Disclaimer: I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or any of its content. This is a work of fan fiction.
A/N: I am continuing "The Reunion" series of one shots that connect, but this is my first large collective work that will be released in chapters because im finally figuring out how to work this app lol. I hope you enjoy:)
TW: blood
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"Hey sweetie, I'm home" Aang said as he walked through the front door of their house on air temple island. He was greeted by Kya and Bumi running around the house and a very visibly agitated Katara trying to gain control while the smell of something burning came from the kitchen.
"Bumi, leave your sister alone!" Katara said, trying to sound calm. "But mom! She took my boomerang that uncle Sokka gave me!" Bumi protested. "Because he kept throwing it at me!" Kya responded.
Aang dropped his things in the doorway and immediately picked up his daughter who was almost in tears. Then turned to Bumi, who was much too big to be picked up at ten years old, and put a hand on his shoulder.
Before Aang could say anything, Katara interjected, "I was handling it Aang!" Aang looked at his wife, who normally would be happy for the help. At four and ten their kids were constantly at each other's throats, and it often took both parents to get them to settle down.
"You can just tell me if you don't think I'm a good mom, Aang. Instead of sweeping in to fix everything. Maybe if you were home more this wouldn't happen!" Katara's voice was raising, but then she burst into tears, "I am a horrible mom! Dinner is burning, and I can't keep the kids in line, and I miss you so much when you're gone!" She said between sobs.
Before Aang could respond he got hit with a wave of deja vu, remembering similar things that happened a little over four and ten years ago.
--
As Katara lay on the couch getting some much needed rest while Sokka and Suki watched the kids, she felt a strange but familiar flutter in her stomach. The baby was kicking for the first time; although, something about this one felt different. Similar to how Kya's kicks felt, but ever soften.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Aang asked as he walked into the room with a bowl of popcorn.
"The baby kicked" Katara said with a smile. "Can I?" Aang asked hovering his hand over her slightly swollen belly. She nodded, and Aang placed his hand to feel their third child kick inside his wife.
"That feeling never gets old" Aang said, looking at his wife with adoration. "Maybe you can carry the next one then" Katara said, only partially joking. She knew her husband wanted an air bender baby, but each pregnancy was more difficult than the last, taking a large toll on her physical and mental well being. She wasn't sure how many more she could go through if this baby wasn't an air bender.
Aang moved from his wife's side to sit across from her at the already set up Pai Sho board. Katara played a lot with Iroh, who came to visit often when she was on bed rest with Kya. Now that he was no longer around, Katara still asked to play the game often, and when Zuko was in town the two of them would sit for hours in a little tea shop talking about Iroh as they played. Like most things, Katara had picked up the game quite quickly and really enjoyed playing. Even Bumi was beginning to get the hang of the challenging game as he played with his mom almost every day.
--
Katara's belly was getting bigger and bigger, but even though she was bigger than she had been with Kya and Bumi, she somehow felt lighter than she had with them. Katara had her suspicions as to why she felt this way, after all each one of her children had felt very different during their pregnancies, and she had suspected Kya's water bending even when she was in the womb. Still, Katara was scared to hope, maybe she was just feeling things because she wanted to.
Of course the only options in her and Aang's bloodline would be water bending, non-bending, or air bending. Though, it was just as likely that this baby was one of the two former. She wouldn't get Aang's hopes up by confiding this in him either.
"Katara, sweetie?" her husband's voice called out from the other room, pulling her from her thoughts. "Yes, my love?" She answered heading towards her husband.
--
"ahh!" Katara let out a pained groan. The contractions had been going on for about a couple hours, but up until this point she had managed to keep it together.
Aang was out with Toph and Sokka on some important police business. They finally had the evidence strung together to arrest a criminal Toph had been chasing for years.
"Mom?!" Bumi called, worry in his voice.
Bumi was seven when Kya was born, but he had been spending time with his uncle Sokka when Katara went into labor with Kya. This time both the kids were home and Katara wasn't sure if Suki was next door or in town.
"I'm okay sweetie" Katara said, using the kitchen counter to keep herself standing. When the contraction stopped she walked into the room where Bumi and Kya were actually playing nicely for once.
"You'll never take my honor!" Kya said with one hand placed over her eye. "Kya! Mom is in pain we're not playing anymore" Bumi said in what he wanted to be a mature sounding tone.
"I'm okay honey, can you run over and see if your aunt Suki is home?" Katara asked Bumi who promptly nodded and ran out the front door.
"What were you playing, Kya?" Asked Katara. "We were playing your and dad's adventures! I was uncle Zuko before he turned good" Kya said happily. Katara began to laugh and then it turned into a groan as another contraction pained her. Kya looked up at her mom worried, but Katara reassured her that she was okay.
A few minutes later Suki and Bumi came bursting through the door, "Katara! Are you okay?!" Asked a very concerned looking Suki. "It's the third time, I'll be fine" Katara said with a forced smile. Suki immediately understood, and helped Katara get to her bedroom.
"Can I help?" Bumi asked as he walked in the room without so much as a knock. He took after his uncle Sokka in that way.
"Bumi, I need clean water and clean towels, do you think you can do that?" Suki asked him as Katara settled herself into the bed. Bumi nodded and disappeared to go get what Suki had asked for.
--
Someone in airnomadic clothing came into the police station where Aang, Sokka, and Toph were sitting and talking about the case.
"I have a message for the avatar" said the air acolyte.
"That is going to have to wait" the receptionist manning the front desk said.
"It's about his wife" the acolyte said with urgency.
Aang who had heard the whole exchange through the open door popped his head out, "Is Katara okay?!"
"She's in labor, sir" the acolyte said.
Aang dashed out the door, grabbing his glider and taking to the sky. Sokka and Toph got up from the table and gathered their things before following the air acolyte back to the boat that was waiting at the Republic City Docks.
--
"Katara you really need to push" said Suki with some concern in her voice.
"No I'm not having this baby without Aang here!" Katara said as she groaned. Bumi and Kya had been sent outside to play and now it was only Suki and Katara sitting in the house.
Suddenly a door slammed causing both Katara and Suki to jump a little.
"Katara, sweetie?!" Aang's worried voice came.
"We're in here" called Suki.
Aang came bursting through the door and immediately came to his wife's side.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he looked at her with concern.
"I am now that you're here" Katara said with a pained smile, and then she let out a groan as another contraction hit.
Aang quickly came over to sit next to his wife, and he grabbed her hand. Katara was so strong, probably the strongest person he knew, but Aang hated watching his wife in pain when there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
--
"He's beautiful!" Said Aang with tears in his eyes as Suki handed the freshly cleaned baby boy to the happy parents.
"And so squishy looking!" Added Sokka who had said that for every one of Aang and Katara's kids.
Katara, who knew her brother would not stop this, rolled her eyes. "Would you guys go get Kya and Bumi?" She asked, leading to Toph, Suki, and Sokka filing out of the room to grab the other kids.
Aang cupped Katara's face as tears streamed down both of their cheeks. "You never fail to amaze me Katara" said Aang with pride. Katara smiled at this as she nursed their new baby, but then her smile disappeared and her face grew pained.
"What is it?!" Asked Aang with concern in his voice.
"I don't-" Katara couldn't finish her sentence, and Aang watched with horror as blood began to soak the towels and sheets.
Katara's eyes glazed over and her arms went limp causing Aang to have to grab a now crying Tenzin. "Katara, Katara, stay with me please" cried Aang as Katara slipped into unconsciousness. "HELP!!" Screamed a desperate Aang who could feel his wife's pulse fluttering and hear her labored breathing.
--
Aang paced the waiting room of the hospital that his own wife had founded and was now a patient at. Suki and Toph had stayed home with the kids, including their newborn Tenzin. Sokka and Aang had gone with Katara.
Sokka stood up and put a hand on Aang's shoulder. Aang looked at him, "I can't lose her, Sokka!" He cried quietly.
Sokka knew how Aang was feeling, he felt it too. He also couldn't stand the thought of losing his younger sister. He scolded himself at the possibility that his last words to his sister might be that her baby was squishy looking.
Before Sokka could respond though, a group of theee healers came out and walked toward Aang and Sokka.
"We've stabilized her for now" said one of the healers who Aang recognized as Katara's student. "She lost a lot of blood, but we are hopeful that she will pull through." Said another one. Then the three stopped and looked at each other before the final healer said, "if she does live through this, she won't be able to have any more children." Aang was at first confused by this statement, who cared about other children as long as his wife was alive, but then it hit him: if their new baby wasn't an airbender than there was no hope of continuing the air nomad population. Aang really would be the last airbender.
--
two days later*
Katara had been unconscious for two days now and Aang hadn't left her side. Despite Sokka's attempts to get him to eat or sleep, Aang just wouldn't. Sokka was reminded of Katara on the fire nation ship so many years ago. Just like Aang now, she had refused to leave his side for days. Sokka's heart hurt for his sister though he was trying to be strong for Aang. Sokka only cried when he came home to Suki and she held him.
Finally on the second night Katara stirred a little. The movement, though small, was enough for an exhausted but restless Aang to notice from his chair right next to her bed.
"Tenzin?" She asked, her voice dry and hoarse, but also filled with concern. Aang's eyes filled with tears as he cradled his wife's head, "he's with Suki, Sokka, and Toph, sweetie. All the kids are." Katara sighed and nodded, relaxing back into the bed. At this point Aang couldn't stop himself and tears began streaming down his cheeks as he held Katara in his arms and cried.
"Sweetie?" Katara started as Aang continued to cry. "I thought I lost you" Aang interrupted. Only after hearing him say that and seeing the worry in his eyes after he'd pulled away from the hug, did she realize how serious this situation must have been. The last thing she remembered was nursing Tenzin, then everything slowly came back to her. Aang's cry for help, being carried by Sokka, drifting in and out of consciousness, the intense pain. "What happened?" Katara asked.
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that's the end of ch 1, but don't worry more chapters are coming!
As always thank you so much for reading and reviewing:)