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Katara was certain from the very moment Azula had picked up their little girl that, against all odds, she would be a good mother. She was attentive, though firm, doing everything in her power to make her daughter feel loved and to ensure Kya's happiness.
Katara held her wife's hand tighter as she lay bedridden. Azula was stable and would recover, but she had become her daughter's shield without hesitation.
Azula had been having a picnic with Kya when, out of nowhere, a member of the Ozai Society decided to attack them. If Azula had used her firebending, she might have hurt Kya, so instead, she shielded her daughter with her own body and let the guards handle the attacker.
When Katara found out, she left the class she was teaching and ran to them. The attacker had thrown huge rocks at her wife, causing multiple injuries, and had stabbed her in the shoulder, making her lose a lot of blood because she refused to be treated until she collapsed into the arms of the waterbender, until Katara could protect them.
Kya was scared, Azula hadn't woken up yet, but Katara knew everything had gone well, that Azula was okay, she herself had taken care of it. After assuring her that her mother was just resting, she managed to get her to lie down next to her in bed and sleep too, holding on to Azula, of course.
Katara watched them. Azula was willing to give her life for Kya... no, Azula would definitely give her life for Kya.
Tears fell from Katara's clenched fists that gripped her robe. Katara continued to cry, silently, unable to stop.
As she was healing Azula, Katara thought of her own mother, who had given her life for her, the mother who had given her the necklace she never took off, the mother who was taken from her too soon.
The same almost happened to Kya. Katara knew Azula was strong, that in other circumstances the attacker would have lasted seconds. But Kya was there, and she was her world. And now, Katara had her world in front of her, the two of them lying peacefully asleep.
Katara closed her eyes for a moment to try to calm herself when she felt someone squeezing her hand firmly. With a voice rough from just waking up, Azula whispered, “It’s not the same situation. We’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen. We'll do everything we can to make sure she doesn't know that pain before she has to.”
Katara took a deep breath. “I’m… I’m afraid. If anything were to happen to either of you… if anything were to happen to the two of us…” Her voice broke at the end, a lump of anguish caught in her throat, and Azula squeezed her hand again, a gesture to keep Katara’s mind from wandering into horrible scenarios.
Azula cleared her throat a bit to speak. “We can’t control everything, but we can do everything in our power to make sure this girl grows up as she has been all these years.”
Katara nodded, but the sadness didn’t leave her gaze. It was one of those moments when Azula would turn the entire Fire Nation to ashes if it would spare the waterbender from feeling this way. But instead, she simply asked in a soft voice, “Can you lie down with us, please? We need you here.”
Without saying another word, Katara slid under the sheets. Azula lifted her left arm carefully to avoid hurting herself, inviting Katara to snuggle next to her. "I love you," murmured Azula, gently kissing Katara's temple.
“I love you too,” Katara responded, almost like a sigh.
After a moment of silence, simply feeling the waterbender in her arms, Azula said, “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“My mother would have adored you,” Katara replied, a melancholic smile curving her lips.
“Both of us?” Azula asked curiously.
“Yes. She definitely would have adored Kya and you make me happy, that would be enough for her.”
Azula kissed the top of Katara’s head. “Tell me about her, what was she like?”
Katara closed her eyes, remembering her mother tenderly. “She was sweet, always had a kind word for everyone. But she was also nosy, always wanting to know what was going on in the tribe,” she said, laughing softly as she recalled her mother’s endless conversations with the other women in the tribe. “She was a terrible cook, no one said it out loud, but we all knew. Yet, she never stopped trying out new recipes,” she added with a happier laugh.
A soft laugh escaped from the firebender. “So, stubborn like you. What else?”
Katara pinched her arm gently, and Azula pretended it hurt. Then Katara continued, “She was the best at telling stories and legends, she could make any tale come to life.”
Katara's eyes filled with tears, but the sweet smile remembering her mother never faltered. "And she gave the best hugs in the world, making you feel safe, loved."
Katara took a deep breath once more, turning her head to look at Azula, and asked in a broken whisper, "Why does it still hurt after so long?"
Azula placed a hand on her cheek, caressing it and wiping away the tear that fell down Katara's face. "Because you loved her with all your heart, and she loved you," Azula replied, then gently began to stroke Katara's hair.
Katara touched her neck, where her mother's necklace hung. "I feel her absence every day, but I also feel her love in my memories," she said, her eyes filled with tears but also with renewed strength.
Azula hugged her tightly, promising herself she would do everything possible to ensure that Katara and their daughter had the life they deserved, full of love and happiness, despite the shadows of the past.
"I miss her," Katara murmured, her voice full of sadness.
"I know," Azula responded softly.
"Can you hold me?" Katara asked, her need for comfort evident in her eyes.
"Always," Azula replied without hesitation, wrapping Katara in a warm, protective embrace.
In Azula's arms, Katara felt safe, as if the weight of her worries had lifted. And when Kya, their little daughter, snuggled between them, Katara felt complete. With her family by her side, she knew that despite the challenges' life might bring, she had a home where she could feel safe and protected. Above all, she hoped her mother would feel proud watching over them.