Artemis

The tents were up, but I couldn't sleep that night. I walked outside. My sister and her fiancé were snuggling close to the embers of a roaring fire. Aang was asleep, but I could sense Katara was still awake. I ruffled her hair until she whacked me with the hand that wasn't enclosed in Aang's tattooed hand.

I told them I'm going off for a walk. Katara waved me off dismissively and smiled sadly. I looked away. Don't pity me. I remembered thinking. I walked into a grove of trees and spied a pond to my right. I sat down and looked for a rock. I skipped rocks for a while and finally plopped down on the bank to stare at the silvery fish at the bottom. They reminded me of the fish my father and I used to fish so long ago. I swore one of the fishes scales glimmered blindly at that moment. I disregarded it at the time because as I shielded my eyes and look at the fish once more nothing was unusual.

I began fish watching again and just happened to look towards the full moon's sad face.

Yue. It looked just like her that night. My hand distractedly traced the image in the water until I had to look at the real lady in the sky.

Unexpectedly I was met with a beam of light. Instead of burning me it absorbed me in it's shimmering protection. Looking back now, I realize how serenity fell upon me suddenly. Two figures emerge inside the light.

One was a silver haired lady. Yue.

The other was a man with shoulder length blue hair, dark brown skin, and fathomless black eyes. His muscled arm was draped around Yue's petite shoulders. Both were arrayed in heavy robes of silver and blue and their skin glowed of immortality. I rubbed my eyes and wondered if sleep had finally descended upon me.

She smiled fondly at me and opened her arms to reveal a small infant. The babe didn't have a godlike quality to her rosy cheeks, but her practically baldhead shimmered a few fine silver hairs. The baby and both fists stuffed in her mouth and her crystal blue eyes were focused on her parents.

The light glowed brighter and Yue opened her heart shaped mouth.

"Sokka?" she said in all together familiar voice.

"Yes?" I asked incredulous though looking vacantly at the beauty in front of me snatched away by none other than the patron of the waters. How could I have hoped that she would remain faithful to me? It had been years since I had last embraced her and my affections had begun to drift away. It was at that moment however that my feelings were doused.

I was somber as she stroked her baby's chin who continued to stare adoringly at her. A single tear ran down Yue's tan cheek.

"My parent's have passed on Sokka." She said melodiously as if her voice didn't belong on this world. Not anymore.

"I'm sorry." I said consolingly. I was very confused and couldn't understand what they were getting at. I looked into their wrinkle free faces and detected an unworldly sadness etched on their faces.

"Artemis doesn't belong with my world." Yue continued. "She and her children will be mortal, but should the time come that her father or my counterparts fall dead, we will be replaced." She kissed her baby fervently.

"This is why I need you. I trust you more than anyone. Will you watch over Artemis?"

"Me?" I say finally.

"Please?" She murmured. Her husband stroked his baby's hair, but continued to bore me down with his eyes.

"She cannot live in our world." A voice that was reminiscent of the waves vibrated from his throat.

I looked at the child once more doubting my ability to care for a baby.

She did look frail lying in Yue's satin-sleeved arms. I urged my head up in down with consent and both Immortals smiled warmly at me. They kissed their child one last time and then the ocean spirit took out of his pocket a circular object with a silver chain and placed it on the baby.

As the child was placed in my arms, I expected her to cry. Though her hands appeared to have fascinated her, (they still do to this day) and she continued to shove them deeper and deeper into her mouth. Her parents dissipated along with the comfort-bringing beam. She still would not wail. I then became curious about the necklace lying on her white blanket.

It was very simple, half-black and half-white with a white dot in the black side and a black dot in the white side. I watched it twirl around and around on it's chain and finally shoved it into my pocket resolved to reveal Artemis' heritage when she was older.

Then the baby did something I'll never forget. She took her drool-drenched hands out of her mouth and touched my face. That gesture not only woke me up with the cool saliva, it also made me want to parent the baby.

I then tiptoed back to camp. Unfortunately, Katara was still up and I had to explain why I carried a baby in my arms. Luckily, my story checked out with her adept mind and she offered to take care of Artemis then, but I vehemently dejected this. The baby had since settled into the groove of my arm and was sleeping peacefully.

"You're getting married Katara."

I pointed out. "You'll be too busy keeping your marriage a secret to care for a baby. If too much attention falls on you, you'll become a greater target."

She put her hands on her hips

"As if that's possible." She rolled her eyes then her eyes softened. "She'll never be Yue." She observed.

"Yeah." I agreed continuing to watch the tiny baby's chest as it rose and fell.

I couldn't protect her mother before, but now I could redeem myself.

I don't regret my decision to raise Missy even though I'm a busy general in a never-ending war. Missy isn't at all like her mother so far except for her eyes and hair. She apparently takes after her father with her dark skin, curious mind, and beautiful water bending as Katara often reiterates. I guess you can say I started caring for Artemis out of duty to the one I felt I owed, but after a while, she became my little girl.

That gesture she made when I held her in my arms has since evolved.

Every night before I tuck her into bed, she takes my face into her tiny palms and rubs her nose against mine.

It's our connection and because of it, I now longer feel as lonely as I did that night 5 years ago.

It doesn't hurt either that Ty Lee finds my attachment to Missy attractive.

Author's Note

This brief one shot is the result of confusion in my current fic, The Prince and the Nurse.

I hope this clears up some questions.