Sorry for the wait! But I worked on this at camp!

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

Discussions

"Katara? Honey?"

Zuko gently rubbed his wife's back, sitting on his side of the bed later after she stormed out on him and Sokka.

She had been sleeping, but Zuko had gently woke her up for a benefit. He wanted to know what was eating at her and what was with the pains she was having.

"Mmm?" Katara didn't roll over, but opened her bright blue eyes.

Zuko gently kissed her neck. "What's wrong? You seemed awfully upset back there. And if something's wrong with the baby, I have to know."

Katara sighed and laid on her back, her giant belly lifting up the sheets. "Zuko," she held his hand. "I'm sorry. I guess I've just been so flustered. With Sokka going behind my back about Niamne and all. Then the thing with Hei..."

Zuko nodded. He kind of figured and made a mental note to talk to both Azula and his son.

"And the pains?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and putting a hand on her belly, feeling his child move.

"It's nothing," Katara assured, putting her hand on his. "Just the normal ones with Hei."

But Zuko couldn't ignore the grimace on her face for the world. "Katara, you're a horrible liar. And what's worse, I hate when you try to hide your pain."

"I hate worrying you so much," Katara told her husband. "You already have so much to think about and I don't want you to--"

Zuko stopped her. "What worries me is you not telling me what's wrong. If you're in pain, I need to know."

Katara stared at Zuko's golden eyes and saw all seriousness and tension. She couldn't hide it anymore even if she had wanted to or tried.

Biting her lip as a shockwave of pain ran across her stomach, she squeezed Zuko's wrist. "Owow..." she whimpered. The second time around was proving itself to be hard for Katara. Yet, she couldn't figure out why.

Toph had never had pains like this. Yeah, sure she had those gasping kind whenever the twins would move or kick, but Katara's HURT.

Badly.

Zuko pried his wife's hand off his wrist. "That's all I asked," he told her gently. "Do you think you can walk for me?"

"Where?" Katara whimpered.

"Just to get you checked out, " Zuko told her, gently helping her up.

But no sooner had Katara stood up and had taken two small steps, than did she double over in pain and grab her belly. "Ohh, oahw! I need to lie down," she bit her lip as tears of pain stung the corners of her eyes.

"Okay," Zuko carefully laid her back into the bed. "I'll be right back. I'll go grab Toph, Suki, and Azula, okay?"

Katara nodded, knowing that if more than anything, her second sister-in-law, Suki, could help her. Suki was training to be a midwife.

"Hang tight, Princess," Zuko gently kissed her forehead before running to get the others.

His little conversations would just have to wait.

Katara bit her lip and squeezed both Toph and Sokka's hands in pain.

Sokka had begged Suki to be with his sister. Nothing would've stopped him from seeing her...his little sister...when she was in so much pain.

Nothing.

Suki was as lightly and gently as she could pushing on the spot Katara had told her where it hurt the most, trying to see if she couldn find anything at all.

"Ow," Katara whimpered again, crushing her brother's hand.

Still, Sokka, (nor Toph), minded in the least. He hated seeing his baby sister hurting so much without so much as a reason why. He hoped that his wife could figure it out.

Toph gently ran a sisterly thumb over Katara's hand, assuring her that everything would be okay.

After about another hour, Suki sighed. "Well, Katara. I have good and bad news."

Everybody froze at this...especially Sokka.

"What do you mean?" Katara was almost afraid to ask.

"Well, the good news is that you and your baby are healthy," Suki said. Then she sighed again. "The bad news is, you will more thank likely, if not at the most, have a very difficult birth with this one." She paused. "The reason is being that the pains you have are caused by an infection in your placenta. Which also explains the difficulty you will have."

Katara didn't want to believe it. Not one word of it. "Will...will the baby live?"

Suki sighed. "I can't tell or know for sure. At least not until you're ready. But in most cases like this, it's very rare that the baby lives. In other cases, the baby is very sickly."

Katara nodded and took a shaky breath. "You, uhm, should bring Zuko back in." Then quietly, she added, "I have a lot to tell him."

The lot noddded and left, but after Sokka gave her a hug, Azula did and told her, "Don't worry. Don't worry about a bit of it."

Katara couldn't say anything. She only nodded and thanked her sister in law.

When Azula left, katara could only lower her head to hide the tears when Zuko walked in.

But the Fire Lord was quick and saw her tears.

"Katara..." Zuko took his pregnant wife in his arms, unaware at the facts at hand.

Katara put her arms around his neck and cried openly into his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said, believing that this was her fault. That she should've been more careful.

''What do you mean?" Zuko pulled away, drying her tears with his thumb. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Katara bit her lip. "Suki told me that the pains were caused by an infection and that I'll have a really hard time with this birth and what's more..." she paused. "The baby will more than likely not live after he or she is born." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Honey. I'm sorry!"

"Hey, hey," Zuko hugged her again. "It's not your fault, Katara. You couldn't have known this."

Katara cried. "I don't wanna lose the baby, Zuko! I don't!" She lightly pounded her fists on his back as she said this.

"Shhh," Zuko gently rubbed her back, hoping to calm her. "It's okay, Baby. It's going to be okay, Just stay on bedrest until you're ready and we'll be fine."

Katara couldn't help but to smile at this. Zuko always saw the positive side of things around her. It was what she loved about him the most. "I don't wanna lose this one. I couldn't live with myself."

"We won't. Katara, we'll still have that family," Zuko assured her. "And know that you did nothing wrong at all."

Katara sniffed. "But-- but I..."

Zuko shook his head. "Stop it. You didn't know and there was no way you could have known."

"Okay," Katara nodded. "I'm scared, Zuko. I really am and I thought that I'd never say it."

Zuko hugged her again and said, "I know, Katara. I am, too." He paused and rubbed her forearms. "I am, too."

Later that day found Katara reading in bed and Zuko talking to his sister in the library.

"So what's up?" Azula asked, sitting in a chair across from her brother. "About Katara?"

Zuko shrugged. "Yeah, but not about the baby problem. It's about her and Heishui."

And right at that moment, Heishui ran in and went straight to his father. "Daddy!"

"Hey, you," Zuko smiled at the young prince and sat him comfortably on his lap. He allowed the boy to play with his fingers and turned his attention back to Azula. "She feels as though he only comes to her as a last or second resort. That he loves you, me, Sokka, and the others more than her."

Azula shifted. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Why didn't you see it?" Zuko shot back.

"I just figured that she was busy with Niamne..." Azula shrugged. "I really had no idea."

Zuko couldn't argue with that and silence hung in the air. Then both siblings jumped when the silence was broken by Heishui.

"Daddy?" he looked up. "Where's Mommy?"

"She's in bed reading, Hei," Zuko answered simply.

"Can I go see her?"

Zuko couldn't help but to smile. "Okay. But be careful, okay? Mommy's not feeling to good."

Heishui nodded, his dark brown ponytail swaying. "Otay, Daddy," he said before running off.

Azula smirked at her brother. "You were saying, Zuzu?"

Zuko looked at her. "You talked to him, didn't you?"

Azula only smiled.

Katara put her book down when Heishui ran in. "Hiya, Mommy!"

Katara smiled. "Hiya, Hei," she let the boy climb onto the bed and smiled when he put his ear on her belly.

"Soon, Mommy? My wittwe bwover or sister soon?" Heishui looked hopefully at his mother.

Katara smiled again and cuddled with Heishui when he sat next to her. "Yes, Hei," she giggled. "Soon."

Silence followed and Heishui played with Katara's red wedding ring. "Mommy?" he asked.

"Yes, Honey?"

"Do you wove me?" The young prince looked up at his mother expectedly.

Katara was shocked by the question, but had to ask the same thing first before she could answer. "Hei, Mommy wants to know the same thing." She laid her head on his. "Do you love me?"

Heishui nodded. "Yes, Mommy. Bwery much, a'course!" He smiled brightly and kissed her cheek.

Katara smiled. "And Mommy loves you-- very very much," she smirked, then tickled her son, makuing his laugh and squeal.

"Mommy! Mommy, 'top it!" Heishui begged.

"Okay, okay," Katara stopped and Heishui put one small hand on her belly.

"What're you doing, Hei?" Katara kissed his cheek, then played with his ponytail.

"Feewing, Mommy," Heishui answered. "Is the baby gonna be a Fwirebender like Daddy?"

Katara giggled. "Maybe, Hei. I don't know."

"Moves like one!"

"I think you're right," Katara smiled, still playing with his ponytail. "It does."

Heishui giggled and leaned back on his mom. "I wove you, Mommy." He snuggled deeper by Katara and closed his eyes, obviously comfortable and loving his moment with her.

"I love you, too, Heis," Katara smiled, kissed him gently, then gently rocked him to sleep, singing softly to him until he fell sound asleep in her arms.

Awwwwwwwwwwww...gol

Thanks to my little cousin, Katie, who is 2 and my reference for Hei! I love you, Katie Baby!

JayJay!