5:

The rain had stopped, and as Aang, Katara, Sokka and Suki walked through the village, their feet made squishy noises.

Aang had his hands on Katara's shoulders. "I don't understand. I thought you had another month."

"I do have another month."

"Well you are awfully big," said Suki. "Maybe you got the date of conception wrong."

"I did not!" Snapped Katara. They finally came to the house they were looking for, a brown flat with a thatched roof.

Suki knocked on the door. There was no answer, so she knocked louder. On the fifth try, a raspy voice called out, "Hold your Ostrich Horses!"

The door opened a crack, and the flabby face of a middle-aged woman peeked out. She had gray hair and thick red lips that turned down and disappeared into her creased chin, which was spotted with bristly black whiskers.

"Well?" She demanded sharply.

"Miss Anora!" Said Suki. "Thank goodness! We…"

"Do you know what time it is?" She interrupted harshly. "Come back tomorrow! I will sell to you then!"

"But Miss Anora…"

"You can live with prenatal vitamins for one night!" She started to close the door, but Aang blew it open.

"I don't care about your vitamins!" He declared. "My wife is in labor! Suki and Sokka say you deliver babies, now deliver ours!"

"All right!" She grumbled. "Why didn't you just say so?" She let Katara pass inside. She pointed to Suki. "You!"

"Me?"

"Come with me!"

"I don't…" Before she could finish her sentence, she pulled Suki inside. "Eep!" Aang started to follow, but Miss Anora blocked his path. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To be with my wife?"

"No! No men allowed!" And with that, she slammed the door.

Miss Anora led Katara and Suki to a room at the end of the flat. As she helped Katara onto the bed, she said to Suki, "Get me some water and a rag. The water will have to be pumped from the well out back." Suki grumbled, but obediently left to fetch the items.

"Just relax for now," Miss Anora said to Katara. "My assistant should be here any minute. She's not that bright, but she listens to everything I say. Very good quality for a trainee."

"A trainee?" Repeated Katara.

"Yes, she's learning to take over for me when I retire, which should be the moment she's done training."

"Here I am, Miss Anora!" Said a voice that was too cheerful for two AM.

"Finally!" Miss Anora snapped. "What took you so long?"

"Well I couldn't deliver a baby in my pajamas!"

"And what am I? In my wedding dress?"

The trainee stopped. "Katara?"

"Ty-Lee?" Katara said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Ty-Lee cartwheeled over to the side of the bed and hopped up straight and tall. "I'm Miss Anora's assistant! I'm living on Kyoshi now!"

"Right." In truth Katara had forgotten that Ty-Lee had moved to Kyoshi right after the war. "I thought you were a Kyoshi Warrior though."

"I am! But I'm also training to be a midwife!" She said brightly. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Stop your gabbing and make her comfortable," said Miss Anora. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Called Katara after her.

"The Little Midwife's Room."

"So," said Katara as Ty-Lee pulled up a chair. "How many babies have you delivered so far?"

"Well…" Ty-Lee played with her thumbs. "None actually."

"None?" Cried Katara.

"None." Ty-Lee broke into a great big smile. "You're my first one! Isn't this exciting?" Katara just groaned and put her head on the pillow.

For half an hour, Sokka and Aang waited on the steps of Miss Anora's home. Sokka doodled lazily in the mud with a stick, while Aang played fetch with Momo. Finally, he stood up. "It's not fair she doesn't let men in! It's our baby! I should be with Katara!"

Sokka threw the stick down and wrinkled his nose. "You really want to be in there with the blood and the guts and the screaming and that icky jellyfish that comes out afterwards?"

"That's not a jellyfish, that's the placenta!"

Sokka shrugged. "Still icky!"

Aang turned toward the flat. "I've got to get in there. But I'll need your help, Sokka." Momo chirped. Aang leaned down and looked at him. "You too, Boy!"