Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA... yada... yada...yada...
Authors note: Sorry for taking so long to post the next chapter. Working mandatory overtime and have little time for anything else. I'll try to keep up with the story if my job doesn't kill me.
Chapter 31
The next morning when Katara woke up she dressed and retrieved Tenzin from the recreation room where the children had spent the night. The two of them had breakfast in the palace dining room while Tenzin excitedly chattered about his fun filled night. Aang had gotten up early and left a note for Katara explaining that he had an important meeting with Zuko regarding post-war reparations and would meet them back at their suite that afternoon. Katara felt remarkably well considering the excessive amount of alcohol that she had consumed the previous night, and smiled as Tenzin recounted the previous nights events. She couldn't help but notice the stares and whispering of the other guests that most certainly witnessed the very public display of affection that she and Aang shared on the dance floor the previous night, causing her to blush more than once. Suki soon joined them with Kya, explaining that Sokka was meeting with Zuko this morning as well. Katara couldn't imagine why her brother would be involved with post-war reparations, but shrugged it off since he was a high ranking member of the Southern Water Tribe and Zuko had always valued his opinion. After breakfast the four of them headed in to the city for a little shopping and sight seeing.
Zuko and Aang were waiting in the study when Sokka entered, shutting the door behind him.
" So what's with the clandestine meeting this morning?" Sokka said sarcastically.
" I wanted to talk to you guys. I need your help." Aang replied.
" With what?" Zuko asked.
" I need you guys to cover for me while I do something." Aang said.
" Cover for you? Why?" Sokka asked.
" I'm going to gather some things... I need... to make a betrothal necklace." Aang replied.
" A betrothal necklace!" Zuko and Sokka both shouted simultaneously.
" Yeah, I'm going to ask Katara to marry me." Aang explained. Zuko and Sokka both stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, then huge grins formed on their faces.
" What do you want us to do?" Zuko asked excitedly.
" Okay... Zuko, I'm going to tell Katara that we have some important meetings to attend regarding post-war reparations for the next week, and send her and Tenzin back to Kyoshi to get their things. Sokka, that's where you come in... I need you to watch over them and see to it that they're safe." Aang said.
" No problem. But, why wouldn't they be safe?" Sokka asked.
" We just announced to the world that 'The Avatar' has a son last night, who knows what kind of crackpots are out there that might want to harm him or his mother, for revenge or any number of reasons. Many people still support Ozai and resent me for defeating him." Aang replied.
" True. So, you're going to tell Katara you're with me while you make her betrothal necklace, right?" Zuko asked.
" Yeah. Hakoda told me where I can find the stone in the Southern Water Tribe. Once I gather everything I need, I should be able to complete the necklace by the end of the week, then pick Katara and Tenzin up on Kyoshi and return to Ba Sing Se." Aang said.
" When are you gonna ask her?" Sokka asked.
" I don't know... I thought maybe we could have a romantic dinner when we got back to Ba Sing Se and I could ask her then." Aang replied, shrugging his shoulders.
" Awwwwww... You're not going to ask her on Kyoshi so we can celebrate or something?" Sokka said dissapointed.
" Don't worry Sokka, we'll have plenty of time to celebrate. I'm going to do this right. We'll have a formal engagement party in the Southern Water Tribe, like Zuko and Mai did." Aang said.
" What am I gonna say if she asks me what our meeting was about this morning?" Sokka asked.
" Just tell her that you were asked to give Zuko an update on the reparations on Kyoshi Island. You'll come up with something, I have faith in you." Aang replied smiling.
" Okay. When will we be leaving for Kyoshi?" Sokka asked.
" Tomorrow morning, I want to get started as soon as possible. In my culture Katara would already be considered my wife, but I want to make it official in the Water Tribe culture. I want her to be able to return to her home with honor, not shame." Aang said sadly.
When Aang returned to their suite, Katara was sitting in the common room reading a book about the war that she had purchased while shopping.
" Hey, how was the meeting?" She asked as she closed the book and placed it on her lap.
" Boring, as usual. I need to talk to you about something." He replied as he sat down beside her.
" Sure, what's up?" She asked.
" Apparently Zuko has some meetings this week with some officials of the Earth Kingdom that require my presence. And rather than you and Tenzin stay here for a week and be bored, I thought you guys could go back to Kyoshi tomorrow with Sokka and Suki to get your things together, and me and Appa could pick you up at the end of the week and return to Ba Sing Se." He said smiling, hating that he had to lie to her.
" Oh... I guess we could. Suki didn't say anything about leaving tomorrow." She said.
" She probably didn't know yet... Sokka just told me this morning." He said smiling, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
" Oh, okay. I would be nice to be able to get some of our things from Kyoshi. Are you sure? We can stay if you want, I'm sure we could find plenty of things to do here." She said.
" As much as I want you guys with me, I think your time would be better spent on Kyoshi. Besides, I'll be busy with boring meetings most of the time, and won't be able to spend much time with you anyway." He said.
" Alright. I'll pack our things, then." She said.
" Just pack what you and Tenzin will need on Kyoshi, I'll take care of the rest of it before I pick you guys up. Where is Tenzin, anyway?" He said.
" Oh, he's taking a nap. He had a busy night last night." She replied smiling.
" Oh he did, did he? I'll have to ask him about it when he wakes up." He replied chuckling.
" Oh, don't worry about that. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it." She said laughing.
The next morning Aang, Zuko and Mai joined the others on the dock as they prepared to board the ship to depart for Kyoshi Island. Zuko and Mai said their goodbyes and thanked everyone for coming. And after Aang said goodbye to Sokka, Suki and Kya he joined Katara and Tenzin on the dock.
" I'm going to miss you guys soooo much." Aang said as he picked up his son and hugged him tightly.
" I'll miss you too, daddy." Tenzin said sadly.
" Don't worry, I'll see you guys in a few days. Take care of your mother for me." Aang said smiling, then kissed Tenzin on the forehead and lowered him to the ground. " See you in a week." He said to Katara, smiling softly.
" I love you." Katara said softly.
" I love you, too." Aang replied, then slid his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a passionate 'goodbye' kiss. Earning several whistles and catcalls from the crowd of people gathered on the dock.
" Come on you two, I thought you learned your lesson at the party the other night!" Sokka said chuckling.
Aang and Katara broke the kiss, both blushing a deep shade of crimson. " I'll pick you guys up at the end of the week." Aang said.
" Okay, see you then." Katara replied, then took Tenzins hand and led him on to the ship with the rest of the family.
Aang, Zuko and Mai waved to their friends as the ship left dock, then returned to the palace when it was no longer visible.
Aang gathered a few things when he reached the palace and said his goodbyes to Zuko and Mai then mounted Appa and took off toward the Southern Water Tribe, landing there the next afternoon. And despite his weariness from the trip, he kindly greeted the growing crowd of people that being 'The Avatar' always seemed to draw. After spending some time addressing the crowd, he led Appa to the nearest stable then headed to Chief Hakodas residence to learn the location of the underwater cavern where he might find the moonstone for Katara's necklace. The Southern Water Tribe had changed significantly, no longer a few huts and a handful of villagers. It was now beginning to resemble the Northern Water Tribe, with elaborate buildings made of ice and a growing population due to numerous members of the Northern Tribe relocating there. Chief Hakoda lived in an opulent dwelling in the center of the city which could rival any palace in the other nations. Being Chief was as much royalty in the Water Tribe culture as a King in the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Lord in the Fire Nation.
Aang was greeted at the entrance of the Chiefs residence and respectfully ushered in to wait while his arrival was announced. Taking in the elaborate surroundings while he waited. 'Wow, things sure have changed around here.' He thought, then a famaliar voice caught his attention.
" Avatar Aang, welcome!" Hakoda exclaimed smiling brightly as he approached Aang.
" Chief Hakoda, thank you for seeing me." Aang replied smiling. And the two men bowed respectfully to each other.
" Enough with the formalities, Aang how are you? What brings you to see me?" Hakoda asked as he gestured for Aang to have a seat and sat down himself.
" I've come to find a moonstone for Katara's betrothal necklace and hoped you could direct me to the underwater cavern you told me about." Aang replied.
" Of course, I'll take you there myself." Hakoda said beaming. " But, let's have some tea first and relax a bit, you must be exhausted from your trip." Hakoda said as he nodded his head toward one of the servants who quickly left the room and returned moments later with a tray carrying tea and pastries, and sat them on the table in front of them and poured each of them a cup of tea.
" Thanks, I am." Aang said as he reached for the cup of steaming hot tea. He had forgotten how cold it was in the Southern Water Tribe and hadn't dressed properly.
" Will you be staying long? I'd be happy to have you as a guest for a long as you like." Hakoda said, then took a sip of his tea.
" Well, I'll need to carve the moonstone and shape it once I retrieve it. I could probably use your advice on how to do it, since you've done it before." Aang replied.
" Absolutely! I'd be happy to help in any way. It is for my daughter after all." Hakoda said smiling brightly. " How are Katara and Tenzin? Did you tell her you were coming here?" He asked.
" They're fine. They're on their way to Kyoshi with Sokka and Suki to get some things together and I'm going to pick them up at the end of the week. They're going to live in with me in Ba Sing Se until we find something more permanent." Aang replied. " And, no... I didn't tell Katara I was coming here. I kind of lied and told her that I had meetings with Zuko all week. I want the necklace to be a surprise." He added sheepishly.
" I see. How are Sokka and Suki, and Kya? Do they know?" Hakoda asked.
" They're fine. Sokka knows, I talked to him and Zuko about it. I'm sure he's told Suki about it by now." Aang said.
" I'm sure he has." Hakoda replied chuckling. " Well, since you're going to be staying for a while, why don't I have one of the servants show you to your room and you can freshen up and get some rest, then join me for dinner later. We can go to the underwater cavern in the morning." He added.
" That sounds great! I am kinda tired." Aang said. Then the two men rose and Aang followed the servant to his room. Later joining Hakoda for dinner before retiring for the night.
Katara and Tenzin got settled in their cabin, then met the rest of the family for dinner in the ships dining room that evening. Katara had been on numerous ships before, but for some reason this trip had her feeling a bit queasy and she was having trouble eating dinner. It seemed like even the smell of certain foods made her nauseous, she hoped she wasn't coming down with something.
" Katara, are you okay? You've hardly touched your food." Suki said with concern.
" Yeah, just a little sea sick I guess." Katara replied.
" Are you sure?" Suki asked.
" Yeah... I'll be fine." Katara said smiling, then took a bite of her noodles and started chewing. A few seconds later she threw her hand over her mouth, jumped up from her chair and ran to the deck then leaned over the railing and vomited over the side of the ship.
Suki followed her and gently rubbed her back when she reached her, having witnessed her wretching over the ships railing. " Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you're coming down with something. You should go lay down." She said softly.
" Yeah, maybe you're right. Will you bring Tenzin down after dinner?" Katara asked.
" Sure. Go on." Suki replied smiling.
" Thanks Suki." Katara said, then headed for her cabin to lay down. But, after reaching the cabin she realized that she felt perfectly fine once she vomited, and she was famished. 'Oooooh... moon peaches and sweet cream sound sooooooo good. And what I would give for some sea prunes right now.' She thought as she made her way back to the dining room.
Suki was surprised when she saw Katara return to her seat, and just watched her dumbfounded for a few minutes as Katara eagerly piled food on her plate then attacked it ravenously. " Feeling better?" She queried, cocking an eyebrow.
"Eah... Viss is wehwy gewd." Katara said with a full mouth.
" Ummm... Okay." Suki said.
" Damn Sis, your manners are worse than mine." Sokka said disgusted as he watched her shovel the food in, causing Suki to stiffle a giggle.
Katara shot Sokka a dirty look, then resumed her assault on her dinner as the rest of the family watched. Not sure what to think of her bizzare behavior, although Suki had her suspicions.
After dinner everyone decided to go out on deck and get some fresh air before retiring for the night.
" Sokka, why don't you take Tenzin and show him around the ship?" Suki suggested to her husband.
" Huh?" Sokka said. " Oh, yeah... right. Come on Tenzin, I'll show you around." Sokka said once he understood his wife's intentions, taking his nephew by the hand and leading him away.
" So... um... Katara?" Suki said as she walked along the deck with her sister-in-law, carrying her daughter next to her chest.
" Yeah?" Katara replied.
" How are you feeling?" Suki asked.
" Fine. Why?" Katara said.
" Well, one minute you were throwing up your stockings... and the next you were eating like you hadn't had a meal for days." Suki said.
" Oh, yeah. I guess whatever it was went away. I feel fine now." Katara said.
A few minutes passed as the women silently walked along the deck enjoying the gentle breeze and moonlit sea.
" Um... Katara... I was wondering... when was your last cycle?" Suki asked nervously.
" Huh? My cycle? Why?" Katara asked.
" Well, it's just that... the last time I saw you eat like that... and vomiting... you were pregnant with Tenzin." Suki replied.
" Huh? What's that got to do with anything?" Katara asked irritated.
" It was just an observation." Suki said defensively. " You and Aang have been taking... um... precautions... haven't you?" She added.
" Precautions? Oh, no... not... really..." Katara said slowly as the implication finally hit her, then her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open and she stopped dead in her tracks. " Suki, you don't think... that I could be... pregnant... do you?" She asked weakly.
" Um, yeah... actually, I do." Suki said matter-of-factly.
Katara had a look of sheer terror on her face and she placed her hand over her mouth, speechless.
" Hey, don't get all freaked out or anything. I mean, what's the big deal? You and Aang already have a child together. I'm sure he'll be thrilled." Suki reassured her, but Katara remained silent and still with her hand over her mouth.
" Katara? Are you okay?" Suki asked softly.
" Oh, Suki... what am I going to do?" Katara asked fearfully, as she turned toward her sister-in-law.
" What do you mean what are you going to do? You're going to have a child with the man you love, that's what you're going to do. Besides, we don't know for sure yet, anyway. So, calm down." Suki said sternly.
" But... what if I am?" Katara said. " I should have had my cycle by now... Oh, no!" She added frantically.
" Calm down. You love Aang and he loves you. You two were going to build a family together anyway, weren't you?" Suki said.
" Yeah, but not yet!" Katara exclaimed. " It's all his fault, the little sex-addict!" She added angrily.
Suki couldn't help but laugh, and soon Katara was laughing with her. And the two women laughed until they cried.
" Oh, Suki... what would I do without you?" Katara said once the laughter subsided.
" You'd probably be talking to Sokka about this, instead." Suki replied.
" You're right." Katara said, and they both began laughing hysterically.
When the laughter faded the two women stood silently facing each other and smiling for a moment.
" Come on. Let's get some rest." Suki said, then she put her arm around her friend and the two of them walked back to their cabins to turn in for the night.