Disclaimer: I don't own 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'
Two weeks later, the whole Gang, which now included Mai and Ty Lee, was at the Fire Nation Palace. Zuko had a meeting with his high generals and high admirals before going on leave for a week for their 3rd annual celebration for the end of the war. And Instead of waiting for him at Ember Island, the whole gang decided to wait for Zuko and head to Ember Island together.
Zuko met them when they landed.
"Good! You guys are here" came Zuko's relieved voice, he looked as if he hadn't slept at all last night.
He accepted a hug from Ty Lee, Katara and Suki, shared nod at Aang and Sokka and received a punch on the arm from Toph.
"Look, Mai has the cold and isn't feeling all that well" He sighed angrily and rolled his eyes, "but you know how stubborn she is, she wouldn't even take the soup I made her last night, and she refuses to admit she's sick and see to the palace physician…. She threw one of her knives at him and I think she's traumatized him for life!!"
He looked imploringly at the women around him, who were all looking at him with amused smiles on their faces. Same old, dramatic Zuko.
"Don't worry sparky! We're right on it", without further ado, Toph went up the palace. Ty Lee shrugged and did a series of flips up the steps. Suki and katara followed the two girls.
Zuko faces the other men and said "So, since you're ladies aren't here, you're going with me to the meeting"
"What?! Why?! We're your guest!!" Came Sokka's reply
"You're not a guest! You're my friend, you guys have a room here and everything, that doesn't make you a guest" Zuko dragged Sokka and Aang by their arms "besides if have to go through another boring meeting, might as well have someone as bored as I am"
An hour into the meeting, Aang was shifting uncomfortably in his seat and was generally impatient to leave the war room. Even after three years, his ability to sit still was virtually nonexistent.
Sokka who was sitting on the other side of the Firelord on elevated platforms, was fighting to stay awake and actually listen to the meeting. He watched Zuko from the corner of his eyes. He never would have guessed that the boy who was hopeless at apologizing to them at the Western Air Temple was not only great at public speaking but also pretty good at addressing his 'subordinates'.
The Admiral who was speaking stopped abruptly in midsentence as he heard voices and giggling getting louder.
Zuko's attention, as well as everyone else's was directed at the entry way, as five girls noisily and excitedly entered. Aang and Sokka sat up straighter at this.
From his platform, he met his wife's gaze and raised an eyebrow at her. He noticed that she was heading this little scheme as the others were a few feet behind her.
"This is preposterous, this is not a woman's place!" came from an angry general.
Firelord Zuko transferred his gaze from his wife to the offending general, his gaze becoming steely and tone icy, "You dare take that tone to a lady, General? Lady Toph Bei Fong is one of the ladies of the courts at the Earth Kingdom, Suki is the leader of the Kyoshi warriors, Katara is the daughter of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, Lady Ty Lee is one of the ladies of the court here in the firenation, and Firelady Mai is that, she is Firelady, anything you withhold from her you're withholding from me, including you're respect. Aside from their titles, they are exemplary fighters and have aid in the cessation of the war", He paused at glared fully at the offending General "Now, what general gave YOU the idea that they have no place in this meeting?"
The general, slightly white from fear, bowed submissively to the Firelord, "I am sorry for speaking out of turn, my lord. I mean no disrespect. The mistake won't occur again"
Zuko merely nodded at him, and commanded "It better not".
The General gulped audibly.
"He's good…" said Toph
"But not good enough" continued Suki.
Zuko, as well as everyone around him heard the exchange and instead of shooting down Toph and Suki, he gazed back at his wife, his eyes flashed in challenge, a smirk playing at the ends of his lip.
"I see you're feeling better, my lady", his voice polite but his eyes were condescendingly flashed in challenge, "Have you seen the palace physicians or did you allow Master Katara to heal you"
"Katara can't heal me, but Toph did make a diagnosis", Mai smirked as she saw Zuko's concern and she knew it was taking every ounce of control he had to not rush to her side, "Katara's opinion of her diagnosis was the same..I'm pregnant, Zuko".
Zuko, who was about to take the steps fumbled and would have rolled down the steps had it not been for Aang's airbending which caused him to stand back upright on the platform.
"She's not lying", came Aang's voice from his right but he paid it no mind and gazed at his smirking wife, whose eyebrow was raised in challenge and her eyes not masking the joy she was feeling.
Mai saw that Zuko's shocked face slowly turned to one of his goofy smiles, and the next thing she knew Zuko was in front of her, lifting her up in his arms, twirling her around and showering her face with kisses.
Aang and Sokka grinned at each other and took the steps in a more sedate manner towards the couple.
Zuko abruptly stopped turning, and gently lowered Mai, cupping her face and gazing into her eyes "Right, I shouldn't have done that. Are you all right? Do you feel sick, Are you nauseated? Shouldn't you-" .
Mai placed a silencing finger over her husbands mouth, "One question at a time, I am fine and I don't feel sick", Mai said as if talking to a child, "nor do I feel nauseated".
Everyone in the room had smiles on their faces; the fact that it was the thought of fatherhood that could reveal the childish side of the Firelord was amusing to them.
Zuko rolled his eyes at Mai's placating tone and gently took her hand within his. He sighed "you're going to be stubborn aren't you? And why in Agni's name are you on your feet". And without warning, he swept Mai off her feet and into his arms; Mai reflexively wound her arms around his neck.
"You cannot be serious, Zuko!", Mai no longer found it amusing, "pregnant women are allowed to walk around, are you going to be this unbearably annoying?!"
Zuko ignored her and looked directly at his generals and admirals, "You are dismissed, we shall resume in an hour" and without waiting for walked back up to the platform with his wife in his arms.
When the meeting resumed, all Sokka could think was, 'How the hell could he still looked dignified in a meeting, when HE was cradling his sleeping wife in front of him'
A/N: I actually have a Chapter 1 1/2, wherein Mai finds out she's pregnant but i thought that it'd ruin the story; So, I figured that i'd leave it to your imaginations.
