Chapter 1: Birthday

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Believe me, if I were some definite changes would be made. Zutara, for one.

A/N: This takes place post-war. The background is that Azula stayed true to her promise, Iroh somehow escaped, Azula killed him, Zuko killed Azula and then offered to be Aang's firebending teacher. Zuko and Katara fell in love and got married after the war, and Sokka refused to talk to her. Three years have passed...

Sokka sat on a couch in the home he shared with his wife, Suki, staring sullenly into the distance.

Today was the day before his 20th birthday and yet he was not eagerly anticipating it like he normally would be. When he was a child, this day would be one of his favorites all year, sometimes even better than his actual birthday. But these past few years it was not the same. When he was younger, Katara, his baby sister, would follow him around, holding his hand and watching the villagers prepare for the festivities the next day. Their tribe being small, whenever there was a birthday, everyone would celebrate in the town square.

But this year Katara was gone. Gone with some Fire Nation prince. Well he guessed it was Lord now, but who cared? It wasn't as if-

Suki's sudden appearance caught him off guard and interrupted his train of thought.

"You miss her, don't you," she said softly standing in front of Sokka "Well I have some news for you!" Suki yelled abruptly, changing the mood entirely. "It's your fault!" she accused.

Sokka got up from the couch, flabbergasted. There was no need to tell him who she was talking about, he had been thinking about her just moments before.

"What do you mean?"

"You're the reason your own sister isn't here on your birthday!"

"That's not true!" Sokka shouted angrily, turning red. "She hasn't sent me any letters or anything in two years!"

"That's because the first six months of her marriage you ignored the ones she did send! After that she gave up," she said sadly.

"Well she's the one who married the scum in the first place!" Sokka cried, outraged, "He's Fire Nation! Doesn't that mean anything!?"

"Sokka listen to yourself! The war is over and you're still acting like they're the enemy. WELL THEY'RE NOT ANYMORE, SO GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!!!" Suki roared. But after seeing his face she calmed down.

"I love you, but I can't let you ruin your relationship with your sister. You were her rock, her safe harbor and then you abandoned her! This is hard for her too, switching homes and cultures! She needed you and if you had even read her letters you would know that!"

Sokka looked down at his feet, ashamed at his behavior over the past years as his wife threw it into perspective.

"We're taking the next boat to the Fire Nation. I would start packing," Sokka said looking up. Suki grinned broadly at her husband thinking, Sokka can be an idiot sometimes, but when he isn't, that's when I really love him the most.

A/N Please R&R.

Beez