The Jasmine Dragon
15 Upper Bing Street

Z,

I've decided on a name. You're going to call her Charlie. Mauli and I picked it out and I think it's very fitting for her. It has kind of a sweet, tomboy feel to it. I can't wait to meet her. You both looked so cuddly on that sofa, laying together. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit jealous that she gets to cuddle with you and I don't. But there will be time for that.

I've also included pictures that I've gotten from around the center. I've written on the back what they are, even the one of Mauli. She's the one with the green dreads who keeps popping up in the backgrounds. She's really frisky like that. I can't wait for you to meet her.

And I want you to, as soon as you can. I've included a form that you can fill out to request a visit. They are usually pretty cool about it, we just can't be alone together (they've had issues in the past), but it's still a visit. I really want to see you and have you see this place. The pictures really don't do it justice.

I'm happy that Lily is home. She's grown so much just in this short amount of time. I bet she's still as cute and cuddly though. Please tell me that Lily and Charlie get to play and be cute together. I need that to happen.

I kinda had a slip of a tongue earlier today. I was in an argument with a girl and I called you my boyfriend. I didn't even feel guilty about it until after I thought about it. I know that things went to shit between us, but that's still how I think about you, and will continue to do so. Especially now that we are talking again. I don't really wanna think of you in any other way, to be honest. I hope that's ok. If it's not, that's fine, I'm still going to do it anyways. I'd like to think that you feel the same way about me.

I think that I've gotten to the bottom of what was going on in my head, back when things were bad. I think that I was really sick, more so than even i wanted to admit. I hated feeling that way. And in order to cope I came up with certain ways and strategies to make myself feel not so shitty. In the moment, these were the things that I needed and I filled them in the most immediate ways needed. It's like I was starving and I ate junk food.

And you, being the wonderful and loving man that you are, gave it to me. You knew that I was hurting and knew that I was in pain and you did damn near anything to make me better, even though it was bad for me. I'm not upset with you about this. I even understand it. You gave me what I wanted and not what I needed. The thing is, though, I didn't even know what I needed so it's hardly your fault. It really just makes me love you more, to be honest.

But now I know what I needed so I could cope, what I needed to REALLY feel better. I need peace of mind and tranquility and love and support and to just be allowed to… be. To do what I feel like, to be free and calm and happy. And I've found that here. I'm able to just take a moment and just exist. Before, I was trying to get over what had happened, and I thought that if I lied around long enough I would just…. go away.

I know better now. I know that I had to face this, and I have, and I am facing it. I will always be facing it, for the rest of my life. But I know now that it's not impossible, not by a long shot.

I'm still working on making changes, on doing things differently. I'm still trying to figure out how exactly I'm going to make those changes or what they are going to look like, but they will be there. And I hope, I pray, my love, that you will stick with me through them. Because I want you, Zuko. I want you like I want this clarity, like I want a life filled with happiness and joy. As far as I see it, I'll have none of those things without you in my life.

I'm excited about what the future brings. And I'm even more excited that i get to spend it with you, my darling.

With All my Love,

Suki

Zuko laid himself out on his bed, Suki II, now Charlie looking at him with a slightly cocked head. He reached out and petted her, a smile on his face. "So, Charlie. Gotta say she picked a good name." He frowned a bit, "I guess it was a little weird to name you Suki."

Charlie replied by reaching out and licking him on the face happily. Zuko giggled a bit, snuggling closer to his dog.

"Do you need a moment alone with her?"

Zuko sat up, looking at his sister in the doorway with narrowed eyes. "What do you want?"

"I'm afraid I'm dreadfully bored." She sighed, walking into the bedroom. She had her hands on her hips, nose turned up as she looked around. "What even is this place?"

"My bedroom?"

"Well, I know that. It looks the same as it did when you were a child."

Zuko sat up on the bed, Charlie eyeing their visitor closely. "It's a bit different."

Azula motioned to the poster on his wall of Blink 182. "This was there when you were 14."

"They are still a great band!" Zuko snapped, rolling his eyes. "What would you understand about music anyways? You listen to that Hailstorm shit."

"They sing the narrative of my LIFE!"

"I don't care! They SUCK!"

Charlie whined from her place on the bed, burying her face into her and Zuko's blanket.

"Why are we ever arguing?" Zuko snapped, "This is pointless."

"Yeah, but it's kinda fun, no?"

He just shook his head, "I don't know why you're here but you have to go. I have someplace to go."

She gave him a devilish smirk, "Soooo… Go?"

"But you're going to follow me, aren't you?"

"Well, naturally."

"No." He snapped, "I have to go alone."

"Do you have to?"

"Well, I'd like to."

"Then I'll go with you."

Zuko sighed, knowing that there was no way that he was going to get out of this time with his sister. None.

He brought Charlie with him, thinking that she would protect him against Azula somehow. What actually happened was that the dog ended up sitting on Azula's lap, letting her play with her floppy ears happily.

"I thought we were friends." He growled over at Charlie from the driver's seat.

"Come on, Zuzu. You should be used to a girl getting in the way of your plans."

He just rolled his eyes, driving down the road to their destination. "So why are you gracing me with your presence anyways?"

"I didn't have work today, and I was bored."

"And why not just stay home?"

"It's horrible there." She mumbled, talking more to Charlie than to Zuko. "No one to talk to."

He looked over at her for a second, frowning a bit. "I'm sorry."

"You should be." She snapped, folding Charlie's ears together atop her head, "I'm suffering and you act like I'm cramping your style."

"Well, you kinda are." He joked, "But that's ok. You can bug me all you want."

"Oh, I plan to." She smiled over at him, their eyes meeting for a second. "You're kinda the only one who knows what it feels like."

"What what feels like?"

"Having your partner leave."

Zuko swallowed hard, looking at the road in front of them. "Well it's not really the same thing."

"Isn't it?"

"Well no. Suki and I broke up. I didn't think she was coming back. Our relationship was over, so I thought at the time. You and Sokka have it a bit harder though. I mean you're married and you have the baby on the way, which is always a trying thing."

"It is."

"And now you have to make your relationship work long distance, which is always tough."

"You and Suki did it for a while, right?"

"We did. So I know how hard it is."

"And now you guys are doing it again."

Zuko didn't say anything to that. He really didn't know what to say about it. He had read Suki's letter, and at first there had been a total sense of pleasure and joy at hearing her talk about how she still wanted him in that way that they had been. And she was right about one thing, he did want that again. He was just a little more terrified of the prospect of it than he thought it would be.

"Where are we going, anyways?" Azula asked after a few minutes of silence.

"You'll see." Zuko smiled, looking over at her for a second.

Kitchel House

450 Kitchel Ave

The realtor was waiting for them, her large smile oddly matching her black and green pant suit. "Mr. Kasai?" She asked as they pulled up. Zuko jumped out of the car, being greeted by a shaking hand.

He shook her hand, smiling at her. "You must be Ms. Keyes."

"Yes! It's wonderful to meet you!" She smiled, looking at Azula who was getting out of the car, leaving Charlie behind. "And this must be your wife."

Zuko went pale, looking back at her.

"Oh yes." Azula smiled, walking up to Zuko and linking arms with him. "Mummy and Daddy didn't approve, but you know." She smiled warmly up at him, "Love is love."

"O-oh… How sweet." She smiled at them.

"This is my sister, Azula." Zuko clarified, leaving the realtor looking even more confused. "We're not married." He clarified, sighing a bit.

"Oh Zuko! He's so modest." Azula laughed again, reaching out and patting him on his half scarred cheek.

Zuko pulled away frowning a bit. "Stop…" He looked them to the realtor, pulling away from Azula. "So… the house?"

The realtor lead Zuko and Azula up to the house, unlocking it and leading them in. "As you can see it's quite quaint. A great starter home. Two bedrooms, one-and-a-half bathrooms. Walk-in pantry and laundry room combo, single car garage." She stood in the middle of the small living room, "Plenty of room for a living room suite. Lots of room for dogs and anything else you might need."

She lead them into the kitchen, "Now, it's a little dated, but still very charming. The fridge is solid built, should last you several more years. The stove needs to be replaced, as you can see. But those are fairly inexpensive. Enough room for a nice small dining room table and chairs. Large sliding door to let in the sunlight. The laundry room and pantry are through that little door right there. Could put a dog bowl in there so the canine could have some privacy while eating.

"Oh, did I mention the yard? Nice size, fenced in. A few trees in the back, I think the previous owner hung a hammock there."

The three of them walked into the small hallway that connected the kitchen to the bedrooms. "This first bedroom is the master bedroom. Two closet spaces, enough room for a king size bed. The other bedroom is a bit smaller and has one closet. Still plenty of room.

"There is a lot of potential in the bathroom, as you can see. There is a nice frosted window and a large place for a vanity. The best part is the larger than normal linen closet, which is pretty much as large as you're going to get for a bath this size.

"The garage is in good shape, enough room for a freezer and bikes. A small car could fit in here easily as well."

Ms. Keyes left Zuko and Azula in the house alone for them to talk, going outside to do some 'business' as she put it.

"This is…" Zuko said, sighing a bit.

"Horrible. Grotesque. The toilet looks like it's going to fall apart. And there is no way that you'll be able to fit a car into that garage, unless it's one of those battery things that we had as kids. I mean, yeah, it has a nice size yard but the grass looks looks half dead. And the Kitchen, THE KITCHEN! There is no working stove. The cabinets are old and you would need a woodworker to rebuild them all. I mean…. you can't think this is good!"

"No…" He smiled, "I think it's perfect."

Lady Ming's Bakery

1195 Madisonville Ave

She reached out, straightening his tie lovingly. "Don't worry about it." She smiled, "You're going to do great."

"I know." Iroh smiled, leaning in and kissing her on her lips gently.

It was shortly after that that there was an explosion through the door of the bakery, ten people with large voices and personalities breaking though. There were hugs and pats on the back and lots of love in the room. Ma Lin was at the center of all this, meeting each hug and greeting with love and a slightly flushed over face.

She called attention to Iroh, who was still standing off to the side.

"Kids, I have someone for you to meet. This is Iroh Kasai." She smiled, motioning to him. "The man I've been seeing."

Iroh smiled kindly at her children and grandchildren. "It's wonderful to meet you all." He bowed at the waist to them, "And I hope to get to know each of you better."

There were three daughters, Gabrielle, Lorraine and Liz. They had known about Iroh, as their mother had told them. It was apparent that the others were more surprised. More specifically Li, her youngest child and only son. He was looking at Iroh with his thick brow furrowed and lips pressed into a line, his eyes looking like they were on fire.

Iroh gulped, smiling awkwardly.

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