Redeemed (Sokka x O.C.) ‐ Finished- Trigger Warning In Discription

86: Malina and Maliq

The four stared up a huge building in the center of town. "That's Dad's office?" Katara asked, "It's so... so..."

"Grand? Gleaming? Spectacular?" Sokka said with a smile.

"So not Dad," Katara said.

"I have to agree," Tu Cho said, adjusting Kita on her hip. "It's kind of a lot..."

"A lot of awesome!" Sokka said. "Let's go in." The four walked through the halls to a door marked Chieftain. Katara knocked as she pushed the door open.

"One second," Hadoka's voice called, "We're almost done."

"Dad?" Katara asked.

"Katara?" Hadoka stood quickly, "Sokka?" Hadoka jumped the dest and hugged his children. "You're here! You're really here!"

"I'm sorry it's taken us so long to come home," Katara said.

"Rebuilding takes an awful lot of time," Sokka said, looking at his wife, sorry for being so absent from their life for so long.

Two other water tribe citizens stepped forward and Hadoka introduced them. "Sokka, Katara, Tu Cho, let me introduce you to Malina and Maliq. Their construction crew is helping with the southern reconstruction project."

"Actually," Malina said with a smile, "we spent more of out lives in the earth kingdom than the south pole, but I guess once you're 'of the northern watertribe,' you're always 'of the northern watertribe.'"

Tu Cho smiled. "I know how that feels..."

He stepped up to Tu Cho with a wide smile. "And you, little one, must be Kita."

Kita looked up at the large water tribe man. "Who are you?"

"I'm your grandfather. Your dad's dad."

"I didn't know dad had a dad," Kita said curiously.

"Everyone has a dad, Kita," Hadoka laughed, taking the girl from her mother. "Are you excited to see your new home?"

"I am but it cold here," Kita said with a smile.

A knock sounded at the door and the men they'd run into when they'd arrived stepped in the room. "Hey, Malina, you finished going over those plans yes?" They stopped suddenly in the doorway, looking at the group. "You!"

"You," Katara said angerly.

Hadoka set Kita down. "Kids, these gentlemen are Malina and Maliq's crew... Noa." The lead waterbenders from before crossed his arms. "Kam..." The short man with a mustache glanced as his boss. "And Soonjei." The earth bender didn't look at him. "Noa and Kam are the waterbenders. Soonjei is an earthbender. They're among the finest in the world."

"Really?" Tu Cho asked. "Could have fooled us. Katara took them down with one hand."

"We specialize in construction bending, fire girl, not combat bending!"

"Fire girl?" Tu Cho asked, but they were ignoring her, "Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"We're artist, not fighters!" the earthbender said.

"Well," Sokka said, "you guys are just about the burliest artists I've ever seen."

"So then..." Malina looked from Tu Cho and Sokka to her crew. "I take it you all have met already?"

"We did," Katara stood close to Nao, sending out angry vibes.

Nao matched her hostility. "We had some trouble down by the sight... but we worked it out."

"Your crew thoughtfully offered to put up a fence," Katara said. "Something they should've done a long time ago."

"I've been after you guys to do that since before we started! Regulations people!" Maliq yelled. "Come down here and think you can get sloppy..."

"All right, fellas," Malina said. "You're done for the day. I'll bring the blueprints to you first ting in the morning."

"What exactly are you building, anyway?" Sokka asked as the builders left.

"A new office. This building is really meant for the local city government. They were kind enough to let me set up here temporarily.

Katara sighed in relief. "I was gonna say, Dad, this office seems too... fancy for you. No offence, but you're not really a fancy kind of guy."

"Well..." Hadoka rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe you're right about that, Katara but-"

"Oh, wait'll you see what we've got instore for your old man! You'll flip!" Malina ran to the desk and picked up a rolled blueprint. "We're putting up the most magnificent building in the history of the south! Exactly what a head of state like your father deserves! It won't just be an office..." She unrolled the blueprints. "It will be a palace!"

"A palace?" Katara asked, dumbfounded.

"Sweet!" Sokka said, excitedly.

Tu Cho looked at the blueprints for the front of the palace. There were balconies of ice, spires on rounded peaks, and probably a good hundred or so windows. "This doesn't seem like a lot to you, Hadoka?"

"Dad...?" Katara asked, clearly unhappy.

"I know, girls. I never would've thought to build something like this myself," Hadoka rubbed his face. "It's Malina's idea... and I've come to see that it's a good one."

"A palace commands respect, you see?" Malina said excitedly. "It says to the world, 'Look out! We're here! We're a force to be reckoned with!' You need that here in the south more than you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara asked, pointedly.

Hadoka called his daughter, "What Malina is trying to say is the southern water tribe is going to start collaborating more with other nations, we need to show that we're equal partners."

"Well, I for one think it's about time!" Sokka said. "Can you put a slide in the middle of the palace?"

Malina laughed. "Sokka you're too funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny," Sokka said.

"You know what?" Malina patted Sokka's shoulder. "I like your innovative thinking, Sokka. How about consulting for our crew while you're here?

"Wow!" Sokka smiled. "That'd be great! I've always dreamed of being a consultant!"

"You have not, Sokka," Katara hissed. "Stop kissing up!"

"Don't consultants just tell people what to do? Like an advisor?"

"Point taken."

"The future keeps getting brighter and brighter!" Maliq said with a smile. "You all must let Malina and me take you out to dinner to celebrate!"

"Yes, please!" Malina said. "We'd love that! My favorite restaurant's right around the corner!"

"It's up to you kids," Hadoka said, invitingly. "We'll understand if you're too tired."

"We appreciate the offer, but it really has been a long day for-"

Sokka cut his sister off. "Man, I've been waiting for someone to say dinner!"

"Yay! Food!" Kita said excitedly, her appetite as large as her fathers.

Sokka picked up Kita on his shoulders. "Food. Food." He started chanting until his little girl chimed in. "Food! Food!" they stepped out into the hall laughing.

"You don't have to come along, Katara," Tu Cho said.

"No, I'm going," Katara said annoyance edging her voice.

"Wonderful!" Maliq said. "Let me grab my briefcase."

"It's fine to leave it here, Maliq," Malina said.

"No, no," Maliq said picking up his brown case. "I prefer to keep it with me."

"Thank you very much for buying us dinner, Malina," Tu Cho said with a smile. "You've saved me from having to cook for those two bottomless pits," she laughed.

"It's not a problem," Malia smiled. "It's the least I can do, Princess Tu Cho."

"Oh, uh," Tu Cho chuckled. "Just Tu Cho is fine."