A/N: Okay, so this is ridiculously long. (13 pages) I think I'm trying to squeeze more into chapters as we move along. Hope it isn't bothering or straining anyone. It is also probably riddled with errors. By the time I am finished writing these, I want them posted. Please forgive me. xD
Love you all! Hope to hear from you!
Healed and Hunted
How I Met Your Mother
Chapter Thirty Three
Running Late
Sokka
"C'mon, Yoshi. Kat and Lee are waiting for us." He yelled through the house. It echoed through, as did his daughter's reply. Coming!
The young girl came plodding down the stairs, over encumbered with bags. Sokka didn't have time to ask what all of it was. He just motioned for her to continue on into the car.
Someone knocked on their front door. Of all the time in the world, they had to choose now.
"Alright, go. Your mom's out back. Go on." Sokka told his daughter. She followed his instruction while he moved to the front of the house. He pulled the door open impatiently.
Standing there, with a piece of paper rolled up in his hands, was Hakoda Ulva. It had been some time since he'd seen his father. The man looked older, and tired. For half a second, Sokka thought about letting him speak. But the anger was still there. The rage and hurt about having his daughter and sister ostracized.
Sokka shut the door.
It wasn't the mature thing to do, but he didn't have time for that. Right now, Toph was in surgery. Kat and Lee were waiting to guide the three of them to the correct hospital. There wasn't time to get into an argument with his father.
Sokka locked the front door, then exited and locked the back. Suki was sitting in the passenger seat, checking her phone. Probably an update text from Aang.
When he climbed into the driver's seat, his wife looked expectantly.
"Kyoshi said someone was at the door." She said.
Sokka drove around the house, past his father, and said nothing.
"Oh," was all she said. It was, he thought, rather self-explanatory. What more was there to say on the matter, that hadn't been already?
Kyoshi looked back, "Isn't that Grandpa?"
Neither parent said anything.
On the Front Porch
Hakoda
Getting the address hadn't been difficult. Neither had finding this place. Though it was off the beaten track, probably to avoid issues with the Ava's personal life, it was a rather straightforward route. His directions had come from a very reliable source.
He'd knocked calmly, hoping to allow himself a moment to breathe. He'd faced down hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people who had wanted him dead. But this…this was much more difficult. This was personal business, and he had very little practice in such matters.
The reception wasn't quite what he expected.
His son had simply stared, and then shut the door in his face.
Hakoda knew he deserved much worse. Still, it was a little extreme of his son to drive away. He watched their bland suburban coast out of the dirt road.
With a sigh, Hakoda walked back to his own car. It was a rental, as he had no real need of a car in the States. He drove off after them, determined not to give up.
He caught with them easily. He'd been tracking for years. Even in this slightly odd urban setting, it was easy. He followed a few cars behind them, leaving them unaware.
They pulled over briefly, and allowed another car to pull in front of them. He followed them for another hour before they finally reached their destination. A hospital?
Who had been injured?
He parked away from them, but close enough to maintain a visual. Out of the second car came his daughter and- as his source had told him- Lee, her boyfriend. His children embraced while his grandchild leaned toward the other man to be picked up.
He started to move closer, trying not to alert them.
When he was close enough to hear, he was surprised.
"They won't let us watch. Aang is the only one allowed in right now." Katara was saying. Her voice was strained, tired sounding.
His son answered, "I figured. Are they going to be able to repair the damage?"
All of the eyes drifted to Kyoshi.
The scarred man was the first to speak, "Of course. It just might take some time, is all."
With that, his daughter-in-law and granddaughter went inside.
"So, what's the real situation?" Sokka asked.
"The damage is repairable. But… well, it's going to take a lot of luck and skill on the doctor's part to make sure." Katara answered immediately.
The three stood still for a moment.
"What else is it?" His daughter wondered.
Sokka sighed, "Well. Right before we left Dad knocked on our door."
Then, because she was paranoid, she looked up. And saw him, standing a few feet away.
"So, you brought him here?" She asked.
The men turned and saw him, Sokka looking surprised and upset. Lee merely moved a fraction of a step in front of Katara, as if to shield her. It was hard to see.
"No. He must…have followed us." Sokka supplied.
Hakoda took a breath, "I needed… to say-"
Katara turned around and began to walk inside, "I neither have the time nor the will to listen. My sister is in surgery."
And now, both of his children had turned their backs.
Lee remained for a second longer.
"Toph was injured in her exit exam. Kat's been on edge ever since." He explained, then went after Hakoda's children.
He stared at the door before going inside. He kept reminding himself that it wasn't supposed to be easy. It was supposed to take work.
The Waiting Room
Kyoshi
Her family was the only one here, at the moment. Her mom and dad were sitting on her left, while Aunt Tara and Lee (she still hadn't genuinely asked to call him uncle yet) were sitting on the other side of the room. Aunt Tara was resting her head on Lee's shoulder.
They were there for nearly thirty minutes before the door opened again.
Grandpa Hakoda was standing there.
"Hey, Grandpa." Kyoshi said, getting out of her seat. Her father reached for her, but she was already past the length of his arm.
She went to her grandfather and gave him a hug.
"Did you come to see Aunt Toph? She's still in with the doctors." The little girl told him. He was looking around at all the adults.
"Kyoshi." Aunt Tara was looking at her, confused.
The young girl sighed, "After…last time he was here… I kept emailing him."
Her father looked at her. Kyoshi didn't feel guilty, though. She couldn't. It had been, after all, the right thing to do.
"I wanted… to… I missed talking to him." She said simply.
The little girl understood that everyone was upset with her grandfather. He had called them monsters. Said they were bad people. Except she had never believed him.
The room was silent, and Kyoshi pulled her grandfather to a nearby chair. They sat together, and waited. It was going to be a long day, she knew.
The Cafeteria
Kat
She didn't know what to feel. Her dad was just…there. It looked like he wanted to say something. But no one was listening.
And little Kyoshi. It wasn't surprising that she kept in contact with the man. Her heart was far too soft. Katara knew that, initially, Kyoshi had felt bad. But, clearly, she had reached back out to the man. It was a brave thing for a child to do.
"Are you alright?" Lee was asking. He was handing her a clear container of pineapples. At least the cafeteria food had improved.
She glanced at him, "I don't know. Part of me wants to yell at him. Another…well, it's still my dad. I'm just trying to focus on worrying about Toph."
He smiled at her. Something about it helped her breathe.
"Speaking of dads, have you figured out what you're going to do about yours?" She asked. It would be easier for her to think about someone else's problems.
Lee shook his head, "Not really. I have no desire to go back to Russia."
It was funny, actually. She wanted him to reconcile with his father. His was running out of time. Yet, when faced with her own father, she would barely give the man a second glance. The situations were entirely different. Still, the similarities were there. Enough so that she felt like a hypocrite.
"I have this nagging feeling that, if I did go back, somehow getting back to the States would be problematic. So, I think I'll be staying." He was saying.
Katara nodded, only half hearing.
She checked out with the cashier and gave Lee a kiss, "I'm going to take this to Aang. See if I can't get him to eat."
The man kissed her again, "Why don't you eat some, too?"
She shot him a smile as she walked away. He was concerned about her, and it was refreshing, actually. He wasn't doing it in a hovering, heavy manner. Just letting her know that he cared.
She apologized for bumping into someone, and went on her way. Aang was probably waiting just outside the operating room. Round one was almost complete by this point.
The Cafeteria
Lee
He saw her bump into her father, but was unsure if she realized who it was. She was probably preoccupied with preparing her argument for Aang eating. The man had recently been too keyed up to eat.
The older man…looked tired.
There was no other way to describe it. It was more than tired, though. It was like his soul was unwell. Which, Lee considered, was a possibility.
He took a chance, and invited the man to eat with him. He hoped, desperately, that her father was here to repair things. That he wasn't here to cause more trouble.
For a while, neither man spoke.
It was her father who first said, "I owe you an apology."
Lee was quick with an answer, "Not me. I don't know you, and you don't know me."
He watched the other man struggle with that. To be fair, Lee was the only adult actually speaking with Katara's father. It was funny, actually. Lee wondered if Katara noticed their similarities. As he thought it, he knew she must have. It was the kind of thing she thought about.
"I figured you would be angry on Katara's account." Her father said finally.
With a shrug Lee said, "Not really. She can be angry on her own account. She told me early on that, if you found out it would be like…well, like it was."
The old man blinked.
"I mean, when was the last time you actually spoke to her? Sure, you've exchanged messages, but in person? When she was ten years old, I think. And then for you to just…find out? I guess I understand. Most parents react like you did." Lee stabbed his plastic cafeteria-issued spork into the pink fruit in front of him. He couldn't tell if it was watermelon or something else. It was hard to focus on.
"That isn't-"
"Look. She's not even really upset about it. She's angry about how you treated Kyoshi. That's all. And now, seeing that Kyoshi can forgive you, it must be hard." He finished. The fruit was not watermelon. He subtly spit it back on to the plate.
Katara's father stared at him, "I've spent my entire life fighting Inheritors. And now, to find out…that my own family…"
"Just because I understand why you're upset doesn't mean I agree with it. You're a grown man. And those are your kid and grandkid. If I had family like them, I wouldn't be tossing them aside." Now he couldn't get the taste of whatever the hell that fruit was out of his mouth.
Hakoda nodded, "I know. I just don't know how to apologize."
The men stared at one another, waiting. Measuring, Lee thought.
"So. You're dating my daughter." Hakoda said suddenly.
The question caught Lee off guard, "Ah, yeah? For almost…oh, a year and a half now."
Damn that pink fruit. Damn it to a hell where there was no other pink fruit like it, where it would be mercilessly teased and isolated.
"Serious?" He asked. It didn't exactly sound like a father asking about his daughter's love life. More like an elder asking about what the kids were up to nowadays.
Lee nodded, still glaring at the horrible fruit, "Yes."
And that was all there was to his answer.
"It's grapefruit." Hakoda told him.
Lee glanced up at the other man, "And a pox on anyone who thought handing it out was a good idea."
The two men shared a laugh.
Outside the Surgery Room
Aang
He and Katara were sitting on the floor, waiting for the doctors to wheel his fiancé out. She had brought him pineapple, watermelon and a spork. She hadn't had to say much. He was starving.
"So. Your dad's here." He said between bites. The pineapple was really yummy.
Kat nodded, "Yeah. Not sure what he wants."
His sister didn't look well. But, he supposed, no one did. Except, perhaps Lee. The man had somehow managed to keep them all functioning.
"Have you talked to him?" Aang wondered. It was nice to be…normal, for a moment. Things had taken a terrible halt when Toph had been hurt.
Kat shrugged, "No. I don't really…want to. I'm tired of thinking about it. How are things with Toph?"
With a bright smile Aang answered, "Really well. They found a really good surgeon. With your help, she should be able to move her hands again soon."
It was the best news all week. When Lee had finally calmed her down, Toph told him everything. How afraid she was. How sad she was. How much it hurt that she couldn't see him anymore. It was hard to see her so exposed.
Kat rubbed his head, "You've been forgetting to cut your hair."
So he had.
"Have the two of you…hashed things out?" His sister asked. She left the question open, so that he didn't have to answer. She was always good about things like that.
Aang looked at the door, "Mostly. She doesn't want to go through with the wedding in December. Not until she's sure she can see again."
"You alright with that?" Kat asked him.
He laughed, "As long as there is a wedding, I'm not too picky. But, you know. We have already reserved the venue."
Kat sighed, "Well, hopefully you will be able to get most of your deposit back. Or maybe you could move the date…"
And, because he was trying to seem alright, he said, "Or, you know. We could let someone else use it."
"Like substitution? I bet you could. Though, where you'd start with that I have no idea." She said, staring ahead.
She clearly wasn't getting it.
"Well, when were you and Lee planning on it?"
Kat didn't seem to register what he'd said, "I bet you could put an ad out in the newspaper. Maybe—What?!"
He waited, a sly grin on his face. He struggled to open the canister of watermelon. It gave him something to stare at while she glared.
"We aren't engaged yet, Aang. Geez." She turned her face away from him.
Aang could see her cheeks lighting up. Yet, she had said. Ah, she'd thought about it.
"You always wanted a December wedding." Aang told her.
She shook her head, "Shut up."
The monk shrugged, dropping the issue. Clearly, he needed to bring it up with Lee. It could wait a few days, perhaps. Already his mind could see it happening. He'd always dreamed of being at Kat's wedding. Though, originally, it had been him she was walking to meet. Now, however, he would be happy just seeing her smile.
The door opened, and two doctors stepped out. The two of them rose quickly, looking at the other people expectantly.
"Is everything…okay?" Kat asked.
The first doctor bobbed his head, "The first part of the surgery is done. We'll have to wait eight weeks for this to heal, and then go in and reset the finer bones."
Aang grasped their hands in turn, thanking them. The relief was great, and for the first time since he'd found out, Aang was able to catch his breath.
After the doctors walked away, the two of them went inside. Toph was still asleep, naturally, but she seemed more at ease. Aang brushed her hair back, traced the side of her face with one finger.
When he looked back up, Katara was gone.
Back in the Waiting Room
Kat
She was here to share the news. She couldn't look at her father, who seemed much more comfortable than before. She couldn't look at Lee, because she kept thinking You always wanted a December wedding. And that wasn't something she'd given much thought to.
Still, everyone seemed pleased with her news.
"She's still asleep. Aang's with her. So. We're all good. Lee and I have to go back tonight, though." She said. They were lucky to have received this little vacation. Not that there was anything the University could have done to stop them.
"I'll go get our things. We should get back as soon as possible." Lee said.
He rose, and touched her shoulder.
"Wait. Katara. Could…could we have lunch, first?" Her father was on her feet.
Kat looked at Lee, who was waiting for her signal. Depending on what she wanted, he would either object, or offer more time. She gave a slight nod and the corners of his mouth lifted.
"Well, Kat. An hour won't kill us," he said. He winked at her, and she let out a shaky breath.
Katara looked back to her father, "There's a nice little place nearby. I'll drive."
Her heart was beating erratically, but she was instantly glad she had accepted. At least this way, no one would be able to say she hadn't tried to make things right.
She looked at Sokka, and gave him a nod which he returned. She knew they were both thinking the same thing. No matter what he said or did, Hakoda was still their father. Still Kyoshi's grandfather.
"I'll see you guys soon," Kat told them.
Kyoshi ran up to her, "When is your test? Lee said his is tomorrow."
Katara blinked, "Sweetheart, I'm not testing out."
The little girl looked around, unsure.
"There are some really scared little kids up there who depend on me. Think you can forgive me?" Suddenly, staying seemed impossibly hard.
The little girl nodded, "Okay. I understand. But…you'll still visit, right?"
"You bet." Katara promised.
With that, she bid her family farewell, and led her father out to her car. What a strange day today was turning out to be. Perhaps a better one than the morning had made it out to be.
Hot Rocks
Hakoda
It was a simple restaurant, but just the sight of it made him uncomfortable. The alarm bells in the back of his mind were going off, screaming danger. On the outside, it seemed like a normal restaurant. What was it that was bugging him?
"Ah, well. We're here. But… listen. This is an Inheritor-friendly place. Somewhere I am free to go, without fear of being discriminated against." Katara was saying.
He understood, too, what she wasn't saying. She was giving him a chance to prove he could move past the Inheritor issue. This was it, he realized. His last shot at getting his family back. Suddenly, he wished they'd gone somewhere else.
Katara walked ahead of him, "Come on, Dad. Keep up. I actually don't have so much time as to waste."
He stopped dawdling and rushed after her. He managed to reach the door before her, making sure to open it carefully. She stepped through, ducking away from his arm.
His daughter had grown so much to not only look, but act like Kaya that it physically hurt to look at her. Hakoda's eyes were prickling, and he tried to force the emotion away. But it wasn't going anywhere. She turned back to look at him, and he nearly lost it.
The man managed to hold himself together until they were seated. When Katara looked away, he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. It was made to look natural, but his daughter knew better. Still, she didn't exactly call him out on it.
"I miss her, too. Sometimes, I can still hear her calling my name." Katara told him, reaching for him but keeping her distance.
It hurt more that she was afraid to touch him than her reference to Kaya.
He blinked at his daughter, unsure of how to speak. How did you admit something you had been denying for years? How was he supposed to refer to Kya in the past tense? It was unnatural.
"We taught Kyoshi that silly little song she used to sing. Now, every time she gets an injury she wants to hear it. Sometimes, when I walk past a mirror I have to stop. I think, oh there she is. But… its always just me." Katara was babbling, now, he saw. So did she, as she made herself stop talking.
She was nervous. Afraid. Of him.
They both ordered something nondescript off the menu. When their drinks came, they sipped in awkward, painful silence. But, it was his time to speak. Not to sit and hope things would work.
"Katara, I'm sorry." He told her. He hoped, prayed, that she understood. It was hard to elaborate, when he was just generally sorry. Sorry for how he acted, for what he believed, what he'd spent the past…lifetime doing. The words themselves, he saw, would never be enough. Ever. He would have to apologize by making amends.
His daughter sighed, "Not really. Given the chance, you wouldn't change anything."
"Of course I wouldn't. If I started my life accepting Inheritors…well, I would never have met Kya." He told her. And he could see the shock on her face.
She stared at him, obviously waiting for a story.
So, he told her.
Nineteen Seventy-Two
Hakoda
He was nineteen, and it was a very different world. He was new in the army, and his unit had been called in to contain protestors. Which was ridiculous. They had been slated for Vietnam. They were meant to be fighting Inheritors there. But here they were, still on the homeland. Keeping the peace from Inheritor-loving, "eco-friendly," trouble-makers.
The signs read, The Earth was theirs to Inherit! Make Peace, not War! And, The Ava will Rise!
Honestly, what were they thinking? Those as dangerous as the Inheritor could bring no peace. Their powers-unnatural curse that they were- were meant only to destroy. They would only cause harm.
He stares forward with a blank stare, the dead-eye they taught you in basic. His hands are behind his back, and though he looks calm, he is ready to spring into action should a protestor step too closely.
The event today was Senator George McGovern was speaking, endorsing the war. The election was coming up, and he was speaking here, in New Mexico. Things were quite rowdy. At the moment, the senator had only just arrived. It will be a few days before he actually spoke to the masses.
The first day passes without incident.
He heads out that night, wanting both to experience the local food and find out how people were reacting to the senator's presence. The best way to do that was to head to the darkest places of town, or the most occupied. Bars were a good combination, a bit safe, but not all the way.
His hair is short, cut, but it's not specifically a military cut. He makes an effort to let his walk loosen. He has been trained in infiltration, and knows what to do. But it's the thinking about it that ruined the act.
Just then, he bumped into a small form. He looked down, and apologized quickly.
The first thing he noticed were her eyes. Blue eyes, more so than he had ever seen. God, he could drown in those eyes. And then, her smile.
He didn't know why she was smiling. The fact that she was, though, brought a smile to his own face. She was stunning, even in the poor light of whatever street this was.
"Uhm, hi." She had a pretty voice. Beautiful accent, perhaps Native American?
He realized he was staring.
Hakoda gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh. Sorry. I was just…"
The woman knocked on his forehead with a knuckle, "Blanking out on a dangerous street? I noticed. I could have been a mugger."
They both gave a small laugh.
"In fact," she dug in her pocket, "I believe this belongs to you."
She produced his wallet. He searched his pockets, incredulous that someone had removed it. That she had removed it.
He scowled at her, and took his wallet back. He shoved it in his pocket and sighed.
"Hey, relax. Just trying to make a point. You lost or something?" For her accent, her words were strange. It sounded like she'd grown up in the city. In Texas or something. Geez, was she odd.
Hakoda said nothing.
She smiled, "Well, are we just gonna stand here all night? Where were ya headed, mister?"
"Uh, that way." He pointed behind her.
Her head followed his finger, "Well, there's nothing good that way. Just trouble. I'm going to the movies. Want to come with? Wouldn't want you to end up dead in an alley way."
Hakoda laughed, "I think I could handle myself."
The woman rolled her eyes, "Right. Because you're so observant."
In her fingers rolled his wallet.
"For a lady so pretty, you sure have sticky fingers." Hakoda noted calmly. He took his wallet back, this time opting to put it in his back pocket.
She grinned, "Yes. Now. Accompany me to a movie, and keep me from doing wrong."
He didn't know what to say. Manners dictated he accept. Yet, that would tear him away from his job. He was here as a protector. Could he abandon that for a pretty face?
"You've really got to quit that. Good thing I'm here." She was saying. She grabbed his arm and dragged him along.
He went willingly, albeit confused. Certainly forceful for a young woman.
"Oh, here." She said, handing him back his wallet.
Hakoda couldn't even be angry, "Since we're going to see a movie together, think you could share your name?"
The woman glanced up, "Oh, right. My name. You…can call me Kya."
"Hakoda Ulva, miss." He told her. They had reached the movie theatre. Hakoda had somehow missed it on his way in. There were dozens of people here, and crowds made him nervous. Though, really, as he thought about it, the most dangerous person he'd met was the woman still hanging on his arm.
"So… What movie were you going to see?"
She grinned, "A new cinema came out three days ago. Deliverance. I want to see it."
He'd heard about the movie. It wasn't, if talk was to believed, not a movie a young woman would go and see on her own. Still, if that's what she wanted to see.
"Well, go on. Go get our tickets."Kya said. She nudged him forward, "This is a date, after all. And you did insist."
That wasn't exactly how he remembered it. He was almost certain it was the other way around.
Still, he did as he was told.
They went in together, and sat next to one another. The dark room was warm, and Hakoda was fidgeting the whole time. Too many people.
After the movie was over, Kya dragged him outside. It was beyond dark now, but the lights of the theatre kept the area lit. Hakoda was just staring down at her, amazed and full of wonder.
"That wasn't exactly a movie for women to watch by themselves." He said, trying to sound half-way intelligent. He had barely managed a coherent sentence all night.
The woman raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't by myself, now was I?"
She was infuriating! With that smug little…grin of hers. That stupid little glint in her eyes that beckoned. Why was someone so smart so….so annoying?
"So. Hakoda Ulva. What brings you to my little neck of the woods?" She asks. She's leaning on him, and they are walking slowly. He doesn't know where. She's leading, of course.
He rubbed the back of his neck, "Well. I've been stationed here for the time being. I'm part of the army."
Suddenly, she let him go. She stopped moving forward, and turned her entire body to face him. He could see the disappointment in her eyes. It stung like he couldn't believe.
"You…don't like soldiers?" He wondered, taking a guess.
Kya rolled her eyes, "No. Not really. They leave and never come back. And it isn't fair. To anyone."
He stared down at her, "Your dad was a soldier?"
"My dad was a medicine man. I just know what happens to young men, just like you. You want to be brave and protect your country from the big-bad Inheritors. So you sign your soul over to the government. And then you die. Not caring about the people waiting at home who may never know." She was angry. That much was clear. But she was wrong.
Hakoda objected, "Of course we care. That's why we go."
"I don't care. I won't do it." She said, walking ahead. She was fast, but his legs were much longer. He kept pace with her easily.
"Do what, exactly?" He asked her, trying not to further ruin things.
Her finger was on his chest in an instant, "Don't think you can be all charming and expect me to sit at home waiting. I won't."
He blinked. Had he even hinted that he wanted her to? It was one movie. They'd known one another for a grand total of two hours. And, yet, as he thought about it more, he really did like her. Even if she was infuriating. Even if she kept stealing his wallet.
"I go to the movies every Wednesday at six." She told him, switching off from anger to something else. Kya sounded distant now, "Be safe. And come home, Hakoda."
With that, she cut across him sharply and entered a house he hadn't even noticed. She was gone before he could respond. He stood outside of her house for a long while, thinking. She was right, though. Almost no one made it home. Still, it wasn't going to stop him.
Hot Rocks
Kat
"Well, what did you do?" She asked. He'd stopped talking all of a sudden. Then, she remembered, this was painful for him. She'd been prodding for information the whole time because it was the first he'd ever said on the matter. It was the only story she had ever heard about their meeting.
Her father smiled at his empty plate, "I went to Vietnam a few months later. The war ended three years after I arrived. I waited a good six months before heading back there. It had been four years since we'd seen each other. I doubted she remembered me."
Katara leaned forward. This had to be the pivotal moment. This had to be the time where her parents realized they were in love.
"I went to the movies that Wednesday. Found her." He was calmer, now. "She was holding hands with some guy. I don't even remember his name. It was pretty serious between them."
Kat felt her shoulders drop. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. She wanted an epic tale. But this was real life, and fairy tales didn't exist. It was stupid to think otherwise.
"I walked right up to her and said hello." He looked at Katara now, "You know what she said? She told me, 'I said I wouldn't wait.' No more explanation, she simply walked away with that guy."
Kat blinked, "But… I mean… The two of you didn't…?"
She didn't know how to ask what she wanted to know. She had thought, as a child, that her parents had been married forever. But, as she sat doing the math, she realized something. Her father was old. Sixty years this year. And she was only twenty-five. That meant he was thirty-five when she was born. That was a ten year gap between where he was in the story and her birth. Eight for Sokka's.
"Kya turned around really quickly, and hugged me. She also returned my wallet. Again. I lived in New Mexico for about…six months. Every Wednesday at six o'clock, I would go see a movie. She was there, every time, with that guy. He asked me to stop, about a month in." Her father continued.
He gave her a dark smile, "But, well, it's a free country. Kya told him as much. After a while, I could tell things were getting tense between them."
"So, you broke them up and married mom?" She asked. This, at least made sense.
But her father shook his head, "Nope. I asked Kya if she wanted me to stop coming, if it would make things easier. She was alone that day. She shrugged and told me she'd ended things with him, because he was far too jealous."
She ordered dessert, and sighed.
"We saw Monty Python, that day. It was our second date. By the end of it, I knew I wanted to marry her. She was…well, I don't even know. Since I'd met her, I had always felt like I was missing something. And, being with her…it really…helped." He said, looking sad.
Kat touched his hand, and he gripped her lightly.
"I was recalled to duty at the end of those six months. And I couldn't convince her to come with me. She was twenty, and in college. She had her own life to attend to." Hakoda laughed, "She was an art major, believe it or not. Anyways. I promised to write, but she waved it off. Said I could tell her all about it when I got back."
Kat nodded, "How long was it that time?"
Without looking at her or changing the inflection he answered, "Three years. Three long years."
"And then you came back and got married?" She wanted to know.
Hakoda shook his head once more, "No. The only reason I came back to her was because…well, I don't think we ever told you the story. Her parents- your grandparents- were killed in a car accident. I never actually met them."
That was sad, actually. But, sweet of her father to go all the way to New Mexico to console her mother. Katara knew what it was like losing a parent. It wasn't something she'd ever pictured her mother experiencing.
"I stayed with her for...a long time. And, then, finally, we were married. I got out of the military. She convinced me, for a short time, that not all Inheritors were evil. Sokka was born two years later. And then you, two years after that." He was smiling now, in earnest. Not smiling because of a memory.
Katara looked down, "And then she died."
"That morning… was the first time I'd managed to catch her stealing my wallet. For years afterward, I blamed myself for what happened. It was like I'd ruined the game. It was stupid, I know. But still. The thought was there." He was poking his plate with a knife.
Kat wasn't sure if her voice could make the right sounds, but she tried, "It…wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was there. I could have… saved her. If I'd been smarter. She told me to run and get you, instead. I keep thinking, if I'd just stopped… she was bound to a chair, and I could have helped her."
Hakoda said nothing, so she kept talking.
"I knew how to use scissors. By that time, I could freeze things. Maybe broken those stupid plastic ties." Her eyes were leaking now, but she didn't care. She'd never told anyone that before. That she blamed herself. How close she'd been to saving her mother's life.
"Katara." Her father snapped, "Your mother was murdered. You were very small. Kya knew what she was doing when she was sending you to me. She was protecting you as best she could. It's not your fault. It's not my fault. Hell, it isn't even the fault of Inheritors. I see that, now. Kyoshi…pointed something out. She told me how much she loved Lee, and how much he loved you."
Katara couldn't speak.
"When I found out he was a Fire-Inheritor, I thought of it as betrayal. I thought, how could you do that, after what happened to your mother? But I was wrong. About him. About Kyoshi. About you. And I'm sorry." He finished.
She tried to breathe evenly, but ended up just sucking in air like she was a fish out of water, "I understand. I'm sorry for lying to you for so long."
Her father laughed, "I don't blame you at all for that. I just wish Kya were here to see it. I bet she would have loved to see this."
Katara rubbed her eyes, "Mom knew. She was the one that told me to keep it from you. Looking back, I think she was afraid you'd reject me."
The table was silent after that. They finished their meal quickly, after that. Without talking, the food could be consumed much more quickly.
As they were leaving, her father hugged her. He was crying now, too, and shaking. It was something to see. He'd always been Superman.
"I wish we had more time." He said.
Kat grinned at him, "We'll always have next time."
And now, that was true. Things weren't entirely mended, but certainly along the right paths. Her father had a long way to come, and she wasn't sure how far he would actually make it. But, with Kyoshi as his guide, how lost could he truly become?