Here's the newest chapter…a bit short, and nothing really big happens, but…Enjoy! Oh, and sorry for taking so long; my computer wouldn't post the chapter, and then my interweb got messy...

Chapter Two: The Waterbender and the Stone

Katara took a deep breath and then entered the large tent. Though she had come to the Fire Nation camp just moments before, she had been directed almost immediately to Iroh. And though she wished she had had more time, Katara found that the short waiting time calmed her nerves a bit.

"Ah, Miss Katara. Please, sit. Have some ginseng tea."

Katara smiled graciously as the old general ushered her inside, already offering her a steaming cup of tea. "Thank you," she murmured, sinking onto a nearby cushion.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, just sipping their tea. And then Iroh looked up. "You must be wondering what I've called you here for, especially since it appears my Nephew has already found you."

She nodded. "Just a bit."

Iroh brought his cup to his lips and smiled into his tea. Katara sounded nervous, and just a bit angry, but not bitter. That was a good sign. When he placed his tea back on the table, Iroh began.

"I recently attended a meeting with several representatives from the other nations," he said, his calm, slow voice soothing Katara's nerves. "It was decided that Zuko was to be married."

Suddenly, Katara's calm was shattered. Married? Zuko was getting married? The waterbender tried to calm down, knowing she might affect the ice around her, but the world was beginning to spin. "He came back to tell me he's getting married? She felt cold. All too cold.

Numb, Katara looked down into her tea. "Whom is he marrying?" she asked quietly. And how does it involve me? Am I being informed because the Water Tribes still think highly of me?

At the sound of distress in Katara's voice, Iroh glanced at her. "She is a great waterbender, loved by friends and nations alike."

A roaring began in Katara's head. "Oh," she whispered. "Then I wish them the best of happiness in their years to come." And with that, she rose and turned to leave. She made it all the way to the entrance before a soldier stuck his head into the tent.

"Uncle Iroh, shall we escort the young lady back?"

Even though she still felt chill, Katara couldn't help but smile. It seemed Iroh had finally succeeded in making the whole world address him informally.

Behind her, Iroh shook his head. "No. I still have not discussed everything with her."

"Ah." The soldier left.

"Miss Katara, please, there is more to tell."

Sighing, knowing she should leave, Katara turned and seated herself once more. "What is it?" she asked quietly.

Iroh was barely able to hold back his smile. But he managed. "Well, it's about the waterbender…"

"Tell me about them," Zuko said after a time.

Ren looked up, startled. "The children?" Zuko nodded and she smiled. "Well, to begin, the two are hardly ever found apart. Only when Momo is around does Mitsuko run off without Sunil."

"They're twins?"

"Yes, but as different as night and day, though there's never been two siblings who love each other more." A frown appeared on Ren's smooth face as she looked down at the little girl in her arms. "But Mitsuko doesn't talk to anyone except her brother. Sunil does most of the talking for her, but I can tell Katara is concerned about Mitsuko. Still, whenever someone asks about it, Katara just says that Mitsuko will speak when she finds someone as warm and bright as her."

Zuko frowned, too, and glanced towards the sleeping girl. He wondered what was wrong with her. He sighed. It didn't matter, though. Obviously Katara was content to keep him out of their lives.

Suddenly, he wondered why his uncle had never mentioned that Katara had children. Iroh might not have known, but it was more probable that he had known all along. Which meant that Iroh had meant for Zuko to choose Katara to marry. Which meant he had to have known where Katara was before he and the other nation representatives had come up with their little idea.

"Stop with the conspiracy theories, already," hissed a voice in the back of his mind. "Uncle isn't that devious."

Then again, maybe he was. When it came to Zuko's happiness, Iroh knew few bounds. It had only been a matter of time, really, before the old general took things into his own hands…especially if he thought things weren't moving fast enough.

Suddenly, the little girl woke up and jumped from Ren's lap. With a happy smile, she ran over to her brother and sat down expectantly. It was only a moment before Sunil woke, his eyes fluttering open to reveal deep blue pools. He looked at his sister and smiled.

"Hi!" he exclaimed, getting up. Though the two were twins, Sunil was just a bit taller than his sister. "You waited for me Mii-chan?"

Mitsuko nodded and took her brother's hand. She smiled and led him over to Zuko.

Sunil looked at her. "Who's this?"

"This is Fire Lord Zuko," Ren answered behind the two. "He's come here to talk to your mother."

Sunil frowned and looked back at Ren. "But where's Mama?"

This time, it was Zuko who answered, his hesitant voice filling the ice hut. "My Uncle wanted to talk to her, and he always gets to do what he wants."

Mitsuko giggled and Sunil smiled. "Okay." His pale face suddenly fell. "We were worried 'cause sometimes Mama likes to wander around. Last time she was gone a long while." He brightened. "But we found her. She was just in her special pool, looking at her pretty rock."

"Pretty rock?" Zuko echoed, frowning.

"Yep. It's—"

Ren put a hand on his shoulder. "Sunil, maybe you and your sister would like to go play outside for a while. It is a nice day, after all."

"Okay." Sunil took hold of Mitsuko's hand and the two raced outside, giggling and laughing.

Zuko turned back to Ren, his face showing his confusion. "What--"

"You must excuse me," Ren interrupted, standing up. "But I should watch them." She offered an apologetic smile. "They get into so much trouble when they're together."

Before Zuko could ask her about the stone...and her abrupt nature, Ren was gone, leaving Zuko alone in the ice hut. He sighed and followed. There was no reason for him to stay there. He needed to get back to his Uncle.

As he walked towards the camp, Zuko's mind began to race. How could Katara disappear like she did, especially when she was pregnant? And why had she spent the last four years in almost total seclusion? She was acting silly…or afraid. But what could she be afraid of? More importantly, what had happened to make her want to hide?

"Well, it's about the waterbender…"

Katara picked up her tea once more, trying to look nonchalant. She didn't want to appear as nervous as she felt, not by any means. When Iroh paused, she gave a slight frown and encouraged him to go on. "Yes?"

"That waterbender is…you."

Katara gasped and the teacup slipped from her hand, shattering on the ice beneath her. The tea spilled from the broken shards, spreading across the pristine blue-white of the ice. The world closed in on Katara and soon everything went black.

Iroh sighed as Katara fainted. This was not going to be so easy as he thought.

Did you like it? Sort of short, I know. And there are still lots of things to be explained. Like why Katara ran, especially when she could have just stayed with Zuko and be happy. Don't worry, though…all will be revealed. Please review!

A special thank-you to all those who reviewed…and voiced their questions about some holes in the story!