In the Northern Tribe Umerk passed back and forth angrily. Their plan had all but failed. Sokka had managed to keep Southern Tribe together with the alliance and Aang's surprising show of forgiveness had taken his hold from most of the Northern Tribe.

"Everything was going how it should have," he muttered in frustration. "The Avatar had seemed so close to killing the stupid Fire Lord, but then he had to go and be the monk he always is and forgive them."

"Well, you have to admit the plan was flawed," Hahn commented from the door way. Umerk turned quickly, he hadn't heard the boy come in.

"Flawed? How was my plan flawed?" Umerk demanded.

"We put too much faith in the Avatar's rage, and now with Prince Sheng Li there's no hope. Zuko will undoubtedly live a long life and his son will inherit the throne. Not that it matters," Hahn added with a shrug. "I never wanted the Fire Nation throne, I spoke to Azula asking what would happen if she were to inherit it. I'd never be Fire Lord anyway, the people have never had a non bender, let alone a Water Tribesmen, on the throne. Azula would rule while I remained a consort." Umerk glared at him, how dare he talk about their plan with his token wife, she was just supposed to be their connection. Suddenly it dawned on him.

"You love the Fire Nation wench don't you?" He demanded.

"No, not yet anyway. Though she's growing on me. She's so different from our women, and for some reason the further from the Fire Nation we got the more outspoken she grew. She intrigues me, and I could happily spend my life trying to understand her."

"Why are you here then?"

"I came to tell you that I no longer need your services as an advisor," Hahn told him with a smug look on his face.

"You can't do that, only the Chief can remove me from service."

"Exactly, Chief Arnook died peacefully in his sleep early this morning. The funeral will be held at moon rise. You're finished."

Months passed in the Fire Nation, Mai was under the belief that Katara had seduced Zuko and, despite all attempts on his part, refused to believe otherwise. So life went on, Zuko would often think about Katara when he was alone, but he knew it was better this way. Things were awkward with Aang for the first little while, but over time it got better. Almost back to the way it was. They could put everything behind them and one day he and Katara could just be friends.

Or so he hoped. But, a few months after Sheng Li's first birthday they had heard that Aang had a second child, a daughter, and they had named her Suchin. Both Zuko and Mai's hearts sunk a little when they heard, Mai because she knew she could never have a daughter, only Sheng Li. And Zuko, because he knew this little girl was his. Aang brought a small painting of the girl the next time he arrived for the annual winter solstice gathering of the nations, held in the Northern tribe this year. Zuko looked at the painting of the small girl, she still had the dark blue eyes all babies were born with and he could see small traces of himself in her. The shape of her face and her straight, black hair.

It started as headaches while they were still in the North, he assured everyone it was just the cold he wasn't used to. Even his brother in law was worried about him. But the more he argued he was fine, the worse he seemed to get.

"Zuko are you sure you're alright?" Hahn asked quietly, steering him away from the noise. "Perhaps you should see out healers, they're the best in the world."

"For the last time, I'm fine. Don't know how she can stand all this cold," Zuko said with a laugh looking over at his sister. She looked so different here, the dark blue coat she wore trimmed with white fur and her hair was done in the ornate 'hair loopies' Water Tribe women sported.

"I'm honestly surprised at how well she's thrived out here as well. She was a different person when we met."

"She made a lot of bad choices and mistakes in the Fire Nation, she hates being there because she's reminded of them constantly."

"Yeah, she told me." Hahn shook his head, he didn't want to talk about the past, especially one that wasn't his. "She's scared to have children," he said nodding to the way Azula carefully took Sheng Li's hands to help him try to walk. "She's worried she'll be a horrible parent."

"So was I, but it's not so bad. I love my son and d-. I'd do anything for him," Zuko finished hoping Hahn didn't notice his stutter. He had almost said daughter. Despite never getting to hold or see her he couldn't help but love her. The stories Aang would tell broke his heart, because he wanted to be there first hand. "I'm going to go lay down, my headache has gotten a little worse." Zuko stopped by where Mai and Azula sat and let her know, then left the party.

He slept all through the night and most of the next day, Mai attended the meetings instead and that night they boarded and airship to go home.

Once the three were back home in the Fire Nation however, he worsened still. A fever set in, worse than the one he had all that time ago in Ba Sing Se. He was bed ridden a lot of the time, but refused to let anyone take his son from him. Despite not even being able to stand half the time Zuko insisted that Sheng Li remained with him.

Zuko told him stories and played games, marveling at how much his son learned in such short spans of time. Zuko saved every scribble drawing Sheng Li made and requested they be put on the wall for him to look at.

On the few days that Zuko was well enough to get out of bed and walk, Mai would go with them to the town and look at shops or go for picnics by the pond. She could see in her husband's actions that he didn't think he was going to get better, he dotes on their son buying anything the boy wanted. The healers tried everything they could to help him, but there was no use.

"There's nothing more we can do," they told Mai quietly outside the bedroom door. "We've never seen anything like this. It might be a left over effect from when Azula hit him with lightening."

"But that was years ago, he was healed from that," Mai argued, watching Zuko play peek-a-boo with Sheng Li for what seemed the millionth time. "How long?" she asked, trying to keep the quivering from her voice.

"Who can say, at this point we can only hope he'll recover, but if he doesn't, then a couple months, perhaps less."

"So little?"

"He's draining fast, it's a miracle he's lasted as long as he has. I'm sorry." Mai nodded and went to sit next to Zuko as the healers left. For the first time she saw what they saw. A once strong and tall man, reduced to a near skeletal state and his skin was so pale he looked almost grey.

"They say there's nothing more they can do, you'll only have a couple months left before you can't go on anymore," she told him softly, wishing she could do something, anything, to help her husband get better.

Weeks passed before Zuko finally made a decision to ask for outside help.

"Katara," he whispered one morning when Mai brought Sheng Li in for the day. She stiffened, here he was on the brink of death and he was calling for her. "Send for Katara, there's water in a place called the Spirit Oasis in the Northern Tribe. She used it to bring Aang back from the dead after Ba Sing Se, it might help me now." Mai frowned, it seemed a flimsy excuse, but in the end she agreed, if only to put his mind at rest. She doubted the Avatar would let Katara come, she was forbidden to be near Zuko.

A balloon, much like Zuko's old war balloon, was dispatched for Katara. It was chosen over the airships for its speed and the fact it only needed to carry the driver and one other. Orders were sent along with it saying that if Katara agreed to come the balloon would be white, but if she refused it would be black.

Zuko watched the balloon leave from his window, it was one of the few days he was able to leave his bed. He sat down on the floor next to Sheng Li and helped him build a tower out of blocks. Only a few more months left, he thought watching his son knock the tower over only to start building it again. That's not enough time.

"I'll never see you learn Firebending or your first day of school. I'll never see you get married and have children," he whispered more to himself than his son. The milestones most remembered in life had been ripped away from him. The sheer amount of things he'd never see his son, or his daughter, do was almost too much to bear.

Days passed and Zuko worsened still, he suffered in his bed, no longer able to get up on his own. He couldn't keep Sheng Li with him all day anymore, he was too weak to pick him up and carry him. Instead, Mai would take the afternoon off from the duties she had to perform for the nation and sit on the edge of the bed while Sheng Li crawled all over his father.

"Love Dada," he said in his childish gibberish and he kissed Zuko on the cheek, making the kissing sound after he was already pulling away. Zuko smiled, these were the sounds he would miss most.

"I love you too," he said, he didn't talk as much now. His throat always felt raw, moving and talking hurt too much. Thankfully he didn't have to do it often.

The morning of the fifth day since the balloon was dispatched Zuko suffered in his bed, hovering between life and death, praying to the spirits that he could look upon the face of his love and daughter once before he left this world. He had, subconsciously, withdrawn from Mai. It had began when he couldn't talk and now, he barely noticed her presence

Mai kept watch at the window, scanning the skies for the white or black balloon. Her heart broken by the fact that she knew and accepted the truth. Zuko hadn't been seduced. Zuko had loved Katara, perhaps more than he loved her. And him sending for her now, only proved that. Whether or not Katara could cure him was besides the point, any healer from North would have access to the Spirit Oasis and with Azula living there they could have had a healer on a ship immediately to come and heal him.

A figured appeared on the horizon, Mai squinted hard to see it. The balloon had arrived, snow white and with Katara standing at the head. Mai turned away from the window and faced Zuko.

"The balloon is black," she told him resentfully, her voice as cold and empty as it used to be. Zuko turned his head to face the wall and slowly he gave up fighting for his life as Mai left the room, broken hearted and angry. A single tear slid down his cheek just before Katara burst in and ran to Zuko's side, but it was too late. I deserve this, I have betrayed and hurt so many. But, I don't regret loving you Katara, you showed me a world I never knew. I don't know if life is greater than death, he thought remembering their conversation so long ago in this very room. Love, however was greater than either.

Katara burst in the room and turned Zuko's face to her. He was still warm, but his breath had stopped and she couldn't feel a heartbeat.

"Know that I love you, Zuko. And wherever you go, whatever you see, I will always be with you." Katara held back her tears and gently brushed Zuko's bangs out of his face before giving him a small kiss.

Their love did not bring down a nation as some had hoped. Legend says that Avatar Aang kept the world in peace until the end of his days and that the Fire Nation remained proud and strong, continuing to help unite the world.

Katara stayed in the Fire Nation long enough to see the love of her life put to rest... then disappeared.

So here it is, the last chapter. I will be adding an epilogue, but that's an optional read. So about the chapter, it took me longer than I thought to write Zuko's illness, I mean I teared up a few times writing it. And, I know it doesn't show since it's mostly from Zuko's perspective, but you really have to feel for everyone that they hurt. I mean look at Mai and Sheng Li, Iroh, Aang and everyone one else. Zuko and Katara hurt so many people, which is why cheating is such a horrible thing to do. Just wanted to add that so no one thinks it's so romantic to cheat, it's not.

Everyone who has read, or will read, this thank you so much. I'd love to hear what you think. And here's a challenge for you readers. Tell me, do you agree with Zuko, that dying alone without Mai, Katara or either of his children present is what he deserved?

If you like my Avatar stories please check out my new one about Smellerbee. It won't be a tragedy this time, promise.