, his fingers digging into her hips as she pushed back against him while tearing at the bedsheets. Lying on their sides, spooning as they moved together, their heavy breathing, pleasured cries, and loud moans filling the room all the while, and then for them to do it all over again and again throughout the night.

A light whimper escaped her as she relived the night in a different state of mind. She hadn't just betrayed her marriage vows once, but multiple times throughout the night. Kissing, touching, tasting each other. His mouth on her, hers on him, their fingers interlocked, the two of them moving together as they moaned into each other's mouths. On the bed, on the floor, against the wall, at his desk, in the chair, on the couch, back to the bed again. Gods, they had practically christened the entire room. As if once hadn't been bad enough.

She never would have believed herself capable of such behavior with anyone other than her husband, but there was no shaking the reality of the situation. She could see it and feel it all as if it were happening again right now. She could recall the smell his sweat and the salty taste of his skin, feel his fingers and lips running over her skin as if he were touching her right now, hear both their pleasured moans as they panted in each other's ears.

As she felt lust coil in her stomach at the memories, she shook her head to dispel the erotic images, not wanting to relive anymore of that night, and she scrubbed even harder. Not once throughout her entire time in Zuko's bed had she even thought of Aang. He hadn't even entered her thoughts, and the right or wrongness of the situation hadn't even mattered to her in her current state of mind, or even occurred to her at all. She simply hadn't cared or even thought about any of that at the time. It had been hard enough to think straight in her drunken state, let alone while Zuko kissed every inch of her body, repeatedly bring her to climax with his hands, with his mouth, with his… No, she couldn't even think about it.

At the time, she hadn't considered that what she was doing was wrong, or that she shouldn't be doing this. She'd hardly been thinking at all, only feeling, getting lost in the sensation of his touches and kisses. Only now, when she could actually think rationally again, when she was no longer under the influence of the alcohol, of which she swore she would never touch again, did all this occur to her. Only now when it was too late to do anything about it did these things come to her.

But why, why did this have to happen to her? True, she found Zuko to be attractive, and they may have even shared some sparks, but so what? There was more to relationships and feelings than the chemistry the two of them shared. Perhaps in another time and place, they could have had something, been something, but she didn't love him the way she loved Aang. Aang was the one she loved and wanted to be with. But had she really just destroyed all that, thrown away her marriage, after a drunken mistake that meant nothing, where she didn't even consciously make the decision to be unfaithful?

It was too much to bear. Not just because of what this did to her, but because of what she knew this would do to Aang. This would devastate him. It wouldn't matter that she had been drunk out of her mind, drunker than she had ever been in her entire life, she had still cheated, and with Zuko of all people. The consequences of that were drastic. This would not only destroy her and Aang's life and marriage, but also their friendship with Zuko. And there was no telling how this would affect the nations' alliances if news ever got out.

She finally exited the bath some time later and crawled directly into bed, where she began to weep. She spent most of the day crying, trying to think back to the previous night to a point where she had been coherent enough to realize the extent of what she and Zuko were doing and how wrong it was so she could have put a stop to it. Yet she came up with nothing. There hadn't been a single instance where she had thought of Aang and his feelings, or that she should stop what was happening between her and Zuko. They had been trying to put all their troubles out of mind after all. It seemed the alcohol had helped with that, a little too well. There had been no thinking of anyone else or of how what they were doing would affect them, let alone the consequences that such a deed would have on their relationships.

Or maybe that wasn't been exactly true. She felt like there may have been one or two times when what was left of her rational mind realized that she shouldn't be doing what she was doing. But in her drunken state, she couldn't actually remember why, and the thought had quickly left her as she got lost in the sensation. And since Aang hadn't entered her mind, she hadn't been able to come up with a reason as to why they should stop or why it was wrong, so she had simply given into her desires. She was sure the same was true of Zuko.

And now, when it was too late to do anything about it, she was left with the guilt and shame of it all. Maybe this was the result of the connection the two of them had and the chemistry and unresolved sexual tension they shared finally coming out while they had been free of their inhibitions, coupled with the loneliness they both felt and their emotions running high, making them behave in ways they normally never would. She really couldn't say, nor did it matter; all that mattered was what had happened between them.

She didn't know how long she stayed in bed crying like that, but it must have been hours. She heard servants knock on her door a few times, but she ignored them, and they soon left. She felt as if she would never leave again when she heard another knock on the door, this time followed by Zuko's voice calling out to her, asking if they could talk.

She hadn't responded at first, not wanting to talk to him, feeling too ashamed and embarrassed to face him, to face anyone. But then she realized that he must be feeling the same way, maybe even worse; she did know how big he was about honor. Sleeping with his best friend's wife not only dishonored him, but her and Aang too, in the worst possible way. It must have taken him a great deal of courage to knock on her door like this.

Still, she kept him waiting for several more minutes before she finally worked up her own courage and extracted herself from the bed. She pulled on some fresh clothes, making sure she was completely covered, before opening the door. He was still out there waiting for her, also cleaned up, but looking just as miserable as she felt. They stared at each other for several long moments, not speaking, before Zuko finally found his voice and asked if he could come in. So she allowed him to enter, and they talked about what had happened.

Zuko blamed himself, despite the alcohol's involvement, feeling as if he had somehow seduced her at some point. Katara claimed that she was the one to the one at fault, feeling as if she had been the seducer, made worse since she was the one who was married, and therefore should have refused him even if what Zuko believed was true and he really had been the one to seduce her.

In any case, even though they both recalled the events of last night, neither of them could remember who made the first move, and therefore it was impossible to claim that either of them had been the one to seduced the other. Perhaps it had even been simultaneous, mutual thing where they had both moved at the same time, but each still blamed themself more than the other.

They spoke for a long time, but by the time they finished their discussion, they both felt reassured. The guilt and shame remained, it always would, but they felt a little better about the situation in general. They decided that it didn't mean anything, that it was just a stupid mistake that happened due to drinking too much and their emotions and feelings of loneliness running high. They would just forget about the whole thing and pretend it never happened. No one but them would ever know about it, and they intended to keep it that way.

Decision made, they parted as friends, friends with a dirty little secret between them. But it was for the best. There would be no reason to tell anyone. What would be the point? It was a drunken mistake that didn't mean anything and never would have happened under normal circumstances, and would never happen again. So why tell anyone and ruin both their lives because of a foolish mistake? It wouldn't lessen the guilt they felt, and would only serve to make it so they would no longer need to live with the burden of this secret. It would also bring more pain to themselves and to those they cared about. No, the burden of carrying this secret would just have to be their punishment for their betrayal.

If their secret were to become known, there was a good chance that Katara would lose her husband and be shunned by her family, friends, and even the Water Tribe as a whole. It would only hurt more people if this secret got out, whereas this way, only she and Zuko would have to suffer with their guilt.

What more, with Zuko being who he was, it would be a scandal like no other. The new Fire Lord, put on the throne after the Avatar took down the former Fire Lord, sleeping with the Avatar's wife. Scandalous would be an understatement. Zuko would likely lose all credibility, not to mention his standings and hard-earned trust with the other nations; the peace and trust was already shaky from being at war for so long. In fact, such a scandal could even start the war all over again. And Aang might not be so inclined to want peace with the Fire Nation this time around after Zuko betrayed him with his wife. In fact, he might very well lose control of himself and enter the Avatar State and attack Zuko himself in a fit of rage.

Yes, it would be best to keep silent about the whole thing and act like it never happened. It was in everyone's best interest; it was in the world's best interest. The two of them would just quietly live with the guilt of what they had done. It would be a well-deserved punishment, and it was one they both accepted. That would be the end of it.

A deep sigh escaped Katara as she continued to look at her children. If only that had been the end of it. But Fate, it seemed, had had decided to punish her further for her betrayal. And she was reminded of it every time she looked at her children. Each of them was a blessing, but there was also a dark cloud floating over them.

While her youngest son took after Aang, her daughter took after her. But Bumi, her other son, and oldest of her children, he took after another. She could see it each time she saw him, and it always reminded her of this cursed game she was playing. Two Truths And A Lie.

In the days that followed the intimate night she and Zuko had sworn to never bring up, the two of them had acted as if nothing had happened. And to everyone who saw them, it seemed as if nothing had changed. Still, it was awkward and uncomfortable being around each other, for obvious reasons. So she decided to return to the Southern Water Tribe alone once her business in the Fire Nation was complete rather than wait for Aang to come back.

It wouldn't be the first time she had returned home while Aang was away, so there was nothing suspicious about it. He would simply receive word when he returned to the Fire Nation of her departure, if he didn't hear about it prior to that, and then follow after her or meet her in the Southern Water Tribe. As far as anyone else was concerned, this would just be another one of those times. And once she and Aang were reunited, things could go back to normal, and they could resume trying to start a family again like nothing had happened.

At least, that had been her plan, but at the thought of her and Aang trying to have children ran through her head, another thought suddenly struck Katara cold, and her hand slowly went to her stomach as a horrible realization occurred to her. She immediately locked herself in her room on the ship and did a thorough examination of herself through the use of her Waterbending, and felt as if the world had dropped out from beneath her when she had finished.

She had found it, what she had been hoping to find each and every time she and Aang had tried for children, each and every time finding only disappointment. This time, however, this time when she had been hoping against hope to find nothing, this was the time when she finally found it, and it was devastating.

Upon making her discovery, she had fallen to the floor in dismay, unable to believe that this was happening to her. How could she have gotten herself in this situation? How could Fate be this cruel? What could she have possibly done to deserve this? Why, out of all the times she had tried to get pregnant, why was it that the one time she didn't want it to happen did it occur? How? Why?

Was she the butt of some cosmic joke? Did some spirit who held a grudge against the Aang for being the Avatar orchestrate this? Was there some evil deity intent on finding a way to make the war resume at work here who let this happen? Or was it simply since Zuko didn't suffer from the potency problem that Aang may have developed from being frozen for so long that nature had taken its natural course? Whatever the case, it had happened, and it just wasn't fair!

She knew beyond a shadow of doubt who the father was. Not just from the timing and the progress of conception, as short as it may have been, but also because she knew for a fact that the last time that she and Aang had tried that pregnancy had once again not occurred. She was always as thorough as possible in her examines when checking for pregnancy, and didn't stop until she was absolutely sure conception had not occurred, and she had been certain when she last checked while back in the Fire Nation, hence leading to her emotional breakdown. And there had only been one person she had been with since then. As if that weren't confirmation enough, the timing from when the deed had occurred to the state of her pregnancy was telling enough, matching up perfectly. There was truly no doubt about it, she was pregnant with Zuko's child.

The realization of what this meant was so devastating, and the catastrophe it could lead to if news got out was so great that Katara almost did the unthinkable. It was still very early after all, just a little over a week since conception had occurred. There were herbs she could take that would take care of the problem, possibly even her Waterbending if she used it right. Doing so would solve everything, and it would just be one more sin and one more secret that she would have to live with.

But no, she couldn't do it. This was different from taking some contraceptive herbs or brews or whatever to prevent conception. Regardless of how small it was, life had already begun, the process already at work. And no matter what the sins of its parents were, this new life was innocent. Perhaps it had been because she had been trying without success to conceive for so long that her decision biased, but even if that weren't the case, she just couldn't bring herself to cruelly snuff this small life out, no matter what the consequences were.

She couldn't tell anyone, she realized. Not a single soul, not ever. Not even Zuko. She realized what this meant, and felt as if the guilt of the entire world were on her shoulders. It had to be done though, for the good of the world, no matter how cruel or unfair it seemed.

And besides, blood connection wasn't everything. There was so much more to family than that. Ozai and Azula had proved beyond a shadow of doubt that blood didn't necessarily make one family, just as Iroh had proved that one did not have to be the biological parent of someone to be their father. And what of children who were adopted by people who weren't their biological parents, or families that formed through marriage? Yes, there was far more to family than blood ties.

She could do this, she decided. No, she had to do this. There was really no other choice, because the alternative would be catastrophic. It would cause a diplomatic and international incident. And not just for who the heir to the Fire Nation throne would be, but for the chaos such a scandal would cause across the nations. The world itself would revolt if they simply found out about the affair, but to discover that Fire Lord Zuko had actually fathered a child with the Avatar's wife? Katara shuddered at the thought of the consequences. It was just like how Aang had told that lie to the Gan Jin and Zhang tribes to end their conflict and maintain peace. Sometimes white lies were necessary for the greater good.

In any case, there really was no other choice in the matter, and Katara knew that doing what she would have to do would kill her inside. But the consequences of the alternative were unthinkable, and she couldn't bring herself to remove the problem from the equation. And so it was with a heavy heart that when Aang returned several days after she returned to the Southern Water Tribe that she put on her most forced smile and told him that she was with child.

The joy he had expressed made her feel like her heart had been ripped out of her chest, but she played the part of a happy expectant mother-to-be well. And, truthfully, despite the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy, she was happy to finally be having a child. If only it was actually from her husband. In any case, she told herself, Aang would be the father, in all the ways that actually mattered. Not tied by blood, true, but he would be the father in every other sense of the word, just like an adoptive parent was. She at least took solace in that.

Telling her family and friends was almost as hard as telling Aang, but at this point, she had acclimated to the role well. Besides, it wasn't like what she was saying was completely untrue; she and Aang were going to be parents. She was just hiding a very important detail from them, as well as the guilt that came with it. As far as everyone else knew, she had fallen pregnant before Aang had left when they were in the Fire Nation.

She suspected that Zuko knew, or at least may have guessed. After all, how could he not at least be suspicious? She had confided in him that she and Aang had been trying unsuccessfully to have children. And then, after the two of them had ended up in bed together, she suddenly and finally falls pregnant. It was too much of a coincidence.

But then again, maybe he didn't know. After all, despite the deep conversation they'd had that night, she hadn't actually told him that she had just checked and discovered that she and Aang had once again failed to conceive, triggering her breakdown. As far as he knew, she could have already been pregnant when they had been intimate. But be that as it may, she could tell that he did suspect that the child was his, and she feared that he would confront her about it.

Thankfully, he never did. She could tell he wanted to ask, but he kept the oath they had made to never speak of or even acknowledge what had happened that night, no matter what. Perhaps it was because he believed that she would come to him if his suspicions were true. However, she had a feeling that, once again, it was because of the way they knew and understood each other. He would respect her decision to not speak the truth, even to him, realizing how disastrous the consequences would be if anyone knew about it, and trusting her to make the right decision, and him being willing to accept that decision. He may even view him never getting confirmation as a punishment for his sins, to suffer the burden of not knowing, and to never be able to acknowledge the child as his own.

Whatever the case, whatever his reasons, he never broached the subject with her, allowing her to make that decision, and for that, she was grateful, as it made the burden a little easier for her, though it did nothing to lessen the guilt. It did, however, make things even more awkward between them than they already were, and put even more of a strain on their relationship.

Still, regardless of his suspicions, he played his part well, putting a smile on his face and congratulating both her and Aang. All the while, an unspoken question was present in his eyes, one she refused answer or even acknowledge. And he didn't press her on it, because he knew and understood her the way no one else did. That must have been pure hell for him, since he knew what it felt like to be abandoned by a parent.

Maybe, in a way, she was doing him a kindness in never telling him. If she did, it wouldn't change anything, as he could never acknowledge the child as his. At least in not knowing, she was granting him the benefit of the doubt of not knowing if he was actually abandoning his child. Or did that make it even crueler? She honestly didn't know.

Zuko wasn't the only problem though. There was also Toph to worry about. It was impossible to lie to the blind Earthbender since she could detect whenever someone was being dishonest through the vibration they emitted in the earth. So Katara chose her words very carefully when Toph was around, phrasing things in a way that would not make what she said a lie.

It worked, to an extent. Toph could obviously sense that something was off, be it in how Katara talked or acted around her, from whenever she sensed from her when she spoke of her pregnancy, or from whatever she picked up from Katara whenever Aang said something that contradicted to what Katara knew to be true. Fear that that Toph might discover the truth set her on edge, so she tried to keep away from her as much as possible.

Thankfully though, Toph never asked about it, either because it wasn't any of her business or because she knew there was an important reason behind what she was sensing from Katara's words and actions. Katara was glad for it, but it did make her wonder what Toph thought about her. It was, in fact, for this reason that Katara had no right to cast any judgement, let alone form an opinion, in regard to Toph, Suyin, and Suyin's father.

But whether her own suspicions regarding Sokka were true or not, she was the last person who had any right to judge the situation, not after what she did, even if it had been the result of a single drunken mistake and a lie meant to keep the peace. Though, once again, it did make Katara wonder if her theory was merely her projecting her own situation on Toph and her brother.

As if all that weren't bad enough, Katara's own opinion of herself was also drastically altered. In the past, she had always looked down on cheaters, viewing them as selfish and weak, the lowest of the low. To her, those people willingly chose a few minutes, maybe a few hours, of pleasure over their partner and the love they shared. Even if the affairs had been one-night stands that came as a result of being too drunk, it still didn't matter to her; she never could accept that as a reasonable excuse to betray one's partner.

But now that she was in such a situation herself, she could see that the situation wasn't always so black and white, nor was it always a matter of deciding to cheat or not. When the senses were impaired, you didn't always actually make such decisions consciously, and sometimes would just act on impulse without thought to the situation, becoming wrapped up in something you would ordinarily never do.

That was still no excuse to her though, which is why she now found herself embracing the philosophy that if you couldn't control yourself that you shouldn't indulge. She only wished that she had known that, and her own limitations, before losing control and making such a horrible mistake. But sometimes life and its experiences really were the cruelest of teachers.

As time went on and her pregnancy progressed, other worries began to make her realize that circumstances beyond her control might expose her lie. And those realizations haunted her on a daily basis. Some days it took everything she had to hold herself together, and any worry she did show she just played off as normal "first time becoming a parent" nerves, but the thoughts constantly plagued her.

What if the child took after Zuko? Yellow eyes were a common and well-known Fire Nation trait. Her lie would immediately be exposed if her child had Fire Nation colored eyes. Or what if it ended up be a Firebender? True, Aang was the Avatar, and thus could bend all four elements, but as far as Katara knew, any children of past Avatars who were benders were always that of the nation the Avatar was from, or their spouse. How would she explain giving birth to a child that could Firebend?

These thoughts kept Katara in constant turmoil as her pregnancy progressed further. She hid it well though, right up until the time came for her to deliver. It was the most terrifying moment of her life, for a number of reasons. Not just because she was about to become a mother, not just because she wanted her child to be born healthy, but because it could be the moment that caused her entire charade to blow up in her face, and what was meant to be one of the most joyful moments of her life could end up being the most tragic.

For a long time now, Katara still wondered how she could have let this happen to her. She had even entertained the idea that this might be some kind of divine punishment for giving in to Hama and allowing Bloodbending to become a thing. Even though she and others had taken steps to make such a horrible technique illegal, maybe it would have been better if, like with her infidelity, they had kept it a secret so the world would never know about it. It was because they had chosen not to keep silent about such a thing that, many years later, another Waterbender would attempt to learn and even master it, and then go on to train his sons in the art. Or maybe it was her punishment for having cheated on the Avatar, who housed a powerful spirit within him, that had caused her to invite the wrath of the gods.

All that had changed though when she finally held her son in her arms. And as her heart filled with love for him, she cursed her foolish brain for ever thinking something as horrible as her son being some kind of divine punishment. Regardless of who her son's father was, or the circumstances surrounding his conception, how could she have ever have thought that he was anything other than a blessing? Her son's conception wasn't some curse or divine judgement, it was merely nature taking its course, just like with any other; it had simply taken place at an unfortunate point in time.

Her foolish actions that night in the Fire Nation had been a horrible mistake on her part, of which both she and Zuko shared the blame, resulting in the creation of this new life. And yet he was beautiful. As much as she regretted that night, she could never regret this child. And if her sins and lies came to light because of him, then she would just have to deal with the consequences the best way she could.

But it seemed that the gods had decided to take mercy on her, or maybe reward her for her service in helping to stop the war. With somewhat dark skin, blue eyes, and a crop of brown hair, the baby seemed to take after her. So as long as he didn't start Firebending in the future, then her dirty little secret would remain just that. For all intents and purposes, Aang would be his father, and he would be the only father her son would ever know; Katara promised herself that. And as far as the world would know, as far as any family tree would display, Aang would be shown to be the father.

It was greatly reassuring to her when she saw her son's features, and she felt many of her concerns lift from her shoulders. The guilt still remained though. If anything, it only grew all the more, as she would need to continue living this lie. It was because of her guilt that she didn't object to the name Aang wanted to give her son. He wanted to name him Bumi, after his old childhood friend, the only person from his past who was still alive.

Katara, however, was not a fan of the name, nor of the person the name came from. The very eccentric Earth King may have been a good friend of Aang's back in the day, but neither she nor Sokka were very fond of him. After all, the old man had almost killed the two of them, or at the very least allowed her and her brother to legitimately believe that they were going to die, just for a laugh.

But while it may have been a joke to him, and then later to Aang, once he had realized that his old friend had never actually intended to hurt them, the experience had still been real for her and Sokka, who had actually thought that they were in danger. But after what she had done, she felt that she at least owed it to Aang to pick the name he wanted, even if she wasn't that fond of the name or the namesake, and so she reluctantly allowed her son to be named Bumi, pretending that she was happy with it.

As the years went by, both she and Aang kept a close eye on Bumi for any sign of him being a bender; both for a very different reason. Aang was hoping to discover that he was an Airbender, always attempting to get him to bend the air. Katara did the same, only for water, always terrified that she would see him produce flames instead.

Her fears were unfounded though, as it turned out that Bumi was a nonbender. This had greatly put her fears at ease. Two people who were benders having children who were nonbenders was pretty common. In fact, there were even theories that if two people of opposite elements, such as fire and water or earth and air, were to have children, that it actually increased the likelihood of them having a nonbender child; something about the two elements canceling each other out.

How credible that theory was, Katara wasn't sure, especially since pretty much all people of the different nations usually ended up with someone from the same nation. All that she knew was that Bumi was a nonbender, and it was a more than safe assumption that he would father other nonbenders if he ended up with a nonbending spouse. And should he end up with a spouse who was a bender, since he was a nonbender, their children would take after their bender parent since that element would be dominant over Bumi's nonbending nature.

It was extremely rare that a nonbender ever produced a bender child, with each generation of nonbenders drastically decreasing the chances more and more. Katara herself being a Waterbender despite having nonbender parents was practically a miracle. She supposed this was the best-case scenario if Bumi wasn't going to be a Waterbender. And as a mixed nation offspring and a nonbender, his chances of producing a bender child himself, be in Water or Fire, was all but nonexistent unless his spouse was a bender. And with this revelation, it seemed that her fear of discovery was finally put to rest.

Of course, with Bumi being a nonbender, it meant that Aang was still the last Airbender. And while their intimacy hadn't stopped since Bumi's birth, nor had Katara's attempts to provide Aang with a child that was actually his biologically, they began trying even harder for another child. Truthfully, they had never stopped trying, as the more Airbenders they could produce, the better. And finally, at long last, after years of trying, it happened. Katara fell pregnant once more, and this time she could honestly say that she and Aang were having a child.

Things were different this time around. They were easier. With no fear of having some terrible secret revealed, her pregnancy was much less stressful and much less terrifying. As far as everyone else knew, her lack of anxiety and stress throughout this pregnancy was due to her having had one child already. And since there was truth in that, she simply let everyone think that.

Even though he was still rather young, Bumi was happy and excited to become a big brother, and the thought of it brought a smile to her face, especially since Katara could say with truth that he would be a brother. It didn't matter that he would be a half-brother, he would still be tied to his sibling through blood. That would, in turn, also connect Bumi to Aang, which made Katara feel a little better about the situation and feel a little less guilty.

When the time came, she gave birth to a baby girl. Just as she had with Bumi, she wept with joy. Not just because she now had a daughter though, but also because she had finally been able to give Aang the child he wanted and deserved. Like with Bumi, her daughter seemed to take after her as well, with dark skin, darker than her brother's, and blue eyes and brown hair, they decided to name her Kya, after Katara's own mother.

More years passed, and Bumi and Kya grew. Her daughter began to take after her more and more. And one day, she revealed to have taken after Katara in more than just appearance. Kya, as it turned out, was a Waterbender. And while both Aang and Katara were proud and overjoyed to have another bender in the family, Katara could see that her husband was disappointed, having hoped that their daughter would end up being an Airbender.

So they kept trying. And as the saying went, third time's a charm. And a few years later, Katara fell pregnant again. This time she gave birth to another son, and they could see right away that he took after Aang. They named him Tenzin, and a few years after his birth, to Aang's immense delight, he revealed himself to be an Airbender.

That should have been it then. She and Aang had brought another Airbender into the world, and her secret affair was left in the past where it belonged, as if it never happened. There were still a few times where Katara feared that her secret might still be revealed in some way, like when all four of Tenzin's children ended up being Airbenders, suggesting that the Airbending ability ran strong in Aang's bloodline, making Katara worried that this would cast suspicion on Bumi being a nonbender.

She wondered if this was the case for all Avatars, as Avtar Roku and all his descendants were powerful Firebenders as well, with Bumi being the exception. Which then made her wonder if Roku's bloodline had simply become watered down enough to break the Firebending inheritance for Bumi to be a nonbender, or if the theory about parents with different bending elements having a much high chance of having a nonbender child were true. But since no study had ever been done on this, she never found out.

Her fears were all unfounded though, as no one ever questioned anything. And so life went on as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened. With the exception of the guilt that Katara still and always would carry, all should have been well in the world. Only it wasn't. And Katara learned that even if secrets were kept, they could still greatly impact one's life.

Things had never been the same between her and Zuko. Although they never acknowledged it, what had happened between them still hung over their heads, as did Zuko's suspicions of Bumi's conception, though he never did bring up the subject, no matter how much Katara could tell he wanted to. They pretended that everything was normal between them, to the point where they could actually believe it was. While they remained good friends, they saw each other less and less over the years, and not necessarily because of their duties, or because they lived in different nations.

The same was true for her and Toph. Out of fear of the blind Earthbender discovering the truth, Katara tried to avoid having contact with her. And while it was painful for Katara to isolate herself from two of her closest friends like this, she wasn't sure what else to do. Things became even more uncomfortable with the whole situation between Toph and her daughters due to Katara's suspicions, until eventually Toph withdrew from society almost entirely as her relationship with her daughters fell apart, and she went off to live on her own, rarely coming out of her chosen isolation.

It wasn't just her relationship with her friends that suffered. Katara's own life took a drastic turn, one she never thought it would head in, and it wasn't because of motherhood. That night with Zuko had changed her significantly, and not just because he had gotten her pregnant.

When she was younger, Katara had loved going off on adventures with Aang. She loved flying around on Appa, helping people, making the world a better place, doing what she could for others. She practically lived for it, loving the adventure and being able to aid those in need.

No longer though. After what happened with Zuko, she lost a great deal of confidence in herself, in her judgement, and her decision making. For a long time, she didn't know if she could trust herself, or if she had the right to judge anyone or give advice to anyone when it came to morality or right and wrong. How could she after having committed such a horrible betrayal? Even if her reasoning and thinking had been impaired at the time.

She ended up withdrawing and becoming much more reserved. Where she once took an active part in the nations' diplomacies, be it as the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, or as the Avatar's wife, or as war hero who helped take down Azula and put Zuko on the throne, her involvement became practically nonexistent. It even reached the point where her involvement in ending the war was hardly talked about outside of her close circle of friends. And when her husband, brother, and friends went on to found Republic City, she had little to no involvement in that as well, getting only a fraction of the recognition the others received. In fact, she had such little involvement with the events of the world in comparison to the others that she became the only member of the old team who didn't get a statue of her built.

She didn't mind too much. After all, she had contributed to the war, not because she wanted recognition, but because it had been what was right. And in a strange, twisted way, she viewed this as another suitable punishment for her sins and all the secrets and lies she told to keep them hidden. She didn't deserve the honor and praise after what she did to Aang, and for what she was covering up. She felt it was well-deserved punishment for her not to have her good deeds and contributions completely recognized worldwide in light of the betrayal she kept hidden, like some kind of poetic and ironic justice. If her sins were never to be made known, then why should her good deeds?

She wasn't the only one being punished for her actions though. Zuko was being punished as well for his betrayal. While he got the recognition for his contribution and good deeds, he would always be left wondering if he was Bumi's father, never having that burning question answered, and never getting to be with Bumi as his father, or even acknowledge him as his son. And while Katara had no desire to have Zuko suffer like this for what was a drunken mistake that he too would never have done otherwise, it seemed that this would be his punishment.

But even that didn't seem to be enough. After what had happened, Katara pretty much lost her sense of adventure. While she and Aang would have been perfectly capable of taking their children with them as they flew around the world, which actually probably would have been very beneficial and educational for their little ones, Katara had fully embraced the philosophy that if you couldn't control yourself, you shouldn't indulge.

What happened with her and Zuko was, to her, proof that she couldn't control herself, which also contributed to her distancing herself from not only him, but the adventurous lifestyle. As much as she hated to admit it, that night with him had been the most pleasurable night of her life, and it was one she could never forget. Every touch, every caress, every kiss, it was all permanently burned into her memory. That was proof to her that she couldn't handle temptation.

So she avoided it in all forms, and that included going out into the world, not wanting to get involved in something else she couldn't handle and make another horrible mistake. Even if she swore off alcohol completely, she still feared that she may succumb to some other form of temptation a daring or adventurous lifestyle might throw her way. She had typically always been against being reckless anyway, and what had happened to her only proved that she was right to think that way.

Thus, she cut out as much excitement and adventure from her life as she could so she wouldn't be tempted by anything, leading a rather mundane life and essentially getting reduced to the Avatar's babymaker and a stay-at-home mom. As much as she loved her children and wanted to be there with them, she also knew that she could have gone on to do so much more with her life and achieve many great things beyond what she was limiting herself to.

But she chose not to, not wanting to make another horrible mistake, and instead she stayed at the Southern Water Tribe, raising the kids, while it seemed like everyone else was off doing great things in the world. After all, she saw what being adventurous and daring had led her to doing. A life full of excitement and adventure would apparently only lead to trouble for her based on her past experiences, so it was best to avoid it altogether. That was the safest option in her mind.

Even her Waterbending suffered. Where she was once a master Waterbender, learning many techniques and standing amongst the best of the best, even proving herself to be such an adept fighter that she had actually been the one to defeat Azula, who was a Firebending prodigy, she more or less threw all of that talent away. As she put her adventurous lifestyle behind her, she also left behind many of the finer points of being a Waterbender.

Only her daughter, whom she taught all that she knew to, and a small handful of other students she trained, got to see her true talent as a Waterbending master, as she instead focused her bending on becoming a great healer. And she was good at it too, making a real name for herself in that area, even becoming known as the greatest Waterbending healer in the entire world.

It was funny though, as she thought back to when she was younger, at how she fought against the sexist and stereotypical belief of her people that female Waterbenders could and should only be healers. She had quite literally fought for the right to use her Waterbending for more than healing, trying so desperately to prove that she was capable and worthy of being more than just a healer, and even accomplishing her goal, changing the minds of the Northern Water Tribe elders.

The irony was not lost on her that after all her struggles to show that she could use her Waterbending for more than just healing that, in the end, she became best and most known for being a skilled healer. She could have done so much more with her life and skills though, teaching other generations, boys and girls alike across the nations, how to be master Waterbenders, or simply teach the art itself to all those who wished to know it, even if they weren't Waterbenders, but she no longer felt that she was worthy of such a position in light of her sins and deception, and so she instead stuck to teaching healing and the basic skills to all but a select few students.

Alas, if only that's where things could have ended. If she alone could pay the price for her sins, she could have been satisfied with that. It seemed though, that that would not be the case. The son would pay for the sins of the father, as the saying went. Or in this case, the mother and father. And her children had indeed suffered for her sins, which only added to her guilt.

She tried to be the best parent she could be, really she did. She tried not to let the circumstances of Bumi's conception affect things, but there was no helping it. It seemed that there was a subconscious affect on her attitude towards him. Whenever she saw him, she saw traces of Zuko in him, and that brought up the memories of that night, and the guilt that went with it. As a result, it made her feel awkward and uncomfortable around him, and she hated that, but didn't know how to change it.

She tried acting normal around him, to treat him no different than she did Kya or Tenzin, but she knew that he could tell that something was off, and she feared that he would think that she loved him less than she did his brother and sister, which couldn't be further from the truth. Even so, she would realize in hindsight that there were often times where she would end up neglecting her eldest son.

Initially, when Bumi proved to be a nonbender, she had thought that her fear of her secret getting out would finally be put to rest, although it always lingered in the back of her mind. But as Bumi got older, and his features became more defined with his body's development and maturity, she couldn't help but notice that he looked more and more Fire Nation. And while her own genes in him helped to cover up Zuko's, she could still see bits of her one-time lover in him.

She could see it in his appearance. He had the same lines in his face, in the creases in his forehead, in his nose that was shaped similarly to Zuko's, in his jaw that looked nothing like Aang but more like Zuko, and more Fire than Air or Water. His eyebrows, shaped just like Zuko's and nothing like hers or Aang's. His hair that grew out looked more like Zuko's, especially in the front, and nothing like Aang's when he had hair. Not to mention his facial hair, that was not only very similar to Zuko's beard, but almost identical to how many Fire Nation men's facial hair grew, the likes of Iroh, Zhao, and Sozin coming to mind. And the older Bumi got, the more his features mirrored Zuko as an adult, and Fire Nation in general, with a few Water Tribe features thrown in. Skin lighter darker than Tenzin but lighter than Kya, a shade leaning more towards the Fire Nation's skin tone, only slightly darker. And the older he got, the more he continued to look like the Fire Lord.

But it wasn't just in how much Bumi looked like Zuko, but in how much he didn't look like Aang, or simply how much more he looked Fire Nation compared to Air Nomad or even Water Tribe. In fact, Bumi looked nothing like those of the Air Nomad race at all. Aside from his blue eyes, somewhat darker skin, and brown hair, darker than Katara's own, he looked almost completely Fire Nation. And it wasn't just his physical appearance that separated Bumi from the rest of his family. His mind also worked very different from his sister and brother, making him stand out from them on an even deeper level rather than just what was on the surface.

If Katara were honest with herself, she couldn't understand how other people didn't see these traits in her eldest son. If you knew what to look for, it was very evident that Bumi was part Fire Nation. If someone who didn't know who she, Aang, and Zuko were had been told to identify who Bumi was the child of, she had no doubt that he would be identified as Zuko's. He looked far more like the Fire Lord than Aang, than even her, or at the very least he looked Fire Nation mixed with some Water Tribe. If anyone who didn't know him were asked which of the four nations he belonged to, they would undoubtedly say Fire Nation.

Katara was sure that had it not been for their family's fame, of practically everyone in the world knowing who each and every one of them were since her children were infants, that anyone meeting Bumi for the first time would think that he was Fire Nation. But since everyone knew that he was her son, and they all knew that she was the wife of the Avatar, they couldn't possibly even entertain the thought that Bumi was fathered by someone other than Aang, even when the evidence was quite literally in front of them. After all, Aang was the Avatar. Who could possibly be a better partner than him? Why would she ever want to cheat on him with someone else? Most of the public even seemed to think that theirs was some fairytale, perfect family, when the truth was far from it, even excluding Katara's secrets and sins.

She wasn't the only problem either. Aang was contributing his own share of negativity, even more so than her. Far more than her actually. It wasn't that he was a bad father, not exactly, and he loved all three of their kids, but he made many mistakes that contributed to the dysfunctionality of their family, which made them far from the picture perfect one the public seemed to think that they were.

The primary problem was the neglect he showed to his kids. Being the Avatar, even though he was now a father, he was still constantly called away from home to fulfill his duties. And while that was not his fault, it was when he was home that the real issue arose, as he greatly neglected both Bumi and Kya, often paying little attention to them while giving all his attention to Tenzin, whom he very openly favored.

Katara could understand why. After her husband, Tenzin was the only other Airbender in the world, and it didn't look like they would be having any more children; three was more than enough, especially since Aang was away so much, and producing children was already hard enough for them as it was. So it made sense that Aang would want to pass on all the teachings and culture of his people to his youngest son, and place all his hopes and dreams in him.

But still, it wasn't right that he showed clear favoritism to one of their children and spent practically all his free time with him while pretty much ignoring the other two. Katara's parents had never shown favor or preference for her or Sokka, not even with the different roles gender played in their culture, and they certainly never neglected either of them or treated either of them as less or anything other than equals.

It was a great concern of Katara's. She recalled how Azula was said to have been praised and openly favored all the time, compared to Zuko who was always ignored or put down by his father, and she knew how such treatment had contributed in tearing the royal family apart. True, this situation was completely different, as Aang never mistreated Kya or Bumi, nor was he cruel or abusive towards them, as had been the case with Zuko, but being neglectful or showing favoritism was a cruelty in its own right, especially when quite literally everyone in the world knew where your children stood in your eyes.

It wasn't easy for Tenzin either. While he didn't face neglect or a lack of attention from his father the way his siblings did, Aang was putting far too much pressure on him. Katara could see it, and she could tell that it was having an impact on their youngest son. Again, while she could understand Aang wanting to pass on all that he could of his people's culture, he was almost taking control of Tenzin's life, putting all his hopes and dreams into him and pressuring him into being the person Aang wanted him to be while burdening him with everything Aang wanted him to do. That in itself wasn't good for a child either, and came with its own set of problems.

Katara could see how it was affecting her children, and it broke her heart. Both Kya and Bumi began to grow jealous and resentful of their brother with the way Aang neglected them while giving all his attention to who was clearly their father's favorite child. Katara tried to explain to them that he simply didn't want his people's teachings and way of life to die out, and she could tell that they understood that, but that didn't stop the feelings of envy and jealousy they felt for basically stealing all their father's time and attention.

Their resentment wasn't just for Tenzin though, but for Aang as well; possibly for him especially since it was him who was treating them all this way. After all, even though they weren't Airbenders, there was nothing stopping Aang from sharing his culture with them as well; not all Air Nomads were actually Airbenders after all. In fact, Aang even had his followers of Air Acolytes, so why not include Kya and Bumi? Bumi especially since he didn't have any form of bending, unlike Kya. But even if he had, it may not have mattered, since Bumi himself had admitted at one point that he never felt any connection to his Aang's people.

And Tenzin was dealing with his own feelings of strife regarding his father and siblings. While Kya and Bumi were jealous and envious of the attention he was receiving from their father, he felt the same towards them for the much easier and more carefree lifestyles they had. They weren't burdened with carrying an entire culture on their shoulders, or living up to all their father's hopes and dreams the way he was. It wasn't an easy life, and it came with very high expectations.

While he got along very well with his father and greatly respected him, there were still unspoken feelings of resentment that were hidden deep beneath the surface from all the pressure. This stirred up his own feelings of resentment towards his father for constantly pressuring him, but these feelings were overshadowed by his love and admiration for his father, not to mention his desire to please him. Instead, these feelings were directed more towards his siblings for not having to carry such a burden, or anyone who ever spoke negatively about his father.

And so, all three children gained further resentment towards each other for taking what the other had for granted; Tenzin for his siblings not appreciating their freedom of his burden, and Kya and Bumi for their brother taking their father from them and not appreciating the time and attention he received. These feelings came out in different ways, through different outlets, but they still impacted their lives and relationship in different ways.

Of course, they all still loved and respected each other, and they loved and admired their father as well, but the problems and resentful feelings they had towards each other and towards their father were still there. And while their family was overall a happy one, the negative feelings they held towards each other and the dysfunctionality those feelings caused were ever present. That resentment had stayed with them for years and years, carrying into their adulthood, even though it had never been discussed until recently, where Tenzin actually apologized to his siblings on behalf of their father.

More times than she could remember, Katara had wanted to speak to Aang about what he was doing to their children and how he was treating them, even if it was unintentionally, but she never did. This had been a problem in their relationship even before the night she constantly tried to forget about, going as far back to when they were kids before they were even together.

Katara had a motherly nature. And when it came to Aang, she had a very bad habit of constantly coddling and babying him, even when it went against his best interest. She didn't mean to, and perhaps it was his childish nature not meshing well with her nurturing nature that caused her to constantly mother him like this. She just wanted him to be happy all the time, especially with all that he lost and how hard his life was as the Avatar.

As one could predict, that kind of a relationship did not go over well, and was, admittedly, one of the ways she and Aang were mismatched as a couple. But no one was perfect, and all couples had their problems. They were simply meant to work through those problems, just as her own parents did. But this was one issue that was never addressed, and so was never overcome.

It was a classic case of Katara always giving Aang what he wanted instead of what he needed. And whenever she thought about it, she couldn't help but think back to when Aang first started learning Earthbending, and how he had found it to be rather difficult. Prior to that, he had learned both Airbending and Waterbending through constant praise, encouragement, and pleasantness. But Toph had told him that Earthbending couldn't be learned that way.

He hadn't listened though, just as he hadn't listened to Jeong Jeong when he first tried to learn Firebending. He wanted the coddling and praise Katara and his Airbending teachers had given him over the hard and direct way Toph insisted was the only way to learn, claiming that it was a harsh and demanding element, and you had to face it head-on in order to master it.

Aang had rejected this notion for quite a while, wanting an easier and more pleasant way of learning, and Katara had pushed for that as well, wanting him to be happy and not face any additional hardships, regardless of what Toph said. She had been wrong though, as had Aang, and his attempts to learn Earthbending only resulted in failure. It was only when he accepted the harshness of his teachings, rather than the soft coddling he was used to and wanted, before he finally started getting results.

A similar thing had happened during his early stages of Waterbending training under Pakku's harsher teachings. He had chosen not to take his teachings seriously, preferring to goof off and laze around, despite the urgency of him needing to learn it quickly with the war going on, but Katara hadn't said anything to him back then either. This had gone on for so long that she herself managed to become a master Waterbender while he remained a rookie, despite initially showing greater potential than her, and she ended up becoming his teacher later. It seemed that even then, she had always prioritized his feelings and making sure he was happy over what needed really to be addressed, even when it was a serious matter.

Sometimes, if not often, you had to face things head-on and not have them be sugarcoated or ignored, even if that meant facing some strife, because it was the only way to grow as a person and move past certain problems. But Katara could see that neither she nor Aang had learned that lesson, even after all these years. Aang still wanted to be coddled, and Katara still constantly mothered him and always wanted him to be happy.

She often wondered if that was the biggest reason why he never really grew up, because he didn't have to with her in his life to be the adult for both of them. While it was true that he no longer ran from a fight and took his duties and responsibilities as the Avatar seriously, he was still a kid at heart; a little too much of a kid at heart. And while she was glad that he had maintained his innocence after everything he went through, at times she wished he left behind his childish ways and acted like the adult he was instead of a little kid, even if she did find that part of him endearing.

But there was another reason why she never addressed his treatment of their kids other than her wanting to constantly maintain his happiness. She felt like she didn't have the right. Not after she betrayed him, not after lying to him for all these years. What right did she have to criticize or judge him, even when it came to how they raised their children, after what she did?

She had been unfaithful, even if it had been only once, even if she hadn't been in the right state of mind, and so had no business to speak out against Aang in such a way when it came to their family, especially in light of what she had led him to believe about Bumi. Did a liar and a cheater really have any say on morality, let alone get to judge the right or wrong way of going about things? Any faults or flaws Aang had or things he was doing wrong could be laid at her feet in comparison to her own misdeeds.

She instead tried to fill in for Aang's neglect. When he was around and giving all his attention to Tenzin, she tried to give hers to Kya and Bumi. It came easy for her and Kya since they were both Waterbenders, giving them something to bond over, but with Bumi, it was more difficult, especially in light of the discomfort she felt when around him. And when Aang was away, she treated all three of them the same, but when he was around and taking Tenzin under his wing, she wasn't sure what to do to fill in the void of their father's neglect other than focus on her daughter's Waterbending.

And Bumi, poor Bumi. Katara's heart truly went out to him, but she didn't know what else to do. She could tell that he felt like an outcast, the black koala-sheep of the family, and that he likely chalked it up to him not being a bender, even feeling guilty for not being an Airbender. Katara would tell him that this wasn't the case, that both she and Aang loved him dearly, even if he couldn't bend. But no matter how many times she assured him of this, she wasn't sure if he believed her.

Sometimes though, she wondered if there was more to it than that. That maybe he could sense, on some subconscious or instinctual level, that he was different from his brother and sister, although he would never guess as to why. She dismissed this as her own fears foolish affecting her line of thought, and so tried to put them out of mind.

She could see the way his mind was working though. In his eyes, Tenzin was their father's favorite for his Airbending, and Kya had her Waterbending to bond with their mother over. But he had nothing. He was just Bumi, no one special. This only fed into his resentment towards his siblings. And while it wasn't as strong towards Kya as it was towards Tenzin, it was still there.

While Katara still gave Bumi as much love and attention as she could, and all three got the same amount from her while Aang was away, it was when he was around that Bumi was really left out. He still got attention from his mother, but it was his father he really wanted acknowledgment from in light of the neglect he suffered, and so he began acting up to get his attention. Not in a bad way by misbehaving, rather, he began acting more like Aang, imitating his behavior and mannerisms by behaving erratic, immature, and attention seeking, just trying to be like him, just to get his recognition and attention. Because of this, he was a rather wild and rambunctious child, always trying to prove himself in some way.

This behavior eventually became natural and second nature to Bumi. As a result, he ended up with a rather childish and immature personality when he grew up, very much like Aang. It saddened Katara to think that her son ended up like this due to some desperate attempt to get Aang's attention, but at the same time, a selfish part of her saw it as a way to hide Bumi's true parentage with the way he took after Aang behavior-wise, even though she knew that personality and behavior were not things passed down from parent to child, and instead had to do with the environment one grew up in and how they were raised. But it did, at the very least, help Katara see him more as Aang's son in the way it actually mattered. Though she did often wonder how he would have turned out if he didn't grow up trying to imitate Aang or trying to prove himself to him.

It was ultimately a failed attempt anyway, as Bumi never did get the recognition and attention he wanted from Aang, no matter how much like him he ended up becoming behavior and personality-wise. And it seemed that he eventually realized that he would never get the attention from his father that he craved. So when he was old enough, he chose his own path, seeking a different kind of recognition. He ended up joining the United Forces for the United Republic of Nations, choosing to stand on his own two feet and make a name for himself away from the family he never seemed to truly feel a part of.

Katara had very mixed feelings about the path her son had chosen. While she wanted him to be his own person, she hoped he was really doing this for himself, because it was what he wanted, and not because he had been driven to it or felt that he needed to do this to find something he was looking for, something his family hadn't been able to give him. And while she did know that part of the reason for his decision was to gain recognition in his father's eyes, just like before, Katara found herself unable to breech the subject with Aang. Not just because she didn't want him to feel like he was a failure of a father, which he was not, despite his mistakes, but because she knew that his sins paled in comparison to her own, and she had no right to call him out on his while hiding hers.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not too surprisingly, Zuko stepped in to help Bumi along, helping him to get a place and ranking in the military by pulling some strings with his position as Fire Lord; the United Forces was primarily made up of Fire Nation after all since they were well-known for their soldiers, as anyone who lived through the 100 Year War would well remember. And Bumi ended up becoming a commander of the Second Division of the United Forces

No one questioned anything though, for as far as anyone knew, Bumi was the son of the Avatar, and receiving the Fire Lord's approval only confirmed it all the more that Bumi, despite his childishness and eccentricities, was worthy of his position. And while Katara was proud of her son and believed that he his position was well earned, especially since he proved his capabilities time and again during his career, she largely suspected that Zuko had aided Bumi so much in rising in the ranks because of his own suspicions that Bumi was his son. Which made Katara wonder if he no longer just suspected and actually knew it. Did he see his own features in his son the way Katara did? Did he notice how much Bumi looked Fire Nation with some Water Tribe traits mixed in? If so, he never voiced anything to her, staying true to their promise they had made all those years ago.

Perhaps giving Bumi this position of power was his way of being as close as he could to his son and to provide for him in some way as his father since he couldn't do so in any other way. And while this did make Katara a little nervous, she trusted Zuko. Although she did almost have a heart attack at one point when Aang made a joke of how maybe Bumi and Zuko's daughter, Izumi, might end up together one day when Tenzin and Lin started dating, and then they would all be one big family.

Similar to the way Bumi tried to imitate Aang, Kya tried to imitate Bumi, as many younger siblings tended to do, also becoming rather rambunctious, though not quite to his extent, and she eventually outgrew such behavior. As one of the few people Katara taught the full extent of her Waterbending abilities to, Kya become a very powerful and experienced Waterbender as well. And while she was also educated a little on Air Nomad culture, it was nowhere near Tenzin's level, nor did she receive the kind of attention she wanted from Aang, resulting in her silent resentment of him for his neglect.

It wasn't just her father that was the problem though. Both she and Bumi didn't receive a fraction of the respect Tenzin got for being an Airbender, particularly from Aang's Air Acolytes, who practically worshipped him, some of which even viewed her and Bumi as disappointments for not being Airbenders. And sometimes she wondered if her father was disappointed in them as well for the same reason. In fact, later on in life, both she and Bumi discovered that the Air Acolytes they met during Korra's time as the Avatar hadn't even known that Aang and Katara had other children. They had actually thought that everyone the world over knew who the children of the Avatar were.

This was not only insulting for obvious reasons, but also because the same way Bumi had made a name for himself in the United Forces, Kya had made her own name for herself. Upon realizing her sexual orientation, she had gone out into the world to "find herself", despite the support she got from her family. She took her mother's teachings with her, becoming known as a highly-skilled healer in her own right as she traveled around helping others, much the way Katara had once used to. But the fact that these Air Acolytes, who were devote followers of Aang, didn't even know of her and Bumi, and actually thought that they were servants, almost seemed to confirm that they didn't matter, or were somehow less since they weren't Airbenders, which only caused further strife in their family.

As for Tenzin, while he didn't face the neglect from his father or face the disrespect that his siblings suffered from, he had his own share of problems. Not just from the pressures of trying to live up to his father's expectations and carrying on the Air Nomad culture, but also because of the resentment from his siblings. While sibling teasing was a common thing, both Bumi and Kya's resentment towards their brother came out in their teasing, which often led to actual bickering amongst them that had deeper meaning beyond common sibling squabbling.

This in turn caused Tenzin to have his own frustrations. And the accumulation of his resentments became misdirected into the frustration he already felt at not having earned his arrows yet, which was likely due to all the pressure he felt. It eventually resulted in him attacking some vandals who had been defacing the Airbending gates on Air Temple Island, at which point he had been arrested for fighting in public. The situation was eventually resolved with the help of Aang and Toph, but it had been an eye-opening event for Tenzin that helped him resolve many of his issues.

But unlike his siblings, he didn't carry anywhere as near as much resentment as they did, and he had gotten the recognition and attention he wanted from his father. As a result, when things began coming together for him with his teachings, he was able to let go many of his grudges, all while not realizing the extent of his siblings' resentment. And so, for many years, these issues were never addressed, silently bubbling beneath the surface amongst the siblings.

And then Aang died. Not only did he die, he died far younger than he should have lived at a mere 66 years of age. It was apparently a result of him having been frozen for so long, the unnatural process affecting his body and draining his inherent life energy. They had known it was coming, seeing the strain it was taking on his body along his failing health, but that hadn't made it any easier. Aang, it seemed, had accepted that he wouldn't live a full life, taking it as part of some kind of punishment for abandoning his duties as the Avatar for so long in his younger days and letting the Fire Nation wage a war on the world for the last 100 years.

Hearing him say that had nearly destroyed Katara. She had told him that that wasn't true, that he didn't deserve this. That he had just been foolish and careless and made a stupid mistake he never intended to have happen. Yet even as she told him this, she couldn't help but look back at her own life and her own mistakes. Hadn't she also done something stupid and carless in her youth, resulting in her making a terrible mistake she never intended to have happened that shaped her life and the lives of her children?

Just as Aang hadn't meant to abandon the world, that there had been circumstances out of his control, she hadn't meant to betray him, and there had been circumstances that had influenced her situation and behavior as well. True, their situation wasn't the same, but there were similarities, and they were both as sorry as possible that it had happened, even though they could never change the past. Yet she had been punishing herself for all these years for what she did.

She was still punishing herself, even all this time after Aang's death. It was part of the reason she had never remarried, or even considered taking another husband. When she lost Aang, she had only been 68, she still had many years left in her. That was a long time to be alone, and she still was, even now at 89 years of age. True, she was no spring possum-chicken anymore, but even her Gran-Gran had gotten remarried at 80 years old to the equally elderly Pakku. There was nothing stopping her from seeking out a new spouse, even if simply for companionship purposes.

Only there was. And it was for herself. The sins of her past continued to haunt her, they always would. How could she take another husband with the knowledge that she had been unfaithful to her first, even if it had been unintentional? She was a cheater, an adulteress, she was dirty, disloyal, without honor when it came to fidelity. These were the thoughts that kept running through her head whenever she thought about it. It didn't matter to her that it had only been once, or that alcohol had been involved, her infidelity was an indisputable fact. How could she be worthy of a new husband after that, even if she found love again? She hadn't even been worthy of staying with Aang after her betrayal.

But more to the point, she couldn't bear the thought of being with another man after having been unfaithful. Since she had cheated on him once already, the idea of being intimate with someone else, even after Aang's death, felt too much like she was being disloyal to him again, like she was somehow betraying him a second time.

She knew that wasn't the case though. Aang was gone, and it was common, almost expected, that she would seek out a new spouse, even if, due to her position, it was strictly for political purposes. Or at the least it was thought that she would look for a new romantic partner, even if she never intended to get remarried, at least for the physical benefits of a relationship.

But whenever she considered it, she was reminded of that night with Zuko. Even to this day, she could still remember the feeling of his hands and mouth on her, of the feeling of him inside her, of her body pressed against his, of him touching her, of her touching him, of the pleasure they shared together that should have been exclusively reserved for her husband. She would remember all that, and the thought of being with someone else made her feel like she was considering cheating on Aang again, even though he was no longer here, as illogical as that sounded.

Still, she felt like she at least owed Aang this much. Since she hadn't been able to remain loyal to him in life, she could at least be loyal to him in death, to honor him, his memory, and their relationship in the way she had failed to when he was alive. She wanted this to be her kind of penance for her disloyalty, to show how much she loved and cared about him, and was so very sorry for all she had done.

So she put all thoughts of any other romances or relationships of any kind aside, and instead focused on teaching the new Avatar, a rather talented, if rowdy, young girl named Korra. And as she should have guessed, the public saw her refusal to get involved with anyone else, even for political alliance purposes, to be part of some grand, romantic fantasy they had concocted in their heads of her and Aang's relationship. But even though their relationship wasn't the epic love story that everyone seemed to think it was, she let them believe it; it was easier that way. And despite the problems they faced and the secrets she hid, they had been very happy together.

At times, she often wondered what he would think of her if he had found out what happened that night, not to mention everything that had followed. And now that he had passed on, had he found out? She didn't know all the ins and outs of the afterlife, which was actually a very different thing from the spirit world. Now that Aang was dead, did he gain insight and knowledge of things he hadn't known about in life since he was no longer bound to the living world and its limitations?

While the Avatar was reincarnated, a result of the ancient spirit of light and peace, Raava, attaching to the soul of the next person in the cycle meant to take up the position, that person was not Aang. He would, however, always remain connected to his successor, and any Avatars that followed. That included Korra. But Katara knew that she could never ask to speak to Aang through her about it, and so she was always left wondering.

Did he now know of her sins and lies? Would he understand why she had done it? Would he be able to practice what he preached of forgive and forget, just as he said she should do for her mother's murderer? She certainly hoped so. But if he couldn't, she would understand and accept his hypocrisy, as it would be well-earned. Having someone you love and trust was different from someone you didn't care about wrong you. She would just have to wait and see. And when they were finally reunited in death, she would beg for his forgiveness, and hope and pray that she would receive it. Until then, she would continue to stay loyal to him, even in light of his death.

She was also relieved that Zuko still kept his word of not saying anything of their night together, after Aang's death, not even to her. She had been worried that now that Aang was gone that he might broach the subject with her about Bumi's parentage. Thankfully, he never did, and she was immensely grateful, though she should have known better than to doubt him. And as horrible as it sounded, now that Aang was gone, her relationship with Zuko began to repair from the discomfort it had been facing now that the one they had betrayed was no longer present, and therefore the fear of him finding out was gone.

And then the miracle happened. After the Harmonic Convergence occurred, Airbending was reintroduced into the world by the spirits to restore the balance that had been lost when the Fire Nation wiped out the entire Air Nomad race over a century ago. Random nonbenders from all over the world were chosen by the spirits to receive the gift of Airbending. Regardless of their ethnicity or the nation they belonged to, hundreds, if not thousands of people, even those who never had even a single bender in their family tree, suddenly found themselves able to use what had almost become an extinct art. No longer were Tenzin and his children the last of the Airbenders. With not a single Airbender having been born in nearly two centuries, the only exception being Aang's son and grandchildren, suddenly having so many around was a blessing.

It seemed that there was no longer a fear of Aang's culture dying out, as it seemed that nearly everyone who was granted the ability to Airbend was willing to embrace their new abilities. It was such a joyous occasion for Katara, and she only wished that Aang was here to see it. She hoped he was bearing witness to it from the other side, or that he could at least see it through Korra's eyes when she entered the Avatar State, however that worked.

And perhaps best of all, Bumi had been amongst those the spirits had chosen to be gifted with Airbending. Was it by sheer coincidence, or had he been chosen specifically? Katara didn't know, nor did she care, as she saw the joy it brought her son, as if this truly meant that he had gained what he lacked to make himself have worth in Aang's eyes. This not only helped with Bumi's resentment towards his father, it also helped mend his relationship with his siblings, which they had, in fact, already been taking steps towards repairing after all these years.

Yes, there had been a great many things that had happened to Katara over the course of her long life. And with these newest developments, she felt that the sins of her past could finally be put to rest. And while she knew that she could still never tell her secrets to anyone, she wondered if perhaps she could finally find a way to forgive herself, just as she had tried to get Aang to forgive himself for his mistake of running away from his Avatar duties when he was a child, resulting in the 100 Year War. Maybe she really could truly leave the past in the past once and for all. Forgive herself for her sins, just as she forgave others, and move forward into a bright future. Perhaps she could finally be at peace with herself for her past mistakes.

And fixing her family was the first step. Like with Toph's family, things would never be perfect, but they could fix the biggest problems. And it seemed that her children were making progress after having finally opened up and begun talking about their issues rather than keeping their feelings bottled up. Their resentment was lifting and they were beginning to truly understand each other.

And best of all, with Bumi's new Airbending abilities, it seemed that he felt he had finally found a way to be visible in Aang's eyes, even though he was no longer with them. And with her children mending the tears in their relationship, many of which they themselves had caused, she could also mend the tears that she herself had contributed in making. It gave her hope that both she and Toph could resolve all their families' differences, even if certain truths never could be brought to light.

Letting out a deep sigh, Katara smiled at her children. Two Truths And A Lie. That may have been the life she had led, but there were definitely more truths than lies. She loved Aang with all her heart, that much was true. Aang was Bumi's father in all the ways that really mattered, that much was true as well. And despite all that had gone wrong in her life, all the hardships she had gone through, all the secrets and lies, all the problems she and her family had faced, even those of her own making, it had overall been a good life, a happy one as well. That would always be true, even if there were things she would do differently if she could, mistakes she would undo if possible, and regrets she would always have.

One of those regrets, however, was not Bumi. While she wished she could change the circumstances of his conception, and while she regretted lying to him, Aang, and everyone else, she could never regret having given birth to him or wish he had never entered her life. He was her beloved firstborn, and she loved him dearly. And no matter how many lies she told, no matter how much regret she had, no matter how much guilt she carried, that was never something she had to lie about.

And that was the truth.

THE END

(A/N: Well, that ends that. Like I said, it was going to be really dramatic. And just to make it clear, I do not condone or excuse cheating, regardless of the reasons behind it. And as I said at the beginning, this story is based on a theory I came across many years ago. As you could probably tell, the theory is that Katara and Zuko had an affair for some reason at some point, and Bumi is actually Zuko's son, which led to how and why many of the characters ended up the way they did and why, and it provided a bunch of evidence and explanations to back it up. When I first came across it and read what it was about, I kind of rolled my eyes and doubted it. I thought it was just some grumpy Zutara fan trying desperately to come up with a theory to make their ship canon, but that clearly wasn't the case, it was a legit theory, and it actually didn't make Zutara canon, but rather painted a rather tragic picture if you think about it. I was even opposed to the theory when I began reading it, but as I read through, and it explained things and laid everything out with explanations and evidence, it slowly made more and more sense, to the extent that I couldn't believe just how much it made sense, and how it explained so many things about the characters and how they changed between ATLA and LoK and why. The theory provided several scenarios as to how the affair occurred, some of them keeping it a one-night stand, others making it a single drunken night like in this story, others making the affair an on-going thing, and it explained the reason why behind the different scenarios and how they played out and how they affected the characters' lives and personalities, etc. I know I'm not explaining it well, and like I said, I wish I could post a link to the original theory so you can read it for yourself, but it seems like the post was deleted or something. I'll try and explain some of what I remember about the theory for the next chapter, but I know I'm not going to do the theory justice. As for all of you, I'd love to hear your thoughts. WARNING, if you're just going to angrily rant or being insulting, don't bother, because your reviews will be deleted without even being read. If you don't like the story, that's one thing, or if you have criticism, I'm fine with that. But if you're just some angry shipper who's going to throw a tantrum, don't even bother reviewing, because you'll just be wasting your time, as your review will be deleted once I realize what it is.)