4 reviews already I was having a hard time with reviews on my other story Everlasting Love. Once again I own Nothing other than the idea. This chapter takes place after Sokka leaves and goes to when Haru and the Dai Lee bring him home and bits and pieces if Katara growing up and 'On My Father's Wings' bit. Happy Reading.

Chapter 2 As the Years Pass

After Sokka left Suki and Katara walked back to the house where they went to the garden. Katara played with Benny while Suki worked in the garden which had, two apple trees, two mango trees, two papaya trees, one banana tree, one plum tree, three bushes of Camellia sinensis, two or three bushes of jasmine leaves, and a few bushes of Bacui berries. Suki picked some of the ripe fruit to go with dinner which was roasted chicken, with boiled rice, noodles, and for dessert an apple pie. Katara loved helping out in the kitchen where she could use her waterbending to keep the water in the pot. Suki had made noodles the week before so all she had to do was put them in a pot of water to boil.

She put a pinch of chili on the chicken to give a bit of a kick, then put on the spit to cook letting the spit turn on its own. She smiled as she remembered how Sokka rigged it to do that so she could make the rest of dinner. She peeled, and sliced the apples for the pie and set them in a mixture of honey, brown sugar, and a small amount of water that way the honey was dulled down a bit and let them sit while she worked on the crust, once the crust was set in the pan she added the filling then added a diamond weave crust on the top, and brushed some melted butter on the top to make the crust brown better and placed it in the oven. She checked on the chicken and said it would be ready in a few minutes while they waited for dinner to finish Katara went to the living room and played with Benny some more while Suki folded some laundry she forgot to do the day before.

"Katara?"

"Yes Mama."

"Tomorrow there's supposed to be a festival, I know we usually go with Papa but how about we go and see if we can't find anything to get him as a welcome home present?"

"OK, I'll get him a teacup and paint."

"But sweetheart you'd use the paint more then he would."

"How else am I going to paint the cup if I don't have the paint?"

Suki laughed at the child's question and checked dinner, noting it was done she told Katara to pin Benny up and wash up for dinner. She set the table and gave Shamira her dinner, the chicken was delicious and had just the right amount of chili on it and Katara had picked up some of Sokka's eating preferences such as chili on her noodles and rice, "They're bland otherwise" he'd say and Katara added, "Yea they have no taste by themselves." Suki just smiled, she saw a bit of Sokka in Katara and he saw Suki in her as well. After dinner and the food was stored, dishes done they went to the living room where Katara played with Benny and Shamira while Suki mended some clothes. She noticed that it was time for bed so she told Katara to pin Benny up, and get washed and ready for bed, while she let Shamira out. Shamira usually came in the house to alert Sokka or in this case Suki if there was trouble. Suki looked toward the city gates and said softly, "Goodnight Sokka, be safe." As she tucked Katara into bed, Katara asked for a bedtime story.

"Which one dear?"

"Hmm the story of you and Papa."

"Alright, Once there was a brave young warrior from the Southern Water Tribe who was traveling the world in search of adventure, and love, he'd visited Whale Tale Island and found nothing that he was looking for, so he moved on to a swamp land where he got lost in the swamp. Once he got out he decided to go to chin village where he heard of the Kyoshi Warriors on Kyoshi Island so he went there and met a beautiful young woman, he fell in love instantly, as did she but he thought that women were not meant to be warriors, but when she proved him wrong he asked her to teach him. He was terrible at first but after a few days he'd got the hang of it, he made plans to leave a few weeks later and asked the young woman to come with him, even though she really wanted to go with him her place on Kyoshi Island at the time. So he made a promise to come back for her and two years later he did but she didn't recognize him at first. You see when he was there before he didn't have a full head of hair, but he did now and she rather liked it that way.

"One night as they were walking along the shore he stopped and knelt down to one knee, and asked her to be his girl she had thought he was going to propose but then remembered that they barely knew each other. After two years of dating, he proposed and she said yes, they had a small simple ceremony as well as a short honeymoon as dark times were approaching. They moved from Kyoshi Island to Omashu but he worked as a guard up until he was needed for the frontlines. Though his new bride was a warrior just as he was she could only do so much in the city, the war lasted what seemed like forever but was really only a few years. A few months after the war was over she told him they were going to have a baby, at first he was shocked but then he was happy, he was going to be a papa.

"When the King came to Omashu and asked if anyone would like to join his new group called the Dai Lee he volunteered figuring that the pay would be better as he had a little one on the way he had to make sure that he could provide for his wife and baby. He ended up loving being an agent as he made new friends with some of the men in the Dai Lee. Nine months later they had a beautiful little girl that they named Katara. Most men want a son when they're told their going to be a father, not him he didn't care if it was a boy or girl as long as it was healthy he'd love it either way. However he was glad to have a daughter as she looked like her mother and his mother who died a few weeks before he left home.

"They visited his father once the child was old enough to travel and everyone was glad to see him and to hear of the baby. And to this day they lived happily ever after."

Suki smiled as Katara fell asleep she kissed her cheek and told her goodnight, sweet dreams and that she loved her. She made her way to the master bedroom and went to sleep herself. The next morning after breakfast and the morning chores were done Pipsqueak and Duke came to visit. They made their way to the town square they noticed the pretty colors, Katara, and Duke were too excited to stay with their parents but somehow managed to do it. Pipsqueak won Katara a new doll that she wanted, and Suki bought the teacup and paint to decorate it. They had a picnic lunch which was the chicken, rice, and noodles from the night before. It tasted the same as the night before only the chili had fermented a bit overnight so the chicken was a bit spicier but not to the point where it was inedible.

At sunset Pipsqueak escorted them home, and gladly took some leftovers home with him and Duke that way Song wouldn't have to cook that night. Suki went out to the backyard watered the garden and made a mental note to ask Sokka to buy some flower seeds so the garden had a variety. Katara played with Benny for and hour then she fixed a small glass of water gathered up her paint, paintbrushes, and the teacup and had Suki help her by painting the cup white as a base coat and then painted the bottom brown, the top blue and let it dry for an hour then they tried to paint the city of Omashu on one side and their house on another. It didn't turn out like a professional painted one, but they knew he'd love it, they set it on the mantle over the fire place in the living room so that the paint would dry and they would see it when they came home. Over the next two day they set about doing the usual chores, sweeping and mopping the floors, beating the rugs clean, rake any fallen leaves, weed and water the garden.

Normally Sokka would go out into the mountain's forest to get firewood, but as he was in Ba Sing Se the task fell upon Suki to get it. So she hitched her Camelephant to the wagon, and put Katara in front of her on Camilla Suki's Camelephant. It took about 30 minutes for them to reach the forest where Sokka would usually go, and she began to chop down dead trees, and copped them into smaller logs to put them into the fireplace. When they had collected enough logs they headed back to the house, and finished the days chores. On the sixth day of Sokka's trip however was not like they thought it would be, they went to town with Shamira to get things that they needed. Suki bought some yards of fabric to make Katara some new clothes as she was getting too big for them and letting the hems out as far as they could go. They got Shamira a new toy to chew on so that her teeth would stay healthy, and some polish for Sokka's armor as they were running low on it, and they found a very rare animal in the market.

"OOO Mama what's this can we get Mama huh, can we please?", Suki looked at the animal it looked familiar it had the neck of an ostrich the face of a goat with some ostrich mixed in, had the body of a goat, and was obviously male.

"Hmm sir what breed of animal is that?", Suki asked the merchant, he looked up from the stall he was in and looked to where Suki was pointing and said, "That ma'am is an Ostrich goat, they's very rare an' I happens to 'ave two the girl's 'round back."

"How much for both of them?"

"Well now they's rare likes I said befo'."

"HOW much?"

"Well usually I sells my animals for 10 silver pieces, but since it is a rare animal not to mention that there's two of 'em I could see a price of 20 gold pieces.", Suki looked in her purse, "I only have 10 gold pieces." She began to think quickly so as to get both Ostrich goats and make sure the merchant benefited from it as well.

"I only have 10 gold pieces with me, but I also have fifty silver pieces how about making it 10 gold pieces five for each and I give you 30 silver in place of the other 10 that way you will end up with 40 pieces where as before you would have gotten only 20 pieces."

"Deal.", as they walked back to the house Suki told Katara, "That's how you haggle with merchants of his type, but don't tell Papa I did that."

"OK"

"Good now we can have milk and cheese."

"Mama do you know how to make them."

"Of course I grew up with two of these."

Once they got to the house Suki led them to the barn where the chickens, the bull–pigs, and the moo– sows. Katara played in the swing on the tree out front and was enjoying herself when she saw a bunch of people heading their way. She called to Suki, "Mama, Mama it's Papa. Papa's home.", she got off the swing and started looking up at each man hoping to see Sokka's face and have him pick her up letting her ride Elsie his Eel Hound home with him. She was starting to get impatient by now until she saw the cart with a body on it. She recognized it and knew something had happened but she tried to deny it and ran home, Suki met her at the door, "Katara what is it, what's wrong?", she just shook her head and pointed at the men approaching.

Once they stopped Haru came forward when he did Suki curtsied, "Your Highness it is and honor. How may I be of service?"

"Madam I'm afraid I bring you bad news."

"What is it ?"

"Your husband Sokka, I'm sorry to say is dead."

Suki gasped and didn't believe him at first, until she saw the body on the cart, only then did she believe it, Katara didn't fully understand what was going on. All she knew was that Papa was on a cart Mama mentioning a funeral and this person Mama called his majesty saying Papa was dead. They held the funeral the next day in the mountains Suki dressed him in a green robe styled shirt that went past his knees but to his ankles. He wore light green pants with green socks and black shoes. Haru brought some of the crystal in the catacombs below Ba Sing Se to be made into a casket. At the funeral Suki and Katara wore the necklaces and the bracelet Sokka bought. the Dai Lee wore their dress uniform which was green pants with a light green robe and tunic styled shirt with a dark green vest over the shirt. All were present, but Ozai for obvious reasons.

Each agent said a few words about Sokka, how great he was as a friend, how he never let you down, and always had your back. When Haru said his piece he had Suki in tears but she was also proud of him, "Sokka was reliable, dependable, and my most trusted agent as well as one of my closest friends, he believed I could be Great king while I myself had my doubts, but it was his faith in me made me want to be the leader he saw in me. He was also willing enough to sacrifice his life, a life he planned to spend with his wife and child, so that I might live.", when the eulogy was finished everyone raised their swords and saluted the grave. Katara went to the coffin and placed a kiss on his cheek and went back to Suki who gave her a hug and told her how proud she was of Papa and how proud she was of Katara being strong, and that it was OK to cry Papa would understand.

That night Suki and Katara went to bed and Shamira was allowed to stay inside for the night as Suki didn't want to put her out that night. Sometime later in the night Katara went to Suki's room and asked to stay the night Suki agreed as she didn't want to be alone either. Overtime Suki began to see other friends, not in the sense to remarry or for romance, it helped her cope talking to others. Eventually she kept one male friend but nothing romantic was going on. He helped Suki now and then with Katara and around the farm his name was Tahn and didn't mind that Katara referred to him as her stepfather as long as it wasn't her father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~–––––––––Five Years Later –––––––––––––––~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katara was about 12 to 13 years old and would go to Sokka's grave when she wanted to talk to him or show him her water bending. She never took off the necklace or bracelet Sokka bought her as she felt close to Sokka that way. She was wearing one of her tunics that Suki made which was yellow green and ended just past her knees, and underneath she wore reddish brown pants, and black shoes. Suki had sent her to Pakku every other winter to better her practice. When she came home she went to show Sokka what she learned which is where she was at the moment.

" I miss you Papa and wish you were here, but that would mean that King Haru might've died instead. Mama told me so. I know I promised Mama I wouldn't tell you but on market day before you came home she bought us two ostrich goats one male and one female they had kids a few weeks ago I take care of the animals while Mama does the house work, we split up the garden."

She left around noon to start on her chores and then to market to sell some of the crops, they needed to make money somehow and that was one way that they could. Suki also worked and ran a small inn near the gates of the city which is why the house work got divided up while Suki worked at the inn Katara worked around the house. When Katara went to market Suki worked in the house until Katara came home then she went to the inn. Pipsqueak came over to help Katara in the stables. Suki had invested in another Pygmy Puma so that way Shamira could be at the house or the inn while the other was at the other. The new Pygmy Puma was male and named Havardr, she also got some more chickens which they used and sold the eggs. At first they felt like it was unnecessary but Suki knew that without money they wouldn't make it. Katara however just did as she was told, some days she wished that it didn't have to be this way but other days she liked it as she was always doing something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~––––––––––Another Five years Later ––––––––––~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tahn and Suki had grown close over the past 10 years, but nothing serious and Katara said nothing about only that she be careful, and not get carried away. Suki was still working at the inn and gave Katara some of her old dresses and let Katara sell some of her kid clothes, and other dresses to help make a little more money. By now Katara was 17 years old and a master waterbender and could handle herself. There was also Shamira and Havardr to keep her safe. They also had a few liters of kittens and Suki thought when they were old enough that they could be given away because neither of them felt right selling the kittens as they saw Shamira and Havardr not as pets but as friends they felt better giving the kittens away like a free adoption thing. Katara persuaded Suki into keeping some of the kittens, Suki agreed but not the whole litter that way it was a fair compromise. Katara still went to Sokka's grave to talk to him and practice her bending. She even told him about Suki and Tahn were seeing one another but that it was nothing serious. She still wore the necklace and bracelet he got her. Today she wore a light green tunic that ended even with her knees, with green pants and black shoes.

" Mama told me on the day of your funeral that she was proud that I was strong and that it was OK to cry, but the truth is it wasn't that I didn't want you to see me cry. It was that you broke promises when you died, well it felt that way at they time. But now I see it as I have the opportunity to do those things by myself with tagging along in spirit. We still miss you and I wish you could see the way things are now. I gotta get back now it's almost time for Mama to go to work at the inn."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~––––––––––Two Years Later ––––––––––~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katara had blossomed into a beautiful young woman of 19 and still helped Suki around the farm as they now called it. Katara now only wanted to join the Dai Lee like her Papa did so they didn't have to work like this anymore. Suki didn't want her only daughter to end up like her husband did so she did her best to encourage Katara to do something different, but along the lines of the Dai Lee. Katara was needless to say bit irritated that her mother was suggesting it but understood why she was doing it. She went to see Sokka one day just to vent, but did not know Suki followed her.

"Hi Papa, I know , sorry I'm late. I decided to bring some flowers from the garden today, Moon flowers, because they reminded you of the moon, and the moon reminded you of home, and a bunch of other flowers. I forgot to come the other day, it was my birthday and mama threw a party, and I actually had to wear a dress. It was pretty green with a dark green belt, and I wore sandles that day. Mama wore her green skirt, with a gray turtleneck with a yellow sash she wore a green belt too, and her sandles. Everyone was there, King Haru, Pipsqueak, and the Dai Lee it was a great party. But I would have rather worn this to the party. ", she gestured to the out fit she was wearing which was a green tunic, that ended just past her knees and had a split on both sides, and was one shouldered which went across her left shoulder, she also wore a on strapped tank top shirt underneath that went across her right shoulder. She wore brown pants, and black shoes. She liked the shoes as they were inexpensive which was a good thing plus they were comfortable.

Suki watched as Katara carried on a conversation with the grave as though Sokka himself were actually there. She decided to sit and listen a bit more but left before she was discovered. She was just getting ready to leave when she heard, " Mama doesn't want me to join the Dai Lee I know it's, because she doesn't want me to get hurt or anything but it's the only way I can feel closer to you. The necklace and bracelet are pretty but they were the last present you gave me. I never told you this but when you came home I never ate the rock candy, I put it on a shelf in my room along with the other dolls you bought when I was little that came from Ba Sing Se. I'm going to go back now I'll show you some of my moves tomorrow."

Suki managed to beat Katara home but never said anything about what she overheard and was now thinking about sending Katara to Kyoshi Island to at least get the basics of fighting as she was rusty from not practicing. She had unofficially retired once Katara was born, she didn't practice as often but used her training to be put to self defense instead. But had she known what was to come she would have been practicing long and hard.

OOOOOOOO foreshadowing I wonder what happens next. Just stick around and find out. I know I did the Song a bit differently, well didn't . Please read and review.