Author's Note: A dear friend of mine said that she read my first two chapters and liked my writing but probably wouldn't continue because Katara was one of her favorite characters and she couldn't bear the thought of her dying so I wanted to say that I have no (absolutely NONE) pleasure in killing Katara. I realized something only afterI had killed Katara...irony. Katara's own mother died and now she dies as soon as she becomes a mother.

Chapter Four: Preparing for the Avatar

Toph's Point of View

Tears filled my blind eyes, there was no point in pretending I didn't miss her, or even feel a twinge of regret. She had been laughing moments before... How could fate just swoop in and take her like that. She would never see Aang's expression of pride and guilt once he got here and saw their child, her own goddaughter. Well neither will you I thought But at least I can hold the child and feel her soft skin and I can still see with my feet. At least I'm not dead! How could Katara be dead? The girl who held us together, the girl you couldn't knock down, the motherly, nagging, stick-in-the-mud...Katara.

I tuned to Suki with horror at me realization who was sitting by me, Sokka on her other side. He held the little girl in his arms, awkward and scared, he was being directed by Suki on how to hold a baby right. They were arguing about something totally stupid.

"But everyone said it was a boy, that I was going to have a nephew, and Katara and Aang would have a son! And now you are telling me I have a niece!"

"Yes Sokka! You have a niece! What's wrong with that? You still don't think boys are better than girls! Do you?" She said in a hushed tone.

"Suki...Suki...Suki... How could I have dated you and then married you and think that?" He said, a bit of sarcasim in his already cocky voice.

"Suki! Sokka!" I breathed, still horrorstruck. I heard them turn to me. "Aang!" I whispered.

"Yah what about him?" Sokka asked, clearly not getting it. But a sharp intake of breath from Suki let me know she got it.

"You idiot! Aang! Katara's husband! The only girl he ever loved is dead. One, she had his child and he wasn't here. Two, it was his child that killed her. Three, he wasn't here to save her. Four, he is the avatar! When he hears this...bad things are going to happen. Like stuff-blow-up bad things! Oh no! We know he would have done anything for Katara and he is going to blame himself!"

"This is not good!" Sokka said slowly, horror, saddness, and comprehension thick in his voice.

"Thank you Sokka! You genius! You have graced us once more with your brilliance!" I said. He looked at me, hurt. "Well just because we are in the middle of a crisis doesn't mean we should abandon out daily routine!" I said defensively. He muttered something I couldn't hear, which is a suprise. "What was that?" I asked, only mildly interested, I thought some stupid comment had been whispered.

"You know you are the only one who feels grief! She was MY sister and you don't see me tearing down everyone I see! Just because you are sad, lost, and mourning doesn't give you the right to-" He burst out in fury, before Suki silenced him. He sat down with a huff. I knew that he was crying now.

There was silence now between us. I took a deep breath and said... "You're right Sokka. I am sorry! I didn't mean it! I just really really really miss her." My voice shook from the pressure of tears held at bay.

He stood up with a sigh and hugged me. A small whine came from Suki's arms. Only then did we seem to remember the child sitting in her lap. I stood up with a new energy. I looked over at them and nodded.

"Let's prepare for the avatar." I told them, shaking at the prospect of Aang's grief.