Love in Danger Chapter 5 : KATARA'S PREGNANT

"Aang, why are we going to Ba Sing Se?" Katara asked as Aang loaded up Appa's saddle with all the necessary provisions for a long trip.

"I told you, we're going to visit Toph and Iroh" Aang replied impatiently, tying a bag of food down.

"Okay, but why is it essential that we leave right this minute?" she asked, annoyed with Aang's hastiness and lack of even the slightest explanation.

"No time to waste!" he offered as a substitute for a real answer. Sokka approached holding a platter of food.

"What's with Aang? He looks like he saw the ghost of someone he owed money to in a past life" said Sokka.

"I have no idea" Katara scoffed. "He's been acting like this ever since our wedding night." "Guess there's a reason Air Nomads are supposed to be abstinent" Sokka observed.

Katara smacked Sokka in the back of the head. "Aang!" she called.

"Can't talk, must secure extra blankets!" Aang shouted as he folded a bedspread and tied it down.

"Want some sushi while we wait for Aang to regain sanity?" Sokka asked, holding up his platter of raw fish rapped in seaweed and rice.

"Love some" Katara said as she reached for a roll.

"Don't eat that!" Aang boomed as he shot a gust of air forward that knocked the food from Sokka's hand.

"Do you have any idea how long Suki spent making that you…you sushi-hating-bastard?!" Sokka yelled.

"No raw fish!" Aang said shortly. Fish is a meal not safe for pregnant women to ingest. "Since when do you control what I eat Aang?" Katara asked crossly.

"Since when do I control anything?!" "Why are you acting so weirdly Aang?!"

"I'm not acting weird I'm perfectly fine, perfectly fine, you know what isn't perfectly fine, I left my staff in our tent and I asked Suki to go get it for me and she hasn't come back. Where is she? Where is she? Where the hell is she?!"

"I'm right here" Suki's voice said as she approached holding Aang's glider.

Aang grabbed his staff and chattered, "It's about time, you know we have so little time, time is of the essence, and there is so little time! Why is there so little time?!"

"Hey how about a thank you?" Sokka suggested.

Aang sighed heavily and forced himself to say, "Thank you Suki!" He then returned to his neurotic work.

"You're welcome Aang" Suki said cautiously. "I'd better get back to the tent; your grandmother is having a little trouble with Hakoda."

"No I'll go" Sokka said. "Aang's creejing me out right now. I don't want to stand too close."

"I'll go too" Katara said. "That way I can at least remember what being around sane people is like." Katara and Sokka left Suki and Aang alone.

"Sure leave me with the crazy Avatar why don't you?" Suki asked herself. "Oh well maybe I can help."

Aang had jumped to the ground to tighten the reigns on Appa's horns. "Why are these so loose? If they're loose we'll go off course. They shouldn't be like this unless Appa's horn got shorter. Why did you let your horn get shorter Appa? What is wrong with you?!" Aang yelled.

Appa grunted condescendingly.

Suki put her hand on Aang's shoulder. "What?!" Aang bellowed.

"Tell me what's wrong Aang. I'll keep it between us, brother to sister" she offered.

Aang was taken aback. The knowledge of Katara's pregnancy had shocked him to his core and the decision whether or not to keep it secret was eating away at him.

"Katara is pregnant" he said, calming himself.

"Aang that's great!" Suki beamed as she pulled him into a hug. "Wait a minute. She hasn't said anything."

"She doesn't know yet" Aang admitted.

"How," Suki started as she pulled away, "could you know if she doesn't?"

"I went to the Spirit World. The past Avatars and a Spirit told me. She's going to give birth to four Airbenders."

"Airbenders, that's great…amm did you say four?" Aang nodded.

"You guys have only been married for a week and you already have four kids on the way?" "That was my reaction."

Suki wasn't sure how to react so the Kyoshi Warrior merely stated, "Well, this is great news Aang." "Is it?" Aang asked to no one in particular.

"What do you mean?"

"I know I should be excited but I just feel so nervous." "Well don't be, you'll make a great dad."

"How? I'm barely a man. I don't know anything about being a father."

Suki chuckled. "Aang you learned three different styles of bending in less than a year. I think you can learn how to be a parent."

"Well even if you're right I still have another problem." "What?"

"I'm in an unusual position. I know that Katara is pregnant before she does. I don't know if I should tell her or let her find out on her own."

Suki pondered this for a minute. Sounding knowledgeable she said, "Don't tell her." "Why?"

"Seeing as you'll never know what being a pregnant woman is like I may as well tell you it's very hard. It's a whole personal journey. Part of that journey is being the first one knowing that your baby is coming and accepting it as your own. And you have no idea how worried a mother can be that her husband isn't ready for it. You two won't have that problem because you've had more time to get ready than she has. So experience your part of the journey of parenthood and let her experience her part."

"…Okay" Aang agreed. "Thanks Suki." "Anytime Aang" Suki said happily.

"You know something; you're a pretty good sister-in-law." "Aw! come here you" Suki said pulpoli Aang into a hug.

Aang climbed up on top of Appa and made the final preparations for departure. "Have a safe trip Aang, and congratulations!"

Meanwhile.Long Feng was sitting at a table and sipping some expensive sake from a porcelain cup. The door to his underground chamber swung open and a Dai Li agent entered.

"Hello poli" Long Feng said casually. poli was one of the only two Dai Li agents who did not betray Long Feng when Azula gained control.

"Sir, I have news of the Avatar's whereabouts," the agent informed. "And that is?"

"The Avatar and his new wife are travepoli to Ba Sing Se."

Long Feng chuckled as he emptied his wine into his mouth. "The Avatar has gotten married, how wonderful."

"Sir?" poli questioned, his eyebrow raised.

"A splendid opportunity has presented itself to us poli; think hard, you know what it is."

"If something horrible was to happen to the Avatar's wife before he met his own doom, it would make our revenge that much more exquisite."

"Precisely my trusted servant." "Shall my men and I dispose of her?"

"Not yet, watch them closely, find out why they are coming here, and report back to me. I shall decide when it is time for them to die."

Two days after the departure."Nothing but smooth sailing through calm winds today Katara!" Aang beamed as he, Katara and Momo soared through the sky on Appa's back.

"Aang could you be quiet?" Katara asked shortly. "I'm trying to fix the quilt you ripped yesterday!" She was sewing together a torn blanket.

"Uh…sorry Katara" Aang apologized.

"Why'd you bring so many blankets anyway? Why would we need any? It's just the two of us!" "Oh you never know" Aang grinned mischievously as he said this.

"No" Katara whispered dropping the quilt. "You never do." "What does that mean?"

"Nothing." "No, really."

"Nothing! Ah, why can't I go five seconds without you bombarding me with stupid, meaningless questions?!"

Aang's eyebrow cocked upward. "Katara is there something you want to talk to me about?" "No."

"Katara I'm your husband. You can talk to me about anything, and I'll do my best to understand, and to be ready for it."

Katara looked away, as though trying to not let their eyes meet. "Well I…" "Go on" Aang encouraged gently.

"I don't want you to get freaked out Aang, and it might be nothing, but…" "Yes?"

"I think…I…may be…pregnant."

Aang feinted surprise and said, "Whoa, you're pregnant! What wonderful…and completely shocking news!"

"Hey, wait just a Waterbending minute" Katara objected. "Ok, how did you know?" "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about Katara."

"You know you're a terrible liar Aang, if Toph was here her feet would be going crazy trying to sense your heartbeat."

"All right you caught me. I went to the Spirit World and Keno the Spirit of Balance who looks a lot like a tigerdillo, but without the dillo, told me that we have four little Airbenders on the way."

"Four?!" Katara yelled.

"Oh yeah, you didn't know that" Aang remembered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Four babies, all at the same time" Katara stuttered stupefied and placed a hand over her stomach, imagining how much bigger four babies would make it.

"Yeah won't it be great?"

"I have to give birth four times in the same day!" "Come on that's no big deal."

"Ugh that's just what a man would say! Aang, childbirth is more painful than anything you'll ever experience in your life."

"How do you know?"

"I've helped Gran Gran deliver plenty of babies; the screaming is pretty hard to drown out." "Well…it'll be all right."

"That's all you have to say?!"

"Well what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. It's just…this whole thing has caught me off guard."

"You're telling me? You should've seen how much I freaked out when I found out." Katara managed a weak laugh.

"Don't worry we'll get through this, that's what husbands and wives do."

Meanwhile.In the Fire Lord's palace the young Lu Ten stumbled about, exploring his small world. He was three-years-old and had just learned to walk. Like his father before him he had been born a Firebender. He was able to speak a few choice words such as "mama", "dada" and "fy fy".

The curious little boy climbed up a chair and leaned at the edge of a table. His father's prized dagger that his uncle had given to him during the Siege of Ba Sing Se had been left there. The snoozing tot reached for it thinking it was a toy of some kind.

Suddenly a pair of rough hands picked him up.

"You shouldn't play with knives kid" the man who had lifted Lu Ten above his head said. He was dressed in the same clothes as his caretaker who watched him when his parents couldn't but his face was unfamiliar to Lu Ten.

The stranger said, mostly to himself, "The Fire Lord is the Avatar's friend; the more your daddy suffers, the more that the Avatar suffers."

Lu Ten's smile vanished as the man's smile became crooked and his grip became tighter and cruel.

"Mama!" the toddler called urgently.

"Shut it kid!" the man snapped, throwing his hand over Lu Ten's mouth.

Instinctively, the infantile Firebender spat a small wisp of flames that burned the skin of his assailant's palm.

The man howled in pain and reached for the blade on the desk with his uninjured hand as he dropped Lu Ten.

"Mama! Mama!" Lu Ten called desperately as he sat on the ground in distress.

"Nice knowing you kid!" the man yelled harshly, chucking the knife at the defenseless child. Suddenly a shuriken flew through the air and struck the knife before it made contact with Lu Ten. Mai stood at the entrance of the room, holding many throwing weapons.

"What are you doing with my baby?!" she yelled. "Guards, come quickly!" Immediately many Imperial Firebenders surged into the room and took a stance. "Kill him! He attacked Lu Ten!" Mai ordered.

Streams of fire shot from the guards' fists towards the intruder as they obeyed.

"Damn it" the attacker muttered. He rushed away from the flames and jumped out a nearby window.

"Catch him!" Mai commanded. "Bring him back alive or dead!"

The Firebenders followed the man out the same window and continued to pursue him.

Lu Ten had begun crying and Mai picked him up and consoled her child. "It's okay, mommy's here" she said soothingly.

She knelt down and picked up her husband's knife. "Zuko won't be happy about this."

AT the Earth kingdom of Ba Sing Se.Appa landed outside of the Jasmine Dragon tea shop. Iroh walked out the entrance to greet them. "Hello Aang and Katara. What a pleasure to see you two again" he welcomed warmly.

"Hello General Iroh" Katara hailed as she climbed down from the sky bison.

"Flameo hotman!" Aang exclaimed as he used Airbending to jump down to the ground.

Iroh chuckled, "I haven't heard that expression since I was a kid. Now may I offer you a freshly brewed cup of tea?"

"Sure" Katara answered.

"As long as there aren't any teas unsafe for Katara to drink" Aang warned. "Why would there be?" Iroh asked.

"You may as well hear about it now. Katara is pregnant!"

A joyous smile appeared on Iroh's face. "Flameo!" he yelled festively, throwing his fist in the air and shooting out a jet of flames.

"Is Toph inside the shop?" Katara asked. "We want to tell her too."

"Yes she is" Iroh answered. "She and I just made a pot of tea made from the Green Jade Flower. Its unique properties are known to increase the health of a pregnant mother and her unborn babies leading to healthiness at birth."

"That's great."

"It also makes giving birth ten times more painful." "What?!"

"Just kidding."

Aang laughed at this as Katara groaned.

"Now please come inside" Iroh invited. "You must be tired."

The Fire Lord's war room."What? Someone tried to kill my son?!" Zuko yelled as his chief adviser gave him the news. "Yes sir" the adviser said.

"Well what happened to him?!" the Fire Lord demanded to know.

"The prince is fine" the adviser assured. "The guards are in pursuit of his attacker as we speak." "I want him brought back here immediately, by any means necessary!"

"Of course sir."

A soldier entered the room. "Sir, political advisers Lo and Li would like an audience with you" he said.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?!" Zuko hollered. "Sir I have nothing more to report" his adviser said frankly.

"Fine, let them in" Zuko allowed, defeated. Lo and Li were his sister's most trusted advisers when she was in power. He reluctantly allowed them to stay after they swore loyalty to him.

Lo and Li entered. They were very old women who happened to be identical twins. "Fire Lord Zuko we have very urgent news" Lo said.

"Make it quick, I have another problem to deal with" Zuko said shortly. "This may be related to that problem" Li informed.

"Go on."

In unison the elderly twins said, "Azula was found dead in her cell. Her neck was broken." "What?"

"Someone broke into the prison and murdered her" they answered. "Who did this?"

"We don't know" Lo said.

"They snuck in during the dead of night and left as quickly as they came" said Li. "Who would do this?"

"We think they may have been Earthbenders" Lo said. "Her cell door was broken, not melted" Li added.

At the same time they said, "We think who ever did it is also responsible for the attack on your

son."

"Who would want to kill my son and my sister?" Zuko asked frankly. "Your family has many enemies Fire Lord" Lo reminded.

"Many people in the Earth Kingdom still hunger for revenge" said Lo. "There are those in the Fire Nation who consider you a traitor" Li said.

"And of course, there is the Water Tribe to consider" they both said. "Anyone could be behind this."

Zuko realized they were right. They only thought they were Earthbenders, they didn't know for sure.

"I need the Avatar's help to solve this" he decided out-loud. "I agree" Lo said.

"But we have no idea where the Avatar is right now" Li said.

Zuko's chief advisor had not left the room. "Minister Po" he said, addressing him, "get the Avatar back here no matter what it takes!"

"But sir," Minister Po said, "how are we supposed to find him?"

"I don't care! Send a thousand messenger hawks across every square inch of the globe, send a million horsemen off in different directions, write his name in the sky, just get him back here!"