I am SO sorry that I haven't updated sooner. The holidays kind of spirited me away and I haven't been with internet since Christmas Eve (I think). Anyways, I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a fabulous year and this upcoming one is kick-ass.

With love,

Chiyo

"Mom, you have to wear the shoes."

"The hell I do."

"Mom, please. For once can't you just…not be pig-headed?"

The petite brunette narrowed her unseeing eyes in the direction she heard her son's voice. "I'll have you know, little man, I did not trapsy about the world and face down the Fire Nation so you could sass me."

"I'm over here, Mom. You're talking to an echo."

Toph felt a gentle hand on her shoulder guide her into the stance she was supposed to be in. Her arms crossed irately over her silk-clad chest and she squared her chin, causing the golden baubles to jangle in her ears.

"One day, Hideo, I promise you, I'm going to show you what makes me an Earthbending master," she said sternly.

Hideo smiled and nodded. He knew her threat was insincere, as they always were, but it made her happy to make them nonetheless. His mother was just generally a grouchy woman.

"Yes mother."

Toph snorted in quite an unladylike manner before a moment of silence descended upon the pair.

"So…" the young man ventured. "Are you going to wear the shoes or not?"

"I'm not wearing those shoes!"

"We can cut the soles out. Would you wear them then?" he replied, edging on exasperated.

Despite herself, Toph smiled. She was proud of her boy. He was ever the peacemaker and just barely ten. It was a bit scandalous, of course, for the age difference between them to be only fifteen years, but as with many other areas of her life, Toph really just didn't care.

At twelve she had become a master in not one, but two forms of Earthbending. Why not get married at fifteen and fall in love and have a baby? She had been able to handle it just fine, unlike so many others she had heard of.

"Okay, let's have the maids cut out the soles. While they're doing that, why don't we find the cooks and brace them for Aang and Sokka's appetites?"

"Someone called?"

Toph and Hideo's heads jerked up in the same direction. The former broke into a wide smile as the voice registered in her mind.

"Sokka!" she exclaimed happily. "We weren't expecting you yet."

The Water Tribe Chief strode into the room and swept Toph into a tight embrace.

"Put me down you lug!" She laughed as Sokka set her back on her feet and playfully punched his arm.

Sokka rubbed the spot she had hit and laughed as well. "Glad to see being Queen hasn't changed you any."

"Much to my parents' displeasure."

"I still can't believe you went back to them after all that." He gave a low, disbelieving whistle. "Never saw it coming. Or all this."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Just who have you been talking to? I didn't think anyone but Aang knew I married the Earth King."

"The servants," he replied, jerking a thumb towards the room he had just come from. "They were talking about the Barbarian Queen they serve. I could only assume they meant you."

"And we always thought you were a little dumb…Hmm, Barbarian Queen. I like it. They're getting more creative." The dark-haired woman laughed. "Oh, Sokka. You need to meet my son, Hideo."

The boy pushed the thin-framed glasses back onto the bridge of his nose and stepped forward with a warm smile and extended hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe."

The tall man was certain his jaw had dropped to the ground. There were only so many surprises he could handle in a day and his quota had been filled when he had learned Toph had married the Earth King.

"Y-your son?" Still shocked, Sokka shook the much smaller hand politely.

"Yep. My pride and joy. I've got a daughter too. She's in the nursery asleep. Or rather, should be."

"How old are you, son?"

"Ten since last month."

Sokka looked to Toph with a bewildered expression. "Fifteen?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Nothing. I just never pegged you as a maternal type…"

She shrugged. "You and most the world. Get over it. Hideo, would you mind going to make sure that Emi's nurses are getting her ready for the banquet?"

"Yes, Mom." Though she couldn't see it, Toph felt her son's perfect bow before he left the room.

Sokka watched him go and shook his head a bit. "Quite a, uh, formal child you have."

"I know," she sighed. "I've tried to make him a little less uptight, but no luck. I can only hope he grows out of it. I blame his father."

The man could only laugh at that. It delighted him that the Toph would stood before him was still the same hard-ass she had been as a little girl.

Toph grinned as Sokka's laughter filled her ears. It had been far too long since she had been around any of her old friends.

"Do you know when the others will be here?" Sokka asked after the laughter had died down.

She shrugged again. "Sometime later this afternoon. Just before dinner I think."

"Nice, then shall we find some mischief to cause until then?"

For the only time that Sokka could ever recall, Toph clapped her hands together and gave a wicked, yet still incredibly girly, giggle.

"Sokka, have I mentioned that I missed you?" Reaching out, Toph took Sokka by the crook of his arm and led him from the room, down the halls she had memorized perfectly in all the years she had lived in the palace.

"So this is where the Earth King lives?"

Katara looked down to her niece with a smile. "It is."

"Fancy," the young girl replied with a low whistle.

Shoji nodded his agreement. Zuko, was possibly more quiet than he had been during the entire trip. His brow was creased, almost in anguish as the group walked up the steps and into the receiving hall of the Earth King's great palace.

Ba Sing Se was a poltergeist for the Fire Lord. It haunted his dreams even though he had set things right years before.

Apparently though, absolution was not always a remedy for a guilty conscience.

Crowds had gathered in the receiving hall as they had in Kireiea. They cheered for the Avatar and the celebrated heroes he traveled with, but still Zuko could feel lingering malice in some of the gazes he met.

The king and queen were on the dais at the far end of the hall, the king seated on an ornate golden throne as the queen stood to one side and a young boy and an older woman who held a baby stood at the other. Zuko had never actually met the Earth King or his family and found himself intrigued with them.

The king was a man shorter than him with thick glasses and intent eyes. His mouth was set in the dignified smile of a monarch, but Zuko didn't know if there was true happiness behind the gesture. The king knew why they were there.

The queen shocked Zuko when recognition finally hit him. Incredibly short and attractive, she had light green eyes that gave away the woman the silken robes hid.

Toph Bei Fong. As Zuko lived and breathed!

Unable to control herself, Toph gathered her skirts in her hands and hurried down the steps with an incredible ease. She released them just as she flung her arms about Katara and Aang.

Zuko, Shoji, and Yukya stood back and watched the happy reunion. The Fire Lord frowned when scandalized whispers of court ladies reached his ears. He had never had much of a use for such ladies, but there was nothing to be done about them he supposed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

The Fire Lord gave a start as he turned to look at the man who had joined them. He relaxed when he realized that the fully-grown Sokka stood beside him. With a smile, Zuko held his arm out to him. "Like old times."

Sokka grinned and took the offered arm in a fraternal gesture that was a handshake on a larger scale.

"It's good to see you've survived leadership," he joked.

Zuko laughed dryly. "Surviving. That's about right."

"Daddy!"

The Water Tribe chieftain stumbled backwards as his daughter jumped onto him and flung her arms about his neck. "I missed you too, Yukya. I've been standing here for five minutes at least."

"What can I say," the young girl said with a shrug. "I got your powers of observation."

Sokka grimaced playfully. "You poor dear."

Despite the envy that gnawed at his heart, Zuko smiled at the pair. It didn't matter that the reason they were all together was ominous.

All that mattered in that moment was that they were all together.