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Chapter 4

FINE!

The sun was gone and so was the moon. The smoked colored clouds hid everything as the spirits decided to cry. The ground was soaked as well as a very sympathetic Zuko with ice cold rain. Once again, he was suckered in to an apology. His thoughts had consumed him, not giving him any satisfaction of sleep. Was anyone on his side? Seriously!

Thunder roared and then there was no longer any silence left on the Air Temple. The night was slightly cold but he could do with it. It was only a small walk around the corner.

Zuko found himself tackling the idea of knocking on the door or just walking in. It wasn't like she locked her door. Not unless…he was in there. Didn't want anyone barging in and getting the wrong ideas. No, never wanted that. But it couldn't be helped. She was pre..preg…the "P" word and you have to do certain things become…pregn…the "P" word. It would eventually come out.

Zuko let out a small sigh as he thought. He really was going to be hated. It was enough that he had to deal with Katara's temper, but now her brother's and Aang's and what about her father? Zuko never met him or even saw him. He would surely be killed.

Stop thinking!

He scolded himself. He had a problem. He was thinking about the bad things. Thinking about himself. He could only imagine how Katara was. How she would be looked at by villagers around the world. But maybe her necklace would help! Maybe they would think that she was married. Just maybe. But she wasn't a liar. God forbid if someone were to ask her about her marriage. She would most definitely say she was single.

Ah, Katara!

Life was so hard for the ex-prince. Nothing ever went right for him. First he was banished, and then he had to find and defeat the Avatar. He lost and rebelled against his father, deciding to help the Avatar. Then he got the girl that the Avatar was obviously in love with pregnant. Hell! At this rate, he was never going have any friends, more of less, anyone to love him.

Stop thinking, I say!

Zuko really had a problem. He thought too much for his own good, making himself depressed. It really wasn't healthy. He needed to talk to Katara. She always found away to make him forget and he liked that. Not that she knew she was making him forget but…yeah. She was. But he couldn't talk to her or be with her or look at her.

She was angry.

Why? You had his guess. Katara seriously had worst problems them him. What the hell was it to her if he was sleeping with Mai? She was his girlfriend. Katara wasn't. She made the clear. Real clear. Well, sorta. That "pretend it didn't happen" thing really got to him. He took it kind of hard. Not that he would admit it to anyone.

As suddenly as the rain began to pour, it stopped. The beating sounds of it hitting the cold concrete stone silenced and the moon was once again bright. The decision was made. Zuko's knuckles brushed against the hard wood door, carefully sliding his fingers down to the door handle. He pushed the tap and gently pushed the door open, causing a squeak.

His head peeked in and his eyes roamed about looking to find a sleeping pregnant woman. Her back was to him as she faced the window. She lay to her side, sound asleep, probably dreaming of a world without him in it. Figures…

Inviting himself in, Zuko light footedly walked into her room, manually drying himself as he did so. He locked the door and discarded his shirt, which landed on the floor.

She was soundly asleep, so he didn't want to wake her. He reasoned with himself that he should sleep with her tonight and apologize when she woke.

He didn't slide under the sheets and he didn't touch her. That would have been out of order. He slept on his side that night, facing the back of her neck.

It was surprising that he didn't wake up to a screaming Katara. It was silly, really. He didn't wake up to a Katara who hit him up side the head and threw things at him!

He woke up with a sheet wrapped around his body, spooned with Katara. His arms fell around her belly and when he decided to move them away she snuggled deeper into his chest.

Deep confusion laced his brain as he took all of this in. Wasn't she upset just a few hours ago. Did she do all of this. He never found himself with her like this. Not even when she wasn't mad at him and suggested that they sleep together. He was aware of her mood swings but…wow!

Moving away, slightly, Zuko decided to wake the sleeping girl. He shifted to his back so that they weren't as close as when he woke up. He didn't want her freaking out. She probably did what she did in a state of sleep.

It was as simple as that.

"Hey. Katara." His voice was a soft melody. Not what he intended.

"Umm…" She turned from her side to her back, pulling the comfortable pillow over her head.

"Come on, Katara. Wake up for a sec." Zuko nudged her a bit, causing her to groan.

"You're making the baby angry." She tried to sound annoyed but it didn't really work for her.

Okay, still, no yelling! What the hell? Who the hell was this woman! Did she forget that she was angry at him. That she told him to stay away from her. That the baby was hers and not theirs. The fact that she silently said that she didn't need him nor wanted him to be anywhere near her. Fucking mood swings are killing me. He thought to himself.

What did he get himself into?

He wondered if his uncle and father had to go through the same events as he was now. Or did it have to do with her being of the Water Tribe? Maybe different kinds of women did different things when they were pregnant. Maybe it was just her. Maybe only Water Tribe women had multiple mood swings that didn't make any since. She was delusional. He wondered how it would be if he had gotten a Fire Nation girl pregnant.

Knowing his father, if the girl's family wasn't of high stature, the baby wouldn't be considered his. The baby would be dead and gone or hidden away and the father (him) would never be spoken of. He wouldn't have to deal with such foolishness as he was now. He wouldn't be confused and he wouldn't be scared of the reaction of the girl's family, like he was now.

If he were still a prince, he would be doing something other than trying to understand a moody pregnant water bender.

Life!

It takes you any and everywhere.

It really sucks, in Zuko's case.

"Are you angry with me?" It was his choice to ask. Damn it if it wasn't a stupid question. What if she had forgotten and he had just reminded her. Stupid, stupid Zuko!

"No, but the baby is angry. She was sleep until you woke her!"

She?

I'm sure it's a boy.

"How do you know he is mad. It's not like he's talking to you." Zuko corrected her, forgetting about what he had woken her up for.

It was a good thing that he had forgotten because obviously she had forgotten or maybe she just let it go. Whatever it was, it didn't matter.

"She is kicking the fuck out of me right now." Sleep was long gone from Katara as she held tight to her enlarged belly.

Wait! Was that a curse word that he heard her say?

"There, there hunny." She cooed to her tummy. "Daddy is sorry." She looked up. "Right, Zuko." She glared at him, daring him not to answer.

Zuko starred at her somewhat dumbly and nodded his head, causing him to receive another glare from the angry soon to be mother. "Right." He said quickly, getting the hint to talk because the baby couldn't see him.

Katara nodded in satisfaction and rubbed her tummy once more. Her face made a painful expression for the last time as she sighed out of relief.

"Inconsiderate asshole..."

…

"Exc—excuse me?" What the hell was that for? He was just called an inconsiderate asshole out of the blue. Now, just what fuck did he do?

"First you go off and sleep with other girls and then you come back and make the baby angry, not wanting to apologize." She went off on him, confusing him and probably you (the reader) as well.

Hold it! Now wait just a second. He didn't remember going off and sleeping with any one, or being with anyone for the matter. He was a banished Fire Prince at the Western Air Temple. Where the hell could he go?

"What are you talking about?" He was as calm as ever. He didn't want her to blow her case even more then what she was doing now. He was just very, very confused.

"FUCK YOU!"

Foul language this morning…

"Wha---well---well Fuck you too." No more Mr. Nice Zuko. Zuko was already out of her bed, pulling his shirt over his head. He had no idea what she was bitching about and frankly, he didn't care. Something was really wrong with her. Like it was said before, she was delusional.

---

"Whoa, Zuko. What's up with you and Katara?" Haru pulled Zuko to the side, asking the question that everyone wanted to know.

Two days had gone by, two horridly long days. Katara treated Zuko the way she treated him when he first joined the group, like shit. But he wasn't too nice either.

We don't want to go into detail. Let's just say, her food was not taken well by Zuko and she was called fat a considerate amount of times, without him actually using the word.

"She's crazy!" Zuko answered a little too loudly, as if he wanted a certain someone to hear it and that person did hear it.

Haru's face went from cool and collect to straight horror as he saw Katara emerge from the bush that he pulled Zuko in. She didn't look very happy. Not very happy at all...

"What did you say?" Her voice held danger. That same belligerent and malicious attitude she had towards Sokka was aimed at Zuko.

"I could have sworn I was talking to Haru, here." Zuko's tone was a bit bored. As if he didn't take her seriously at all. Haru once thought him as a wise person. Now he thought Zuko was just down right crazy. Who in their right mind would instigate a fight with Katara of all people? Didn't he see what she did to Sokka?

Haru saw it coming but he wasn't sure if Zuko saw it. There Zuko lay, covered in ice cold water, thrown towards the hard rock wall, meters away.

Didn't he see that? Why didn't he defend himself?

Oh my God! There it goes again! She did again. Zuko's body slammed once more against the hard rock wall.

"Ka-ka--" Haru was afraid. He hardly could get her name out. Was she alright? Was she trying to kill Zuko…?

Why wasn't Zuko defending himself?

"Crazy bitch…!"

Haru heard Zuko say from the distance between them. He was antagonizing her! Was he crazy? He had to be crazy. What was going on between the two?

"What!? This is your entire fault…! I'll show you a crazy bitch!"Katara yelled back, pulling waves of waters, slamming him multiple times against that very hard wall.

What was all Zuko's fault? Haru asked his question to himself, watching the one-sided fight between two very different people he had once met before.

"Wh—I am--- not--- hav--- thi--- conversant---ion." Zuko tried to speak but it was quite hard, considering every time he did it, water was splashed into his mouth, chocking him.

Haru stood his place bewildered. This was so un-cool…very un-cool and frightening.

"FINE!" Haru heard her say as she stumped off, leaving a very wet and angry and sore Zuko behind.

…

Silence fell upon the two boys as Zuko stumbled, trying to keep posture as he picked himself up from the uncomfortable ground.

"Why…" Haru began but stopped short. "Nevermind." He decided not to say anything. It wasn't his business.

No. It wasn't his business.

With out another word, Zuko held his head, and limped away, paying no attention to Haru.

He was having a throbbing headache and his bones ached all over. She really did a number on him. She was so lucky she was…

"Whoa, man! What the heck happened to you?" Zuko was cut away from his thoughts as he passed by Sokka and Aang. They both stared as if her were apart of the circus. He damn well could have been.

"Crazy sister…" Sokka heard him mumble as he walked away, not giving him or Aang the time of day.

---

"Man, you should have seen it. It just came out of no where!" Haru explained to his fellow comrades excluding two people in particular. His audience watched in deep interest as he mocked Katara's moves and Zuko's actions, which were a basic nothing. And damn, did he emphasize it. "He just took it! He did nothing…it was weird. It wasn't…Zuko."

Yeah, it was weird agreed everybody in the circle.

"Maybe he was just trying to be nice to her… you know, apologize for what ever he did." Aang suggested.

"He called her bitch, Aang. He wasn't being nice." Toph was too blunt for her own good.

"Something fishy is going on between those two." Sokka voiced his opinion. "Something weird. They've been acting strange lately and Zuko not fighting back is a first!" This guy was a genius…

"I agree. Something is going on." Said Toph.

"So do I." Haru exclaimed.

"Ah, yeah." Aang agreed, awkwardly. He didn't know what to think.

"We'll get to the bottom of this!" Sokka roared, for no particular reason. He just wanted to sound cool and commander-ish.

"Right!" The circle screamed in unison.

---

Zuko was on his way back from soaking in the hot springs. His muscles were more relaxed and his mind was somewhat content. he was overdue for a meditation. Spirits knew he needed as much of it as he could get, dealing with Katara.

She almost broke his ribs! She was so lucky she was…

"Zuko, can I talk to you for a sec." Sokka's voice was loud and clear. He was more stern than playful and his expression was like a father about to talk to his daughters new boyfriend.

This didn't look good.

"What is it?" Zuko wasn't on his guard as he usually was. He had no idea what he was about to be asked. No idea at all.

"Haru told me you had a fight with my sister." Sokka explained, holding the back of his neck, as he signaled Zuko to walk with him.

The sun was just setting, giving the moon a grand entrance.

"Yea…" Okay, now where is this going?

"That isn't unusual, but what I do find unusual is that she was the only one fighting." Sokka continued his observational listening from Haru.

Zuko listened.

"The question that I pose to you is why didn't you fight back? Why did you allow yourself to be thrown and not defend yourself?"

Sokka had no theory on the reason why Zuko didn't fight Katara back, but something was going on. It was just too weird. A lot of weird things had been happening.

Zuko was not expecting such a question but he answered as quickly as possible.

""I don't fight foolishly weak, hormonal girls."

That was not a very smart statement.

"That hasn't stopped you before." Sokka answered. He didn't want any bullshit answer. "And what do you mean by hormonal?"

Ah! This was going to be a long night.

A/N: Hey guys! I know I'm late and all, so sorry. I've been pretty busy. I am a senior in high school and it sucks…

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Whopper23