Author's Notes: I was re-reading this and I feel like deleting and starting all over again. But I know if I do that, I most likely won't post the new and hopefully improved version of it. So yeah...anyways I'll try to avoid the agonizing and unnecessary prolonging of drama and angst fest.

Warning: Language, out-of-characterness.

Disclaimer: Avatar is not mine.

It was late, and everyone was most likely asleep but Azula couldn't sleep. She walked outside to the garden, her steps were quiet as to not wake the annoying turtle ducks. She sighed as she looked up at the sky and remembered a time in place far away--long passed. During times such as these when she couldn't sleep, she would look outside staring at the sky. There are times when she would find herself crying because the stars reminded her of him and their times together, that was long gone. Her thoughts were of what was; and what could have been, and in the end she would hate herself for being so weak.

Sokka however did leave pieces of himself with her, before leaving and opening her eyes to how marvelous the stars were was one of them.

"Hey," a familiar voice called out quietly to her, and the princess turned around to confirm the owner of the voice. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Sokka," she acknowledged with a nod. "I was actually going to take my leave and retire, so if you'd please excuse me--"

"If you don't want to be around me, all you have to do is say so," he told her. "I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just thought you could use some company. You don't need to runaway from me."

"I'm not running away," she retorted defensively, "I really was going to leave before you came."

"Liar," he smirked. "You just got here."

Azula frowned and crossed her arms, turning away from him. She had been caught.

"Do you want me to leave or what?" he questioned the difficult woman in front of him. He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering why she was the one having trouble being with him when it was just him who found out she bore his "enemy's" son.

"Do what you please," she snorted. "It's not like I can make you do what you don't want to do."

Sokka smiled, that wasn't entirely true. "Beautiful night isn't it?"

Azula wondered if the Avatar would ever leave her alone. The young man looked at her and told her, "You have to tell him. It's killing him."

"It's not my fault he jumped into conclusions," Azula retorted. "I never really did say Hahn was the father, if I recall he automatically assumed that Hahn was the father."

Several years ago Azula had to go to the Northern Water Tribe for a peace treaty, and Hahn did nothing but hit on her. She became tired of him and led him on, a plan in mind. She made the arrogant bastard believe that she would sleep with him, even allowing herself into his home. When he left the room, Azula placed something in his drink that caused someone to be knocked out. Hahn returned and they toasted and soon afterward the young teenager fell asleep, allowing Azula to slip away. Hahn would always fool himself into thinking he bedded the princess of the Fire Nation--because that's the kind of man he was. In truth, Azula thought about it but wounds were still fresh from when Sokka left her.

She couldn't go through with it for several reasons: first and foremost, she still loved Sokka; second Hahn was a jerk; and third, she didn't want to be like Princess Yue. She knew about Sokka and Princess Yue of course, Sokka being the type that had to be honest to his lover. She refused to be another prize.

"That's no excuse--"

"Avatar if your best friend chooses to believe that I slept with Hahn, allow it. This is my decision, it's my life and he is no longer entitled to what I do and don't do. We are nothing to one another. Besides, Avatar mind your own business, you have your own problems."

The teenager looked at her with puzzlement, "What do you mean?"

"Toph," she began her sentence carefully, "has she not been acting strange?"

"It's because of you she's acting strange," Aang said defensively.

"Is it now?" the princess smiled that smile, that meant she knew something he didn't.

Azula huffed, "I didn't notice."

"Sure you didn't. Why else would you be out here?" Sokka replied with a chuckle.

Damn it. Caught again. What the hell was he doing here anyways? Azula finally turned to look at him, "Fine. I came out here to get some fresh air, okay?"

"I forgive you," he suddenly said seriously.

Forgave me for what, the princess asked herself silently, for lying about how beautiful the night was?

"I forgive you," he repeated, "for sleeping with Hahn."

Azula didn't what to feel, elated that he had such a good heart? Or furious because he was such a dumbass? "Sokka goodnight," she turned around to leave only to be held back by him holding her wrist.

"Say something..."

Azula's patience with her former lover was beginning to fade as she glared at him. "Say what?"

"Say that you don't love him...say that you never loved him."

"Then what? Is this how you're going to forgive me? As long as I tell you that that one night with him was absolutely meaningless, then you're going to forgive me?" Azula questioned.

"No, I'd still forgive you," Sokka answered his princess truthfully.

Azula wanted to ask him why would he do such a thing? Why would he forgive her for being a mother to another man's child when he couldn't even forgive her betraying them? "Goodnight Sokka," she bit out angrily, pulling her wrist away from his grip and storming back inside.

"The fact that he still loves you despite that he believes you bore another man's child---a man whom he's hated since he was fifteen; and adoring that child, says a lot about Sokka," Toph told Azula. "It's rare to find someone like that."

"I didn't think you would talk to me," Azula retorted, wondering why Toph was here.

"I'm not scared of you Princess," the Bei Fong heiress informed her.

Azula looked outside, "No. You're just angry."

"And you lie too much. Don't you think, after proving himself, that he deserves to know the truth?"

"The truth of Hahn not being the father?" By the Spirits would they ever let her rest about this thing with Hahn?! The Avatar had been talking to her that morning about this; and now, Toph's talking to her--and it just reached midday!

"The truth of who exactly the father is."

"What are you going to do? Tell him who the father of my baby is?" Azula laughed. No one knew who the father was, and she would keep it that way.

"Of course. You underestimate me too much Azula. I'm only physically blind," Toph chided the woman who was once a good friend of hers. "Always has been, always will be, the father of your child..."

Aang, with Momo on his shoulder, followed swiftly after his agitated friend, wondering what had gotten into him. He asked several times to receive no answers and quiet murmurs he could hardly make out. He wondered where Toph was when he needed her. Sokka had been hunting down Azula and clutching a scroll in his hand. He was intensely asking everyone and anyone where the princess was that it caught the curiosity of the royal family and friends.

They reached the destination given to them by one of the princess' handmaidens, Azula's bedroom. They could hear Toph and Azula conversing intensely--but Sokka would not be swayed because whatever they were talking about right at that moment, wasn't anymore important than what he had to say to his former lover. What he had to ask her was top priority in his eyes.

Earlier he found a letter, addressed to him. The odd thing was that the letter was dated several years ago, but he never got it meaning it was never sent. It was just lying there on the bed in the room he was given while his stay at the Fire Nation.

To be precise, the date was several months after his departure from the Fire Nation after the war seven years ago. He unrolled it and eagerly read it after he recognized the handwriting.

Dearest Sokka, it started out with. His heart soared at that, because it meant that after several months since his relationship ended with the princess she still thought of him in that way. He wasn't alone in still being in love with someone he knew wasn't good for him. The letter unsurprisingly got straight to the point.

Dearest Sokka,

If you are receiving this letter then it means I have passed on. I write this letter to you to tell you that yes I lied about being an ally to you and your friends; however I didn't plan on falling in love with you. I want you to know that even though I tried to make it clear before. Believe it or not, I didn't plan on falling for you and becoming fond of your little gang. When I said I loved you, I meant it. When I gave myself to you, my participation wasn't out of duty or a malicious intent. I just wanted to make it clear that I did--that I do---and that I will always love you. You're the only man who I fell in love with; the only one who showed me another world. The only man, who is not of my blood, that I have loved.

Another reason I write this is because, while I'm writing this, I am with child. This letter was given to you incase I died due to childbirth or something related to it. The child is yours, and whether you believe it or not I don't care. However I swear on my father's grave that the child is yours and only yours. You needn't worry about him or her because he or she will be well-provided for as long as he lives. I am a princess after all, so money and what not are not a problem. What you do with this information, is up to you. If you choose to make yourself known to the child, then that's your choice; and if you choose to take him, as is your right I understand, then go right ahead. I only wish that you allow--no I command that you allow him to know his mother and his mother's family. He is to know them well, you got that? If you denounce him or relinquish your rights as a father to the child, that is fine. My family will take good care of him--or her. So you are in no pressure to "do the right thing."

I will not apologize for what I did, because it was my duty; but I will apologize for hurting you and misleading you. And I never apologize, remember that.

Always,

Azula

"Sokka. How did you know it was him?" Azula questioned, knowing it was futile to hide it any longer.

"You two can't keep your hands off each other, especially at night," Toph blushed with embarrassment. "I'm a light sleeper for crying out loud."

Azula was at a loss for words at the earthbending master's last comment. She looked away pouting and shocked, as well as embarrassed! "That doesn't mean that Sokka is automatically the father!"

"You're too high and mighty to let just anyone touch you. Especially scum like that Hahn person."

Azula frowned, pouting as she told her former friend, "Even I didn't know I was pregnant back then."

Toph laughed, "Good guess wasn't it?"

Azula looked at the young woman in front of him, "'Guess'?! You mean you guessed?!"

"Yeah...I mean I had a feeling it was him, but I wasn't sure. I couldn't really be presumtuous about this kind of stuff," Toph laughed. By then Azula was fuming with rage, and she had to stop herself (with much effort) from strangling the life out of the earthbender.

"How long have you known?"

"Not long," she replied. "But I knew something was up when Sokka said Hahn was the father."

"It could've been someone else that no one knew about," Azula told her.

"I thought about that too, however who in their right mind would engage themselves in a relationship with you? And those who did, you wouldn't dare let them. Also, you just made it so easy when I said Sokka's name," Toph chuckled. "I'm surprise you didn't put up more of a fight princess."

Just then Sokka came in and interrupted the two. His eyes were filled with rage and while he spoke to Toph, his eyes never left Azula's. "Can you all leave the two of us for a moment? I need to speak to Azula alone." His voice held no room for arguments or even questions, that the hurriedly complied rushing out of the princess' chambers and shutting the door behind them.

Azula titled her head and playfully pouted, "What's the matter now?"

"What's the meaning of this?" he threw the parchment at her. The princess wasn't pleased with his behavior, but examined the scroll. Her eyes for a moment bulged in shock, recognizing the letter she wrote a long time ago. She brought her head up to meet his gaze.

Author's Notes: Yep, you finally find out who the father of Tai Shan is. What a relief right? And Toph knowing, well I always wanted her to know the truth but to also wait around in hopes of things resolving themselves. I hope the scene that happened during the night wasn't too confusing. I wanted to establish that the night Tai Shan saw his mother crying was because she was remembering Sokka, and that's why she was really crying. Also the night scene did happen the night before Azula talked to Aang in this chapter, but I decided to cut that because going straight to Azula and Toph in this chapter didn't feel right, so I had to cut the night scene in half. However they're a whole scene, and it did happen the night before the talk between Aang and Azula; Azula and Toph; and Sokka finding out the truth in this chapter.

Azula's letter was OOC I know, but writing a letter from Azula that is supposed to have her last words and wishes to the man she loves is hard for me. I mean writing Azula in love is hard as it is. Hehee. Don't you think?

As for when the next chapter will be out? I have no idea. I'm so so sorry! I really should just stick to oneshots because I'm horrible at multi-chapter fics. I only have a little bit of the next chapter written.