Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA……………..
A/N: I want to thank you all for the reviews they mean a lot to me well…here's Chapter 4
June soon gave way to July; there was a buzz of excitement within the palace walls as the noble family made the last quick preparations for the party in celebration of the ten-month old princess. The effulgence ballroom was richly decorated as servants seem to twirl their way as they gently place the food on the table with such elegance. With Katara and Zuko's supervision the preparations were nearing to a success that is if Katara wasn't so busy with the baby.
"You seriously need help don't you?" It seems like Sokka's instincts were kicking in again.
Katara merely raised her eyebrow, isn't it obvious?
"Take my advice and let someone take care of her since you're so busy and all…." The water tribe boy replied, casually glancing at his finger nails.
"Like you, Sokka?" Katara said sweetly, batting her eyelashes hoping that her idiotic brother would buy it.
"Oh….. No way…." Ever since that little incident he encountered he rather not. It was his final say as he watched his sister pouted slightly.
"Hmm….What about Toph can she baby-sit?"
"No offence, but she doesn't do well with babies…."
"What about Aang?"
"Avatar duties…."
Both of them furrowed their eyebrow in concentration, in deep thought.
Suddenly both faces lit up at the same time as though they were reading each other's mind.
"IROH!"
----
Iroh was seen walking through the hallways, happily humming a tune. Unknown to him, two blue figures were following him closely from behind.
"Hmmm….mmmm….hmm-GAH!" The old general jumped in shock as he felt something or someone patted on his shoulder. Turning to see only an infant right in front of his face, he frowned titling his head to the side as eyes fell on a firelady extending her arms smiling sweetly at him.
"Iroh….would you mind taking care of your little grand niece?"
"Of-…"
"Thank you so much!" She beamed, gently shoving the baby to the old man's arms
"Here all her needs…..always carry her on the right side she's a bit fussy, the milk mustn't be too warm…and…make sure she gets her nap otherwise she'll get cran-…"
"Alright already Katara….." Sokka cut her off, sighing desperately as he tugged his sister's sleeve.
With that both siblings left.
Blue eyes watched her mother waved goodbye as she looked up at the stranger who was holding her.
He too looked down at her, recovering from a sudden task given to him.
Both of them stared at each other as though neither of them had a clue of what to do next, until her grand uncle lips curled into a lazy grin.
Blue eyes widen slightly as the old man asks
"Do you like tea, little one?"
----
Both the firelord and lady were at the ballroom, doing the final touches.
"Hey Katara, pass me those ribbons over there..." the firelord pointed out, supporting his weight on the ladder.
Katara raised her hand high to pass Zuko the ribbons, never taking off her blue eyes as they scanned down the flimsy list in her other hand.
There was a moment of silence...until
"Um…Zuko are you sure about….." Katara asks uncertainly, tugging the end of her husband's pants seeking his attention
"Uncle?" he finished her sentence, his fingers still fumbling through the ribbons trying to tie a knot.
"Don't worry Katara….he's…." Zuko paused thinking for the right word to put about his uncle.
"Responsible? Ya I know..." this time it was Katara's turn to finish his sentence with her blue eyes looking up at him, clearly annoyed that he doesn't have a clue of what she's talking about.
She sighs as she extended the list in her hand.
"You're serving CATUS JUICE?"
"W-what?" clearly having his full attention now.
"C-cac-tus Ju-ice" She repeated, dragging each word as her brown slender finger pointed at the list.
"I didn't have choice" stuttered Zuko, Katara merely arched a brow at him. Really now?
Zuko shook his head disbelieving as his face turned into a scowl.
"Besides it's not poison or anything…." Quickly defending himself as he resume back to his work
"Funny…you should know…."the firelady chuckled nervously; beginning to explain a story involving a certain water tribe boy.
---
Heavy eyelids were pushing the little princess to sleep but she was unable to do so with the constant blabbering coming out from her grand uncle's mouth.
Open...close..open...close...close...Open again...
Her tiny blue eyes lit up when the blabbering came to a halt much to her relief. Apparently, the old general had only paused just to squelch his thirst as he gulped down his tea.
He stopped abruptly, watching her stubby fingers reach for his tea. Oh so he thought…
"You want some?" he asked, holding the cup of tea to her eye level. He unconsciously bends toward her, waiting for her response.
The tiny hand reaches out slowly aiming for, not the tea but his grey beard!
"Heh….." she giggled bubbly, tugging his beard with much pleasure.
Her giggles became a squeal of excitement as she watched Iroh's painful expressions at each tug of his beard.
She was enjoying her new toy that is until….
The old general immediately admitted defeat as he retreat his beard from the baby's grasp that doesn't seem to want to let go.
"You're very energetic young one…"He commented, tapping her lightly on the nose causing her to clap her hands gleefully seemingly to agree with her grand uncle.
---
Night covered the city in darkness; the only light source came from street lamps lightening every part of the city like fireflies floating in mid air.
Katara was helping the special guest with her clothes.
The firelady finally put on the last of the clothes as she stood back to admire her work.
The little guest was dressed in purple clothes with golden patterns at the end of each sleeve. She looked like a china doll except for the blue eyes she had.
"There! All Finished!" She beamed, picking her baby up and nuzzle her tiny nose, as both of them made their way to party.
----
When Katara entered the ballroom, she was completely swept away by the sight in front of her, she watched in awe as she spotted old friends from her journey. All their hard work had paid off.
"Katara….." said an urgent voice form behind her.
It was the firelord.
"I couldn't cancel the order for the cactus juice..."
"YOU WHAT?!"
Subsequently, the little princess was once again separated from her mother as she watched the blue figure sprint her way through the crowd.
---
Meanwhile...
"Hmm….this tastes great!" the water tribe commented. "It's liked I've tasted it before….hmm…." Sokka knitted his eyes brows in concentration with his finger on his chin as though he was at deep thought.
"Hmmm..." he said, scratching his chin.
"Oh the heck with it!" he said finally, going for his second glass.
--
Everyone was having such a great time…well except for the firelady. She searched effortlessly through the sea of people.
"Don't drink…don't drink…" she silently pleaded, her blue eyes scanning for a certain water tribe boy.
Bingo…She spotted him engaged in conservation with Aang, she heaved a sigh of relief.
But panic rose up again as she watched her brother gulping down a greenish beverage.
--
Sokka was at his fifth no his tenth glass of cactus juice.
Somehow the water tribe boy was feeling light-headed and tipsy as he turns to face the air bender.
"H-hey A-a-ang…." He called. "C'mon…D-Drink with me-e!" he said, his speech notably slurred as he offered his glass to the bald monk.
"We monks don't drink…" Aang replied coolly, watching Sokka in his drunken stupor.
The water tribe boy huffed at the monk's response, folding his arms in a most childish manner.
"Wimp…." He grumbled under his breath, but immediately lit up to see the firelady gaping at him.
"Katara, my baby sister!" the water tribe boy beamed, standing up abruptly to greet her.
Katara just stared at him blankly. Too late... She thought as his fingers reached out for both her cheeks, pinching them with much delight before moving her face vigorously from side to side.
"Who's the cute girl? Who's my little baby seal..." Baby talk her brother.
"Coo-chi coo-chi coo..." He contiuned making faces at her.
Katara twiched with much annoyance, feeling her anger rising again
She smacked his hands away in irritation, feeling her swollen cheeks burn. She was about to tick him off but was taken aback by her brother's response; smiling goofily back at her.
This is so wrong……
"Sokka!" she snapped, waving her hand in front of his goofy face. "Hey!" snapping her fingers this time.
"Sokka?!" Katara said a little louder this time as her eyes watched him snapped back to reality.
"Katara, my baby sister!" repeating those same words causing the firelady to smack her forehead in frustration. This is not working…
"How many glasses did you drink?!" She shook him hard; grabbing him by the sides demanding an answer.
"W-well…..L-let'ss seeeeee….." he trailed off, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration as he started counting his fingers "One….two…three…...six….seven…nine?...one…three…"
"Three glasses! I h-had only three g-lasses!" He declared without hesitation.
Katara looked at his fingers as she rolled her eyes upon seeing him had ten up instead.
Finding herself for the second time, smacking her forehead once again.
On the spur of the moment, the water tribe boy was seen clumsily climbing on the table, catching everyone's attention as the ballroom fell into silence.
"THIS ONE IS FOR YOU PEOPLE OUT THERE!" Sokka's voice boomed followed by a bunch of hippie songs as he did a little dance.
--
His little performance left Katara speechless with rage as she groaned in frustration.
Were they really related?!
Everyone was completely stupefied as all eyes watched Sokka jumped off the table, blowing air kisses at them.
"THANK YOU! Oh…you're too kind…" He said dramatically, taking steps forward swaying slightly from side to side. "THANK YO-"
Tripping on his in two feet, the water tribe boy never got to finish his speech as his face had collided on to the cold, hard marble floor.
The croaking of a frog echoed through room as everyone cringed.
In a flash, the water tribe boy got up on his feet again.
"I'm okay!" he declared to the audience, waving an arm in mid-air.
Before realizing that his eyes can't stop spinning.
"Is it me….of is this room spinning?" Scratching his head as the other hand was pointing in all directions, almost attaching itself into somebody's nostrils.
Soon he too, was spinning with the room ("Whee...!") as he held a dazed expression on his face.
--
It seemed that the contact he made on the floor had caused him to talk non-stop as he simply talk and talk...and TALK. Clearly giving a whole new meaning to this word.
"You know the one about…….um what was it again…?"
"Ah yessss" he slurred as he staggered drunkenly towards a guy, leaning against him for support.
"Oh wait, I forgot again…."He gave a sheepish smile before going into a fit of giggles as he continued "Oh wa-it it's comin back now…Once upon a t-time….Katara a-and I found a penguin…." He said, in between a hiccough and a giggle "K-katara was young and all, was soooooo curious to know about its gender...t-that sh-"
The Firelady clamped her brown hand on her brother's mouth before he could finish his little fairy tale.
"Ok-ay….that's enough story time Sokka…" she interrupt, laughing nervously.
"Oh Agni….that was close" Muttering under her breath, apparently it was a little too loud for a certain boy to hear.
"You know….t-there's this story about this A-Agni…guy…" her brother began.
"Are you sure that you're alright?" she added, quickly changing the subject.
"Of course I'm fine…Why would I be okay? Don't I look ok to you? Just look at me I'm p-perfectly fine…I'm fine…f-fine..." The water tribe boy convince her. "I'm alright...don't i look alright?" he asked the guy he was leaning on. Oh so he thought...he was talking to a pole...
Sheesh! We get your point already…Katara cocked an eyebrow at him, cutting him off as she proposed a toast "Um...TO THE FIRELORD" She said, hoisting her drink (Don't worry it's not cactus juice if that is what you were thinking…)
Her little plan work as Sokka had followed the same suit.
"TO THE FIRELORD!" he toast.
"TO THE FIRELORD..." the audience followed hesitantly.
"TO THE PRINCESS!" he continued, gulping down the juice.
"TO THE PRINCESS!" everyone echoed, feeling the flow.
"TO THE AVATAR-D!" he slurred, raising his glass to the air bender.
"TO THE AVA-TARD..?" somehow everybody had unconsciously copied his words as all their eyes fell on a bemused Aang.
"Whoops….that came out w-wrong…" Sokka sputtered a chortle, smiling sheepishly at Aang.
"TO AANG!" he boomed. With that he drank the last of his cactus juice before swaying about on the same spot as he passed out on to the floor landing with a loud thud.
Everyone seemed to be frozen at their current position, recovering from what had just happen. A cold wind blew pass them.
"ANYONE UP FOR TEA?" asks an old general.
"WE DO!" everyone replied in unison making Iroh the happiest man on earth.
As a sleeping Sokka, was soon forgotten.
--
The next day……
"What a hangover…" a dark skin boy groaned, while rubbing his temples.
As he begin recalling some of the events that happened yesterday night. He panicked.
"Hey? Where did everybody go?" Blue eyes searching for a sign of life form in an empty ballroom around him.
A/N: Um…R n R …Thx