Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

I own Tyren, Xu, and the kids.

Chapter 7: Acceptance

The Gaang and Tyren 15y 2d ASC

Ember Island

The room was silent after that; the spitting of the fire the only thing making any sound.

Everyone's mind was racing. Unable to comprehend what they had heard.

And most of all, unable to know if they could make the correct decision that fell before them.

"That's…," Zuko said slowly. "That's quite a story…"

Tyren looked up and locked eyes with the Fire Lord.

If he wanted to he could look into everyone's thoughts right now… He could see what they were thinking…

Maybe even give them a little poke in the right direction…said a cold voice in Tyren's head.

No, Tyren thought back firmly. This is why I won't look. I don't want to know…

Aang stood now, and turned to the others.

"We have some talking to do."

The Gaang mumbled their agreement.

"Please give us a second Tyren," Aang said, turning back to the shadowbender. "We need to decided what we're going to do."

They're going to lock you away again…cut in the cold voice again.

SHUT UP, thought Tyren.

"Of course…," Tyren said softly. "I'll just…be outside."

He made his way to the door that the children and Iroh had just recently walked out of.

He paused at the door and took one final look at the Gaang.

They faced him with conflicting emotions; some angry, some fearful, a few sad.

Tyren sighed again and turned to walk to the beach.

"Why didn't you ever come back!" Xu suddenly yelled at Tyren's back.

Tyren paused, his head bowed, the wind blowing his cloak about.

"Why didn't you ever come back?" Xu demanded again. "Just once, every now and then? You could've at least let us know you were alive! You could've checked in every now and then! We all thought you really cared!"

A snarl creased Xu's face.

"I guess you never cared."

Tyren turned back towards Xu. Etched on his face was years of pain and shame.

"I deserved that I suppose," Tyren sighed, his eyes lowered to the floor.

Toph snorted as if to state that was obvious.

"Why didn't I come back…?" Tyren sighed again. It was the sigh of a much older mans suffering…

"Because I didn't want you to all see that I had failed so miserably," Tyren finally said.

His voice was so soft that the Gaang had to strain to catch it.

"I didn't want to come back to you guys…empty handed. I didn't want to still be that broken, tattered man you found me as…"

Tyren rubbed his temples, trying to get the mixture of fifteen years worth of shame and guilt of his chest.

"I felt like I would've just let everyone down. That I was just a bigger failure than I was before. Like you said Ty Lee, fifteen years and I have nothing."

"So…yes I stopped showing up…," Tyren said. His voice had gotten even quieter. "And then I started feeling guilty. Guilty that I was leaving you guys behind… And I didn't think I would be able to face you…"

Tyren finally looked up and looked Xu in the eye.

"That's why I didn't come back. I was ashamed."

There was a stiff silence in the room. Xu was breathing heavily like he had just run a very long race. Ty Lee was looking worriedly from her husband to Tyren.

Aang and Katara were looking at each other, confusion in their eyes.

Toph looked ready to throw something.

Sokka and Suki were still both white faced, their faces uncertain.

Only Zuko and Mai's faces looked hopeful, as if they really believed what Tyren was saying.

"I'm not saying what I did was justified. Or that smart for that matter," said Tyren, eyes traveling to everyone. "But, I didn't stay away because I didn't care. Please believe me. You guys are all I have; all that I can remember."

Tyren sighed again, and dropped his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

And with that he turned and continued down to the beach.

There was a complete silence as the door closed behind him, no one daring to even breath.

You could almost reach out and feel the thoughts filling up the room.

"Great…" muttered Sokka. "Wonderful freaking reunion."

"Calm down Sokka," said Katara, trying to sip some water out of her shaking hand.

"Calm down?" demanded Sokka, his face still void of color. "My children were attacked, almost captured, and now he's here. This is a nightmare!"

"He was your friend too, you know," said Zuko pointedly.

"Yeah he was," snapped Sokka. "But I haven't forgotten the crazy crap that he can do. And quite frankly I'm not crazy about scaring my child with a guy who can bend shadows."

"Honey you know he would never…," said Suki quietly.

"Never hurt her? Yeah just like he wouldn't hurt you? I haven't forgotten," said Sokka quietly. "If he is in the wrong mood, everyone around him is screwed."

"That's not very fair Sokka," said Aang quietly.

"Yeah, and why not?" Sokka demanded heatedly.

"Because I was the same way and you never left me on the road alone to rot," fired back Aang.

Sokka did not respond.

"Look I don't like just throwing him to the wolves. Kicking him out after he had the guts to come back. He still is a friend," Aang said to the group.

"Yeah great friend," said Toph sarcastically.

"Your just bitter," grumbled Zuko.

"Yeah, so what?" yelled Toph. "Why aren't you? If you ask me Xu and Sokka have got it right! He's dangerous, and not worth the trouble. He didn't want to be here, so let him stay gone."

No one in the room seemed to be able to look at Toph. There was no arguing with her on this.

"I say take him back," said Zuko. "He means well, and he is our friend."

"He just reminds you of yourself," grunted Toph.

"Yeah and look how I turned out," said Zuko, an edge to his voice.

Toph decided not to respond.

"Xu," said Ty Lee softly. "Honey, sit down."

Xu did, the fire leaving his eyes and his whole body seeming to sag.

"You gonna be alright?" asked Mai.

Xu grunted, and then swigged a whole glass of wine.

"Look, I don't' know what you're all thinking but we do need to make a decision," said Aang.

"He's right," said Zuko. "I say yes."

He turned to his wife.

"What about you, Mai?"

"Yeah, sure," said Mai. "After all, he is more or less family."

Zuko nodded in approval.

"I'm in also," said Aang.

"Me too," said Katara.

"What?" said Toph, disbelieving. She had thought Katara would once again be untrusting of Tyren.

"I don't think we should tell him to just leave again," defended Katara. "He saved our children. And then had the guts to talk to us. I say let him stay."

"No," said Sokka. "I don't want him around my children. I don't want him here. I'm sorry, but… Like I said, I can't risk that around my children."

He turned to his wife expectantly.

Suki was biting her lip, confusion etched on her face.

"I don't think we should throw him out…" she said slowly. "But I agree with Sokka. I don't want him shadowbending around the kids…"

Sokka had an ugly look on his face but he didn't say anything.

"Well obviously I say hell no," said Toph gruffly. "But I have a feeling it doesn't matter what I think.."

"I say yes," Ty Lee said perkily. "I like Tyren. I think he should stay."

"Xu?" she asked quietly.

Xu closed his eyes, concentration etched on his face.

He was obviously having a battle in his head. A battle if he could accept the man who had been his best friend for years. The man who had disappeared for years…

"Fine," he finally said bluntly. "I'm still not completely sold on it, but fine. Keep him."

There was a collective exhalation around the room.

"So we've decided…" Aang said.

"Tyren stays."

Tyren continued down the stoned stairs to the Ember Island beaches.

The guilt and shame that he had just explained to his friends had been the hardest thing he had done in years.

He knew for years when the time came it would be difficult. It was just a bit more difficult than he imagined.

The fury on Xu's face.

The confusion on Aang and Katara's.

The fear on Sokka and Suki's…

The pain on Toph's….

Tyren shuddered and pulled his cloak tighter around him.

It had been like a very bad nightmare.

When he got to the beach, Tyren stood ankle deep in the water, letting it cool him off.

The breeze felt good in his face; he imagined it blowing all his troubles away.

Tyren let out anther sigh.

Things can never go smoothly can they…he thought miserably.

Something pulled on his pants around his knees.

Tyren looked down at little Suk, looking up at him with big eyes.

"Hello mister," she said softly.

Tyren blinked in surprise. He knew this little girl feared him, yet here she was, talking to him.

He got down on one knee next to Suk.

"Hello Suk," he said quietly.

"Suk! Where did you go?" yelled Tri. She paused when she saw who Suk was talking to.

"Can you do more magic?" asked Suk innocently.

Tyren stifled a laugh. This child was so innocent, even the fear she had felt at seeing shadows move couldn't keep her away from magic.

"Suk! Get away from him!" yelled Kya, coming over and yanking Suk back.

"But I want to see more magic," pouted Suk.

"No," said Kya sternly.

She paused and locked eyes with Tyren.

"You certainly inherited your mothers fear of me," Tyren said lightly.

"She must have had good reason to fear you," shot out Kya.

"She did," shrugged Tyren. "For a little. Then we worked it out. I hope you don't hold a grudge against me; seeing as you don't even know who I am."

"Why don't I know who you are?" snapped Kya. "You seem to know all about us. But I don't know you."

"Well, I was there after you were born," muttered Tyren.

"Then how come I don't remember you? How come I haven't seen you lately?"

Tyren didn't immediately respond.

This girl asks difficult questions…just like her mother

"Certain reasons that I'm not exactly proud of," he finally answered.

"Did you do something bad?" asked Jie, coming from around Kya.

"If being a fool is bad, then yes," said Tyren, eyes flashing to him.

"How come our parents never mentioned you?" asked Tri, coming up on the group.

Tyren paused. "You would have to ask them that."

"Did you travel a lot?" asked Gyatso excitedly.

Tyren grinned at the boys enthusiasm. "Yes I traveled all over the world. I went everywhere; visiting the most amazing places."

"Cool," said Gyatso, going starry eyed.

Tyren looked down at Ling, who giggled at his gaze.

"You're a lot like your mother, too," said Tyren. "Can you stand on your hands like she could?"

Ling giggled again and stood on her hands to show him.

"Yep," she said, grinning widely.

"Very talented," laughed Tyren.

"What is it you can do?" asked Roku sharply, coming up on the group.

Tyren raised an eyebrow.

"Come again?"

"What is it you do? Like what you did with those separatists?"

The temperature in the group seemed to plummet as everyone remembered what they had seen…or what they had thought they had seen.

"I have a very…special gift," said Tyren, choosing his words carefully. "I'll explain it to you some other time perhaps."

Roku frowned, not liking the answer but knew that was all he was probably getting.

Tyrus just glanced Tyren up and down again uneasily.

Tyren too was looking the boy up and down, unsure of what to say.

So this is my godson….he thought numbly. I wonder if he knows…

"Our names our a little similar aren't they," Tyrus suddenly said, as though it had been eating him.

Tyren flinched. Guess he doesn't…

"Yes they are…," Tyren muttered.

"ah, there you are children," said Uncle Iroh. "I was wondering where you ran off, too."

"We were talking to the magic man," said Suk excitedly.

"Well I see you were," laughed Uncle Iroh heartily. "Now why don't you run along and play on the beach. I need to speak with Mr. Tyren."

The group of kids shrugged and moved along down the beach.

Tyren and Uncle watched them until they were about halfway down the shore line.

"He doesn't know anything about me, does he?" Tyren asked.

"He always wondered where his namesake came from," Uncle Iroh said. "But the question was always shoved off. Now I think he must know."

"Guess that's for Zuko to decide though," said Tyren. "If they don't want me in their son's life then I very well can't go over there and say 'hey kid I'm your godfather'."

"I think you worry too much about them," said Iroh, motioning back up to the beach house. "They are your friends after all. They are not so easily going to just throw you away."

"I deserve it," muttered Tyren.

"If you think so," shrugged Iroh.

The two stood in silence for a few seconds.

"They're good kids," Tyren said. "They may not want me here."

"Let that go Tyren," said Iroh forcefully. "You're not a bad influence."

"If you think so," countered Tyren.

The approach of the people behind them caused them both to turn around.

Aang was leading the group, followed by Katara, Zuko and Mai, Sokka and Suki, and Ty Lee and Xu bringing up the rear. Toph was not present.

The shadowbender faced the Gaang, unsure of what to expect.

After a few seconds of just looking at each other, the Avatar extended his hand.

Tyren took it, a grin sliding across his face.

"Thank you," he said. "Thanks to all of you."

"There is a condition," said Sokka forcefully.

"Oh?" Tyren raised an eyebrow.

"No shadowbending around the children," said Suki. "We don't need that. They don't need that. Just keep it on the down low."

"Alright," said Tyren simply. "No shadowbending."

"Good," said Aang curtly. "Now c'mon, lets get the kids inside."

A man in a dark, blood red cloak was suddenly there.

Unknown

He seemed to have stepped out of the shadows, silent and unnerving.

She didn't turn to face him, but she knew he was there.

"Strange," she said quietly. "I wasn't expecting company."

"No one ever expects me," said the man, his voice ice.

"Well I'm tired so if you could please just come back when I'm ready…" she said, attempting to lay down.

"Oh but you will want to listen to me," said the man, stepping forward.

"Oh really?" she asked, unimpressed.

"Yes," said the man. "Because I am your ticket to your rebirthing."