4:
The storm was raging by midnight. Aang watched the window as he and Katara got ready for bed.
"Sure is pouring," he said absently as drops hit the panes.
"Uh-huh." Katara pulled her nightie over her head. It was a soft blue that brought out her eyes. She walked next to Aang and put an arm around his shoulders. She would've like to give him a hug from behind, but her belly was too large. "You've been awfully quiet for the past three hours. You wanna talk about it?"
Aang shook his head as he watched the rain dance. "I'm good, thanks."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." She patted his arm and he followed her into the bed where he blew out the candle on his nightstand, allowing the darkness to envelop the room. Katara had already closed her eyes when Aang said, "Katara?"
"Hmm?"
He touched her stomach; he could feel where the bellybutton was sticking out. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"
Katara lifted her head off the pillow. "It's a little late now, don't you think?"
"Yeah…"
"Aang," Katara sat up. "You don't regret that I got pregnant, do you?"
"What? No!" He tried to give her an assuring smile, but she looked doubtful. Aang sat up. "Katara, don't worry about it! I was just thinking out loud. I love you and our baby!" He pecked her on the lips and she lay back down.
Katara fell asleep within six minutes, her stomach pushing into Aang's side. The Avatar, however, just stared at the ceiling and listened to the thunder.
There was a soft plop; Momo had climbed onto Aang's chest and curled into a ball. Aang scratched the lemur's head as he continued to gaze into space.
Sokka lay face down on the bed with his shirt off. Suki was applying ointment to where she'd pulled out the thorns earlier. "Ow!"
"Oh ow, ow, ow!" Suki mimicked. "Do you want these sores to get infected?" Sokka mumbled into the spread. "Do you?"
"No…" He rested his chin on his arms. "Hey Suki? What do you think of the name 'Sokka Junior?'"
"I don't," answered Suki, squeezing the rest of the salve onto the tender skin.
As she massaged it in, Sokka said, "Come on! I think Sokka's a great name! Just imagine! Big Sokka and Little Sokka going out hunting and fishing and wrestling!" He grinned and looked up. "And when we got into the village, everyone'll point and say, 'There go Sokka and Sokka! The two most handsome Sokkas there ever was!"
Suki smiled as she continued to rub his back. "And what if the baby turns out to be a girl?"
"Come on!" Sokka winced as Suki hit a sensitive area. "Ow! Careful!"
Suki stopped. "What do you mean, 'come on?' This baby has as much a chance of being a girl as it does a boy, Sokka!"
"I know," Sokka shrugged. "I just want it to be a boy."
"And what if it is a girl? Are you going to be disappointed?" Sokka stared down at the floor. "Sokka!"
"I'm thinking!" Suki picked up a pillow and angrily smacked him. "Ow! Suki!" Suki didn't answer; instead, she got under the covers and pulled them over her head. "Suki, I didn't mean it like that!" Sokka sat up on his haunches. "Suki?" He sighed and flopped against his pillow.
Aang couldn't sleep. Beside him, Katara breathed airily. Finally, he could no longer stand it; he needed to talk to somebody.
Sitting up, he shooed Momo off his chest. "Sorry, Momo," he said as the lemur looked at him quizzically. "But I need to leave for awhile." He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and put his fists together…
Since the defeat of the Fire Lord, Aang had only occasionally visited the Spirit World. The world was at peace and there was little need to seek answers in the other realm.
As his feet landed in the swamp, he looked around. Some birds flew through the trees and a wood frog burped somewhere nearby. His feet trudged through the murky water. "Hello? Anyone here?" There was a screech and Aang ducked as something flew close to his head.
He turned to look at it. It was a red parrot-like bird, except it was as large as a buzzard wasp. It bared crooked nasty teeth and screeched at him. Then it turned and flew away, vanishing into thin air.
Aang turned back to head on. Suddenly a flock of the parrot-birds whipped past; Aang threw himself on the ground to avoid being speared by their sharp beaks.
Their high shrieks echoed through the swamp, bouncing back and forth until the noise gradually died down. Aang picked himself up and restarted his journey. "Hey? Is there anyone I can talk to? I need some help."
There was a slight splash and Aang turned to see Avatar Roku. "Well if it isn't Aang. It's certainly been a while." Aang bowed politely.
"Avatar Roku."
"What is troubling you, Young Avatar?"
"It's my wife…" Aang focused his eyes on a nearby tree. "She's having a baby."
"Congratulations. You don't look too joyful."
"I am!" Aang insisted. "I mean, I think I am. I mean, I love the baby, but I don't know if I'm ready for this! It was kind of an accident…"
"No child is an accident, Aang."
"Right," said Aang. "I know. But what am I going to do?" He turned and looked down at the water surrounding his feet. "I thought fighting the Fire Lord was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but right now, I'd rather face a thousand Ozai's than be a daddy!" He turned back to Roku. "How can I be a father if I still feel like a kid? I'm only twenty years old!"
Roku put a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. "You will make a fine father, Avatar Aang."
"I wish I could be so sure."
"You will be, sooner than you think. Just trust yourself, and remember there will always be one person who will walk side by side with you." Roku pointed to the sky.
In the vast darkness, Aang could see Katara. She was still sleeping. "Yeah," said Aang, feeling better. "She's there. She's always been there. She's the one person I can always count on."
"And who better to have a family with than the person you trust most?"
"Thanks Avatar Roku." As the older Avatar turned to leave, Aang called after him, "Wait! Avatar Roku! Will I have a girl or a boy?"
Avatar Roku looked over his shoulder and smiled. "That is the big question isn't it?" He chuckled and disappeared. His voice echoed. "Sooner than you think…"
Aang awoke back in the mortal world. The bedspread was damp and Katara was lying awake, staring at the wet spot.
Aang looked at her. "I could be wrong, but I'm guessing you're not practicing your water bending."