A/N: HELLLOOO! I am finally back with a new chapter! WOOHOO and it's November ;) Seee I told you I'd be back :)
Thank you thank you thank you so much to everyone who's still reading this. I really appreciate how you waited for the next chapter, so I hope it lives up to your expectations.
And as always, thank you for the RFFs! :D Thanks also to those who reviewed their favorite Avatar kid. We've got 1 vote for Kya, 3 for Tenzin, and 7 for Bumi! On a side note, I recently realized that aside from Sokka, I've also been unconsciously basing Bumi on Leo Valdez from Heroes of Olympus.
But uh, canon problems. As you may know, it has been revealed that Bumi is the eldest, not Kya o_O So I am a bit at a loss regarding editing my story to make it canon-compliant. As of this chapter, however, Kya is still the eldest.
Regarding Aang's favoritism, however, I prefer not to believe that since it's kind of OOC for him, IMO. I desperately cling on to the belief/headcanon that Aang has his justifiable reasons and/or Kya and Bumi, in their jealousy, ended up misinterpreting and exaggerating.
I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra.
"Katara, for spirits' sake, they're just scratches!"
"I think I would know the difference between burns and scratches," the healer answered coolly as she bent water from the little spring they had in their room onto various reddened parts on the Avatar's arm. Though he wasn't severely injured, the rebels' attacks and the FMT explosions did graze him a bit, leaving him with some minor burns and bruises.
"These are hardly ones compared to yours," Aang sulkily pointed out as the water glowed a soft blue. The waterbender ignored him, however, as she was busy stifling a yawn. The risen moon and her sheer will were probably the only things keeping her awake at the moment; with her husband down for the count, she had to take care of the kids and calm down the panicking acolytes all by herself. Tending to injuries was a bit easier with Kya's help, but she couldn't expect much from her young daughter, an amateur, and an exhausted one at that.
Unfortunately, Aang's eyes darted up to her suspiciously, but before he could open his mouth, she asked, "How's your ankle?"
"It doesn't hurt that much anymore," he said, shrugging. Katara bent whatever water was left back into the spring. She gently touched the red ring her waterwhip had left on Aang's ankle, and he winced at the contact. "Okay, maybe it still hurts."
Katara grimaced. "How about your leg? Try moving it."
He did as she said, but the slightest movement caused his face to contort with pain. "Uh, yeah, I guess it does kind of hurt," he said in a tight voice, obviously downplaying it.
Katara let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry; those are all from my waterwhip." Worry and regret filled her eyes. "I should have thought of something else, of course putting all your weight on one leg would injure y—"
"Hey, if it weren't for your waterwhip, I'd be a smudge on the ground by now," he said lightly, trying to cheer her up. Much to his dismay, the expression on her face turned horrified.
"This isn't a joke, Aang! You almost died." Her voice broke on the last word.
"I could say the same of you," he said softly, sorrow evident in his silver eyes. "And the kids. And the acolytes."
"A rebel burned me, Aang. Not you," she reminded him halfheartedly. She didn't like the direction their conversation was going.
"I'm the reason they were here in the first place. And a rebel can barely do half the damage I can." Aang laughed without humor. "One glance at the island will tell you that."
Katara started to worry. "Aang, it's not your—"
"I didn't mean to do it, but they were still my actions, Katara. My bending, my Avatar State, my fault."
She bit her lip nervously; the scary logic in his words was unnerving. "Aang, you know it's not that way," she said in an attempt to placate him.
"You know perfectly well it is that way, Katara!" he snapped.
Katara had never been the submissive kind, and like a true waterbender, she attacked only when attacked. "Look, I know what I signed up for when I married you," she snapped back. "I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I did it anyway. The kids know you're the Avatar, and they adore you."
"Which is wrong," he argued. "You all deserve better than this—getting hurt, risking your lives—"
"Aang—"
"You all deserve a normal life. Not all this crazy Avatar stuff!"
"We know that life can't always be sunshine and rainbows! And we're willing to go through a crazy one with you, Aang! For you!"
"See, that's exactly the problem, Katara. You shouldn't have to be doing this; you're not supposed to be making sacrifices for me!" He shifted his glare to the ground. "We've talked about this before. Years ago."
FLASHBACK
"Is something wrong, Aang?" Katara approached him worriedly.
"I've just been thinking," he answered.
"About what?"
"Well, about her." He tossed a glance at his month-old daughter, who was sleeping peacefully inside her crib.
"What about her, Aang? She's healthy and beautiful, and she's got a brand new world to look forward to, thanks to her dad," she told him, beaming. Katara still couldn't get over the exhilarating feeling of being a mother.
Aang frowned. "Katara, I'm the Avatar, and you know how dangerous and unstable that makes me."
"I know that, Aang, but that isn't going to be a problem," she reassured him.
He studied his shoes. "I don't know. What if my Avatar State gets triggered and I put you all in danger?"
Katara tiptoed to kiss him on the forehead, right on his arrow tattoo. "You won't. You've got a better hang of the Avatar State now."
"But still," he insisted. "Maybe it's best if I . . . leave."
Katara leaned back, appalled at the thought. "W—What? Why? Aang, you can't, I'm not the only one who needs you now; Kya needs you, too."
"But Katara, what if I am the problem? I don't want this either, but it might be the best way. The safest one."
"Aang, don't talk like that. That's not going to happen. You're her Dad, her knight in shining armor. Or at least, until she finds a boyfriend." She smiled at him playfully in an effort to break the tension.
To her relief, it worked; the Avatar's head snapped up, distracted. "Don't rush things, Katara; I'm not giving her away anytime soon."
"That's nice to hear." She smiled. "Although it is a bit ironic coming from someone who had a girlfriend at age twelve."
He shrugged. "She's a girl."
"Oh, so fourteen then?"
"I don't want to talk about this," he huffed dismissively.
Katara laughed. "Being overprotective is apparently instinctive for fathers."
"Lucky Hakoda wasn't too hard on me."
"Dad's awesome," Katara agreed. "He knows to leave things to destiny. Worrying about the future doesn't help at all." She shot a meaningful look at her husband.
It was a while before he answered. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
END FLASHBACK
Katara's eyes widened with fear as she remembered what he was referring to. "Aang . . . you're not thinking of leaving us, are you?" she asked, dread gripping her heart.
He didn't meet her eyes. "If that's what has to be done."
"Aang . . ." she whispered, her voice shaky. She couldn't process the sudden turn of events; they didn't make sense. Aang wouldn't leave her. Aang wouldn't leave them.
Her husband looked up. "Katara—"
Katara stood up. "I—I never thought you would actually—I thought we talked about this already," she stuttered. "How could you?" she asked him, shocked disbelief coloring her voice.
"Everything happened exactly as I said. I threatened all of you," he said, sounding much colder than expected.
"Aang, I know evasion is an airbender's instinct, but this isn't something you can run away from."
"Katara, I don't want this either, but it's the safest—"
"Abandoning us is the safest way? Is that what you're saying?" Her sharp words were like knives.
"No, Katara, I—" He faltered upon seeing her wounded glare. "I don't want to be a threat to you."
She shook her head. "You think you're not being a threat by breaking apart our family? Dangerous or not, Aang, we love you. I thought you knew that." Katara turned around, her eyes downcast. The tremor in her voice rang loud and clear, and he felt a rush of guilt as he saw her trembling, holding back tears. "And I thought you loved us, too." Aang watched helplessly as she strode out of the room, leaving the hurt and betrayal in her words still echoing in his mind.
"Monkey feathers, I'm such an idiot!" he exclaimed, banging his head on the wall.
He felt horrible. Though she would never admit it, he knew Katara was basically sleepwalking already, doing the best she could to keep the whole island (including its inhabitants) together, and he had to go and tell her he was planning to run away and leave them all behind.
He winced. Yes, it did sound heartless and cruel in that light, but it was the only way. He was incredibly unpredictable; he couldn't bear to imagine what could have happened if things had gone worse. Katara, Kya, Bumi, Tenzin, the acolytes—
He shuddered at the very thought of them cold and lifeless. He would never be able to live with himself if he found out that he, while in the Avatar State, brought about that kind of devastation.
Then again, he was already having trouble living with himself. Some Avatar, he thought miserably. Some husband. Some father.
A soft rustling of the bushes outside their room interrupted his mental self-berating. He didn't have to think twice.
He sighed. "Bumi, I know you're there."
"Why is it always me?" grumbled a familiar voice. He looked towards the window, and Bumi climbed in, using his boomerang as some kind of grappling hook. "What happened to all the grace a waterbender was supposed to have, Kya?"
"You're not exactly light on your feet either," Kya shot back, climbing in after him. Tenzin followed quietly with an airbending-aided leap.
"What are you kids doing up? It's past midnight," he chided them halfheartedly.
"Well, uh . . ." Bumi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
Tenzin, on the other hand, ignored the question and asked, "Are you really going to leave us, Dad?"
Silence. Three pairs of worried, questioning eyes locked onto him, two blue, one gray.
Aang's heart gave a squeeze as he looked at their worried, innocent faces. "Kids . . ." he trailed off. He wasn't quite sure what to say.
"We don't want you to leave, Dad," Kya said earnestly.
"Yeah, we don't think you're scary," Tenzin seconded.
"Of course we don't. Glowing Dad is, though," Bumi added, earning glares from his siblings.
"It's true," Aang said miserably. "The Avatar State is scary. Even I'm scared of it, to be honest."
"You are?" Kya asked incredulously.
"Yes. I'm not in control of myself, and I end up hurting people." He looked up at them. It was easy to see the self-hatred and guilt in his face. "I am so sorry for everything; I'm not even expecting you to forgive me, I—"
"Mom's right, Dad; it's not your fault," Tenzin reassured him.
"How long have you three been outside the window?"
"Um, since you and Mom started yelling," Bumi said in a small voice.
Aang sighed. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, too."
"But Dad, you can't leave us." Bumi insisted.
"Bumi, I don't want to leave. But I can't put you all in danger."
"But yesterday was awesome! We finally had an adventure," Kya beamed. "We learned a lot of things! I mean, I learned how to heal."
That got the Avatar's attention. "You learned how to heal?!" Aang asked incredulously, as his only daughter flashed a proud grin at him. Much like his own, actually, back when he first showed the air scooter to the monks.
"Psh, that's not all. We finally got to kick some serious butt!" Bumi exclaimed, making swift punching motions with his fists. "I knocked down a couple of firebenders myself! Let me just say, Dad, that your staff makes an awesome spear."
"M—My staff? A spear?" Aang blinked. A dozen possible reactions crossed his mind, but he couldn't decide on any.
"Well, I learned how to fly a bison!" Tenzin announced proudly. "And airbend with a boomerang." He sent a sideways glance at his smug-faced brother.
"With a boomerang?!" Aang asked in disbelief. Horrific images of Sokka flailing around with his boomerang, yelling "AIRBENDING SLICE!" ran through his mind.
"It was my idea," Bumi bragged. "Yep, another world-changing innovation from the great Bumi!"
"Don't get too cocky, boomerang boy. Who healed Mom?" she asked, raising her hands in a superior manner.
"And you're telling me not to be cocky? You are such a pain—"
"Will you two shut up already?" The annoyance in Tenzin's voice was hard to miss. He had had enough. "We're being serious. You're not gonna let us down, right, Dad?"
"I—I'm afraid I already have." Aang confessed.
"No, you haven't. So we almost died." Kya and Tenzin sent daggers Bumi's way, and Aang's shoulders slumped, but the boy was unfazed. "Big deal. Yesterday was exciting! Besides, Uncle Sokka always tells me that you have to take risks in life. Otherwise, it's boring."
"Sokka," Aang muttered, rolling his eyes. He'd like to see Sokka throw his son in the face of danger.
"As much as it pains me to say this, I agree with Bumi." Kya seconded. Bumi shot her a smug smile, and she stuck her tongue out at him in return.
"Me too, Dad!" Tenzin agreed cheerfully. "I mean, if you leave, who's gonna teach me airbending?"
"Yeah, and who's gonna help me pull pranks?" Bumi asked.
"Who's gonna do the funny Octopus stance?"
"Who's gonna give us cookies when Mom isn't looking?"
"Who's gonna tell us all those cool stories?"
"Who's gonna chase us around before bedtime?"
"Who's gonna give us rides on Appa?"
"Who's gonna finish the fruit tarts? Tenzin would just ruin them," Bumi complained.
"Hey!" Aang sensed an argument brewing, but Kya silenced them all with one sentence.
"Who's gonna make Mom smile?"
Her question hit him hard. He remembered his earlier argument with Katara. "I—I don't think I'm good at making Mom smile," he admitted.
Kya rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding, Dad? You don't see Mom when you leave for those long meetings. She's always distracted, and she looks out the window all the time."
"R—Really?" Three heads nodded back at him.
"Mom really loves you, Dad. And you really love her, too. Like I told Mom, you went into the Avatar State because you thought she was . . . gone." She tripped a bit over the last word. "That says a lot."
Aang pursed his lips. He had to hand it to them; these kids were really convincing.
"No one's perfect, Dad," Bumi continued. "But having the Avatar for a dad is still one of the coolest things ever." He flashed a toothy grin at him.
"Even with the Avatar State?"
They nodded vigorously. "And you're still the awesomest Dad we could ask for," Tenzin said.
"I'm pretty sure awesomest isn't a wo—Ow!" Bumi exclaimed as Kya elbowed him.
Aang studied the three children in front of him. The assortment of cuts and bruises on various parts of their bodies made him cringe. They were only partially healed, which strengthened his assumption that Katara was much more exhausted than she acted. Their clothes were tattered and burnt at the edges, and their hair was wild and tangled. In stark contrast, however, their eyes were bright and alive, and their minds were definitely as sharp as ever. Sharper, even, what with all they were telling him right now.
They made absolute sense. There was something about their childish innocence and simplicity that made everything they said so convincing and logical. It was either that or seeing the pure sincerity in their eyes, as well as the glint of unwavering respect and love that pretty much mirrored Katara's.
No, he didn't deserve them. Not one bit. But the more they didn't deserve to be estranged from their father. He knew what it was like to grow up with a part of you missing, and he didn't want to inflict the same pain on them. He remembered promising Katara that their children would have a much better childhood than they had, but his definition of "better" had wavered; he thought that it meant safety and security. However, he now knew that it wasn't danger or war that had really tainted their childhood; it was loss. A complete family was what they had been deprived of, and he decided he was not going to do the same to Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin.
Besides, he realized, it wasn't like he could bear to leave them anyway. Not after they had knocked common sense back into him.
He sighed. "You are three extraordinary kids, you know that?"
They grinned, pleased. However, one question still nagged at the back of their minds. "So, uh, does this mean you're—"
"It means I need to have a word with Mom."
"Aang—Kya? Bumi? Tenzin?" came Katara's shocked voice. She had just walked in to finish Aang's healing session, and her eyes darted from face to face. "What are you kids doing here? You should be in bed." She quickly wiped at the tear streaks on her face.
"We needed to talk to Dad," Kya answered calmly.
"Dad is . . . busy right now," she said, choosing her words carefully. "Maybe it could wait 'til later?" She mentally cursed her stuffy-sounding voice; it was giving her away.
"Actually, Katara," Aang started, slightly wincing at the hurt, accusing look in his wife's eyes. "The kids and I have already talked."
"Oh. And what might that conversation be about?" she asked coolly. Aang started to worry; the unnatural calm in her voice was unnerving.
"We told Dad that he's still awesome even with Avatar State, and that we don't want him to leave," Tenzin said bluntly.
Katara's eyes grew wide, but she tried her best to maintain her even tone. "Really now?" She shifted her gaze to Aang. "And what did you have to say to that?"
"Actually, Katara, these kids are my heroes." He looked at them fondly. "They made me realize how stupid I was. I'm terribly sorry for even thinking of leaving you all." His eyes grazed each person in the room, apologetic. He saw Katara visibly relax at his words, which pulled his spirits up a bit. "After all, what idiot would run away from three amazing kids and a gorgeous wife?" he added with a wink and his signature grin.
"You should know well that flattery never works, Airhead," she said, trying to suppress a relieved smile. Aang was thankful to hear Katara's rigid demeanor disappear.
"So does this mean you're staying?" Tenzin asked.
"It sure does, Ten." He reached out to ruffle his youngest son's hair.
The three children whooped in celebration before running up and tackling their father with a bone-crushing hug that almost knocked the Avatar off balance.
As soon as he was able to recover, he looked to his wife. "Katara? Do you forgive me?" He extended his free hand.
The master waterbender crossed her arms. "I'll have to think about that. That was one serious crime."
"I'm deeply sorry. From the very bottom of my heart," he said earnestly.
She stepped closer until her piercing blue eyes were all that he could see. "Don't you dare even think about leaving us again," she said, jabbing a finger at his chest for emphasis.
Aang smiled. Though he was sure Katara meant to be menacing, all he could think of was how captivating she was when she was threatening him. Someone seriously needed to remind him why leaving even crossed his mind, because he couldn't fathom the slightest reason. "Wouldn't dream of it," he reassured her.
"You'd better mean that."
Aang laughed. "Of course I do. Avatar's promise." He raised his free hand as if taking an oath.
Katara's face softened. "All right, then. I forgive you," she said, before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
Immediately, shrieks of terror filled the room. "UGH! OOGIES!" Bumi cried.
"That's disgusting!" Kya complained.
"Oh no, Mom might have cooties! Don't worry Dad, I'll save you!" Tenzin cried, rushing over to his father. "Circle, circle, dot, dot, now you've got your cootie shot!" he declared proudly, after performing a series of circular motions and pokes on Aang's arm.
Aang blinked. "Er . . . thanks?"
Katara turned to her youngest son, her hands on her hips. "I do not have cooties, Tenzin!" she argued playfully. "If any, Dad's the one that has."
"Excuse me?" Aang said incredulously. "Cooties?"
"They're at the cootie stage," Katara told him in a low voice, winking. "Play along, will you? I don't want them to grow up too fast."
"Right you are," Aang agreed. "But I can't let them go walking around and saying the Avatar has cooties," he huffed indignantly.
Katara laughed. "That would make a great headline."
"Ugh, I don't even want to imagine it," he groaned.
"No, only guys have cooties, Tenzin," Kya's insistent voice interrupted them.
"No way. Girls have cooties," Tenzin said.
Bumi scoffed. "Sillies. Cooties don't exist. There are only oogies," he declared confidently.
Katara sighed. "Three, two, one—" The room burst with three shrill voices defending their own arguments.
She looked to her husband, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Well, another fight to break apart."
Aang shook his head. "I swear by the spirits, sometimes these kids make Zuko look even-tempered."
The waterbender laughed. "Definitely. Shall we break them up now?"
He smiled. True, it was stressful to be a husband, a father, and the Avatar at the same time. And yes, his kids were especially a handful. But he wouldn't give them up for anything. The Avatar belonged to the world, but Aang belonged to his family.
"BRING IT ON!" Bumi yelled, grabbing their attention. The sight that greeted them was enough to drain the color out of any parent's face; Bumi was brandishing his boomerang, Kya had two little waterwhips at her sides, and the air around Tenzin's hands was starting to swirl around.
Aang gulped. "Good idea."
Thanks to those kids for knocking some sense into Aang. How'd you like this chap? I hope my writing hasn't grown too rusty.
Yes, yes, no cliffhangers this time :) I have news, however: the next chapter's gonna be the epilogue :(
(though this is a highly unlikely) I'm HOPING to publish a sequel to this. Though I have vague ideas for the plot, I'm really not sure if I can write the story itself as I'm more of a one-shot person. This is actually the longest multi-chap out of the two I've published, so that's not saying much. I'm not sure if I can devote the same amount of work and time for a sequel :(
I have no idea when the next update will be, but rest assured, there will be one.
And as always, RFFS and constructive criticism are more than welcome :D
