Chapter 4: Jitters

Deep down, Azula had thought this day would never arrive. That she couldn't possibly have a relationship so successful she would even consider marriage with her partner. That, even if it did happen, she would mess it up someday, one way or another…

Deep down, she wondered if she had done exactly that by getting swept into Sokka's embrace quite as often, quite as regularly as she had. There was no denying it had been fun, blissful in every way that counted…

But it was also precisely why she struggled now to conceal her newly growing baby bump underneath the layers of her wedding dress.

"So much for waiting until after Kyran's birth…" she grumbled to herself, tugging at the fabrics with unease. If she walked quickly nobody would notice the prominence of her womb, she hoped. But it was so easy to see it from the side, and as far as she understood, most people would be seeing her from the side at least as she walked to the altar…

In the end, she had settled for a rushed wedding, against her initial plans. The minute Katara had confirmed she was pregnant again – and she had done so quite disparagingly, shooting judgmental glares at her brother all along for not being satisfied with fathering just one of Azula's children, he just had to go and make another one shortly afterwards –, Azula's hopes for a proper wedding went up in smoke. Sokka had been remarkably patient since then, always bringing her snacks she enjoyed, always returning to their room in the afternoons to offer her as much comfort as he could. He would take care of Kyran at night – at long last they had discovered a few foods that he wouldn't toss in their faces, and it had become clear the little boy had inherited his father's appetite for meats, typically enjoying small chunks of roast chicken more than any other food they had provided for him –, he would comfort her whenever she felt ill, he would make love to her too, and reassure her with his kind smiles and dazzling blue eyes…

It was all very heartwarming, though Azula couldn't help but wonder what Sokka was up to whenever he wasn't here. Ever since her pregnancy had been revealed, he had been up to something. He had told her to leave the wedding to him, that he would arrange everything, and she had no doubt he'd set up a quick ceremony for only a few guests – Azula, frankly, didn't want any guests at all… –, so his frequent absences were quite strange. He seemed to be working extra hard on something, and she had been curious about what it was, naturally… but he never did explain anything, often playing enigmatic and mysterious, deliberately leaving Azula with far more questions than answers.

Today, at last, would be the big day. It was time. She was ready to walk to him and get married in some quick ceremony and then brace herself for the next child who, with any luck, wouldn't be quite as much of a handful as Kyran had been, with his picky eating habits… though, considering it would be their child, yet again, she highly doubted they would be so lucky. Still, after today, she would be Sokka's wife, for good… and that meant she could take advantage of her new status to demand his candor about his latest activities, whatever they might be.

That, paired with the awkward fit of the dress, kept her in a less than bubbly mood. She sighed, glaring at herself in the mirror as she reasoned that she was, indeed, doing quite well in life… and yet she wanted to do better, to be better. Sokka deserved better… so, if nothing else, she would do her damnedest to look good in this wedding dress, whether the baby bump showed or not.

Ty Lee, for her part, seemed to be doing her best to sabotage Azula's efforts to look her best. "Oh, it's not fastening properly!" She fussed, undoing the delicate sash around Azula's waist yet again. Whether or not inviting Ty Lee was part of Sokka's secretive plan for their wedding ceremony was irrelevant to Azula. Her acrobatic friend wasn't going to miss this for the world. And neither were her sisters.

"That's because you're not tying it tightly enough, sister," another girl stated curtly, her voice remarkably similar to Ty Lee's. "See? It's practically falling off of her."

"I'm tying it as best I can, Ty Liu!" Ty Lee protested, scoffing at her sister as she reached down to pick up the sash.

"Ummmm, she has a baaaby, Ty Lao," drawled another voice just behind Azula. "Any tighter and you'll squeeeeeeze it right out. Wouldn't want that to happen, riiiight?" A hand patted Azula's shoulder and a girl who looked strikingly identical to Ty Lee nudged her face to the reflection in the mirror, a wide grin stretching from cheek to cheek.

"I-I don't think s-she's that far a-along anyway Ty Woo…" stammered another sister shyly as she stood close by, her arms laden with every possible accessory needed to complete Azula's wedding attire. The poor girl looked ready to fall over. Or snap in two. "I-I think s-s-she's..."

"Eh? Did'ja say somethin' there, Ty Lum? Speak up will ya! I can barely hear ya over all this racket," groused yet another of Ty Lee's sisters. This one had the honor of fixing up Azula's hair and adorning her head with lavish ornaments. To her credit, she was doing an excellent job… when she wasn't being distracted by her entourage of siblings. Just as she turned to address the poor sister tasked with being the resident coat rack, she inadvertently pulled on Azula's hair with a comb. It took all of Azula's self-control not to set the room alight with flame in that moment.

As the gaggle of sisters fussed over how to make Azula into the perfect bride, all she could do was stare dejectedly into the mirror, her patience growing ever thinner with their progress.

Lounging on a plush cushion out of the way of the chaos sat Mai, a hand clasped gently over her mouth as she looked on in amusement. Azula could tell she was stifling a laugh. Her being here was likely at Ty Lee's insistence. Even with their complicated past now behind them, Azula was surprised she had decided to come.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you," Azula stated, exhaustion clear from her lack of even a hint of playful snark.

She couldn't even respond, merely resorting to shaking her head and waving her hand dismissively. She was trying her best not to laugh. However, she straightened up quickly upon seeing a particular shadow in the doorway.

It was Ursa.

For most of Azula's life, Ursa would have probably been the last person Azula would want to see on her wedding day, but now… things were different. Better. Not perfect, but better. Of course, there had been a long adjustment period when things were tense between the two following Azula's return to the palace, and admittedly, Azula did not go out of her way to make things easy for her estranged mother. But during Azula's first pregnancy, Ursa really stepped it up. She was there for her every step of the way, through all the mood swings, food cravings, anxiety, and the general malaise that comes along with carrying a child, Ursa was there by her side. And even though Ursa still had Kiyi to look after, she took her grandmother duties seriously. Ursa adored Kyran, and anyone who could love and care for Azula's child like that was okay in her book. And perhaps becoming a mother herself had softened her up a bit too.

"Mother," Azula greeted, fretting. "I look like a manatee-whale."

"You look beautiful, my daughter."

"Ugh, you're just saying that."

"No, I mean it. Truly. You're the most beautiful bride." Ursa smiled sincerely at her and then at the fussing women around her. "Isn't she, ladies?"

Mai nodded. "Yes, beautiful."

"The most beautiful bride there ever was!" Ty Lee beamed through a chipper grin. "Pregnancy just makes you all the more… voluptuous."

"That's a nice way of putting it," Azula muttered.

"Sokka is going to be blown away." Ursa moved closer to her daughter but was blocked by Ty Lee's sisters, who were buzzing about. "I was going to ask if there was anything I could do to help, but it seems you have everything under control. I guess I shouldn't be surprised." She released a gentle snicker.

"I do, but… well, I suppose you could help touch up my makeup…"

A soft smile spread on Ursa's face. "Good thing I brought my makeup kit."

To Azula's relief, the army of Ty Lee's sisters finally stepped aside, surrendering one duty to Ursa. Her mother certainly cherished the chance to prepare her daughter for her nuptials, just as she had cherished every moment of gradual rekindling of their family bond. She would be more likely to give Azula a dignified layer of makeup than Ty Lee's sisters would, so even on a practical level, this was the best-case-scenario for Azula.

"Are you nervous?" Ursa asked, as she began the process of cleansing Azula's face before placing the foundation. Her daughter closed her eyes and sighed before offering a half-hearted shrug.

"Not entirely. Though, knowing I'll only do this once does make the whole thing a little more nerve-wracking than I anticipated," Azula confessed. "I wanted it to be perfect, but… I suppose you must have some motherly advice to share in those regards?"

"Must I?" Ursa asked, amused. Azula grimaced.

"A perfect wedding doesn't mean a perfect marriage, stuff like that…?" Azula said. Ursa laughed and nodded.

"It sounds like you already know as much, so I needn't say it at all," she stated, pulling up her next implements. "You want to ensure this is a perfect marriage indeed… and the love and care you put into the ceremony is but a manifestation of that hope, isn't it?"

"Maybe…?" Azula answered, biting her lip. "It just… shouldn't be this way. I know I'm not so far along, but being pregnant when I get married sounds a little…"

"It's a beautiful thing, if you ask me," Ursa smiled. "Perhaps it's seen as right when you marry someone and then have their child… but you and Sokka have always been a rather unique match. None of your guests will ever doubt that you're choosing to do this out of genuine love, rather than pressures over how far along your pregnancy may be…"

"But I am worried about that," Azula pointed out. Ursa laughed. "The dress would look better if I…"

"The dress isn't the essence of who you will be today, Azula. The accessories, the hair, the makeup… none of it matters as much as marrying the love of your life does. A wedding is already guaranteed to be perfect, no matter in what form it comes, as long as it happens between two people who truly love each other."

Azula's heart lightened over her mother's words. She couldn't hold back a genuine smile that Ursa returned immediately, just before raising a makeup brush and saying:

"Now, close your eyes, dear. Let's finish this up as soon as possible, shall we?"

"This isn't a bad idea, right? It's a…. good idea?"

Sokka's question was met with an enthusiastic nod of affirmation as well as an indifferent shrug. Aang and Katara, the owner of those two conflicting responses began to bicker in jest as Aang chided his wife to be more supportive.

"This is Sokka's big day! A symbol of his eternal and undying love," Aang said with a smile on his ever-cheerful face.

"Huh," Katara drawled. "I thought the kids did a good enough job for that, but what do I know?"

Sokka grimaced inwardly, his sister was never one to forgive simply. If Zuko hadn't atoned so thoroughly, he imagined that Katara would still be harboring a grudge against the man. Azula had done her best to placate her soon to be sister-in-law, but it was usually a pointless endeavor, even on the best of days.

He felt like bumble-flies were fluttering through his stomach. He fidgeted in place, shifting his weight from one foot to the other in an awkward, nervous little dance.

Aang squeezed his shoulder. "You can save the dance moves for after the ceremony," he chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry," Sokka rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just… I don't know, I'm a little nervous about all this."

"Why should you be?" Aang tilted his head to the side, looking amused. "You're not… getting cold feet are you?"

The mere mention of those words was enough to pique Katara's interest. She looked to her brother with a forlorn hopeful gaze, but there was no denying she was concerned about why her sibling seemed uneasy.

"No, nothing like that," Sokka shook his head. "I guess… well, making it all formal, you know? Marrying Azula officially. It's an incredible feeling. I just want everything to go perfectly. I don't want to disappoint her."

"Well things aren't gonna be perfect, Snoozles," Toph sneered over from the groom suite sofa.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, as always."

"No problem!" She casually kicked her legs up over the armrest, resting a hand atop her heavily pregnant belly. A trimester ahead of Azula, it looked like Toph was about to burst at any second. "Besides, if you expect perfection, you're only going to set yourself up for failure."

Katara shot her a look that read "shut up".

Toph sighed. "What I meant to say was, perfection is unattainable. No matter how much you plan, something is going to go awry, and that's okay! I mean, things weren't perfect when you knocked Azula up, and now look at how far you've come. Raising a baby together, getting married, another baby on the way…"

"Falling in love!" Aang added, grinning, causing Katara to scowl.

"Yeah, yeah, falling in love and all that gross mushy stuff," Toph muttered. "Point is, you're not a perfect person, far from it actually, and for some reason the fire princess chose you as her life partner anyway. Even though she's way out of your league, no offense."

"How can I not take offense to that?!" Sokka questioned exasperatedly.

"All weddings are the same anyway," Toph continued before blowing some hair out of her eyes, "There's an incredibly boring ceremony that puts everyone to sleep - "

"You didn't fall asleep during our wedding, did you?!" Katara asked indignantly.

Toph ignored her. "And then there's a swanky party where we all dance, eat, and do shots of cactus juice out of each other's bellybuttons - "

"This isn't Suki's bachelorette party, you know!" Katara interrupted once again.

"Wait, what happened at Suki's bachelorette party?" Zuko asked, stepping into the suite looking confused and concerned.

"Nothing," Katara and Toph answered quickly.

Straightening out his fancy wedding attire in the mirror, Aang looked at Toph in the reflection. "You're in no condition to be drinking cactus juice anyway."

"How do you think this little parasite was conceived anyway?!" Toph placed both her hands on her round, protruding stomach.

"Hey, you know what," Sokka said laughing, "come to think of it, I never had a proper bachelor party."

"Hey." Zuko placed a hand on the groom's shoulder. "Let's get you married first, okay?"

In truth, Sokka wasn't sure he even really wanted a bachelor party. Upon giving matters proper thought, he couldn't help but realize his life with Azula had become that of a married couple quite some time ago: they lived together, they raised their child together and they were completely committed to each other. There was no doubt that they had gone about things at an odd rhythm, perhaps in the wrong order, traditionally speaking… but today's wedding felt like a confirmation of what he already knew: he would share the rest of his life with Azula, and he couldn't be more thrilled about it.

The rites were ready by now. The Sages from the Temple would perform some of the traditional Fire Nation wedding ceremonies, but Sokka had asked Azula if, perhaps, they could partake in the Southern Water Tribe's tradition as well. Thus, as he and his friends marched into the ceremonial hall, they were also welcomed by a retinue of Water Tribe members, led by none other than Hakoda. Sokka smiled brightly as he marched up to his father, whose own lips were curled in a proud grin.

"Look at you… all proper and dressed up," Hakoda laughed, stretching his hands out to set them on his son's shoulders "How are you feeling, Sokka?"

"Nervous and excited?" Sokka answered, earnestly. "One second I'm panicking because I keep thinking something will go wrong… but everything that could have gone wrong has ended up going right in the end between me and Azula."

"She's bound to be a challenging wife, but… heh, you're going to be a challenging husband yourself, I'm sure," Hakoda smirked. "Bet you two will just be challenging one another endlessly and just falling ever more deeply in love because of it…"

"That's the plan," Sokka laughed.

"You'll be a very happy family together, Sokka… though, who am I kidding? You already are," Hakoda concluded, pulling Sokka in for a tight hug. "I'm glad you've found your way to each other, son. I'm proud of you."

"I… thanks, Dad," Sokka smiled, hugging Hakoda just as tightly.

His father's approval meant the world to him and always had. He had accepted Azula, and he had encouraged Sokka to protect their relationship as best he could – of course, he loved Kyran profoundly as well, and he never failed to pamper the little boy as much as possible whenever he could come for a visit. Hakoda would be the one to officiate the Water Tribe rites at the wedding today, and Sokka couldn't be more delighted for it.

All that was left was to start the ceremony itself. And for that they needed Azula.

Sokka's gaze wandered through the hall, looking over the small gathering of their closest friends and family. He found his son among the crowd, cradled in his grandmother's arms. He could hear him cooing as she rocked him in her arms, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Old and new together," Sokka said.

"Hm?" Hakoda turned his head, wondering what Sokka meant. He too smiled when he realized what his son was referring to. "Look at her. You'd have to pry Kyran out of her arms by force."

Sokka's thoughts then turned to one person who wasn't in attendance. "Hey Dad… do you think Mom, if she were here… would be happy? With all of this?" His eyes began to water up.

"Son," Hakoda squeezed his shoulder. "I want you to know this. I believe she's looking down on us right now, and that she couldn't be any more happy with you, your wife, your son, and that she is just as excited as the rest of us for your next child. Never doubt that for a moment."

Sokka shared a smile with his father. It was just what he needed to hear. "Thanks, Dad."

He patted Sokka on the shoulder firmly. "... speaking of wives," he said, pointing down the long corridor.

All eyes turned to the group of women now gathered at the far end of the hallway. Sokka composed himself as his own gaze turned to the one woman he would share his life with forever.

Time stood still, and all he could see was her, the light of his life. Seeing her smile was all it took for any bouts or nervousness to disappear, only to be replaced with happy tears streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks.

"Okay," Sokka exhaled, grinning from ear to ear. "Let's do this."