CHAPTER 13

ZUKOS POV

It had taken them three whole days to cross the Jiashui River. Getting one thousand soldiers into canoes and over the expansive water was a feat that had to be carefully executed. They had been traveling with wooden longboats because they were lighter and easier for them to carry. Though these boats were better for long travels, they weren't the best for holding equipment. Multiple boats had to be reserved for their food, weapons and tents, leaving some soldiers without a way across the river. An entire day was lost sending boats back to pick up the remaining recruits. Once they were on the other side they continued their march south toward the coast at Pohuai Stronghold for 3 whole weeks. They were now just a weeks time from their destination.

Today Toph was leading the ranks, the spy soldiers that she had brought from the Jasmin Dragon following close behind her. Zuko was covering the rear, the position he often liked control of. He wanted to be the first one to defend in case of an ambush. Katara was likely somewhere in the middle with Suki. This Earth regimen was a magnificent sight to behold. They were like a sea of green, treading slowly between the valleys beside the mountain. Wheeled caravans carried materials, weapons, and food, kicking up dust and dirt as they went. They walked in rows with every third row having soldiers carrying netted longboats.

When mid day rolled around the troop stopped for lunch. The eating tents were pitched and the general mood around the camp was galant. Zuko walked through the groups of raucous soldiers settling amongst themselves. This was the only time of day they all got to take a break from marching outside of when they stopped for the night. Lunch was when many would bring out their instruments or board games, taking their minds off of the violence and chaos of their current world.

"Hey Lee! Come join us for a game of Pai Cho!" he heard someone call as he walked by. He turned to find an Earth bender he'd been talking to the other day who had helped him load supplies onto one of the boats. If he remembered correctly his name was Aadi.

"Sure" he said making his way over to the group of males. It was four of them sitting around a tree stump that they'd set the board on. Each one had taken off their armor, left only in their green gambasons. He sat beside Aadi.

"This is Lee, he came from Chao" Aadi explained to everyone. They all introduced themselves before starting up their game. Zuko was up first, playing against a stocky non bender who was proving to be a formidable opponent. But Zuko was better. They were on their second game when the lunch horn sounded throughout the camp.

"Let's head to the food tents, Lee you can sit with us if you'd like" he nodded his head following behind their group. Zuko usually ate alone. Katara would always volunteer to cook and serve the food, while Toph and Suki ate with the spy squad from the Jasmin Dragon. He considered his lunch time to be his time of peace, usually venturing out to find somewhere with nice scenery to eat. But he would enjoy this switch in routine.

There were a total of ten lunch tents, each one could contain 100 soldiers at a time. When Zuko and Aadi's group entered a tent his eyes immediately flew to the front of the serving line. There he spotted Katara on the other side of the long table ladling stew into soldier's bowls one by one. Beside her was another girl he didn't recognize spooning in the rice.

"That water tribe girl is serving again" Aadi commented nudging one of his friends with an elbow. Zuko side eyed them pretending not to hear.

"I bet you won't go say hi to her" his friend jested. Aadi grinned.

"She's just so hot…I'd love for her to warm my tent" he sighed. Zuko snorted loudly to the surprise of Aadi and his friends.

"Her name's Katara. And sorry Aadi you'll never get the chance" he said deeply. Aadi's face twisted in bitterness.

"What are you trying to say Lee?" he said in offense, stepping toward the fire bender.

"Because she's mine." he said with finality, squaring his body at him. Zuko was much taller than the guy so he looked down the bridge of his nose at him. There was a long pause, then he chuckled putting his hands up in surrender "My bad man I didn't know" he said smoothly backing away into the line again.

They each got a metal tray. It wasn't long before they were at the front of the line. Zuko's eyes fell on Katara again. She was wearing her serving clothes. They were the color of potato's and loose fitting but she looked absolutely devine despite what she was wearing. Her hair was pulled back into a neat braid with short curls framing her face. He saw her eyes find his in a split moment. She looked down and away almost instantly.

That was weird Zuko thought. As he approached he actively watched her avoid all eye contact with him. He stepped in front of her, bowl in hand. She ladled his food quickly…too quickly.

"Hello Kat" he said lowly.

"Hi" she squeaked still looking down.

"You have some time after serving? I saw a spot that's good for watching the mountains" he offered. That pretty blush Zuko loved spilled across her high cheeks.

"Today's not really a good day, maybe another time" she said quietly. She sounded like she was lying. He squinted his eyes.

"What do you have to do? Don't tell me you volunteered for cleaning duty again" he asked. She hurried to spoon in the rest of his stew.

"Uhh no just helping Suki with something". His eyes narrowed even further. Aadi was beside him in line watching their interaction very closely.

"Sure…catch you later then" he lamented. He went further down the line, not wanting to hold the people behind him up any further. She turned from him to ladle in Aadi's food. As Zuko was walking towards a table Aadi came up behind him with his tray of food in hand and a smirk in his eyes.

"It doesn't really look like she's yours my friend. In fact, it looked like she barely wanted to talk to you".

Zuko scowled waking away and out of the tent.

He found a clearing some leagues from the camp. He was just out of earshot of the noises produced by the Earth army. He sat on a bolder with the perfect view of the Sky Peak mountains. Just on the other side of that stood the Western Air Temple where he knew no one currently lived. The Northern Air Temple had been the only one to survive his Grandfather's attempted eradication of the air nomads. As he sat on a nearby bolder his thoughts traveled to his girlfriend. She had been acting rather strange lately…he could feel her becoming more distant. As the weeks in the camp wore on he saw her less and less. She seemed to always have an excuse as to why they couldn't spend time together whenever they had off time. She was either helping set up the kitchens and cooking, or volunteering to help the stewards with cleaning. His intuition told him that something was terribly wrong. It troubled him deeply. Had she found someone else she liked in the camp? Had she fallen out of love? Or had something happened to her? His blood boiled at the though of any of those possibilities. He was angry about the distance she was creating, and on top of that he missed her touch. She hadn't so much as breathed in his direction the past couple of weeks. Zuko ate his stew in contemplative silence as he thought of a way to connect with her again without pushing too hard. He didn't want to come off angry but he felt he deserved some sort of explanation. He took their relationship seriously and this kind of behavior wasn't really like her. He looked to the sky, squinting against the harsh rays of the sun. He knew there would be a full moon tonight, meaning Katara wouldn't be sleeping. She would most likely be called to wherever a body of water was. He decided when they pitched camp for the night he would scout for the nearest lake or river. When the full moon was high he would go looking for his water bender.

KATARAS POV

The full moon was rising steadily in the sky as Katara made her way through the camp and to her own tent. She had just finished helping the tailor sew all the tattered underclothes soldiers had dropped off throughout the week. She had basically made an occupation out of avoiding Zuko. Her only strategy was to keep herself busy. But the work was catching up to her ever changing body. Her back ached as she half walked half waddled to the women's side of the camp. Every step she took filled her pregnant belly with dread. She was getting bigger and bigger every day it seemed. She could no longer wear her regular clothes. She needed Toph to go through the bins of extra male soldier's clothes to provide some coverage for her torso. She wasn't huge, but there was a slight protrusion of her abdomen now, and if anyone looked hard enough they would definitely be able to tell. It didn't help that the rest of her body was so small, making any weight gain rather obvious.

She stepped into her tent finding Suki already there with Toph, each with mugs of tea in hand. Katara let out a deep sigh, passing by them and plopping onto her sleeping bag. The kerosene lamp provided a dim light that made the shadows of their bodies dance across the tent walls.

"Katara you've got to give your body a break! Isn't it enough marching cross country without you adding all this extra work?" Suki reprimanded as she turned toward her. This wasn't anything Katara hadn't heard from Suki or Toph before. Both of them continuously scolded her for not taking it easier.

"How else am I to avoid Zuko?" she hissed. Katara knew that if Zuko were to get her alone, he'd want to touch her. And touching her would surly lead to him discovering her condition.

"What's more important? Your health or keeping this a secret?" Suki countered. Katara wasn't sure if her pregnancy was making her hormones go haywire but she felt tears well up in her eyes at her friend's critical looks. Her face heated as she awkwardly got up from her sleeping roll.

"I'm going for a walk" she announced under her breath. She rushed out of her tent in search of somewhere she could be alone with her thoughts. As she walked the full moon brandished her the entire way. It was almost like it disapproved of her actions as well, shinning its light harshly onto her as she approached a flowing river. The sound of the babbling water soothed her racing mind.

"Would you like to take a swim baby?" she asked as she looked down at her slight bulge. She cradled her small stomach then looked to the river once more breathing in its fresh and familiar scent. Her heart filled with warmth thinking of how it would be once she could actually speak to her baby. What would it be like the first time she took them swimming? Would they be a water bender like her or bend fire like their father? She removed her loose fitting serving clothes, hanging them on a tree near by. She was left in nothing but her wrappings. She walked along the bank, finding a pebbled area of shallow water to step into. As her feet hit the cool water she breathed a sigh of relief. She called the water to her control and swirled thin ribbons around her body. She made patterns, freezing and unfreezing them in the air. She stepped deeper into the water. It just barely covered her belly, submerging her baby in her element. She missed the weightlessness that came with being in the water. She always felt just a little lighter, the aches in her body a little less painful. She closed her eyes feeling the pull of the moon within her.

She heard a branch break suddenly, making her whip her head around toward the sound. She turned in the water to find Zuko starring at her from across the bank. His golden eyes bore into hers with an intensity she hadn't seen in a while. She was immensely grateful for the darkness and water concealing her bump…she hadn't heard him approach at all. Her heart hammered in her chest as he wordlessly removed his shirt and sleep trousers. He was left in his black short underwear, his lean muscle rippling as he bent to remove them. She hadn't prepared for this. She felt panic rise like bile in the back of her throat. As he approached the river bank she backed away slowly, her apprehensive gaze trembling under his determined one.

"Katara" he broke the silence once he was in the river. She could feel his every movement within the water, the moon making her sensitivity heightened. He took one step forward and she took another one back.

"Zuko" she whispered. She could tell that he could sense her fear, and it puzzled him. He looked down, almost self consciously. Her heart tore into a million tiny fragments. He didn't deserve this treatment from her. She had been so cold to him the past few weeks with no explanation. She knew she would eventually have to leave him forever, for the sake of their child. She had already begun making plans to sneak away to the South Pole once they made it to Ember Island. Maybe it would hurt less if she drove the knife in sooner rather than later.

"I've missed you Kat…I feel like I barely see you anymore" he said quietly. She felt the backs of her eyes begin to sting and her throat restrict painfully.

"Yeah I….I've just been busy" her voice cracked.

"Busy avoiding me." She met him with silence, refusing to make any eye contact.

"Katara look at me" he pressed. She dragged her eyes up to regard him sheepishly. He was searching her face for any signs of an explanation. He stepped closer invading her space and making her panic spike.

"What's going on Kat? Please…talk to me" he reached up to cup her face. She fought the urge to melt into him and let his strong arms wrap around her. She craved his touch so badly it hurt. She was so exhausted from getting past the first trimester in her pregnancy and packing on all the extra work. Her back had been killing her from being on her feet all day and all she wanted was to tell the man she loved about all her woes and fall into his embrace. Her body did the opposite of what her heart yearned for and backed away from his touch.

"I just…think we should take a step back" she said quietly looking away from him. She couldn't possibly bare the hurt that was sure to be in his eyes at her words.

"Wh-…what do you mean? You want to break up?" she heard his voice break in a heavy rasp. Her throat closed completely and she felt paralyzed in place.

"Why?" he whispered. She couldn't give him a reasonable explanation. Her love for him was undeniable. She had no real reasons that could explain wanting to leave him. But she needed to make something up. He gripped her chin turning her head towards him. Him being so close to the baby startled her causing her to flinch a little at his touch. She thanked Tui and La for the water covering her stomach.

"Look at me" he grit through his teeth. She could barely hear his voice over the sound of the rushing water but she obeyed him without question. His amber orbes were like pools of lava framed by dark silk lashes.

"Now look me in my eyes…and tell me you don't love me". Katara's eyes could no longer hold the spill of tears that rushed forward. The yearning in his voice threatened to break her. Katara's lip trembled as he held her face in place. She steeled herself after a moment remembering the life that grew inside her. She was doing this for the baby.

"I could never love someone who I see no possible future with" she lied. But it wasn't entirely a lie. Katara saw no viable future that included the family she wanted with him and his duty as his country's sovereign. He looked taken aback.

"No future? I told you what I wanted for us"

"But what about what I want?"

"What do you want? I'll give you anything and everything you ask"

"A place to call home" she cried "you could never give me that…How am I to live in a nation who's people hate me? Who destroyed my family?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"Kitten home is what we make it. No matter where we are as long as we're together…" he was trying his hardest to be encouraging but she could tell his heart was breaking. He reached out for her below the water.

"Dont!" she yelled, a little louder than she intended. His arms jumped back as if she'd burned him, his eyes looking wounded. He stared at her in disbelief for a while. Finally he sighed, looking down.

"So this is it? You're not even willing to try?"

She shook her head, rubbing her arm.

"It's best if we don't…I have to…do what's best for me". His face reddened and his lips tightened before he turned abruptly. She watched his back as he stepped out of the river and retrieved his clothes. He didn't even bother putting them on as he walked from the clearing and back into the woods. Once she was sure he was gone she broke into a sob. Clutching the edge of the bank she doubled over cradling her stomach and letting her emotions rage. She grit her teeth as each cry raddled her body. What had she just done? She felt sick. She could never forgive herself for this. She hoped that once her and the baby arrived safely at the South Pole it would make it all worth it.

To cope with the pain she willed herself to imagine arriving at the snowy shore and being embraced by her gran gran and the village women. They would have a ceremony for the return of their princess, and help prepare her for birth. She looked down at her swollen belly through the water once again. She would be due in 5 months….she just hoped her plan would work within that time frame. She feared making that journey across the South Sea so late in her pregnancy. It would be a perilous journey for anyone let alone a woman with child. She prayed that Tui and La guide her safely.

ZUKOS POV

He felt numb as he walked through the forest and back to his tent. Zuko's head spun from what had just taken place. He never expected her to break up with him. Right before they had left Chao their relationship seemed just fine…stronger than ever even. He couldn't wrap his mind around her having a change of heart all of a sudden. Maybe the closer they got to the fire nation the more afraid she became for their future. Maybe Zuko had not given her enough reassurance about eventually living in his home country. Maybe the thought of being his Fire Lady had scared her off.

He sighed deeply as he parted his tent flap, stepping inside to lie down. The crickets were especially loud that night, making it near impossible to fall asleep. Or maybe it was the pain from his broken heart that kept him up through the night. Katara was the love of his life…he knew that to be true with his entire spirit. She was the woman he wanted to build a life with, to be by his side as he ruled. He wanted a family with her. He never had the best family dynamic, but he knew with her they could create their own life in their image. She showed him it was possible with their time at the cottage. Though she had a valid point with his nation likely not accepting her, he knew he would do everything in his power to accommodate her. She would be the first foreign Fire Lady in the history of his nation, but he was up for that challenge.

"I'll never stop loving her…I won't give up" he vowed to himself in the darkness. Maybe it would take time. He could let her return to the South Pole, and maybe once she had a chance to see him as a ruler she would come back to him. He held onto hope that that would be the case. He'd give her the space she needed for now…but he would not let her go.

He woke before the sun to the morning horns. He made his way to the river with the other men then bathed and put on his armor. It was just like every other day, except he felt like a shell of himself. Once lunch had rolled around he found Toph eating by a nearby creek. He plopped down in the grass next to her and began eating his bowl of curry in silence.

"Hey" she said keeping her pale eyes trained forward.

"Hey" he returned.

"Katara told me about last night"

"Yeah…"

"How are you feeling?" she probed. This was the most regard he had ever seen Toph have for his emotional state. He sighed.

"Heartbroken…but mostly just confused. I thought we were good…then she springs this out of nowhere"

"Well you said yourself she's been distant the past few weeks"

"I don't know why I ever expected her to want to stay with me. After everything my people have done"

"Don't be down on yourself Sparky. Maybe you guys both just need time to sort things out…but look at the bright side. You can focus on your mission without any distractions now". There was a long stretch of silence before Zuko spoke again.

"I'm going to have to kill my father if Aang doesn't return…" he said absently after awhile . Toph nodded her head slowly.

"Are you prepared for that?"

"No. But I have to be."

"Zuko…"

"Don't worry….when the time comes… I won't hesitate". They finished the rest of their lunch in silence.

END CHAPTER 13