Disclaimer & Author's Note: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. (which is fairly obvious due to the fact Zutara isn't canon ((No matter how much I beg Bryke for it to be)) )

Okay, so I'm finally back and writing again! It's been literally years since I was last writing for Avatar, but here I am! I like to think I've evolved a bit since I last used this site, so hopefully my writing will have improved too.

Under the cover of night a slim, hooded figure silently made it's way up the front steps of the fire palace. Clutched in the figure's arms was a bundle wrapped up tightly in blankets, despite the warm firenation air. The only sound that could be heard was a gentle breeze rustling through trees as the figure slipped inside one of the palace's huge wooden doors and glanced around the room, scouting out for any guards.

This was a bad idea, and Katara knew it. After all, it wasn't as though most people expected visitors in the middle of the night. Especially not ones with the purpose of Katara's visit. But night was the only chance she'd have to arrive undetected and unnoticed. Any other time and it could create, well... obvious difficulties. She could already imagine the ideas Sokka and Toph would get into their heads if they knew she was paying Zuko secret visits. However on this occasion, not even Zuko knew of her arrival. Not yet, anyway.

Once inside the palace, Katara slipped the hood off her head and allowed her long, chocolate waves to flow freely down her back. Using skills she'd learned during the war, she silently made her way up the stairway and into the many winding corridors of the palace. Countless visits to the palace had allowed her to easily find her way around the large building, despite the fact she hadn't even been here in months. She wasn't sure where to find the person she was searching for, but she prayed to Tui and La he wouldn't be in the bedroom. Interrupting the Firelord and his girlfriend's slumber probably wouldn't have desirable effects. Although Zuko would be more surprised to see her than angry, she was sure Mai would not share the same attitude. Thankfully, a dim light shining out from the crack of a closed door alerted Katara to his presence in his study. She smiled slightly to herself, even after all these months Zuko had not changed at all. He was still a total workaholic.

Breathing a deep sigh in preparation, Katara firmly knocked twice on the study door.
"Knock knock." She said in time with each thump, imagining Zuko's startled reaction on the other side.

"Who's there?" Came the response, and quicker than lightning, the door flew open.

"Your baby." Katara told him grimly, glancing backwards and forwards between the now crying bundle and Zuko's bemused face.

One Year Ago...

"So, how does it feel to be Firelord?" Katara slurred, her third glass of fire whisky on the balcony railing in front of her. Zuko grinned a response. Earlier in the evening had been the coronation ceremony and formal dinner, so now he, Katara, Suki, and Sokka were having their own little celebratory gathering. The younger ones, Toph and Aang, had been promptly whisked off to bed due to the obvious presence of alcohol. The last thing Zuko wanted as the new firelord was a reputation for handing out drinks to twelve year olds.

"Well, there's a hell of a lot more pressure." Zuko replied slowly, feeling a little tipsy himself. With a cheeky grin, he added: "Not to mention I've got cartloads of honor." He chuckled slightly at the mention of his old obsession.

"This is true." Katara agreed, laughing. Zuko took particular notice of how sparkly and blue her eyes looked in the moonlight; she always seemed to look the most ethereal at this time of day. Her long waves fluttered softly around her shoulders, and maybe it was the alcohol talking, but he thought she looked even more beautiful than usual. The two teens stared at each other silently for a few moments, before Katara stood up on the tips of her toes and softly kissed Zuko on the lips. For a second he allowed himself to be caught up in the kiss, but then pulled away.

"Katara... I thought we agreed to stop with that." He told her. During the war, the two of them had taken to sneaking off together to vent. What was known as 'venting' to the other members of the group, was known as a secret make out session to the two of them. After all, who could blame them? They were 15 and 16 years old, and it's hardly uncommon for people of that age to have certain urges. They were two attractive teens, and they had both put two and two together. It wasn't as though Katara could have done any of that with Aang at his current age, and Mai was still in the boiling rock. However after Ozai was defeated, they agreed to put an end to it. Mai was keen to rekindle her relationship with Zuko, and Katara was interested to see where Aangs crush on her lead to.

"I know... but why not one last time? Then we'll definitely call it quits." She slurred, kissing Zuko's neck. He let out a slight moan, Katara still hadn't forgotten all his favourite spots to be kissed. He knew it was definitely his inebriated brain talking, but he really wanted to take her up on her offer. She was gorgeous and he was drunk, so why not, right? Tomorrow morning they could both pretend it never happened.

"Alright... but not a word of this to Mai or Aang." He replied, returning her kiss, his hand running through her hair. A hand slid around her waist pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth. He gently pushed her forward so she was leaning against the balcony railing; one hand around her back and the other in her hair. He was really going to miss this. Actually, he was just going to miss her. Her and her beautiful blue eyes, her perfect curves, and the way she always seemed to know what he was thinking. Agni, he was even going to miss the way she could be so bossy and demanding.

Katara interrupted the kiss by pulling away, and Zuko's mouth moved down a little, planting little kisses in the crook of her neck as she spoke. "Come, follow me." She said, giving him a cheeky smile and taking him by the hand. Bemused, he followed. As she led him into the bedroom, he began to realise what her intentions were. On any other day, she would never have attempted this. And he would never have gone along with it. But today was not any other day, and so he thought it was the best idea in the world.

Zuko lay her down on the bed, and in one swift movement, he carelessly started removing her kimono. Katara reciprocated, slipping off his shirt and pants. As soon as the barrier that is clothes was removed, Zuko kissed her again, gently tugging on her bottom lip. Without breaking the kiss he turned over so she was straddling his stomach, and her hands running down his chest and over the scar he'd received from jumping in front of Azula's lightning. Katara was the only one to ever touch either of his scars, she was the only one he'd allow to.

As the intensity of the moment increased, Zuko hoped he would not ever come to regret tonight.

"Shit, Katara! Since when did I have a kid!" Zuko exclaimed, his eyes flicking between Katara and the tiny infant in her arms. She knew he'd react like this.

You know when... it... happened." She told him, unable to make eye contact.

"Why didn't you tell me? You could have written!" He snapped, his fists balling up slightly. He was angry, that much was obvious. She knew the only reason he wasn't shouting was to avoid waking up Mai. Katara could understand why he was upset, but he needed to let her explain.

"I wanted to tell you in person! Besides, who knows who could have read the letter! Mai can't know about this." She protested, knowing full well what the consequences would be. Katara liked her face, and didn't particularly want a bunch of knives stuck in it. Zuko's face softened slightly.

"Don't worry, there's absolutely no chance I'm going to let her know anytime soon. How old is it?" Zuko asked, and Katara felt a little miffed at the use of the word 'it'. It was almost as though he was trying to deny the fact the child was even human.

"She's a month and a bit old. I left the South Pole to come here almost as soon as she was born." She said, putting emphasis on the fact the baby was a girl. Zuko seemed to pick up on this fact.

"Can I... can I hold her?" He asked shyly, rubbing the back of his head. Katara smiled, and held the infant out towards him. He accepted her, and gazed at her with an adoring expression on his face. Despite her young age, the child was already the definition of beauty. She had his pale complexion and jet black hair, but her eyes could only be described as her mothers. Like Katara's, they were a brilliant blue and as large as the moon. "She's beautiful." He whispered.

Katara stood in silence; although there was more she needed to talk to him about, she knew he needed this moment.

After a little while, he looked up. "What's her name?"

"I wanted to call her Elsa... if that's okay with you." Katara said, switching her weight from one foot to the other. She wanted the most beautiful name she could think of for her baby, and Elsa was it. Although, she also really wanted Zuko to have a say in what she was named.

"Elsa..." Zuko breathed, his eyes not leaving the baby. "It's perfect."

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading the first chapter of Baby Daddy! I hope you enjoyed it, and that you'll keep up with this story as it moves along. I'm going to try and update this story at least once a week, maybe more if studying allows it. I'm thinking I might also write a prequel to this story aswell, set during the war when Katara and Zuko were having their little fling. Review and let me know what you think of that idea!

I really want to keep this story/universe as close to canon as possible, which is why in the flashback I mentioned that Maiko and Kataang is a thing. If I do end up writing the prequel, the events which occur will be exactly how they are in the TV series, although there will also be things (such as Katara and Zuko's venting sessions) which I will pretend are happening in the background. Personally while I love Mai and Aang, I just think they are all wrong for Katara and Zuko. I feel like through the whole series Katara has been a mother figure to Aang, and the kiss in the finale just felt a little weird. In this fic, the Kataang kiss did happen (and will happen in the prequel, since I want to try and stick to canon), but Katara will feel the same way about it as I do. As far as Mai and Zuko are concerned, I just think they will continuously have personality clashes, and I just don't think they would have stayed together. I know that Zutara was originally supposed to be canon, which is why I think that Kataang and Maiko was just Bryke taking the easier option. I think they felt that by season 3 there wasn't enough time to set Zutara up, although after the Southern Raiders episode, it shouldn't have been too difficult.

I just thought I'd point out the reason I made Katara's age 15 in the flashback (16 in the present ), even though on the website it says she was 14 during the war. This was because I simply don't think 14 is old enough to be having sex, and it just felt too weird writing those scenes with the knowledge of her being that age. I know that 15 isn't much better, but as I said before, I'm trying not to stray too far from canon.

If any of you were wondering why I named the baby Elsa, it's because of this wonderful theory I read on tumblr. I'm sure you've all heard of the movie Frozen, and it's to do with that. Some fantastic person had said that Katara and Zuko had a baby named Elsa, but it was very sickly, and so they pleaded to Yue for help. The baby's hair turned white, and as she grew up, they learned she was a waterbender. Because of the firenation in her, Elsa had trouble controlling her powers, and had to wear gloves, was sent away, Frozen plot occurs, etc. Obviously that isn't going to happen in this story, but I loved the theory so much I decided to name the baby Elsa in this fic. Not to mention I think it's a gorgeous name.

Next chapter we will find out what's been happening since the war and the present, and we will meet Mai!

Anyway, I think thats more than long enough of an author's note for one chapter, and I will leave you to your reading!

Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and of my idea for a prequel! :)