AN: This is a bit longer...but hopefully worth it.

DISCLAIMER:

I DO NOT OWN IT. (by "it," I mean "ATLA")

DAY THREE: PAIN

Katara hid behind her black scarf wrapped securely so it would hide her face. Outside her tiny shack, she heard the cheers and someone calling out, "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" She shut the door, closed her windows, sat on her mat on the floor, and wept.

Eight years ago...

Katara just broken up with Aang. Their relationship wasn't going anywhere-it was just a schoolyard crush. Katara had wanted to take things further (not to just holding hands and quick pecks). She dreamed of settling down, marrying, and having children. Aang was a nomad. He never stayed in one place for very long. And every time she suggested starting a family, he said he would like to bring back the Air Nomads.

She couldn't follow his traditions (seriously, eating no meat at all? What would she eat in the South or North Pole? Seaweed and snow?), he was immature and flighty, she waited forever at Zuko's palace (ambassador duties) for him for as long as over five months, and he couldn't wrap around the idea of going beyond hand holding and quick kisses.

She noticed her growing feelings for Zuko, and once she broke up with Aang (and took off that bethrohed necklace), she wen to tell Zuko her feelings.

That night at a banquet, Zuko announced he was marrying Mai.

Katara pretended to be a good friend and support the new couple, but she couldn't. She helped with the decorations and dresses and makeup and invitations, crying alone in her room all night. Katara had begin to look paler and withdrawn.

And just before the wedding day, everything changed.

Katara didn't attend Mai's bachelorette party, on the pretense of being sick. She stumbled to bed, tears rolling down her cheeks. Suddenly, a low, husky voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Tara?" Katara turned around and was surprised to see Zuko.

"Zuko? I thought Sokka, Aang, and your uncle threw you a bachelor party?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Snuck out. They were all drunk."

She smiled at him. "Well, you better get to bed." Zuko stopped her, putting a hand on her bare arm (Katara blushed) and whispered, "Can you help me to bed? I'm really tired. My head hurts..." She allowed him to lean on her and using Katara a crutch, Zuko went to his room.

Zuko lay down on his bed, after taking off his shoes and shirt. Katara blushed madly and turned her face away. Zuko smirked a bit, to Katara's surprise.

"Like what you see?" he purred. Katara shook her head, blushing, but Zuko pulled her onto the bed. He ran his hand over her head, chuckling at Katara's shifting on the bed out of nervousness. Katara fel her face heat up dramatically as Zuko looked her in the eyes and-

Kissed her. The fiancé of Mai, the Fire Lord, her love...was kissing he as she had never been kissed before. It was rough, searing, and hot. Katara couldn't help responding to the kiss, frnatically winding her arms around him.

They broke from one another. Zuko looked at he with piercing eyes and said in a heated voice, "I love you."

"Then why are you marrying Mai?" Katara gasped as Zuko trailed kisses up her neck and jaw.

"I thought you loved Aang. I married her because the Fire Council wishes me to give a heir to the throne. And she loves me. In time, I will love her, I hope." Zuko sounded sad as he gathered Katara into his arms.

"Zuko, I love you." Katara admitted.

Zuko smiled softly. "I will break the engagement tomorrow, and we will marry." He promised her love, feasts, jewels, servants, clothes, and pleasures in a heated, loving tone. Katara felt ters roll down her cheeks. If this was a dream, she didn't want it to end.

Katara closed her eyes as Zuko ran his fingers over her lips. "Oh, Zu-"

Soon their clothes were shed, and they were moving. The bed underneath them shook, sweat ran down their bodies, and soft whimpers and screams went into the night.

Zuko carressed her face, their bodies tangled in silk sheets. "I love you." They fell asleep together.

Katara woke up in a sunlit room and leaned in to kiss Zuko, and smelled something bitter and strangely familiar.

Wine.

He was drunk! He was drunk! He didn't mean anything; it was the wine talking!

Katara felt tears run down her face. She had given herself to him, even though she was supposed to save herself for marriage, when the man she thought that loved her was drunk. Zuko had never loved her. He was marrying Mai today, and she would be alone.

She pulled her clothes back on, fixed her hair, and packed her bag. Katara pulled a cloak over herself and sat down at the desk, scribbling notes to her friends. She left Zuko's until last, placing it on his pillow.

The day after...

Zuko stirred in the morning. Usually he awoke at dawn, but he felt so tired. His head hurt like hell. He sat up on the bed and everything came back to him.

He smiled fondly. He wondered how the wine loosened his tongue and made him spill everything out. And how Katara could return his feelings-but where was Katara?

He saw a rolled-up scroll on the nightstand with his name, Zuko, written in Katara's firm, flowing handwriting. Curious, he unrolled it.

Zuko cancelled his wedding. He yelled at his uncle when he asked the young Fire Lord if it was because of Katara missing. Mai was concerned, but did not want to cancel the wedding. He shouted at her that he was the Fire Lord, and that he had no wish to marry her. He read the letter again, folded it up, and called for a search around the world for Katara.

Katara was in a small village. It was in the one of those "mixed peoples" towns-with Water, Earth, and Fire people. Katara concealed her face with a black scarf, and dressed as a poor peasant woman. Now she was living in a small cottage. There was a small market, where people conversed and bought and sold freely. It didn't really have a name.

Katara apprenticed as a healer-no bending, just the medicine of plants. She had relied on Waterbending so much that she forgot her Gran Gran's teachings on healing plants. An old woman with long, gray hair-her name was Jia-was the head healer. She was kind, patient, and had a no-buts-about-it attitude.

Jia had told Katara she was pregnant. Katara constantly felt the growing bump on her stomach, a constant worry and burden. She would never get rid of her child, but she regarded the child of Zuko's a blessed burden.

The Gaang was frantic. Katara was no where in the world. No one had spotted even a glimpse of the Watebender. Zuko was praying every day to Agni that Katara would return.

But she never did.

Sometimes, Zuko thought Katara was dead. The Gaang discussed it, but when they saw the tragic face of the Fire Lord, they stopped. Zuko read Katara's letter every night, looking for hidden meanings.

Zuko lay in bed alone, closing his eyes, imagining himself with Katara in his arms, carressing her soft hair and dark skin.

Katara's baby was born.

It was a boy. He had brown hair, tanned skin...and eyes like his father's. The same gold eyes Zuko had. The baby had cooed and snuggled up to Katara's chest. Katara stroked his hair, her own damp from labor.

If only Zuko and her had worked out. He would have smiled and cried with her, held his son proudly, and kissed her. The mother of his child. He probably was doing it with Mai.

Katara wept once again. Jia thought they were tears of joy. They weren't.

Katara named the child Hei Bai. Black and white. It wasn't after the spirit Aang had befriended. It was because her child-and Zuko's-was both good and bad, but this little gift was wonderful all the same.

More surprising?

He was a Firebender.

Katara could never hate her son, but she always looked at him with great sadness in her eyes.

Back to the present...

Zuko had gotten to his last resort. He put Aang and Iroh in charge of the throne, and went to search for Katara himself. The Council objected to this, but agreed when Zuko said it was to spread the "goodness of the Fire Nation." It was a lie. But he did not care.

Katara heard the procession while out shopping with Jia.

"I have to go." she told Jia.

"Why, Luna (Katara's fake name)?" Jia asked.

"I can't see him. I just can't." Katara gripped her six year old boy's hand tightly as he tried to run out to see what was going on.

Jia swallowed. "I am nervous too, but he won't hurt us."

"I know, I know, I just can't see him!" Katara frantically gathered up her things and son, running to her house. She ignored Jia's calls and locked the door.

She heard Zuko's voice. Oh, how she missed him! but she would not come out.

"I am looking for Katara of the Southern Water Tribe!" Zuko called, waving her picture. "She is a Waterbender, has blue eyes, brown hair, dark skin, and is probably about twenty-three or so years old. I love her! Have you seen her?"

He paused as everyone muttered and shook their heads. His face fell.

Zuko felt a little hand tugging on his robes. He looked at a little boy smiling up at him.

"Hello, little one. What is your name?" Zuko smiled at the child.

The boy smiled back innocently. "I'm Hei Bai. My mommy is a Waterbender too!"

"Really?" Zuko said, humoring the child.

"Yeah! And she has blue eyes and brown hair and dark skin, but she hides it under a black scarf!" he babbled as Zuko's eyes widened.

Zuko bent down to Hei Bai's height. "Hei Bai, what's your mother's name?"

"Luna." Hei Bai tugged again on Zuko's sleeve. "She's scared of you. She hid, but I ran out to see you."

Zuko turned Hei Bai's face towards him. He saw them. His eyes. His mother's eyes.

Could this be...Katara's child? But...how?

"Where does your mother live?" he asked his son. His son.

Katara was looking for Hei Bai. He wasn't in the house. Did he run off?

There was a knock on the door.

"Mommy! I'm here!" her son's voice called.

"Thank goodn-" she opened the door and faltered when she saw the Fire Lord.

"Z-Z-Fire Lord!" she gasped, grabbing Hei Bai into her arms. She trembled. "Sweetie, go to your room."

Hei Bai protested, but Katara shooed him away.

"Katara." he reached out and, before she could stop him, carressed her cheek through the scarf. "It's been a long time."

"I don't know you." Katara whispered. "My name is Luna."

Zuko pulled down her scarf, revealing Katara's face, and tossed it to the ground. "No. It's Katara, and I want to marry you."

"Leave me alone." Katara said. "I ran away. You don't love me. You loved Mai." Her voice shook. "I don't want to marry you. You're just marrying me because we had a child."

"No I don't. I would marry you even if I didn't. I cancelled Mai's wedding. And I told you I loved you."

"That was the wine!" Katara screamed at him. "I loved you so much it hurt! Do you know how much it hurt looking into my son's eyes? I gave myself to you, but you were as drunk as-"

Zuko kissed her roughly. He grabbed her, pulling her close. "For so long, I dreamed of you when you were gone. I am afraid I have gone mad from wanting you! Your voice, your hair, your eyes, your scent-" he breathed in her hair. "Oh, Katara, I have been parted from you for so long. I love you."

A tear escaped. "I don't believe you."

"Then why did I make this years ago?" Zuko pulled out a beautiful necklace. It had a design of a koi and a dragon intertwining on gold.

Katara's heart began to beat faster as he placed it around her neck.

"I love you. And I want to marry you."

"Yes." Katara smiled as Zuko called in Hei Bai to join their hug.

AN: Please review!