Zuko
After we finished our meals, we all headed to bed. Sam and I walked in with Izumi to put her to bed. Sam walked to the other side of the bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin and I walked to the other side and tucked her blankets in tight around her. This was our routine every night and it never got old listening to Izumi giggle every time I tucked her in. Sam and I kissed her goodnight and went into our own room. Sam closed the door behind us. We were changing out of our clothes and I knew Sam would want to get a bath.
"I need to get a bath, my love." Sam said. It was almost like she read my mind. "Come with me?" she asked. I wasn't sure if she meant just in the room or in the tub with her but I thought I'd figure it out. I followed her into the bathroom. She drew the water and heated it with firebending, something I had noticed a marked improvement of since I had met her. She sat down in the water and looked at me. "Climb in with me? It's been so long since we did this." she said. That was true. Not since Izumi was a little baby. I took off my clothes and Sam slid forward, giving me room to climb in. I sat down behind her and she leaned back against my body, my legs straddling her.
"Mmm. This feels so nice." Sam said, nestling against my chest.
"You said it." I agreed. Sam closed her eyes. I ran my hands up and down her bare arms, seemingly putting her to sleep. After a few minutes she shifted to lay on her side and she wrapped her free arm around my neck and snuggled her face into the junction between my shoulder and neck. "You alright, Fire Lily?"
"Talking about this stuff. Verbalizing the horror of it. Remembering the victims that I knew outside. The stories they told. Presenting this just…brought back some painful memories."
"I can only imagine how painful it is to remember the victims. The things you've seen. But I know you, my love and there is more to it than that." I felt her cheek rise as I felt her mouth raise into a small smile against my chest.
"You know me too well. If we have girls being sold into sex slavery here…"
"Yes?"
"That means…Fire Nation citizens are presumably…buying them." Sam concluded. I froze and my blood ran cold despite the warm water. Agni, she was right.
"I hadn't thought about that. How do we catch the ones who are…paying?"
"We don't unless we catch them in the act. Which, as you can imagine, is not an easy thing to accomplish." She explained. She nuzzled more into my neck and I rubbed her chilly arms.
"What do you say we get out of here and go to bed? You're getting cold." No amount of firebending the water would warm her whole body. She leaned forward and I climbed out while she finished her bath. Sam got her pants and shirt on and I was just in my sleeping pants - I rarely slept with a shirt on. We both climbed into bed and settled into our favorite position. We were laying in comfortable silence when heard a scream.
"AHH! MOMMY! DADDY! AHHH!" Izumi shouted. Sam and I jumped out of bed and ran over to Izumi's room, ready to fight off an intruder. Two guards were right behind us. We glanced around the room and saw no one. We both ran over to Izumi's bedside.
"Izumi! What happened?!" I asked her. She was sobbing uncontrollably. I sat down on the bed and she climbed right into my lap looking for protection and safety.
"There's a m-m-monster! The C-C-Closet Caper! I saw him!" Izumi cried. I looked over at Sam and she looked at me wearing the same confused expression.
"Izumi, it's alright. There's no such thing as monsters." I said although was doubting my own words considering the content of the meeting we had today and my conversation I just had with Sam.
"What is the Closet Caper, hunny?" Sam asked.
"It's a scary man who hides in your closet. Then when you go to sleep, he sneaks out of the closet and up to your bed and eats your feet and steals your toys!" This sounded like a tall tale that she heard from one of the other children.
"It's in my closet! Daddy! I'm scaaaaaared!" she cried, her arms tight around my neck.
"Who told you about this Closet Caper?" Sam asked.
"Bumi! He told me that it would come out and eat my feet and take all of my toys!" Well, I'll be talking to Aang and Katara in the morning, for sure.
"Izumi, Bumi was just trying to scare you. There is nothing in here."
"But I saw him!" I got up and tried to pass Izumi to Sam but she wasn't having it. Her little hands were locked around my neck and wouldn't let go. I picked her up and carried her with me to the closet to check it out. Izumi clung tighter to my neck, scared. She whimpered, recoiling into me, not wanting to see into the closet. I could feel her trembling. She really WAS terrified.
There was, in fact, something in her closet and when I saw what it was, I got angry. I set Izumi down on her feet but she quickly wrapped her arms around my leg and stayed behind me. I looked over at Sam, my brow furrowed. Her eyes widened at my reaction. Then I turned my attention to my guards.
"Guards, thank you for your quick response but you may return to your posts. Nothing to see here." I then turned my attention to the closet. "Bumi, get out of there, now!" I said. Izumi looked at Bumi surprised but she was still scared. "Tell me what you're doing in there, young man." I said, very serious. I had a gentle and firm voice I would use with my daughter. Right now, I was genuinely angry and I did not afford Bumi this same courtesy. Bumi looked at me, wide eyed. "Speak!" I said, raising my voice.
"I-I was bored, so I decided to have a little fun." he said sheepishly.
"Fun? You think scaring a little girl half out of her mind is fun?" I asked, raising my voice to him. He lowered his head as I scolded him.
"Well, I didn't think she would get THAT scared. I just thought I'd jump out and she would laugh about it."
"Bumi! She's five years old! She's too little to play those kinds of games with!"
"But Kya and Tenzin like to play it." I looked at him skeptically. I did not buy that one bit.
"Uh-huh. Go back to bed, Bumi. I'll be talking to your parents in the morning." Bumi's eyes widened and he suddenly was repentant.
"Please, Fire Lord Zuko! Don't tell Mom and Dad. They'll be really angry with me! I'm sorry I scared Princess Izumi!" Bumi pleaded. My brow furrowed and I gazed down at him.
"I'm sure you are, Bumi. You should have thought about that before scaring my daughter." I said. "As for them being angry - I'm sure they will be. A Fire Lord is already angry with you." Bumi's eyes started to water and he was going to start crying. I hated it when people did this. Especially when it was kids.
"Please, Fire Lord! I'm really, really sorry! Please don't tell them! I won't do it again, I promise!" I felt sorry for Bumi but then I remembered my Izumi, still clinging to my leg and shaking.
"Oh, you definitely will not be doing it again. I can guarantee you that. As for telling your parents, they will be informed first thing in the morning. Go to bed. Right now." I said pointing in the direction of his room. Bumi made one last ditch effort.
"Please don't tell them. Pleea-hehehehe-se!" he was now crying. I'd had enough. I leaned down to Bumi's level and I met his eyes. They were wide like saucers again. When I spoke to him, my voice raised significantly.
"Bumi! You are trying my patience. If you are not walking to your room in the next three seconds you will be answering to me." Bumi was going to say something but I cut him off. "Not another word out of you, young man. Do I make myself clear?" I scolded him. He looked at me, upset and ran off to his room.
I looked down at Izumi and she was crying. I knelt down so I was at her level. She threw herself into my arms and kept crying.
"Why did he do that? I thought he was my f-f-friend!" she was still sobbing.
"He is still your friend, Turtleduck. He just wanted to play a trick on you." I said.
"But that was mean!"
"You're right, Izumi. It was mean. He will be apologizing to you in the morning." That's if I had anything to say about it. I lifted her up and carried her back to bed and laid her down.
"No! Daddy no! Please don't leave me! I'm scared!" She cried, clinging to my hand. Sam came up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, pointing to our room with her chin. She thought we should let Izumi sleep with us. Just for tonight. I nodded. I leaned down and picked up Izumi.
"Alright, Turtleduck. Just for tonight." I said as I carried her back to our bed. I laid her down between us and she quickly fell asleep. Sam and I laid on either side of her and it wasn't long until we too were asleep.
I was still furious with Bumi after what he did last night. Everyone was leaving today but I needed to talk to Aang and Katara. I walked up to Appa and they looked down at me.
"Where are Sam and Izumi?" Sokka asked. I stole a quick glance at Bumi who recoiled behind his uncle.
"They…are not coming. Aang, Katara, may I speak to you before you leave?" They climbed down off of Appa.
"What's up, Buddy?" Aang asked.
"There…was an incident last night. I thought you might want to know about it." They followed my eyes that were resting on Bumi. Aang's brow furrowed and he looked up at his son.
"Bumi! Down here, now." Bumi slowly climbed down off of Appa and stood next to his father, his head downcast.
"What happened last night, Bumi?" Katara asked. Bumi was still looking down at the ground playing with a rock with his foot. "Bumi!"
I knew that Bumi was a handful for Aang and Katara. He was always getting into trouble. I was hoping he would make it this trip without incident. He almost did.
"Do I need to ask the Fire Lord?" Katara asked Bumi. Bumi's face shot up to Katara and he looked like he was ready to spill his guts. Obviously, there were consequences if he didn't own up to his actions.
"I…played a little trick on Princess Izumi last night. That's all."
"If that's all then why is Fire Lord Zuko so angry? Tell me the truth Bumi. You know the consequences for lying."
"I'm not lying! Honest, that's all!"
"I'll give you one more chance to tell the truth or I will have to ask Fire Lord Zuko." Katara warned. I noticed that they referred to Sam and I as our full titles to their children. When speaking to us though, they dropped the formalities. Bumi looked up at Katara, defeated.
"Well…I sort of snuck into her closet and scared her."
"How did you scare her?" Aang asked.
"Well, I told her the story about the Closet Caper." Aang's brow furrowed again.
"What did we tell you about telling the kids that story? It scares them!" Aang looked up at me, "Did he backtalk to you at all, Zuko?" I looked down at Bumi and looked back at Aang.
"A little bit, yes." It was more than a little bit but I took pity on the boy.
"I'm really sorry about this Zuko." Katara looked down at Bumi, "When we get home, straight to your room. Understood? You will also apologize to Izumi."
"I'm not sure if that will be possible." I said. All three looked at me puzzled. I glared down at Bumi, "that's why Sam and Izumi aren't here. She was really upset last night. She didn't understand why Bumi would do that if he is her friend. She is still a little apprehensive at seeing Bumi. She didn't really sleep last night. She was terrified." Bumi looked up at me, his face sad. He didn't realize the detrimental effect his actions would have on my daughter. He stepped forward to me. His head was still bowed and he spoke so softly, I almost didn't hear him.
"Fire Lord Zuko, can I see Princess Izumi? I really want to apologize to her. I didn't know that she would think I'm not her friend. I am her friend! Please Fire Lord!" he pleaded. I had to admit, I was proud of Bumi. He clearly cared about Izumi and it showed.
"I'll talk to Sam and see what I can do. I can't make any promises."
"Can I…May I come with you?" I didn't see the harm in it.
"Sure." I said. I started to walk away and I noticed his parents were joining us too. When we arrived at Izumi's room, I paused at the door. "I'll be right back." I opened the door, walked in and shut it behind me. Sam was sitting with Izumi, holding her. She was still upset about last night. I don't think Bumi knows how sensitive my little girl is. I came over and sat on the bed.
"Izumi, how are you feeling, my girl?"
"Ok, Daddy." she said. She seemed to be better than she was last night, although that wasn't saying much.
"Izumi, Bumi is outside your room right now. He is very sorry for what he did and he wants to apologize to you before he leaves. You think you can come out here and accept his apology?" Izumi looked skeptical. She set her mouth and chin into place. Stubborn as her father. Sam stepped in.
"Hunny, if someone does something wrong and they want to apologize to you, the kind thing to do is hear them out. It could surprise you. You may even forgive him." Sam said. She always had a way with words and explaining things to her that I could not match.
"How do I forgive him?"
"Well, when he says he's sorry, you know that he means it and you give him another chance."
"Do I have to forgive him?" she asked. It wasn't in her nature to hold a grudge. I was surprised by her question.
"Well, no, you don't. But friends forgive each other. And I know he scared you, sweetie, but he still is your friend."
"Then why did he do that?!"
"Because, hunny, sometimes friends make mistakes."
"Like how when I do something bad and you and Daddy still love me?" Agni this kid was smart!
"Exactly, Zoom. You got it. Now, let's go see Bumi and hear what he has to say." She held her hand out to Izumi. She deliberated for a moment but ultimately took Sam's proffered hand and followed her Sam out. I came out behind them both and took her other hand. Bumi was standing in the hallway flanked by his parents. He looked up at Izumi and I could tell he'd been crying. He took a step toward her.
"Princess Izumi?" Bumi said. Izumi's chin was still set stubbornly. I gave her hand a little squeeze. She looked up at me and I urged with my eyes for her to listen.
"Yes, Bumi?" she said. So formal. She definitely was still upset.
"Princess Izumi, I'm really, really sorry about last night. I didn't mean to scare you so bad. Your dad said that you don't think I'm your friend anymore but that isn't true! I like you a lot, and I'm still your friend, if you want to still be my friend. I promise I won't do anything like that again to you ever! I promise I won't! Please, forgive me." Bumi said, bowing to Izumi. She thought about it for a moment and then smiled at him.
"Of course I still want to be your friend, Bumi!" she said. She stepped forward and hugged Bumi. Bumi was surprised by her sudden embrace - something Sam and I were used to. He breathed a sigh of relief and he hugged her back. Izumi looked up at me and Sam.
"Can I go with Bumi to say good bye?"
"Of course you can, Turtleduck." I said. I was proud of her. She was a good little girl and I knew she would grow up to be a great woman.
"Thank you, for forgiving our son, Princess. You are a lovely little girl." Katara said. Izumi blushed at her compliment and ran along with Bumi.
"Izumi! No running in the palace!" Sam called after her.
"Let her go, Sam. She's alright." I said. Sam looked at me and smiled. I offered my arm to her and she accepted it. We walked out to the courtyard where everyone was waiting. We all said our good byes and Appa took off. We stood there until he was out of sight. I looked down at Izumi and she was pouting and sniffled. I knelt down to be at her eye level.
"Turtleduck, what's the matter?"
"I'm gonna miss, Bumi." she said.
