Children of Two Nations
-Sequel to Not So Bad

Rated T

Parings: Zuko/Katara, Sokka/Azula, and eventually Aang/OFC

Chapter One

Good-bye Quiet

Zuko sat in his meeting room, waiting patiently for one of the admirals to finish making their statement about how to deal with the current issue on the approaching rice shortage. Before he could, however, Kianna came racing into the room. "Azula just went into labor!"

A hush fell over the room, followed by Zuko jumping up from his seat. "Excuse me, everyone. Family matters..." He hurried from the room, dragging his big-mouthed sister with him. "Announce it to the world, why don't you?" He grumbled at her, the two of them making quick work of the distance to Azula's room.

"Okay, one second," she stated, pulling from Zuko's grip and facing the paneless windows that overlooked the merchant square. She took a big breath, then cupped her hands over her mouth. "H-" was all that she could get out before Zuko yanked her away from the window, and off towards their sister's room.

"Very cute, Kianna," he growled.

"I know, aren't I?" She smirked, then rushed ahead of her brother and into the youngest of the siblings' suite. Nerve-wrecked maids were rushing back and forth between the princess' bedroom and everywhere else, trying their best to please the laboring young woman.

Zuko smirked as he noticed a maid heading into the room with an ice pack, responding to his question with "It's for the lady's boyfriend. I fear his hand will break, if it hasn't already. Miss Azula is very upset with him, and has been being very abusive..." Kianna listened to the statement as well. She wasn't really too surprised that her sister would be upset at the Water Nation Prince, however. It was the least that could be expected, after all.

The Fire Princess had been going out with Sokka for over two years now, without the two of them getting married. That fact had remained true, even after Azula had gotten pregnant with Sokka's baby. He still wasn't planning to propose to her, even though she was currently trying to push their baby's big head through her... well, you know.

Kianna and Zuko were quickly ushered into the sitting room, where they found Katara and Aang waiting with uncomfortable looks on their faces. Zuko sat down next to his wife and opened his arms to her with a warm smile. Katara returned the smile and hugged her husband lovingly, trying to forget that she had once been in a similar position as Azula was in right now.

The four occupants of the room cringed when yet another of Azula's screams pierced the heavy walls of the room. Among her cry, however, Zuko detected another yelp of pain from whom he recognized to be his brother in law. Apparently, the water warrior was getting his hand ripped off. I warned him that she would kill his hand... Zuko thought smugly, pulling Katara closer.

Katara climbed into Zuko's lap, resting her head against his chest as he nuzzled closer to her and stroked her hair. The queen was also pregnant, but not very far along at all. In fact, the water bender was hardly one month in. People in the village and other members of the royal family were worried about her. They believed that the arrival of this baby would cause her great sadness, and bring back memories of her lost son. However, Katara didn't feel that way at all. When her son had died three years ago, she had sworn that she would have more children and that she would make sure that they were always safe. She was still sad about Radon, but that could only be expected; after all, he had been her first child. But Katara was still happy to be with child again, and she was happy that she and Zuko had another chance at being parents.

~*~

"SOKKA, DAMN YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Azula screamed, another, foreign cry then filling the room. Azula fell back onto her pillows, gasping for air. She closed her eyes, and the sound of her baby's cries reached her ears, bringing a smile of relief onto the princess' face. Sokka smiled as well, the color slowly returning to his flushed skin. He reached up and stroked the side of his girlfriend's face, whispering words of praise to her.

"It's a girl!" Kaorin, the midwife, exclaimed, cleaning off the disoriented child. The squirming bundle was then wrapped in a scarlet blanket, ready to be handed to her mother. However...

"AH!" Azula's face contracted again, her hand gripping Sokka's once more. Sokka cried out in both surprise and pain, and Kaorin handed the baby to another nurse, rushing back to Azula. "Shit! There's another one!" Azula half yelled and half whimpered. Sokka paled and gulped, then began to stammer.

"A-no-n-n-noth-not-nother," He looked around the room, all of a sudden very confused. His girlfriend was screaming again, and Kaorin was urging her to push. Wait, didn't this just happen a second ago? What's going on? I thought the baby was already born! The sound of a baby's cry echoed off of the stone walls, and Azula calmed down for the second time. Deja vu... Sokka's head was swimming, and the crying didn't really help that much.

"A baby boy!" Kaorin stated, wrapping this one in a black blanket. She walked over to her princess, and the new mother managed a shaking smile as she reached for her baby. "My, he's very tiny, isn't he? His sister is, as well... What a surprise that you had twins!" The kind woman helped prop the exhausted girl up on her pillows, then she motioned towards one of the other nurses. Azula looked down at her son with smiling eyes, stroking his cheek softly.

"Where's the girl?" She mangaged to murmur hoarsely. The little boy in her arms steadily began to cry quieter, until he was only whimpering and squirming in his mother's arms. He seemed to recognize her, and he could hear her racing heart beat. He opened his mouth and let out an adorable little yawn, a few of his fingers hooking onto his lips.

"The girl?" Sokka gasped, allowing one of the maids to tend to his hand.

"The girl is right here." Kaorin replied, now holding the scarlet bundle. The girl had calmed down a bit as well, but she was still crying rather softly. "Would you like to try and hold them both?" Azula didn't even bother to think about it, only nodded, and smiled even more when her little girl stopped crying and was set in her arms. Sokka swallowed thickly, then set himself up so that he was half laying at Azula's side, staring, amazed, at his children.

The little girl was sucking on her tiny fist, her big, bright blue eyes flicking all around the room while her other hand grasped her foot. Little coos and gurgles could be heard from around her fist, and she didn't seem upset at all. The little boy was currently examining himself, fascinated as he touched his arms and legs, seeming to think whoa, when did I get THESE? His eyes were a deep amber, with speckles and rays of very light blue showing through them.

"Do you know what you wish to name them, Miss Azula?" Kaorin asked politely while she watched Azula admire her children. It was nice to see the normally arrogant girl become so absorbed by the fact that she had children.

"Yes, actually, I know exactly what I will name them," Azula stated confidently, " and Sokka shall have no say in it." This one caught Sokka's attention. The two of them hadn't even discussed names before, and now Azula was going to just choose? That couldn't be fair.

"Why can't I help?" He objected, then looked down again as the boy's leg began to jerk around, almost as if trying to kick his sister. Sokka rested a hand on the small foot, not wanting the children to start hating each other already.

"Because only the mother's husband or fiance can help with the names." Azula replied, shooting a glare at her lover and daring him to challenge her again. Sokka's mouth worked as if he were going to say something, but he remained silent. She still looked pretty upset with him. Could it be that it wasn't just the labor that had her angry?

"Alright, miss, when you're ready." Kaorin positioned her brush over the paper and waited so that she could write the names down.

"The boy shall be named Shuin, and the girl will be named Trinity." Azula smiled even more as Trinity let out a delighted, and completely random, squeal. Shuin stared at his sister in what looked like bewilderment and a what the heck is wrong with you? Sokka recognized the look and laughed quietly. Even though he had been a little older, his mother had always said that that was how he had looked at Katara the first few days after she was born.

"Hey you three... or four..." The group that had been waiting was now entering the room. Kianna frowned slightly when she noticed two babies in her little sister's arms, instead of one. "Whoa, Azula, no wonder you got so fat!" Azula shot a blood freezing glare at her sister, but made no remark as that was when Shuin decided to try and roll out of her arms.

"What are their names?" Aang wondered, now standing with Kianna at the bed side.

"This little boy here is Shuin, and the girl is Trinity." Azula replied, smiling once again, even as she struggled to keep her little boy in her arms.

"They're adorable, Azula." Katara whispered brightly, a big smile on her face as she leaned against Zuko. She looked up at him and nudged him gently, surprising the Fire Lord.

"Oh, yeah. Really, they look great." Zuko added, pulling his wife closer. Azula just nodded and then finally turned to Sokka.

"Would you mind holding your son? It's a little difficult trying to support two newborns' heads at the same time, and he won't stop squirming." Azula proved her point by having to pull him closer again.

"Uh... well, you see...um..." Sokka glanced nervously at the wiggling child, not sure what to do. If he refused, then Azula would get really, really pissed off. If he accepted and then dropped Shuin, she would kill him. Considering how both results were equally scary, the Water Prince was stuck. Luckily for him, Kianna noticed his problem.

"Hey, Azula, would you mind if I held him for a little while? Aang and I have to leave soon, because of issues at the Eastern Air Temple, but it would be nice if I could hold my nephew first...?" Kianna put on her best puppy face, and Azula sighed with a smile.

"Alright, at least I know that you won't drop him." She glared at Sokka, who recoiled with things like mind reading in his head, then allowed her older sister to take Shuin from her arms. The little boy made a few strange noises, but seemed to adjust to his aunt rather quickly. Aang moved closer, so as to get a better look at the little boy. He smiled, and let Shuin play with his fingers.

"Oh, cool! Azula, he's going to be a really good water bender some day. I can tell." Aang stated, making funny faces at the now very happy Shuin.

"Really? That's odd. How would he get water bending when neither of his parents can do so?" Azula asked, confused.

"Oh, you don't always get it from your parents. Neither of our parents could water bend, either, but my grandfather could, and that's probably who Shuin gets it from, too." Katara mentioned, also surprised that he was a water bender.

"I see. Well, I suppose that's better than him being a firebender. They tend to start setting things on fire at a very young age." Azula reasoned, now cuddling Trinity lovingly.

Awhile later Shuin was handed back to his mother, while Trinity was given to Katara to hold. Kianna and Aang said their goodbyes before taking off to help out the Eastern Air community. They promised to be back soon, and to return with plenty of gifts for the newest members of the royal family.

"Hey, Azula, could I try holding one of them next? I'm pretty sure I can handle it, since I'm not nervous anymore..." Sokka murmured, nuzzling against his girlfriend. She frowned slightly, a mental debate kicking up. Sokka looked like he meant well enough, and he was the father.

"I suppose so... just make sure you hold him the right way, alright?" Azula then scooted over a bit so Sokka could sit on the bed properly, and asked Katara to show him how to hold the baby. Katara nodded and gave Trinity to Zuko, then grabbed her brother's arms.

"Here, like this. And make sure you support his head, because his neck isn't strong enough to support it yet. Oh, but don't touch the top of his head. That's where his soft spot is, and it could cause serious brain damage." Katara instructed her brother firmly, then stepped back so Azula could place Shuin in his arms. Sokka fidgeted slightly, but then settled down.

"Hey, this is actually pretty easy." He murmured, his eyes glowing with self satisfaction. He actually wasn't dropping him and causing damage! Wow!

"Katara, we'll have to go soon, as well." Zuko whispered, rocking Trinity gently. The tired little princess was slowly falling asleep in her uncle's arms, and she yawned cutely.

"Yes, alright." Katara and Azula hugged, talking to each other briefly, before the new mother took her daughter back from Zuko. "We'll see you guys at breakfast. Have a good night." Zuko wrapped his arm around Katara's shoulders and they left the room, closing the door behind them quietly.

Back in their own room, Katara was brushing her hair as she prepared for bed. "So there's nothing you have to do tonight? No duties as Fire Lord?" She asked Zuko as he brushed his teeth.

"None." He replied, wiping his mouth and then smiling at the lovely water bender.

"So you'll actually be coming to bed with me tonight?" Katara questioned in a laughing voice, a hand on her hip. Zuko's eyes flashed, then he smiled mischievously at his wife. Katara blinked, then took a step back. "Zuko?"

"Come to think of it..." Zuko whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him, "I do have a duty to fulfill tonight. To my wife, whom I never get to see before she falls asleep," he purred, then, before giving her any other warning, locked their lips together in a possessive kiss.

When they finally broke apart, in need of air, Katara had a twin glint in her eye as she and her husband rushed into the bedroom. It had been a long time, and tonight, they needed to be with each other, more than they needed any thing else. For during these special moments, they weren't the Fire Lord and his queen, or the Water Queen and her husband. They were just a young couple, and nothing was more important than their love and each other.

~*~

Yeah, I know the ending is pretty corny, but I couldn't help it. I apologize, in advance, for however long it takes for the next chapter to come out.