Zuko laid across the ground, dipping his feet in the water. Appa sat at his side, occasionally lapping at the water.
"Aang," Toph said from her rock, "I know swimming's fun and all, but do you really think you should be exposing yourself like that? Cover up."
Aang floated by and shrugged. "What? I'm wearing trunks."
"I know, it's your tattoos I'm worried about. What if someone sees you?"
"There are walls all around us. We're completely safe." Katara pointed out.
Momo chirped on Aang's chest. With a grin, the Avatar turned and leapt down the cavernous water fall at the ed of the pool.
"Is that really a good idea?" Zuko asked over his echoing whoop.
"Probably not." Sokka replied blandly. Zuko didn't have the heart to tell him there was almost definitely no fish in the lake.
"That was awesome!" Aang cheered as he flew back down. "You guys have to try this!"
"No, thanks, Aang."
"I'm busy fishing."
"I'm blind."
"I'm pregnant."
Aang huffed in disappointment. He recovered well enough once he dove back in the water again. "I'm going again!"
"No," Zuko said, "Out there's exposed. You could be seen."
"Ugh. Fine."
To solve this dilemma, Aang decided the best course of action was to make his own water slide in the lake. To do this, of course he decided to make the slide purely out of water. "A water tunnel!" he declared proudly. "But more fun!"
Unfortunately for him, he couldn't quite figure out how to keep the water in place while he slid through it. Katara was too busy- or just unwilling- to help him. The result was that Zuko kept getting drenched.
"Augh! Aang!"
"Sorry, Zuko!"
Zuko shifted out of the puddle he now found himself. A sharp ache spread across his belly. He winced and pressed a hand to it.
"Zuko, are you okay?" Katara asked.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Aang chittered nervously.
"No, you didn't. I'm fine, it's just the usual ache." Zuko said.
"Do you want me to try and heal you again?" Katara asked, already wading over.
"No. Like you said, you can't heal normal pregnancy stuff."
"There's no harm in trying again." Katara huffed stubbornly.
"Katara. You said this last time; it's just my body stretching out for the baby. You still can't heal it."
Katara frowned, but once she was in Mother Mode, there was no stopping her. Zuko was learning that the hard way. "Fine, but you really need to get out of those wet clothes. The last thing right now is to catch a chill."
"Well, there are benefits to being a Firebender. One of those is drying clothes quickly."
"Good. Then get some rest."
"What do you mean, 'get some rest'? I've been doing nothing but resting for weeks."
"Zuko, you're pregnant! You need to take it easy and not strain yourself!"
"Katara, I know how to take care of myself! I don't need you to do it for me!" Zuko was getting seriously tired and fed up with how much Katara was doting on him. He almost wanted to chase Aang around to capture him just so she'd stop.
"Zuko!"
With a gut wrenching screech, his mind realised what was happening. He was arguing. With Katara. Over his wellbeing. Like he did with Uncle. It was a nightmarish mixture of anxieties, melding Uncle and Azula and Katara together.
He flinched. "Sorry! I'm sorry!"
Katara softened immediately. "Oh, Zuko, you have nothing to be sorry for. I was being pushy and overbearing. I'm sorry."
"I- uh- I- it's fine."
Toph stomped her way over to him and headbutted his arm lightly to get his attention. "Come swim with me. A bit of exercise would do you good, I think."
Zuko nodded without protest. Toph lead him into the water with a self satisfied smirk. He didn't bother with taking off any of his still damp clothes: in his light trousers and undershirt, he was the most over dressed in the group. His belly was only getting rounder and rounder and he wasn't ready yet to expose it.
Swimming with Toph wasn't exactly swimming. She couldn't swim or see properly in the water, so the stuck to the shallows. It was still relaxing none the less. Zuko enjoyed the constant movement of it. He felt like he'd been still for so long and to actually just move uninhibitedly was surprisingly freeing.
Eventually they all came out of the water, dried, ate and settled for bed. As fun as the swimming had been, curling up on Appa's fluff and sleeping was overwhelmingly appealing. Zuko was pretty sure the rumble Appa let out when he lay down on his tail was pleased. Huh. Maybe Appa enjoyed having a human cuddled up against him. Zuko wondered why Aang didn't do it more often. Appa was like sleeping on a cloud. Maybe because he was a sky bison. Who knows.
"Guys, you're all going to think I'm crazy," Toph said, "But it feels like a metal man is coming."
Zuko lurched upright. That description sounded ominously familiar. A beam of light shone down on Aang's face. Zuko gulped when he saw what was causing it.
"He's a Fire Nation assassin!" He hissed, "We have to get out of here now!"
A burst of fire exploded the rock beside them. Zuko clung to Appa, curling up around his belly.
Toph sent a volley of rocks up. The assassin blasted them back. Aang blew the chunks away and Katara dove for the water. The assassin blasted away her wave.
Appa roared as steam and smoke quickly filled the area. "We have to get out of here," Zuko coughed, "It's his third eye, he can Firebend with his mind."
"This is crazy!" Sokka shrieked, "How can we beat up a guy who blows things up with his mind?"
"We can. Jump on Appa. I'll try to distract him." Aang said determinedly. He disappeared into the steam.
Zuko was already scrambling aboard. He'd heard all kinds of horrible stories about that assassin and his parental instincts were in overdrive. All he could process was get away and protect his baby.
Aang appeared above them. He jumped around, drawing the assassin's fire. Then he vanished again over the wall. The assassin was in hot pursuit.
"Great. What do we do now?" Sokka asked.
"We're going after Aang!" Katara said. The determined set of her face was almost identical to Aang's.
They swooped above the fight- ignored- until Aang shot upwards into the sky. Deftly, Appa followed his descent so the Avatar landed perfectly in the saddle.
"I'm okay." He sighed.
"Well that was random." Toph commented.
"I don't think so," Katara said, "I get the feeling he knows who we are."
"Zuko, do you know him?" Sokka asked.
Zuko shrugged. "I know of him. Like I said, he's an assassin- one well known for taking any job, never questioning it and always getting it done."
"Why would he be after us?" Aang asked.
"My money would be on Azula. She knows you're still alive, though letting the world believe you're dead pretty much kills morale and hope. But she still wants you dead. And me too, probably. Or my father."
"Great. Just what we needed." Sokka groaned
"Yeah." Zuko sighed morosely. As if on cue, his belly twanged with another stabbing ache. "Ugh. I'm going to sleep. Wake me up if someone's dying." He muttered as he curled up with his arms as a pillow.
"Night, Zuko."
