Just to tell you guys, I have a big organic chemistry test coming up soon. It's the type of test that requires studying your brains off just to receive a passing grade. I really need to study hard for it in order to get a good grade.That means that the next chapter might take awhile. So sorry for the bad news guys. I'm yearning for Thanksgiving Break and especially Winter Break to come faster, that's when I have more time to write.

Thanks again for your patience!

Hurt.

Anger.

Shock.

Confusion.

Betrayal.

Lost in thought and plagued by negative emotions, Sokka took a seat on an isolated bench. The world felt like it was crumbling to pieces. His world.

He wanted to shout in agony, roaring with a mighty voice like that of an armadillo lion. He wanted to kick trash cans, flip tables over, and throw rocks at mobiles.

Yet, despite his emotions tempting him to throw a fit, he refrained and remained seated on the bench, face down and hands clenching his hair.

It was hard trying to suck it up and be a man. He just can't stop crying. Heck, why would he not cry?

I have a son...

He always wanted to have a child with Suki. He always aspired to be a loving father. He wanted to be a good role model. He wanted to raise his kids the way his father raised him.

And now, he realized he had a son the whole time, and he missed out on his life.

All because the love of his life never told him.

Why would she do this to me? How could she do this to me?

His feelings getting more intense, his face becoming heated, his breath becoming heavy, and before he knew it, his voice shouted, "ARGH!"

...

...

...

The area was quiet. He wondered if anyone heard, but he doesn't care. There's no space in his mind for caring about whether or not someone thinks he's deranged or something. All he could do was think about what Suki told him earlier.

Lei. His son.

He could hear a voice yelling in his head. You missed out Sokka. You missed out on the birth of your son. You missed watching him grow.

Sokka tossed his head back and forth, his hands trying to keep his head firm and ignoring the voices in his mind.

After some more tears and mental pain, Sokka forced himself to get up out of the bench and continued walking.

He needed to talk with someone he can trust.

It can't be Zuko. It can't be Aang. It can't be Katara.

That leaves one left: Toph.

After Aang and Katara dropped Suki off at Sokka's apartment earlier today, they decided to pay Zuko a visit. Being the three who helped set Sokka up with meeting Suki, surely there will be some tension waiting to form between all of them. It was best to leave Mariko in charge of the kids while they were gone, because the adults have much to discuss.

Zuko had a second home in Republic City. Like Sokka, his apartment was on the top floor of a high-rise building. It was also a two-bedroom apartment, a master bedroom for him and Mai and a smaller bedroom for his daughter, Izumi. The demographics of the neighborhood were wealthy residents whom are predominately of Fire Nation descent.

At first, Zuko was planning to stay in Republic City for two weeks. However, seeing how the Council has much to discuss when it comes to new shipments for the Fire Nation, as well as providing emotional support for Sokka and Suki whenever he would need to, he thought it was best to stay in the city a little longer. Mai understood, and much to Zuko's delight, she plans to visit with Izumi soon so they won't have to be detached for long.

The three discussed the issue with Sokka and Suki at the dining table. They only want the best for them, and they hope they'll get through this.

"So, how was Suki after she came back from Sokka's?" The Firelord asked curiously.

"Not well at all," Katara answered, "Last night's dinner definitely didn't end well. That's why I'm worried about what's going on right now."

"Oh man, Sokka's probably pissed at us too. You know, right before he headed to your place for dinner, he almost caught me red handed. He speculated that you guys had something to surprise him with for dinner by reading my facial expression."

"Typical Sokka," Aang stated, "And what did you say?"

"I lied and said you guys were probably preparing roasted chicken, and luckily, he believed."

"Well it wasn't a lie alright. I actually went against my culture and had some of the acolytes prepare that meal."

"We thought since it was going to be a tough night, might as well make one of his favorite meals to distract him partially," Katara added, "But that was probably a stupid idea."

"Honestly Katara, it probably would have worked if the situation was less tense," Zuko addressed, "In this case, Sokka hasn't seen Suki in eighteen years. And boy, he's going to find out about Lei soon."

"That's the thing that's troubling me Zuko," Katara said nervously, "There's a possibility that Suki could have already told him by now. It was bad enough that he and Suki broke apart, but how would he react when he finds out he had a son he never knew of?"

Aang took his wife's hand, comforting her. "Like I said Katara, we know Sokka. Yes, things will probably get really emotional, but Sokka won't turn his back on this," he turned to look at Zuko, "Don't you agree?"

"A hundred percent," Zuko assured, "He'll probably, or most likely, feel sadness and anger over this situation, especially at Suki. But in the end, Sokka's the type of person who puts himself in other people's shoes and tries to understand from their perspectives. Don't worry Katara."

"Zuko's right, sweetie," Aang said to her, "Just let the emotions go by. In the end, Sokka will come through. I have faith that they both will get through this together."

"I sure hope so," Katara stated as she grabbed Aang's hand, yearning for more comfort, "Not only do I want the both of them to fix their relationship, but I hope things go well between Sokka and Lei too."

This was another matter. Yes, the three of them wanted Sokka and Suki to get back together. If not, then at least they can make amends and be friends again. But above all, they also wanted Sokka and Lei to develop a healthy father & son relationship.

"Tell me about the kid. How is he?" Zuko was interested to know about him, and is hoping to meet him soon.

"A really good, nice young man," Aang told him, "Seemed shy at first, but turned out to be very friendly. You just have to make sure you give him a good impression. He also has a katana. Something tells me he has quite a talent."

"Hmmm, I can already tell he has the traits of his father just by that description," Zuko added, "To be honest, Sokka and Lei might bond over that. Sword fighting"

Katara agreed. "You're right Zuko! That's exactly how Sokka and Bumi bonded. And they bonded really good over that."

"Then there's definitely hope," assured the Firelord once more, "Sokka is a great man, and Lei seems so too. Things shouldn't go wrong with them."

"I feel the same way," Aang stated, "Lei and Sokka are going to have to meet. By the looks of it, things look like it'll turn out okay."

At least they hope.

"Wow... Just wow..."

That was all Toph could say after Sokka told her the story. Suki's back in the city, and she couldn't believe that out of all the times in the past, today is the day where she tells Sokka about her son. His son.

Moreover, Zuko, Aang and Katara had this event all planned. Why was she left out?

She felt sadness for Sokka. It must be so hard to have this type of news revealed to him. This is such a revelation. Furthermore, she was also offended that her three other friends didn't include her in this plan.

"I don't know what to do Toph," Sokka choked out, "I've always wanted to be a father. When I married her, it was my dream to live a life with her and start a family. And here I am, oblivious to the fact that I had a son, and I never knew of him." He placed his face in his palms.

Toph took a seat next to him. She could sense his feelings, his pain. His heart was beating rapidly. On his way to her office, he probably knocked a bunch of trash cans over or something. When he told Toph the story, she could clearly hear a mixture of anger and sadness in his tone.

"Sokka, it's not your fault that you didn't know you had a son. Suki should have told you about him."

"I know," Sokka exclaimed, "And that's the thing that pains me! Why the heck would she not tell me she was pregnant?! Even if we had a fight, why didn't she tell me?! I would have gone straight back to her, tried my best to reason with her, and raised my son."

His emotions are taking a toll on him, and she totally understands. Poor Sokka. She put her arms around him, comforting him. Obviously, there's nothing she can say to make him feel better. No words can make him feel better. If she was in his shoes, she would feel the same. Anyone would.

Sokka tried his best to comfort himself in Toph's embrace. "Shit, I missed out Toph," he stated softly, his voice still saddened, "He's probably sixteen or seventeen years old right now. I missed his whole childhood. I missed the opportunity to watch my son grow. If only," Sokka paused in order to catch a breath and continued, "If only I went back to Kyoshi Island. If only I went back to try to apologize or reason with her, instead of me just running away from the pain she inflicted on me at the time."

Toph could tell Sokka is blaming himself for not knowing he had a son, and for remaining out of Suki's life all these years.

"Sokka, don't."

"But Toph..."

"I don't want to hear it Sokka," Toph spoke firmly, "Because none of this is your fault! Don't you dare blame yourself for this!"

Sokka sniffled, trying his best to remain quiet and listen to Toph's words.

The blind earthbender felt so much sympathy for him. It wasn't his fault, yet that won't stop him from being emotional about it. It's his son for crying out loud. She wanted to yell at Suki, for keeping their son away from him and causing him so much pain for doing so. However, she can't hate Suki just yet. She wants to hear her side of the story as well. As of now, she will try her best to reason with Sokka.

"Sokka," Toph began to spoke softly, "I know this is going to be really tough, but you must not blame yourself, and you should try to talk with Suki. Even if you're mad, which I don't blame you, try to see what she has to say about this."

"I don't think I can look her straight in the eye after this. Today, I fell for her once again. I missed her touch, I missed her lips. It felt great to be in her arms again, but that sudden revelation about Lei hit me so hard. I couldn't bear being around her."

"It's a foolish thing for Suki to not tell you about him," Toph addressed, "It indeed is, but get some answers from her. Out of all the times she could have visited, why now? And why this late? Demand these answers from her Sokka. Why did she stay out of your life? Why did she stay out of all our lives?"

Sokka didn't feel comforted by her words, but that's because he knows Toph is being straightforward with him. There's no point in attempting to make him feel better. It won't work.

Toph was right though. He needed answers from Suki.

"Maybe I should do just that."

"You should. Now go do it Sokka, before more time is wasted."

"Finally you called!"

"Miss you Jia! Wish you were here right now."

"I wish so too. Tell me, what is it like being in the city?"

It's been almost two days since he left Kyoshi Island, yet Lei already misses his best friend so much. He's used to seeing her almost daily. As of now, hearing her voice on the other line of the phone puts an immediate smile on his face. Thank goodness for the intelligent people who created the telephone, because he couldn't bear having no contact with her. Especially since he's miles away from home right now.

"Oh snap, Jia, you would never guess who I met last night!"

"Who?!" The curiosity in her tone was clearly evident.

"My cousin!"

"What?! No way!"

"Yep, and I didn't know he was my cousin until today, when I met him on the island."

"Wait wait, rewind back Lei. Tell me how the night went."

And so Lei explained to her detail by detail. He started by telling her about how he stumbled upon one of Koji's chain restaurants, then helped Bumi and Zhang with their orders, and ended with Lei pronouncing to Bumi that he's his cousin.

"Wow, that awkward moment," Jia giggled, "Well looks you got on a positive note so far."

"Yeah, I guess," Lei responded, "Bumi is a cool dude."

"So, how did Bumi react with when you told him?"

Lei still laughs when he remembered Bumi's completely dumbstruck expression earlier today, when he announced that he's his cousin.

"Let's see, aside from his eyes widening and his jaw falling straight to the ground," Lei smiled as he heard Jia giggle on the other line, "I basically tried my best explaining everything to him. That I was Sokka's son, but he never knew I was born because my mother and him got into a huge fight prior to my birth. I told him to try to keep that part on the low, don't want Aang's other children to find out I'm their cousin yet, nor do we want to repeat about my parent's past conflicts."

"And he was cool with it?" Jia does worry for Lei, in case someone else spills the beans and things go out of hand.

"Oh yes," Lei answered confidently, "I mean, he was stunned for awhile when he found out we're cousins, but afterwards, he seemed to be understanding about it. Just like me, he doesn't want drama. We'll just let the adults be adults."

"Good, I'm glad the both of you are being responsible young men." Jia always admired how Lei always took the mature way to handle things, even if the situation dealt with adults much older than him. "And did things went well with meeting your uncle and aunt?"

"It actually went very well. Uncle Aang is a very chill guy, and Aunt Katara is the nicest person ever. I like them both."

"I mean come on Lei, you're uncle is the freaking Avatar and your aunt is the greatest waterbender ever!" Jia exclaimed. Surely, being part of a family with these types of individuals in it is something to brag about.

Lei never seemed to care though. "Oh you know me. Never thought so highly about that since, like my own dad, I never knew them at the time."

Jia flinched a little, hoping she's not pressing any wrong buttons when it comes to talking with Lei about his estranged family. She did, however, wanted to know how him and his mother were doing, "How are you and your mother by the way?"

Lei stayed quiet for a brief second, then answered, "Mom met him last night, and was on his way to see him again earlier today. I really don't know what went on."

"I hope everything turns out okay," Jia stated softly.

"I hope so too Jia. Honestly, if my mom gets a major heartbreak, I'm going to have to talk with the man I'm supposed to call 'dad' myself."

Jia knew, behind Lei's nice and charming demeanor, that there's is also a fighter who not only wants to combat enemies, but anyone who hurts the people he loves. It could be in the form of fists, or in the form of words. Of course, that is another thing Jia admires about him, but she doesn't want him to get too serious with this. "Lei, please don't do anything that might add more fire to the mix."

"I'm here for my mother Jia, and I don't want no other man hurting her."

"I know Lei, and I understand, but remember to think first before acting. Even if your mother did get her heart broken, how about Sokka? How would you know if his heart is equally is broken as hers?"

"I don't know Jia, he was the one who left her in the first place."

Jia tried her best to be patient with him. This type of conversation evokes negative emotions from him, but Jia just wants to make sure Lei doesn't complicate things further in case something bad happens. "Well, you don't know both sides of the story right? Why would your mother even attempt to visit him if he's as bad as you make him out to be?"

When Lei remained silent, Jia knew she got her point across. She continued, "Like you said earlier, let the adults be adults. Come on, I've heard about Sokka a lot from my parents, and we already know you're mom is an amazing woman. I have a good feeling they both will get through this."

There she goes again. So much positivity. So much hope. Always knows how to make me smile.

"Alright Jia, I'll take your word for it," Lei told her, "You can never let me be angry can't you?"

"Nope," she responded gleefully, "That's one of my many duties when it comes to you. "

Both of them giggled. It's always nice to have a friend with a helping hand, someone you can put a shoulder on. If only Jia was here right now, placing her hand on his. Gosh how he missed that sign of comfort. They continued talking for over an hour.

"Oh, Lei, I have to go now. Mom and I are headed to the market to prepare for dinner."

"Alright, I'll call you later sometime."

"Don't leave me hanging too long!"

Lei smiled. He would never do that. "Promise."

"Bye Lei!"

"Bye!"

Suki never left Sokka's apartment. She spend a good fraction of her day crying in here. Weird, she actually found comfort in this apartment. This place practically had Sokka's aroma all over it. She missed that feeling so much. She missed it when her and Sokka lived peacefully in their own house, before things took a dramatic turn.

She wants Sokka back so much, but right now, she knew she tore him apart. She couldn't feel any worse.

I knew I should've told him I was pregnant.

She cursed herself for not saying anything at the time. It was stupid. All because she didn't want to be around Sokka for hurting her, and she feared that he would just reject her.

She prayed to the spirits that everything was going to be okay between her and Sokka. Especially when Lei was going to be involved.

Then, as if the spirits answered her prayers, the door opened.

Sokka came back.

Suki wiped the tears away from her eyes as she sat straight, gazing at Sokka approaching her.

He took a seat right beside her.

"Suki, we need to talk."