hello! i got this one up pretty quick, didn't i? well, i had more time than i thought so i just sat down and wrote...and wrote...this chapter came really easily...oh, i hope you like it.

Chapter Seven: Of Secrets and Travel

"C'mon Katara! Wake up!"

"Nnnh…go away, Sokka." Katara groaned again and buried deeper under her covers.

Sokka huffed out a breath of air and walked away. "Fine, then the twins and I are just going to have to leave for the Fire Nation without you." He was almost to the door before Katara launched herself from her bed.

"Fire Nation!" she yelled, her blue eyes shocked. "What do you mean, the Fire Nation?!"

Sokka shook his head and turned to his sister, goofy, oblivious smile in place. "Oh, Iroh invited all of us to go with him and Zuko to the Fire Nation." He shrugged. "Apparently there's some big festival he wants us to see."

Katara was shocked. Totally flabbergasted. She straightened and attempted to calm down. "Since when do you jump to go to the Fire Nation?" she asked.

A blush appeared on Sokka's face and he scuffed his foot along the ice. "Ahh…Ty Lee might have mentioned the festival to me, too…She also mentioned that she'd like to have the baby back home."

Katara was just beginning to giggle when she heard her brother's last words. "T-the baby? Are you telling me Ty Lee's pregnant?" Sokka nodded slowly. "Oh, that's so wonderful!" Katara squealed. "Did you come here to tell me?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Wow. How far along is she?"

Again, Sokka shrugged. "A couple of months." He scratched his head. "She said she wanted to go to this festival thingie and that she wanted the twins to come too. Seeing as how you don't like them to really go anywhere without you, I figured this would be a good chance for you to go out for once. And when Iroh said he wanted to bring us all there, I thought it was perfect." He turned his blue eyes on his sister. "Come on, Katara. You know you need a break."

Katara sighed and sat back down on her bed. "And the thought that Iroh's just trying to get me to marry Zuko never crossed your mind?" From the blank look on his face, Katara knew he hadn't. "Listen. Iroh wants me to marry Zuko so that the Fire Nation can have stronger ties with the rest of the nations. This festival idea is nothing but a plan to get me to agree to it."

"But why won't you marry him?" Sokka asked. "I know you're worried about what that crazy fortune teller told you, but if you love him, you should marry him. Don't listen to some bogus old lady."

"How did you know about that?"

Another shrug. "You talk in your sleep." He stepped closer and took hold of his sister's hands. "Listen, Katara. You deserve to be happy, just like everyone else. And the twins deserve to know--"

"Mama!"

The siblings turned to see Sunil and Mitsuko running into the ice hut, hand in hand, Iroh behind them. The old general smiled sheepishly. "I found them playing near a hole in the ice and decided to bring them back." Suddenly, his smile was gone, replaced with kind-hearted interest. "Have you decided to come with my nephew and I to the Fire Festival?"

"Festival?" the twins chorused in excitement. They looked from Iroh to their mother eagerly, hoping that, for once, their mother would let them go to something really exciting.

Looking at the hopeful looks on her children's faces, Katara sighed in defeat. "All right," she told Iroh. "We'll go."

"Yay!" The twins began jumping up and down, dancing in a little circle. They were so happy! It would be the first time they ever saw a real festival. The two ran up to their mother and hugged her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" they squealed. After a moment, they let her go and the two ran out into the cold, still singing and dancing.

Iroh chuckled. "They certainly have a lot of energy." He turned his eyes to Katara as Sokka began to slip outside after the twins. "How odd to see one so fair and the other with golden eyes," he remarked almost off-handedly. And then his eyes began to sparkle. "They are so cute; they almost remind me of Zuko when he was little."

Katara's heart began to beat faster and she stood, busying herself with picking up the children's toys to hide her face from Iroh. "Really?" She forced a small laugh. "I always thought they were more like Sokka." A doll in hand, Katara turned, a frown on her face. "But they are quite odd. Mitsuko hardly talks most of the time but is so full of energy. And Sunil…he talks for Mitsuko, but he's quieter. Normally, he just follows Mitsuko in their play, quietly joining in." Another laugh issued from Katara, this one gentler. "I've never seen him so energetic. Or Mitsuko so chatty."

"Children are the loveliest, most mysterious things on this earth," Iroh stated quietly. He bowed to Katara and then turned to leave. "I'll just let you pack, Miss Katara. I'll have someone come by when everything is ready."

Katara nodded absently, nervously biting her lip. Iroh knew. He knew. And yet he hadn't said anything. Oh, did everyone have to figure out her secret?

Zuko smiled in satisfaction as his Uncle left his tent. So Katara was coming with them. That was good. Sokka had managed to convince her and keep quiet about the fact that the festival was nearly two months away. In fact, the Festival had been planned in honor of Katara. But she didn't need to know that. His smile fell. Now all that he needed to do was to convince Katara to marry him. And all within two months.

Still, his plan was working perfectly. It was certainly a good thing that he had thought to bring Sokka into the game. And it was a good thing that Sokka was on his side. But then, the Water Tribe warrior wanted to see his sister happy just as much as everyone else did.

…"As much as I hate helping you, I'll do it."

Zuko smiled.

"But this is for her," Sokka growled. "I know how miserable she's been thinking she has to stay there."

"Good," Zuko said. He turned to leave. "I don't care about your reasons, just so long as you'll help." He smirked. "I'll meet you outside."

Sokka nodded. "I just have to tell my wife." The man grinned sheepishly. "If I take off without telling her, she'll kill me."

Zuko held his laughter as he left the house. Those two had been married barely two years ago and already they had a child on the way. Zuko wouldn't be surprised if Ty Lee decided to kill Sokka just for saying he was leaving for a week or two.

Sokka came out a moment later, wincing. "She said it's all right if I'll just take her to the Fire Nation for the wedding."

"She's in luck, then," Zuko replied. "Because you're going to the Fire Nation pretty soon if this all works out."

"Great," Sokka muttered. "Just what I needed." He shook his head and then looked at Zuko. "Tell me what I have to do."

…As Zuko packed up his things, his thoughts turned to Katara and her twins. A smile worked over his face and an odd warmth settled in his heart. He had gone to her home earlier that morning to talk with Sokka and had found Katara sleeping soundly with her children curled beside her. It was a sight that Sokka knew would stay with him, her dark form surrounded by the white of the ice, two perfect children snuggled close. Soon, that would be his. He'd have the family he'd always craved. All he needed was for Katara to agree to marry him.

It wasn't going to be easy, but a man could always hope. Katara still loved him. Of that, he had no doubt. But she was resisting him for some reason and Zuko thought Sokka knew exactly what that was. But getting information out of Sokka would be hard, even if the thickheaded Water Tribe warrior was helping him.

Katara sighed as she reached to take the small stone. She couldn't leave it there, in the cave when she was leaving for the Fire Nation. It wouldn't be right. Her hand closed over the stone and, as it did, Katara felt a curious shift around her. She looked down and saw the stone faintly glowing, the red swirls moving slowly like fire.

Another curious wrenching feeling hit her and she doubled over, her long hair falling forward. As tears began to roll down her face, she wondered what was happening. She wondered why she felt such pain in her heart. But, as soon as the thought flickered across her mind, the pain stopped and she was fine. Frowning, Katara looked at the stone again but it was still and like it always was. Shaking her head, Katara quickly put the stone in a pouch and tied the string. Perhaps the glowing of the stone had only been her imagination.

As she left the cave, Katara never noticed the strange mark that appeared on her hand.

did you like it? is this story moving too fast for some? i was writing and i felt that things were moving fast, but maybe it's my imagination...anyway, please review!