I sigh as we go along a murky looking river.
"Is everything okay Ivy?" Rin asks. I shrug. Katara frowns.
"We can tell something's wrong." Katara says. Sokka gives me a curious look while Toph stares off with a worried look. Aang is playing with Momo in the water. I shake my head and look away from them with tears in my eyes. Being away from Zuko for so long has really taken its toll on me. I've cried all day everyday for the passed 2 days.
"Ivy, please tell us what's going on. You cry so much. We're worried about you." Katara says softly. Toph seems to realize something.
"Is it to do with the baby?" Toph asks. I think about it for a second. What would happen if I had the baby and Zuko wasn't there to support me? Who would help me protect the baby? What if I have the baby early and something happens to it?
"It's not just the baby..." I trail off and try hard not to cry.
"It's Zuko too...isn't it?" Rin asks gently. I nod.
"I miss him a lot. I regret being mad at him for over a week after we left Ba Sing Se. I wish I would've spent more time with him. Cause now I just feel like I set us both on fire." I say sadly. Sokka and Katara look a little awkward. But Rin and Toph hug me.
"Zuko loves you Ivy. When we all cornered Azula, I could feel how tense he was. It was like he was about to jump in front of you. And when he looked at you, all I felt from him was complete adoration for you. I don't think this would push him away. He's disappeared from you so many times. I think he'd understand if you just left this once." Toph tells me. I look away from them.
"It wasn't just this once though." I admit. Visions of myself flying away from Zuko's ship with my glider appear in my mind. Along with images of yelling at him that one night during the storm, flying off Zhao's ship to train with Aang and Katara, and then ignoring him for over a week after leaving Ba Sing Se. I might as well have left him with the one in the storm and after Ba Sing Se.
"Whatever else you did, he obviously found plenty of room in his heart to forgive you. That big ol' hothead could nearly die and ask you if you're okay." Rin says with a teasing look. I offer everyone a small smile.
"Thank you." I say gratefully.
"No problem." Sokka replies. Aang lands on the saddle and Air Bends the muck off himself. It hits everyone...but me.
"How am I clean?" I laugh.
"You're in the splash free zone." Rin says with a grin. Aang then gets the muck off everyone else.
"I think this river is polluted." Aang says while looking at the water.
"No wonder I'm not catching any fish. Cause usually my skills are, off the hook. Get it!? Like a fishing hook!" Sokka exclaims with a grin. We deadpan at him.
"Too bad your skills aren't, on the hook." Toph says. We all laugh except Sokka. Rin gives Toph a high-five.
"Maybe that village will have some food." I suggest, pointing at a village in the middle of the river.
"Good idea, Ivy! But first, we have to hide Appa and Momo." Aang says and makes Appa fly out of the river and near a cliver. Aang grabs a large blanket of moss and covers Appa with it. Although his horns are still sticking out.
"Let's go." Aang says and starts walking towards the river. The baby kicks hard, causing me to gasp and bend over slightly. Rin puts a hand on my shoulder.
"You okay?" Rin asks. I nod and try to straighten back up but the baby knocks the wind out of me again.
"You four go ahead without us. Ivy needs to sit down." Rin says and has me sit next to the moss covered Appa.
"Are you sure you don't want to go instead of me, Rin? I can use my Bending to see what's going on." Katara says. Rin bites her lip.
"No. She'll be okay. You can check when you get back." Rin replies. Katara nods and follows Aang, Sokka, and Toph.
"Breathe Ivy, breathe." Rin says softly. I try to take slowly breaths. But the baby keeps kicking the air out of me.
"That baby really wants to get out of there." Rin mutters.
"Zu...Zuko. The baby...the baby wants Zuko." I say as I gasp for air. The baby has been kicking a lot since I left the palace to come find Aang and the others. Rin's eyes widen.
"But we can't risk you being captured by Azula or anyone for that matter. Maybe the baby is just hungry." Rin suggests. The baby kicks violently three times. I groan in pain.
"Rin...do something." I whimper. She begins to sweat.
"Uhhhh. I don't know what to do. It's inside you!" Rin exclaims.
"Try anything...please." I plead breathily.
"Uh. Hello...tiny baby thing. Um, your mommy....is in a lot of pain. So could you please cut it out. Cause I really suck at singing." Rin sings weirdly. For a second there's no kicking.
"It worked." I say in relief. But that's when I get one strong kick from the baby and I let out a scream of pain.
"Stop kicking your mother damnit!" Rin exclaims as she begins to panic.
"R-Rin. Get...Get Katara." I groan. Rin nods and looks at Momo, whom is watching me curiously with his head poking out from under the moss that was hiding him.
"Momo, watch Ivy." Rin tells him before running off.
"Momo." I whimper. He hurries over to me and licks my cheek.
"Water." I breathe. He scurries off and comes back with Katara's water satchel. I cough and blood trickles down my chin. I drink the water quickly and clean the blood off my chin.
"Ivy! What happened?" Katara asks worriedly as she runs towards me with the others right behind her.
"The baby wants to kill me, Kat." I groan. She bites her lip.
"Toph, I need a big Earth tent. Now. Rin, I need you to keep Aang and Sokka out. Toph I'll need you to stay in here with us." Katara tells everyone. Toph creates a big Earth tent and sits next to me. Katara opens my kimono just enough to see my belly. She Bends water over it and it glows a bright blue.
"The baby is healthy. But it's getting too strong. You won't be able to walk much till the baby is born." Katara tells me.
"Here, eat this. I managed to get a mango for you. It was the last one there. You need it." Katara says and hands me the fruit. She then uses the water to dice it up carefully. I begin to eat it.
"Thanks." I say quietly. She smiles and nods.
"Of course. Toph, I'll bring your food in to you. I need you to stay with Ivy." Katara says before leaving.
"Does it feel weird?" Toph asks me. I look at her.
"Does what feel weird?" I ask in confusion.
"Having a living thing grow in you." She replies.
"Oh. Yeah. It feels weird. But more like a good weird. You just get this attachment to the feeling you have." I explain. She smiles slightly.
"The baby already loves you." Toph says. I smile.
"How can you tell?" I ask.
"I can feel vibrations with my Earth Bending. The baby kicks because it wants to see you. But it feels sad too." Toph tells me.
"It probably misses Zuko. I never had these problems when he was around." I reply. Toph looks shocked.
"Sounds like the baby is gonna end up favoring Zuko over you." Toph says. I shrug.
"I'd rather have the baby adore him more than me, rather than the baby hating him." I sigh. Toph smiles.
"Good point." She says. This baby is absolutely crazy. Please, oh please don't turn out like Azula. Or worse, Ozai.