Wow...I guess I did justice with that chapter. lol Thanks!

This chapter will focus on a little bit of Katara/Sokka brother/sister relationship and Niamne.

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

Niamne Can't Hear

"Katara!"

Katara groaned and rolled over in bed when she heard Sokka yelling her name. It was the middle of the night and she was tired...not to mention that she hadn't been able to sleep that well.

"Katara..." Sokka ran in despite anything else in the world, and shook her gently. "Tara, come on, I really need your help!"

Her brother's panicky tone made her alert. "What's wrong, Sokka?" She sat up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Just calm down. Tell me what's wrong. What happened?"

Sokka shrugged. "I don't know what happened! I just--I called her name several times and she didn't hear me and I then tried screaming her name in her ear, and it still didn't work, and--" Sokka ranted until Katara put her hand up.

"Slowly. Who?"

"Niamne!" Sokka was flustered now. "I don't believe this," he muttered. "But I think she's--"

Katara looked at him. "What, Sokka? Niamne's what? What happened to her?" She grabbed his wrists in fear for her neice. "Sokka, tell me!"

Sokka sighed deeply. "I think Niamne's deaf," he sighed. "Suki and I tried several times in both ears, and she didn't even flinch."

The news sunk Katara's heart, and she wished there was something she could do. She knew what Sokka was thinking, and she was going to have to tell him the truth. "Sokka...I can't heal her. I'm sorry," she rushed the last part when Sokka sighed in defeat. "I am, I really am! If it were anything else in the world, I would be able to. But something as internal and harsh as that, I can't fix."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Sokka shrugged. "There's nothing. I feel so...I dunno."

Katara knew what was going through his mind. "This is not your fault, Sokka. It could have happened to anybody. Don't take it out on yourself." Her voice was stern, but full of sisterly compassion. "Don't go there, because I don't want to hear it!"

"She's been sick for so long...I told Suki to take her to go get checked out, but according to her, it was just a cold," Sokka sighed again and sat on the floor in front of Katara's bed. He then looked at her. "Sorry. I've been so wrapped up in Niamne, I forgot to ask you how you were feeling."

Katara giggled and put a hand on her four month belly. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. You have to think about Niamne." She paused. "I know you can help her. Just as much as Toph is blind, I know that Niamne can get through her life being deaf. Toph turned out great." But in her mind, she knew that a lie. Toph wasn't all that great, and she was always trying to figure out what was bothering her little sister. "I can work with her, Sokka. I can teach her to talk using her fingers and step into a world she never dreamed of."

"You'd do that? Really? But what about your problems?" Sokka asked. "I know you and Zuko haven't exactly been--"

"Shush, I know what you mean, but we'll work that out," Katara interrupted him. "Right now, I want to help you and Suki. Niamne's my neice and I love her to peices. I'll do anything to help her out."

Sokka smiled and hugged his sister. "Thanks. I knew there was a reason why I came to see you."

Katara smiled back. "I'm always here to help. Don't ever feel like you can't come to me for anything." She paused. "Because you can."

"All right, Toph. You're okay."

Aang tried to soothe Toph gently as she emptied her stomach again for the third time that night. She'd complained about not feeling good lately and it was starting to get to him.

Tears of pain stung Toph's eyes as her throat burnt more and more. It wasn't until three minutes later that she heard Taru. "Go get 'im," she shoved Aang off.

"You sure?"

Toph nodded. "Go," she pointed forcefully. "I'll be fine."

Aang was reluctant, but went anyway, picking up his little boy. "Alrighty, Taru," he said softly. "It's okay. Daddy's right here." He sat in a nearby chair with Taru in his lap and just rocked gently as Toph came back in.

Toph laid back in bed and rubbed her forehead. "Twinkle Toes..." she murmurred.

"Yes?"

"I feel terrible," she muttered. "I can't get rid of it."

Aang laid Taru back into his bed once the boy quieted and drifted off, then sat on his side of the bed and brushed away Toph's bangs. "Well, you're not warm," he said, feeling her forehead. "Maybe we should have you looked at."

"Katara can do that," Toph mumbled. "I don't wanna get out of bed."

Aang nodded and gently kissed her cheek. "Okay, Toph. Whatever is best for you."

Sokka felt bad later after his talk with Katara.

As he sat in a chair in Niamne's room with her laying and sleeping peacefully in his lap, he thought about what he should do as her dad. There was only so little he could help her with, and he wished that he could do something.

"Brother..." he muttered. "What a Dad I've been to you, huh Niam?"

"What do you mean?"

Sokka looked up to find Suki standing in the doorway, then looked back down at his daughter. "Meaning I don't listen to my guts and she becomes deaf," he mumbled. "Feels like I didn't something so right."

Suki rolled her eyes and knelt by her daughter and husband. "Sokka, didn't Katara tell you not to take it out on yourself?"

"Yes..." Sokka lowered his eyes. "But I still feel like I did something wrong."

"You didn't," Suki moved a lock of Niamne's hair away. "She's beautiful, strong-willed, and just wonderful." She looked at Sokka. "I couldn't ask for more in her. You and I have done great with her, but more than anything, you have done so much."

Sokka bit his lip. What Suki said was true, but he didn't feel the words ring true through him. "I've felt like a failure to Niamne for so long..."

"But you haven't been," Suki was determined to get through to his head. "Niamne loves you. She's always been with you, played with you...you and her have a bond that's unbreakable." She smirked. "And I don't care what you say otherwise."

This got a smile out of Sokka. "It's just hard. Hard to believe."

"I know it is," Suki kissed his cheek gently. "But we'll get by. Katara even said she'd help us." She paused and smiled. "We'll get by."

"You think?"

Suki shook her head. "I know."

Zuko walked into the bedroom, only to find Katara sitting on the window seat, staring almost endlessly outside. "Katara?" He hugged her. "You okay?"

Katara mumbled with tears, melting into her husband's arms. "Niamne can't hear."

And that's all he could get out of her for the rest of the night.

Yes, I know that the last part was ubershort, but the next chapter will be better with the Zutara stuff, I promise. lol

JayJay!