Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender purely begins to Mike and Bryan. This is just my vain attempt to live past the series finale.
Summary: Building a new world is never easy. Years after the end of the war, one night between Zuko and Katara leads to the reveal of hidden truths and disrupts their plans of the peaceful lives they thought they'd have. Even when everything spins wild, they will always find each other. They could fight the entire Fire Nation together, but what are they willing to sacrifice when the other is on the line?
Last Time…
"Zuko, I promise you, you won't lose me."
Leaning back, Zuko looked her in the eye. He knew that was a promise that Katara couldn't keep, no matter how hard she tried. There was too much out of their control but her words triggered a comforting warmth to spread throughout his body nonetheless. Instead, he nodded and gently brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek.
"Zuko?"
"Hm?"
Katara reciprocated his gesture and cupped his cheek with one hand. "Stop worrying, please. We'll handle it one day at a time. You said you're mine… well I'm equally yours."
She leaned up to kiss him and between the feel of her soft lips against his and her affirming words, Zuko almost allowed himself to believe her.
Zuko pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. "Say it again," he murmured lowly, his voice low and pleading.
Katara instinctually knew what he was asking for and pressed her lips against his again. Then, she trailed her lips along his jaw as she slid her arms around Zuko's neck, pressing closer to him. When she looked up at him through her lashes, she watched how Zuko's lips parted and his gold eyes darkened. His hands tightened around her hips, dragging her into his body.
"I'm yours, Zuko."
A deep groan fell from Zuko's mouth and he lifted her into his arms. Instinctually, Katara wrapped her legs around his waist, hooking her ankles around his lower back while her arms looped around his neck. Without missing a beat, she ducked down to capture his lips as they moved through the house. Their kiss was tender, Zuko demanding no more than Katara was willing to offer. He showed her how much he wanted her while keeping himself restrained. Once he laid her on his bed, he was encouraged by the soft sounds she gasped between their lips.
Zuko quickly realized that being with Katara was easily becoming a new addiction, the swirl of emotions offering a heady buzz. The rush of their lips meeting, worry if she would reject him, pride when he made her brown skin turn a pretty shade of pink, absolute elation when she looked at him with a heavy-lidded smile so beautiful and happy that it could bring him to his knees.
They pulled apart and Zuko brushed his face against hers tenderly before he buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, nuzzling against the smooth skin of her neck. His arms burrowed beneath her to wrap tightly around her frame and he was careful not to put too much of his weight on her as he settled onto the bed. Katara placed one hand on the back of his head, cocooning him, while the other reached around his broad back as much as it could. She savored the comforting weight and heat of his body against hers.
"I'm here," she soothed reassuringly. "It'll be okay, Zuko."
She could feel his frustration in the tension in his neck, the way his shoulders nearly reached his ears. His body shuddered as he took a calming breath.
"What do you need from me?" she asked gently.
Another shudder wracked through Zuko's body, but she felt his warm breath as he exhaled sharply. Slowly, he leaned back to look down into her eyes. "This is everything I need. You at my side. I want…" his voice quieted.
Katara nodded compassionately at him, patient to let him finish his words.
"I want your help. I want you with me, but I'm still so scared that you'll get caught in the middle again. That my family will hurt you. Again." He sighed again and rolled away so that he lied on his back next to her, staring at the ceiling. "I'm scared that my anger is going to get the worst of me and I'll lash out and say something that will hurt you and I really don't want to do that. I never want to do that."
"You're doing incredibly well," Katara complimented encouragingly. "Zuko, I want to help but I can only help as far as you'll let me. I understand that you're scared for my safety, but if we weren't together, would you have asked for my help?"
"No," he said immediately. Then, he screwed his eyes shut and put his hands through his hair, pulling at the dark strands. "Maybe. Yes. Probably," Zuko finally allowed after a long moment of silence.
"Then, I think the logical conclusion is to let me help. I'm touched that you want to protect me so fiercely, but your judgment is being clouded. And I happen to think that you've shown excellent judgment in the last five years so I'd like for you to keep trusting your instinct as long as it's not skewed by your feelings for me. Easier said than done, I know."
Zuko frowned and insisted, "You know as well as I do that if you were in my place—"
Katara sighed and huffed, "I know, Zuko. That's why I said it's easier said than done."
Zuko turned his head at that, seeing how Katara had also turned onto her side, her head pillowed on her arm as she smiled softly at him, her blue eyes understanding. He shifted so that he could face her completely, too. "I asked my uncle to come to the Fire Nation to help me. He'll join me as soon as the Jasmine Dragon is prepared for his absence. You're going to go to Yu Dao in the morning, as planned."
"Oh, you're sending me away? Is this your way of asking me for help? "
A weak smirk on his face, Zuko countered, "I think I'm telling you, not asking. Because I know you'd never refuse someone who asked for your help. And the people of Yu Dao need your help more than I do, Katara. If we weren't together, would you be willing to choose me over them? Their needs are more urgent than mine. My father's threat is just that for now. If things escalate, I'll let you know as soon as I know."
Katara pursed her lips and allowed, "That's fair."
"I'll need you to ask Toph if she can make a trip to the Fire Nation. I'd like to have her with me as I talk to my father."
Arching a dark eyebrow at him, Katara asked, "So Toph is good enough to help you but not me?"
Zuko deadpanned, "Are you serious right now?"
Katara sniffed, "Of course. But I understand why Toph would be helpful to have instead of me. For now. I'll tell her as soon as I arrive in Yu Dao. My brother and Suki are still on Ember Island. I can send them a messenger hawk and—"
"Katara, it's okay. Let them have their honeymoon."
"If they find out that they were that close and you didn't clue them in, they'll be more insulted than bothered," she pointed out.
"I'll take your advice under consideration," he returned dryly. Zuko then opened his arms in clear invitation. "For now, I'd like to go to sleep."
"You know, five years ago, you would have been rushing back to the Fire Nation, hands blazing."
"Five years ago, I would have." Zuko huffed a small laugh. "Now, I'm Fire Lord and not a banished prince. And it's the last night I'll have with a beautiful woman who happens to be my best friend and favorite Waterbender. And I don't want to ruin it further than my father already has. Can we please just go to bed?"
Katara sat up. "Hold your ostrich horses. There's no way I can fall asleep in this dress and we've already wrinkled it enough."
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, giggling at the pout on Zuko's face as she did so, and removed her long bell sleeves, delicately folding the silky fabric and placing it on Zuko's nightstand before she began working at the ties that held her dress up, letting the silk fall until she was just left in her sarashi. She moved away to hang the dress in Zuko's wardrobe, not wanting it to wrinkle further when she heard rustling behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Zuko removing his boots and long sleeved shirt, leaving his chest bare. Katara's eyes grazed over his exposed skin appreciatively until they landed on his scar on his chest. She climbed back onto the bed and straight into his lap.
Zuko raised an eyebrow but let it happen, his hands settling at her hips. He looked at her bemusedly, but Katara could see the heat in his gaze, feel the way his body thrummed with excitement.
Katara grinned and repeated, "Hold your ostrich horses, Fire Lord. I thought you wanted to go to sleep."
"I might be convinced to hold off on sleep. Depending on the convincing."
Her smile grew. "I bet." Her expression grew pensive and her hands slid from his shoulders until they settled on the scar. "Does it cause you discomfort? I noticed when we spar that it pinks up— does it hurt afterwards?"
Zuko frowned in confusion from the change in topic. He lamely shrugged at her. "Not really. Just sometimes when I really exert myself. Not enough to really cause me any concern. Feels like regular muscle ache."
Katara narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and lightly dusted her fingertips over the scar on his eye. "And this one? Any discomfort?"
"Pain flares up more often," he revealed reluctantly. "Maybe sometimes when the weather changes, the skin gets tight and I get a little bit of an ache… sometimes a sharp pain that shoots through my head every now and then."
Humming to herself, Katara summoned water from the carafe of drinking water that the housekeeping staff kept fresh in their bedrooms. She gloved her hands in her element and looked up at Zuko through her lashes. "May I?"
Zuko nodded and watched as she lowered her hands to his chest first. "Katara, these scars are years old," he began.
"I'm aware."
"Then why—"
"Let me take care of you," she said simply. "I have the ability to do this much. The scars are old but it's likely the nerves regenerated improperly, which can cause that sharp pain you were describing. Since I healed your chest wound relatively quickly and provided aftercare while you healed, there shouldn't have been too much damage or improper regeneration. But your eye… the burn penetrated deeper into the skin and likely caused more severe nerve damage and it definitely didn't heal properly."
While she spoke, her brow furrowed as she concentrated, her eyes catching the light of her healing. Zuko felt the cooling sensation of her healing hands glide from his chest to his eye and he let out a small gasp. As she healed him, the constant ache and tension he hadn't realized was always there melted away. It didn't hurt quite as much to open his left eye and the skin felt looser, more flexible. Katara had a pleased smile on her face and Zuko knew that she could feel what she had done. She pulled back and her smile widened proudly.
"There. How does that feel?"
With a crooked grin, Zuko teased, "As if you don't know. I didn't even realize all of that pain was there. I was just used to living with it."
Katara's expression sobered and she cast away the water to lean down and she looked him in the eye. "You don't have to live with it anymore. Not while I'm around."
When she kissed him, it wasn't a tentative exploration or hurried, needy act of passion. It was sure, affirming, and present. Soon enough, steady hands pulled at her sarashi and at his pants until they were both bare, Zuko rolling them over so that he caged her within his arms, allowing him the chance to cover her body in gentle caresses and languorous kisses. Katara moaned as his mouth closed over one of her nipples, her back arching off of the bed and her legs hooking around his waist. When she grinded against him, Zuko groaned and let his eyes screw shut, shuddering as she reached between them to grasp him, stroking firmly with the perfect amount of pressure, having learned quickly from their previous times together.
"Two can play that game, little minx," Zuko warned.
"Zuko," she pleaded. "Please, I need you."
"What do you need, Katara?" Zuko asked, ignoring the way his own body ached. He continued to tease her, biting and kissing at her sensitive skin. "I need to hear it. What do you need from me?"
"I need you. I need— Spirits," she gasped as he licked along the inner crease of her left thigh, so close to where she wanted him.
"Come on, Katara. Just tell me," he crooned. Even though her eyes were closed, Katara could hear the smirk in his voice.
"Zuko, please touch me. Please make me yours," she begged, her voice high and breathy.
"Look at me."
Katara managed to open her eyes, her lids heavy. She saw the bright gold of his eyes as Zuko laid between her spread legs, his lips curved into a handsome smirk, just as she predicted.
"Don't you know that you're already mine? I'll need to show you again then, won't I? Make sure that you know for certain," he said lowly, his voice warm and husky, sending shivers down her spine.
"Yes," Katara moaned. "Show me, please." She continued to try and fight against his hold, squirming for the relief her body was desperate for.
Zuko's grin turned predatory. "Tell me what you want," he commanded.
Her blue eyes flashed as he spoke, the cerulean darkening into storms. It dawned on Katara that Zuko, who had never had a semblance of something to call his own and keep for himself, finally found that sense of trust and security with her. A deep sense of comfort came over her as she realized that she was his safe harbor. And that she, who had always taken on the role of caretaker for everyone in her life, finally found and trusted someone to take the burden of responsibility away and care for her instead.
"I want you. Inside me. Please," she whispered.
Her words had an instantaneous effect on him. Katara loved the sound of Zuko's quickening breath in her ear, the huskiness of his groans and gasps, the way his body became hot and damp with his sweat. She rejoiced in the feeling of him within her, the waves of pleasure that tingled throughout her body with each of his thrusts. She knew that she'd already reached her peak once and her body was wrung out, but she also knew that Zuko would bring her there again, that he wouldn't ever give up until he succeeded in showing her how much she belonged to him and he to her.
Afterwards, Katara welcomed the way he collapsed against her, the both of them panting.
Eventually, Zuko lifted his head and asked her, "Are you okay?"
When Katara could only hum, her eyes still closed and an expression of pure bliss on her face, Zuko grinned and nuzzled her face.
Katara smiled as she took a break from Bloodbending training to sit and read the letter that came from the Fire Nation. Toriq and Akna each offered Katara a gracious smile as they left the training courtyard in search of a drink in the midst of the afternoon heat. The two Northern healers had come with Katara to Yu Dao and were approaching the end of their second complete month of Bloodbending training with Katara, though the three of them had been in the city for close to ten weeks. They had taken some time to adjust and settle into their new residence as well as allow Katara time to create a schedule with the other council members for her duties as a councilmember. Regardless, Katara was proud to see that they were taking her tutelage seriously and had made great progress with the skill, now able to hold simple Bloodbending for a few minutes by their second full moon. But they still struggled with more advanced maneuvers and of course, couldn't yet Bloodbend on nights other than the full moon.
"Hey, Katara!"
Katara lifted her head to greet Haru as he entered the space with a group of his Earthbending class.
"Hi, Haru!" she greeted.
"Do you mind if we share the space with you today?"
"I'll probably take Toriq and Akna to the river to finish the rest of today's training so the courtyard is all yours."
"Great— we've got some exciting drills to work through. Wouldn't want an errant boulder to get in the way of your guys' training."
With light laughter, Katara affirmed, "Definitely sounds exciting." She rose from where she sat and headed out. "Enjoy and have a good class!"
As Katara walked, she unfolded the letter, settling down against her favorite tree to relax in its shade. She had been looking forward to this latest letter from Zuko, especially since it would be the last one that he would send before he arrived to Yu Dao for his first quarterly check in with Yu Dao's Fire Nation representative. He, along with her father, King Kuei, and Aang would arrive to see how the fledgling council was doing.
She sighed and rested her head against the tree's wide trunk. She knew logically that she would miss Zuko. Before they separated, she had thought that she was prepared for it, but she didn't realize just how badly she would miss him after spending nearly every day together for weeks in Ba Sing Se.
Her eyes scanned his neat calligraphy on the scroll and she could hear the rich, warm tones of his voice echoing in her mind. He wrote of the latest trivial court drama that he overheard from the servants in the halls. He wrote of his latest annoyance in the form of a nobleman named Yuto. And of course, he wrote of how much he wished she were with him and that he couldn't wait until next week when he'd see her in Yu Dao.
Zuko's letters were her tether, her reminder that she was not just the Chief's daughter or just the Avatar's ex or just the Water Tribe representative on the United Republic Council. That she wouldn't just slip away in the midst of teaching and working. He reminded her that while she had responsibilities to hold, she could also be happy while doing it.
Katara missed him with a deep ache that settled in her chest. But when she received a new letter, the pressure lessened just a bit. Each letter he sent helped keep her head afloat amidst the yearning that threatened to swallow her.
Of course, he never wrote anything about his conversation with his father that she knew he must have had by now. Toph left Yu Dao weeks ago, making preparations to leave as soon as Katara told her that Zuko needed her help. And Katara understood. That information was too sensitive to chance to a messenger hawk crossing the sea. She'd wait until he arrived and could tell her in person. But not knowing also gnawed at the back of her mind.
She sighed again and lowered the letter to her lap as she stared into the grassy field, finding the rumble of the nearby Earthbending students calming. She slightly dreaded going back to continue training Toriq and Akna. Between her work as a council member, teaching Bloodbending, and her missing Zuko, Katara was feeling a little exhausted. Ragged may be a better term. She found herself craving sleep more often and she had frequent headaches, likely due to the increased Bloodbending and the toll it was taking on her body. Sometimes, they got so bad that she didn't even have the stomach to eat a meal after a long day, the nausea prompting her to seek out her bed even more. Her body ached and she had to check her mood to make sure she wasn't snapping at anyone.
Zuko's voice reverberated in her memory and she almost laughed as she imagined him chiding her for not resting when she knew he was likely overworking himself just the same, if not more. With a glance at the bright sky, she decided to stroll to the nearby café in town where her two students would likely be finishing up their break.
As expected, the two Waterbenders looked up and waved at her as she approached.
"Master Katara," Toriq began. "Are we late to return?"
"Not at all. I was thinking… you two have been working really hard and I think that you could end training a bit early today. Haru and the Earthbenders have also taken over the courtyard and while we could work by the river, you and Akna deserve some time off. We can resume training tomorrow."
Akna's violet eyes widened excitedly. "That's so generous of you, Master Katara." She looked at Toriq with anticipation for a moment. "We were thinking of stopping by the town square to watch the remainder of the Firebending magicians' performance after training. Since training is done for the day, would you like to join us in watching the full performance?"
"That's kind of you to invite me, Akna, but I think I'll use the time to catch up on some rest. You two enjoy."
Toriq nodded. "Makes sense. You've been working hard. We'll see you tomorrow, Master Katara."
Katara waved at them and watched them head towards the bustling town square, where many families with young children crowded to watch the performers who were setting up for their act. Katara slowly made her way against the crowds towards the low rise building that her apartment was in. It was newly built and meant to house councilmembers as they served their yearlong term as well as visiting dignitaries. She was ready to crawl into bed but pulled up short when she saw the carriage in front of the building and her heart started to race just a bit. She could tell from the equipment that the carriage came from the Fire Nation.
"No…" she said to herself. "It's too early. It couldn't be."
But hope still swelled in her chest and she rushed in only to come to a stop when she saw Toph in the entrance hall. Katara tried to stamp down the disappointment as she was excited to see Toph return to Yu Dao, but she couldn't help the tiny sigh that escaped her lips.
Toph noticed her arrival and called out, "Katara! I thought you'd still be teaching Toriq and Akna."
"I decided to give them a break today."
Toph scoffed. "Of course you did, Sugar Queen." Toph's face fell a bit at Katara's muted laughter and she pointed out bluntly, "You seem tired."
Rolling her eyes, Katara returned sarcastically, "It's so nice to have you back, too, Toph. I really missed you." She sighed and explained, "I just finished a day of council meetings and some Bloodbending training so yes, Toph, I'm tired."
"I'm serious."
"You sound like Zuko now." Katara nudged Toph with an elbow, "Tea at my place? You can fill me in on the Fire Nation."
"The Fire Nation or a certain man in the Fire Nation?" Toph drawled.
The younger woman followed the Waterbender as she meandered through the building to her apartment. Toph sat herself down at Katara's kitchen table, narrowing her eyes as she tracked Katara's movement within the space. Katara began boiling a kettle of water.
"You're the one who must be exhausted, Toph. I thought you would have come back to Yu Dao with Zuko. And Zuko didn't mention anything in his latest letter—"
"Katara, what's going on?"
Katara turned to stare at Toph in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"There's something different. I can't… something's changed. It's not right."
"In Yu Dao? Nothing's happened here. The people are happy. Our students are adjusting and learning… I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Toph."
"Something's not right with you," Toph clarified.
Some of the anxiousness left Katara's face and she turned back to the kettle to bend the water into two teacups. She shrugged off Toph's concern. "I'm tired. You weren't wrong about that. I'm also adjusting to… well I guess everything. A new home. A new job. New students. New curriculum to teach. New, new, new."
A crease appeared between Toph's brows and she gestured at a chair. Katara got the hint and sat down next to the Earthbender, sliding the second teacup towards her.
"Besides tired, do you feel okay?"
"I thought I was the healer here."
"Can you just answer the question?" Toph snapped.
Humoring her, Katara answered, "I'm not just tired. I'm drained. Sometimes, I get these headaches but it's likely from all of the stress. Sometimes, the training makes me achy everywhere. I'm just not getting enough rest. But once everything settles and routines are in place, I'm sure I'll feel better."
"That doesn't make sense," Toph muttered.
"Toph, what doesn't make sense?" Katara demanded, exasperation coloring her voice.
"I can sense… it feels like your heartbeat is off. It's like there's a strange backdrop or murmur to the usual cadence."
Katara frowned. "My heart? But there's nothing— I think I would know if there was something wrong with me." She lifted her teacup to her lips and as she took her first sip, she gasped and dropped the cup, the porcelain clattering loudly onto the table. Katara had just managed to bend the tea so that the scalding liquid didn't spill on her. She immediately cast it into her sink.
Startled, Toph's eyes widened. "Katara?" she asked nervously.
"Spirits…"
"Katara!"
"The tea."
Katara's mind flashed back to Ba Sing Se and her last morning there. The frazzled way she was rushing around the house, packing before her carriage arrived. They had uncharacteristically slept in so she was running late and she wanted to make sure that she had time to see Zuko off since he would be leaving before her to return to the Fire Nation. A cup of tea that she was supposed to drink was left untouched in the kitchen.
"Your tea? What the hell does your tea have to do with anything?"
"Toph… the strangeness with my heartbeat." Katara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Instead of an anomaly with my heartbeat… Could it possibly be a second heartbeat?"
Toph reared back. "A second heartbeat? How on earth— oh Spirits. Katara, do you mean to tell me that—"
Katara snapped, "I don't know, you're the one telling me my heartbeat is strange!" She held her head in her hands. "I'm sorry, Toph, I shouldn't have… I have no idea how this happened."
"What do you mean, you don't know how this happened? You didn't notice that you missed two cycles since Ba Sing Se?"
"But I didn't. I bled the first month— it was lighter than usual, but I've been so stressed, that I didn't even think about it. Skipping a cycle... It's happened before so... It's normal... I… I mean, I can't be, Toph. Not now. I'm not… this isn't…"
Her face softening, Toph said quietly. "I hate to break it to you, Sweetness, but I think that you are. Give yourself a check. It's too faint for me to give any real confirmation. I've never heard a pregnant woman's heartbeat this early. It just feels like a strange echo to me."
Katara lifted her head. "I'm scared," she admitted in a small voice. "This isn't how it's supposed to happen."
Toph pushed, though with unusual gentleness, "But it might have happened and you need to know for sure before you work yourself up." Toph reached across the table to take Katara's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Nothing good will come from avoiding it. And you're not alone."
With a shaky breath, Katara cloaked her free hand in water, the familiar blue glow causing fear to settle deep in her abdomen. She had never feared her healing ability before, but the possible revelation it would reveal terrified her to her core. She looked towards Toph and Toph instinctively squeezed her hand again. She took another deep breath to settle her nerves as much as possible and placed her hand on her lower belly. Once she extended her awareness, she knew.
She could feel the extra flow of chi, the diversion of her energy towards the new life growing in her womb. She thought back to her last real period, halfway through her stay in Ba Sing Se. And instinctively, she knew she was ten weeks. The amount of time since Ba Sing Se. Toph wouldn't have been able to know when she first left for the Fire Nation nearly a month ago. Katara jerked her hand away and could feel herself tremble.
Toph knew as soon as she felt Katara's shift in breathing, before the older woman's frame began to shake. "Katara, it's okay."
"I don't know how it can be. I'm twenty years old. I have nothing solid in my life. I just told you how everything in my life is new and unsure and— I can't be pregnant, Toph."
Toph's face fell and she seemed to chew over her words. Quietly, she said, "I guess you could not be… if that's what you wanted."
Katara froze and stared at her friend with wide eyes, her jaw slack. She jerked her hand from Toph's and held her arms protectively over her stomach, a deep instinct taking over her. "How can you even—" she began, her voice shrill. Cutting herself off, Katara took a deep breath and blinked to try and stave off her oncoming tears. "Toph, this is my..."
Continuing to speak with an uncanny gentleness, Toph replied, "The choice is yours, Katara. I just want you know to know that you have one and that you're not stuck. Whatever you decide is valid and I'll support you."
Katara took a shuddering breath. "I don't feel right making the decision on my own. I have to tell…" Her voice trailed off uncertainly.
Toph sighed. "I can figure out who the father is, Katara. I just spent three weeks with him and you know as well as I do that he's not very good at lying to me. I was happy to find out that you're officially dating."
"We're dating," Katara said numbly. "I told him I wanted to take it slow. And now? He's going to hate me."
"Katara, he won't hate you. But he does need to know as soon as possible."
"You think I don't realize that? Of course I'm going to tell him when he gets here. But what happens after his visit this month? I can't exactly have him leave the Fire Nation to come here or drop everything that I'm working on in Yu Dao to go run to him." Katara's voice broke and she finally let the tears that blurred her vision run down her face. She threw her arms out. "You think that I don't feel like an idiot right now? Like a stupid, stupid little girl who just ruined everything she had going for herself? And for Zuko?!"
"Katara, you didn't ruin anyone's life," Toph insisted. She heaved another sigh. "Zuko needs to be told sooner rather than later, though. So don't pig chicken out of it when he shows up. Maybe you'd feel better asking Suki for advice. I know I'm not exactly the expert on girly things like this."
Katara sniffled and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Toph. You're being an amazing friend. And as much as I want Suki's advice, I don't want this getting to Sokka yet. He'd flip out and I can't handle him freaking out on top of me freaking out. On top of Zuko probably freaking out." She rubbed her face tiredly. "You're right, of course. I need to tell Zuko face to face."
Her jaw shifting, Toph sighed and eventually revealed, "He wanted it to be a surprise, but he'll be coming earlier than planned. He told me that he wanted the extra time to spend with you without having to worry about official business. That's why I'm back early. To make sure that you don't overbook yourself so that you'd also have free time to spend with him."
Her heart soared and ached at the same time from the thoughtful gesture. Shaking her head again, Katara bemoaned, "I really messed things up, didn't I, Toph?"
"No, Sweetness. You didn't mess up anything." Toph ventured a small smile. "Think of it as a new challenge for you and Sparky to overcome. You two always do well when you work together."
Turning her watery gaze to meet Toph's pale eyes, Katara weakly agreed, "We do." With a sigh, she asked, "When is he arriving?"
"He should be here by tomorrow evening. He was getting everything ready when I left three days ago. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up arriving earlier." Toph gave a melancholy smile. "He really wanted to see you. Also wanted to fill you in on the conversation he had with Ozai."
Katara groaned. "Damn it. How in the world am I going to spring this on him on top of that?" She eyed Toph and asked, "The conversation with his father… did it—"
"Zuko should be here before we talk about it. But… it is a lot for Zuko to consider."
At Katara's long silence, Toph, asked, "Katara? Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry, Toph," Katara said timidly. "I just don't know what to do." A tear rolled down her cheek and she confessed with a tiny voice, "I wish my mom was here."
The petite Earthbender nodded in understanding and wrapped her arms around Katara's shoulders, hugging her tightly.
The next afternoon, Katara found herself in her favorite spot, just outside of the compound that was built for Toph's Earthbending school, leaning against her usual tree by the water's edge as she stared at the river's slow moving current, close enough that she could dip her toes in if she wanted. After a morning of council meetings, she cancelled Bloodbending training again, Toriq and Akna agreeing to the day off with equal looks of confusion. She let her mind wander as she traced the water's movement with her eyes. Before she knew it, the bright sky had darkened to a fiery blend of orange and purple and the town was dotted with lamplight. When she heard rustling behind her, she whirled around defensively.
Her mouth fell open as she let out a relieved sigh and she scrambled to her feet. Zuko stood at the river's edge with her, not dressed in his Fire Lord robes for once, a shy smile on his face as his eyes found hers. Katara nearly tripped in her haste to fling herself into his arms. As soon as she was within his embrace, felt his warmth on her skin, and the clean, masculine scent of sandalwood filled her nose, tears began to stream down her face.
Zuko's lips were pressed in her hair as he laughed. "I missed you too, Katara." When he pulled back to look at her, his joyful smile fell immediately and he asked in concern, "Katara?"
"I have to tell you something."