A/N: Ok so I really love Zuko and Katara as parents so I decided to write a mini-series about the Zutara family. This 1st chapter is sort of a prologue, but the next chapters will each focus on each kid, so one chapter per child. The chapters will be made up of short drabbles all relating to the child. There will mostly likely be around 5 chapter total, mostly because I am sorta OCD and having anything that isn't like a good round number would bother me and because I feel like Zuko and Katara would like a big family. Hope you like it and please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters.

Betrothal

Zuko walked into his room to find Katara sitting at his window watching the rain outside. He wasn't surprised. It didn't rain much in the Fire Nation, but when it did Katara always watched the water fall from the sky. She said it was comforting and a relief from the stifling heat.

Zuko walked up behind her and touched her shoulder. She smiled up at him. "How did the meeting go?"

"Boring, as usual," he sighed. He looked down at her for a moment before picking her up and sitting down with her in his lap. She rolled her eyes at him and looked back out through the window.

"Nothing interesting happened?" she questioned without looking at him.

"Well," Zuko mused, "one of the councilmen did get set on fire."

"Was it you who set him on fire?"

"No!"

Katara laughed and leaned back against him. Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her neck. "How's your day been?"

"I got a letter from Toph."

"And?"

"Tellen is an earthbender."

Zuko grinned. He knew how much Toph had wanted her first born son to be an earthbender. "What was Aang's reaction?"

"Toph said he was happy and didn't care what his son's bending was. Personally, I think he was still a little disappointed he wasn't an airbender."

"He wants to rebuild his people."

"I know. Maybe Tenzin will be an airbender. Oh, and I also got a letter from Sokka. Suki gave birth yesterday. Another girl."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "How many do they have now?"

"Five girls."

"Sokka is a braver man than me," Zuko said gravely.

Katara laughed again, the warm and happy sound making Zuko smile. "We should go visit them soon. I want to see my nieces. And we need to visit Toph too. We haven't seen the boys in years. Tenzin's already walking."

"We'll go soon. But first, I have a surprise for you."

Katara turned in his lap to look at him. "What is it?"

"A surprise. Close your eyes."

He made Katara turn back to the window and paused, his heart suddenly beating faster. He had told himself this was a good time to do it, but now that he was actually going to, he wanted to run away and hide. He took a deep breath to steel himself. This was Katara. There was no reason to be nervous.

He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and reached around her, holding it with both hands in front of her eyes. The necklace was made like a traditional Water Tribe betrothal necklace would be; a thick band and one large, circular gemstone hanging in the middle. Zuko even carved it himself, making a pattern that looked like waves and fire battling each other. The pendant was made from the precious fire opals the royal family had always been fond of and there were smaller stones studded in the band of the necklace, two on each side made of the same stone as Katara's grandmother's necklace. The design looked nice to him but it wasn't perfect. The lines on the pendent were slightly rough to the touch and the stones studded into the band were a little uneven.

Zuko leaned close to Katara. "Open," he whispered in her ear, his mouth dry.

Katara opened her eyes and gasped. She stared at the necklace for a full minute, watching the way the light brought out the green specks in the red and orange stone, while Zuko held his breath. Finally, she spun around in his lap and threw her arms around his neck, pressing their chests together. "Zuko," she whispered, "I thought you would never ask."

"It takes a long time to carve those things, Katara," he told her, hugging her back and feeling giddy with relief and happiness. "And I had to convince the Council."

Katara leaned back slightly, her eyes wary. "They opposed you marrying me?" she asked, her voice tinged with sadness. Zuko squeezed her comfortingly; he knew how she hated the way some of the nobles looked down on her for not being Fire Nation.

"Some did, but they're also the ones who still are mad that the war is over. They wanted me to marry a noblewoman and guarantee that the heirs are all firebenders. But the majority thought it was a good union – even in the political sense. A union of the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation."

Katara smiled and leaned back into Zuko. She nuzzled his neck, turning her new necklace in her hands. "What would they do if our children are waterbenders?"

"I think a couple of the nobles would keel over if the heir to the throne is a waterbender," Zuko laughed, images of light skinned children with bright blue eyes dancing in his mind.

She sat back up, her bright azure eyes sparkling. "Help me put it on."

Zuko moved her hair away from her neck and gently pulled her mother's necklace off. He secured hers and she turned back around. Zuko smiled softly, liking the way the fire opal looked against her dark skin. Katara leaned down and kissed him and he held her close, savoring the moment and feeling happier than he ever had before.