The Last Airbender is not my creation, the people at the Nickelodeon Studios created it, but that will not stop me from making my own little episodes of excitement and romance.
The only thing I own is the plot on your screen. If you plan to take my ideas and put them into your own fanfic, claiming to be your own mind that thought them up, get a hobby. Plagiarism is wrong, don't do it!
Zuko and Katara waited patiently for any news regarding the baby's threatening letter. After two long hours of unbearable waiting, a guard arrived to tell the Fire Lord and Lady that nobody saw anything out of the ordinary. The nurse that someone had claimed to see, was gone.
Katara exhaled a breath of worry and ordered the guards to search endlessly for the rest of the day. "I want two of your strongest men to guard this room day and night. With or without child in it. Understand?" she commanded, frustration lingering on her every word. The guard just nodded and left. Katara brougt her fingers up to her mouth and started to bite her nails.
Fire Lord Zuko grabbed her hand and frowned. "Don't start a bad habit," he said and pulled her hand away from her face. "Why don't you go take a warm relaxing bath and I'll stay here and watch Luna."
The waterbender hesitated. "I don't know--"
"Hush," the Fire Lord whispered and gave his wife a peck on the lips. "Go. I'll take care of her. Don't worry, alright? She's safe." Zuko pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "Go."
The Lady sighed in defeat and turned around. "Alright, but I'll be back soon." She walked into the bathroom and shut the door gently.
Zuko smiled to himself when he heard a splash of water within the lavatory that connected the baby's room with theirs. He reached over and pulled a chair next to his young daughter's crib. He moved the pink curtain aside and peered inside the small bed to admire the child that he helped create. He reached down and stroked Luna's soft cheek, smiling as he did so. He chuckled to himself as he remembered the day that Katara had first told him he was going to be a father.
...one year and nine months ago...
Fire Lord Zuko signed the letter to the Huit Exchange and rolled it up into a scroll. He was tired of writing so many letters. Who knew that being the ruler of a Nation who was hated by the entire world, would be so damn hard? He sighed when a shy knock interrupted his short moment of rest. Please don' be Uncle Iroh, I'm not in the mood, he thought exasperatedly. "Come in," he said, unrecognizing his own tired voice.
The wooden door opened slowly and Katara's shy head peeked in. "Are you busy?" she asked nervously and stepped into the small room.
"Nope. I'm never busy," Zuko answered sarcastically and put the letter into a drawer. "I'm just sitting in here because I like the room. It's very nice and...boring." He smiled until he noticed her pallid face and shaking hands. "Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a demon." He poured some hot tea into his cup and handed it to her when she took a seat in front of him.
"I'm fine," she answered and took his teacup. She brought it up to her lips and sipped very slowly. The warm tea heated her dry throat and she set the cup down. "I'm not very thirsty," she said randomly and pushed the drink away.
The Fire Lord looked at his wife strangely. "Alright," he answered a little amused by her remark. If you're not thirsty, why did you take a drink? Zuko shook the funny thought away and looked at her uncommonly white face. "Are you sick?"
It was then when Katara began to cry. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "It feels like I am," she muttered. Zuko stood up and walked over to the waterbender worriedly. He grabbed her shaking hands and kneeled down in front of her. "Oh Zuko, what are we going to do?" Hot salty tears fell upon her lap and their hands.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice weak and distant.
Katara took a deep breath and pulled one hand away from his grasp so she could wipe the tears off her face. She tried with all her might to contain herself from crying. She looked down at his worried expression and gave him a weak smile, in spite of the circumstances. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.
Zuko's eyes widened and his grip on her hand tightened. His heart began to race and his once tired state left him completely. His breath was taken away and an empty feeling in his stomach formed. "You...You're pregnant?" he stammered and laughed when she nodded, as though it was a joke. "You're pregnant!" he repeated happily and jumped to his feet. He stood her up and hugged her tightly. "Haha...you're pregnant!" The fire bender kissed his surprised wife all over her face. "I love you...I love you...I love you!"
Katara looked at the Fire Lord in complete disbelief. "You're...not mad?"
"Mad? Why would I be mad?"
"Oh I don't know. Maybe because you're seventeen and have no idea how to take care of a child. Maybe because you've just become Fire Lord and a baby might be inconvenient at the moment. I don't know..." Lady Katara shook her head and pulled away from him. "How did this happen?"
Zuko frowned. "...You don't want it?" he whispered disbelieving.
"Yes, of course I do, but..." she trailed off and looked at the ground. "...I'm fifteen."
"You think fifteen is too young?" Zuko asked and frowned at her uncertainly.
Katara sighed and forced a smile. "No, it's just that...I don't think I'm ready to raise a child."
The Fire Lord pulled her into a warm embrace and let her head rest on his chest. "You won't raise it alone, I'll be there to help you. And I think you're more than ready to bring up a baby...you did take care of your brother." He smiled when he heard her giggle. "I love you," he whispered and kissed her head. I'm going to be a dad...
"I love you too."
Luna began to whine and Zuko looked down into her crib. She had awaken. He reached down and grabbed his baby ever so sweetly, kissing her on the cheek when she was face to face with him. "Good evening," he said happily and stood up.
The baby girl giggled, showing her father her two bottom teeth that were cutely growing through her gums. "Are you hungry?" he asked, realizing that it should be time for her to eat. Luna smiled and placed her small hand over his scarred eye. "I'll take that as a yes," he said and pulled her hand away, kissing it before letting it go.
After a few minutes of walking through the palace, Zuko and Luna arrived at a small door labeled 'Kitchen'. Zuko walked in and the strong aroma of fresh cooked fish filled both their noses. Luna was absolutely disgusted by it. Many cooks and servants smiled at baby Luna and the Fire Lord as they passed through the kitchen. "Bring something to eat for Princess Luna," he ordered to a chef before leaving the fish-smelling room.
Princess Luna outstretched her small arms when she saw her Grandpa Iroh sitting at the table, drinking tea. Zuko smiled at his uncle. "What are you doing her?" he asked and passed Luna over to Iroh.
"Drinking tea...and thinking," the retired General said and kissed the baby on the forehead. "Hello my darling, how are you?"
"Pa," she laughed and slapped Iroh's shoulder.
"Pa? ...I hope that means fine," he laughed and sat her on his knee.
Zuko frowned. "Unfortunately, everything is not fine."
"What's wrong?" Iroh asked, not liking the tone in his nephew's voice.
"Ugh," The Fire Lord sighed and propped his head on his hands. His body language was hopelessly yelling for help. "Katara was setting Luna down in her crib when she discovered a note on her pillow. The note threatens to kill Luna." He looked at his happy daughter and smiled pathetically when she started clicking her tongue while slamming her hands on the table. "What am I going to do, uncle?"
Iroh looked into his nephew's eyes and saw a sadness that hadn't been there in a long time. Not since his father wordlessly told him that he was neither loved or wanted. The familiar frustration shone in his face. But this time it wasn't because he couldn't capture the Avatar, it was because a person that he loved was in fatal danger and he felt completely helpless. "Is the note signed?"
"No," a female voice answered from behind.
General Iroh shifted his gaze and noticed Katara, standing behind her husband with a sad expression on her face. "Good evening Katara," he said with a smile.
Katara took a seat beside her husband and smiled weakly at Iroh. "Good evening," she replied and laughed when she noticed her silly daughter trying to get out of Iroh's grasp. "What's wrong Luna?" she asked and stood up.
The baby Princess looked up and frowned. "Ma!" she yelled and reached out towards her young mother. She started slapping Iroh's arms, ordering him to let her go.
"My dear, you'll fall if I let you go," the old General said and pulled her back on his lap.
Katara walked over to her child and lifted her out of Iroh's lap. "OK," she hushed and carried her back to her seat. She sat Luna on the table and smiled at her. "My my, you have your father's temper," she mused and looked over at Zuko, who seemed insulted by the remark. "At least she doesn't explode into flames, like you do."
The Fire Lord smirked. "I'll teach her my ways, one day."
"Ha ha, yeah right." The Lady kissed her baby's palms and noticed that were considerably warm. She frowned at her child and touched her forehead, it was cool. "Were her hands hot when she was slapping you?" she asked Iroh.
The General shrugged. "I didn't pay attention to her hands."
Katara shot Zuko an angry glare. "I don't want you to get angry in front of her anymore," she warned and blew cool air on Luna's warm palms.
The young father frowned at his wife. "I don't."
"Katara, Princess Luna is young...she doesn't heat her hands on purpose. I've told you before, fire benders let go of their emotions through bending. If they don't, they get horrible fevers. Don't teach your daughter to swallow her emotions...she'll get sick," the General warned with a smile.
Katara looked at the wise old man and then at her young daughter. "I don't want her to get sick," the waterbender whispered and sighed in defeat. "Why couldn't you have been a waterbender?" She looked into her baby's cerulean eyes and kissed her small nose.
"So what are you going to do about the note?" the General asked, going back to the original subject.
"I don't know," Fire Lord Zuko answered and looked over at his wife, who was playing with her daughter. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her. She's the light of my life."
"Hmm," Iroh thought and looked at Katara's happy face. It was amazing to see how much Katara loved her daughter. Not to mention Zuko. Who knows how many meetings Zuko had cancelled just because he had to spend time with his daughter. It was so sad to think that neither parent had the same luxury. Zuko's father had wanted nothing to do with him and didn't show any sign of regret before he died. Katara's mother had died young and her father was gone at war almost her entire youth. Iroh guessed that both teenagers had agreed to love their child unconditionally and spend time with her as much as possible. At this rate, Luna will grow too attached to her parents. Either that, or she'll be suffocated by their constant care. "What about the Avatar?" he said after a long moment of silence.
Katara looked at Iroh at the mention of the Avatar. "Aang?" she asked and smiled. She missed him very much. It was about time he came around to visit.
Zuko looked at his uncle and raised his eyebrow. "What about him?"
"Well, wasn't he put on Earth to protect? What if we call him? ...He can protect Princess Luna."
The Fire Lord frowned. "If anyone is going to take care of Princess Luna, it will be me" He clenched his hands into fists and felt them begin to heat in anger. "I'm not going to ask a fifteen year old to take care of my daughter." Smoke began to emit from his palms. How dare his uncle ask him to call that...traitor to come over and take care of his child?
Luna began to laugh and Katara frowned disdainfully. "Control your temper!" she yelled at Zuko.
Zuko snapped out of his angry state and looked confusedly at Katara. "Sorry," he muttered and took a deep calming breath. "Luna, that was an example of bad anger. Don't do it...ever," he told the Princess sternly. She just smiled and reached for him, wanting to touch his hands. He grabbed his daughter and placed her on his knee.
"Look at what you're teaching her," the waterbender said as she watched Luna touch Lord Zuko's hands excitedly. "And what's wrong with Aang protecting our baby? He is the Avatar--"
"But I'm Luna's father and I'll say who protects her or not. Got it?" He sounded so arrogant, but he didn't care. Zuko didn't want another man taking care of his baby.
Katara stood up and looked down at her husband. She was infuriated. "You didn't just speak to me that way. First of all, you didn't have to carry Luna inside of you for eight and a half months. Secondly, you didn't have to give birth to her for THREE hours! If anyone is going to decide who takes care of her...it's me!" She was breathing heavily and Luna was clapping her hands at her mother's wonderful performance.
"Look Luna, that's the right way to get angry. Yell at the world!" Zuko exclaimed sarcastically. "Forget about the Avatar, Katara. I'm not going to have him here so he can..." he stopped.
"So he can what?" Lady Katara crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
"I'm not going to say," he whispered and turned back to his uncle.
"Oh come on, Zuko! That was such a long time ago! It was before Luna was even conceived. Let it go," she said and sat down on her chair with a sigh. A chef walked into the dining room with a platter filled with pureed foods and set it down before Lady Katara. "Thank you," she whispered. He nodded to the waterbender with a smile before heading back into the kitchen.
Katara silently took her child away from Lord Zuko and sat her on the table. She noisily grabbed a spoon and filled it with a bit of crushed peas. "Here sweetie," she said quietly and held the spoon up to the young firebender's lips. Luna opened her mouth and accepted the pulpy vegetables.
Everyone sat quietly as they watched baby Luna eat her food. Zuko felt horrible for being so awful to Katara. She was a good mother and only wanted the best for her child. Iroh watched in fascination as Luna was so willing to eating vegetables. He remembered when Zuko was a child. You had to bribe him into eating anything other than sweets.
The teenage mother lifted a napkin and wiped the Princess' mouth. "Slob," she laughed and kissed her forehead. The baby girl laughed with her mother and grabbed the red napkin. She held it up to Katara's face and pretended to wipe it clean. "Yes, I'm a slob too...even when I don't eat," she joked and kissed Luna's hand.
"I'm sorry Katara," the Fire Lord said apologetically. "If you want the Avatar here, go ahead and call him." ...But I'll keep a close eye on that backstabber.
"OK," she responded coldly. "I will."
"Well..." Iroh began and smiled when Katara looked at him. She obviously forgot that he was there. "I'll be leaving. I promised the chef that I'll play a game of Pai Cho with him tonight. Don't want to be late." The General stood from his chair and encouragingly patted Zuko's shoulder when he passed him. "Goodnight Luna," he said and left the room after the baby gave him a small wave.
"Are you still mad at me?" Zuko asked while Katara gave her child another spoonful of vegetables. Luna smiled at her dad as she finished swallowing her food. He returned her smile and placed his hands on Katara's shoulders when he noticed that she wasn't going to answer him. "Don't be mad, OK? I'm sorry for getting angry in front of Luna."
Lady Katara sighed and wiped Luna's cheek. "I'm not mad. I'm just frustrated with you."
"Why?"
"Because you..." she paused so she could give Luna a sip of water. "Because you get angry at stupid things. I don't want Luna to grow up and do the same. She looks up to you." Katara dabbed some water on the napkin and wiped the child's face one last time. She set the little girl on her lap and turned around to face Zuko.
"OK, I promise to set a great example for our daughter. Just don't be frustrated anymore," Lord Zuko said and smiled.
"Fine," Katara breathed and gave Luna to Zuko. "And stop holding that...incident against Aang."
Fire Lord Zuko got to his feet and frowned indignantly at Katara. "No, I won't stop holding it against him. He was purposely luring you. I won't have it and I won't ever forget it. He stabbed me in the back and I'll make sure he knows that he won't do it again, or else he's out of here." He took a deep even breath and kissed Luna on the forehead. Control your temper...
"Zuko..." Lady Katara began sadly but her husband stopped her.
"No, Katara." He turned around and left the dining room, leaving the waterbender alone.
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