Thank you all very much. Your reviews are appreciated!

Now for this chapter...rolls eyes You REALLY think I'd make a Zutara story with them starting a family and with Katara being pregnant that I'd skip out on the mood swings and Zuko getting up in the middle of the night for her! Come on, guys!

Zuko: Darn...I was hoping you would...
Me: Shut up...it's my story and I can torture you if I want...

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 (27), Zuko (29), 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

When All Else Fails...SCREAM

Katara groaned, decided that she was finished once and for all with tossing and turning, and nudged her husband's shoulder. "Zuko."

Instead of answering, the already exhausted prince buried his head deeper under his pillow. This would've been, what, the third time he'd gotten up all night? Once because Katara needed a drink, the second time was because his sister, Azula, had gotten some important stuff he had too look at (in which he just told her he'd look at them in the morning and left), and now it was back to Katara again.

This didn't surprise him. Being seven months pregnant, Katara always seemed like she needed something. Whether it was help getting up or tying the back of her dresses or shirts, there was just always SOMETHING.

And that something was both wearing Zuko down and getting Aang more frustrated with Toph than before with Tiani.

"Zuko." She nudged him again.

Zuko moaned, then asnwered. "I'm up, I'm up. What do you want now?"

Katara sat up, brushing her long hair out of the way. "I'm hungry," she announced simply.

Zuko groaned again and buried his face into his pillow. "Oh, come on, Katara..."

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Katara pouted.

"Whaddya want?" Zuko huffed, giving in.

"Anything," she shrugged. "Just something big."

Getting up, Zuko rubbed his eyes, then swumg his legs over the edge of the bed. He didn't notice that Katara too had gotten out of bed until he turned around. "Woah--what are you doing?" he asked, rushing over, then putting both hands on her large belly. (As it was, she was looking as though she was about ready to fall over.)

"Bathroom," she pointed.

"Again?" Zuko raised an eyebrow. "This is, what, the fifth time?"

"Seventh, actually," Katara corrected.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "You--COUNTED?"

Katara nodded. "I had to do something to keep my mind occupied while I was tossing and turning with no sleep." She paused, then explained, "Baby's been using my bladder for target practice again is all."

"Well you look like you're about to fall under your own weight," Zuko kept a hand behind her back and followed her. "I'll get you something to eat when you're done, okay?"

Katara nodded, gasped, then zipped into the bathroom faster than she could've gotten another word in otherwise.

"Katara?" Zuko stood outside the door.

"I'm okay," she said. "Just go ahead."

"Are you--"

"ZUKO!"

He jumped back. He knew that tone as Katara's 'You-Better-Do-It-or-Else' tone. And he learned by now to obey that tone. "Alright, just cool it. No need to bite my head off," he grumbled.

Zuko rounded the corner and almost ran into Aang. "You too, huh?"

Aang nodded. "Yeah. Toph's complaining of stomachaches. I went to go find your uncle to get something to help her." He paused. "What's up with your half?"

"Seventh time to the bathroom and needs to eat something big," Zuko sighed, rubbing his right eye. "This is gonna take forever."

Aang shrugged. "Been there, done that. You'll be fine...just do it if you know what I mean."

Zuko nodded. "Uh-huh. She already gave me her tone."

"Yeah, then I'd definitely go get her what she wants."

Zuko sighed. "Yeah. The sooner the better and I can probably sleep for more than twenty minutes."

"Rough night?" Aang guessed.

Zuko scoffed. "No idea. You have NO idea..."

He and took off in different directions and it didn't take long before Zuko passed Katara's brother, Sokka, who'd come down with Suki after Katara had told him that she was pregnant like she'd promised. Sokka had willed himself to watch after both his sister and wife.

Sokka was carrying an arm load of food that Zuko couldn't tell if it was for him or Suki. He took a wild guess when he heard the frustrated-looking warrior mutter, "Crazy, stupid hormones. I oughtta..." he stopped when he saw Zuko. "Not easy being married to Katara, is it?"

Zuko shrugged. "Ups and downs."

"What does she want?"

"Same as you," Zuko nodded to Sokka's arms.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "You'll be up forever."

"Thanks...I really wanted to know that," Zuko grumbled.

"Yeah, just take it easy on her," Sokka warned. "Or you'll be seeing more of me."

Both jumped when they heard Suki's voice yell from the bedroom Zuko had let her and Sokka stay in. "I'M COMING!" Sokka shouted back with a huff. "Well, have fun," he told Zuko before stomping off.

When Zuko reached the kitchen, he met Aang again. "Wh--I just--never mind," Zuko waved off.

"Pass Sokka?" Aang asked, grabbing anything within reach.

"Yeah...don't bring that up, please," Zuko sighed and thought. "This would be so much easier if Katara'd told me what she wanted."

"Consider yourself lucky instead," Aang said. "Toph gives you specific things and how to do it."

"Hasn't she always done that?" Sokka asked, joining the other two.

Aang shrugged. "More than usual?"

"There ya go."

Zuko looked at his brother-in-law. "Get off the hook?"

"Nope...she sent me back for something else, but I'm going to linger for a while. I'm beat." And to prove his point, Sokka laid his head on a nearby table and sat down.

"She'll catch ya," Aang smirked.

Sokka waved his hand. "Meh...let her. Saves me the time and energy anyway."

"Aang," Toph arrived next, Tiani on her left, holding onto her hand.

Aang closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed his frustration before she went full on mad. "Yes, Toph?"

"Where did you put Tiani's blanket?"

"Which one? The green one, the yellow one, or the orange one?" Aang asked, his frustration kicking in.

"The green one," Toph said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I dunno," Aang shrugged.

Toph sighed, got that look on her face and put Tiani in his arms. "Then you go search for it with her."

"But--"

"No 'buts'!" Toph shot.

Zuko and Sokka hid their snickers. They both thought they had it bad, but Aang was nothing. Toph was a peice of work...bossy, pushy, and more stubborn than she normally was.

"O-kay..." Aang reluctantly followed Toph and Sokka and Zuko gave waves and Sokka mouthed, "Have fun!", in which Zuko laughed.

When it was just them, Zuko nodded to Sokka. "Think you better get a move on it? It'll only be a matter of time before Suki finds you and it's your turn."

"Nah," Sokka shook his head. "I'll get there, don't worry."

Zuko only smirked and shook his head. "I don't know how you do double duty."

Sokka shrugged. "It's my sister. I've always watched her."

"But have you realized that she's now a married woman?" Zuko asked. "You still haven't let go of her hand yet, have you?"

Sokka gave an awkward look and shrugged. "Well, I...well, you know, I..." he couldn't cover it up. Couldn't cover up the logic that was so unbelievably true and there. So plain out in the open.

"That's what I thought," Zuko said. "You have to let go of her some day, you know that, right?"

Sokka didn't answer. He just stared at his feet.

"She told me how much you treat her like the little girl she was," Zuko said. "Told me how much you don't want to let go because it'll hurt you."

"She's right...but...I don't know," Sokka shrugged again. "It's hard."

"To watch her grow up?"

Sokka nodded. "I just can't believe she's married and about to have a baby of her own. My mind's still living in the days when she was little and still needed me."

"Hey," Zuko got a tone. "I didn't say she didn't need you. I said that you can't cling onto her like a security blanket."

"Seems like she doesn't..." Sokka looked at Zuko. "I mean, she's got you now."

"Yeah, but I'm only half of her life now," Zuko pointed out. "You were always there from the beginning. I'm just the new thing here."

Sokka thought. "Can I ask you something?"

"Duh."

"What made you fall for Katara? Why did you like her so much and what made you want to marry her?" Sokka asked.

Zuko thought. "I don't know. She was everything I ever wanted. Reminded me of my mother: sweet, caring, and would always be there." He paused. "I just had this feeling. A feeling that wouldn't go away." He shrugged. "I just loved everything about your sister, but I wouldn't and didn't say anything."

"Why?"

Zuko smirked. "Because I knew you'd either kill her, me, or the both of us."

Sokka nodded. "Well, you two aren't dead yet." He smirked, then said, "You've done great with her. She's the happiest I've ever seen her in all of my lifetime."

Zuko shrugged, the smiled and said, "You want to let go?"

Sokka didn't know. "Maybe...why?"

Zuko pointed. "Here's your chance."

Sokka turned around to find Katara standing there. "Hi," he gave her a warm hug. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," she smiled at him and tucked a peice of her hair behind her ear. "Zuko, I hope you didn't make anything yet."

"I was starting to..."

"Well, never mind. I'm not so hungry anymore."

Zuko's mind screamed. And all this time he could've been sleeping. He held back, though and cleared his throat. "Okay. I'm going to try to get some sort of sleep." He kissed her gently. "Love you."

Katara smiled. "You too."

Sokka decided that he best find something for Suki and Katara watched. "You two seem to be getting along well. What were you two talking about?"

"Uh..nothing really."

Katara raised her eyebrow. "Really? Because it looked like something to me."

Sokka swallowed hard and remembered Zuko's words. He did want to let go, but at the same time he felt like he would loose her all over again.

When Katara and Zuko had gotten married, Katara had asked him to walk her down the aisle. Sokka was reluctant at first, but had agreed. It was both the hardest thing to do and the happiest thing he could do for his baby sister. But he'd felt like he'd already let go a little bit that day, too. And a peice of him went with her.

"Sokka?"

Sokka snapped back into reality and out of the memories and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Uhm...yeah, I've just been up," he said. "Suki."

Katara nodded. "Oh, okay," she paused for a minute, then turned around. "I'm going to bed. Night, Sokka."

Sokka bit his lower lip and thought fast. "Katara, wait!"

Katara faced him. "Yeah?"

"Zuko and I--we were talking about...about you and I," Sokka said.

"Uh-huh..."

"About how I'm too stubborn and scared to let go of you," Sokka looked down. "About how I don't want to let go."

Katara smiled and lifted her brother's head so they were eye level. "But are you ready to?"

"I don't know."

Katara stared at her brother, watching his blue eyes tear up. "Are you ready?" she asked again, hoping to break him.

"I don't know."

"I think you do," Katara said smartly. "But you're still living in the past, Sokka. You're still living in the limelight of when I was that little girl without a mother and father and only a big brother to watch her."

Sokka bit his lip.

"Sokka, I'm still that little girl inside...but on the outside, I've grown up. I've become the very thing you were always scared that I would be."

"'Tara, when you got married, and I had to let go of your arm, it was the hardest thing I could've ever done with you," Sokka told her. "I felt like I had already let you go and that a peice of me left with you."

Katara hugged him. "So you took the first step, Sokka. Are you ready to go the whole length?" she asked. "You let me go to another man. You let me marry. That's the biggest leap for you."

Sokka laid his head on hers. "Are you?"

Katara sighed. "Only if you are. I'm not always going to need your help," she said. "But I'll always need your support and love. I'll always need you to be there for me and rescue me when I need it."

"Okay, Tara," Sokka said. "I'm letting go."

"Are you ready?" Katara asked.

Sokka nodded. "I really am this time."

"Mom would be proud of you," Katara said.

"Proud of us," Sokka corrected with a smile. "I've babied you for so long and now look at you. Getting ready to have a baby of your own."

Katara laughed and started walking out back to her room with her brother. "You too. You must be excited."

"Yeah, I am," Sokka smiled. "If only if it weren't for the late night moods and cravings, I'd be okay."

Katara playfully punched his arm. "Hey, you. Watch it."

The siblings stopped just outside of Katara's bedroom door and hugged. "I love you, Tara. And I'm proud of you, okay? If ever you need me, call."

Katara nodded. "I will. I'm proud of you, too, Sokka."

"I'm really going to let you go now, okay?" Sokka held her at arm's length. "Ready?"

Katara nodded. "Ready."

That night, Sokka felt a heaviness lift off his back, but some landing onto his heart. And Katara couldn't have been any more proud of the way he'd handled it even if she tried...

JayJay