Blueeyeddevil06, thank you for being my beta.
Here is a short chapter. I haven't updated in a while, and I wanted to be able to give you something. I'm polishing how this story will end. There will be one more chapter after this.
When Mai arrived back with Iroh, he embraced Zuko immediately. "Well, I've taken Ba Sing Se away from you, Fire Lord Zuko."
Zuko laughed, "I'm glad you were finally able to conquer it. I hope it doesn't bother you that I could have just given it back now that I am Fire Lord."
Iroh chuckled, "It was my destiny. Plus it saved lives."
"I know. I was just teasing, Uncle."
Katara came up and hugged Iroh, "Congratulations, Grand Lotus."
He then looked around, "Is Akal gone?"
"Yes, but you expected that, Uncle," Zuko said. "What do you know?"
"He wanted me to tell you when it was done." He released a breath in a rush and said, "Let's go have a private conversation."
They found a private sitting room and Iroh locked the door and they then all sat.
"What is it?" Zuko asked nervously.
"Azula killed his mother."
"We figured out that much," Katara stated. "Why?"
Iroh smiled at them both. They were sitting side by side on the couch holding hands. It was fitting that he was about to tell them about their son when they clung to each other.
"His real name is Iroh, he used a different one because he was named after me." They both looked at him in shock and he continued. "In the future, Azula convinced you, Zuko, that she wanted peace and she was sorry. When you turned your back, she tried to kill you with lightning. Katara died taking the hit for you."
"No!" Zuko screamed out. "That's not possible. Akal - Iroh - talks about what a great loving father he has. That can't be me!"
"And yet it is, Zuko." Iroh sighed, "That is the part you're hung up on?"
Zuko looked at Katara with love in his eyes, "I can't lose you."
"It seems like our son made sure that you won't."
Zuko ran his fingers through his hair and sat back down. "All that time." He then laughed out loud, "He did love you. I just didn't realize that he loved you as his mother."
"It did seem he wanted us to get together. He did promise not to get in the way of our relationship."
Iroh smiled at them both, "And now that he has stopped Azula, he disappeared. His future has changed, and he doesn't need to come back anymore."
"So," Katara said, looking at Zuko, "You have a powerful Firebender as your heir."
"That will appease the Fire Nation to know that."
