Author's Notes:

Sorry it took so long. Thank you to those who read and reviewed the last chapter.

Ursa eyed the epitaph of her late husband, her mind in deep thought. She had entered the marriage with Ozai through the arrangements that were made between his parents and her's. No one ever knew that Sozin really betrayed her grandfather--not even Grandmother Ta Min because Sozin fed her lies. Everyone, including the public, thought what pair could be better? The granddaughter of the Avatar Roku and grandson of the Fire Lord Sozin, it was perfect. The nobles sure thought so.

Their failed marriage however was the least of the Dowager Princess' problems.

"You and I weren't great parents. I had hoped to do better but I guess I was no better than you," she told his grave ruefully. "Our daughter's heart is cold toward me." She sighed, "There is one good thing though. There's someone who could make her happy and yet she's being stubborn. I don't know if it's because of your influence Ozai, but she's dedicated herself enough to you. She was the perfect daughter to you and you repaid her with nothing. Our little girl needs to move on with her life. She needs to realize that you felt nothing for her because it's such a shame. You need to let her go."

It was time that he did so.

Ursa wondered if the Spirits even listened to her prayers.

Tai Shan was sad to leave the Southern Water Tribe, but his dad promised him that he would be back again. The prince only hoped that his mama would allow it. He turned around to see a certain someone walking up to him.

Meanwhile, a few feet away, Aang observed Tai Shan saying goodbye to the girl who seemed to have captured his young heart. "Aww they're so cute," he said with a huge smile on his face.

Toph smirked. "He just told her that he would one day take her to the Fire Nation."

"Toph don't eavesdrop!" Aang told her in a hushed whisper.

"Like you don't want to know what they're saying," Katara interjected with a grin as she fed Momo a berry. "The boy is like his father."

Splash!

Sokka smiled as he saw Tai Shan's eyes bulge in amazement at the jumping elephant koi fish. Earlier they had a close run in with the unagi, and when Sokka went to comfort his son, the prince merely asked if they could ride the serpent. The child was apparently a cery curious and perhaps an adventurous kid. "Aang rode the unagi once, but that was a fluke," Sokka explained. "The unagi isn't something you can really ride big guy."

Tai Shan frowned and continued to take in his surroundings. He noticed that Appa was descending down the little island.

"The Avatar's here!" a villager alerted everyone.

Suki's head swiftly turned to where everyone was pointing. Foam guy joined the cheering before he collapsed with foam in his mouth, and Koko and her friends started giggling. "I wonder how Aangy looks now."

The Kyoshi Warrior's eyes searched for the Boomerang boy--young man. When Appa landed, she didn't even notice a little boy with them because all her focus was on Sokka. She smiled as he embraced her and said his hello and long time no see. When she finally did notice Tai Shan, Suki was puzzled. He was adorable, absolutely cute, and shy to meet her obviously.

"Hey there," she kneeled down and smiled warmly at him. He looked familiar.

She couldn't help but notice Sokka hesitate before he said, "Tai Shan meet my good friend Suki. Suki meet Tai Shan...my son."

Suki's breath was knocked out of her, and she felt like the world started to crumble around her. "Hello Tai Shan," she managed to say. The young woman looked up at Sokka in bewilderment.

Sokka studied Suki's posture as she walked over to the window that looked over the beach. She had her arms across her chest as she turned around to look him in the eye. "Azula bore you a son?"

"...I wasn't aware of Tai Shan's existance until very recently." Sokka understood that he hurt her, but it wasn't as if he meant to.

"So how do you even know if he's yours?!" she questioned angrily. The woman was infamous for being deceitful and manipulating.

"Suki!" he scolded her.

"Azula? The princess of the Fire Nation? The one who imprisoned me and my friends?" Suki shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't understand how Sokka could fall in love with a woman like her; she couldn't understand how she lost him so easily. Or maybe, he never really loved her. Maybe Sokka never felt the same way she did about him. After all, falling in love with the girl who placed your current girlfriend in jail didn't scream loyalty, devotion, and a proclaimation of love.

He walked over to her and embraced her warmly. "Suki...I never meant for this to happen..." But he wasn't sorry.

Suki hesitantly returned the embrace. "Where are you and her now? Where are we now?" For the past seven years their relationship had been stale and sometimes rocky because of Sokka unwilling to move on from Azula. She was always hoping and waiting that he would finally return to her, but he kept his heart closed off to her--like the first time. The only difference was, Yue was dead and he couldn't be with her unlike with Azula, whom he could mend his relationship with.

"Mama always says I have to study hard and try my best at everything I do because if Uncle Zuko and Auntie Mai don't give me a cousin, one day I will have to be Fire Lord," Tai Shan finished explaining to Suki after she had asked how he was so smart.

The brown-haired woman laughed, "It's nice to see a young man such as yourself determined in his studies. Not to mention very obedient when it comes to listening to your parents. I'm sure you're intelligence is also passed down, because your father is very smart too." She begrudging added, "As well as your mother."

The young prince beamed, "Really?"

Suki nodded, "I'm sure they're very proud of you."

Tai Shan was very pleased to meet Suki; she was really nice. He couldn't help wonder though why he had this feeling that she was much more than what his dad told him. The feeling he had wasn't negative or anything, but Tai Shan didn't really believe she was just a friend to Sokka.

"Your son is very sweet," Suki told Sokka as she walked inside the room. "I like him."

"Yeah?" Sokka was glad to hear that. If Suki and he were to try to make it work, he would need to know how she felt about his son. He would need for her to be able to grow to love him.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"Azula raised him well," Sokka explained, admiration and respect obvious in his voice.

Suki found herself looking away with a frown.

"Come on Twinkle Toes!" Toph yelled. "Give me more of a challenge! You're supposed to be the Avatar!"

They were sparring and Aang wasn't doing too well at breaking her defenses. He looked at her, her hair was free from its usual confines and she was covered in mud, yet she still managed to look pretty. He smirked as he used airbending to bring her form closer to him.

"Hey! Cheap trick! Only earthbending this time remember?" she said unhappily.

Aang wrapped his arms around her, causing Toph to tense up and wonder what the hell he was planning on doing. "How about you and I do something different?"

Toph felt red and fought her hardest to not stutter. "Like what?"

Whatever Aang had in plan, whatever he was going to tell her was cut off when they felt someone's presence coming toward them. Aang and Toph stepped away from each other as Katara's head came into view. "When are we getting out of here?!"

"Why? It's only been three days," Aang informed.

"What's the matter Sugar Queen?" Toph smirked.

"Well while you two are sparring, Koko keeps stalking me and asking me where 'Aangy' is!" Katara gritted her teeth.

Toph smirked, "I could deal with her if you want."

It's only been three days and Suki could already see it. Earlier that morning when she decided to wake up Sokka from his slumber so he wouldn't oversleep, he had murmured, "Geez 'zula...not everyone rises with the sun. It's still early." The prior nights, whenever they were together it was obvious his mind was elsewhere; and at night he loved gazing at the stars. She had wonder what star gazing meant to him, what memory it held. It was a reminsicent of their younger years when he dealt with losing whomever he lost at the north pole, but stronger. It didn't help that it seemed that he didn't want to let go. Her other Kyoshi Warrior friends didn't know what advice to give her.

Seven years have made Suki more beautiful than she was when she was 15, catching the attention of several admirers endeavoring to court her. Along with her beauty, she had a personality that a lot of people liked. She kept them distant however because she held her hopes up for the guy who held her heart despite that if it weren't for him, she would have gladly went out with some of the men trying to win her affections.

She knew Sokka honestly was trying his hardest, but it was no use. She sighed as she readied herself for what may be one of the hardest and most unpleasant task that she'll have to do. It wasn't something she wanted, but it had to be done. She wanted to make it as painless as she could for the both of them so she would be quick, straight to the point, and tearless.

"I can accept Tai Shan--accept that he is your son with another woman, with her of all people," she began. Sokka looked at her with confused eyes as she suddenly filled the silent air with that kind of comment. "He's a lovable child--absolutely adorable."

"But...?" Sokka mentally slapped himself for what was obvious. Her eyes told her all. She didn't want to be the girl he--or anyone else "settled" for. She deserved more than that. He was being unfair, he knew.

"I never wanted to be with you. I never wanted to fall in love with you but I did. And you're in love with someone else now. So tell me, what am I suppose to do? Beg you to stay with me? Beg you to stay for my sake, tell you that I can make you happier than she ever could? I will never do that. I can never do that...it wouldn't matter because no matter what I say, you've already chosen. You've already decided who would make you happy--and it's not me, no matter how much I try because she already does make you happy--and she wouldn't even have to try." She told him as casually and emotionlessly she could muster.

"Wait--"

"No. I don't want to anymore. Because I keep putting myself in this predicament and I'm tired of it," she said with finality. So much for painless as possible.

"Suki I'm sorry," Sokka told her. "I really am." It's not like he never cared for her, he did. He cared for her in the way he cared for Azula now, once. A long time ago.

"I know," she retorted. "It's not your fault. This is life." She shrugged as he gave her a final hug.

The next morning, Sokka woke up to see only Toph and Aang still asleep. Those two were up pretty late, and he wouldn't be surprised if they only got back recently from whatever they were doing. He rummaged through Aang's personal things looking for his shaving cream, when he felt a piece of paper. Against his better judgement, he read it. He was not pleased.

Hahn

and Azula were getting married?!

Enough fooling around, enough waiting around. He's lost too much time as it was. He had to be serious. He was going to fight for Azula whether she liked it or not. He was going to win her back. The entire situation with Suki, and now Hahn made Sokka realize that if he wanted something, he would have to do something about it.

"Good morning!" Katara sang. The two young ones woke up to Katara's voice, to their annoyance. Katara looked at her brother, "Sokka! What are you doing?"

"What are you all doing keeping this from me!?" he held up the paper from the Northern Water Tribe. "Hahn has asked Azula to marry him?!"

"You should have burned that Twinkle Toes," Toph told her friend.

"Is Azula crazy?! She can't marry him!" Sokka began his tirade. "I have to stop her!"

"Or maybe you should have given it to him sooner," Katara muttered. Finally her brother grew a brain and realized what he wanted.

Aang jumped up and looked through his things. "Sokka it's not what you think. I got a letter from Iroh recently, saying Azula rejected. See?"

Sokka read it and sighed in relief. "Anyways we're going back to the Fire Nation today. Where's Tai Shan?"

"What do you mean?" Katara said. "He was sleeping here when I left."

"He didn't go with you?" Sokka asked. "Where is he?"

"Calm down," Toph tried to settle the urgency and frantic in the room. "Maybe he's playing outside."

"No, I didn't seem him out there with them," Katara explained. Sokka was going out of his mind.

"We're going to search the whole village," he told them.

Aang saw another piece of paper by Sokka's bedsack. "What's that?"

Sokka looked over to where the Avatar pointed and quickly knew that that wasn't there when he went to sleep last night. He picked up the parchment and horror gripped his heart.

If you want to know more about Prince Tai Shan's whereabouts, return to the Fire Palace immediately and wait for further instructions.

Sokka cursed mentally before breaking down in sobs.

A/N: I'm having a hard time with the next chapter, so if it takes awhile to update I apologize in advance. For those who need Sokkla, I am working on the Sokkla100 theme and it's up on this site titled "Seasons of Love." You can check it out in my profile. Anyways please review!