𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 [ᴢᴜᴋᴏ]

Chapter 40

Episode 8, The Puppetmaster

Katara cleared her throat from behind me, "Can we talk?"

I tensed and slowly turned around to look at her with a blank expression.

It's been a few days since the failed scam and ever since then Katara has been trying to talk to me. I tried to avoid her but I think now it's time we solved this.

I was helping to put the wood in the fire pit when Katara approached me. Sokka shot me a nod and a smile, so I stood up and dusted myself off before Katara and me disappeared deeper into the forest.

When we stopped, I leaned on a tree and looked on the ground. I had no idea what to say so I waited for my sister to start.

It was silent for a few moments and that's when I couldn't take it no more. "Sorry." "I'm so sorry." We both said at the same time.

I let out an awkward chuckle and crossed my arms. Since when is it so hard for me to talk to Katara?

"Listen," my sister spoke up after letting out a sigh, "There are some things that we should or need to settle."

I nodded and eyed her. She was getting to the point way too slowly. Though, I could see she was dying to ask about Zuko.

"And I think we should start with the most obvious one," she said and looked in my eyes.

I bit my lip and slowly nodded. Breaking our eye contact which made me more nervous, I started slightly kicking the dirt from under my feet.

"What's with you and Zuko?" she asked me and couldn't avoid her sharp tone in that question.

Ah, there it is, the million dollar question. The one, that everyone, including me, wants to know the answer to.

I let out a quiet breath. "To be honest it's difficult," I told her and stopped kicking the dirt. Pushing myself off the tree to stand up straight, I eyed the forest around me. "Right now we're kinda enemies."

She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you're enemies?" she asked a bit to sudden. I snapped my head in her direction.

"In Ba Sing Se you seemed a bit too comfortable with each other," Katara added with slightly narrowed eyes as her face came closer to mine.

"I knew it," I said and slightly backed away with my face, "you saw us."

That sentence was enough to affirm whatever theory Katara had in her mind. She stepped back and her mouth slightly opened while she eyed me.

I bit my lip since I knew she would be angry and disappointed if she heard me affirming everything.

"I know I made a mistake," I let out a breath and avoided eye contact. Katara waited for me to go on.

"However it can't be undone now. I should've told you right away but I was afraid of your reaction," I said and looked her directly in the eyes.

"I am pregnant."

The time seemed to stop for a second as I waited for her reaction eying her carefully. I would never want to miss it.

Katara's eyes grew bigger than I've ever seen. Her jaw dropped and she almost stopped breathing. It took her a moment to get out of her frozen state.

She slightly shook her head and moved her mouth but nothing comprehensive came out. She pointed at me and stumbled back a bit.

She balanced herself quickly and was still speechless.

I errupted in laughter and had to clasp my arms over my stomach and bent down a bit because it hurt from laughing so much.