This story is a prequel to 'Fire Child'. It is when the gang broke up and Sokka and Katara are back at the South Pole and Sokka is pregnant with Heisui. Its mainly about how Sokka deals with going through the pregnancy and more on why he wouldn't tell Zuko about their son.
---
Sokka sat on the water's edge, staring out at the endless blue sea. His knees were drawn up and his arms were wrapped around his thighs, under his knees, his eyes half-lidded. The South Pole was as cold as he remembered and he had his parka wrapped around him again, hood up, keeping him warm enough to survive, but his hands and feet were cold, even when they were secured in mittens and boots.
It was done; it was all done and over. The adventure was over and they were back home; he and Katara were back here, Toph was in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko was back in the Fire Nation and Aang was in the Fire Nation as well, straightening out the chaotic remnants of war. Sokka could barely believe that it had only been a month ago that he, Katara, Aang, Toph, Zuko and Iroh had all been traveling together; training in preparation for the fight against Fire Lord Ozai. And now it was over, and everything felt so empty and desolate. It was so lonely too, for everyone.
Sokka felt a light hand on his shoulder but he didn't bother moving, he knew it was Katara without looking at her.
"Sokka, you've been sitting out here all day," she said quietly, knowing it was a solemn time for both of them. It was so hard to go back to the things they knew once they had seen the whole world, "Aren't you hungry?" She was worried about her brother, he was so quiet since they had arrived back home.
"No." Sokka replied quietly. He wasn't hungry, he felt sick every time he saw food and it was bad enough that he was throwing up in the morning. His whole body was riddled with aches, pains, and cramps; and on top of it all, he just felt so empty and his heart was heavy.
"At least come back to the village, Gran-Gran wants to see you." She prompted, crouching beside her brother, also in her parka, though her hood was down and her concern showed for his well being.
"No." Sokka breathed out again and Katara sighed, finding it ridiculous that he was taking the break up of their group harder than she was when she was always trying to keep everyone together.
"Sokka, you're not staying out here, and that's final," She said firmly, taking Sokka by his arm and pulling him to his feet, surprising him and making him stumble some on the ice, "Aang will come and visit," she assured him, "He might bring Toph and Suki along as well. He could even take us to see them, just be a little patient, its not like we won't see them again." Sokka frowned sadly.
"I know." He said and his sister sighed in an exasperated tone, letting go of his arm and heading back to the village, which was not too far away. He folded his arms and trekked slowly behind her. It wasn't Aang he was worried about, it was the current Fire Lord than he was worried about. Fire Lord Zuko.
Zuko was the only successor to the throne now; his father falling at Aang's hands and Azula meeting her own fate before the battle. The person he missed most was Zuko, because of what they had been when Zuko and Iroh had joined Aang's cause. Sokka wasn't sure if it was anything now, but there had been something between them. There had to have been something between them or he never would have... fallen so hard for Zuko and they wouldn't have had one last blissful night together before fighting Lord Ozai.
He remembered when it was done; when it was all over. It was the last time he saw Zuko. After Ozai was gone, Katara healed Aang's wounds and Iroh was busy helping an Injured Toph. Zuko was standing alone, looking out into the distance, looking out at the Fire Nation, which he was to rule. Sokka had approached him quietly, resting a hand on the fire bender's shoulder.
"Is it over?" Sokka asked quietly, meaning the war. Surely Zuko wouldn't continue it, but he had to make certain. Zuko looked at him, looking actually a little dazed.
"It's over." He confirmed and Sokka felt a rush or relief, smiling a little. He leaned up, their lips barely brushing before Zuko pushed him away, discouraging Sokka's kiss. Sokka was a little bewildered. The night before they had been intimate, why couldn't he have a kiss? "This-" Zuko gestured between them firmly, "-is over too, you know that." Sokka was a bit stunned. He knew it wouldn't last long. Either they were going to die fighting the Fire Lord, or they were going to win and Zuko would become the new Fire Lord. The Fire Lord would need a woman, someone who could bear children to continue the royal blood. Sokka just didn't think it would end this fast.
He felt tears burn in the back of his throat, but he didn't cry. He didn't want it to end. He wasn't ready for it to. And Zuko didn't show any sign of regret, his face was unreadable. Sokka tried not to show how much it was affecting him, but he could hear his own voice shake, "It's over, just like that?" Didn't it mean anything to Zuko what they had been through?
"We both knew it wouldn't turn into anything," Zuko said, voice neutral, but the words sounded so cruel, "I told you what was going to happen yesterday. We have to move on." And without another word or look, Zuko went over to his uncle.
Sokka didn't cry in the Fire Nation, he wouldn't on the battle field, but flying back towards the Earth Kingdom, he broke down, curled up, crying softly in the back of Appa's saddle. Neither fire bender was with them; they stayed to clean up their nation. He guessed that only Toph heard him with her sensitive hearing; because she came over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, and said nothing, which helped. Aang steered Appa and Katara sat next to him, her arm around the young monk's shoulders.
Sokka sighed. It was already a month afterwards and he still felt off. He vomited almost every morning and the cramps were going to drive him insane. And he would get these bursts of pain in his abdomen that would sometimes make him black out. If Katara hadn't been there last time, he would have fallen into the freezing Antarctic sea, but she bended a bed of snow under him, saving him from a potential watery grave. That had only been yesterday. It was as if something in his system was shifting and it wasn't merciful.
Katara suddenly took his hand, pulling him a little faster to their grandmother's hut. Sokka grimaced; Katara had told him to see Gran-Gran after yesterday's black out, because she was the best healer in the village. Sokka didn't like when anyone poked and prodded him, and he knew that's what Katara had dragged him here for. Pushing aside the animal skin that led into the hut, Kanna, their grandmother, was opening her herb basket and Sokka sighed. Herbs weren't native to the South Pole, but when the men of the village went to the Earth Kingdom, Kanna always ordered them to bring back healing herbs. Aang even promised to bring her some from the northern Earth Kingdom when things were well again.
Katara maneuvered Sokka to sit down and Kanna seemed just as exasperated as Sokka, "So you've finally decided to join us then?" the old woman quipped and Sokka remembered where their family got their bold attitudes.
"Yeah, I'm here," he said unhappily, "It's probably nothing; I'm just getting use to the cold again..."
"Katara isn't vomiting and blacking out," their grandmother pointed out, "Perhaps you caught something in the Fire Nation..." Sokka frowned and as expected, she began to poke and prod. She asked a bunch of health questions, which to most of them, he wasn't experiencing. Though he did find he was more tired lately, and yes he was a little more moody than usual; not to mention a little distressed, but he didn't mention that part. Kanna seemed to be piecing to together with every answer given, but she looked oddly at him by the end of it all. The last question really shocked Sokka when his own grandmother asked it, "Did you have sex since you've been away?" Sokka's jaw immediately dropped, more then embarrassed. He wasn't going to tell his grandmother that he had sex with a fire bender; the same kind of person that killed her daughter, his and Katara's mother, years before.
"No!" he exclaimed and Katara was also shocked by Kanna's question.
"Why would you ask such a thing, Gran-Gran?" she asked and Kanna folded her arms, giving her grandson a piercing gaze.
"Because being your Gran-Gran/Mid-wife/and herbalist in the village... I believe Sokka has a very unique case." Sokka coughed, mind racing. What did sex have to do with what was wrong with him? Did Zuko give him a disease? Was he dying? It would explain a lot of the painful bursts.
"Wha... What do you think it is?" He asked meekly, almost afraid to hear the answer. Kanna stared at him a minute longer, almost looking as if she was going to answer, but then she shook her head.
"No, it's too early to say," She said and pointed to Sokka's abdomen, "You say it hurts there?" He nodded slowly and she gestured for him to get up, "Kneel and pull up you're shirt." She ordered. Sokka did as he was told; it was his grandmother after all. She pressed a wrinkled hand to his belly and he shivered; her hand was cold. She and Katara leaned in close and Sokka felt like some bizarre fair attraction. And it felt weird when Kanna pressed in the right spot. She didn't press hard, but it was enough to make a small ping pong ball sized obstruction known. It was so odd, Sokka though, curiously overpowering nervousness.
"Gran-Gran?" Katara asked, curious as well, out of the loop for once as to what Kanna was searching for. Kanna looked surer of herself this time and gestured for Sokka to pull his shirt down. Sokka did and sat once again, a hand going over that spot. It wasn't prominent or hard, but it felt as if something was in him, invading him.
"I don't want to assume anything," Kanna said carefully, looking at Sokka, "But you have to tell me the truth, Sokka," he looked up at her then, feeling a little weary with this new discovery in his body, "Have you, or have you not had sex." Sokka swallowed, but he was too startled to lie, he wanted to know what this was.
"I have," he croaked and Katara stared at him, bewildered.
"What? When? And with who?!" She badgered, but Sokka didn't answer her, and Kanna didn't press who or when; just knowing he did helped her theory.
"That's all for now," she said, "You'd better get some rest, I don't think you're ready for what I have to say yet." Sokka nodded numbly and Kanna looked to Katara, "help your brother." Katara postponed her questions and nodded, taking Sokka's arm and helping him up. He followed, wondering what was happening to him.
Review Please! Tell me what you think