Mai sat up and prodded Zuko gently; he was having a nightmare and squirming uncontrollably. She poked him again a bit harder and he woke with a jump.
"Jinx!" Zuko yelled his daughter's name. It was ten years after the war and Zuko and Mai had married and had two children, their elder boy Lu Ten and their younger daughter Jinx. Lu Ten was six and Jinx was two. Zuko loved both his children very much, but lately he seemed to have become more and more worried about Jinx. Mai shook her head.
"Come on," she said pulling his sleeve, and getting out of bed. "Let's go and get the children."
Zuko jumped out of the bed and was out the door before Mai had put on her gown. Mai smiled a rare smile, and followed her husband. Even though he was twenty-six Zuko acted such a child at times.
Mai reached the door of their youngest child's room just as Zuko was leaving it, she grabbed him.
"Slow down for a second, it's not good to run around when you're so tired."
"I'm not tired," Said Zuko but he stayed with her anyway,
"She's not in there." He said looking in the room again. But he knew where she was.
"Lu Ten must have heard her crying," said Mai. "That boy takes after you in many ways."
"I don't think I would have looked after Azula the way Lu Ten cares for Jinx."
"I don't think Azula would have let you." Said Mai giggling softly, Zuko smiled. Ever since they had gotten together after the war Mai had become less shy about showing her feelings.
They continued onwards to Lu Ten's room, but nobody was in there either. Zuko rubbed the back of his head and looked at Mai. Mai nodded and they went to the sixteen year old Keiko's room. Keiko was adopted by Zuko at the age of eight, when Zuko was eighteen. A troublesome pest who didn't know that the war had ended and snuck into the palace to get the revenge of her family, who were tortured and killed by Ozai. She was caught but forgiven and, without anywhere else to go, stayed in the palace. The Royal family loved her and she was given a room and had lived with them in the palace since.
Lu Ten loved her dearly and if he or any of the servants couldn't get Jinx to stop crying in the night, instead of waking his parents he went to her instead. She never minded, well at least she never showed that she minded so this meant the arrangement worked.
They walked into Keiko's room and found the three in her bed; Keiko was telling a story to Lu Ten and Jinx was asleep in her arms. They looked up as the parents of Jinx and Lu Ten came in,
"Oh, hello, did you want to join the slumber party?" Asked Keiko softly, Zuko walked across the room and took Jinx out of Keiko's arms. He fussed over her for a bit then pushed Keiko to budge up and sat on the bed as well. Keiko pulled Lu Ten onto her lap and nuzzled into his head budging up to the end to make a space for Mai. Mai sighed and shook her head, but walked across the room and sat next to Zuko kissing their daughter and then his cheek. Keiko and Lu Ten looked at each other and Keiko put out her tongue in disgust. Lu Ten giggled then stuck out his own tongue trying to touch his nose. Zuko gave Jinx to Mai then turned his two fingers into scissors and pretended to try and cut his sons tongue off.
Lu Ten giggled softly and sucked his tongue back in snuggling down into the covers. Jinx moaned in her sleep and stirred slightly but did not waken. Keiko pulled Lu Ten closer to her and snuggled down her self, soon falling into a deep sleep. Zuko looked at Mai and then at Jinx. Mai gave her to him then settled down herself. Zuko looked at his sleeping family and blessed them all, then settled down before falling into a deep sleep.