The bright summer sun shined down on Caldera City oppressively. Sokka had arrived by airship from Republic City just a half hour before. Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, the Councilman and central authority figure for the fledgling United Republic of Nations grunted in response to the questions from the driver of his carriage. He wasn't in quite the mood to talk to anyone much less an inquisitive cabbie.

He had only come at Aang's personal request. A summit of all the world leaders was taking place to resolve the territorial disputes between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. Somehow it had cascaded to involve both Water Tribes as the newly revanchist Earth Kingdom was seeking to restore some of its past glory. Sokka had hoped to keep the Republic out of these debates, not wishing to anger any of his new country's powerful neighbors. Of course, perhaps he had a more selfish reason for not wanting to come to the Capital of the Fire Nation…

A reason that would explain why he hadn't visited one of his closest friends in near enough four years. Sokka had thrown himself into his work to a level that bordered on unhealthy. Okay, scratch that. It was definitely unhealthy. Someone had to do the work though. Aang was a great man, undoubtedly a better and more wholesome person than he would ever be, but his brother-in-law couldn't be left with the hard choices of leadership. That had unfortunately never come easy to the Avatar. It had fallen on Sokka to be the careful guiding hand and steward of the nascent democracy while Aang was the nation's public visage and erstwhile protector.

He had been appointed to head the Council of Five by his peers. The quasi legislative and executive body that ran Republic City and its constituent parts was a full time task for Sokka. It helped him focus and gave him purpose after..

Sokka was shaken from his thoughts as his carriage arrived at the front of the Royal Palace. He had to argue with a guard for a few minutes as he hadn't visited in years. He had seen Zuko and Suki a fair bit, but it had always been in Republic City. They had a beautiful daughter named Izumi, that often made him think of what might have been, both with Suki and then with her.

At last he was permitted entrance when the captain of the guards recognized him as the Fire Lord's friend. Sokka raised a mock salute at the guardsmen who hadn't allowed him to pass as he grabbed his luggage and handed it to a palace servant who greeted him at the entrance to the royal gardens.

He was arriving a day earlier than the other dignitaries and leaders. Sokka had redesigned the airships being used by Republic City and as a result their efficiency was greatly increased. It gave him the benefit of arriving early but also it left him with quite literally nothing to do. He should have stopped into Shu Jing and seen if Piandao was at his mansion. Now he was left with only a few options, none of them enticing. Well, okay, annoying Zuko was always an enjoyable pastime. The Fire Lord was always so serious about matters of state. Sokka found something particularly humorous in the fact that he, a boy who grew up starving and struggling in the South Pole was now the leader of the second largest city in the world.

Apparently Zuko was in a meeting with his advisors and was indisposed for most of the day. Suki was out of the Palace visiting the Fire Nation orphanages that had been set up to deal with so many of the children that had been left parentless after the war. Particularly, Sokka had realized one day with some concern by his, Toph, and Suki's actions on the day of Sozin's Comet. It was very brave of Suki to take responsibility and try her best to improve the lives of those kids. She was every inch the gracious and kind Fire Lady that her adopted nation needed.

Sokka decided to take a stroll through the Palace gardens to pass some time while he figured out what the heck he was going to do with the rest of his day. If only Aang was set to arrive today, they could figure out new and interesting ways to harass Zuko as he tried to be all Fire-Lordy. Nothing said successful international relations like trying to prank your gracious host.

The gardens as always were lush and beautiful. The warm tropical climate of Caldera City led itself to the most amazing and exquisite flora. He passed a few ministers that he had met in Republic City, they greeted him with a nod before hurrying off. It appeared as if they were quite late to their meeting with Zuko. For shame.

The tranquility of the grounds was something to aspire too. He thought ruefully that Republic City could use a large and peaceful park that could be enjoyed by all it's residents, not just the wealthy and elite. Rounding a clump of palm trees, the great fountain in the center of the gardens came into view. Sokka's breath hitched as he saw her for the first time in over five years.

Her hair was longer and pulled back, her usual bangs no longer framed her face, but Sokka had to say he liked the new look just as much. Time hadn't made her any less beautiful, making the pain all the more intense for him. She was facing somewhat away from him, observing and talking to someone he was unable to see. He crept around a tree, trying to gain a better vantage point. When Sokka at last saw who she was talking to he almost fainted.

A young girl was waterbending in front of Azula. The child was playfully splashing water at Azula who was making a half hearted effort to dodge. He heard the sound of her laughter for the first time, and the sound remained as lyrical and intoxicating as it ever was.

Still he couldn't tear his eyes off of the girl. She looked like… She looked a little like Katara from his childhood. Her skin was the same skin tone as his sister… and his. Sokka wasn't the best at estimating ages, but it all made sense. The realization hit him at once like a boulder thrown by Toph.

Sokka tried his best to sneak closer to the pair, trying to end up behind a bush but he stepped on a branch with a loud crack. Azula turned quickly and the child approached him throwing a wave of water at him, that drenched him from head to toe. A frantic expression of fear graced Azula's face, all but confirming Sokka's suspicions. The girl giggled and skipped towards him with a laugh. Azula's hand snaked out grabbing the child by the wrist who made a sad, pitiful moan at not being allowed to play with the newcomer.

Walking slowly toward the pair, Sokka inclined his head when he reached them. "Princess." He intoned, trying not to fall apart with the thousand emotions raging in him.

"Councilman." Her voice faltered for the barest moments.

"I'm a Princess too!" The young girl said excitedly.

"Is that right?" Sokka replied, the truth becoming clearer with every second.

"Yeah! I'm Princess Kalia, and this is my mommy, Princess Azula." She said happily. "I've never seen anyone who looks like me before. Are you a waterbender too?"

Sokka had to fight back tears as he looked at her. Azula looked as if she wanted to attack him. "You weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow…" She scowled.

"Yeah, me and Mommy were going on a vacation to Ember Island tonight." Kalia proclaimed.

So Azula was going to continue keeping it a secret, and only the fortune of him arriving a day early had brought this knowledge to his attention. "That sounds fun, Ember Island is a magical place isn't it." Sokka replied kindly.

"I love the beaches and the water. I get to bend the ocean!" Kalia seemed thrilled at the prospect.

"Kalia, go to the nursery and play with Izumi dear. I need to talk with this man."

The girl looked at them confused before nodding. "What's your name mister? I'm sorry for drenching you with water, you looked like you needed it." Kalia giggled

"S-Sokka, my name's Sokka, Princess." He said, a lump forming in his throat.

"Okay Mister Sokka, have fun with mommy." The girl skipped away out of the gardens and vanished from their sight.

Azula eyed him with a feeling that Sokka could not quite place. She stepped directly in front of him and the words that came out of her mouth were pure acid.

"Don't even think about talking to her or telling anyone. I'll burn you so bad that even your sister won't be able to fix you." She shoved him with both her hands causing him to stumble into the bush behind him. Azula turned and fled from the gardens not far behind her daughter.

"Yeah, run away Azula. That's what you're good at." He called after her.

The Princess turned back and glanced at him. For a moment Sokka thought she might come back to him and they would have a joyous reunion. Then she turned back around and left the gardens, her hair billowing behind her.

He wormed the information of Azula's quarters from a guard. Zuko really ought to work on his security. Sokka approached the door and didn't even bother to knock, slamming the door open. Azula was sitting at a vanity mirror, combing her hair. She whirled around, her trademark blue fire dying in her hands when she saw it was him. The Princess looked at him with an inscrutable expression on her face.

"Kalia's mine isn't she." Sokka said softly as he approached her.

It was a question that he already knew the answer for, but he wanted her to say it. He wanted her to admit it out loud. Maybe then it could finally be true.

Azula's eyes narrowed and her forehead scrunched as she looked up at him in anger. "No." She snarled and Sokka's heart felt like it dropped from his chest into his stomach for the briefest moment before Azula began speaking again. "Kalia is my daughter. I can't have you coming here and confusing her and and… and mucking things up!" Azula's voice was frantic now and she glanced around the room worriedly as if she wanted to be anywhere else but having this conversation.

"Mucking things up?" Sokka exclaimed. "I didn't even know she existed. What you did wasn't right, Azula. It wasn't fair to me. I know she's mine, too even if you've kept her hidden."

"What gave it away?" Azula snarked back at him. "The waterbending or the fact that she looks just like you." She fell quiet as he didn't answer right away.

Sokka said softly and repeated himself. "It wasn't fair."

Azula didn't say anything for what felt like an interminably long time. She thought her heart would break into a thousand pieces if he said another word. Her eyes were cast at the ground, unwilling to make contact with Sokka who continued to glare at her defiantly. She blew out a deep breath before mumbling quietly, so low that Sokka almost didn't hear her.

"You think I don't know that?" She almost whispered. "You think I don't know that what I did was wrong? You wanted us to be together forever, that's what you said. And it scared me, Sokka! I didn't know if I was worthy of love, I barely understood it. You said you loved me, but I thought maybe it was just lust. I had no experience with any of that. I wasn't ready for you to tell me that and you knew it! I asked for you not to rush things with me, but you did anyways and that wasn't fair. I couldn't love myself for spirits sake. I couldn't understand that someone would be willing to love me, for me. I needed time to work through it all. So I ran. I ran from the confrontation and from you."

Azula's voice was stronger now and she was no longer looking at the floor. She stared back at him, wondering what on earth the vacant expression on her former lover's face meant. Did he hate her? Could he ever possibly forgive her? She hadn't even apologized. Why would he have any reason to forgive her? She had cut him out of her life in a moment of fear. She had cut him out of Kalia's life and that might be altogether past forgiveness.

"Then why didn't-" Sokka said with a slight tremble in his voice.

"Why didn't I tell you I was pregnant?" Azula laughed bitterly. "I didn't know when I ran away. I hopped on a ship and I didn't find out until I had made it back to the Palace. Zuko and Suki didn't ask any questions. They knew we had been together of course, but they didn't pry into what had happened. I asked if I could stay in my old rooms and they allowed me the courtesy. It wasn't till a couple months later I found out I was going to have Kalia.

At that point I was so scared and I imagined that you hated me for leaving. For not wanting to take the next step with you. I felt out of sorts with the pregnancy and every day I convinced myself that you wouldn't love me or our child. I wrote at least fifty letters. Agni, I might have written a hundred. I wanted to let you know. But I was a coward. That's what I was Sokka. I ran when I should have been strong… because I didn't have you. Paradoxical isn't it? The person that made me strong, the man who helped me conquer my fears and face down my father. That let me move past what I had done during the war. I was weak without you, but still too weak to seek you out. Then more and more days passed after Kalia was born and what was I supposed to do then? I had already failed by not telling you once I knew.

I kept imagining your anger with me, and I grew more frightened. I thought I could handle everything, but the fear that you wouldn't want me anymore after I left was great but not as great as the fear that you would reject Kalia because of my own failings. I never wanted her to experience that. I'd rather she believe that her father was across the world, being a great hero than deal with the truth that maybe he knew about her and rejected her because what I did hurt you so much… Hurt both of us."

Azula still wasn't able to read him. His tanned face showed no emotion as his piercing blue eyes just stared at her. It felt as if he was peering into her very soul. Where he had once been an open book for her to read, now she was as lost and confused as if she was trying to read a novel in a different language.

"You didn't even give me a chance, Azula. I know I rushed things. I know you asked me to wait, but I loved you. It was new to me too. I had been in love before, with Suki and with Yue… but it wasn't like that with you. It was something different, stronger, fuller of passion somehow and it was all I ever dreamed of. It was so much more than lust. I just wanted you to know, and I'm sorry for how I did that. I should have waited like you asked. Everyday of my life since then I've thought about what I did wrong. I know I drove you away when I should have been patient. Waiting for you would have been worth it. I know that now… I'm sorry too for not listening to you. I've always been a bit impulsive haven't I?" Sokka smiled at her weakly.

Azula's felt her face flush and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Curse him. Her knees shook and felt weak whenever he sent that stupid, infuriating, gorgeous smile in her direction. "It was one simple thing. And you couldn't do it. What else might you have failed to do if I asked it of you." Azula's response came out much stronger than she felt.

"Simple?" Sokka laughed bitterly. "It was the farthest thing from it. I loved… no, I love you Azula. It took me everything I had not to tell you every moment of every waking day. You were what got me out of bed in the morning, what motivated me to work so hard, to build a whole damn nation worthy of you living in it."

"S-Sokka what do you-" Azula stammered.

"No. I'll have a chance to say my piece. You owe me that 'Zula." Her cheeks reddened again as Sokka called her by her nickname that they had only used when they were in private together.

"I lost myself for a while when you left. I threw myself into work. And maybe the city was better off for it, but I wasn't. Aang and Katara tried to help, they really did. Katara tried to set me up with a dozen other women…" Azula's eyes narrowed dangerously before she woefully realized that she had no right to be envious.

Sokka laughed at her reaction as she frowned indignantly at him. "Still my jealous Princess, aren't you? Remember what you did to that Northern Water Tribe girl? Geez, I was worried we were going to lose the city's most valuable fishing grounds all because of your reaction when a twenty year old hit on me.

"She had it coming…" Azula protested weakly.

He just flashed an amused smile at her and Azula's stomach flipped over itself. This damn fool. It's been years and the reaction is still the same after all this time. Azula wondered if Sokka knew the effect that he had on her.

"Well anyways, Princess . I didn't take my sister up on her offers. If you're so worried." Azula just looked at him skeptically. "Okay, fine. I tried one date. It was a nightmare. She kept complimenting me and flirting with me, and being nice. We went through an entire dinner, and she didn't insult me once. Do you know how unsettling that is after… well. Us?"

Azula rolled her eyes and tapped her long nails on her cheek. "I can only imagine how inflated your ego was getting."

"Exactly! Errr... I guess, I got used to your brand of snideness mixed with sweetness. Toph tried her own way of fixing me next. Work non stop until late evening, get ridiculously drunk, stumble into work and start the whole cycle over. It succeeded for a couple of weeks, until one day I just completely missed a council meeting. I can't hold my lychee wine as well as that girl, I tell ya, I don't know how she does it."

Azula shook her head and motioned for him to continue, quiet uninterested in the drinking prowess of his earthbending friend. "Fine, fine." He replied to her gesture. "None of those ways worked. Aang's monk wisdom was bullshit then, and when you left it felt like even more bullshit. I didn't want to embrace my inner self and come to a place of spiritual bliss and wellness or whatever the hell that means. My place of bliss was with you."

"Sokka-" She began

"No, I'm almost done." He pleaded.

"Ugh. Fine. Continue." Azula said.

"I threw myself into my work sans the alcohol. I traveled across the world to everywhere but the Fire Nation. I forced Kuei into acceding a slew of concessions that have helped grow Republic City. I got Chief Arnook to provide waterbenders and raw supplies to help sustain the growth of the nation, and I've set it up so that the people will directly choose their leader starting next year. Every person who lives in the United Republic will have the same chance to vote and pick the man or woman who leads them. An executive, but not an all powerful. Restricted and limited in many ways by the council, but still able to act in the best interests of the city. Kind of like how we elect the most competent person to lead in the south. I did everything I could to forget you. You see? I tried everything in my power to not think of you. To not throw everything down and forget what I had been working on and go find you. It was after a year I had heard you returned to the Fire Nation, although no one told me of Kalia. Maybe they didn't know. I'm not sure." Sokka stopped and looked at her with something that Azula looked a bit like regret in his eyes.

"I wish I had been stronger." He said weakly. "I know now what I should have done. I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if you'd have me Azula. I should be more upset with the secret you kept from me. I know you may not care, or even feel the same way anymore, but I said I love you, and that hasn't changed. When you left, I felt broken. I can still go on in my life, but it won't be a full and happy one without you. I want to be a part of Kalia's world. I don't want her to grow up without one of her parents, like Katara and I did. Like Zuko and you… and just as importantly. I don't want to live in a world without you. I could establish the greatest nation in the history of the world, but it'd all be worthless if you weren't there to live in it with me, Azula." He stepped close to her and grabbed both her hands in his own.

"I'll do whatever you ask of me. Live here in the Fire Nation, live in the Earth Kingdom. Give up all my work and duties, whatever would make you and Kalia happy." Sokka said

"And if I said that you, leaving this place, never seeing her again, is what would make me and her happiest? Azula asked inquisitively.

Sokka dropped her hands and hung his head low. He drew in a deep breath and Azula thought her heart might break seeing him like this. "Then I'd respect your wishes, Princess. Thank you for your time." Sokka gave a curt bow. The words came out strangled and seemed as if they physically pained him to say.

The water tribesman turned and headed for the door, not once looking back at her. If Sokka had he would have seen the dazzling smile on Azula's face that stretched from ear to ear. He reached for the handle, fighting back the tears that threatened to cascade down his face.

A hand rested on his hip spinning him around before Sokka could leave the room. He barely had time to register what was happening before Azula pushed him against the closed door, pinning him against it. He could have broken free of course, she was a head shorter than him and probably less than half his weight all told. His confusion was great as her hands pinned his arms to his side. She looked at him with an almost predatory smile.

"Now, now isn't this familiar. A bit of a reversal though isn't it?" Azula's voice dripped with sensuality.

"Azu-" Sokka had barely started to say her name before she stepped onto her tippy toes and crashed her lips against his.

She rubbed her bleary eyes as the morning sun crept through the curtains of her suite. A tanned, bronze arm was draped over her stomach. The memory of the evening came rushing back all at once. Agni, how she missed this. Sokka's head lay flat on a pillow, but his eyes were wide open. A small smile was on his features and Azula felt something stir deep inside her. They just stared at each other in a companionable silence. Azula rolled over to face him and put a hand on his bare bottom, squeezing it with a grin.

"I guess these last few years, I have missed some things."

"Like the ability to grope me, whenever your heart desires, Princess?" Sokka said.

Azula shrugged her shoulders with some difficulty from her position on the bed before nodding. "Guilty as charged." She squeezed again.

"Hey!" He protested, laughingly.

His arms went to the sides of her stomach and Azula knew at once what torture lay in front of her. Her laughter filled the corners of the cavernous bedroom as Sokka commenced a relentless tickling attack aimed at her abdomen. Her legs kicked and her arms flailed as Sokka renewed his assault.

"Stop it!" She gasped between breaths.

"Your wish is my command, Princess." Sokka chuckled, his voice full of mirth.

He drew his hands away, brushing the strands of hair off of her face and behind her ear. Azula almost purred in his arms. "I missed this." She said softly.

"I didn't know you liked being tickled that much." Sokka replied with a smirk.

She punched him in the shoulder gently and he chortled in response. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head before leaning in and capturing her in a passionate kiss that sent sparks running through both of their bodies. They wrestled for dominance and their bodies squirmed and turned over each other while their lips never separated. Azula ended up on top, straddling his waist. They pulled apart and Azula glared down at him imperiously.

"Got you." She proclaimed haughtily.

"Oh no." Sokka said teasingly. "Trapped underneath the most beautiful woman in the world. However shall I survive this ordeal."

A rapping at the door startled the couple from their intimate moment. Azula threw the linens and comforter on top of Sokka who responded with an oof as he was buried beneath a pile of dirty bedding. Azula opened the door ajar just barely and had a rapid conversation with who Sokka could only guess was a palace servant.

She closed the door and walked back to the bed, her hips swaying seductively in the morning glow. Sokka's head stuck out of the covers and he appreciatively watched her stride closer and closer to him. The water tribesman wolf whistled at her, clad as she was only in a short robe that came barely to the top of her thighs.

"Spirits, I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"And don't you forget it." Azula grinned.

Okay, maybe Sokka had meant for the Princess to hear that.

"Kalia- your daughter is on the way here. Normally she stays in the bedroom adjoined to this suite, but I had her stay with her cousin last night." Azula said.

Sokka stared at her blankly unsure of where this conversation was heading. Azula bent over searching for something on the ground. Sokka leaned forward eagerly, the view somehow got even better for him. She had grabbed his clothes that they had discarded in their lust last evening. She threw them at him, but this time Sokka was prepared. He caught the bundle with a deft hand and scooted towards the edge of the bed where he started to put on his garments.

Across the room, Azula was picking out a new outfit for the day from her gargantuan closest. She pulled on a tunic and breeches, a casual outfit that only hinted at the beauty underneath. She turned around and found that Sokka was already clad in his councilman robes, appearing the very dignified politician that Azula knew he wasn't.

"Decision time, Sokka. Kalia will be here any minute. What do you want me to tell her? You have to be sure… that-that this is what you want. She can't have an absentee father. I'd rather she have no one than deal with broken promises her whole life."

Azula tapped her foot impatiently waiting for a response. Sokka stretched his arms over his head and gave an exaggerated yawn. A look of frustration crossed the Princess's face, and it looked as if she was liable to set him aflame.

There was a knocking at the door once again but Azula didn't turn to answer it. She looked at Sokka expectantly, demanding an answer from the man who approached her quickly. He stopped in front of her and gently dragged his fingers across her cheek.

"Azula, you amazing, silly Princess. I knew what my answer was the very first minute I arrived here and saw you with Kalia. You're stuck with me now and forever, Firebug."

She rolled her eyes at his infuriating nickname before engaging him in a searing kiss that stretched on for a moment too long. The nanny that Azula often used had opened the door, assuming that the Princess was likely in the restroom or otherwise indisposed. Instead she and her charge found Azula pressed against a tall foreigner in a very tender embrace.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Kalia exclaimed as she shot away from her exasperated nanny and towards the couple. "What were you doing?" The young waterbender asked her mother, confusion etched across her young face.

"I can't believe you made us late again! What kind of example are you setting for the kids?" Katara raged from the rear of Appa's saddle as the bison descended into the courtyard of the Fire Nation's Royal Palace.

"I thought Bumi and Kya would really like to learn how to ride a Unagi." Aang said abashedly from his customary position on his traveling companion.

"Maybe when Kya actually can walk on her own, that would be a good idea Aang!" Katara's voice had reached a dangerous tone, one that Aang knew well enough after all their years together.

"So Bumi was fine to try then?" Aang replied with a mischievous grin.

"Gah!" Katara exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration before cracking a smile.

Appa landed and gave a mighty roar that spooked some of the Palace staff who were unaccustomed to the magnificent creature. Those who had been working for the Royal Family longer were unperturbed and approached the generally docile creature to help retrieve the new arrivals luggage.

"Daddy, can we get some fire flakes?!" Bumi was Aang and Katara's son, but he had somehow taken after his Uncle the most when it came to matters of appetite. The head butler of the Palace overheard the question and gestured to the dining hall. "Breakfast has just started being served, Avatar. The Fire Lord and his family and guests are expecting you. I can have your personal effects brought to your suite."

"Thank you very much, hotman." Aang said with an exaggerated salute.

Katara mouthed an apology to the man, as the family made their way through the opulent and grand hallways of the Palace, stopping as they reached the personal dining hall of the Fire Nation Royals. Inside they found Zuko and Suki with their daughter Izumi. Ty Lee was next to Suki chatting animatedly. The former circus performer was now in charge of the Kyoshi Warriors and the detail that protected the Fire Nation's most important citizens.

Zuko rose from his seated position and the two families embraced each other. Bumi and Izumi were too young to have remembered that they had met once before and looked at each other shyly, unsure of what to make of each other. Bumi finally held out a nervous hand that Izumi shook before dragging the boy to the far end of the table to show him a new toy that she had just been given, the fire flakes already forgotten.

"Good to see you buddy." Aang said to the Fire Lord with a smile as Katara and Suki hugged each other. Suki was being extra careful as Katara's baby bump was quite pronounced at this stage of her pregnancy.

"It's been too long. I'm sorry it's such frustrating circumstances that have brought us all here. Next time, we can all take a vacation once this whole mess with Kuei and Republic City is figured out." Zuko rubbed his new beard contemplatively. "I uhh- forgot to mention, my sister will be joining us. She's been living here with us at the Palace for a while. Last time you were here, I uhh didn't mention it because she didn't want me to."

Aang looked nervous for a second, perhaps more so at his wife's reaction than any real apprehension. He got along well enough with Azula when she had been dating Sokka, even if Katara hadn't been willing to bury the hatchet with the firebender. The master waterbender barely had a moment to grasp what Zuko had said before Kalia burst into the room just ahead of an exasperated Azula.

"Avatar Aang." Azula bowed her head in a sign of respect.

"Princess Azula." The airbender responded respectfully. "Was that-"

"My daughter Kalia, yes."

"Huh, well, uhhh congratulations." Aang fell silent as he glanced at the young girl at the far end of the dining table. She was almost the same age as his own oldest son, the wheels were turning in his mind rapidly.

Azula eyed him warily, recognizing that bringing her daughter to this breakfast was likely a colossal mistake. The door to the hall opened again, providing a welcome distraction. Sokka entered wearing a low cut tunic of cerulean that Azula thought showed off his chest quite exquisitely.

The councilman approached them with a broad smile gracing his face. He grasped Aang by the forearm before pulling the Air Nomad into a familiar embrace. "Missed ya, buddy." Sokka said excitedly.

"Sokka, I saw you like two weeks ago in Republic City." Aang replied with a laugh.

"Geez, what I can't miss my best friend. Errr, sorry Zuko?" Sokka said sheepishly.

The Fire Lord feigned indignation before they all started laughing and joking. Azula felt almost at peace observing the interaction. Like she almost belonged here. Sokka stood by her side facing Zuko and Aang but not too close to her. Spirits how she wanted to reach out and grab his hand and pull him close, showing the whole damn world that he was hers and she was his. Yet, they had decided to take things slow, giving Kalia time to adjust to the news that they had just informed her of this morning. They had impressed on the young girl the need for silence about the subject.

Katara and Suki made their way over to them, sitting down at the dining table and helping themselves to a generous portion of eggs and halibut. They had barely sat down when Kalia and Izumi came hurtling over, excitement evident in her daughter's face. Azula had a true sense of foreboding as her daughter whispered softly into the ear of her niece. Bumi was only a few feet behind them and loudly protested at the secret that they were purportedly keeping from him.

Suki scolded her daughter, telling the young firebender that it wasn't fair to exclude Bumi from the girls shenanigans.

"But Mom!" Izumi protested. "Kalia told me I can't tell anyone."

Azula groaned and looked over to Sokka who had buried his face in his hands. Agni above, the girl was just like her father.

"Maybe it's best if we let them keep their secrets." Sokka said in a strangled voice.

The two young children giggled and looked at the nonbender conspiratorially. Bumi gave a loud whine and pulled on Izumi's hair. Katara tried to get out of her chair to berate her eldest, but Aang was much quicker. Izumi gave a loud yell and started to cry as Aang picked up his son and began to scold him in a soft and chiding manner that only the pacifist could manage.

Izumi sniffled back tears as her mother gently rubbed her hair. Katara stood up and approached the heir to the Fire Nation. "I'm sorry about what Bumi did. He's not used to playing with children his age. It won't happen again." Katara said, while gently brushing the girls long black hair out of her eyes.

"Why it's a big deal anyways? Now Kalia has a Daddy like everyone else." Izumi said between sobs.

Azula wished as if she could evaporate and disappear to the spirit world. Obviously she knew the risks when she and Sokka had disclosed their secret to a five year old, of course they had expected it to last longer than thirty minutes. Azula was fantastic at keeping secrets. Intrigue and deception came second nature to her even as a child tormenting Zuzu. Any of Kalia's failure in this regard clearly came from the oaf next to her holding a spiced komodo chicken strip.

Zuko and Suki of course knew, how could they not when they had seen the child with her tanned skin and bright azure eyes only months after she had broken up with Sokka. They glanced at Sokka and her worryingly, which only helped to give away the secret more than it already had been. Aang was the last to understand as Katara stumbled back into a plush velvet chair, sitting with a sigh. Kalia giggled and rushed to Sokka jumping into his arms.

Azula rubbed her forehead in irritation. Sokka wasn't even bothering to hide his joy as he spun his daughter around, with a half eaten piece of Komodo Chicken in his mouth.

"So uhhh, I take it you've worked things out?" Zuko said awkwardly. Behind her brother, Aang flashed her a thumbs up and a toothy grin.

As Katara proceeded to scold the man she loved, he was playing lovingly with their daughter. Holding her safe and secure in his muscular arms.

"Yes, Zuzu." Azula said with a smile.

"We've worked things out."