Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA… yada… yada… yada…
Author's note: Sorry that I haven't posted a new chapter for a day or so, I was celebrating the coming of 2011. Happy belated New Year everyone!
Chapter 23
The next morning, everyone was already seated around the table for breakfast when Sokka entered the kitchen, carrying a scroll in his hand. " Good morning, everyone." He said, as he took a seat at the table. Earning greetings from each of the gaang in return. " Nice to see you have all of your clothes on this morning, Aang." He said, smirking as he eyed Aang. Aang's only response was to smirk back at him. "Hawky just brought me a message from Zuko." He told them.
" What does it say?" Suki asked curiously.
" It says that they're having an engagement party at the palace in the Fire Nation, and we're all invited." Sokka answered.
" When?" Toph asked.
" Two days past the new moon." Sokka replied. " Katara, you and Aang are in tune with the lunar cycle, when is that?" He asked.
Katara thought for a minute. " That's in five days!" She exclaimed. And Aang nodded in agreement.
" The trip will take a couple of days by boat." Sokka said. " Which doesn't give us much time." He added.
" We can take Appa." Aang said. " That should cut our travel time in half." He added.
" Good idea. Thanks Aang." Sokka told him.
" Well, I need to get back to Gaoling and check on my students, first." Toph said. " There's really no reason for me to stay here anymore, since it's mission accomplished with Sugarqueen and Twinkletoes and all." She added. " I can meet you guys in the Fire Nation a day or so before the party." She added.
" You mean you need to get back to check on Haru." Sokka said, teasing her.
" Haru?" Aang asked, raising an eyebrow.
" I do not!" Toph shouted angrily at Sokka, as a blush crept on to her cheeks.
" Do too." Sokka said, grinning.
" Do not!" Toph shouted back at him.
" Okay, that's enough you two. Grow up, for Agni's sake." Katara said. Rolling her eyes.
" Haru?" Aang asked again.
" I'll tell you about it later." Katara told Aang. Aang just nodded in response.
Everyone sat quietly eating their breakfast, then Toph spoke up. " I guess I'll see you guys later. I'd better get going if I'm going to make it to the Fire Nation in time." She said. Then got up and headed out of the kitchen, as everyone said their goodbyes to her.
" Smoochie, smoochie." Sokka said, with a devilish grin on his face. As she walked away from them.
Toph didn't reply. But, on her way out the kitchen door she paused and put her right arm down at her side, with her palm up and fingers open. Then quickly flung her hand up over her shoulder toward Sokka. And his metal plate flew off of the table and smacked him in the face, then fell back down to the table with a clatter as she walked out the door. They could hear her laughter as she disappeared. Everyone started laughing hysterically, including Sokka. As the remainder of his breakfast fell from his face.
When breakfast was over, everyone got up and cleared the table. Then Katara and Suki started on the dishes.
" Hey, Aang. Can I talk to you for a bit?" Sokka asked.
" Sure, Sokka." Aang replied, then followed him outside to the backyard. Katara glanced back over her shoulder at them, as they walked out the door. Wondering what her brother wanted with Aang.
Sokka walked out to the fountain in the middle of the yard, and sat down on the edge. The fountain had a large mound of boulders in the center of it, with water cascading down through them into a circular pool surrounding them. The circumference of which had a ledge that was just wide enough to sit on.
Aang sat down on the ledge next to him. " What did you want to talk to me about, Sokka?" He asked curiously.
" Well, first of all, I wanted to apologize to you." Sokka told him.
" For what?" Aang asked.
" For not telling you about Tenzin, all of these years." Sokka said, as he looked down at the ground.
" It's alright, Sokka." Aang replied sincerely.
" No, it's not." Sokka told him. " Just hear me out." He added. " When you left, and didn't come back... Katara was a mess. And, eventually, we went back home." He said. " Then, after a few months had passed, and we still hadn't heard from you... she realized that she was pregnant, and nearly lost it." He went on. " Finally, she confided in me, and told me what you did to her the night before the comet. And that she was pregnant." He added, then sighed. " I was furious with you... and wanted to hunt you down and kill you." He continued. " I think that, at that moment, I could have killed you with my bare hands, Avatar or not." He told him.
" Sokka, I -" Aang started.
" Please, Aang. Let me finish." Sokka said, putting his hand up to Aang. Aang just nodded in response. " But, she defended you. Saying that you didn't do anything to her. That she wanted it, too. Then she made me promise not to tell you. And I did." He said. " Eventually, we decided that we would need to leave our village to protect her, and our family's reputation. Since she would be showing soon." He continued with a sigh. " So, I sent a message to Suki, and asked her if we could come to Kyoshi." He added. " Both for Katara and the baby, and for me." He said. " I realized that I loved Suki, and couldn't stand to be away from her anymore." He continued. " We got married soon after Katara and I got to Kyoshi." He said, then paused for a minute. " Me and Suki were all that Katara and Tenzin had... for years." He added. " Which brings me to the other reason I wanted to talk to you." He finished.
" What's that, Sokka?" Aang asked curiously.
" I want to know what your intentions are with my sister and nephew." Sokka replied seriously.
Aang didn't say anything for a minute. Not sure how to answer him. Or say it the right way, mostly. " I love her, Sokka. I have since the day you broke me out of the iceberg, and I opened my eyes and saw her beautiful face staring down at me." He said sincerely. " I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I can't imagine ever being with anyone else." He added. " I want to marry her, Sokka. To have a Water Tribe wedding. And for the three of us to be a family." He finished softly.
" Good." Sokka replied.
" And, as for Tenzin, even though I've only known him for a few days... I already love him so much, Sokka." Aang said. " I felt drawn to him, the moment I saw him sitting on the floor at Iroh's tea shop." He added. " I felt like our souls were connected, somehow." He finished.
" That's weird, because I think Tenzin must have felt connected to you, too." Sokka told him.
" Why do you say that?" Aang asked curiously.
" Because... the day that we ran in to you it the city... Tenzin's face lit up, and he was so excited to see you." Sokka replied. " I've never seen him act like that before, with anyone. Especially someone that he just met." He added.
" Really?" Aang asked.
" Really." Sokka replied. " Honestly, I don't know how you didn't figure out who he was." He added. " Since he looks just like you, and has an Air Nomad name." He finished.
" Well, I did think it was a bit strange that someone would use an Air Nomad name for their child. And, I thought he looked a bit familiar, too." Aang told him. " But, never in a million years, would I have thought that he could be my child." He added. " Since me and Katara only did it -" He started.
" Okay... you can just stop right there." Sokka said, putting his hand up to Aang. " I'm still not completely over that, yet." He added.
" Oh... Sorry." Aang replied. " How did Katara find an Air Nomad name for him, anyway? Did she find one for a girl, too? How did she even know that he would be an airbender? " He asked curiously.
" She did a whole lot of research on the Air Nomads, while she was pregnant." Sokka told him. " And, no... she said that she knew it was going to be a boy." He added. " And, that she knew he would be an airbender. Something about it being her destiny to carry the future of the Air Nomads, in case something happened to you." He finished.
Aang's eyes opened wide at Sokka's last statement. Could it really have been her destiny? They really were way too young to be doing the things they did that night. To physically express their love for each other that way. But everything felt so natural... and so right that night. He thought.
" Aang?" Sokka asked. " You still with me?" He added.
" Yeah... Sorry." Aang replied. " I was just thinking about what you said." He added.
" Oh, okay." Sokka answered.
A few minutes of silenced passed between them, then Aang spoke up. " Sokka... Toph said something about 'mission accomplished' with me and Katara." He said. " What did she mean by that?" He asked.
" Oh, yeah... that." Sokka said. " Well, after we found out that Tenzin was an airbender, I told Katara that it was time to tell you." He added. " Only she was reluctant, because she was afraid." He continued. "So, we... kind of... found a way to get you guys together." He finished.
" I see." Aang replied. " So, I guess that means that she knows you guys manipulated her?" He asked.
" Yeah. After you came to talk to her the other night, and we sent her a message that we wouldn't be back until morning, so you guys would have time to talk... She figured out that we had something to do with your little visit." Sokka replied. " She just didn't know the extent of it, until I accidentally let some things slip." He added. " She was pretty pissed off." He finished.
" I'll bet." Aang said. " Then, I guess that I should be pissed off, too." He added. " But, I'm not." He finished.
" You're not? How come?" Sokka asked curiously.
" Because... If you guys wouldn't have manipulated us like that... Who knows how long it would have been until I found out about my son." Aang replied. " Thank you, Sokka." He added sincerely.
" You're welcome, Aang." Sokka answered. " And, as for marrying my sister... You have my blessing." He added, smiling.
" Thanks, again." Aang replied, smiling.
" You're welcome, again." Sokka replied, smiling back at him.
" Sokka... I was wondering about something." Aang said.
" What is it, Aang?" Sokka asked curiously.
" I was wondering... If you and Suki might keep Tenzin overnight, tonight... maybe?" Aang asked nervously. " So, Katara and I can have some time... alone." He added.
" No problem." Sokka replied with a smile. " But I don't want to know any details." He added, with a serious look on his face.
" No problem." Aang replied, grinning. " Thanks." He added.
" You're welcome." Sokka replied. " Come on. We'd better go back inside before they wonder what happened to us." He added. Then the two of them stood up, and walked back toward the house.