Ember Island

She had a dream with her mom, Kya. Katara was her spitting image. These dreams made her happy but also sad sometimes. At least she wasn't having a nightmare. She had been through many traumatic events in her life.

Kya had her hands on Katara's belly and was reassuring her how good of a mother she'll be to her son. Katara was just explaining that she did not know if she was going to have a boy or girl when she awoke to a rhythmic lurch in her abdomen. She was balled up on her left side beneath her blankets on the bed. After her fifteenth week, she couldn't sleep on her back without losing circulation in her lower half. She could tell it was late in the morning by how high the sun hung in the sky through the thin curtains drawn to the balcony.

She lifted her head and could just make out Aang's silhouette rippling on the curtains in the sea breeze, meditating on the balcony. Being nearly six months pregnant, their baby had grown roughly the size of an eggplant and was kicking. She was getting so round now that she was about to start her third trimester.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" she asked her baby, stroking her belly.

Very carefully, she gradually eased herself out of bed. She picked up her cup of tea and walked through the curtains to where Aang sat. He was only wearing pants, his torso gleaming in the glow of the sun. His skin was flushed. Momo was sunbathing on the railing.

"Good morning, sweetie." she greeted him, stroking his head and kissing his shaven tattoo.

Aang twisted around and revealed a bouquet of fire lilies he'd picked for her, " Good morning, sweetie. You're going to love the water. It is perfectly warm."

Katara beamed down at him. She doubled over to kiss him but almost lost balance. He caught her and they giggled. She decided to sit down beside him, taking the bouquet and sniffing it. She could see signs that he has been to the beach. His toes had sand between them and he smelled like sweat. He had a cup of jasmine tea.

There was a water vase with matching glasses, a cup of milk, and an assortment of breakfast food.

"How long have you been up?" Katara asked.

"For a while. I didn't want to wake you." Aang replied, helping her sit comfortably beside him. "You looked so beautiful. How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby." Katara joked, resting her head on his muscular shoulder; he cupped her belly in his hand. "I missed breakfast. I'm so hungry."

Katara climbed onto his lap and he fed her one sliced orange and two slices of toast for breakfast along with her cup of milk. When she was finished, she rearranged herself by hooking her legs on either side of his waist. He cupped her hips and then ran a hand up and down her back as they kissed deeply. He was so warm. Her belly kept her from getting any closer to him.

After cuddling for a while, they got dressed. Katara changed into an oriental red garment with a darker red long skirt. She added a waist skirt over her belly and secured it with a sash. The material was breathable and did not restrain her. Aang kept his pants on but wore a robe over it.

There were royal guards all around the perimeter of the palace as well as many stationed inside the historic building. Katara smiled warmly at each one of them, glad that they were there to prevent any fans from interrupting their private vacation.

A servant approached them after they exited their room, "Allow me to escort the Avatar and Sifu Katara to the courtyard garden. Fire Lord Zuko has an outdoor lunch planned for his special guests."

Katara and Aang bowed their heads and followed the servant. Many years ago, Zuko trained Aang to battle Ozai here. But those weren't flashes of fire Katara was hearing. Cameras had just been invented. There was a professional photographer there, taking candid shots as the royals and the guests were ignoring the occasional flashes.

They turned in their direction and the famous couple flinched, squinting at the rapid flashes blinding them. Toph frowned at the ground and the two men gazed around curiously at the incessant clicking noises. When he saw his sister, Sokka nudged Toph.

"Finally, Sugar Queen awakes. Just in time for the picnic!" Toph smiled cheerfully. "I'm starved."

"While the men catch up on the beach, do you want to come hang out with me in town?" Katara asked Toph. She whispered, "There's a great spa there, I'm told."

Toph smiled, "Whatever you want, Katara. Er, how are you doing? Both of you."

"We're fine." Katara rubbed her belly.

When Aang walked away to talk to Sokka, Toph added, "Can I feel your belly again?"

"Sure!" Katara took her hands away so that Toph could put an ear to her belly.

Toph mused thoughtfully, "It must feel so weird. You've got somebody living inside you."

Katara saw Zuko's mother and uncle playing one last game of Pai Sho on a blanket. At 46 years old, Ursa was as beautiful as ever . There were some silver in her long black hair and she had warm, golden eyes. Ursa was visiting for two nights with her daughter, Kiyi, who was Zuko's half-sister. Ikem, Zuko's step-father, had to oversee a play in Hira'a and regretfully could not make the trip.

Ursa saw Katara waddling towards them and she beamed a glorious smile. Uncle Iroh followed her gaze and smiled warmly at the pair, too. They got to their feet to greet the Avatar and his wife. Sokka went to talk to Toph.

"Good morning, Avatar Aang and Katara." Ursa bowed respectfully.

After saying 'good morning' back, Aang clarified, "Please, you can call me Aang. Just a normal man on this holiday."

Ursa nodded, "Aang. Katara, you are the picture of perfection."

Katara joked while Aang rubbed her back, "I definitely got my beauty sleep. It's lunch time, isn't it?"

Ursa giggled, "You need all the rest you can get now. You'll need it when your little one makes his or her debut. I remember with my children."

Uncle Iroh bowed and beamed his wrinkly face at Katara, "Katara, you are like a lotus flower in bloom. How far along are you?"

"Just a few weeks past the half-way mark." Katara told him with a simper, folding her hands atop her belly.

As they chatted, Zuko arrived with his half-sister, Kiyi. She was almost a teenager but was still excited to visit her older half-brother, evident by how she hung off his arm.

"Hello, Kiyi. You've grown so much. Do you remember us?" Katara asked.

Kiyi smiled, "Of course. I read about you guys all the time in the gossip columns. The guy on the radio talks all about you guys all the time. I wanna be famous like you guys. Do you get photographed all the time? You're having the Avatar's baby!"

Katara giggled awkwardly, uncertain of how to respond, "It's very nice to see you again."

Zuko nodded, "Come along, Kiyi. Lunch is about to be served. Why don't you go inside to wash up?" Once Kiyi was gone, Zuko apologized, "Sorry about that. She's really into celebrities now." He joked, "Can't take her anywhere."

"She's cute!" Katara giggled.

They all converged a short time later for a picnic lunch in the garden. Aang had porridge and tea. With their cups of tea, the Fire Nation citizens' meals were a bowl of steamed rice, miso soup, and broiled fish. Sokka was having second helpings of arctic hen. Katara was served her order of seaweed noodles, steamed rice, and sea prune stew. She was given her own water vase but had a treat of watermelon juice.

"Food tastes best in the company of good friends and family," mused Uncle Iroh thoughtfully. "Cheers."

Everyone cheered with him and drank at the same time. They chatted about their jobs, how their nations are fairing. Though it was hard to ignore the elephant in the garden ...

"So, have you begun plans for your birth?" Ursa asked conversationally.

"A baby Avatar! Oh, that's gonna be so cute!" Kiyi squeeled.

Aang corrected her, "Actually, Kiyi, the next Avatar will come after I pass away."

"Way to dampen the mood, Twinkle Toes!" Toph growled and punched Aang in the arm.

That lightened everyone's spirits again.

Katara nodded to Ursa, "I've assisted my grandmother with many births when I was a girl. So, I know what to expect. How is it done in the Fire Nation?"

"Traditionally, only a doctor and nurse is present. A doula may be hired to coach the mother." Ursa shared. "After the birth, mom and baby leave their partner for a week to stay with her parents."

Katara smiled respectfully, "In the Southern Water Tribe, we believe women can stay active during pregnancies. We believe that seal, caribou and moose are beneficial to eat. We have a tradition that women should not leave tasks incomplete because it'll prolong labor. I've seen women kneel and squat to give birth." Sokka turned a mild shade of green briefly at that. "They're born in houses separate from the main house and those are abandoned afterwards."

Katara looked at Toph, whom munched away at her meal. The vibe was that Toph did not want to partake in this conversation. But, she was clearly listening and bothered by it by the arch of her brows and the curve of her lip. Katara wondered why but did not call her old friend out on it.

Aang said, "My parents placed me under Monk Gyatso's guardianship after my Avatar test. In Air Nation culture, butter is used to stimulate contractions and ease the birth. We believe that a parents love is pure-hearted."

"How does butter help -? You know what, I don't even wanna know." Toph chuckled awkwardly.

Sokka asked Katara, "Are you scared at all? I remember that lady we helped before we went to Ba Sing Se for the first time. I fainted."

Katara rubbed his arm, "I know I'll be fine. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"I'll be there," Sokka assured her. "I've heard people say that you become your parents when you have kids." Katara saw Toph frown at that; Sokka continued, "So, I know you'll do great. Mom was a hero and so are you."

Katara loved her brother so much. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed hers back, beaming down at her. He had come a long way from the sexist, immature, nut-brain she used to be embarrassed to be related to.

"And you'll be an uncle!" Aang pointed out. He gazed around at their group, "You'll all be honorary family members."

"Family isn't defined by blood or marital relation." Uncle Iroh agreed, sipping on his tapioca invention.

When lunch was over, it was decided that the boys would go to the beach to spend their testosterone while the girls would go to the luxury spa. Katara and Toph reclined in beach chairs to get their hair braided beforehand while Ursa and Kiyi got royal hair combings. The royal servant braided in some flowers native to the island. Their aroma followed Katara wherever she went.

The four of them were taken to the spa in an ornate palanquin and the spoiling didn't stop there. Ursa and Kiyi were assigned one room while Toph and Katara got another. Katara laid on her side, propped up with pillows, on a padded table for a back massage. The weight in her abdomen can put a strain on her back. She has been keeping active in her pregnancy but some aches were unavoidable. Toph was getting a massage in the elevated recliner - everything but her feet, of course.

"I can still feel the baby kicking. It's like a fluttering butterfly. Do you want to know if the sex is a boy or a girl?" Toph asked while she was getting her arms massaged, feet planted on the ground.

Katara wrinkled her nose and shook her head, "No, thank you. Aang and I want to be surprised."

"I figured." Toph shrugged. "You two are still so romantic like that."

Katara's masseuse moved on to massage her legs and swollen feet. She was in heaven and closed her eyes. She might fall asleep but Toph was moaning appreciatively at the massage she was getting. Katara grazed on a plate of wagashi and daifuku. She drank from a cup of water to stay hydrated.

"These wagashi are so beautifully decorated, I almost feel bad eating them." Katara giggled.

Toph let out a bark of a laugh, "I wouldn't. Toss me one! I can't see them."

Katara Bended the water in the treat and it floated over to Toph's outstretched palm. Katara needed to use the restroom.

She was leaving the room when Toph teased, "When you've gotta go, you've gotta go."

Katara teased right back, "I'll say that to you if you have babies."

When she got back, Toph turned her head in her direction.

Her clouded grey eyes settled on a place just to the side of Katara, "I don't know if I want to have children, Katara."

This was why Toph looked so bothered by the topic at lunch in the garden. Katara felt a little guilty for letting it go on for so long. She was just so happy with her pregnancy and loved sharing it with people.

"Oh?" Katara asked, reclining for her facial.

Toph shrugged and sighed, "I don't know. Do you think I'd be as good of a mom as you? My parents ... you know how they were."

"Your dad changed his mind eventually." Katara reminded her. "And I know you'd be the best mom ever. You're a great friend and teacher. You just need to search inside of yourself: do you want to bring your own little life in the world? Someone who's a piece of you? I can tell you ... I already love my baby with all my heart. It's amazing."

Toph wrinkled her nose, "I bet. You'll be amazing."

Katara would smile at Toph if her face wasn't being lathered in cream, "We'll see."

"You took care of me for months after I ran away. If you survived that, your little one will be a cakewalk." Toph insisted.

By the time they were done with their spa treatments, it was four o'clock. The sun was high in the sky. Katara could hear the dull roar of the public beach from down the shore. Zuko took a walk with his mother, uncle, and step-sister along the shore, flanked by a few palace guard for protection. His family was leaving Ember Island soon.

When they returned, Toph stomped her foot, bending a perfect sand castle for Kiyi to decorate with shells. Aang Bended a moat and Bended water from the shore to fill it. Kiyi was delighted and occupied, spilling out all of the shells that Zuko had helped her pick along the shoreline.

Photos were taken all day. They got used to the flashes and snaps of the machines. Aang and Katara wrote messages to each other in the soft shoreline, the foamy tide erasing them after they were read. Katara Bended waves for Sokka to surf while she wadded in the shallows. Just before dinner, they played volleyball. Katara had to sit out, given the job as referee. As the sun was setting beyond the horizon, Sokka was fishing for the chef to cook something he caught.

"Brings back the memories, doesn't it?" Sokka asked her. "We were once ordinary Southern Water Tribe peasants. Now look at us." He pointed at his chest, "Southern Water Tribe Chief," He pointed at Katara, "Master Water Bender, married to the Avatar, and a mom!"

"I'd never call you 'ordinary' even if we weren't the ones to find Aang." Katara giggled. "But we have come far, haven't we?"

"Yeah. So ... so, scientifically-speaking, what's going on in there?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity any longer. "Yah know, since I'll never experience this sort of thing."

Katara laughed, "Hmmm. Well, all I know is that it's about the size of an eggplant. It moves around a lot. It is always hungry."

"Interesting, interesting." Sokka nodded, watching his fishing line.

"Yeah ... well, supper is nearly ready. Coming?" Katara said.

"Sure, just as soon as I catch a fish." Sokka bit his tongue to focus harder.

They had supper inside the house after Zuko and Aang fed their pets. Katara ate arctic hen, five-flavor soup, and sea prune stew. After everyone was stuffed, they went outside to star gaze. Zuko hired a music band to play soft tunes for them. Pretty soon, everyone was dancing beneath the stars.

The sand was cool beneath her feet. Aang helped Katara to her feet from their beach blanket. Katara leaned her back against his chest and they swayed from side to side in time with the music, holding hands. Aang kept his head dipped, pressing his hollow cheek to her head.

"I love you, Katara." Aang whispered.

"I love you, too, Aang." Katara whispered back.

She craned her neck to kiss him then they kept on dancing till it was time to go to bed.

Writer's note:

I am so sorry it took me so long to update this fic. I get writer's block but there's really no good excuse :P During the conversation about birthing traditions, I Googled information on different Asian cultures because canon traditions are not said in the show.

Water Tribe: Inuit

Fire Nation: Japanese

Air Nation: Tibetan