10 years after the end of the 100 Year War

Zuko and Suki kissed one another happily as their friends and family clapped around them. Aang looked on with a smiled spread across his face. He realized that he had never, in 22 years, seen his fire bending friend smile so much. He looked over at Katara who was clapping, looking on with a smile on her face and tears of happiness in her eyes.

"Weddings will do that to people." Uncle Iroh said to Aang, noting Katara's reaction.

Aang nodded, smiling at him. "I was just noticing at how happy he looks." He said as he motioned to Zuko.

Iroh nodded, tears in his eyes as well. "I'm so proud of him." He said in a soft voice and a broad smile.

Aang smiled at him and patted his back in agreement.

The wedding had been the biggest event that the city had seen since Zuko's coronation. People came from all over the world to celebrate their union, making the event standing room only. A holiday had been declared in both the Capital City and the new Republic City to mark to occasion. Suki's dress had been one that she had designed herself. It was a formalized and feminized version of the Kyoshi uniform that was mostly green, with red accents in it. The wedding had been a one filled with tradition and ended with the coronation of Suki. Zuko was the one who placed the royal head piece on her top knot, watching with great joy as she held the biggest smile he had ever seen on her. "It is my great honer, and profound joy, to proclaim you Fire Lady Suki." He had told her with a smile equally as large as her's on his face. He helped her up, and announced her to the Crowed, to which they all cheered for her.

The formal dinner that followed was more for the diplomats than anything else. After they were done with the meal most of the guests left, leaving the new couple and their closest friends to celebrate in their own way. There were stories and jokes about everyone in the room, especially the couple. Sokka gave a partially humorous toast that ended in him giving both Suki and Zuko a kiss on their cheeks. Zuko cringed and pulled away from him as he did so; making everyone, especially Suki, laugh.

As the evening wound to a close Zuko and Suki danced alone in a section of the empty formal ball room, holding one another close as they kissed each other tenderly. He held her around the wait, as he looked at her beautiful face. "I don't think I've had a better day in my entire life." He told her smiling a little bit.

She held his cheek and nodded, "I agree." She told him. "The amazing thing is is that this is just the beginning." She laughed a little bit as she looked into his eyes.

He nodded, "Now things get real."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head, "No my darling, it has been real since day one." She told him with a soft and loving voice. They leaned in and kissed one another slowly and tenderly, savoring one another's lips.

There was a clinking sound from behind them. They broke the kiss and looked in the direction it have come from. Iroh was standing a little ways off from them, clicking a knife against the tea cup in his hand. They both smiled at him, Suki laughing a little bit.

"You know, I've not gotten to dance with the bride today." Ihro told them.

"By all means." Zuko said, pulling away from her and bowing at him and an arm out stretched to her.

Ihro gave his mug and knife to Zuko, taking Suki into his arms. "You looked so beautiful today, my dear." He told her. Zuko stood off to the side, putting the mug and knife down on an empty table.

She smiled at Ihro as they danced with one another, "You looked happy as well" She told him.

"I just never thought that he would actually do it." He told her. "I figured that he would never take the leap."

Suki just smiled laughed. "I knew he would, just took time." She told him.

He nodded, "Its no matter, I'm just happy that your both happy."

She nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "And we are."

"You know..." He started speaking to her in a whisper, "Its a tradition in our family for royal court to escort the new couple to the bed chamber." He told her.

"That will not be necessary." Zuko told him firmly with a smile.

Ihro just laughed a little bit, "It's a dated tradition anyways." he said, shrugging.

She just laughed a little bit, "I think we can find our way their on our own." She told him, winking.


Zuko and Suki eagerly made their way up to the apartment laughing and pulling at one another's clothing. They had taken off their formal clothing after the formal dinner and put on simpler, yet still dressy clothing. They got to the apartment and closed the door behind them, leaving them in the dark room.

Suki's hands went to Zuko's belt as soon as she possibly could, wanting to rip away the fabric that was separating her from her love. He laughed at her removing the headpiece from her hair and throwing it on the sofa near them. Suki's hands froze, her ears perking up as she realized that they were not alone in the room.

Zuko read the look on her face, then felt it too. He spinned around quickly and blasted fire with his clenched fist in the direction that he knew the intruder was. The fire blast was diverted and dissolved.

"Zuko its me!" The figure told him assertively as she held her hands out. Both Suki and Zuko looked at her with stunned faces.

"Azula!" Suki told her with an angry voice. No one had seen Zuko's little sister in 6 years. When Ursa had left to come to live with Zuko in the palace Azula had refused to come. She instead had opted to travel on her own. No one had head from her since then. "Why are you here!?" Suki asked her with an aggravated voice.

"I..." Azula said.

"She is right, why are you here?" Zuko asked in an equally aggressive voice. Suki ran toward Azula, her fists clenched. Zuko grabbed her around the waist, holding her back. Suki had moved past a lot of pain and anger when it came to Zuko and his family. One person that she could not, and would never forgive was Azula.

"I need help." Azula said in a soft voice. Zuko looked her over, feeling that she was off. It was not like she was that day 10 years ago when he and Katara fought her; this time she looked tired, she looked sick. Her face was pale and shallow, her eyes tired looking with dark circles around them. She was thin and with her hair pulled back it was obvious that some of it was missing.

"Whats wrong?" He asked, pulling Suki back behind him so that he was standing in-between them.

Azula looked at him with tears in her sunken eyes, holding her hands on her chest like she was praying. "I'm in trouble." she told him her voice shaking.

Zuko felt a sudden urge of sadness looking at his sister like this. "What can we do to help?" He asked her.

Suki grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back to her. "No..." She told him with a soft voice. She was scared of Azula, not for herself, but for her husband.

"I need you to do something for me." She told them, "Both of you."

"What is it?" Suki asked. It was at that moment that she noticed a papoose sitting by ware Azula was standing. She looked at it, a feeling of horror spreading over her.

Azula turned to the basket and pulled out a bundle of blankets. It was clear what she had in her hands; making both Suki and Zuko's heart stop. "His name is Ozlon, he is my son." She told them both in a meek voice. "He is a good boy. He sleeps though the night every time, he eats well and almost never cries. Will be six months old next week and He is a fire bender. He sneezes and belched it just like we did at that age." She looked down at the child in her arms, patting his back.

"Whats going on?" Zuko asked her, looking at the child.

"I'm in danger." She told them, her voice shaking. "I can't keep him or else he will be too." She was crying as she held the baby close. "I don't want anything to happen to him. He is a good boy that should be safe, despite my sins, and I cannot keep him." The baby was awake and wined a little bit feeling his mother becoming frantic.

Suki walked to her, petting the child's head that was covered in fine dark hair. Suki took the baby into her arms, holding him close to her. The baby fussed a little bit, but then calmed as Suki shushed him comfortingly.

Azula looked at the baby with sadness, then looked back to Zuko. "I know that I am... a failure, and I know that I am the last person that you ever wanted to see, especially on this night; but I did not know what else to do." She was looking as Zuko with a fair amount of desperation in her voice and eyes.

He just looked her over then looking over Suki with the child. Suki was holding the boy with her mouth pressed to his head. "Please let us help you, Azula." He told his sister with sincerity in her voice.

"You have to do this for me." She told him, speaking to both of them.

"Azula..." he said with a sigh.

"PLEASE!" She said, running to him and kneeling before him, grabbing onto his robes as she sobbed into them. "Do it for him, not for me. You can hate me and thats totally fine but please don't let him suffer for it. I-I... I just want him to be safe and the only way he is safe is alway from me. I don't want to leave him with anyone else." He frowned heavily and leaned down to her level, taking her into his arms and holding her tight. She held him tight, sobbing onto his shoulder. Zuko held patted the back of her head, looking over as Suki.

Suki had tears in her eyes as well as she held the child close. She bit her lip and just nodded, lifting up the baby a little bit on her boy.

Zuko pulled alway from Azula, putting his hands on her shoulders. "We will do it." he told her.

She nodded, catching her breath in-between sobs. "Thank you..." She told them both. "I can't give you money, or anything."

"You don't need to worry about that." He told her. "We will take care of him like he was our own."

She just nodded, looking at him, "Thank you so much." She said, her voice shaking.

He stood up, helping her up. "We would still like to help you." he told her.

Azula just shook her head, "I'm beyond help." She told him. "Just please help him."

Zuko nodded, "We will."

Azula walked over to Suki and Ozlon. She looked at the baby, touching him ever so gently. She placed one hand on his head, kissing it as tears were running down her cheek and falling onto the baby's soft scalp. "You be good for your Aunt and Uncle." She told the child with a soothing voice. "I love you so much." She told him.

The baby cooed a little bit and looked back at his mother. Azula stroked his cheek gently, smiling at him though her teared up face.

Azula looked at Suki, "You looked very pretty today, and I know you're going to make a good Fire Lady." She told her in the same soft voice that she had used when talking to the baby. Suki nodded as Azula, mouthing a thank you to her. Azula kissed the child's head again, lingering on his skin. She pulled away looking at him as he turned his face back to Suki, smiling at her a little bit. Azula turned back to her brother, "I will make this up to you." She told him. Zuko wrapped his arms around his sister's thin frame, holding her for a moment before letting her go.

He just nodded and placed his hand on the side of her ashy face, "If you need anything from us, please come back. We will help in any way we can." He told her. She nodded and hugged him again, letting go and kissing the baby on his head one last time.

"I have to go." She told them.

"Come down with us." he told her, "Mother will want to see you."

Azula shook her head, "I have to go." She motioned to the window.

"Take care." Suki told her as she held the boy.

Azula just nodded and walked to the window, looking back at the baby before she jumped out the window, climbing down.

Zuko looked at Suki and the baby, sighing a little bit. "Are you ok with this?" he asked her.

Suki just nodded, looking at the baby. "Yeah." She said with a soft voice.

"We should take him downstairs." He told her, kissing her on the forehead.

She just nodded, "I think they will be surprised. it normally takes more than a half hour to make a baby." She laughed with a soft laugh.

Zuko nodded and held Suki's cheek as he kissed the top of Ozlon's head.