A/N: Welcome back for the second installment! First and foremost, I have to thank my beta WhisperToBeSoftly, who has made this piece all the more readable. Next, thanks to all the readers who reviewed the first chapter and who I hope to hear from again. I haven't gotten back to all of you, but give me time. I will eventually.

Disclaimer: Avatar characters mentioned in this piece are not mine. Minor OC's are.

Summary:Baby Xin Lee is born. The new parents deal with a newborn and the emotions that follow.

--

It was after midnight in the Fire Nation, but not a soul was sleeping in the palace. The doctor's ward that was usually vacant minus a few patients and a nurse was now teeming with nursemaids and temple sages. The activity was centered on one room. Nursemaids were continually running in with clean towels and exiting with bloodied ones. Piercing screams could be heard throughout the ward. Fire Lady Mai had finally gone into labor, and was currently pushing with all her might.

This was the worst pain she ever felt. Cramps ripped through her lower torso. The woman between her legs kept prodding her with her stupid boney fingers and if she told her to calm down one more time she was going to kick her in her damn face.

Agni, it hurt so much! Mai pushed again, per instructions of boney fingers. She could smell the incense was burning in the background, a combination of vanilla and lavender. She knew the Sage Priests were somewhere near her, but she lacked the care to locate them. She had to admit, even through the pain, the smells were calming. However, with all the strangers in the room, she just wanted to see the familiar face of her husband. She wanted something to focus on other than the tiny body forcing itself out of her. She wanted to roll her eyes at his dorky smile, or stare into his too gold eyes, or beat the crap out of his for causing this pain. She let out another yell with another contraction. Zuko, where are you?

--

The Fire Lord was currently stuck in the waiting room, head in hand sitting with a heavy heart in one of the chairs. He jerked as he heard Mai scream his name, but he didn't try to go to her. He'd tried numerous times earlier. Even though he was the Fire Lord and his word was law, those bastard Fire Sages refused to allow him to go to his wife. Everybody and their sister were in there helping with the birth of his child, except him. He felt absolutely useless. What was the point of being Fire Lord if he couldn't even be there for his wife, emotional support or something? Two columns of steam escaped from his nose in a frustrated snort.

"Mai is in good hands, nephew. No soon-to-be father of nobility has ever been allowed in the maternity room." Zuko looked to his uncle. Besides his grayer hair, the old man had changed little since the end of the war. He sat across from him, calming tea in hands. "Zuko, please, have a cup of tea."

"The last thing I need is a cup of tea, Uncle." He ran his fingers through his hair after a particularly loud scream. He was thankful that his uncle was here. He didn't know how he would have gotten through the first half of the night. It was his uncle who kept him from blasting the Fire Sages when they refused him entrance. And it was his uncle who would be taking over Fire Lord duties for the next month so he and his wife could adjust to the new baby.

Zuko was also hoping to spend a little time with Iroh as well. He hadn't seen the tea lover for four years. After relative stability was established among the nations, Iroh proclaimed that he had no more to teach Zuko. With blue prints in one hand and Jasmine tea in the other, Iroh sailed to Ba Sing Se. There he promptly opened a tea shop and married a nice Earth Kingdom widow, who apparently had the passion of a fire bender. Zuko frowned; said woman was also in the room with his laboring wife.

Iroh was about to disagree with his near-son when a young woman in orange robes cleared her throat at the hallway entrance.

"Fire Lord Zuko, Lord Iroh; Mai has delivered the princess and is waiting for you."

Zuko's face instantly broke into a wide smile, "Princess, a girl?"

"Yes, if you would please follow me." Zuko began to follow the nurse when he noticed his uncle had not moved from his spot. "Aren't you coming?" he asked, turning back to the old man. "Spirits no," he replied shaking his, small grin gracing his features, "this time is for you and Mai. I'll have plenty of time to spoil my little grandniece in the future. Now shoo already, unless you would like a cup of tea?"

"No thanks!" Zuko gave a short laugh and ran down the hall with robes billowing behind him. "Last door on the left!" the nurse yelled to him.

--

Zuko entered the room. It was fairly bare with metal tables bordering the walls. Considering what happened a short time earlier, it was very clean, bloodied sheets and towels having been removed. The nurses and priests that flowed in and out of the room were absent. Torches and candles were lit and there was a strong smell of something flower-y. In the center lay Mai. She was holding a little red bundle in her arms against her chest. A half smile graced her face as she looked up to him. Her hair was hastily pulled into a bun on the top of her head, bangs surrounded her face.

"Come here, dork." Zuko obeyed, and rushed over to her side. Ignoring the seat next to the bed he leaned over and looked into the red wrapping. A tiny pink face poked out from the wrapping with a little equally pink hand balled in a fist. Her eyes hadn't opened yet, and were covered in a thick oil. Zuko didn't know whether to smile or cringe, so a mixture of the two graced his face. The tiny baby was both the cutest and the ugliest thing he'd ever seen.

"Zuko, she's going to lighten and her face will fill." Mai chided. "Here, take her."

"I don't kno-"

"Take the head and cradle the body" Mai was tired. All the energy she gained from finally seeing the face of her daughter drained from her being. The last thing she saw before slipping into slumber were the two most important people in her life.

"So, you are the little creature that's been kicking my wife in her ribs." The little being yawned in response. Noticing his wife was asleep he finally sat into the chair. One hand cradling her head, the other her body, Zuko was amazed at the small size of his daughter. He felt that goofy grin spread across his face. His daughter. "You don't know how much trouble you've caused me. You're mother nearly murdered me in the last couple of weeks." The only reaction he got was a quite coo, but dang it if it wasn't the cutest thing he'd ever heard.

His daughter was currently trying to fit her one free hand in her mouth. He corrected his early assessment. She wasn't that ugly, just a little pink. Xin Lee was her name. Mai and Zuko already discussed (although some would say "argued") potential names and settled on it. If she were male, they'd have gone with Tin Lee. They purposely picked a name with no meaning because they had no idea who or what Xin Lee would become They didn't want a name that didn't fit her character. They also didn't want to name her after some else. She was to become her own person, not the shadow of who her name was.

Looking into his daughter's face, he knew they'd made the right decision. Taking her tiny hand out of her mouth, he let her wrap the five miniature fingers around his one and put it into her mouth. Tasting something that wasn't food, she inhaled and let out the most devilish of shrieks.

--

It was a couple of candle marks before dawn. Mai sat upright in the bed with baby Xin Lee held to her chest. She occasionally grimaced as her daughter sucked a little too hard at her sensitive nipple. Next to her was the fire lord-- well, the half conscious Fire Lord. He was sitting up, but his head nodded about as many times as Mai grimaced. She would have laughed if she weren't so tired herself. It'd been a month since their daughter's birth, and both were 

nearly dead of exhaustion. Mai even covered the mirrors of the suite so she didn't have to see the purple bags under her eyes. She winced again at the hard suckle.

Zuko didn't look much better. His head jerked back momentarily waking him before he dozed off again. His hair was in a messy top knot, bangs frizzed and sticking all ways except the right way, and mouth half open in half slumber. He was waiting for Mai and Xin to finish their feeding session. So Mai didn't do all the work, he got Lil' Xin Lee when she was ready for a feeding, and he'd put her back in her crib when she was done. This meant both parents lacked undisturbed rest.

They were fools to think this was going to be easy, Mai thought. Xin's bedroom was originally down towards the end of the hall of their royal quarters, chosen for the window's view. They quickly learned that walking that long hallway three times a night

wasn't going to work. Her crib was moved into their own quarters. Mai and Zuko thought that he'd only need a month break from running the country. Ha! Thank goodness Iroh didn't have anything pressing to do in the Earth Kingdom. His new wife went back to the tea shop in Ba Sing Se and he agreed to stay two more months, slowly giving duties back to Zuko as he adjusted to the schedule Xin Lee put them on.

Mai looked down into Xin's eyes as she dozed off, slowing her suckle. Her daughter and her shared eyes in shape and but Xin Lee's shared their color with both parents. They were mostly silver like her mother's, but with a slight gold tint that would sometimes flash depending on the light. Thick black hair already covered the tiny head and her wide smile reminded her of Iroh's. She was adorable, really, and though she had the most annoying cry, it was all worth it. Fully covering her breast, she nudged Zuko. Jerking with a 'huh', he quickly got up and took Xin Lee from her mother's hands.

Cradling the young babe on his chest and shoulder, Zuko wondered not for the first time if life with a child was forever going to be this demanding. He laid the slumbering baby in her custom bed carved from the rare tundra wood of the Water nation, compliments of Sokka and Suki. He covered her small body in the orange cotton blanket, a gift from Aang and his wife. The fibers were harvested in the fields of the southern Air Temple and Katara wove the blanket herself. Above her head hung a continuous revolving metal mobile, something Teo and Toph invented together. No other crib in the world held it. He smiled, only the best for his daughter. Somehow Xin had gotten a hold of his finger and held on for dear life, giving her father a wide sleep smile. He patted the mass of black growing from her head. She was worth it.

After making sure Xin was comfortable Zuko quickly got back into bed with his spent wife. She was already asleep, hair as disheveled as he felt. Wrapping his body around hers and pillowing his head on her back, it didn't take him long to join Mai in dreamland. They both knew that Xin Lee would announce her hunger to the world no later than the break of dawn and every minute they could sleep was precious.

--

-6 months later-

"What do you mean you don't have her?"

"F-Fire Lady Mai, I'm sorry, bu-"

"Just spit it out! Where is my daughter?"

"Fire Lord Z-Zuko took her, just a candle mark after you left. He said you wouldn't mind!"

Mai stared at the nursemaid through her frosty gaze. She knew the bowing girl wasn't to blame, but for those few short seconds Mai seriously thought the darn girl lost her child. Letting out a shaky breath, she waved the cowering maid away. She mad her way to her favorite seat in the royal suite and sat down heavily, only to wince at the sharp pain in her backside. Mai grimaced as she removed one of Xin Lee's wooden blocks from under her. Staring at the smiling seal-cow carved into the dark 

wood, she felt the tears gather and fall down her face. Holding her face with her free hand, she let the tears fall unhindered.

She'd been a growing mess since Zuko took back the full duties of Fire Lord three months ago. The days of sleeping in and playing peek-a-boo with their little babe were gone with the growing amount of work that waited for Zuko. They no longer took family walks in the market together, Xin Lee on her hip, Zuko pointing out the most random things, though they both knew Xin wasn't paying attention. Now Zuko's days consisted of meetings, and paperwork, speeches, and more paperwork.

These days the Fire Lord rose at sunrise to continue fire bending training from his long hiatus. This left Mai and Xin alone until lunch. They'd usually walk the palace gardens, letting tiny babe play with her toys while Mai sat against one of the many shade trees. If he could find time, they would all meet for lunch at the gazebo recently built on the opposite side of the Turtle-duck pond. Then she'd be lucky to see him before bedtime, as she would usually nod off before he came back from his offices.

It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago, when Iroh finally bid his farewell, that she felt the full weight of her loneliness. With Iroh still in the palace he and Mai with Xin would often do the things Mai and Zuko used to do; walks and picnics, and even a little shopping. When she needed a break Iroh was right in the next wing, willing to take Xin Lee for some candle marks. He also offered her great advice for the upcoming years. They both knew that it would be quite a long while before time permitted his return to the Fire Nation palace.

Four become three, and then down to two, Mai and Xin Lee. And as much as she loved her daughter, spending hours upon hours engaged in conversations of baby language and repeat lullabies made her crave adult attention even more. She let out a shaky sigh as she tried to rein in her emotions. Agni, she wished Ty Lee was here, or even Toph Bei Fong. They'd gotten along quite famously during the half year she stayed in the fire nation.

Being Fire Lady, she was surrounded by hundreds of potential friends. Being the Fire Lady also meant that these potential friends would befriend her only for the possibility of social mobility. That being said, Mai didn't trust any of them. Maybe she was being too hard on the ladies of the Court. Azula befriended her and Ty Lee, and they weren't looking for a bonus in status, at least Ty Lee wasn't. Mai scoffed, her mother had, but that wasn't Mai's intent.

And to top it off, she still hadn't lost all of the baby fat she'd gained from the pregnancy. She was reminded every time the tailor took her measurements for a new robe. She chuckled to herself, what would Ty Lee say to that? "Be happy!" she'd exclaim from her upside-down form, "You are such a dingy gray, Mai!".

Toph, after bruising her arm, would lay out bare the facts. "Mai," she'd begin, her voice stern with only a hint of affection, "you are Fire Lady, you have the man on your dreams, you have a beautiful healthy daughter, what is there to cry for? You're going soft, Knifey"

Mai straightened her back, what wasshe crying for? Shaking her head, she realized that she had indeed gone soft. Never had she been so dependent on another for happiness. The old single Mai would have found it amusing to have a swarm of women vying for her Fire Lady affections. If she missed her friends, she could write them, maybe invite them to the palace. And while the palace wasn't the most interesting of places, she could always keep herself entertained at other's expense. She couldn't recall the last time she played a prank on Zuko. Shaking her head and freeing her face of tears, Mai promised herself that she was going to be more proactive in her joy. And she was going to start by giving her dense husband a piece of her mind. He'd nearly given her a heart attack, taking Xin Lee without telling her.

--

Head held high in better spirits, Fire Lady Mai made her way to Zuko's study. Nodding to the posted guards, she halted with her hand on the handle. Without pressing her ear to the door, she could hear the high pitched squeals and bubbling laughter of Xin. She fought the smile trying to push its way to her face. She had come to argue with the Lord, but the effect of her chastisement would severely diminish if she couldn't keep a straight face. Taking a few calm breaths, she walked into the room, but her straight face broke out in not only a smile, but a few giggles passed as well.

Zuko wasn't at his desk. Unfinished documents and a leaking fountain pen were strewn in front of a bodiless chair. Lord Zuko, formal robes and all was lying on his side, back to door, playing with little Xin Lee. Xin, who had learned to sit upright without support was squealing with all her might, one and buried in her father's loose hair, the other swinging up and down in delight. Mai could barely make out the wooden blocks Zuko was stacking in front of him and their daughter, who was waiting for her chance to knock them down. Mai herself had played the game with her-- for hours. Judging from the lack of documents in his outboxes, so had Zuko.

Not hearing his wife enter the room, Zuko continued stacking the blocks while cooing something to Xin. It was Xin who noticed her first, yelling out something close to 'mama' without the 'm', and raising her stubby little arms; the universal signal for 'pick me up'. Unfortunately, she didn't let go of her father's hair in the process, causing Zuko's head to jerk with the motion. It was only when he rolled on his stomach and tried to extract his tangled hair from a grip too tight to be a child's, did he notice the tips of Mai's pointed shoes. Freezing he stared at the familiar footwear, his gaze slowly traveled up her form until meeting eyes with his greatly amused wife; one eyebrow raised and mouth almost failing to hide the smirk he just knewshe was trying to hold. "Fire Lord Zuko." She stated, sucking her cheeks in, desperately trying to hold in laughter. He gave her a weak smile, "Uh- hey?"

Mai looked to the ceiling. If she were to have any success in keeping in her laughter, she would have to notlook at Zuko, eyes still wide from being caught in the most un-lordly of situations. As she waited for him the get himself situated, she wished to Agni that Sokka were here with his paper and pen. This was something she wanted to remember forever and she secretly hoped more were in the future.

--
The End

A/N: Thanks again for reading! The next chapter should be up within the next to weeks. Comments, good and bad are welcome.