Katara hummed to herself as she opened the door to the back yard, knowing she'd find her little family there. Through the years, the Fire Nation had grown on her; it was an absolutely beautiful place, with lush gardens and grass almost as soft as carpet. It seemed like nearly every house had a garden out back, often with fruit trees or vegetables growing. Ample shade from the heat of the summers, comfortable places to relax and just feel at peace. Zuko kept assuring her that the capitol was very different from the outer islands, that Ozai probably hadn't been to this island since before Zuko was born despite having sent a statue of himself to be placed in the town square, which was why it was relatively safe for them to be there. Relatively. There was nothing stopping Ozai from razing the island just to get to them, and it scared her more than she'd be willing to admit that he hadn't done it yet. That had to mean he was planning something worse for them, right?
With a shaky breath, Katara stepped out into the yard, closing the door as quietly as she could so that she didn't disturb the scene in front of her. Zuko, Kya and Druk were reclining in the grass, Kya brushing Druk's mane as Zuko ate a moon peach and looked at some documents in front of him, occasionally feeding slices to the three year old. Katara smiled as Zuko's eyes flicked toward her. Her heart stopped for a few seconds when he smiled back.
"Daddy, we fly?" Kya asked, fighting against a yawn.
"Not until you're bigger."
"Duck say I fly."
Zuko paused, moon peach slice halfway to his mouth and gave Kya a stern look, but she was pretending that she didn't see him, suddenly very focused on an imaginary tangle in the dragon's mane.
"Kya."
"He did." She tugged at Druk's mane, but the he only huffed, lazily opening one eye before closing it again. Kya yawned.
"Sleepy?"
"No nap! Fly!"
Kya tried to hang on to Druk as Zuko plucked her out of his hair, fighting another yawn as Zuko cradled her in his arms, gently swaying. Katara felt a fair measure of guilt, wondering if they'd been irresponsible by having her while they were still fighting. Kya had a tendency to cling to them with all of her might, and both she and Zuko wondered if that wasn't because she picked up on the tension sometimes. If part of her knew there was a chance that her parents would leave and never come back. Kya might not fully understand what was going on, the reason for the war, and that it was her father's side of the family they were fighting, but children were perceptive. Sokka said that he'd had to speak with his eldest about the war and why his parents had to leave so often.
"Lay down your head, sweet child, tonight. The winds are blowing cold."
Katara started, completely taken aback as Kya stopped fighting Zuko, even though she still insisted that she wasn't sleepy. Zuko smoothed her hair back, his cheeks bright red.
"The Sweet Southern Maiden weeps tears of ice," he sang, gently rocking Kya. "It's been too long since light."
As Kya reached up, patting her father's scarred cheek, Katara felt that she was intruding on a moment that was meant to stay between father and daughter. A moment she wasn't supposed to have seen.
"And when the winds blow, covering us all in snow, think back to the Maiden's smile. Think of her joy, think of her light, and bring out her smile again."
"Daddy?"
"Yes, pup?"
"I want cake."
"After dinner, sweetheart."
"Now?"
"No, it's naptime."
"Oh."
Zuko hummed the rest of the Southern lullaby, and Kya nestled in the crook of her father's arm, her thumb in her mouth. With a shy smile, Zuko beckoned her over.
"I didn't know you sang to her," Katara whispered, moving Kya's hair out of her mouth. "No wonder she never puts up a fight when you put her down for bed."
"Yeah, well…" He rubbed his head nervously, blushing again.
"You're a great father."
Katara pecked Zuko on the cheek, and he blushed even more. Every time she thought it was impossible to love them more than she already did, Katara found even more room in her heart. Every sacrifice that they'd have to make for Kya would be worth it.