Lotus Lake

Epilogue

I slowly walked the length of the sunlit room and came to stand in front of the large bay window; my face fixed into a smile the whole time as I finished reading a small blue book. I sighed wistfully as I closed the book and looked up at the morning that lay beyond the window.

The emerald lawn lay smooth and neat beneath the window, and beds of roses and violets bordered the small gravel path that led from the front door to the tarmac pavement. I watched with a warm feeing spreading through me as a father hurried across the quiet road with his daughter in his arms and his son holding his free hand. The quiet cul-de-sac was especially peaceful at eight o'clock, with only school children and adults out and about.

I smiled at the new day and turned away from the window. After waking up only a few hours after midnight, I had found sleep elusive and had pottered around downstairs for the remainder of the night. That was how I had come across the blue covered book that was still clutched in my hand; I had rooted through the many boxes that were stacked in the garage to pass the time until dawn.

I walked over to the ebony bookcase that stood opposite the window and looked for a place to put the small tome I held. I slotted the book into a space on a shelf at my waist height and let my eyes travel over the photographs that stood amongst the books.

I smiled at the photograph of my parent's first date (my father had insisted that I keep it) and trailed a finger across the silver frame that held the image of me on my graduation from university. An entire shelf was taken up with pictures of myself in a full white dress and a handsome man in a black morning suit; the embroidery on his cravat matching the colour of the bouquet I held in my hands.

My smile grew wider when I looked upon the newest addition to the pictures. A small frame held a piece of paper that was dominated by a black background, save for an area in the middle of the photo that was a fuzzy grey colour.

I wondered briefly how my heart could soar from just looking a greyscale image, and then my smiling eyes swept over the words at the top of the picture.

Goldgrove General Hospital

20 weeks

OZAI Katara

I looked away from the ultrasound scan and stared at my swollen stomach. Quite a change from the twenty weeks my last scan took place at; my eight months of pregnancy was obvious, and I was proud of my bump. Even if the kicking did keep me awake at night.

I pushed back my now elbow-length hair and rubbed my lower back. All of this was new to me and I was loving every moment of my first pregnancy.

A pair of hands snaked around my waist and rested on my tummy. I smiled as my husband buried his face in my neck and placed a feather light kiss there. I turned around in the embrace and Zuko stepped back to accommodate the anticipated addition to our family.

I looked at him and smiled yet again, his hair (several inches shorter than it had been as a teenager) was ruffled messily and his tie was untied and tucked sloppily under the collar of his un-tucked shirt.

I sighed in amusement at Zuko's sleepy face and set about fixing his tie.

"How long have you been up for?"

I glanced up at him briefly. "Since about two o'clock. Someone would not stay still."

Zuko smiled down at me. "Well at least there is only one more month to go and then we can both be kept awake by crying instead of kicking."

I laughed and swatted his shoulder as I finished with his tie. "I was talking about you! Why are you so fidgety lately?"

"I guess I'm just getting anxious the closer we get to the birth," he placed his hands on my bump. "I don't want to go to work today, I want to stay with you!"

I grinned at his childish tone and turned back to the bookshelf, plucking out the blue book I had just deposited there.

Moving over to sit on the sofa, I addressed my husband again. "You will go to work you big baby. Do you know how much I'd love to be back at work?"

Zuko came to sit next to me, tucking his shirt in as he approached. "I do indeed Doctor Ozai. I'd just rather spend time with you than listen to the ramblings of a bunch of politicians."

"Well here's something to take your mind off things today," I handed him the book. "I found it in the garage earlier on."

Zuko took it curiously. "What is it?" He flipped open and scanned the first page.

I smiled when I saw his face light in recognition. "After I left Lotus Lake I decided to keep a diary and I wrote down as much I could remember of those months I spent there. You know when I left you I was afraid I'd never see you again."

Zuko looked up at me and grinned. "Not a chance, you'll never get rid of me."

"I'm glad." I watched as Zuko flipped further through the book to the pages I had kept while Zuko was in college and we had kept in touch through email and telephone calls.

All that had changed when I went to do my medical degree close to where Zuko was finishing off his Government and Politics degree. Being able to see each other regularly again had ignited a spark between us that we hadn't felt before; it was stronger than the innocent love we had felt in our teens.

When Zuko had finished his degree, I had feared we would lose our growing bond. However, Zuko had surprised me yet again when he had taken a job close to where I was studying; and the rest, as they say, is history.

"Well I'll definitely have to look into this." He slipped the book into his breast pocket and stood up to search for his shoes.

"Hey! Help me up." Zuko looked around and smiled sheepishly as I held out my arms to him. He pulled me to my feet gently.

Making my way to the kitchen I looked through the cupboards, listening to Zuko make his way upstairs. I was craving something but I didn't know what. I flung open the cupboards above the toaster and peered up into it. There! Right at the back was a jar of pickled onions. I realised that eating pickled onions for breakfast was vaguely disgusting, but far be it from me to argue with what my pregnant stomach was telling me.

Standing on my tip toes I stretched for the jar, with little success. My fingertips had barely brushed the cool glass when -

"Katara!" I withdrew my hand and turned to look at a frowning Zuko. "What on Earth do you think you are doing?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Getting breakfast."

"You shouldn't strain yourself like that," he chided me. Using the advantage of his height he plucked the jar down for me with no trouble, not even mentioning that I was about to eat pickled onions for breakfast. Zuko ushered me to the kitchen tabled I sat without any protest, grabbing a fork from the cutlery rack on the way .

I watched in amusement as my husband searched the room for his car keys and silently ate my 'breakfast'. After a while I took pity on him and pointed out they were probably hanging on the hook near the front door. I smiled as he flushed in embarrassment and left the room. Ever since I had told Zuko I was pregnant his nerves had gotten the better of him and he had become prone to letting his mind wander; it didn't bother me, in fact I found it quite funny to watch.

Zuko returned to the kitchen with his coat on and briefcase and keys in hand. He leaned over to kiss me goodbye and I reminded him that Sokka and Suki were coming around for dinner. He nodded in understanding and left through the door that led to garage.

I shook my head exasperatedly knowing that he would forget before the day was out. I pushed the empty jar away from me and hefted myself to my feet; now where did I put those gherkins?

---

See? I told you to have faith in me. I can't resist a happy ending and seeing as it is Christmas I thought I should spread the love and good cheer and all that.

Thank you all for making this story so successful. Even if it has been hard to write at times I did enjoy writing the story and reading all of your lovely reviews.

This finished story is my Christmas present to you.

I hope you all have a fabulous Chirstmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and any other celebration you may partake in this festive season.

Thank you all ain, I hope you enjoyed the story as a whole.