A/N: For the record I don't know which of Katara's parents Gran-gran was the mother of. I am writing this with her as the mother of Katara's mom, if this is incorrect, I'm sorry...but it's already written, so...yeah, sorry.

Chapter 17

Gran-gran

The next couple of days passed as one uneventful blur after another. Katara spent most of her day learning from Mai and what free time she could gather with her friends. She hadn't had a moment alone with Zuko since their kiss and it kind of worried her. Whenever her mind wasn't occupied with getting ready for this ball it drifted back to him.

Now was another of those wondering moments but she was thankfully interrupted by a loud commotion in the entrance hallway.

"Where's my granddaughter? No, wait first, where's Hakoda? I have an earful for that young man as soon as I get a hold of him. I can't believe all of this." Gran-gran's voice echoed up the hallway.

A huge grin spread across Katara's face at the comforting sound.

"Gran-gran!" She cried, dashing out of her lessons and into her grandmother's arms. "I've missed you so much."

"Oh, Katara. I've missed you as well, dear. Now where's that fool headed father of yours. He's got a lot of explaining to do. I was so shocked when I got that letter I just threw all of my things into a sack and took off at once." Gran-gran said.

"And you brought the entire village with you." Katara laughed, surveying all the shuffling people behind her grandmother.

"Well, if you must get married, your family is going to be here to celebrate it, even if there's nothing to celebrate." Gran-gran growled, whipping a glare over Katara's shoulder.

Katara frowned, as she turned to see what was behind her. There stood Zuko, his arms folded, with Mai and Iroh at his side.

"Zuko." Katara blushed. "I want you to meet my grandmother."

"We already met." Gran-gran replied instantly. "As I recall, this boy led an attack on our village."

"Um…" Zuko had the decency to look ashamed at the memory.

"You haven't forgotten have you? Knocking down our walls, marching in with your men, kicking my poor grandson out of your way, his only crime was trying to protect a village of defenseless women and children. Shall I go on young firebender?" Gran-gran recited.

"Er, no thank you, I remember." Zuko blushed, rubbing the back of his hand.

"My nephew has done some things he's not proud of." Iroh started.

"But he's changed now." Katara jumped in. She didn't know why she felt the need to defend him but she did. He was going to be her husband in a matter of weeks and if she didn't start smoothing the way now her grandmother just might kill him in his sleep.

"We shall see." Gran-gran said, eyeing the fire lord. "Now where's my son-in-law?"

"GRAN-GRAN!" Sokka cried, bursting into the midst of the group to hug his grandmother. "Look at this everyone's here now. It's like one big family reunion."

Sokka pulled Katara into his embrace as well before turning shining eyes on his father and Pakku, who were just arriving.

"Dad, Gramp-gramp, come get in on this hugs too." He called.

"I'd really prefer you stop calling me that." Pakku sighed.

"Hakoda! You've got a lot of explaining to do young man. I want to see you in private right now so you can explain to me exactly what's going on with my granddaughter." Gran-gran announced, grabbing Hakoda's arm and dragging him off to somewhere more quiet.

"I didn't think you'd get here so soon." Was all Katara heard her father say before the two disappeared.

Katara and Sokka laughed together at the thought of their father getting lectured by their elderly grandmother.

"Well, we can help the rest of you settle in at least." Katara said, turning to smile at her family and friends.

"Settle in where?" Zuko asked.

"Well, here of course." Katara laughed.. He gave her a nonplussed look. "They're my family Zuko and there's more than enough room in the palace."

"Oh yeah, that's just great more company." Zuko muttered as he watched Katara call over some servants to help her find rooms for everyone on the guest wing.

Iroh was trying to stifle a laugh at his disgruntle nephew and Mai held an amused glint in her eye.

"You were going to have to meet them all sooner or later." Mai shrugged.

"Family is a very important thing Zuko. I'm sure they've all played a role in shaping the person Katara has become." Iroh told him.

"They're a bunch of kids and widows." Zuko snapped.

"And they are all a part of Katara's life. So you must accept them." Iroh said.
Zuko just gave an annoyed huff and left to close himself up in his study. Didn't he have enough on his plate without trying to impress Katara's relatives.

- -

It was some time later that Gran-gran came to find Katara in her room. She'd dealt with the girl's father and now she wanted to talk to her granddaughter. Offer her whatever comfort she could.

"Oh, Katara. My poor little granddaughter." Gran-gran, gave her a sad smile. "I had hoped this would never happen to you. To think I ran away from my home to escape this and you so far away from it all still end up in the same situation."

"It's not so bad now, Gran-gran. It actually seems as though it could be bearable." Katara said, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"That's good to hear. I was so worried when I first read that letter. I was sure you'd be devastated, you are such a free spirit, and I knew you had grown to care for that young avatar."

"I did but that all seems so long ago now. Everything is different now, it's all really confusing."

"How does he treat you?" Gran-gran asked.

"Who?"

"The firebender. He hasn't threatened you or anything, has he?"

"No, of course not Gran-gran. Sometimes he loses his temper but he'd never hurt me, well not now any way, maybe in the past. He's a good person now and at times I even think I might like him and at other times it's hard to tell. He's so confusing." Katara began to ramble her concerns.

"Well, I think I'll give him a hard time just the same." Gran-gran smiled.

Katara laughed, she kind of liked the sound of that.

"So have you had a dress made yet? I'm assuming you're having one made since this is such a grand scale occasion."

"Er, no. Actually, I haven't. I haven't had any time to think about the wedding at all to be perfectly honest with you. I've been so busy getting ready for this engagement ball."

"Tsk, tsk. You can't let these people plan everything. There's not even a woman in that council, how will your wedding be if a bunch of men plan it. It's a good thing I came or who knows what we'd end up with. I'll just start a list, hmm." Gran-gran tutted, going over to Katara's writing desk and gathering tools for her notes.

"You'll need a dress, and you'll have to choose some girls to drop flowers and spices for you for incense, some lovely girls for your bridal party and they'll need dresses too. I'm not really sure what sort of flowers they have here but we're sure to find something pretty that smells good, right? Have you already done a guest list?"

"Um…I think they took care of that."

"I'll just have to go over it later then."

"What about the banquet afterwards? What are you serving? What kinds of desserts? What beverages?"

Katara's face was a confused frown. She hadn't thought of any of this. Was she supposed to be planning all of this?

"Don't worry Katara, Gran-gran is here now and I'll take care of everything. I'll set those men straight." Gran-gran nodded with determination.

"Alright." Katara murmured, still flabbergasted by how much she apparently hadn't been considering. Again the magnitude of her situation hit her and Katara felt instantly overwhelmed.

She was only dragged out of her heavy thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Hey, Katara. Are you in here? I thought we should talk about…Oh, hi there Katara, Gran-gran." Suki said, her head poking in the doorway.

"And who might you be?" Gran-gran asked, eyeing the new girl up and down.

"I'm Suki, it's a pleasure." Suki grinned, holding out her hand to the elderly woman.

"This is Sokka's girlfriend." Katara explained.

"Ah, the Kyoshi warrior, my grandson was raving about on my way here to see Katara. He's quite taken with you dear." Gran-gran smiled, shaking the girls hand.

Suki blushed and smiled, it was always nice to hear that your boyfriend thought the world of you.

"So what was it you were here to see Katara about?" Gran-gran asked her.

"What? See Katara, um…nope, it was nothing. I forgot." Suki smiled.

"And I was born yesterday. What are you girls up to?" Gran-gran smirked, hands on her hips.

"Er, Gran-gran." Katara blushed, figuring Suki had probably come to ask her about what happened with Zuko the other day since Katara hadn't come and talked to her but Suki had noticed her still mussed hair when she returned. "It's kind of embarrassing."

"I'm sure it's nothing I haven't heard before. I'm not exactly new on this earth." Gran-gran laughed.

Both Katara and Suki glanced at each other and then the floor blushing.

"Does this have to do with my grandson?" Gran-gran inquired.

"Nope, not at all. We're all good." Suki quickly said.

"Then it must be you, Katara." Gran-gran said turning her attention to her granddaughter. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing really, Gran-gran. I just asked Suki, a little bit about boys and whatnot considering, you know…" Katara just trailed off not sure she wanted to have this conversation with her grandmother.

"Ah!" Gran-gran said knowingly. "Well my arrival is perfect timing, isn't it?"

Katara and Suki exchanged worried glances.

"Come sit with me Katara, you too Suki." Gran-gran said, climbing up onto Katara's bed and patting either side of her.

The girls reluctantly came, not quite sure what to expect. 'Please Kami, don't let this be what I think it's about to turn into.' Katara prayed.

"Now, Katara. I know we've had this conversation before." Gran-gran started, and Katara felt her eyes grow into saucers. "But, it's been a while and in light of your current situation perhaps a refresher would be good, just to be sure you're comfortable with everything that's coming up in your future."

'Oh no.' Katara groaned inwardly, this was going to be torture. Katara's face was at its reddest as she glanced over at Suki who was trying to stifle a giggle into the pillow she'd pulled from the top of Katara's bed.

"As you know men are different from women, they're driven by instinct…" Gran-gran started.

'Oh please Kami let me die now, even a slow painful death would better than this.' Katara's mind screamed. "Um, Gran-gran."

"…They can be very sweet and understanding but also incredibly wild and passionate. If you try to relax and enjoy it, it shouldn't hurt quite as badly the first time you…" Gran-gran continued.

"GRAN-GRAN!" Katara was nearly on her knees begging her grandmother to stop. "Can't, uh…can't Suki explain it all to me, PLEASE!"

"I'm not quite certain, Suki…" Gran-gran started.

"I think I know enough." Suki blushed, taking pity on Katara.

"Hmm, well then, I suppose if she wants to…and if you'd be more comfortable." Gran-gran said.

"Way more comfortable. You should go demand that guest list from dad. This wedding needs your attention now." Katara assured her as she ushered her grandmother out of the room. She didn't relax until she'd closed the door and slid down breathing a sigh of relief.

"That was horrifying!" Katara whispered, covering her red face. Suki just burst out laughing.

"Suki, that wasn't funny." Katara blushed.

"No, it was hilarious." Suki continued to laugh. When she'd calmed she turned and looked at Katara properly. "So you don't really have any questions do you?"

"None, whatsoever." Katara replied shaking her head frantically.

"Good, then let's get to what I really came here about, your first kiss with Zuko. I know it happened, now tell me what went down." Suki grinned.