A/N. A Hakoda chapter (oh yes, he is back!). I was thinking of making the part after the invasion into a new story, to avoid too many chapters in one story. Tell me what you think about that!

I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Standing on the prow of the first ship in the group, Hakoda looked towards the island that was getting closer and closer.

Sokka had chosen wisely. A wide bay, enclosed by dark cliffs, close to the Fire Nation capital by ship. Just two hours from here sat the Fire Lord in his golden palace… Just two hours away from here, sat their victory. And it would be a victory. He would make sure of that!

Their little fleet was the product of two months of hard labour. As soon as his children, Toph and that bison had gone off to find the Ava… no. Aang. As soon as they had gone to find Aang, he had ordered his warrior to turn the ship around and set direction towards Haipan. That was the village Sokka had suggested as a good base to recruit. Apparently, the people there had been helped by their little group, so they were indebted.

And what he had found… Well, it surprised him. When Hakoda had met the village elder, a certain Tyro, he had immediately stricken a friendship with the kind, diligent man. The earthbender's son, Haru, had apparently become friends with his children and the Avatar while they had stayed with them. And Tyro had agreed to help them in the matter of a day. So, his hundred warriors had been joined by a small army of guerrilla soldiers, four hundred strong. They had already got the target number set by Sokka, simply by going to that town…

The rest of the two months had been spent travelling with Bato and Tyro, recruiting other friends and allies. His warriors had stayed at Haipan, building built based on a design made by his son! His son… Capable of just inventing things he had not even dared dream of.

They had gone to the swamp, and had met… well, the strangest waterbenders Hakoda could have imagined. If the lack of clothes were not enough, they had some very strange eating customs. But he guessed he had seemed rather strange himself to these people, with the furs, the bone club and the knives attached to his belt.

Their next stop had been the Northern Air Temple. Before leaving Haipan, Hakoda had sent a message by Fire Nation hawk to the temple, explaining what he wanted and what was being planned, without entering into too many details, in case the bird was captured. And when he had finally made that long climb… Well, Hakoda had been shocked and amazed at the same time.

Amazed at the invention of the this… Machinist? And the son, Teo. Both were quirky, eccentric people who seemed to love their machines and inventions more than anything else. The Machinist had made everything they had planned, and more. Something Sokka called "underwater ships", to get underneath the blockade in front of the Gates of Azulon… And to approach the capital undetected… It was crazy. But if it worked…

And also… The Air Temple. Hakoda had seen how the beautiful mosaics had been torn apart by the pipes and the machines, but underneath the grime and smoke, he had seen the remains of a civilization… And it had filled his heart with sadness, thinking of the boy on whose shoulders that whole history lay now.

Shocked… Yes, that, he had been. As the Machinist and his son showed him around the temple, Hakoda had remarked that there were no bones, no traces of the massacre that had taken place here, high in the skies… But Teo had taken him aside that night, giving him a small oil lamp, and saying he needed to get down to the cellars…

And he had gone. He had opened the ancient doors… And had been met by a tomb. The caves that served as cellars in the temple had been filled with the bones of the airbenders. When Hakoda had come back up from there, after at least an hour, Teo had explained that his people had not known what to do with the bones, as Air Nomad funeral rites were not known anymore… So, they had put them in the cellars… In case someone discovered how to honour them.

Hakoda had to spend two weeks there, waiting for the people of Haipan, the swamp people, and his own warriors. In those weeks… Well, he had walked the abandoned parts of the temple, where the pipes had not broken through the walls. And he had found a beautiful fresco of the monks, bending air, with bisons around them. And he had seen the necklaces those people wore, the wooden beats with those discs at the end. And… Well, he hoped it wasn't too weird, or offensive… but he had made one for the Avatar.

In the Water Tribe, it was customary to make something when your child went to battle for the first time… He had promised Sokka armour, but had realized, too late, that Katara had not been promised anything. So, he had made a waterskin for her, one that she could hand on her belt, with intricate tribal designs… He hoped she would like it…

And he had made that necklace for Aang. Maybe it was not what he was supposed to do… But Hakoda wanted to show his daughter that he accepted the airbender! And… Well, he guessed he was the closest thing the boy had to a father now… In a horrible, twisted way, sure. But nonetheless…

"So? You think your children will be there?"

It was Tyro. The village elder had insisted on sailing with Hakoda on the water tribe ship, so that they could discuss things without having to swim to each other's ship.

"Knowing my children, yes. They will have made sure to be here." He answered. Of course… he didn't really know them. Not anymore. But from what he had seen during those three weeks after Ba Sing Se, he knew one thing. Both his children were stubborn and determined. They will be there.

"Yes, from what I've seen of them… I know they keep their promises." Tyro smiled, padding Hakoda's shoulder, before turning around and joining the others in the belly of the ship.

They keep their promises. Of course, the older earthbender didn't know that those words hurt Hakoda. His children had kept their promises… Not like him. He had broken most promises he had made.

I'll come back after a year Sweetie. I promise!

I promise to love and protect you Kya.

I promise to defend the Southern Water Tribe from threats.

And then… The words his daughter had spoken to him all those weeks ago, about the Avatar…

He keeps his promises!

And had he? Katara had seemed convinced that they would find the Avatar, and that he would stay hidden. And apparently, he had covered his identity, for Hakoda hadn't heard people talk about sightings of an Air Nomad…

Tyro had seemed dubious at first when he had told him Aang was still alive. The earthbender had heard different reports that the Avatar had been killed by the prince and princess, and that his body had been hung from the walls of Ba Sing Se. It was only when Tyro's son, Haru, had interjected on their behalf, that the man had admitted that it was possible the Fire Nation had lied…

Haru… Well, Hakoda didn't need to be a genius to know what that young man had wanted from day one… the young earthbender had clearly tried to impress him from the moment he explained he was Sokka and Katara's father. The youngster had worked harder than anyone on the boats, had taken charge of the men when Hakoda, Tyro and Bato had left for the swamp… And when they rejoined at the bay near the Northern Air Temple, it had been Haru who led the warriors.

The young man was indeed a fine warrior, and seemed to have a good sense of honour and morale… But Hakoda had already made this mistake once before. So, he praised Haru when it was due, and otherwise tried to ignore how the young man seemed to hang around him as much as possible.

Katara had made it quite clear. Hakoda didn't have a say in her life. So, he wouldn't say anything about Haru's actions. Talking about that young man, the chief saw him coming towards him, as the ship turned towards the entrance of the bay.

"My father didn't mean to insult your children, Chief Hakoda." The earthbender spoke up in a clear, strong voice.

"I never thought he did Haru." Hakoda answered, grabbing a rope and hoisting himself even higher on the prow.

"Oh… I just thought… with you sitting here… I thought you wanted to make sure before we entered the bay." He young man said bashfully.

"I know my children and their friends will be here." They had agreed to avoid using Aang's title, or even name. Only a handful of people knew the Avatar was still alive, and they wanted to keep it that way.

"I… I just hope to be the first to see them. I have not been the best of fathers. So, I want to be able to see their reactions when they see us. To know how I am supposed to act." Hakoda explained, as the ship passed the cliffs and the rocks jutting out of the water just before the entrance to the bay. The turn they took made it so that he could see the beach.

Well… beach…

Hakoda had thought they would need to ferry the warriors from the ships with smaller boats towards the beach, but he was met with a… functional harbour. There were docks, a landing ground, even an open flat space to put cargo and so on… And there, on that open surface, stood four people. Even from that distance, Hakoda could see who they were.

Smiling, he recognized the tall, rather bulky tanned man who was his son. Now nearly nineteen years old… He could not see the details of his son's face but knew that the same piercing ice blue eyes that he himself had would be peering towards the ships.

To the right of his son, stood the small blind girl Toph, who had probably made this whole port for them… She was quite easy to spot, with clothes in the green and beige colours of the Earth Kingdom, and the jet-black hair falling on the front of her eyes. Even from this distance, Hakoda spotted the stubborn stance in her posture. Yeah. That was Toph.

Beside the blind earthbender, Hakoda saw the person that had been most important to their plan. His children and Toph had apparently found the airbender. A tall young man, visibly taller than before, with a bald head now. The blue of his tattoos stood starkly against his pale skin, so they were easily visible from this distance.

And next to the airbender stood his daughter. Hakoda thought he saw Katara quickly stepping a bit away from the airbender, but that could have been his imagination. It still surprised him how much she made him think of Kya, even from a distance. At a first glance, there was no real comparison. Katara's hair was slightly darker, and her face was much more like his mother's. but there were details that made her Kya in all but name. Her personality for instance… and those eyes… Hakoda's heart still ached each time he thought about those eyes.

"Well, there they are!" Haru smiled, turning around to the warriors standing in the belly of the ship.

"The Avatar is alive! Or they have found another airbender" the young earthbender laughed, jumping down from the prow to the rest of the warriors, who began to cheer. The roar of laughter and yelling was taking up by the second ship, and soon, all ten ships, six hundred and thirty-two warriors, were shouting.

Hakoda stayed at the prow, looking at the small group on the island, who were becoming clearer and clearer. He moved his hand up, waving at the group. He saw how Sokka waved back enthusiastically, as did the airbender. But Toph didn't wave or call out, but Hakoda hadn't thought she would. And Katara… Well, he saw how she moved her arms over her chest, looking down.

Had he done something? Or was this just some residue feeling from two months ago? Yeah… Hakoda hadn't thought she would be over her complicated emotions… But he had hoped.

They were now approaching the dock on the left, and he could see the group quite clearly now. Still looking towards his daughter, Hakoda saw that the airbender whispered something in her ear. The arms dropped to her side, and a smile broke through her sombre expression. The chief tried not to sigh in relief at seeing the change of emotions. Maybe those two months had been good for her. Spending them with the three people she loved most… Even if that idea still hurt, he had learned to accept it. Katara had her own life. And he would have to earn his place in it, not just consider it his right.

Gilak, who was the best helmsman he had, turned the ship next to the dock, and Hakoda saw that Bata and Iqualak threw the anchor overboard. The splash in the water was clear, and one of the earthbenders in the ship put the plank down, so they were able to get off the ship.

As the others began to climb off, Hakoda breathed softly in and out. There was no reason to be nervous… But he still was. Sokka acted normal around him! But he had seen the small frowns during their time on the ship. His son was not quite sure of him, even if he gave off the impression that he had forgiven him. And Katara… Last time they had seen each other, she had gone from kicking the living shit out of him to a short, awkward hug in the matter of minutes… So, where were they standing?

"Come on Hakoda." He saw a hand extend towards him and looked up. Bato was standing in front of him, shaking his head with a smile, "They won't eat you. I think!"

Shaking his own head, Hakoda got up, walking towards the plank. Stepping on it, he realized how perfect the place was to gather up an invasion force. The bay was wide enough to conceal several ships, the cliffs made sure that no one could spot them, and the island was uninhabited, at just two hours of the Fire Nation Capital. If it had been his country, he would have made sure to have a guard post, or a small base, on the island! But… Well, Fire Nation arrogance and confidence in their army was something Hakoda had grown used to.

He walked down towards the dock. His warriors and the dozens of earthbenders were stretching a bit, getting used to the firm ground underneath their feet. Looking to his right, Hakoda saw the other ships do the same turn as they had done, mooring their ships to the docks.

"Dad!" A voice called from the beach, and Hakoda turned to the sound.

Was that… Katara? Spirits… she had called out to him! Without… Without her brother doing it first! Did that mean that she would have forgiven him? No… He couldn't get his hopes up. It could also be just to say hello, and then she would turn around and go on with her own business. That was also a possibility!

As he stepped on the rocky dock, he saw two people force their way through the crowd. Two. Two!

Sighing in relief, he began to walk towards his children. Sokka looked good from close up. He had a sword hilt peeking over his shoulder, and had clearly not been sitting still, as he had several scrolls in a bag hung from his shoulder. Smiling at his son, Hakoda couldn't help but feel proud of him.

And Katara! She looked so much better! Gone were the dark rings under her eyes, and the clear underfed look! No more hollow cheeks, and she looked… sane. It was not nice to think of your own daughter like that, but he couldn't help it. Gone was the crazy look, the unstable gaze… She looked like he had hoped. In good health. Happy.

The force of two bodies slamming against his own made him stagger slightly, but Hakoda felt the tears pricking in the corners of his eyes. His children did not hate him! That was clear, no? He closed his arms around the two. Sokka didn't flinch, but the chief felt Katara straighten slightly, as if she wasn't totally sure of what she was supposed to feel. But she relaxed after a moment.

Everything was going to be alright…

He took a step backwards. As much as he loved the feeling of his children in his arms, he kne that any longer would have been… Selfish.

"Did you manage to find everyone? Seeing the number of ships, you did! Good! I have so much to t-" Sokka began, but was cut off by his sister.

"What this idiot is trying to say is, it is good to see you and the others. We can count warriors, supplies and so on after greeting the others. Can't we, Sokka?" Katara shook her head, while smiling at her brother.

Spirits… The gentle bickering… They were back. His children… like they were supposed to be! Hakoda felt a grin, a genuine grin, come to his lips. Tui and La, this was so great!

"Yeah, yeah! But did you find the Machinist? I have some things to show him!" Sokka waved his sister's words away, earning an eye roll from Katara.

"Yes! He is on one of the earthbender's ships! I believe the second one." Hakoda pointed to the ship moored three docks away. And his son disappeared into the crowd.

"How… How have you been?" He asked his daughter. This was probably going to be one of the rare moments he would have her all to himself…

"Good. I have thought a lot about the time on the ship Dad… And I'm sorry for pushing you away, while you were trying to… help." Katara murmured, not looking at him. Hakoda knew that gesture. Kya had done the exact same thing when she hadn't been too sure about her apology, or if she needed to apologize, after a fight. This was a Let's put it behind us, and not talk about it anymore gesture. And he would take it! He had thought long and hard about this moment, and what he was going to say!

"No Katara… I'm sorry. I was wrong. I thought you were still a child, but you're not. So, whatever you decide is best for you… That is alright." Hakoda felt that it was better to get this out of the way as soon as possible, so that that dark cloud didn't hang over their last evening before the battle. Tomorrow. But today, he would be able to at least pretend everything was alright, that they weren't going to fight the battle of a lifetime tomorrow.

'Thanks…" His daughter muttered, and just then, a small cough could be heard. Katara's face brightened with one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen, and she turned around. Just a few feet away, stood the Avatar, looking rather… awkward. He was turning the hem of his tunic in his hand, and looked shyly from Katara to him.

"Hello… Aang." Hakoda smiled, extending his arm to the young airbender. The Avatar looked relieved, grabbing his arm… in a traditional Water Tribe greeting. Raising his eyebrows, Hakoda couldn't help but be impressed. So… Katara had been right. He did know things about other cultures.

Keeping his hand around the young man's lower arm, the chief shook it slightly before releasing it.

"Katara!" Hakoda cringed when he realized who had spoken up.

"Haru! It's so good to see you!" His daughter ran to the young earthbender, hugging the man fiercely, not at all aware of what that did to Haru.

He tried not to laugh, but it was difficult. The young man had clearly a small crush on his daughter, and the situation was quite… well, awkward.

"So… how have you been?" He turned to the young airbender, who looked at Katara and Haru talking without the trace of jealousy. That was good. That meant that for him, there was nothing to worry about. Very good! Aang turned back to him.

"Oh! Yes! Well, very good! My back is back to normal! Well, normal, it still has a huge scar, but I can do everything I could do before!" The airbender talked rather quickly. Smiling, Hakoda put a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Good. I would like to talk some more with you, later tonight, if that is alright? I would like to get acquainted before we go into battle… if that is alright?" He asked. It was true. He would love to learn more about the young man, who was very likely to become a more permanent addition to his family. And without the stress of just waking up from a coma, in a strange new place…

"Oh! Y-yeah! Sure! We could go for a walk after dinner…" Aang suddenly looked wary.

"Don't worry Son. I won't murder you and throw your body in the sea. That would be rather stupid, no? We need you tomorrow." Hakoda laughed, padding the airbender on the shoulder, before walking away, leaving the friends to talk among themselves.

Pushing his way gently through the crowded dock, Hakoda arrived at the beach part of the small harbour. The sand had been hardened, and it made for a perfect landing ground. Looking up, he saw the Ava… Aang's bison stand on top of the cliffs, looking down in the whole scene. How glorious it would look from up there… Ten ships, nearly seven hundred warriors from three nations! Come together to defeat a tyrant. To stop a war that had lasted a century too long.

If they had asked him a year ago what his life would be like now… Hakoda would never have dreamed of helping organize an invasion of Caldara City. He would have thought that he and the warriors would still fight alongside the Earth Kingdom, in a war of attrition against the Fire Nation…

But no. Since then, Bato had come back to them, filled with stories about Katara, Sokka and the Avatar! And Hakoda had met said airbender, a shy and kind young man, who had clearly been infatuated with his daughter!

If someone had told him that the Avatar would nearly die, and that the Earth King would visit his camp… He would have laughed in the face of whoever told him that. But it had happened. Hakoda had met up with his children, under tragic circumstances… And he had realized that his daughter loved the airbender. This had caused a whole new set of problems… But he had pushed those "problems" away. There were none. He should just be happy for his daughter, for having found a nice and respectful young man.

Looking around him, Hakoda realized he was out of earshot of the warriors. Turning his eyes up to the sky, he whispered.

"Do you see all this my love? Our children are the driving power behind the hope of a better world… Can you imagine that? The Avatar… if he survives this… He and Katara will have a life together. One that won't be cut short, because of a war. A life that will be lived in a peaceful world… A world that our children are going to lead… Tui and La… I wouldn't have dared hope something like that a few years ago. But now? Spirits, now I am looking forward to seeing it."

Answers :

CoyoteLemon : Oh I didn't mean it as a reproach lol! Hope you are taking care of yourself, even if your are busy!

Jjsmith103 : Exactly, I may be planning a one shot about that, or include that into the story later on lol! Yeah, I really wanted to show that they are getting more comfortable around each other, but still avoid saying those things when there are other people around! Oh, I promise, there will be some drama!