Summary: They have had their good times and their bad. The war has ended, and new relationships are thriving. Katara and Zuko are living happily as a married couple. That happiness can only last for so long. Arguments ensue and stress sets in, but love prevails over everything. This is their story…
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, themes, or quotes. Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs strictly to Nickelodeon Studios and its ingenious creators. This story is written only for private entertainment purposes and no copywrite infringement is intended. Thank you and enjoy the story!
Chapter 3 – Visitors
The couple sat out in the Palace courtyard. The tree behind them cast a shadow over the small pond and provided a cool contrast to the otherwise warm weather. The grass was cool and soft, allowing them to relax on the ground with any worries. It was a nice, quiet day; no clouds in the sky, not even the background noise of others' voices.
Zuko sat quietly, as Katara fed the small creatures in the pond, smiling at her familiar technique; it was as if it were four years ago and they were still sitting around a small camp fire while she passed each of them their meals. She divided the loaf of bread in her hands into three small pieces, leaving the last of the loaf on the ground to the right of her hip. Katara took up the smaller pieces in her hands and looked at the turtle-ducks expectantly, as if she was waiting for them to say something—some sort of please or thank you. When they all gave a loud quack!, she placed each of the bread pieces in front of its own turtle-duck before smiling and placing her hands in her lap gently. Zuko watched as the ducks finished their offerings and continued to watch them as they looked up at their mother, who was now looking up at the Fire Lady expectantly. Katara smiled and placed the remains of the bread in front of the duck, earning a light quack! of approval.
Zuko chuckled and Katara looked up. "What?" she asked. When he didn't answer, only stared, she returned her gaze to the pond and continued, "I like to make sure that they all get an equal amount, and then the mother gets the rest… It only seems fair."
He shook his head. "Yeah, I know. It's just… That's how my mother used to do it, too. She always believed in fairness, giving equal amounts. It was her principle, her rule. That's how she went about doing everything, even with me and Azula…" Katara looked up at him with interest and he continued, "I just thought it was funny that you think that way, too. Every day, I notice it more and more—the likeness between you two. What I mean is… You remind me of her in more ways than one."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied quietly, returning his gaze to the pond. The turtle-ducks remained sitting there, watching them. One duckling waddled out of the water and hopped onto Zuko's lap. He patted its head—receiving a light quack! in the process—and continued to look down. The duckling snuggled into his lap and closed its eyes, appearing to be taking a short nap. Zuko gave it a brief smile and began to pluck at the grass absentmindedly.
Katara smiled weakly, but it quickly faded. She took hold of the hand that rested on his knee. "Zuko, I don't know if you know this, but… I am so sorry about what happened to your mother. When you returned from the search in the Earth Kingdom—when the guards told me… When they told me about what happened… I—" She stopped, took a deep breath, and tried again. "What I'm trying to say is… I know how you feel," Katara said quietly, struggling to find her words.
He stopped his assault on the grass and looked at her. "I'm sorry. I'm ruining the moment. It's just—I really miss her sometimes," he said, giving her hand a light squeeze. His thumb traced circles across her knuckles.
Katara nodded. "I know."
As she spoke, a servant ran up to them and bowed quickly to each of them. He was young, probably new to the Palace—or at least that's what Katara suspected. He spoke directly to Zuko through deep, panting breaths. "My lord, I am sorry to disturb you, but, I have been told to inform you that Avatar Aang and Miss Toph Bei Fong have just arrived, sir. They are currently in the library, sir."
Zuko's surprise was obvious. He kept his tone light and formal. "Very well. Thank you." The duckling in his lap opened his eyes and stared at the servant as if he were a dangerous intruder.
"Is there anything else you needed, sir?" the boy asked, eyeing the small creature in the Fire Lord's lap, hoping it wasn't going to attack him. Nothing was worse than a turtle-duck bite. Once they latched on, they never let go.
Zuko shook his head. "No, thank you. You are dismissed."
"Thank you, sir." The boy said shakily. He gave one last bow to each of them before heading off in the direction of the palace doors.
Katara watched him as he left. "Gee, you'd think that he thought you were going to kill him for interrupting…"
Zuko laughed. "Yeah, comes with the job," he said, eyeing the young man.
As soon as he was out of sight, Katara turned to Zuko with curious eyes. "Aang and Toph are here?"
"I guess," he answered, shrugging. He picked up the duckling from his lap and placed it back in the water with the others.
"Why?" she asked, eyeing him as he stood up. The turtle-ducks quacked at him and he smiled.
He began to dust off his robe. "I don't know. In any case, I need to get down to the conference room for that meeting. You should go see them, catch up on things. We haven't seen them in a while. Hopefully, I'll be there, shortly," he said, offering her his hand. She took it with a smile and stood.
"Okay. Good luck with the Earth Kingdom," she chuckled.
"Thanks. I'm going to need it," he smiled, placing a quick kiss to her lips. "I'll see you, soon."
"'Kay," she said as she watched him disappear through the doors.
Katara walked down the hallways, taking the occasional turn left or right, quietly humming to herself until she reached two large, ornate doors. She smiled as she opened the door, only to be greeted in a large hug.
"Oomf! Oh, hello, Toph. You scared me for a second there," she said, hugging the Earthbender. She saw a white flash and then felt a sudden weight on her shoulder. She glanced to her right and was greeted by a pair of big green eyes, staring down at her. "Hello to you, too, Momo," she said, scratching the lemur behind his ear. He chattered quietly, and nuzzled her neck. She giggled.
"Hi, Katara." She looked up to see where the deep voice came from, although she already knew too well of whom it belonged to. Her lips turned up in a smile as she saw Aang approach from the couch in the center of the library.
"Aang! It's so good to see you! How are you? How long has it been?" she asked, stepping away from Toph and walking towards him, arms out. Aang returned the hug and Momo leapt from her shoulder and returned to his usual perch on the Avatar's.
He stepped out of the hug, patting her back. "Just a couple months, Katara—about half a year," he said, rubbing the back of his head, smiling. "I was here for Zuko's birthday, remember? As for your other question, I'm doing fine, I guess. Just making the routes, you know?"
"Oh, yeah. I completely forgot you guys were here for that." Katara brought her hand up to her head, wondering how she had suddenly forgotten her own husband's birthday celebration. She looked at him again questioningly. "So how are the routes going, everything good?"
"Yeah, so far. We were on our way to Ember Island to check on things there, but Toph suggested we come here to see you guys. But, yeah, everything's been okay, other than the Earth Kingdom and Ba Sing Se. I really miss Kuei; he was so nice, unlike the new Earth King. I know this is not a real Avatar-ish thing to say, but he's a real hog-monkey!" Aang said. Toph shook her head, smiling.
Katara giggled. "Yeah, that's what I've heard. Zuko's been having some problems with the new Earth King, too."
"Hey, speaking of Zuko, where is our favorite Fire Lord?" Toph asked.
"Yeah, where is Zuko? I want to see him. I actually need to talk to him, too," Aang said, looking around as if Zuko was playing a practical joke and was actually right behind him.
Katara's smile faded. "He had to go to a meeting. They still haven't come to an agreement on the reconstruction of Ba Sing Se's outer wall. He told me to come here to see you guys while he was there."
"They still haven't solved that? How many meetings has he gone to?" Aang asked.
"No. He's been to about six meetings, including the one last night, but that was just the Earth Kingdom generals. The Earth King is supposed to be there, today," Katara said, shrugging.
"Wow. I feel sorry for him," Aang said, shaking his head. "Poor Zuko—having to deal with that guy for over an hour…"
"He said he should be here shortly—Zuko, I mean," Katara said, eyeing the sun through the curtains behind Aang. It was already getting late. The meeting had to be over soon; at least another hour.
"Actually, he's coming down the hall right now," Toph said casually. She waited a few seconds before pointing a finger at the doors. Katara and Aang looked at her questioningly. Another second passed and Zuko walked in.
Without looking at them, Zuko sighed and closed the door before finally walking forward to see the others. He walked to Katara's side, placed a hand on her waist, and she kissed his cheek.
"Get a room!" Toph said in a sarcastic voice. Katara turned to glare at her and Zuko chuckled.
"Hi, Toph," he said, smiling at her.
"'Sup, Sparky," she answered, giving him a light punch in the arm.
Zuko rubbed the spot where she punched him on his arm, groaning not only at the slight pain in his muscle, but at the ridiculous nickname. "Toph…"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I always forget—Lord Sparky!" Toph said, bowing enthusiastically. She stood up and smiled.
Zuko sighed and shook his head. Katara had to cover her mouth with her hand to muffle her laughter.
"Anyway. Hey, Zuko," Aang said, holding his hand out for Zuko to shake.
"Aang. How are you?" Zuko replied, grasping the Avatar's hand.
"I'm good. Katara told us about the troubles you've been having with the Earth Kingdom," Zuko shrugged.
Katara looked up at him questioningly. "Oh, yeah. How did the meeting go?"
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ugh. Don't even remind me. I got to the conference room, only for my advisors to tell me that the Earth King is ill. It's nothing serious, but I was told that he wasn't coming today, and I guess since he's sick, the Earth Kingdom generals didn't come, either. So, now, we have to wait until the Earth King is well again to have the meeting." His head fell back as he explained, his tone revealed an obvious annoyance.
"Oh, that stinks. That explains why you were out of there so quickly," Katara said, shrugging. He smiled and kissed her temple lightly.
"It doesn't matter. Let's sit down." Zuko pointed to the couch and began to walk forward, pulling Katara with him. "I just want to sit down and relax for a little bit."
"I know what you mean," Aang said, his arms reaching behind him, stretching. "I love flying and all, but for two days straight, it's kind of tiring. Appa was exhausted when we landed."
"You work that bison too hard," Katara joked, taking a seat next to Zuko on the couch. Toph and Aang each took a seat on the loveseat across from them.
Aang shook his head at her comment and his gaze shifted to Zuko. "So, other than the whole Earth Kingdom mess, what's been going on?"
Zuko seemed to be surprised by the question and sat up straight. "Uh, well, not much, Aang. I mean, there really hasn't been a lot going on lately," he said.
"Oh, that's too bad. Hey, did you guys hear about Sokka and Suki?" Aang tried.
Katara's heart dropped into her stomach and she didn't breathe. There was silence. Zuko shifted in his seat and Katara gave him an apologetic look before turning to Aang and replying, "Yeah, we did. We got the message the other day—yesterday actually. Isn't it great news?"
"Yeah. You should have heard Sokka's scream when we were there and I told Suki that I had felt two heartbeats. Classic!" Toph said. She crossed her arms over her chest and laughed. Katara attempted to laugh with her, but she quickly noticed how fake it sounded and stopped, keeping only the smile on her face. Zuko stayed silent, shifting in his seat again.
"That's so great, though—them having kids. It's just showing that everything is as it should be," Aang said, pride in his voice.
"Yeah, it is," Katara said, her smile fading a little bit. She directed another apologetic glance at Zuko, who was now looking at the ground between his feet. Toph took notice of the tension between the two.
She turned her head in Katara's direction. "Hey, Katara, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Katara seemed surprised by her request but replied, nonetheless, "Sure, Toph." She patted Zuko's knee and he looked up, watching her as she stood. "We can talk across the hall," she finished.
Toph stood slowly, and followed Katara out the library doors and into the spare office across the hallway. Katara closed the door and Toph turned to face her. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a sigh. "Okay, spill."
"Spill what?" Katara asked.
"You know what I'm talking about."
"No, I don't. What are you talking about?"
Toph sighed. "Katara, you always seem to forget that I can tell when you're lying. I can feel it. I can feel when someone is happy, angry, stressed, or nervous. I want to know why your heart stopped for a second and why Zuko's sped up really fast when Aang mentioned Sokka and Suki…"
"That? That was nothing, Toph," Katara said, defending herself.
"Yeah. It sure felt like it was nothing. Just explain to me what just happened between you and Sparky in there."
Katara sighed in defeat. "Okay. When we got the message from Sokka, telling us that Suki was pregnant, I was totally excited. But, then, I found out that Zuko was really upset about it. I guess it reminded him of the stillbirth I suffered through a couple years ago. Remember that? He wouldn't speak for days and just yesterday afternoon, he told me how he felt about it. No matter how long ago it was, I guess he's still pretty distraught about it, and getting that letter from Sokka was just kind of like a slap in the face, you know?"
Toph seemed confused. She seemed to think for a moment before she pursed her lips and finally spoke, "So why don't you just have a kid?" she asked, shrugging.
Katara's shoulders slumped. As if we haven't thought of that, Toph, her mind told her to say. Instead, it came out as, "I don't know if we can, Toph."
"What do you mean? You got pregnant before, right?"
"Yeah, but that's the thing. I mean, after the stillbirth, the healers told us we had to wait a while to try again, but I just can't seem to conceive. The bigger problem is that Zuko just had a birthday. He just turned twenty-two, Toph. You were there. You know. Now, I'm scared that the nobles are going to start pressuring him for something to happen. They were pretty generous when it happened, but I don't know how they're going to be now." Katara looked down, tears coming to her eyes.
"Hey, don't cry, Katara. It's going to be okay," Toph said as Katara's shoulders began to shake.
Katara looked up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Are you sure, Toph? Because, I don't think so…"
"I don't mean to pry, but, have you guys been trying to have a kid?" Toph asked innocently.
"I think he got to the point where he just gave up. I mean, we tried—and tried and tried and tried—afterward for about a year, and then we just stopped, gave up. Nothing happened. I think he's afraid to try again," Katara sniffed, composing herself.
"Well, if you guys are so desperate for an heir—don't yell at me for asking this, but—have you thought about the other option?"
Katara seemed confused. "What other op—" Then it hit her. "No, Toph! I don't think Zuko would want to do that!" She shook her head as if to get the thought out of her mind.
"Hey, it's just a thought," Toph said, shrugging.
Katara made a face of disgust. "Yeah, sure it's just a thought. Why would you even suggest that?"
"I suggested it, Katara, because it's an option for you to consider…"
"But I don't think Zuko would ever want to hire some woman to have a child with. Ugh! It makes me want to vomit, just thinking about it." She shuddered.
"Hey, it may be gross, Katara, but it's a way to get an heir. That's all I'm saying," Toph said.
"Yeah, but it's still gross. Wait. It's more than just gross. It's plain disgusting!"
"That's why it was just a suggestion."
"No, Toph," Katara said flatly.
"Just talk to Zuko about it. Knowing him, he probably won't even have two things to say about it. Just talk to him. That's all I'm saying…"
"Fine. I'll talk to him. But I don't want to. I still can't believe you suggested that! Ugh!" She shuddered again.
Toph shook her head and started walking towards the door. "Come on. We should get back. They're probably wondering if we're okay."
Katara sighed and followed the Earthbender out the door, across the hall, and back into the library. When they opened the door, they were both surprised to find Aang and Zuko engrossed in some political conversation regarding Ba Sing Se and their plans on the wall's reconstruction. They were so engrossed in their conversation that when Katara and Toph took their seats next to each of them, it seemed as if they didn't even notice.
"But I don't think that the generals would approve of that," Aang said, shaking his head.
"The Council of Five is still being run, isn't it? They would probably approve of those plans," Zuko retorted.
"Yeah, they are, but you have to think about it, Zuko. Do you really think that the council members, the generals, and the Earth King would appreciate that kind of design? Plus, you have to think about the people, too. Will they approve of it?" Aang asked.
"I guess you're right. It would take a lot of approval to adopt that new design into the wall. I liked your idea, though—about connecting the walls in a way so that the people in the city aren't separated by class or rank," Zuko said thoughtfully.
When there was the slightest moment of silence in the conversation, Katara cleared her throat. Aang and Zuko snapped back into reality and looked at her.
"When did you guys come back in?" Zuko asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"Just now, but you guys were so into your conversation that I guess you didn't even notice," Katara laughed.
"Oh, sorry, Katara," Aang said, feeling guilty.
"It's okay. This just proves why I don't get into the politics, Twinkletoes. I can barely understand what you and Zuko are talking about half of the time…" Toph said. Aang laughed.
"I try to stay away from the politics, too. They bore me," Katara said, smiling at her husband.
Aang glanced to the side, looking at the sun. "It's getting pretty late. The sun's already setting…"
Katara followed his gaze out the window. "Wow. Time flies when you're with friends."
Aang stood up and stretched. "Yeah, we probably need to get going if we want to make it Ember Island before it gets too dark."
Zuko stood as well and shook Aang's hand. "Well, it's been great seeing you again, Aang. Toph."
Katara gave Aang a hug before moving on to the Earthbender. When she pulled her into her arms, Toph whispered in her ear, "Talk to him."
Katara stepped out of the hug and scratched Momo on the head before turning to Aang again. "Say 'Hi' to Appa for me…"
"Okay. Come on, Toph. We have to go," Aang said.
"All right. Bye, you guys. It was great not seeing you!" Toph said. Katara and Zuko laughed.
As Aang began to walk forward, he quickly turned around to look at Katara. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Katara, I don't think we'll be able to make it for your birthday. We have to get to Ember Island and then to the Western Air Temple, and it will take a long time for that trip. Sorry."
Katara shrugged. "It's okay, Aang. I understand your Avatar duties." She gave him a hug and kissed his cheek.
"So… Happy early birthday!" Aang said happily, stepping out of the hug.
"Thanks."
Aang took Toph by the hand and led her out of the room. Katara waved gently.
As soon as the two left the room, Zuko turned to Katara. "So, are you hungry? We can go get something to eat."
"I'm really not that hungry. I'm actually kind of tired. I just want to go back to the room," she said, wondering how she was going to start the conversation with him. She just wanted to get it over with.
"Okay. Let's go," Zuko said. He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers, and led her out of the library and toward their chambers.
When they got back to the room, Katara immediately sat on the bed and Zuko headed for the washroom to bathe. She sat on the bed, saying nothing, waiting…
"You just have to do it, Katara. You probably won't even get an answer. Just talk to him. What harm could it do? He loves you. He will talk to you," she repeated out loud to herself. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. She was becoming very nervous to the point where she flinched slightly, when Zuko stepped out of the washroom, wearing nothing but a pair of red pants, towel-drying his hair.
That was too quick, Katara thought to herself as he draped the towel over the arm of a chair and began walking towards the bed.
He looked at her, studying her current position and behavior. "Are you okay?" he asked.
It took her a couple seconds to find her voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. Can I talk to you? It's important—real important."
"Sure," he said simply. He walked around and sat on the bed next to her. "What's up?"
Katara took a deep breath. "Do you think that I will ever be able to get pregnant again?" she asked, looking down.
Zuko was shocked by her question but responded in a clear voice, "I don't know." He looked straight forward, avoiding her gaze, just as she was his. "What brought this up?"
"It's just been brought to my attention—what with all of this Earth Kingdom stuff going on, and Sokka and Suki having a baby—you need an heir, Zuko. You need someone who can take over if anything should happen to us—to you. If I can't get pregnant…" Her voice disappeared. She took a deep breath and tried again. "Zuko, you need someone there, someone whom you are a father to, someone to train and educate. This nation needs an heir, even if I'm not the one who gives birth to it…" Her words cut like a knife and tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"What do you mean, '…if I'm not the one who gives birth to it'?" he asked, confused.
She took a deep breath. "Zuko, have you ever thought about hiring someone to…you know…have children with?"
"What?" He seemed to not want to answer.
"Can you just answer me, please?" Her eyes were locked on the sheets in front of her and she felt his gaze on her.
He sighed. "Yes, the thought did occur to me, once…" There was guilt in his tone. "But I was never going to act upon it! I'm ashamed to say I even thought about it."
Katara closed her eyes, letting the tears fall. "I understand," she said, sniffling.
He tried to get her to look at him. "Katara. Katara, look at me." He grasped her face between his hands and looked her in the eye. "I admit, the thought has come to my mind, but it was a long time ago—about a month after the stillbirth." He flinched at the memory but continued after a short pause, "I would never do that to you, Katara. You are my wife. You are the only person I would ever want to have children with—ever! You are the Fire Lady to this nation and you will be the mother of any heir that I produce. You are the only one…" he said, kissing her forehead. He looked into her eyes for another short moment before dropping his hands from her cheeks.
Katara sniffled again and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled against his skin.
He rubbed her back soothingly, hushing her. "It's okay. What brought this up, anyway?" he asked, hushing her again as another sob shook through her.
"That's what Toph wanted to talk to me about. She noticed our discomfort when Aang mentioned Sokka and Suki…" Katara answered quietly.
"So, she put the idea in your head that I would want to hire some random woman to have a child with in order to have an heir to the throne? A random woman instead of my own wife?" he asked, chuckling.
Katara sighed. "Yeah, I know. It was a pretty silly thought, wasn't it? I just…"
"Thought that I would agree to it willingly?" he finished, cocking an eyebrow.
She looked down. "Maybe."
Zuko laughed, only as a cover-up for his anger, an anger caused by her ludicrous assumptions and lack of understanding. "Come on, Katara. You know me better than that. You know I would never do that to you."
"I know and I'm sorry. So sorry," Katara said, her eyes watering up, tears brimming on the edges.
Zuko shook his head and kissed her forehead. "You don't have to apologize. There's nothing to be sorry for. Hey, look at me. Please?" Katara turned her head up, watching him, and he continued, "Listen to me, all right? If it really is worrying you that much—I know I've been avoiding the subject ever since what happened, but if it really means that much to you… I guess we can start trying again. When you are ready, though. Only when you are ready. I don't want you jumping into this because you think that we need an heir right now, okay?" He punctuated his sentence with a kiss to her forehead.
Katara sniffed and nodded, relaxing in his warm embrace. "Thank you," she said, smiling. As if on its own accord, her hand traveled up his chest, tracing the mark there, marveling at the softness of the scarred tissue.
"No problem," he said. He tucked her head under his chin and gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "I love you, Katara. You know that, right?" he whispered into her hair.
She nodded. "I love you, too," she replied softly.
"It stinks that Aang and Toph won't be here for your birthday. Sokka and Suki won't be here, either, because of the baby…" Zuko inquired.
Katara nodded. "Yeah. But, if you think about it… That means that we get to celebrate by ourselves."
"True. Goodnight, Katara."
Her voice was distant, not really there. "Goodnight."
Zuko pressed a kiss into her hair before resting his chin on the top of her head. Katara felt her eyelids droop as she leaned into his warmth, finding herself slowly drifting to sleep in his arms.
Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated.
