"HOW dare you speak to me that way!" Zuko screamed back at the aged madam. He grabbed her wrist and forced her to the floor.

"You so much as look at me in the wrong way and I'll burn you and this little business of yours to the ground." The red head narrowed her eyes and jerked her hand away from him.

"I don't care that you are the prince of the Fire nation. You ruined one of my best girls." Zuko glared at her as she found her footing. She straightened her clothes and walked to the back.

"I suppose that you wanted you usual?" She growled. Zuko didn't know where this was headed, but something was definitely wrong. She came back carrying a bundle of cloth she pushed it in his arms and threw him out of the door, stumbling into the street.

"Take your trash and get out of here!" She yelled and slammed the door. Fire shot from his nose as he fought his own temper. He looked down at the bundle and frowned. He hadn't left anything behind the last time he was here.

All of the sudden the bundle move, startling him so he almost dropped it. He pulled back a piece of cloth and felt his head become very light. A baby was wriggling in his arms. Very young, still bloody. He sat down on a boulder that lined the street and looked at the baby while trying to gather his thoughts.

Katara grinned at her resourcefulne

ss as she and Aang had talked an old vender down to half his price. Aang had been begging her to get some of the lizard soup and see if it was any good. She shook her head and shuttered at the thought.

"Aang, I don't eat lizards." The she smiled as a thought came to her. "But Sokka might." Aang smiled and nodded his head excitedly. If this didn't start a sibling war nothing would, on top of that Sokka would eat anything!

They found the old lady and decided upon three pots of the soup. It would be suspicious if they didn't get any but expected Sokka to eat it.

Katara sniffed on of the jars and looked at Aang in surprise.

"It smells pretty good. But we had better get back to Sokka."

"Yeah he's probably died of starvation." Aang laughed.

They got back to the clearing where Sokka had set up camp. He had laid out the sleeping bags, built a fire, and set up the tent over the sleeping bags. She looked around and saw all three animals curled up. Appa, Momo, and Sokka were all laid out by the fire. Katara shook her head and looked up at the sun beating down on them.

It had been early morning when the arrived, so they spent longer in the market then they had intended.

"Here's some soup. " Katara said sitting one of the jars on Sokka's stomach. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"You poisoned it didn't you." Katara huffed and rolled her eyes. She sat the rest of the stuff they bought down and looked over at Aang.

"If he doesn't trust me I guess he can do without." Sokka grumbled and sat up opening the jar. He sniffed it and took a big swig of it. Aang and Katara waited for his reaction. But they didn't get one. He just kept sipping up the soup without a thought to it. They turned and looked at each other and shrugged both taking drinks themselves.

Zuko had covered the baby back up to keep him out of the blistering sun. He wanted to get back to his ship as soon as possible. He knew that it would be question after questions from his uncle but he would rather face that then meeting up with one of his men first. He turned a corner and saw the ship he took a deep breath and cradled the small bundle in one arm and pulled his cloak around to hide it. He pulled it in close to his body and made his way back up to the ship.

"Prince Zuko! You are back. That didn't take long." The old man laughed as he set his tea down. The young fire bender shook his head and pulled the hood back. The boy's face was hard and seemed different.

"We need to talk uncle." Was all Zuko said as he headed down the stairs to his room?

"What is it Prince Zuko?" Zuko glared at his uncle as he walked through the door. Zuko slammed the door with his free hand. His uncle noticed as Zuko's cloak fluttered with the air from the door that he had something tucked in his arm.

"What do you have there?" A strange look crossed Zuko's face, one that his uncle couldn't read.

"I'm not sure." Zuko said handing the bundle to his uncle and watching as the man pulled back the fabric.

"It's a baby." Iroh smiled and touched the baby's little nose. Zuko's temper flared up.

"I know it's a baby! It's my ..." Zuko stopped not fully wanting to accept. Iroh looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You go out to get a woman and you come back with a baby? I wouldn't have guessed." Iroh laughed. Zuko blushed brightly.

"It isn't a laughing matter, uncle!" Iroh nodded and looked at the baby softly.

"This baby is still bloody. How old is uh he or she?" Zuko shrugged and explained what had happened.