Azula lay back on the hospital bed, panting. Strands of her find hair hung loosely in her face and she could feel the thin layer of sweat that covered her body. Disgusting; of course she knew nobody expected her to be at her best right now, she somehow hoped she could be. Wouldn't it be amazing? Azula, keeping her composure throughout child labor. She scoffed to herself, why were her expectations always so high? While she was lying on the crisp, uncomfortable hospital sheets worrying about her hair and running makeup her husband sat at her bedside, a nervous smile plastered on his face. She could tell by the clenching and unclenching of his hands that he was anxious.
"So…a girl, huh?" He smiled and she rolled her eyes and looked away. Way to break the tension, Sokka was one of the nicer things she thought to say. She was so exhausted, everything she'd done in her life, it didn't even compare. "I mean, I hoped it was a boy, but still…it's pretty amazing, isn't it?" He went on while she merely continued to ignore him.
"Sokka…not right now…" She mumbled and closed her eyes, remembering how she cursed him throughout the ordeal. Yet here he was, by her side attempting to sooth her stress and pain. In her eyes, it was a failure, but she couldn't hurt him by saying so. He gave her a nod and carefully placed his hand atop hers, she let a faint smirk appear on her lips before slitting her eyes open.
"You did good." 'Well' she wanted to correct, but instead nodded, looking to his azure eyes for reassurance. The door clicked open and a nurse entered with a bundle in her arms, a loud, wailing bundle. A bundle so loud that Azula scrunched her nose in distaste, this wasn't her daughter, was it? Sokka grinned like a two-year-old and held his arms out for the baby, only stopping when he remembered she might want first grabs. He looked over his shoulder and she swayed her hand, signaling to him it was alright if he touched the baby first. How childish.
Still, something in her pushed her to lean her weight forward, over to where Sokka was sitting. As he cradled their little girl, she peered to get a glimpse of the innocent little face; had Ursa ever thought her to be so innocent and sweet? Surely anything that small could be thought of as pure, but her family background had to make her question it. While she was lost in her thoughts, trying to admire her daughter from a distance, Sokka was taking notice to her sudden interest. And so he offered her to hold the small crying girl, the one with wrinkly skin and her eyes closed. The bald one, no hair or even features to recognize it as her own. She shook her head, what if she broke it? This pure thing, pure child. She was so delicate and fragile, Azula backed away to the thought.
"I'm still out of it…" She half-lied. Surely she was tired, but she could manage holding a baby. She was glad when the door opened for a distraction; Ozai? Had he come to finally accept her life decisions? Her smile twisted downward when she saw it was only Zuko. Zuko with a teddy bear and balloon, how unfitting. He forced a smile to her and she scowled, he was trying too hard, especially since Ozai hadn't spoken to her since his disappearance at her wedding.
"Congrats." He sighed, putting the balloon and bouquet aside. He saved the teddy bear to put in Azula's arms; she was ready to gag now. He pulled up the chair beside Sokka and leaned in to scope out his newborn niece. Azula tilted her head; they looked like a couple cooing over their child, whispering their secret plans they had in store for her. She shook her head.
"Thanks." Sokka said eventually, trying his best to calm the riled up baby. Zuko frowned, clearly unsure of what to do; maybe even more so than Sokka. They didn't even turn to her for help; they must've assumed she didn't know what to do either. Well good, because for once these idiots were right.
"What's her name?" Zuko asked wearily, placing his index finger in the baby's palm. It soothed her for about a minute or so, and then her cries and screams came back. She winced, feeling a migraine coming on. She squeezed her eyes shut and only opened them when she felt weight in her arms, looking up to see Zuko placing the baby there. Sokka held his hands up and she growled in her throat, turning down only now to realize the baby had silenced herself.
"She knows her mother." Sokka smiled and her expression changed to proud. She was the one to ease the crying baby, just by simply holding her. In your face, Sokka. "So…yeah I guess we never did come up with an official name…" He scratched the back of his neck and Zuko snickered under his breath.
"Adala." Azula stated matter-of-factly and both men cocked their heads curiously at her. She didn't have to look up to know, she could feel it; she just knew them too well. She held the infant close to her chest and stroked the small amount of hair on its head.
"Where'd it come from and…what's it mean? You seem pretty sure." Sokka eyed her skeptically and she smiled to him, a warm smile that startled him. She could tell him she cheated and looked up the gender of their child but she didn't.
"I gave it a lot of thought, it means noble child. I'm rather noble, aren't I?" She boasted and Zuko rolled his eyes; Sokka sighed. "Oh, and you are too, Sokka." She added quickly. "It's German, they have such strong people. Plus it's uncommon, who wants a baby with the same name as any other baby?" She went on and he smiled, immune to her behavior so much he enjoyed it.
"Adala it is." He pecked her cheek and she smiled down to her daughter, their daughter. The one she was stuck with the next eighteen years, feeding and bathing and clothing and sheltering. The thought overwhelmed her, but she had Sokka here with her, so long as he stuck this out she'd do fine she told herself. And, though she was hesitant to admit it, Zuko would back her up if she crucially needed it. She pulled the blanket out of Adala's face and smiled. This was her daughter, nobody could take her away.
Someone she would never abandon as Ursa had done to her; or so she hoped.
I felt kind of gushy after watching The Princess and the Frog with my little sister, so I wanted to write something...gushy. Maybe it's a bit of a bittersweet ending but I wanted to write for Azula nice and cuddly - sort of. Anyway, please review, they're all much appreciated. And vote possibly in my poll? Three a piece :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender