AU: I honestly have writer's block concerning Zuko's POV because I didn't originally write the story that way, so sorry if there isn't much there. I'm still new to fanfiction. Again I don't own ATLA.
Zuko hung up relieved to have gotten the conversation with Mai over with, now he had to figure out how to make amends with Katara. He never wanted to leave Katara but his father basically forced him to. If Ozai disowned him Zuko would be left with no way to get an education and no way to provide for himself. Zuko also wanted to get closer to his daughter and regretted that he missed the first five years of her life. He needed a way to make things right.
Katara was greatly relieved to not have seen Zuko for a few weeks, she already had a lot on her mind. Everything seemed to be settling into a steady routine. Katara would drop Lily off at the school in the morning and picked her up in the afternoon. However one night Lily wasn't feeling too well. Lily woke Katara up in the middle of the night.
"I don't feel too good, Mommy," she moaned.
"What hurts, baby?" Katara asked in a sleepy tone.
"I hurt everywhere and I feel hot," Lily said.
Katara felt Lily's forehead, "Oh my God, you're burning up. I'm taking you to the hospital."
She carried Lily out of the apartment and dashed to her car. Once she got into the car she stuck the key into the ignition, no response. "Shit," Katara muttered. With no transportation to the hospital she called the only person she could think of at that moment. "I can not believe I'm doing this," she muttered pressing the call button.
Zuko heard his phone ring around midnight, picking it up he noticed the caller ID was Katara. Ironically, she appeared to have kept his number after all this time.
"Hello?"
"I need a ride to the hospital, my daughter has a fever and my car won't start. I'm sorry for inconveniencing you. I know I don't really have a right to ask you any fav-"
"It's okay, I'm on my way," Zuko said. He got the address then hurried over there. The trio raced to the hospital in Zuko's car. Once they arrived the nurses checked Lily in then whisked her away leaving Zuko and Katara in the waiting room.
Zuko could tell that Katara was trying hard not to cry, however he didn't know if he should try to comfort her because she might lash out at him like she did in the park. He stared at his hands, at a loss for words.
"Thanks for coming when you did," Katara said in an effort to be nice.
"No problem, anytime," Zuko said.
"So what's up with you and Mai, last I heard you two were really close," Katara asked.
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, "Mai comes from a prominent family like mine and our families are really close. My relationship with her is more like a business agreement rather than real love."
The silence continued until Katara said, "You know after you left I found out I had been accepted into the local university. I was so happy because I had wanted to go there. However that same week I found out I was pregnant. As you can imagine Dad, Sokka, and Gran Gran weren't happy. I still miss that vase. However they became more supportive after Lily was born. I was in school until Lily was born. I just couldn't stay away from her for more than an hour and she would cry every time that I'd leave. I gave my dream of being in the medical field and focused on raising Lily. Everyday I was reminded of you because Lily looks so much like you. Do you know how much I wanted you to be in her life? Every little girl deserves a Daddy to love her. And what about us? Didn't I deserve at least an explanation for why you left?" Tears sat at the corners of Katara's eyes but they didn't fall. "I'm going to go check on Lily," she said leaving Zuko in the waiting room.