Crossroads

AN: Long time since I last updated. I can't say how sorry I am for that. Well, here is another chapter. I had been stuck in a rot for the past few months. Writer's block sucks ass! Anyway, here is the latest chapter...

Dreams

She'd been anxious waiting for the doctor to step out of his examining room and deliver the news of their son's conditions. She sighed when the doctor walked out of the room and stood in front of her.

"Well? What's his prognosis?" Zuko said, beating her to the question.

"The child is fine," the village doctor smiled. "He needs his rest."

"Are you sure?" Toph and Zuko asked simultaneously and dreaded the long pause the physician took.

"Well,"

"Well?" Ursa chimed in. "Will he be fine?"

"Do we need a second opinion from another doctor?" Toph asked.

The doctor chortled politely and took a step closer to the fretful parents and gently touched Toph's shoulder and inhaled deeply. "Your son is a strong boy. He will be fine in the morning. He just needs to rest."

"What about his head injury?" Katara asked worriedly. "Do I need to use my healing abilities on him?"

"That would be great!" Suki said hopefully.

"Yes, Katara, that is a great idea!" Toph nodded toward Katara, and then turned her attention back to the doctor. "Did you examine his head? He hit it pretty hard!"

"I did, Ms. Bei Fong! I did a thorough examination. His contusion wasn't life-threatening. He will have –"

"He'll have what?" Zuko asked alarmed, his eyebrows knitted together in concern. He approached the doctor and grabbed him by the collar of his robe. "Tell me!" he demanded.

Toph rushed to his side, but didn't intervene. She was about to bury the doctor under a grave of rubble if he didn't speak soon enough.

Ursa moved between her son and the thin earthbender. "Zuko, my boy," Ursa said softly, placing a caring hand on his forearm. "Let the doctor finish. He's a brilliant physician and I trust that he knows what he is doing. Please, son, let him finish his sentence before you jump to any conclusion and mangle his body."

Zuko glanced down at his mothers and reluctantly let go of the doctor. The man just dusted himself off and turned to the most rational person in the group. "Ursa, the child is fine. He should sleep for now. He'll have a headache in the morning."

"We are the child's parents," Toph said seething, "why aren't you addressing us?"

"Well," the doctor paused and drew in a deep breath before he continued. "I didn't know you were the child's parents. He was with Ursa earlier, so I..."

"Now you know we are Rae's parents," Toph growled.

Zuko toned down his anger and swallowed hard. "Please, just tell us how our son is?" Zuko's eyes practically pleaded.

"Your son will be fine, as I mentioned before. But, he will have a headache for the first few days. I shall have my assistant give you a list of medicines that will aid with the pain. I did clean the wounds in his hands and put ointment on the cut above his knee and gauzed them. Those cuts need to be cleaned every three to four hours for the next few days." He said sternly to the Fire Lord.

Tears of joy, relief, and exhaustion threatened to spill down Toph's pale face. She stopped listening after the doctor mentioned that her son would be all right. She pushed past him and rushed to her child's side. She wasn't aware of how late it was becoming. She sat on the floor, next to the small cot where Rae slept. She clutched his small hand in hers and thanked the gods above. Toph stayed with her son most of the night, until she heard physician suggesting to Zuko that he could bring another cot to the room being occupied by Rae.

"It would be great if we put you and your wife in the same room as your son," the physician suggested. "We have other people to tend and I'm short on staff."

"That would be great, but," Zuko trailed off, "what about the others? We've been traveling together. I don't want to-"

The doctor's wife walked into the infirmary and checked on Rae's bandages and offered Toph something to eat or drink.

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry." Toph said politely.

"We have a few beds available if you would like to stay," the doctor's wife offered, adverting her eyes to Toph and Zuko. "You are all welcomed to stay."

"Thank you," Toph whispered from where she sat.

After an hour, they had settled down. Haru, Aang, and Sokka took the largest room. Aang slept on the floor, away from Haru and Sokka. Katara and Suki slept in the alcove above the infirmary and Toph, Rae, and Zuko slept in the infirmary.

It was dark; a little past three in the morning, when Zuko finally went to bed. The Fire Lord had been too busy keeping watch over his adorable sleeping son and Toph. According to the village physician that examined his son, Rae would probably not remember much of what happened. The child just needed to have a good night's rest. Rae was young and would heal promptly.

"It took you long enough to come to bed, Zuko," Toph said tiredly, rolling onto her back as she pulled down the covers from Zuko's side of the bed. "Get in bed, please. This room is too cold for me."

"Earthbenders," he teased and stood in front of their make-shift bed and slowly began to remove his robe and pants.

"Hurry your ass up, Sparky. I need your warmth," she joked.

"It's been a crazy month," he said tiredly as he settled under the covers and pulled his young earthbender into his warm arms. "I'm just glad that our search for Rae is over." He whispered, eyeing the form of his sleeping son.

"It has been a long ride," she said in a low voice and snuggled closer to her favorite firebender, "but it's finally over." Toph yawned, as she reached over to the small cot beside their bed and touched her son's forehead. "Soon we will be able to go to the Fire Nation and kick the asses of the Fire Sages that betrayed the Fire Lord."

Zuko frowned. He knew that their ordeal wasn't over. The worst part was about to start. He watched Toph grinned to herself and suddenly, he felt so guilty. He spent all this time trying to search for their son, that he hadn't prepare a plan of revenge. Finally, the past sleepless night came rushing back at him like torrential rains. The Fire Lord was exhausted. He held Toph tightly and kissed her forehead, then settled his chin on the crown of her head and closed his eyes. He could worry about things tomorrow. In the meantime, he could be grateful for finding his child, his mother, and momentary peace.

A few hours into the night, Zuko heard rustling around in the room. He quickly woke up feeling more tired than he did before he went to sleep. The room was still dark, and he saw a figure standing before his bed and two small flames floating in each of his hands. Zuko sighed with relief when he saw the familiar golden eyes staring back at him.

"Hi," Rae said shyly.

"Hello, Rae, how did you sleep?" Zuko said softly, afraid that he might frighten his son. He waited for his son to respond.

"Good... I guess." Rae shrugged.

"Why are you up so early in the morning, son?" he asked, scooting closer to the edge of his bed.

"It's still dark outside," he said, motioning with his hand the darkness that filled the sky.

"It's very early, but the sun will come out soon,"

Rae shrugged slightly and hesitated to touch his father's hand. "I'm not awake. This is a dream and I'm still asleep," Rae said nonchalantly and looked over his mother's direction. "Is that really momma?"

"A dream?"

"Yes, a dream. Is that my mommy?"

Zuko nodded his head and touched the mattress with his large hand. "Yes, that's your mommy. And no, you aren't dreaming... this is real," he said softly to his son. "I'm here... with you. Your father is here with you and I will never let you go. I swear. You will never be away from me! Give me a hug, please. I need to hold you, Rae."

"No. I can't! I'm sorry." Rae said dejectedly and painfully jerked his hand away. Zuko just watched Rae titter-tattering his feet as he paced up and down the front of the bed. "If I hug you, you'll disappear. I don't want you to disappear."

"What?" he asked confused. "What are you talking about, child? I won't disappear!"

"Yes, you will." Rae nodded despondently. "It happens every night,"

Zuko stood up from the bed and gingerly walked over to Rae. Rae stopped pacing and hung his head low, avoiding eye contact with Zuko.

"What happens every night?" Zuko asked, kneeling to be eye level with his son. "Do you wake up and we aren't there for you?"

"Yes," Rae said bitterly. "I dream of you and mommy and then you are gone. You are in heaven with grandma and grandpa,"

"This time it's not a dream. Mom and dad are here with you." He reassured the child. Rae stared at him and whimpered softly. "Come here. I promise that I will never disappear from your sight."

"Promise?"

"I promise, son," Zuko said, opening his arms as Rae ran in to his embrace. Rae held on tightly to his father, afraid that he would wake up and never see Zuko again. His warm tears fell on Zuko's shoulder and he bit back the tears that burned his eyes. "You'll never be alone. I'm here for you."

They remained in their embrace for a few minutes, until the sun rose and its rays filled the room. Rae had stopped crying and settled his cheek against his father's heart. The Fire Lord leaned back on his pillow and they nestled closer to a sleeping Toph.

"Rae,"

"Mmm?"

"Don't hate me when you learn of what I will do for your safety,"

"I won't," Rae yawned.

"Rae," he said, slightly pushing his son away, until he could see Rae's sleepy eyes. "Please, listen to me, my son,"

"Yes,"

"Please, know that you are the best thing in my life. I will never belittle you. You are a great son. I will support you in everything that you do."

"You are leaving me! Where are you going?"

"I'm not leaving you." Zuko swore. "I'm never leaving you. Wherever I go, you'll go."

"Where are we going?"

"I have a few matters to solve at the Fire Nation. I need to keep you safe. No one will ever hurt you."

"Will I see you again tomorrow?" Rae asked, closing his eyes.

"Yes, you will see us again tomorrow." Zuko said, and kissed his son's forehead. "Sleep, Rae. We have a long day tomorrow."

Rae nodded, and settled between his mother and father. He smiled for the first time in weeks. He liked the feeling this dream evoked. Somehow, he felt safe. He clutched to Toph and Zuko's hand. He didn't want to let them go. It felt magical. He never wanted to wake up. He wanted to remain in his dream.

AN2: My beta-reader has been fired, so please, forgive any mistakes found in this chapter.