No Time To...

Pained

Katara knocked on the door as she was fumbling with her hands nervously. She inhaled a deep breath when the door opened. She looked down seeing Ren who opened the door.

"Your my old mans friend," Ren stated looking up at her.

"Y-yea, is he here?" Katara asked rubbing her neck not looking the child in the eyes.

"Yea, hes going to get aito medicine in the kitchen," Ren walked away from the door and went back to the table to color while aito was coloring in a book on the couch with a thick blanket around him, a wet cloth on the back of his neck.

"Hi," aito whispered looking up at her.

"How are you feeling?" Katara asked gently.

"Not good," he looked down and coughed into his hand harshly.

"Ai, I watered the tea down for you a little so it's cooler and not so strong of a taste," Zuko walked back but paused seeing Katara standing in the main room.

"Thank you papa," aito sniffled as he set the book and charcoal pencil down.

"What are you doing here?" He looked at the other adult unamused when he gave his son the tea.

"I came to help," Katara told him gently.

"I do not want your help," he snarled.

"Zuko I think aito isn't going to break his fever soon enough," she crossed her arms.

"Did I fucking ask? You don't touch him, not to heal and nothing else," Zuko glared standing in front of his boys.

"I'm just trying to... to help," Katara scoffed shaking her head.

Zuko looked at her disgusted.

"Last time I saw you, there was nothing that I could do to get you to stay, we said what needed to be said so why the fuck are you still here?" He ran his hand through his hair moving it to the side.

"There's still a war," she glared back.

"I mean in here, my home, I built myself a life from the shit the world left and I don't need you in here to ruin it," he scoffed.

"Toph and sokka won't stop bothering be bout helping aito," Katara huffed crossing her arms shaking her head.

"Hey!" Aito yelled to them, his voice sounded raspy and dry. "Take it outside, some of us are trying to sleep!"

Ren nodded with his twin as they both looked unamused. They weren't scared of the yelling they were annoyed.

"Sorry boys," Zuko sighed softly and they went into zukos bedroom.

"You abandoned us, I can't forgive you Katara," he whispered when he closed his door.

"I'm not asking for forgiveness, I know you hate me, I know I can't do anything to change that," Katara looked down narrowing her eyes.

"God, you've changed, the Katara that I knew wouldn't be like this as a 'oh well that sucks that's just life'," Zuko told her disappointed with what happened to her with the time Thats passed by.

Katara hugged herself shaking her head.

"I lost her too," Zuko whispered frowning.

"I know, but I almost died Zuko, I've never felt that kind of fear and every time I looked at those boys before I couldn't stop myself from flinching away, I didn't feel a connection and I don't know why I just couldn't do what I always do," Katara whispered brushing her hair off her shoulder.

"But I was there with you Katara, I was going to stay with you, and we were going to be fine, for fucks sake kat I was so in love with you I was going to do anything for you," Zuko covered his face turning around.

"You guys were better without me," she closed her eyes.

"Yea, you haven't changed," he sighed a little.

"If you want to try healing aito go ahead," he waved her off shaking his head.

"Yea, alright... thank you for telling our boys that Im not a horrible person," Katara hugged her chest nervously but Zuko glared.

"I taught them how to walk, read, talk, those are my boys, you might be their mother but they aren't yours," he told her sternly.

"Ren really looks like you," she nodded slowly understanding.

" I'm done talking," Zuko walked past her to go back out to the main room where the boys where sitting.

He stopped seeing Ren was explaining how he drew his animals to aito who listened and drank his tea very invested.

"Hey aito, can you tell Katara where it hurts? She's going to try making you feel better," Zuko sat with him as Katara followed out quietly.

"My chest mostly, and my neck," aito sat up and touched his neck with pain in his eyes.

Katara inhaled deeply looking at the twin with blue eyes like hers.

"Hey, hey she's looking pale, can a doctor do something?! Katara hang in there please!"

"I'm going to do my best to make you feel better okay?" Katara smiled gently sitting with him and bender water from her side pouch.

"Okay ma'am," aito nodded and watched amazed by the glowing water that covered her hand as Katara gently touched his neck.

"Z-Zuko I..." she whimpered reaching for him as tears fell down both their faces.

"I'm sorry but one of the triplets, she didn't make it," the doctor told them. "But the baby boys are doing great,"

"I lost my baby?" Katara sobbed as Zuko was given one of the boys as he kept his hand over Kataras. She cried into his hand not daring to look at her sons. She was dizzy and her vision was fading, she couldn't even lift her head.

"Katara?" Zuko felt her grip loosening.

"Kat?!"