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The Zutara Family

Summary: Following the struggles of Katara and Zuko as they have a family (nine kids) and Zuko decides with his taking the throne...

Rating: K+ or T

Major Characters: Katara (22), Zuko (24), and kids (oldest to youngest as they'll come): Heishui, Little Zuko (Lil' Z as kids call him), Zarina and Zerifina, Jailia, Kaelea, Annalea, Kiki, and Heziah.

Pairings: Katara/Zuko, Toph/Aang, and Sokka/Suki and family relationships

P.O.V.: Third Person Omniscient

Zuko's Mistake?

Zuko smiled at Katara and could barely believe how far they had come. Katara was four months in and showing greatly. He loved watching her rub her stomach and talk about how the baby would look like his or her daddy. Zuko would only smile.

Today, she was trying her long hair into a round, braided bun and Zuko just watched just the same like everyday with a smiled, in which Katara caught.

"What?" she asked with a smile herself and a hand on her back. "You're staring at me a lot lately. Something up?"

Zuko only shrugged and shook his head. "Nah...I just like watching you."

"Why?"

Zuko smiled. "Because I love you so much," he said with a gleam, wrapping her in a hug.

Katara smirked. "Mhm...sure," she teased and lingered in the hug, then gasped. "Oh..." she pulled away and put a hand on her belly.

"Everything okay?" Zuko felt the worry instincts kick in suddnely.

Katara smiled. "Fine. Zuko, the baby kicked," she said excitedly.

The excited gleam in Katara's eyes and in her tone got Zuko excited next. "Rally?"

"Yeah!" Katara grabbed his wrist and planted his hand flat on her stomach. "Just wait and feel for it."

Zuko did just that and stroked his thumb across his wife's stomach and smiled when he felt the movements inside. "That's a-amzing..."

Katara smiled and laced her fingers through his. Then, she got serious as quickly as the excitement had come. "Walk with me," she said, laeding her husband outside.

Once out of the house, they walked hand in hand near the pond Zuko himself always remembered spending his time with his mother. "Did you talk to Iroh again?" Katara asked.

Zuko groaned. "Not AGAIN, Katara, please! can't we just focus on the baby?"

Katara looked up at him. "No, Zuko, we can't. This nation still needs a leader and you're still lingering about it!"

"Maybe that's because I don't want to be a leader!" Zuko snapped. "Did you ever think of that?"

Katara shook her head incredulously. "But--Zuko, you can't do that! These people need you!"

Zuko sighed, then took both of Katara's hands in his. "I know, Katara, but I don't want to end up like my father. You know that. You've heard me say it!"

"You won't!" Katara shook her head again. "Stop getting so worked up about that! Get your mind off of it! Remember what your mother told you!"

Zuko's mind immediately raced to Ursa, his mother. She had always been there for him when he needed it. Now, it was like Katara was taking over that role.

" 'Never forget who you are'..." he muttered, giving into Katara's game.

Katara nodded, knowing that she had him hooked. "Exactly," she lifted her husband's head. "And who are you, Zuko?"

"I dunno," he shrugged like a little boy.

"I'll tell you," Katara made him look at her again. "You're a good friend, loving husband and soon-to-be loving dad." She wrapped her arms around his middle in a hug. "I love you, am proud of you, and I know your mother would be, too."

Zuko looked down, then hugged Katara back, laying his cheek on her head. "I know, but I don't want to make my decision until the baby's here, Katara."

"Why? it'll be just as crazy and bad after that--especially now that Toph and I are close and due around the same time. We'll all be up and--"

"Okay, okay," Zuko interrupted. "I get it," he added with a small smiled. "But what about Suki and your brother?"

"Late winter," Katara said. "Sokka said that he and Suki would be here and come down when she was near due."

Zuko only nodded.

Katara then sighed. "You really want to wait?"

"Yeah. I do."

There was a silent pause and Katara thought of the baby inside her: Zuko's baby...her baby. The one thing they've wanted and fought for for so long. She wanted Zuko to be there and she understood his reason for wanting to wait. But she also wanted him to take the throne as Fire Lord--where he NEEDED to be.

"Katara?"

Katara looked up from her dazed thoughts. "Huh?"

"You alright?" Zuko rocked her gently. "You got really quiet all of a sudden, Babe."

"Mmm..." Katara shrugged. "Just thinking."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Katara..."

"No, no, no. Just thinking about what you said..." she paused. "If you really want to wait, Zuko," she pulled away from the hug and looked at her husband at arm's length. "You can wait until after both Toph and I have our babies. Deal?"

Zuko smiled. "Really?"

Katara nodded.

"Thanks," Zuko grinned, then gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I needed this."

Katara grinned back. "I know you did. I guess I've been pushing you and hammering you about it a lot, huh?"

"You can say that again," Zuko mock-teased.

Katara smacked him. "Hey! I can take back my offer, you know!"

Zuko flinched away. "No, no! That's fine."

"Hey, you two!" Toph called. "Dinner's ready!"

Katara laced her fingers through Zuko's again. They started off towards the house and Zuko smirked, saying, "It's a boy."

Katara smiled and nudged his arm. "Okay, Mister Know It All."

Zuko smiled back. "I'm tellin' you, Katara. I have a feeling it's gonna be a boy."

Katara laughed this time. "Yep, and he's gonna be a short-tempered Firebender like his daddy."

Zuko laughed in return. "I'm not so sure about that part, but okay."

"But...?"

''But what?" Toph asked when Katara and Zuko entered the dining room.

Toph was six months in and showing so much that her dark green skirt lifted well above her ankles. Aang was predicting twins and Toph was just saying that he was being paraniod again.

Tiani was holding onto Toph's skirt as her mother set nother bowl onto the table.

"You really didn't have to make dinner," Zuko said. "Really."

Toph pushed her bangs out of her face. "No big deal...really," she smirked.

Katara smiled. "Well then thanks, Toph. That's really nice of you."

"Meh," Toph shrugged. "I figured that I'd give the other pregnant half a break," she winked. "Right, Sugar Princess?"

Katara grinned. "When was the last time I heard that nickname?"

Toph only smiled as she betn down to pick up Tiani.

"Wooooahhh, there," Aang sped over to Toph and took Tiani. "What'd I tell you?"

Toph sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Twinkle Toes. I had her."

"Not on my time. I told you no lifting...no matter HOW light," Aang gave her a look he knew that she knew well even though she couldn't see it.

Katara and Zuko exchanged looks and both knew they were thinking the same things: how Toph and Aang reminded them of themselves and how two very hot-tempered people got along, married, and didn't lose it so often.

Aang sat Tiani in her seat between him and toph and both Katara ans Zuko (especially since his conversation with Aang about Tiani) watched as Toph picked up her daughter's hand and placed a eating utensil in it. tiani then started poking the utensil everywhere but her plate. When she got frustrated, she dropped it and tugged on Toph's hand. "Mommy..."

''How come you don't just feed her yourself?" Katara asked.

"'Cause she's like her mother: stubborn and independent," Aang answered with a teasing tone.

Toph nodded. "Afraid he's right. No, Tiani, here," Toph picked up the three-year-old's hand and stuck it onto her own plate.

"Has she ever gotten so frustrated that she threw whatever you gave her to eat with?" Zuko asked.

"Yep," Toph said. "Been there, done that one too many times."

Katara cleared her throat. "Sokka told me that he and Suki are going to come down here."

"When?" Aang asked, now tending to Tiani.

"In the winter before Suki has her baby," Katara answered.

"Um, Katara..."

Katara looked at her husband. "What?"

"You--you didn't tell him, did you?" Zuko asked, his mind reeling.

"No," she shook her head.

"Katara!" Zuko put his hand on his forehead in frustration. "Why not?"

She shrugged. "Because he's got his own problems with Suki. I didn't want to make the load heavier on him. It's no big deal."

Zuko blinked. "Katara, you're four months in and you didn't tell him!"

Katara huffed. "What is the big deal about it? I'll tell him when he'll be able to handle it better!"

"Don't get her mad..." Aang mumbled.

"When? AFTER? That's smart!" Zuko threw his hands up. " 'Oh, and by the way, Sokka, I had a baby, but I forgot to tell you that I was pregnant'! SMART!"

Aang bit his lip. "Ease up, Zuko...you're gonna set her off..."

"Why does it matter when I tell him?" Katara shot back. "As long as I do!"

In the midst of Katara and Zuko's yelling, Toph slapped her forehead when Tiani agan threw her spoon on the floor. "Aang?"

"Yeah?" Aang kept his eyes on the other two.

"Could you--"

"Sure," Aang tore his eyes away for a moment. "Here."

Toph took the spoon from her husband, who was back watching Katara and Zuko, and decided to try feeding the girl herself. No such luck.

"You are SO infuriating!" Katara snapped, storming off.

Toph handed Tiani to Aang. "I'll be back," she said. "Katara!"

"Great," Zuko muttered. "Just what I need."

Aang gave a sheepish smile. "I guess you didn't hear me, huh?"

Zuko glared. "You think!"

Aang shrugged. "She'll come back."

"Shyeah...we'll see how that goes."

Katara sat on the bed with her arms crossed in a stubborn looking way when Toph came in.

Toph smirked. "Hey, Sugar Princess. Tough it out, come on."

Katara shook her head. "How do you do it, Toph?"

Toph laughed lightly as seh sat in front of Katara. "Hey, listen up. I wasn't the person I am now overnight. Aang and I did the same thing before we had Tiani."

"But you two have it all together so well."

Toph couldn't help but to laugh at that. "You really think that we have it all together?"

Katara shrugged. "It just always seems like it."

"Katara, let me be the one to tell you that Twinkle Toes and I do not have it all together, okay? We're as every bit as like you and Zuko." She pasued. "We've had our fighting, yelling, and breaking points. Don't think we haven't."

Katara shrugged. "I know, but...I don't know."

Toph sighed. "First time's hard. Always is. You don't think Sokka and Suki are at each other's throats too? I wouldn't be surprised if Sokka hasn't jumped off a cliff by now."

Katara smiled at the image. "But it's more than that, Toph. He won't--" she huffed. "He's forever lingering in the concept of taking over."

"The Fire Lord position?"

Katara nodded. "He wants to 'wait until after the baby's here', but I know for a fact that he'll still be thinking on it afterwards. He just doesn't want it period."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Why doesn't he want to do it?"

"I'm not all that sure. He really won't tell me much."

The two sat in silence for a moment, then Katara's eyes lit up. "But I know how to get answers," she grinned.

Toph got a look. "What do you mean? What are you thinking about?"

Katara only smiled and stood up. "If Zuko asks where I am, tell him I went for a walk and I won't be gone long."

"O--kay. Bye," Toph said with a confused tone as Katara ran off. "I don't know what goes through her head, but something's up..." she mumbled to herself, walking to her and Aang's room.

"What does that mean?"

Toph jumped only slightly when Aang came up behind her and talked in her ear. She had felt him walk in, but didn't expect him to be right there. "Oh, nothing."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Toph..."

"Babe, I don't even know what Katara's up to and thinking," Toph slipped her light green and yellow spaghetti strap silk nightgown on.

"Where'd she go?"

Toph thought fast. "For a walk."

Long...wow...

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