"Do you like the new dress?" Tu Cho asked Kita as she helped her daughter put on the green dress she'd spent nearly a month working on during the failed search for her sister and had only just put the finishing touches on thanks to Katara's healing.
"Yes, mommy," Karata said. "But what does it say?"
"How about we ask Daddy what it says?"
"Okay," Kita said, looking down at the black dyed words on her chest. "Where is he?"
As though on cue, Sokka stepped into the shared room. "How are my two favorite girls doing?"
"Daddy!" Kita spun to see her father. She grabbed his legs before he even had the chance to look down at her. "Mommy made a new dress!"
"Really," Sokka asked, humoring his little girl. "Mommy made it? Did she make it while her hands were hurting?"
"No," Kita said. "She done it after Aunt Katara made her hands batter."
"Better, dear," Tu Cho corrected her. "Aunt Katara made Mommy's hands better. I'd been working on it for a little while. Why don't you ask Daddy your question?"
"Yeah!" Kita let go of her father's leg and stepped back to show off the green, knee length dress with writing on it. "What does that say?" she pointed to the symbols on her shirt. Tu Cho put her hands together over her pleased and excited smile.
He knelt to read the dress. "It says 'I am the big sister.'" Sokka froze for a second. He looked up at his wife. She nodded. Sokka gasped with a huge smile and swept up his daughter. He put his arm around wife, hugging his family tight. "I can't believe it."
"Believe what, Daddy?" Kita asked.
"You're going to be a big sister, Kita," Sokka said. "Like Mommy is to Uncle Zuko and I am to Aunt Katara."
"You're a big sister?" Kita asked with a giggle.
Tu Cho laughed. "No, Daddy is a big brother because he's a boy. He has a little sister. You'll be a big sister."
"Does that mean I'll have a little sister?" Kita asked.
"Or you could have a little brother, like Uncle Zuko," Tu Cho said.
"Oh..." Kita smiled. "I want a little brother. Little sisters are cool, Daddy, but I want someone to play fire ball with. Where are they?"
"They're in Mommy's tummy," Tu Cho set a hand on her stomach.
"Did you eat them?" Kita asked, horrified.
Sokka laughed. "No, sweetie. The baby has to grown inside of Mommy first. You had to grow in Mommy's tummy too."
"Oh..." Kita looked at her mother's stomach. "Are you sure? It doesn't look like there's a baby in Mommy's tummy..."
"Yes, Kita," Sokka said. "But the baby won't be here for a long time so we'll be in our new house before they get here."
"Okay..." Kita smiled excited, but seemingly still a bit confused. "Can I tell Aunt Katara?"
"Yes, dear," Tu Cho said with a smile.
The two released their oldest, who ran off, and embraced each other again. Sokka was crying happy tears. "You're too perfect for me..."
"I love you too, Sokka." Tu Cho kissed her husband. "And I'm glad to be joining the Southern Water tribe as your wife."
~~~
~~~
"You sure we're in the right place?" Tu Cho asked, Kita sleeping on her shoulder. "This seems like a lot compared to what you've told us about the water tribe..."
"According to the map, this dock is just about a mile from home."
"But none of this looks familiar," Katara argued.
"Hey," Sokka argued back, "I read the map. And like you're always saying, no one can read a map like me!"
"'Always?' I said it once," Katara said.
"Mommy..." Kita lifted her head
"Oh you're finally awake." Tu Cho smiled.
"Where are we? Its cold."
"We're in the south pole." Tu Cho set her daughter down. "We're almost to our new home."
"Is it always cold?" Kita asked. Tu Cho nodded. "I am happy we have new coats." Tu Cho had to agree, though she wished she'd opted for the long coat rather than the half coat because while her layers and new boots were keeping her plenty warm, she was getting nasty looks for simply wearing her red robe. The fact people could hate a color enough to judge her without speaking to her was enough to make her nervous.
"What are they doing?" Kita asked, pointing at some kids.
"Penguin sledders," Katara said, starting toward them. She elbowed her brother. "Remind you of anything?"
"Yeah," Sokka rolled his map, "it reminds me of... of..." he shook his head. "I got nothing."
"The..." Katara looked at the playing children sadly. "The day we met Aang..."
"Oh yeah." Sokka grabbed Kita's hand. "You thought he was a fire nation spy."
"Pretty sure that's not how it went," Katara rolled her eyes. "Wanna?" she asked, indicating the double flippered penguins. "For old times sake?"
"Is Kita old enough?" Tu Cho asked, feeling uncomfortable with the eyes of the fisherman and traders on her.
"I was three the first time I went penguin sledding." Katara shrugged.
"Can I mommy?" Kita asked excitedly. "I'm three."
Tu Cho smiled. "I guess you can as long as you stay with Aunt Katara."