Author's Notes: This was so much fun to write, I can't even begin to explain. :D Babies are fun. I had the hardest time writing Mayyali, though. I have no idea how to speak like a baby, so I used my niece Adria as a guide (even though she's three). Using 'she' for 'her' was the most painful, though, I think.

Oh, and just as a warning: total Kataang ahead.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! And review!

Alisa

Just Him and Her

Secret

When asked how old she is, Mayyali would proudly hold out two chubby fingers and pronounce with a toothy grin, "Two!"

She was bright for her age, walking around unsteadily and talking—mostly gibberish, but with plenty of real words as well—to whoever would listen. With dark skin, a head of unruly brunette hair, and surprisingly gray eyes, she was a beautiful combination of her eager, young parents.

Today, however, Mayyali didn't have her loving father and mother to dote on her. The parents who were raising her so carefully were taking a well-deserved day off, leaving their precious daughter with who would hopefully be worthy baby-sitters—Uncle Sokki and Auntie Toph.

Katara had been hesitant to leave her one and only daughter with her forgetful, clumsy brother and his new wife, but when the sweet, responsible neighbor girl who usually watched Mayyali came down with a cold, Katara knew she had no choice. Aang reassured her that Sokka and Toph would do a fine job—but just in case, he had asked the kindly old lady across the street to keep an eye out for any sort of trouble. And Momo would be there.

They left, Katara not quite as comforted as she would have liked to be.

The morning passed without incident, however. Many games of Peek-a-Boo were played, much food was thrown during lunch, and Uncle Sokki was made the daddy of many dolls, to Auntie Toph's amusement. After lunch was naptime, and with the help of several of Uncle Sokki's stories about boomerangs, Mayyali fell asleep with hardly any fuss, a strange occurrence within itself.

The effect of boomerang stories must not last very long, however, because Mayyali woke up no more than half an hour later, rubbing her eyes and yawning. It was dark in her room, just like it always was for naptime, and Momo was curled around her head. Mayyali kicked back her blankets and slid off of her low mattress on her tummy before waddling over to the sliding door. It opened easily for her, a skill perfected over the past month. She rubbed her tousled hair as she stumbled down the hallway in search of Uncle Sokki and Auntie Toph.

They weren't in the kitchen, however, or in the living room, or the dining room. Tears welled up in Mayyali's eyes as she wobbled her way to the last room she could think of looking in.

As the door to her parents' room slid open, Mayyali's tears quickly dried. There was Uncle Sokki, and Auntie Toph! She immediately began scolding them in her own baby language for hiding on her, and huffed in annoyance when she realized they weren't listening. Mayyali wasn't quite sure what they were doing, except that it looked an awful lot like how Daddy would kiss Mommy sometimes.

Mayyali balled her hands into fists and called her family's names in a frustrated voice. "Unca Sokki! Auntie Top!"

They were as ignorant as ever, though, and Mayyali was getting upset; she hated being ignored. Screwing her eyes shut, she gave a screech and began to cry.

There was the sound of lips detaching from lips, body hitting ground, and a few muffled words that Mayyali easily covered with another scream.

"Aw, shhh, Mayyali, don't cry!" Uncle Sokki said quickly, gathering up his niece in his arms and attempting to sooth her. "Uncle Sokka's got you, don't cry."

Mayyali bawled louder.

Auntie Toph rolled off of the bed and pulled her tunic on in one smooth motion, then adjusted the shirt she was wearing underneath the tunic. Holding her arms out to Mayyali, she said, "C'mere, May-May, come by Aunt Toph."

The little girl eagerly accepted her aunt's offer and clambered into her arms. Auntie Toph sat down on the bed behind her with a small puff of air that blew Mayyali's bangs and settled the child in her lap. Uncle Sokki squished next to them and the toddler sniffled.

"What's a matter, May?" asked Auntie Toph, brushing dark hair from Mayyali's forehead. "Did you get scared?"

Mayyali opened her mouth and gibberish poured out, most of which ended with "Unca Sokki."

"Ooh, was Uncle Sokki ignoring you?" asked Auntie Toph ("I was not!"), to which Mayyali nodded. Her lower lip trembled and a few tears leaked down her face.

"Hush, May, don't cry," Auntie Toph said, then quickly added, "Hey, how 'bout I tell you a secret?"

Mayyali sniffled and nodded.

"Good." Auntie Toph leaned in and whispered something in the little girl's ear. When she pulled back, the woman smiled and said, "Isn't that a funny secret?"

Mayyali clapped and said, "Yeah, yeah!"

"What is it?" asked Uncle Sokki curiously.

"Should we tell him, May-May?" asked Auntie Toph. "Should we tell Uncle Sokka the secret?"

"Um… yes!" decided the girl.

"You tell Uncle Sokka, then, May-May," urged Auntie Toph.

Mayyali squinted her eyes in concentration. "Auntie Top has baby in she tummy!"

Uncle Sokki blinked and said very slowly, "What?"

"Auntie Top has a baby in tummy!" Mayyali repeated loudly, putting a tiny fist to Auntie Toph's stomach.

Uncle Sokki turned to Auntie Toph with wide eyes. "Are you—is she—did you…" He blinked at her incomprehensibly for a moment, then said, "Really?"

Auntie Toph grinned, almost shyly, and nodded. "Yeah."

"So… we're gonna have a—a…" Uncle Sokki made an odd gulping sound before whispering, "a baby?"

"In she tummy!" Mayyali shrieked.

Auntie Toph nodded and hugged her niece closer. "You and me, Sokka—we're having a baby."

Suddenly Uncle Sokki leaned over and gave Auntie Toph one of those funny kisses again. Mayyali squirmed out of her aunt's arms and ran into the living room as fast as her chubby legs could take her.

"In she tummy!" she shrieked again.

"Mayyali!" Katara closed the sliding door behind her and picked up her daughter, spinning her around. "What's in her tummy, honey?"

"Baby! Mommy, Auntie Top has baby in she tummy!" Mayyali cried, pointing to her own tummy.

Katara laughed and kissed her daughter's forehead fondly. "Where did you ever hear something like that, Mayyali?" she asked with a laugh.

"From me," said Auntie Toph, walking into the room. Katara stared, and Toph shot her a breezy smile.

"Wait. You're pregnant?" said a shocked Aang, dropping the market bags he had been carrying. Fruit rolled everywhere as he asked, "You're pregnant, right?"

Suddenly Katara squealed and shoved her daughter into her husband's empty arms. "Oh great spirits, you're pregnant! You're having a baby!" She pulled Toph into her arms and did a sort of dance.

"But" —she pulled back to ask— "where's Sokka?"

The younger woman smirked. "Passed out on your bed, I think."

Aang laughed and set his daughter down. Mayyali immediately ran for her parents' room, all the while shrieking, "Baby in Auntie Top's tummy! Baby in she tummy!"

Toph smiled. Sometimes it was good to be part of a family that couldn't keep a secret even if they tried.

FIN.