Sokka checked over his few simple possessions he'd brought to the meeting. So much time spent on the road, so many building projects. He had homes now in almost every major city; gifts that he made use of whenever on a site. Whenever he traveled though, it was just like the old days, the instinct to travel light was ingrained in him. Sokka checked his back-sheath. Bomerang II was nestled safely in its place. Then a quick rifle through his pack assured him that everything was accounted for. His fingers brushed something cold and it brought Sokka up short. With exaggerated care he drew the small dark metal band out of his pack. It wasn't much to look at, just a single sleek broken metal band with the ends turned away from each other in decorative curls; the perfect size for a lady's wrist… or a small girl's arm.

Sokka stuffed the band back into his pack, good and deep, trying to bury his thoughts with the trinket. He snatched up the blueprints he'd been working on and in his haste toe one that he'd had held under weights to work on.

"Something on your mind?"

The voice was sultry, sensual, seductive, deadly. It sent a shiver right up Sokka's spine and down to parts best left unmentioned all at once. He turned in a rush, instantly on guard and stopped short; it had been a long time.

Time that had been quite kind it would seem. A thin frame still possessing a lithesome grace, yet the flush of health replacing the pallor of youth, shimmering long black hair that only seemed more luminous against the healthy glow of skin, even the voluminous royal robes could not hide the fullness of womanhood her body possessed, and those eyes, always sharp and calculating there was a fire behind them now, something that had grown in the years since Sokka had last seen her. The overall impression Sokka got though as she flowed in through the door was not that of a woman, but a spider, or perhaps a scorpion; deadly venom lurking beneath a glossy black carapace.

"Mai."

She came forward and in a gesture Sokka found uncharacteristic, hugged him. It was a chaste hug, suitable for a Lady greeting a long missed friend, yet form Mai is carried that ever present hint of danger that made even the smallest contact an adrenaline rush for any man. Sokka remained perfectly still until she had released him and stepped back. She sovered her mouth with the sleeve of her robes and let out a small giggle. It was terrifying and intoxicating in a single breath, "Has The Builder become stone like his great works?"

Sokka cleared his head, and picked up his blueprints… when had he dropped those… to cover. "No, just startled. We didn't see you at the first reunion and well, it's been…" he smiled, slowly regaining his pacing, "Should I be calling you the Fire Lady… her Fireyness, or what?"

Mai folded her hands within the sleeves of her robe and her lips curled into the hints of that all knowing smile, "Mai will do. The years have been kind to you Sokka." Mai's voice was richer tenfold by virtue of simply having emotion and expressing it freely. Sokka was both glad and somewhat terrified she'd connected with this part of herself. Clinical Mai had been dangerous enough. He didn't want to think what an emotional Mai would be capable of. He still couldn't tell if that smile was kindly, or murderous.

"You're not lookin' so bad yerself." Sokka pitched on the Southern Water Tribe Charm he was so very sure every woman appreciated. He gave Mai a wink and a broad smile then drawled, "so what brings you by?"

Mai's face remained unmoved, but she turned towards someone apparently out in the hallway as she spoke, "I came to give you a gift, you are after all a guest of the Fire Nation." Mai reached out and when she drew her arm back a regal looking bird stood perched upon her forearm.

Sokka studied the bird for only a moment before his eyes went wide, "Hawkie!" he yelped, grinning ear to ear in disbelief.

Mai ran a slender finger under the hawk's bean and down it's chest feathers, "He was found by a patrol in the forest years ago. It was by chance that he made his way back to the trainer who sold him to you. That information passed back to us, and we made sure to bring him here. I thought you might wish to be reunited, and it might be easier to stay in contact." Mai held out her arm and Hawkie leapt from it to perch on Sokka's shoulder where he busied himself pecking and picking at the beads on one of Sokka's braids.

"This is amazing, I thought I'd lost him at the air temple." Sokka reached up to pet Hawkie, who gave his fingers an affectionate nipping. The implication wasn't lost on Sokka however. He gave Mai a level look, "Is there a reason I should need to keep in touch?"

At that Mai took in a breath. She reached out and pushed the door nearly closed, shutting out the outside world before taking a step closer to Sokka, "He won't ask for it, stubborn, proud, wonderful fool that he is, but my husband needs your help Sokka." Her voice dropped to a secretive whisper.

"My help? He's the Fire Lord."

"That's just it. He inherited everything his father left him. A country with a hundred years of military tradition, an economy geared entirely towards war, a national treasury emptied in a rush to build the doom fleet of airships, and huge standing army of which as much as ten percent has deserted to become the very burnouts Toph has been terrorizing. Sokka, he's doing what he can to hold things together, but change takes time, and the people are impatient. Before the Avatar came the Fire Nation stood at the height of its power. We were winning the war. Convincing people to make sacrifices and be patient when all you're offering them is 'equal footing' with countries they once called their colonies isn't easy."

Mai had approached closer with each sentence, her hands were clenched against the cuffs of her sleeves in her subconscious desperation, "He's trying Sokka, but war was all he ever knew too. We need help, we need a builder who can show us how to reorganize, how to rebuild, how to put people to work even if it's only to distract them from their anger." Mai stopped, less than a hands breath separated her from Sokka, her face upturned to his. Hawkie took this opportunity to taste Sokka's ear. Sokka didn't notice.

"I had no idea." Sokka fumbled for a response more meaningful. Mai turned away.

"No one does. Many advisors have an inkling, but we both work to keep them in the dark as much as possible. You can never be sure who is loyal and who is a burnout in the making. I don't know how much longer we can keep it up." Mai paused at the window, running a slender hand along the sill, "I don't know how much longer he can keep it all together."

"I'll do what I can." The words sounded dumb on his lips. Sokka's mind was racing back to the past few years. He'd been all over the world, building, rebuilding, shaping the land in the wake of the peace. There was always so much to do, so many who wanted his input. How had he missed this though?

Mai turned back towards him, her hands vanishing within her sleeves again, "Thank you. And now-"

The door squeaked open, and in trundled a little bundle of limbs. A happy cry presaged a rush of motion towards Mai then a tumble of limbs still not quite in line with mind. A second rush of motion, this one far more articulate followed as a maid swept in to gather up the toddler, "A thousand pardons My Lady." The maid said, attempting to gather the fussing child and hide him form view with her long sleeves. Mai raised a hand to forestall the maid, who dutifully shrank back. The toddler regained his orientation and dove for Mai again, latching onto her robes with a gleeful cry of 'Ma'

Mai reached down to brush her fingers over the uncut tangle of black hair that stood atop the toddler's head. Sokka took in the child, his garments, and the events and made the quick deduction but could not quite voice it, "Is that…?"

Mai looked up at him, her face shown for the briefest moment of utter happiness but her old neutral mask covered it so fast it could have been imagined, "Yes Sokka. He is."

"But, there was no announcement, no ceremony…"

"No." Mai crouched down, gently detaching her son's grip from her robes and taking his small hands in hers. He busied himself trying to fit one of her fingers into his mouth, "There wasn't there was just my absence from the first reunion."

Sokka was confused, he stepped closer, crouching down nearby, "But, he's the Son of the Fire Lord."

Mai was still looking at her son when she replied, "Yes, he is." Then her eyes came back up to Sokka, and he felt his blood run cold. "But he is also my son." Sokka knew that look in her eyes was not for him, yet still it set his every sense on high alert, "He will not be used as a gambit, a pawn. He will not be bait for some burnout intrigue. He will not inherent as his father did a country embroiled in turmoil. When Prince Zui is introduced to the people of the fire Nation, they will be a people unified. They will be a people worthy of the Prince he will become."

Sokka swallowed, "I understand." He reached out slowly, and brushed back the bangs on the little boy's brow. Prince Zui reached up with both hands to glomp onto Sokka's wrist. The two watched for a moment as the toddler hand-over-hand walked his way up closer to Sokka, then Mai stood, gathering Prince Zui back towards her, "You should go. The sooner you do the sooner you can return. My second gift is right outside." Mai raised her voice, it was not loud, but utterly commanding, "Nanao, come."

The door opened and in strode a woman in Fire Nation armour. She bowed low to Mai then turned and gave the palm-over-fist salute to Sokka.

"Nanao is a loyal house guard, and a skillful fire bender." Mai began ushering her son towards the door at a leisurely pace. "You will be taking a Fire Balloon to speed your hunt for your earth bending friend will you not? Nanao will serve much better than any hired furnace tender."

Nanao stood silent as a sentinel, eyes straight ahead. Sokka shot Mai a rueful smile as she reached the door, "And when I do find Toph, your guard will be sure that my next stop is right back at the palace, and no where else won't she?"

Mai paused, allowing Prince Zui to pass finally into the hands of her maid. She cast a slow eyed look back over her shoulder towards Sokka and her voice lilted, "You really aren't as dumb as you look. It must be the braids." Without another word, she was gone.