Doubled over, I emptied the contents of my stomach over and over.

Zuko's warm hand on my back soothed me as he rubbed his palm over me in circles.

Breathing in deeply, I stood up straight and looked over to the dead body of the once powerful and beautiful princess Yue. Zuko grabbed my face quickly though, "Katara…what you see…you may not like… it's disgusting. Will you be okay?"

I looked into his golden eyes, trying my damnedest to seem unaffected by the blood splattered over the ice and the broken contorted way her body was bent. I nodded, "Y-yeah… I'll- I'm okay." Closing my eyes, I mustered up my strength and held my breath as Zuko took my hand and walked with me.

Yue's eyes, so much like my own, were opened, staring directly at me, accusing me. As if this was my fault. She was probably right; had I minded my own business, gone about my way of life, hadn't accepted Hakota's offer, she would still be alive.

Soon, passer byes had stopped by, their eyes transfixed upon their Princess and a look alike that stood but mere inches from each other. Hakota pushed through the throng of people, needing to get to his daughter. I watched as he knelt on the ice and held his precious baby girl in his lap. Her head lolling side to side, her arms limp and flailing, "Yue…" he whispered agonizingly, his heart breaking.

"What happened?"

He looked up at me, his eyes glazed over with tears. He swallowed hard and I had to strain to hear him when he spoke, "She jumped. Disgusted with a sin no person should ever make. But she didn't tell me what sin that was exactly." His voice broke with unshed tears, "She only gave me one last smile and a hug before she- before she- before she…" he couldn't finish and he didn't have to.

Not wanting him to think he was totally alone in all this, I knelt down beside him, encircling his shoulders with my arm. I squeezed him as tightly as I could and just let him cry out his pain. Before too long, I sat back on the ice and he collapsed into my embrace. I held him close to me, needing to know that I could help my dad out in any way I could.

He cried and my clothes were tear stained in no time. Zuko was beside the entire time, soothingly rubbing my back, as though to make sure I wouldn't break down, too. But he didn't have to worry about that. I had never been close to Yue, nor were we overly fond of each other. Yes it was tragic that she was dead, but I would never be as heartbroken as the Chief in my lap.

Healers came and went, unable to bring the princess back to life. Citizens cried their sweet, clear tears for their fallen beauty. They gathered around, unsure of how to handle this tragedy. They were too close for my taste… I felt like the oxygen was being stolen right from my lungs. They were huddling around us. Not only was the princess so damned close, but their Chief was falling apart in the lap of a peasant girl who resembled their Princess so much so that they were starting to talk and stare.

I was suffocating and theses people needed to leave.

Now.

As though sensing my discomfort, Zuko stood and addressed the crowd, saying that they needed to go back to their homes and mourn for dear Princess Yue. And that everything would be explained at a later time when things settled down. He told him that everything was okay, that the Chief would be back to work in no time. That there was nothing to worry about.

Slowly…painstakingly slow…the crowd began to disperse and I was able to breathe again…

Hakota's breathing was starting to slow as though he were starting to become normal again. He sat up, stared at me for what seemed like an eternity before he embraced me in his big, warm arms. He stroked my hair, held me tightly.

I wasn't sure if he was genuinely happy to have me there or if he was using me as a stand in, like he'd been doing for so damned long, for Yue. So I pulled away from him. If he was going to start being my father, a real father, then I would not let him use me anymore.

I looked him in his big blue eyes, my eyes, and spoke softly, "I am not Yue. Nor will I ever be Yue. Not again. I am Katara. Do you understand?"

He nodded his head.

And that's all it took.

That's all it took for me to forgive him for everything.

THREE YEARS LATER

I had my two year old twin daughter, Kalla's and Cera's hands safely tucked inside my own as we walked with their father toward their grandfather and grandmother. One with sweet golden eyes and the other dazzling blue, their eyes were down cast as their footsteps stuttered in their walking. They were scared. Today their uncle, someone who they hadn't met, was to be coming home with his wife and child of his own.

Sokka had left after we were accepted into the royal family three years ago. The Chief even taken in Sokka because of how close he was to everyone. Though, Hakota had never, nor would he ever know that the person Yue had sin with was Sokka. It would break his heart all over again.

And that's the last thing my mother wanted.

Zuko, our children and I lived and ruled in the Fire Nation, visiting the Water Tribe at least once month. But today we had made a special trip. Sokka had sent word that he was coming back after he realized he was wrong in his overreactions years ago.

The only reason he had come to realize that was because of his wife, Suki, who he had met in a village in the Earth Kingdom, They had had a child and were ecstatic to come home now. He and his wife figured that their child needed their whole family around them.

Once we were close enough, my girls detangled themselves from my hands and ran towards their grandparents. They loved them very much and the feeling wasn't lost on them. Zuko took my hand and we followed the trail of our twins.

He leaned down to me and whispered quietly, "Breathe, my love, you're starting to turn as blue as your eyes. There's nothing to be scared of."

He was right, of course.

He always knew just what to say.

But still…

I couldn't help the fear that spread through me that Sokka would have in some way changed. Or would still hate for something that I had no control over. Or that maybe his wife was a total crazy bitch who would make life miserable. Things were going perfect for me and my family. The last thing I wanted was for things to start getting hellish.

I took a deep breath and we continued walking up to my mother and father.

After three years, Kya and Hakota were doing so much better with their relationship. They patched things up and were closer than ever. To make things better, my mother and father had made it a personal mission to get closer to me as well.

Life couldn't be better than it was right now.

But they could certainly get worse. Which I did not want to happen.

Maybe I was just over thinking everything.

Maybe nothing was going to be wrong at all.

Maybe I was just…paranoid.

Yes!

That's what it was.

I was just…upset and was thinking the worse of everything.

This happened a lot…

I took another deep breath and stood beside my parents, husband, and children as we waited for my brother to come through the giant ice doors.

We didn't have to wait long though.

Just as I was starting to settle down, the double doors swung open and Sokka, accompanied by a redheaded woman and little boy with red hair and blue eyes walked through. The little boy was staring up defiantly, and it wasn't hard to miss the fact that he was definitely Sokka's son.

The redhead was beautiful. Stunning green eyes and a pale complexion, certainly an Earth Kingdom citizen. They walked toward us and we stood, staring at them, wondering about how this meeting would go. Please, Tui and La, don't let this go wrong…

Sokka ran to me and hugged me tightly and in that second I knew that everything was going to be perfect.

My brother pulled back and introduced us to him son, Baron. A rowdy little boy who liked to wrestle. Which my little girls thought was the best thing ever, since Daddy wouldn't wrestle with them all the time. They ran off and before we knew it, they had hit it off and were the best of friends.

Sokka and I went back to how we were for our whole lives.

Life was still perfect…

Watching from the top window, was a woman with Golden eyes, black hair, and red lips that stared at the happy scene with malice in her eyes.

Damn brother of mine… she thought. And his damned wife and children and their perfect life. Her lips pulled back over her teeth in hate. I'll make you pay…