Southern Water Tribe

"I love you, Katara"

"I love you too, Aang" Katara replied as she looked up into her husband's eyes and pulled her body closer into his.

Aang leaned down and kissed her forehead. It had been ten years today that he and his friends had defeated Fire Lord Ozai and had begun making changes to improve the four nations, and once again have the nations live together in peace and harmony. Aang rested his chin on the top of Katara's head and listened to his two children, Bumi and Kya, playing just outside the door.

"Kya!" He heard Bumi shout, "STOP! I DON'T WANT TO BE SPLASHED".

He heard his younger child giggle in response with a corresponding splashing sound. A small smile reached is face as he put a hand on his pregnant wife's stomach. Soon their clan of four would reach five. I have everything I could have ever imagined, Aang thought, but why does it feel as though something is missing?

As if sensing his thoughts Katara sat up in bed, and got to her feet.

"Katara," He started gently, "You know you should be resting, Gran-Gran said-"

"I know what she said." She stated, "But I am already a mother, and I will tuck my children into bed and kiss them goodnight".

"Let me help you"

Katara just smiled in response, happy to have her husband by her side whenever she could. She knew as the Avatar his first duty was to the world, and second was his family. But sometimes, it became hard to pretend that it wasn't painful raising the children mostly on her own.

She reached down and picked up Kya while Aang scooped up an energetic Bumi who was trying to run as fast as he could away from his father. "Not quite fast enough to out run me yet little guy" He smiled as he brought his son closer to his chest.

Aang brought Bumi into his room and sat him down on the bed.

"Dad?"

"Yes Bumi?"

"Will you tell me a story?" He asked his father as he climbed under his blankets.

I have much to do, I need to write a lesson plan to teach the air acolytes tomorrow, He thought to himself, "Son I wish I had time-"

"You never have time" Bumi sighed. He wasn't angry, or yelling, all Aang could hear in his son's voice was sadness.

Aang sat down on the corner of his son's bed, "What story would you like to hear?"

Bumi's face lit up with more excitement than the Avatar could have ever imagined. "Tell me about the time you, mom, and Uncle Sokka escaped from Sparky Sparky Boom Boom Man!"

"You've been hanging out with Uncle Sokka a little too much if you ask me" Aang smiled at his son, "But I'll tell you the story again. It all started…"

As Aang began to tell the story of Combustion man he heard his wife cry out from the other room.

"I'll be right back he said to his son" he walked out of the room, "Katara?"

"Aang" She looked at her husband, "Go get Gran-Gran"

Aang just stood there in disbelief.

"Aang, NOW" she raised her voice just a little, "This baby is coming now!"

Fire Nation

Zuko felt Azula's lightning bolt strike his chest, his body went numb from the pain. He tried to move his neck to look at Katara, she had to be okay. "K-" He tried to say her name and was cut off by the sound of Thunder and a flash of blue across the sky. Please Agni, don't let Azula hit Katara. Please. As he lay their motionless, he felt one tear fall down his cheek, knowing that know there was nothing he could do to protect Katara. His whole world faded to black.

He started to open his eyes. All he could see at first was the outline of a head, as the minutes passed the figure became clearer. What he saw was the tear stained, sapphire eyes of the Water Tribe Girl.

"Katara" He said as he reached out his hand to stroke her cheek "Thank you".

"I think I am the one who should be thanking you" She responded, eyes holding back the rest of the tears, but a smile starting to creep across her face.

Zuko was pulled out of his sleep by the sounds of crying. Though it had been ten years since that day, there were still many days where the scene haunted his dreams. He learned to deal with it over the years, but what was harder to deal with was the pain it caused his heart. Katara. He thought.

Zuko pulled the sheets off, and walked across the room. He reached down into the crib, "Shhh Izumi" he cooed to his infant daughter, "Everything is okay baby" He held his daughter close to his chest and rocked her back and forth. "Daddy loves you very much Izumi", he sat down in the rocking chair he had brought to his room and held his daughter until she calmed.

As she fell back asleep Zuko looked down at the peace his daughter had on her face as she slept. And for just a moment he though he saw a smile on her face. It had been three months since Rashmi left, and three and a half months since Izumi was born.

How could she leave Izumi. Zuko's face scrunched into a frown, Leave me fine! But leave her daughter, our daughter! How! It was true the two were not yet married, but the Fire Lord had never imagined Rashmi capable of abandoning their daughter.

Zuko's rage flared, and he could feel the temperature of his skin rising in response. He tucked Izumi back into her crib and left his room quietly. He paced up and down the halls hoping to tire his mind enough so that he could fall back asleep. But he knew sleep would not come for him tonight, if for a moment he could stop feeling the pain Izumi intuitively felt feeling the absence of her mother, his mind absently fluttered back to Katara. Not just to the day that she saved him, but also of the women she had grown to become. The beautiful woman she is now, he thought. It was almost as if he could see her sapphire eyes looking right at him.

He shook off the thought, I can't think of her like that. She is the wife of the Avatar, the wife of my best friend. What I felt, may have felt, it doesn't matter now.

He was pulled back out of his thoughts to the sounds of his daughters cries once again. It had been like this every night since her mother had left, and he didn't know what to do. He took a deep breath and once again picked up his daughter. This time instead of rocking her back to sleep in a chair, he brought her with him to the library. There he penned a letter to his old friend, hoping she would be able to help him ease the pain his daughter felt. The only thing harder for him to handle than never knowing what he could have had with Katara, was knowing that his daughter was in pain. He would suffer through anything himself, as long as his daughter was happy and healthy.

Katara,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits. There is something that I haven't told you. Two weeks after Izumi was born, Rashmi left. I have done everything I could think of to calm Izumi, but it seems that all hours of the day and night she cries. I know what you are thinking, this is what babies do. But this is different. I was hoping you would be able to help me.

-Your Friend

Zuko

He leaned back into his chair and sighed. He hugged his daughter close and whispered, "Everything is going to be alright". If that was for his own benefit or Izumi's he wasn't sure.

Author's Note: I know it's a little short and slow moving but I promise that it is going to pick up! I just need to get everything set into place in the first few chapters!