AN I am so, so so, incredibly sorry. I had to take a break on this story Katara and Zuko… weren't talking to me like they should. So instead of writing, and doing it poorly I waited until I could do it justice.
That and I got a job… those tend to take from any idea of free time. Plus it's been an incredibly rough few months… had to put down 2 out of my 3 dogs, in one month. Been surprise moving out of my house. Car broke. All in all, not fun.
But you know what? Here I am! Sitting at work writing instead of working ;-]
Please enjoy, and please forgive me for taking so long.
Chapter 23
6 months later
Zuko rolled over in his giant Fire-Lord bed, the spot where she should be laying was cold, which meant once again she wasn't there. The one downer of being married to a Water Bender is that they genuinely don't believe in sleep. And when she does, it's sprawled on a blanket in the grass, under the sun. How on earth she got out of the many meetings was beyond him. This was, after all, her campaign, why is it he got to do all the formal people work? People in general liked her better, it's cause she was a woman, huh? She got to do whatever she wanted.
Peeking over at the curtains, Zuko saw, yep, sun wasn't even up. Had she even gotten to bed tonight? Probably not.
A sigh escaped his lips, he had to get up. It would be just their luck that she got lost, or hurt. For a woman who was so amazing at everything, she had such a fail sense of direction.
His feet fell lightly on the marble floors, one day he was just going to get a lock to put on his door, not to keep everyone out, but to keep her in. Is it so much to ask that he wake up next to his wife?
His wife, it felt good to say it. Life was difficult, but they were making it.
Zuko stretched out his body, his muscles were getting stiff, not being able to spar with her was taking it's toll, if he wasn't careful he'd get all flabby soon.
Of course he knew exactly where to look for her, it was the exact same place she was every time she went missing.
"Katara?"
Instantly she knew she should have been in bed hours ago. But like every night she sat cross-legged on his desk in the study, though it should be classified as her desk now, she used it more then he did. Her blue maternity kimono fit over her loosely.
It hurt, every time Zuko looked at him he felt stirrings so deep inside him he wanted to jump on her and claim her as his own. Again and again.
But as it were, they were having a baby! Shortly after arriving back in the Fire Nation, one thing led to another, which led to another, that ended with the two of them, completely content, laying together until sunrise. In that moment he loved her more then his heart could process, and every time he looked at her and their rapidly growing child he relived that day.
"I'm sorry! I'll be out of here in five minutes." Her eyes were wide as she eyed him guiltily.
Funny thing was, they never actually got married. Katara panicked, scared of getting married, as it turns out she didn't have a problem at all with being married. Most of the country, and world assumed they had a quiet wedding. Only a handful knew there was no legal bindings.
Still, she wore his traditional Water Nation betrothal necklace, and she was very much the Fire Lady.
But that was an entirely slipperier topic. She was the first Fire Lady ever that wasn't of the Fire Nation. The fact that she happened to be a water bender arose many complaints from the council. Silly enough, one of their chief concerns were about what to call her. They couldn't call her Fire Lady Katara because she wasn't fire. Zuko and Katara liked to joke that she was the Crystal Queen.
"It's ok love." Zuko leaned forward, kissing her forehead then her lips.
"Baby wouldn't let me sleep." Katara assumed she was 2/3 through her pregnancy though the actual date of conception was unclear, "I think he's going to be a Fire Bender."
"He?" Zuko sat in the comfortable, unused chair.
"Yeah, I don't know. It feels right."
He smiled and leaned back. Baby talk always made her smile. When she had first arrived at the castle, Zuko had seen she wanted nothing more then to be a mommy. "So, what have we got going on here?" He gestured to the mess of papers beneath her. One was definitely a map, and she had placed red pai sho tiles in certain places, marking the latest rebellion.
"We had another uprising. It's strange, they attacked a temple. Some of the Sages went missing. I don't understand, why a temple? It's the third one they've gone after. Each time some sages went missing. Each time the temple is completely burnt to the ground, how can a fire temple burn to the ground? Wouldn't the sages save it?"
Zuko, and everyone else thought Azula had gotten strong enough to go crazy again. But Katara was set that Azula had nothing to do with it. She believed fully that the girl was kidnapped, and finding her was a mission she attacked with much ardor.
"Come on sweetie, let's go to bed."
Katara nodded and slipped her fingers through Zuko's he was right, she needed sleep.
A yawn escaped her lips as they traced the familiar hallway back to their room. How had she stayed up to late again? If she wasn't more careful she was certain Zuko would leave her. Katara laughed to herself as she curled in their bed next to him. He would never leave her. He promised.
Laying in bed Katara remembered all those months ago his room was ruined, completely destroyed by his temper. They didn't even have time to deal with it before they had to leave for the funerals. Even after six months the memory still brought her pain, it still made her skin crawl as she remembered the ash on the air sticking to her arm, legs and face.
Those were her friends, people she had known for a very long time. Every time she thought about how the wind rose the fire higher, and higher, she just felt dirty. Like those girls still stuck to her.
Rolling around in the sheets she couldn't make the feeling go away. Aside from the crawling poison on her skin, she felt another sickness every time she thought of it. Azula was innocent, she knew it. Like everyone had accused, she had been inside her mind, and like everyone said, she should know what Azula was capable of. And she did. If everyone said these things, and she followed them, why didn't they believe her? It was so aggravating! Everyone was so quick to point the fingers, no one was willing to explore the options.
Oof! One strong leg kicked into her stomach. It had to be a boy. Only a boy from the father's genetics could muster a kick that strong so young. There were many spars back in the old days that she was certain Zuko had broken something. On the other hand, there were days she knew she had broken something on him. And frequently she had to mend it.
The baby was mad that she was obsessing again. Reason number two it had to be a boy, only someone exactly like Zuko would get frustrated with her for working to hard.
She cringed as he kicked her bladder. There was no way he was going to let her sleep.
So, reluctantly, she crawled back out of bed.
First she checked her small garden. The plants hadn't reached their full potential, and fruit wouldn't start sprouting until the end of her pregnancy. Still she was proud, particularly glowing with how she remembered Zuko so excited about his bucket of dirt. It wasn't really the dirt that was important, it was the thought behind it. Still, he was so excited about his bucket of dirt.
"Zuko… Zuko." Katara shook his shoulder, kneeling in the bed. The singularly most aggravating part of living in the Fire Nation, is everyone assumed you could Fire Bend. Unfortunately, being a Water Bender, she had no way of heating a tub. So when she couldn't sleep, had already watered her plants, and had been banished from the study, she had to wake his grumpy butt to warm her a bath. "Zuko!"
"What?" He rolled over, hiding his face in the pillow.
Katara was a moon induced insomniac and couldn't sleep, "I wanna take a bath."
"Really?" He peeked up just enough to look out their curtain. It had taken Katara some time to get used to, but their Balcony curtain was always open, which was good because it was always so bloody hot! And the breeze that came through was amazing. "It's still dark out. Did you even sleep?"
Katara fiddled with the hem of her dress guiltily, "No."
He didn't say anything, he just laid there glaring at her.
She smiled sweetly, and ran her fingers over the taught skin on his chest, "You know," she trailed her hand over each muscle of his torso, "It would make you the best ever if you would help." She couldn't get over how amazing he looked… all the time. Even laying in bed glaring at her. Time was incredibly kind to him.
"You're trying to butter me up." He watched her, squinty eyed trying to glare.
"Is it working?" She traced her fingers over the starburst scar on his chest. He was extremely self-conscious of it though he would never admit it. Instead he covered his chest with any assortment of high-necked shirts or vests, which made Katara certain of one thing. She hated his wardrobe.
He hated his scar, both of them. But she loved them, both. The one on his cheek reminded her of the good in him. Every day she saw it as a reminder of what he had to do, and everything he went through to be here right now.
The one on his chest reminded her of the day she realized she loved him. The instant lighting struck, she realized just how much he had grown on her, weaseled into her heart. She had hated him, but at that instant she became intimately familiar with the thin line between loving and loathing. Leaning down she kissed the raised scar. Under her lips his skin was warm as it ever was. The benefit of being married to a Fire-Bender, things were always steamy.
They couldn't help it, that was the nature of the two elements.
"So is it working?"
He grunted quietly, and opened his eyes, clearly enjoying himself a little too much, "Yeah, fine. But I swear woman, once you aren't pregnant, and not so fragile, I am so going to pay you back for this."
She smirked once and instantly hopped out of bed, "Thanks love!"
Mere moments later she amazingly comfortable in a perfectly heated tub, and Zuko was happily snoring in the next room.
Sliding into the tub Katara idly wondered what their baby would be like. Would it be a boy or girl?
Water Bender or Fire Bender? Would they bend at all? It had been so long since the nations had got along well enough to breed she didn't know what would happen.
Would they be tanned like Katara? Pale like Zuko?
Golden eyes? Blue eyes?
With much thought Katara speculated it must be a boy after his father. And a Fire Bender. Great, another Fire Bender to make fun of her lunar ways. He would no doubt learn from his father. He would worship Zuko.
And who better to have for a teacher?
Fire Bender for sure. It's the only thing that made sense in her bones.
Why else would an unborn child demand hot baths? Or only let her sleep when they were napping in the sun. Even as a funny shaped kidney bean in her stomach, he was awfully sassy.
Perhaps they would turn out to be a Water Bender. Why else would she be unable to sleep at night? Why else would the baby be so restless under the moon?
Not really thinking Katara sighed as her muscles relaxed. She wasn't entirely conscious about it any more, but Katara had the definite feeling that if she opened her eyes. The water would be glowing.
Many months ago she learned that if her hands touched any water, and that water touched any other water, all of it would carry the soothing healing properties. She could have an ocean of healing water if she wanted, she could have every injured person on earth sitting in the ocean to be healed. Frankly, that idea scared her, it was hard enough battling the strength and will of one person. She was sure that if she tried more then one at the same time, the strain would kill her. It would completely sap the energy from her until even her heart didn't have strength to beat. She felt a little of it when working on others, after she always felt so tired and lethargic. She couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to have all her life-force sapped by more then one. She didn't even know what trying to heal two people at once would feel like.
Regardless, she sat the most comfortable anyone could ever be. Hot water surrounded her, filled with the healing properties her hands oozed into the water. She was completely at home.
There came a pounding knock at the door. 'Damn it Katara, what did you do now?' was the first thing Zuko thought. Since they had gotten back all those months ago she was an avid non-believer in sleep, and it seemed like the less she slept, the less he was allowed to.
NOCK-NOCK-NOCK
"Katara, someone's calling for you." Zuko rolled over, not surprised that he didn't find her soft hair right next to his. Not surprised, but mildly disappointed. She must be in the study already.
Reluctantly he pulled himself out of bed, and slipped his arms through a silk robe. The sun was barely on the horizon, well… that means he got at least a few hours of sleep. Better then nothing I suppose.
Though, he did feel a distinct pain in the front of his forehead. Headache from the night's lack of sleep? He shrugged it off, hoping that maybe he would be able to sleep after this. Sun was coming up, not a good sign for his dreams.
"Yes?" Zuko opened the door to one of the sweetest little helpers in the palace. Her name was Suzishi and she was Katara's favorites. They spent days drinking tea, talking girl stuff, sharing stories. She even had patience to listen to Azula ramble from Katara, constantly offering her own ideas on the subject. In a way she had been informally promoted to hand-maiden to the queen, an honored position indeed.
"What did she do?" Zuko assumed she was back in the study, and probably had made some miraculous discovery that Zuko 'just had to see!' Didn't matter if the sun wasn't up or if he was still sleeping.
But this morning Suzishi's face was pale as slate, and eyes wide as saucers, "Mistress Katara? She is needed in the main hall."
"What? You saying she's not with you?"
"No sir." She shook her head, black ringlets rained around her face.
"In the main hall, you said?"
"Yes sir." She bobbed here head, the curls bouncing with her.
"Ok, I'll find her."
"Sir, it is of great haste. The woman who arrived… she is, an Air Bender?"
"Well… that's, interesting. Give us a few minutes and we'll see what this is all about."
Zuko closed the door and remembered the only other Air Bender on earth, the only female Air Bender the world had seen in 100 years. Tiel. What did she want? By now there probably was a third Air Bender. The memory still made his stomach churn uncomfortably. Thinking of Aang made him down right sick. What would Katara think? He didn't even want to think of what he would do if Aang were here. The last time Katara had seen him had been an ugly affair of civilized bantering and insults. Was a pity, Aang was once his best friend.
First of all, where had that woman gone to? She wasn't in the study, and Suzishi would have checked Katara's favorite places before knocking on their door. Which meant, she had to be somewhere in here. On the balcony?
Zuko stepped out on the deck, the sun warming his face, but she wasn't in here. She wasn't anywhere out here.
He had one last, strange idea.
Yep, there she was, still in the tub in their wash-room, completely asleep. The water had long since gone cold but it still glowed.
It amazed him how she learned to do that. In reality it wasn't so different from Fire Bending, all she had to do was manipulate the energy around her. It also amazed him that she managed to still do so while asleep. However, water was her element, it shouldn't surprise him.
That's why he wasn't surprised that she had fallen asleep in the tub. If she were anyone else, he'd worry about them drowning. As it is he laughed at the idea of water daring to drown her.
"Katara," he rested his hand on her cool shoulder. Initial touch, and how cold her skin was always shocked him. "Katara."
"Hm?" She didn't open her eyes but she shifted gently, wrapping her arms around herself, Zuko was tempted to warm up the water for her again, just so she wouldn't be cold. On the other hand, if he did that, she would never get out of the tub. Still, with the news be better try to soften the edges. Water may not be as destructive, but it was just as powerful, with as terrible of a temper.
He dipped one finger into the water, letting steam rise off his skin.
She moaned again, "Thank you love."
"Katara, you gotta get dressed. You have a visitor."
"Mmm, they can go away."
"No they can't sweetie, it's Tiel."
Instantly, and as zuko had expected, her eyes shot open angrily, her eyebrows furrowed as she watched him, "What does she want?" Zuko could practically feel the poison that still stung her. Many years she had wasted waiting for someone who hadn't even bothered to tell her he moved on.
