Kagome hummed lightly to herself as she ran her fingers through Zuko's shaggy and untamed hair. After her small chat with her husband she had decided to rest. Iroh had offered her his bedding but she had politely refused, she had to many emotions raging within her to rest fully, and had opted instead to sit down on Zuko's bedding and place his head in her lap. How she had missed him.

She gazed lovingly down at him her eyes darkening as she took in the horrid scar that covered his face. She should have protected him, Kami, she should have fought harder to get to him in time. The spirits knew she had fought but not hard enough and he paid for her weakness.

"You tired your best love, stop beating yourself up over it." Kagome didn't bother looking up to meet the dark gaze of her husband as he sat across from her on his own bedding the light from the small fire in the middle of the tent being the only source of light.

"I didn't try hard enough…I was too weak. I should have protected him! Just like I should have protected our son." Her voice was thick with emotion but she pushed it down as she felt Zuko begin to stir.

Zuko sighed in contentment a soft humming ringing in his ears as a pair of soft delicate hands caressed his face. He relaxed fully as he woke up yet refused to open his eyes. How long had it been since he had been this relaxed? With blurry vision he resigned himself to opening his eyes and facing the harsh gaze of reality. He blinked when a blurry face came into focus and could not have stopped the words from leaving his mouth even if he wanted to. "Mother?" His voice was quiet and light reminding Kagome of the young boy she had once loved and taken care of.

"No honey, it's me Kagome. I don't know if you remember me but I used to watch over you when you were younger." Her voice was soft as she let her hand rest on his face for a few more seconds then pulled it away as his face lost its childlike innocence and became the hard pensive face of a teenager forced to become a man.

Zuko frowned as he sat up and put some distance between himself and this strange new woman. He quickly sought out his uncle and gave him a levered stare. His uncle merely gave him a small sad smile. He furrowed his eyebrows at that look but turned his attention back to the woman, Kagome, who claimed to have known him as a child. "I am sorry but my past…my childhood it is a blur. I do not remember you…or much of it"

Kagome smiled sadly but nodded, it was common for children who had horrid childhoods to subconsciously block out bad memories from their past. Sadly Zuko had many so she had no doubt his childhood memory was filled with dozen of holes. "It is fine. Are you well? You fainted after I took a rather hard spill into you."

Zuko blinked as the hazy memories came to mind and nodded. "I'm fine. You?"

Kagome smiled. "I'm better than I have been in years."

Zuko nodded knowing there was more meaning behind those words but for the moment he ignored it and turned to his uncle. "Uncle are you well?"

Iroh smiled and nodded as he got up and poured a few glasses of tea in preparation of what was to come. "I am fine prince Zuko. Here have some tea there is a lot we must discuss."

Zuko sighed but took the offered glass and sipped at it knowing his uncle would have a fit if he didn't. He shifted a bit uncomfortable as his uncle gave Kagome her cup of tea and took a seat across from him.

"Zuko…before we start this long but needed conversation I want you to know and understand that ever since my own son was taken from me I have viewed you as my own. You are, in my eyes, my son and I love you." He paused to let his words sink in and once he thought that they had he let his illusion drop.

Kagome watched as her husband let his illusion drop and smiled lightly, despite the mood of the small tent, and watched as Zuko's eyes bugged out from his head and he spit out his tea in shock.

"Wha-what? Uncle! You-how?" Iroh smiled amused by his nephews reaction and held up his hand to stop Zuko's shocked ranting.

"Calm yourself prince Zuko and I will explain everything." With that he delved into the history that was his life and the tragedy that was their shared past. He did leave out a lot knowing Kagome would want to fill in the gaps and mainly focused on how he had spared the dragons, been chosen by them to be their vessel and his close relationship with the spirits.

"You see I only hid this from you out of concern for your well being. I want you to understand that. Now, my tale has been spun it is time for you to listen to Kagome's. You will respect her by listening to her story without interruption."

Zuko merely nodded his mind on over drive from what he had learned so far and turned to face the small young woman next to him.

Kagome gave him a small loving smile knowing what she was going to tell him would shake the very foundation of his beliefs.

"Zuko, my Zuko, what I am about to tell you is not meant to hurt or confuse you but I know it will anyway and for that I apologize." She took a deep breath to steady herself and then began.

"I have known your father and uncle sine our childhood days. I am, as I'm sure you might have guessed, the fire priestess. I have been kept captive by your father every since he has taken over the fire kingdom. I am also your aunt. I married your uncle in secrecy, I'm sure you know of the scandal."

Zuko nodded having heard rumors of the scandal involving his uncle the fire priestess and their son but never had the courage to confirm them. "Yes, I know the gist of it."

Kagome nodded at him and continued. "Well it's true. I married your uncle behind the backs of the fire sages and the fire lord. I bore him a son and we lived happily for a while even at the cost of my titles and your fathers anger. For you see your father has been in love with me since we were but children. My marriage to your uncle only cemented his jealously and hate of your uncle and the very next month he began his plans to over throw your uncle."

Zuko nodded sipping at his tea out of nervousness.

"Well many years later your father was married to your mother and you were conceived. I know what I am about to tell you will hurt and confused you beyond measure but I want you to know that on my word and honor it is the truth."

Kagome paused to gather her courage. "During your birthing your mother passed away.-"

Zuko's enraged cry cut her off. "Lies! You-" He was cut off by his uncles loud voice.

"Zuko! Silence yourself. I assure you my nephew what she speaks is the truth. Your mother did pass away in child birth and your father was going to leave you to be raised by maids but Kagome stepped up to raise you herself. It was ordered by your father that it all be kept a secret because he did not want the rumors to spread even more then they had."

Zuko shook his head in disbelief. "But I remember my mother…I remember her!"

Kagome sighed softly and reached out a small pale hand to lightly touch his knee. "Zuko…back then I was proud be known to you as your mother. But…things happened…your father he grew leery of my attachment to you and in an attempt to punish me for blaming him for my own sons death he ripped me away from you. I didn't want to leave you, I didn't! I fought so hard to stay with you but in the end I was too weak…I was too weak." Tears welled in her eyes as she looked down in shame.

An awkward silence fell over the small tent each individual lost in their own thoughts. It was Kami knows how long later that Zuko spoke up his voice soft and cautious. "I…remember…I remember now. You were my mother…you took care of me…you loved me…then one day you just disappeared. I was so worried…"

Kagome let her tears fall. "I know…I'm so sorry Zuko. I was too weak I had to watch as your father hurt you again and again. It's all my fault…" She trialed off no longer trusting herself to speak and bit her lip to hold back her sobs.

Iroh sighed as he watched his wife cry over something she had no control over and turned his gaze to his nephew. Zuko was unusually quiet, his face was pale and he had a light sheen of sweat on his brow. It was understandable his whole life had just been turned upside down. Memories he thought were real were now proven fake and only half truths. He didn't know what to expect from his nephew for the boy was a very emotional and often times unpredictable young man.

"I…it's not your fault. Everything that I have gone through has made me who I am today so please stop your crying. It bothers me." Zuko wasn't even looking at her as he spoke his words soft and his tone light. He truly didn't know what to think anymore and he wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep and lose himself in his dreams. Yet he knew that he could not, he had never run from his problems before and he was not going to start now.

He knew his uncle well enough to know that he would never lie or joke about something as serious as this and had no choice but to accept this woman's words…his mothers words. He closed his eyes to fight back the tears that wanted to break free. Years of repressed emotions and memories surging forth and with a small cry her launched himself at Kagome and buried his head in her lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist in an iron grip. His body shaking with sobs. "I missed you mother!"

Kagome wrapped her arms around him and hugged to him her. "I missed you to my son I'm so sorry." Her voice was layered with pure emotion as her tears joined his own.

Iroh watched the touching scene of a mother and son reunited and felt his eyes water. Yet he said and did nothing, it was not his place to do so, even just sitting here watching the events unfold he felt as if he was intruding on something private.

Mother and son held each other for Kami knows how long crying and letting go of years of repressed emotions. By the time they had stopped sobbing and their tears had become nothing more than sniffles Kagome was once again running her fingers through Zuko's hair as she hummed a tune from his childhood.

Zuko sighed finally getting a hold of his raging emotions and merely laid there letting his memories of his childhood and his mother wash over him. It felt so nice to once again be in her arms and he did not want to break the moment nor did he want to let her go for fear that she would once again disappear. "You won't leave me ever again right?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, never I promise." Her voice was thick with her conviction and she vowed right then and there she would never lose another son again. She would stay by his side and protect him like she should have done all those years ago. "I promise."

Omake

Putting two and two together

Zukop blinked as he put two and two together in his head and quickly sat up a weird but hopeful grin on his face. "So that means Azula isn't my real sister? I knew I could never be related to someone as crazy as her! I knew it!" He looked and sounded like a little boy who had just been told her was getting a new puppy.

Iroh and Kagome exchanged amused yet guilty looks, neither wanting to pop his bubble. He was related to Azula, she was his half sister…

Iroh sighed as his wife shot him the puppy dog eyes and nodded. She always left it up to him to do the dirty work. "Um prince Zuko she is still your half sister…so you two are in fact related." He mentally winced as Zuko's happy mood deflated and shook his head.

Zuko whimpered and buried his head in Kagome's lap. "Noooo I thought I was finally free of having to claim her! Damn you uncle!"

Kagome held back her giggle as her husband pouted at Zuko's words and shot him a small smile while mouthing 'sorry.'. She was but hey when it came to playing good cop bad cop she was always the good cop. She was after all the mother and he the father. It was sexist but true, moms just got away with being the good guy and dad had to be the bad guy.