Bet you're just dying to know what happens next aren't you? This is somewhat speculating what the Fire Nation's customs are on marriage and I hope it seems plausible. Now here is chapter three!

Chapter Three: Lies and Truth

Ri Len was smiling until he felt silence and opened his eyes. Tsuchiko looked furious and Zuko looked shocked.

"Mom? Are you mad?" Ri Len gulped, fearing he would get punished by his mom in front of Zuko.

Tsuchiko was about to roar at him, but not infront of Zuko. She faced him and said in a shaky voice,

"Li...are you-?"

Zuko was utterly confused. How could he firebend? Zuko observed Ri Len's face and had a hunch.

His eyes are yellow. Yellow eyes are sacred to only the Fire Nation...my nation.

Ri Len put out the fire on his plate and hung his head in shame.

"Li...do you hate me?" he asked, afraid Zuko would freak out.

Tsuchiko didn't say a word. This Li...he wasn't afraid of Ri Len. She felt some relief but then realized another unfortunate possibility. What if Li spread the word around? What if...

"Please, do not think ill will towards my son. Are you...going to tell?" Tsuchiko clasped her hands together and bit her lip.

Zuko knew he couldn't say anything about them, but he had a few questions of his own.

"I'm not going to say anything, but.. are you two from the Fire Nation?" Zuko asked.

Maybe I'm not the only one, thought Zuko. Even if they did explain, not like Zuko would spill the beans about him.

Ri Len backed off, going to his room and leaving Tsuchiko to talk.

I won't tell this stranger anything important. Not about who his father really was. I'd be killed if people found out, but I can't hide the fact his father was a firebender.

"I myself am not from the Fire Nation. I hope you can understand, Li. Ri Len's father was from the Fire Nation," she spoke quiickly, hoping she wouldn't get scolded and yelled at by Zuko. He didn't say a word.

"Since we both knew our relationship could cause trouble and stir up some unwelcome...guests...he left me eight years ago, during the Siege at Ba Sing Se. He died right before Ri Len was born, which was when the siege failed."

Zuko soaked in all this information as Tsuchiko looked at him.

A child before being married? This man couldn't have possibly come from the Fire Nation. It's rule to be married before having a child and even then, the couple would have to wait a year before they could have a child. Least of all, it's unheard of to marry a woman not from the Fire Nation! Ri Len is a bastard child!

Being raised in a society where marriage comes before the child, Zuko was surprised and a bit confused about Tsuchiko's plight. He understood most of it. He kept quiet, thinking over what had happened in these minutes.

"You're hiding somethiing, Li. I've seen that look before..." Tsuchiko asked nonchalantly, and she refered to when her love had hidden secrets from her and wanted to know.

"Me? Hiding something? No. I'm just someone who wants to start over," Zuko half smiled nervously.

There is no way I'm telling this nosy woman everything. She reminds me of Ty Lee, that nosy, obnoxious girl.

Tsuchiko washed the dishes, still expecting an answer from the young man.

"Yes, and my son just didn't firebend. It's okay to tell me, I won't say a word. I have to keep my son's ability a secret, no?" she hummed a tune while washing.

Zuko shifted his amber eyes. She did have a point.

I'm just going to say I'm from the Fire Nation. That's it. That's all I'm going to say, he coached himself.

"I am from the Fire Nation also."

Tsuchiko wasn't in the least bit surprised. Zuko at first wondered why but then realized Tsuchiko was no stupid woman. She knew right from the start when she saw him at the front door.

"You knew, didn't you? You just wanted for me to tell you!" he exclaimed.

Tsuchiko finished her chore and turned around, smiling.

"Yes. Don't worry, I bear no ill will towards you. I won't tell," she smiled, then looked outside.

"I do recall, didn't you say you were in a hurry, Li?"

Zuko remembered as the jolt through his brain made him slightly panic. He didn't show it though.

Azula's going to kill me. Well...at least I learned something new. Iroh would've loved her cooking...Uncle Iroh...

Zuko thanked Tsuchiko and before he left, Ri Len ran up behind him and asked,

"Li? Are you going to come visit soon?" Ri Len looked up, facing the scar-faced teen. Zuko couldn't say no to his little face. Ri Len looked nearly like him when he was his age.

"Sometime. Maybe then...I could, oh I don't know, watch you firebend?" Zuko said in a tone he didn't recognize. It felt weird for him and the feeling felt weird also. He felt as if he were an actual older brother, not scum like Azula treated him.

Ri Len lit up.

"Really! Wow! Come back soon, Li!" he said giddily as Tsuchiko patted her son on the head. She watched Zuko walk away in the early night.

She stared into the night for a while, as Ri Len stood next to her silently.

He looks like Lu Ten..no, it can't be. There's no way Li could be related to him. Anyway, most people from the Fire Nation have yellow-goldish amber eye colors and black and maybe brown hair. He is interesting though and Ri Len has become attached to him. I hope to see Li soon.

She assured herself as she closed the door.