Chapter 9- Lies:
The next day Zuko spent all the time he didn't have a meeting with the twins. He didn't know why, but the two had really come to like him, snuggling against him each time he picked them up. It was almost like he was their father. They were safe with him, and they seemed to know that.
Early that evening Aang came to the nursery and went over to the crib the twins were sleeping in. They slept together, feeling safer that way. Suki and Ty Lee sat in one of the corners sewing new clothes to replace the torn ones the two wore right now. Zuko was dozing in the rocking chair right beside the crib. Aang first picked up the baby boy, and slowly and carefully looked over him. Opening one eye to see Rien's sparkling green eye look back up at him sleepily. Just as Rien began to stir with discomfort, Aang let out a sigh of relief and laid him back down gently on the crib pillow. Suki looked up from her sewing to give Aang a quizzical look before continuing her conversation with Ty Lee. Aang picked up the baby girl and proceeded to check her over as he had done with her brother. But when he opened her eye, he found a muddy gray eye looking back at him.
Aang took a step back, almost dropping Miki. Another airbender? This child had to be his. There was no other way the baby could be an airbender. "Aang! Be more careful with her! What are you doing!" Aang looked up at Suki then set Miki down next to Rien and watched her curl up against him. "I'm not doing anything." He said then headed out of the nursery. Did Suki know it was an airbender? Did they all know? Did they know it was his? No, they wouldn't know. But he had to make sure they didn't. Aang headed outside to blow some steam off. To figure out what to do about the girl.
~o.O.o~
When Zuko woke up, Katara was in the nursery looking over the babies. Zuko smiled and got up stretching out his back and watched her for a few minutes. Katara was great with kids. When she and Aang had their own they'd be lucky to have a mother like her. These two didn't know their true mother. He hoped that they would soon come to know her. But first they needed to help find Toph's true mind.
"How well is the metal coming off?" He asked, a hint of curiousity in his voice. Katara looked up just long enough to glare at him before looking back down at Miki eating her bottle. Zuko didn't see why what he had asked would cause that kind of reaction. "What? Is it not going well?" He asked.
Katara looked at Zuko giving him a death glare. "If you want to find out about you wife go see her yourself." His wife? What in the world did she mean by that? Zuko wasn't married. "What do you mean Katara? You know I haven't married." He reminded her. Katara glanced at the basin in one of the corners and made the water rise from it. Glancing at Zuko the water surged over him knocking him off his feet. Zuko just sat there looking at her stunned. "What in the world are you going on about Katara?"
Katara turned away from him. "I can't believe I trusted you Zuko. You came to join our goup at the Western Air Temple. Why?" Zuko was clueless why this mattered but he answered, "I came to teach Aang firebending, you know that." But she turned to face him. "Answer another thing for me. Why did you never marry Mai?" Zuko looked down hearing his previous girlfriend's name. "I wasn't ready to marry." But Katara shook her head.
"You're lying Zuko. I've figured out everything you've been hiding from us. Why you've been so eager to find Toph, why you haven't married. Why you spent all day with these two kids you just met yesterday. You're their father! That one night at the air temple when she went to talk to you you raped her! You burnt her feet and raped her! Those kids are yours and you know it Zuko!"
Zuko looked like someone had kicked him in the balls. Katara was accusing him of raping Toph. He had never touched her, or anyone for that matter. His face turned red with anger and he yelled right back. "You think I raped her! I would never rape her or anyone! The first time I knew she was pregnant was when we were all at Uncle's tea shop right after the war! And when I asked her about it she ran away from me! She said she couldn't tell me! I don't know who hurt her Katara but I swear I'll kill him!"
Katara listened to everything Zuko said, but she didn't beleive a word of it. Zuko was being protective, that was all he was doing. He was afraid the truth would come out. He wanted Toph to be better so he could tell her not to tell. "Stop lying to me Zuko. I know what you did. You just don't want me to tell anyone." She growled at him. "I'm going to tell Zuko and there's no way you can stop me.
He glared at her almost to the point of burning her to a crisp. "I love her. That's why I care Katara! Have you seen Miki's eyes! No one in my family history has green eyes! I don't know anyone who does! I'm not the father but I'm still going to help these kids!" He said then picked Rien up and grabbed a bottle before heading out to the infirmary.
~o.O.o~
Once in the infirmary, Zuko sat down in the chair beside Toph's bed and set Rien down carefully on his lap. Rien cooed happily and grabbed a tiny handful of Zuko's shirt. Rien was really playful with everyone. But with Zuko he didn't have to be encouraged. Zuko heated the bottle with his hands and stuck it in Rien's mouth. Rien started sucking the warm milk out of it almost immediately, happily eating.
Zuko sighed then looked at Toph. Katara had gotten some of the metal off of the bare skin of her cheek and neck, but the skin underneath didn't look any better. Scarred from everything. Zuko shifted his hold on Rien the stroked some of Toph's hair. It was still soft. "I'm sorry Toph."