Introduction
Nearly ten years have passed since the end of the Hundred Year War. Katara was a leading expert in the various forms of Water Bending, outlawing Blood Bending. She was regarded around the planet as the best Water Bending master and healer. After aiding in the world's recovery, Aang and Katara settled together and hoped to start a family. At twenty-three years old, Katara became pregnant with their first child.
A motherly person by nature, Katara was thrilled by the news. She had always dreamed of having babies of her own after assisting her Gran-Gran in delivering many of the children in the Southern Water Tribe. She was experienced enough at fourteen to help deliver a baby for a refugee couple before arriving at Ba Sing Se. She had also successfully pretended to be pregnant at that age for a disguise at a Fire Nation private school. Her rounded belly distending beneath her seal leather top now was very real, however.
To truly be cradling a baby inside of her womb, the mission to nurture the life which Katara and Aang had intimately created ... was indescribable. All the nausea and heartburn in the world couldn't chip away at her excitement. Katara wondered if she had ever felt as confident as she did while she was pregnant. She had very long, dark, wavy hair and olive brown skin. She had striking blue eyes with epicanthic lids and a round face with a somewhat flat profile.
She was a petite young woman, barely taller than Aang's shoulder. He was no longer the goofy kid she rescued from that ball of ice in the South Pole. He had grown into a tall and handsome man with medium brown skin. He kept his tattooed head shaved but he was now growing a dark beard along his angular jaw. He had a chiseled face with soft lips, prominent cheeks, and double-lidded dark eyes beneath his dark bushy brows.
His nose had a noticeably broad convex bridge. Aang had sculpted pectoral and abdominal muscles. His legs were lean and his arms were taut with muscle. He was agile and healthy at twenty-one ... and about to become the best father in the world. Katara still got butterflies from time to time, being around Aang ... or maybe that was their baby kicking inside of her.
The responsibility of becoming parents did not daunt the couple. They were ready. They had started the nursery soon after getting the confirmation from a healer and had a few closets stocked full with diapers. However, they did understand the amount of time that would be taken up by this new addition in their relationship. So, they were looking forward to a small babymoon - a romantic vacation to be taken before the due date.
When they were invited to Ember Island by their close friend, Firelord Zuko, Katara and Aang leapt at the opportunity. It was planned for nearing the end of Katara's first trimester, the safest window for her to be traveling while still with child. As well as Katara's brother Sokka and their old friend Toph, they would be joined by Zuko's mother Ursa, his uncle Iroh, and Zuko's half-sister Kiyi.
To Ember Island
At sun rise, the couple awoke together, had breakfast, and went to the bathroom to prim for the trip. Aang was wearing his orange robe tied closed by a yellow cloth at his narrow waist and Katara was wearing her sarashi (and of course her mother's betrothal necklace). Katara was in a great mood, looking forward to the trip. Katara was combing her hair and separating strands for her trademark braided 'loopies' as Sokka called them. Her hands frequently drifted back down to stroking her belly. Aang was hovering the blade by his chin uncertainly.
Katara leaned her hip on the counter, hand on belly, "Giving up on the beard, sweetie?"
"It makes me look older," Aang chuckled, lifting the blade to his scalp. "I still look like a teenager."
That was hardly the case what with his height, his protruding Adam's apple, and his muscular figure. If that weren't enough, his confidence and mannerisms were the icing on the very attractive cake. Her loopies in place, Katara began to work on tying back the rest of her hair into a long sleek fishtail braid.
She giggled, "Aang, sweetie. You're one hundred and twenty-one."
"You'd never know," He strained his face and doubled over, crackling his voice, "Let's get to skippin', pretty momma! Our friends await!"
Katara pulled on her fur trimmed leggings, soft waterproof boots, and her kimono-styled tunic with slits on the sides. She brought her gloves and overcoat in case she got cold while up in the air. She held them to her chest while walking out to the roofed walkway. Appa growled happily when he saw her walking towards them.
Aang turned and beamed at her, "Ready for take-off, sweetie?"
Once they were standing on his broad tail and Aang had his arms firmly around Katara, Appa lifted it and they walked over to the saddle. Katara eased herself down slowly to sit at the front end of the saddle. Aang handed Katara her bag of snacks and water canteen. He twirled up through the air with a gush of Bended wind and landed perfectly atop Appa's head, his legs crossed.
"Ready, sweetie?" He grinned over his shoulder up at his young wife.
Momo chirped as though to say 'don't leave without me' and landed softly in Katara's cris-crossed lap, snuggling up to her middle.
"Ember Island, here we come!" Katara smiled.
Aang nodded and pulled on Appa's reins, "Appa, yip-yip!"
Appa grunted and rose very slowly till they were above the clouds. Katara felt her baby kicking, the change in altitude probably making his tiny ears pop. Momo sniffed at her belly and rubbed his face gently against it. Her baby started to settle once she snacked on her bag of kale cookies and blubbered seal jerky. After a while, she settled down for a nap and Momo looked proud of himself.
Katara had gained about seventeen pounds to her slender frame, the added weight already causing a strain on her back. They flew all day and when the stars started to come out, Aang checked in on Appa.
"What's up, buddy?" he asked his oldest friend.
Appa groaned gutturally like he was reminding a forgetful child but still adoringly.
"He's thinking about the baby," Katara reached over to stroke Aang's shoulders. "Aren't you, Appa?"
Appa purred. She dropped her hand, reaching over the rim of the saddle as far as she could so stroke Appa's long rough coat. The flight was taking longer than the couple should have anticipated. Appa flew them to Ember Island with such care that they did not arrive until well past midnight, much later than they had planned with Zuko. With the islands of the Fire Nation within sight, Appa descended below the murky clouds.
"Do you think he's sent out a search party?" Katara joked.
Aang laughed, "Firelord Zuko would do something like that."
As they arched over the royal property, the first thing Katara noticed was the smell of the superb royal cooking. She had finished off her bag of snacks. Flutterbats were fluttering, iguana seals were lounging on the black-sanded shore, and she could hear the royal messenger hawks squawking.
"Look, they waited-up for us!" Aang pointed out the few windows that indeed had candlelight illuminating them.
Appa descended to the designated landing spot just as slowly as before, Zuko's crimson dragon Druk resting nearby. Katara saw a few dragon-moose in the fenced pasture, free to graze after shifts of pulling royal carriages. With a soft gush of wind and a sigh of relief, Appa touched down. Aang and Katara dismounted the same way they had mounted Appa. Satisfied that his passengers had arrived safely, Appa shifted over to the trough of apples and hay waiting for him inside of his shelter.
Momo hopped from Aang's shoulders down to Katara's and back, the old lemur excited to see his old friends waiting for them inside of the restored mansion. Cave-hoppers had ventured out of their dens to chirp and badger-frogs were croaking.
Exhausted servants rushed out to greet them, "Avatar Aang! Master Katara!"
Zuko's servants carried their luggage for them. They crossed a tiny bridge stretched across a shallow pond in which turtle ducks quacked to each other. Katara was walking slower nowadays since her center of gravity was off. But, she wasn't waddling yet. They could smell the tea and incense burning from several yards away.
They were pleasantly surprised that it was Zuko whom greeted them at the door. He had light ochre skin and narrow, epicanthic lidded, striking golden eyes. His left eye and ear were disfigured by a scar from when his father had set his face on fire, his left eyebrow permanently burnt off. It was difficult to look at but his friends never gawked at it. He had his long, soft, raven hair partially up in a topknot, his Fire Lord headpiece fixed securely in there. He was wearing an ornate burgundy and gold robe with spiked shoulders and sandals.
"The party can officially begin!" Zuko beamed at them. "Hello, Aang." They bowed to each other before he hugged Aang and Zuko grinned down at Katara, "Katara, you look beautiful."
"After flying for almost a day, that's a nice thing to say." Katara laughed.
Aang stood aside so that Zuko could pull Katara in for a gentle hug, she getting a face-full of his hair. He smelled like jasmine and sandlewood. He looked a bit tired for a man at twenty-five years of age but otherwise in his prime. Zuko was prone to depression in his youth and being Firelord for close to a decade has not been smooth-sailing. He has well-earned this vacation.
"May I?" he asked, his slender hand hovering over her middle.
"Of course!" She pulled apart her coat to show him her belly.
With Aang beaming proudly, Zuko gently rubbed Katara's belly.
"It's not as big as I thought it would be," he grimaced in embarrassment after saying that.
"I get that a lot. But no one will be saying that in a few weeks." Katara grinned when Zuko's embarrassed blush turned into a flush caused by laughing. "Thank you for inviting us."
"Of course!" Zuko scoffed playfully, as though offended by the idea of not inviting them. He stood aside so that they could step out of the humid night into the coolness of his oriental family mansion, "But, what kept you?"
Aang shared a look with Katara, "Appa's just being protective."
Katara could hear the servants depositing their belongings somewhere upstairs.
"Well, I'm pleased that you've arrived safe and sound." Grinned Zuko as he escorted them deeper into the mansion. "My uncle, my mother, and my step-sister couldn't manage to stay awake. But, they told me to tell you 'hey'." He blushed and awkwardly assured them, "You'll see them tomorrow before they leave." They stopped at the door to the courtyard, "Uncle always hates to be parted from the Jasmine Dragon." He then added quickly, "But, he wouldn't miss seeing us all together for the world. He's interested to see how you're doing, Katara."
He took them to the dining room and Katara's mouth dropped open. This was where she had been smelling the food from the air. The room was packed with it.
"You've really outdone yourself, Zuko." Katara breathed.
Aang nodded, "... Yeah!"
There were cuisines from every nation. As Aang was strictly vegetarian, Zuko had obviously made sure to offer him an assortment of options.
Aang walked along the table with Katar and Zuko following behind him, "Baked pastries with minced fruit fillings, egg custard tarts, veggie dumplings, onion and banana juice, noodles, and rice!"
"Do they feed you back home?" Zuko teased. "Looking a bit thin there, my friend."
Aang and Zuko rough housed for a moment over his playful jibe. Though three years apart in age, they were now fair matches for physical play.
Katara watched Zuko place Aang in a hold, "Oh, trust me, Zuko. Aang eats enough."
Zuko released Aang and the two friends laughed.
"No choice," Aang gave a cheeky smile, planting a quick kiss on Katara.
Zuko chuckled while Katara assured him, "I give strict instructions for him to keep his diet when he has to leave for Avatar-duties."
However, the tables had recently turned: Aang was concerned with Katara being fed. But, the pregnant master Water Bender had an insatiable appetite, contending with her voracious older brother. So, the likelihood that she would forget to eat was less than zero. The food from the Water Tribes was definitely the most whelming.
Zuko explained, "I hired both a Northern and a Southern Water Tribe cook and their team to make the cuisines as authentic as possible, importing the foreign ingredients freshly." He pointed at a few of the dishes, "Artic hen, five-flavor soup, kale cookies, pickled fish, sea prune stew, seaweed noodles, seaweed stew, and tentacle soup."
From the Earth Kingdom Katara saw that there were bean curd puffs, cakes, crab puffs, deep-fried pickled radishes, more egg custard tarts, fried and unfried dough, a rice congee called jook, noodle soup, pan-fried noodles, pau buns, roast duck, soup, and tofu. For Zuko, he was presented with food that he was served regularly: buns, breads, cookies, meat and vegetable boiled dumplings, fire gummies, flamming fire flakes, fruit tarts for dessert served with rose petals on top, ice cream, komodo sausage, loco moco, rice cakes called mochis, noodles, noodle soup, roast duck, sea soup, sizzle-crisps, smokes sea slug, rice, super-spicy soufflé from Kirachu Island, and tart pies. As they were at the beach mansion, watermelon juice was always available.
There were also Varri-cakes from Republic City. Zuko backed off to sit at the table while Aang and Katara made their plates at the buffet. He yawned a few times, gazing out the window at Druk. Katara went for a fruit tart with rose petals first. Though Katara was proud of her Southern Water Tribe heritage, she did not always need to have the food from there.
But, worrying she'd make Zuko feel like he wasted the effort, Katara pored a bowl of tentacle soup and added rice. Aang picked veggie dumplings and Katara added rice without asking. A few minutes later, Katara heard heavy footfalls and, looking up from where she was seated on a pillow on the floor, spotted her brother jogging towards them. Toph Bei Fong, Chief of Police and the founder of the Metalbending Police Force, was on his heels.
"Katara!" shouted Sokka. "Aang!"
Twenty-four year old Sokka was the Southern Water Tribe representative on the United Republic Council. He had grown into a burly adult, hence the loud footfalls. He and Katara looked very much alike, sharing the same dark skin tone and striking blue eyes. He also had dark hair like his sister but kept it styled in a traditional warrior's wolf tail and had a short beard. He was wearing his swimming loincloth and an open robe.
"Twinkle-Toes and Sugar Queen are here!" Toph shouted after him.
Katara had always found Toph to be effortlessly pretty, amplified by her bravery and ingeniousness. She had grown into a petite but athletically built young woman, the top of her hairdo barely the same height as Katara. She had shed her official uniform for the vacation and was also in her swimwear.
Zuko pressed a finger to his lips then indicated the ceiling with it, "Shhh! Remember they're sleeping!"
Katara made to push herself back to her feet but was kindly scolded by her big brother, "Don't get up! I'll come down to you!"
Sokka knelt down and hugged his pregnant sister with enthusiasm but with care, holding back the strength he would usually apply. Sokka did not have to get close for Katara to smell his sweat mixed with sunscreen. But, she hugged him all the same. He looked as tired as Zuko. Katara figured she must look just as exhausted. They kissed each other's cheeks before they parted. Katara scrunched her nose up at the scruffiness along his jaw that her lips had brushed against.
Sokka cupped her round belly and chuckled, "I look like this when I've had way too much seal jerky. Well, there's no such thing as too much seal jerky -"
Everyone laughed and Toph giggled as she wedged herself between them, "You and your jokes, Sokka."
"I wasn't telling a joke, though!" Sokka corrected them facetiously, shifting aside for Toph, "There is no limit to seal-jerky-consumption! The horror!"
Toph sighed and she pulled Katara in for a hug. She smelled like mangos and sunscreen with a hint of sweat, telltale signs that Toph had spent her time waiting for their arrival on the beach. Her very pale porcelein skin was blemish-free and her glossy jet-black hair was tied back in its usual way. Sokka and Aang got to their feet to hug.
"What was that?" Toph gasped after they parted, her cloudy blue eyes widening. "I just felt it swimming around!" She leaned closer and commented, "This is so ... weird!" She laid a hand on Katara's belly, tapping it with her finger. "I guess I haven't been around many or any pregnant women before -"
"No way!" Sokka blurted out after hugging Aang, "Have you gotten taller? Am I shrinking?"
He and Zuko were about the same height, Aang being a little over an inch taller than both.
Katara giggled, "Sokka, you're not even thirty. You're not shrinking ... yet."
"'Yet'?" Sokka quoted, his friends laughing at this vain concern.
Katara felt like the universe was in balance once again when their group of five was reunited. She felt both nostalgic and hungry to make new memories. Sokka and Zuko were like big brothers to Aang - Sokka being related to him by marriage now. Toph and Sokka found their places around the table, leaving Aang and Katara to sit side by side once again. They chatted about their trips to reach Ember Island and Zuko gushed proudly about his little step-sister.
"You're gonna be a great mother, Katara." Zuko complimented her suddenly.
Toph grinned, "Yeah, and you weren't around for when she babied us." Though she could not see Katara raise a brow, Toph quickly added, "... I think you'll be great, too. You've had plenty of practice."
Katara had eaten her fill and was starting to feel very sleepy.
She beamed around at them all, rubbing her round belly, "So sorry that you stayed up late for us -" Katara tried to stifle a yawn behind her swollen hand, "Ahhh! What time is it?"
"You must be exhausted," Zuko diagnosed. "Allow me to show you to your room. We'll see you in the morning."
Aang shut the door quietly behind them. The room was expansive and oriental-decorated. Their luggage was already unpacked by the servants. Katara found her dresses hanging in the wardrobes, Aang's robes and pants folded neatly in the dresser, her make-up and perfume arranged on the bathroom countertops along with Aang's shaving supplies, and there was a tray of deserts set on the bed. Katara changed into her silk kimono sleepwear, perfect for the warmer climate, and eased herself onto the bed.
Aang changed into his Fire Nation traditional jinbei while Katara ran her fingernails along her belly creating a small mound beneath the bed sheets.
"Well, we finally made it." Aang announced in a whisper, stroking her belly in a circular motion.
"High jinks are to ensue, right?" Katara hoped.
Whether Aang would admit it or not, he needed to let loose from the stress of Republic City.
Aang yawned and pulled her closer, "Sure, sweetie. Goodnight."
When Katara didn't wish him goodnight, he turned to look at her. She was fast asleep.