Okay, yes, it has been a while since I last updated, but CHILL IT PEOPLE! End of the year stuff had me SWAMPED! I just went on a long and extremely exhausting trip to Washington D.C., plus add summer band (6'o clock in the morning, I play the clarinet), babysitting the little bro, and all that other summer jazz, I'M WIPED OUT! MAYBE I will have some more time to write now, but I really DO NOT appreciate the "Hurry up! I've been waiting forever!" reviews!
Don't you guys have anything better to do then write those?
On the plus side, I am pretty proud of this chapter, I think it was actually worth the wait.
NOTICE: This chapter iz actually a few dayz later than it was supposed to be; I had a problem uploading it.
INJOI! REALLY!
Jun's condition steadily deepened. Her skin grew pale and translucent-looking. Her ravenous appetite continued. And yet, she refused to let it interfere with her daily activities.
Jun insisted that she and Zuko kept their workouts, though he tried to talk her out of it.
"I'm not helpless," she snarled. "And I'm not weak. I'm just sick. It will pass."
So Zuko had no choice but to keep sparring with her, though it tortured him inside to do it.
-
"More energy, Prince Zuko, you're not even trying," Iroh said, watching Zuko's feeble attempts to block Jun.
No, he was not trying; today he really was afraid of hurting Jun.
This made her furious. Ignoring technique, she punched him in the stomach. Hard. Zuko grimaced in pain, but did not strike back. Iroh chuckled softly.
"Prince Zuko, don't you think you ought to defend yourself?"
Zuko turned around to give his uncle a dirty look. Jun seized this opportunity to swing her leg into his ankles, knocking Zuko's feet out from under him. Iroh had difficulty stifling his laughter as the prince got up angrily. He scowled at the old man, whose amusement left his face almost instantly. But he was not looking at his nephew. His eyes were focused on Jun. Zuko slowly turned back around.
Jun had gone white and her whole body quivered. The effort had been too much for her fragile condition. And before Zuko or Iroh could rush to catch her fall, Jun had collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.
-
Jun woke up half an hour later, feeling cold and miserable. Then she remembered what happened and started to sob.
"Please," Zuko pleaded. "Don't cry. It's…it's alright. Everything's fine." He still wasn't exactly the comforting type. Jun stopped crying and was immediately angry again.
"No, everything is not fine. Where have you been? It is not alright! And why are you telling me what to do, anyway? I hate that! Leave me alone!"
Jun went to bed early. Iroh said she was moody. She threw a teacup at his head. Then she went to her shared room and threw herself on Zuko's bed. But she couldn't sleep. Trying to give her plenty of time to be by herself, the prince waited hours before quietly slipping in and laying down next to Jun, who pretended to be deep in slumber. It wasn't long before Zuko had fallen asleep. Jun laid and stared at the ceiling, hoping to drift off. She sighed, also hoping to control the nausea in her belly.
Too late. Jun made yet another dash to the side of the ship, vomiting twice. Exhausted, she slumped against the deck, holding her aching stomach. Her stomach…
A new revelation came to her, first just a seed of an idea, then growing stronger, taking root and sweeping dread and confusion all over her body. It could be true… it wasn't impossible….it made sense…it might be true…the symptoms…it just might…it was true. That was a terrifying thought. Jun grasped the side of the deck and shook her head.
"No…no, no, NO!"
Tears rolled down her cheeks, she gasped and held her stomach, quite overtaken with emotion. She was afraid and alone and-
"So it is true," said a wise, comforting voice. Iroh. Coming out of the shadows, his eyes were watery too, but they held another feeling as well. Was it…wonder? He looked out over the sea, it glimmering with tiny specs of starlight. "Such a miracle. And a blessing. Even though you don't appreciate it now."
Jun was surprised and alarmed.
"But how did you know-"
"I once had a son." Iroh looked away, his voice quivering a little. There was silence.
"Zuko never told me that," Jun answered quietly.
"Zuko has experienced…much sadness and loss," He sounded stronger now. "This will be the best thing to ever happen to him."
"He's so young," Jun mused.
"You are young too," Iroh gently reminded her, "but strong. You both are strong."
Jun smiled as several more tears fell and tightly hugged Iroh.
"There, there. No more crying! This is a time of great happiness!"
He held her close, then let her go to dry her eyes. There was quiet for a few minutes more.
"You know, you are going to have to tell Zuko sometime. Sometime soon."
Jun groaned.
"Can't we just wait a few months and let him find out on his own?"
Iroh laughed.
"No! He needs to hear it, and he needs to hear it from you. Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," Jun agreed. She yawned.
"Time to go back to sleep." Iroh started to head back down the stairs. Jun took one last glance at the sea and remembered something.
"Oh, wait, Iroh!"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry I threw that cup at you."
Again, he laughed.
-
While Jun felt better, Zuko started to really worry. He didn't actually sleep much; he dreamed that a huge tidal wave made of fire pulled Jun off the ship into a raging inferno of flame. (A/N: O-kaaaay…) He got up early and practiced alone on the desk, waiting for Iroh. By the time his uncle finally emerged, sleepy-eyed and yawning, Zuko had nearly worn a rut in the boards, pacing and racking his brains for a reason behind Jun's illness.
"Uncle, I just don't understand."
"Understand what?"
"Jun!" He shouted and threw his hands in the air from frustration. "She eats and sleeps, and she doesn't have any energy, and she throws up, and eats, and throws up, and-" He stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes.. "Ohhhhh, no. I know."
Iroh was almost relieved.
"Now, Prince Zuko, it is not your fault. It's just one of those things-"
"No, no, of course it's my fault! How could I have worked her so hard?"
Iroh coughed, embarrassed, he had not wanted to go into details…
"Now, Zuko.." But Zuko was absolutely rambling now.
"…I was just on her, all the time…not getting the moves right…how could I be so stupid?"
"Zuko!" Iroh had flushed a bright red.
"…now her life could be in danger…could die…"
Now Iroh was beginning to feel that they had both missed something.
"Prince Zuko, what on earth are you talking about? Why would Jun die?"
Zuko blinked.
"What on earth are you talking about? Jun's ANOREXIC! I pushed her too hard in training! She eats a lot, then she throws it up!"
Iroh sighed a deep, deep sigh and slowly shook his head. My, poor, idiotic nephew…
"Prince Zuko, I think you are mistaken."
"I am not mistaken! She's anorexic! Jun is anorexic!"
"I am NOT anorexic!"
Jun herself came up, frowning, annoyed.
"Jun, it's okay. I know the truth now. You don't have to hide it."
"Boy, you really are stupid. I'M NOT ANOREXIC!"
"YES YOU ARE!"
"NO I'M NOT! I'M PREGNANT! I'M PREGNANT, YOU MORON!"
Zuko opened his mouth again, then closed it. He didn't seem to have anything to say. Silence.
"You are?" he finally said softly.
"YES! I've just been YELLING it at you!"
"Oh." At this point, Zuko just sighed. All the emotion seemed to have drained right out of him.
"I'm sorry."
Both Firebenders flinched, sure Jun was going to yell again. Instead, like Zuko, she just slouched and sighed.
"I'm sorry too. But we can't do anything about it. We're going to have to accept it."
She managed a small smile and took Zuko's hand, but he turned away. She continued anyway.
"We're going to have to relax and be happy. And by we I mean you. We have a child to raise and you need to chill."
Still, Zuko said nothing, but accepted Jun's arms around him. He looked at her thoughtfully, taking in her big grey eyes and the thin scar on her cheek from the battle. He loved her so much. So much that he knew he needed to at least try and loosen up.
He smiled, but said
"I don't know…"
"Well, we're in it together."
"All three of us," Iroh added.
"Hah!" Jun's smile widened. "You mean FOUR of us!"
So, you like?