I felt awful the next morning. My nose was runny and my eyes were puffy, but we had to keep moving.
Sokka immediately walked over to me once he saw me. "Hey."
"Hi." I weakly smiled.
"I'm sorry, I just didn't know what to say or-" I assume he was regarding our argument last night.
I cut him off lightly. "Sokka, it's okay. You don't have to explain yourself. I was just being a little oversensitive and dramatic. I'm sorry as well."
I could see the twinkle in his eyes. "So...we good?"
"We are good."
Sokka let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank spirits. I thought I was going to have to bring Suki into this,"
"Suki?" I posed as if I hadn't been listening to their conversation the night before by asking, pretending to be clueless from the mention of her name.
"Yeah." Sokka awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Suki and I had a conversation last night; and everything is settled, I don't have feelings for anyone..." he trailed off.
My gaze followed the rocky path we were traveling on. "Oh, you don't?"
"I don't what?"
Without daring to look up at Sokka, my gaze remained fixed on the rocky path. "You..don't have feelings for anyone?"
Even though I wasn't looking at Sokka, I could tell he was smiling from the tone of his voice. "Maybe this one person."
My face began to feel hot. "Oh, do I know her?"
"Pretty well." Sokka teased.
Before, I could reply. I heard an irritated groan from Toph. "Can you two put an end to the flirting and walk more quickly? You're holding us back, walking like turtle ducks."
"Rude." Sokka murmured to himself as we began to increase our walking speed.
As we continue walking down the path, we notice that a section of the pass is below the sea level, and not able to be navigated.
"Everyone single file!" Katara divides the water, allowing everyone to walk through the drowned out path. "Aang, I need help!" Aang helps by creating an air bubble.
Momo's curiosity is aroused by the fish. He dives in the water, only to return back when he sees a large shadow. The rest of us notice. "What is that thing?"
The shadow breaks through the water, breaking the divide, causing the water to fall over us all. Toph quickly uses her earthbending to raise the ground we are standing on above the water.
I embraced Toph in a hug. "My little life savor." Surprisingly Toph gave in and let me hug her.
The shadow suddenly transforms into a massive serpent, and it shrieks as it emerges from the water.
"I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass!" Sokka cries. "Venus, Suki, you two know about giant sea monsters, make it go away!"
Suki strikes Sokka with rage "Just because I live near the unagi doesn't mean I'm an expert!"
Sokka hurries and picks up Momo. "Oh great and powerful sea serpent, please accept this humble and tasty offering. Thank you."
"Sokka!" I pull Momo away from him as I hold the lemur protectively in my arms.
Aang blasts the Serpent back with a burst of air. "I'll distract it. Katara, get everyone across!" He takes off on his glider.
Katara freezes the water to create an ice trail. Suki and I lead Ying, Than, and the other lady across the path safety. Katara tries to ice up the serpent, but it fails.
When I turn around at the end of the ice path, I see that Toph is still seated on the rock she made.
"Toph, come on," Sokka shouts. "It's just ice!"
Toph feels the ice, but I guess her sense of sight is restricted. "Actually, I'm going to stay on my little island, where I can see!" The serpent takes out half the island, startling Toph. "Okay, I'm coming!" She slowly glides on the ice.
"You're doing great! Just follow the sound of my voice!" Sokka yelled to Toph.
"It's hard to ignore." She replies.
"I'm going to go get her." I step on the ice as I scaled my way over to Toph cautiously, trying to avoid slipping into the water.
"You're almost there! Venus is coming to get you alright-"
The ice between Toph and I breaks when the creature suddenly hits its tail on the path. I go flying in reverse onto the path everybody was on, making me hit my butt and head hard onto the ground and Toph falls into the water crying for help.
"Help! I can't swim!"
"I'm coming, Toph-" Sokka pauses when he realizes that I have flown out of the sky and landed harshly onto the surface of the serpents path.
Instead of Sokka, Suki dives into the water and Sokka rushes over to me.
My head hung low as I sat in a sitting position. As everything around me began to spin, my vision began to blur.
Sokka knelt next to me, cautiously lifting my head and aligning it with my spine. "Venus! Are you okay?" He frantically panicked.
My body felt numb and weak. "Sokka my head," were the only words I could mumble.
"Yes, Venus. I know your head." I could feel tears fall onto my hand, but they weren't my own. "Stay with me alright? Don't close your eyes."
"It hurts so bad."
"Katara!" Sokka shouts, repeatedly. "Katara!"
Sokka's voice rung in my head as if it were a lost memory. Suddenly, I could feel a thick wet spot on the back of my head. I reached my hand to the back of my head, attempting to feel what it was.
As my hand touched the back of my head, I hissed to myself. When my hand returned to my face, blood could be seen all over it. At that point, I started to feel the pain.
"Sokka, I'm bleeding." As I take a few deep breaths in and out, I lowly panic. "I'm going to die!"
Sokka promptly removes his tunic and wraps it over my head, concealing any blood from emerging. He pulls it around my head more tightly. "Is it too tight? Are you okay?" He voice sounded so unsteady.
"Sokka, I'm going to die." I respond neutrally, awaiting my faith.
"You aren't going to die. Stop saying that!" Sokka shouts at me, he grabs my hand and holds it tight. He leans his forehead against mine as I could feel his tears pouring down my top, leaking through my chest. My own tears fell down my cheeks and down my chest as well, connecting our tears together.
"S-Sokka, I'm g-going to rest my eyes for a little bit." I lowly murmured.
"No!" The water tribe boy warned, shakily. He cupped both his hands on my cheeks. "Venus, don't....please."
I was trying to keep it strong in front of Sokka. But, the truth is that the pain was too much for me to bear; It went far beyond from what I was showing Sokka. It felt like I had been repeatedly stabbed in the head, and I couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry, Sok."
My eyelids began to get heavy as I shut my eyes to rest for a little while. Immediately, after I closed my eyes, memories of the past and present began to flood through my head, so many bad and good ones.
Not too long, I felt a cool sensation, hit the back of my head, I hissed in pain, but my sounds were muffled.
It had felt like an eternity, but the burning sensation on the rear of my head had vanished, I had a migraine, but the pain was nearly gone.
When I had fluttered my eyes open, I had noticed that I was wrapped around Sokka has he had held me down. Beside him was Katara with her spirit water amulet in her hand that was gifted to her from the North Pole, now empty.
"Venus! Are you okay?" Katara's eyes were full of water.
I lifted my head out of Sokka's chest as I utilized my other hand to feel the rear of my head. "No blood." I murmured in disbelief.
"I'm so sorry, I came as fast as I could. Aang and I defeated the serpent and Suki saved Toph from drowning. Are you okay?"
I hugged Katara and immediately wrapped my arms around her neck, holding her tightly. "Thanks to you."
"I wouldn't have know if it weren't for Sokka, he was screaming my name," Katara lightly giggled through her tears.
I unraveled myself from Katara and turned to Sokka who was grinning at me goofily.
"I'm glad you didn't die."
I smiled, "I'm glad I didn't die too."
I then noticed Sokka's tunic around my neck, I detached it and began to look at my blood stain. "I'm sorry, I got blood all over your shirt."
Sokka grabbed it from me and placed it on his body. "I wouldn't rather have anyone's blood on my shirt, but yours."
Sokka stood up as he grabbed my arm and helped me up. I fumbled a little bit, still having an aching headache.
"Want me to carry you?" Sokka asked, noticing my misbalance.
"Please?"
Sokka had crotched down to my level and signaled me to jump on his back, which I did. He rose up once I was secured on his back. He began leading us towards the scared and worried group.
"Venus, are you okay?" Everyone all asked in union.
"I'm okay, guys." I then turned my head over to Katara. "Sorry for using up your special spirit water."
Katara lightly frowned. "Venus, you were going to die! Of course, I was going to heal you with this amulet. Plus, I have one more left. They gifted me two."
I shook my head, ready to go to Ba Sing Se. I was exhausted. "Let's just get out of here already."
Everyone agreed, nodding and continuing to walk towards the path.
I firmly folded my arms over Sokka's neck and placed my face in the crook of his neck.
I took in his smell. He had a scent reminiscent of cactus juice and bark wood. He smelled quite nice, surprisingly nothing like his sleeping bag, thank the spirits.
"V? You sleeping?"
"Nope." I replied against his neck.
Sokka then began to get all serious. "Venus, I thought you were dead. I was scared shitless. You know, what I've been through. I've lost too many important women in my life, and I couldn't lose you. Venus, I was going crazy out there. Aang and Than had to relax me...I just lost my mind thinking about losing you. That's why I was so protective of Suki earlier because I know you adore her and I adore you...like a lot and I want to keep her safe, along with you and my sister because you guys are all important to me."
As I listened to Sokka speak, tears welled up in my eyes. Sokka cared about me more than anyone else has ever had. He truly cared, despite the odd way he sometimes displayed it. But that's what I loved about him.
As I spoke, my lips were pressed against Sokka's neck. "Sokka, I'm not going anywhere. I will never go anywhere you aren't going. Even if it's the next life. We are stuck together."
I could feel the warmth that had formed against Sokka's neck. He turned his head over his shoulder to have a good look at me. His eyes scanned all over my face, most importantly to my eyes and lips.
I lightly played with my bottom lip as I noticed Sokka's neck stretching over to kiss me. I closed my eyes as well leaning closer, but suddenly Sokka had tripped over his feet because he wasn't paying attention to the path.
We both screamed, but Toph had came to the rescue once again, creating a rock wall infront of Sokka before he couldn't fall to the ground.
"I told you guys to stop flirting." Toph mumbled, annoyed. "You two almost died....Again.
After being scolded by Toph. Sokka and I remand quiet. Eventually, I did end up falling asleep, but Sokka's voice had jolted me awake. "There's the wall! Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se."
I tiredly opened my eyes and peered my head over Sokka's shoulders to notice in the distance was the wall of Ba Sing Se.
Ying groans in pain. "Oh no!"
I could feel Sokka's body go into shock. "What's wrong?"
"The baby's coming!" As her husband and sister lower her to the ground, Ying holds onto the sides of her stomach.
"What? Now?" Sokka shrieked. "Can't you hold it in or something?"
I was slipping off his back as a result of Sokka's constant movement, but he lifted me back up.
"Sokka, calm down. I helped Gran-Gran deliver lots of babies back home." Katara said to her brother.
"This isn't the same as delivering an arctic seal!" Sokka hollered swinging his arms around. "This is a real... human...thing!"
I slipped off Sokka's back as I was prepared to hit the ground. But, Suki had caught me before I could hit the ground.
"Thanks, babe." I mumbled.
Suki patted my head. "I'm not letting anything happen to that pretty little head of yours again."
"It's called a baby and I helped her deliver plenty of those, too." Katara begins giving out orders. "Aang, get some rags. Sokka, water. Toph, I need you to make an earth tent, a big one." Toph earthbends the rock to form a tent." Venus, Suki, come with me."
Suki held my hand as she pulled us both into the tent.
"Venus," Katara called out. "Have you delivered a baby before?"
I crossed my arms. "Does it look like I delivered a baby? Why didn't you ask Suki?"
Katara grasped my shoulder as she pulled me infront of Ying, who was laid back with her legs spread wide opened. Than had grasped her hand as his sister had Ying's other hand.
"Katara, I just hit my head on a rock and almost died, I don't want to see anyone's vagina today."
Katara turned her head in my direction and gave me a sad look. "V, don't you see how badly she's hurting right now?" I turned to look at Ying, who was clearly sweating heavily and groaning in pain, as well as her terrified husband. "Please? Just help me...help her."
*Warning, child labor*
I lightly nodded my head. As I began giving out instructions. "Ying, sit up straight, spread your legs, and lean slightly back against the tent." Ying does as I say.
Ying is first instructed to push by Katara. She closes her eyes and pushes. Screaming and crying in agony.
My odds of never having children were unquestionably increased by witnessing Ying in labor. Fuck, whatever Aunt Wu said about me having many children.
After a while of pushing, grunting, slapping, shouting and crying. I noticed the crown of the child's head begin to appear.
I cupped my hands together and placed it under the opening of the child's head.
"You're doing great, Ying," Katara advises. She then screams for her brother. "Sokka, where's the water?"
Suki leans her head over my shoulder. "Get ready to push." Suki then begins mimicking Ying's moans in my ear. I turn to her frustrated and annoyed because she knew my phobia with children. However, her imitation made me mildly giggle to myself.
Katara starts counting down. "One, two, three, push!"
I try not to cry because for some reason I could feel Ying's pain and this was quite disgusting, if I may add. As the remainder of the child's head emerges, Ying cries. And who put me in this position? The girl who doesn't like babies. Katara should be looking at Ying's genitals right now, not me.
All of a sudden, I heard a loud thud from behind me. "What was that noise?" I asked, trying not to turn my head away as I guided the baby's shoulders out of Ying to assist her more because she was having a difficult time pushing them out.
Suki turned around. "Sokka, fainted."
Oh, he's fainting. He's not the one delivery a human, right now.
The top shoulders had popped out and I was utterly disgusted, but I had to stay strong for Ying. To encourage both shoulders of the baby to extend, I applied some pressure to Ying's abdomen, just above her pubic bone.
Once both the shoulders were out, Ying gave out a big push, causing the baby to slip right through. I had held the bloody and slimy baby as it wailed and cried.
"It's a girl!" Katara cries out.
I lightly gagged from the feeling and the smell. "Suki, towel, please." From behind, Suki wrapped the infant, cleaning its airways and covering it from head to toe while leaving the infant's face open for breathing.
Relieved, I sat back and sighed. Oh spirits, if this is what it causes for when your significant other doesn't pull out in time, I will never have sex again.
Suki lullabied the baby to complete silence. She and Katara awed about the child for a while before handing her back to Ying.
I tried my best to not look at my hands. "I need water....and alcohol."
Katara and I immediately found water and poured it over our hands, washing them and wiping them dry with a clean cloth.
Suki had went over to Ying to clean her up as well before coming back and cleaning herself off.
"You guys did great." Katara smiles, but then bumps her shoulder against mine. "Especially you. Miss. I never helped anyone deliver before. You're a natural!"
I gave her an awkward smile.
Suki beamed happily. "I can check this off my bucket list."
I turned to her in disgust. "You have delivering a baby on your bucket list?"
"Of course, I do."
I then looked around the tent. "Where's Sokka?" Remembering how he had fainted earlier.
On cue, Aang, Toph and Sokka enter the tent. Sokka had immediately made his way over to me as he tackled me in a hug.
"Oh, Venus! That was the scariest thing I've ever witnessed in my life. A close second to you almost dying."
"What happened?" I pretend to be unaware when I ask.
"So, I was bringing some water, for you ladies and I walked in on Ying, you know." As he squatted a little, Sokka made a hand signal to his legs. "And I saw her...you know what and I saw the baby's head." Sokka grasped my shoulder as he shook it, violently, screaming. "How did you do it? You were right in there!"
"Sokka, I wanted to faint too."
"Hey, lovebirds." Toph shouts out. "Get over here. And see the baby."
Sokka wraps her arms over my shoulder as we walk over to everyone, huddled around Ying.
"She sounds healthy." Toph says.
"She's beautiful." Katara smiles.
Sokka squints his eyes as he observes the child. "And so squishy looking."
"What should we name her?" Than asks his wife.
"I want our daughter's name to be unique. I want it to mean something." Ying replies.
Aang sheds some tears. "I've been going through a really hard time lately. But you've made me...hopeful again."
Ying's face lights up as she turns to her husband. "I know what I want to name our baby now. Hope."
"That's a perfect name. Hope." Than agrees.
We soon exit the tent, leaving the family alone for a while. Once we did, Aang had pulled Katara to the side to have a conversation.
Suki wrapped her arms around my shoulder. "Sokka can't stop talking about how you delivered a baby. I think he wants to have a baby with you."
I laughed hysterically at the nonsense coming out of my best friend's mouth. "He's got the wrong girl."
Everyone begins making their way towards Aang and Katara, who were crying and embracing each other.
"I promise, I'll find Appa as fast as I can. I just really need to do this." Aang said.
"See you in the big city." Sokka pumps his hand out.
"Say hi to that big fuzzball for me." Toph punches Aang in the arm.
I wrap my arms around Aang, hugging him. "Good luck, buddy."
"Thank you, guys. You ready, Momo?" Aang and Momo fly off. The rest of us wave goodbye.
Suki turns to me as she begins to cry. "Venus, I'm going to miss you."
Because Suki was putting all of her weight on me, I held onto her body. "You're not coming?"
"I need to head back to the other Kyoshi warriors, I came along to see my best friend again and get some clarification."
I pouted my lips. "I'm going to miss you."
Suki held out her hands for me to grab, which I did. "I'm going to miss you too. I'll see you soon, don't worry. Try to not get engaged again, or get yourself killed or get pregnant." She winks the last part and points a finger to Sokka who was talking to his sister.
I decided to tease her. "I won't make any promises."
"W-wait, what?!" She squealed.
A/n: Bye, that whole Venus bashing her head into the rock scene was so unnecessary. For some reason I had a hard time writing these past 2 chapters😭😭 and this birth scene had me struggling. I am not a doctor or nurse y'all, don't come for me. I tried my best lol.