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Black smoke rose from the windows of the old building. Flames climbed up the facades, casting ghostly shadows into the night. Sirens wailed, people screamed, fire hoses spewed water into the embers as Zuko stood right in the middle of the chaos.
The heat was almost unbearable, sweat ran down his face and under his protective mask. His scar hurt, as it always did when he was near fire. A brief phantom pain that was soon gone. He felt the weight of responsibility pressing heavily on his chest.
Suddenly, a scream rang out. High-pitched, panicked, desperate. A human life, somewhere in there, in terrible danger.
Zuko turned his head. "There's someone else in there! We have to do something!" he shouted over the roar of the flames.
His colleague Jet grabbed him by the arm. "Zuko, it's too late! We can't go back in there—the smoke will kill us!".
Zuko pulled his arm free, his heart racing. How could he say that? We're the damn fire department. We're these people's last hope. If we don't go in, who will?
"How can you say that?!" he snapped, his voice almost breaking with anger.
Jet pointed at the inferno, his eyes wide: "Look at the fire! If you go in there, you'll never come out!".
Zuko breathed heavily, feeling the burning in his lungs, the sweat on his skin. But his gaze was determined. "Then so be it. I'm going."
"Zuko, NO!" several voices shouted at once as he started to run.
The flames lashed out at him like a living monster. The heat pressed against his skin like a weight. This is madness. But there's someone in there. And if I give up now, they'll die.
He gritted his teeth and disappeared into the fire. No one could help him when his father pressed his face into the blazing fireplace, but now he can help someone else. Whatever the cost.
***
Several ambulances screeched to a halt in front of the house. There was chaos everywhere – injured residents were being carried out, coughing, crying, in shock. Katara jumped out of one of the ambulances, where she had just treated an old man. Her forehead glistened with sweat, her hands trembling slightly from the tension.
"What's going on?" she asked her colleague Jin as she took off her gloves.
Jin shook her head. "Everyone's out... except for one of the firefighters. He just ran back in." Katara's heart stopped for a moment. A firefighter. Alone. In this inferno. She swallowed hard. Oh spirits, hopefully... hopefully he'll make it out alive.
She looked at the building. Smoke, fire, screams – and somewhere in there, a person risking his life. Katara clutched her clipboard tighter. How long has the man been in there? Can he hold out? Is he still alive? Her thoughts go around in circles.
Suddenly, there was movement in the sea of flames. Two figures appeared. A large, swaying silhouette carried a smaller one in his arms. He had made it!
Katara gasped when she recognized the face.
"Zuko..."
Her heart contracted painfully. She wanted to run, grab him, hold him, cry – but she forced herself to keep her composure. You're a nurse here, Katara! That was what she was thinking. Pull yourself together. But spirits... it's Zuko.
He was carrying a boy, maybe twelve years old. Unconscious. His head hung limply. Zuko himself coughed violently, staggered, his legs almost giving up. But he refused to let the kid go.
Others jumped forward, took the boy from him, and immediately carried him to the ambulance. Then Zuko himself collapsed. Katara caught him before he fell to the ground.
"I've got you, big guy..." she whispered, tears in her eyes, as she supported him. His chest rose and fell heavily as he struggled to breathe, his normally pale skin blackened by soot. Katara glanced at his colleagues who were rushing over. Together they helped carry him to the car. But Zuko clung to her unconsciously, as if she were the only thing connecting him to this world.
***
A sterile, quiet room. Only the ticking of a clock and the steady beeping of a monitor broke the silence. Zuko slowly awoke, blinded by the light from the neon tubes. Every breath burned like fire in his lungs. With a groan, he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Everything hurts. Every muscle. But... I'm alive, he thinks.
The door opened and Katara appeared before him. In her blue uniform, with an expression between despair and relief on her face.
"Zuko!" she cried, and before he could react, she was already with him, throwing her arms around his neck. The force almost knocked him back into the pillow, and he groaned in pain. But he immediately wrapped his arms around her. Katara...
She pressed her face into his shoulder, her fingers clawing at his neck as if she never wanted to let go.
Finally, she pulled away, her eyes shining with tears.
"Hey... you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
Zuko smiled weakly, his voice rough, almost a croak: "Like shit, to be honest."
Katara laughed softly with relief. Zuko struggled to sit up further.
"How's the boy?" he asked immediately.
Katara gently placed her hand on his cheek, touched but not surprised that he immediately asked about the child. She brushed his old scar as she did so. "He's fine. I'll send him home later, after I check on him again. He's alive – and he owes that to you, Zuko." He smiled, relieved. She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly, full of pride and relief.
"You really seem to be doing pretty well yourself", she murmured and playfully kissed him on the tip of his nose.
"Thank you, my love", whispered Zuko before hugging Katara tightly once more and breathing in her familiar scent. To this day, he still doesn't know how he deserves her, but he won't question his good luck any further.
At that moment, the door opened. Sokka, Suki, Aang, Toph, and Zuko's uncle Iroh rushed in. Zuko could hardly escape the hugs, even Toph wrapped her short arms around him and threatened him at the same moment not to do such a stunt again.
Zuko enjoyed the calm his friends brought him. He was really lucky. Especially with Uncle Iroh, who had brought him one of his Jasmine Dragon teas to help him get back on his feet quickly. Laughter filled the room, especially after Sokka broke the serious mood of concern by talking about his and Suki's kids and what the two youngest boys had done to annoy their big sister.
Zuko felt carried by the warmth of his friends. Katara sat down next to him on the bed, wrapped an arm around him, and pulled him close. Zuko thought she wanted to kiss him, but then her serious gaze struck him like a dagger.
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer. "Do that again... and I'll kill you with my own hands." Zuko blinked in surprise, then nodded slowly. Only then did Katara release him—only to kiss him at the same moment.
When their friends said goodbye, calm returned. Katara stayed with him, sitting down next to him again. She leaned her head against his shoulder as he gently kissed the tip of her head.
For a while, there was only silent closeness. But something was growing in Katara's heart, a secret she could no longer keep to herself.
Is this the right moment? He's been through so much today. But... he needs to know she thinks quietly.
She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. Her fingers sought his hand, playing with his fingers before holding on to his wedding ring. She took a deep breath.
"Zuko... you really have to promise me you won't do something like that again." He wanted to protest, but her gaze left him silent.
Then she smiled gently, her eyes shining. "Because... there will soon be the three of us. And I really want it to stay that way." She took his hand and placed it on her belly.
Zuko stared at her as like someone had stopped time.
His thoughts were spinning. Three of us? Wait... does she really mean...?
His eyes widened. An incredulous smile spread across his face, then he grabbed her and kissed her passionately. His hand remained on her belly, as if he wanted to protect the little wonder immediately.
"We're having a baby," he whispered before grinning like crazy. His first thought was whether the baby would have his wife's beautiful blue eyes.
Despite his pain, he jumped out of bed, lifted Katara up, and spun her around. She laughed, tears in her eyes, as she kissed him back.
When he put her down again, he placed both hands on her cheeks and looked deeply into her lovely eyes. "I love you, Katara. More than anything else."
"And I love you," she replied, kissing him on the mouth and closing her eyes as his hand rested on her belly—where their future together had already begun.
Oh, wait until Suki and Sokka find out, Katara thought and smiled. And Uncle Iroh, he's been telling Zuko since his first date with Katara that he'd love to have grandchildren. She can't wait to tell her father, Gran-Gran, Toph, and Aang.
Her little miracle.
It's gonne be a boy. Katara already has a feeling about it. And she imagines that he looks like Zuko did when he was a baby. Katara even has the perfect name already.
LuTen.
But she'd rather tell Zuko that another time. Now they hold each other and thats more than enough for now. For what could be more beautiful than having the love of your love by your side?