Please read author's note at the end of this chapter please.

Epilogue:

-Zuko-

If someone had told me five years ago that I would fall in love with a water bender I would have laughed in their face and said that they were a lunatic. Who would have known how my life would turn out the way it did. I became friends with the Avatar and his friends (though it took a little convincing with them to prove I was on their side) and we were able to end the hundred year war on the Day of Black Sun; since Azula couldn't give the Fire Nation a heads up. Aang was able to defeat my fath – Ozai by taking his bending away from him. Then I became the Fire Lord and we all celebrated the end at my Uncle's new teashop, the Jasmine Dragon.

After the war ended Aang had to travel the world in order to keep balance and the newly established peace we had all fought for. Ty lee joined a group called the Kyoshi Warriors and Mai went back to Omashu to talk with her parents. Toph and Sokka left to talk with her family to see if they would finally understand her. Uncle visits every now and then when he has the time. And Katara stayed with me in the Fire Nation after she had gone home for a month so she could visit her family again and spend some time with her father. She helped me manage things and would spend time with me just enjoying the peacefulness of my mother's garden while feeding the turtle – ducks.

Katara had eventually told the truth to her friends and family about her first few months alone after getting amnesia. They were horrified, but they were all there for her regardless. Her wrists were practically healed now. The only indication that there ever was any rope burns were a thin outline from where they had been. She got to the point that she became more comfortable and didn't always wear her gloves except for when we were sparring against each other for fun; though she continues to wear the bracelet I made for her. And everyday my love for her just grew. A few months after her sixteenth birthday I proposed to her with a betrothal necklace almost like her mother's necklace. The color of the stone and ribbon were the same but this one had the Fire Nation and Water Tribe insignia carved on it to represent both of our nations. She jumped into my arms and kissed me before saying yes over and over.

We were married on a summer day. Uncle came back from Ba Sing Se with Toph and Sokka following shortly behind him. At first Sokka had not been all too thrilled, but that was only because he wasn't ready to say goodbye to his little sister. Toph congratulated me and proceeded to punch me in the arm. It was amazing how much she acted like the little sister I wished I had. I also found out from her that Sokka had finally proposed to her and had carved her a necklace using the Earth Kingdom insignia. They still had to wait a couple of years to get married when they told me, but they didn't care. Then Aang arrived and following behind him was the one person I didn't think I would ever see again.

My mother.

Ursa walked up to me and told me how my fiancée had asked Aang for a favor and had been looking for her ever since our engagement. She had barely changed except for a few visible gray hairs in her dark brown hair. She was dressed in a red and gold dress nice enough for a wedding. Once everything was explained I hugged her tightly and yes, I will admit, I did shed some tears which my mother promptly wiped away.

Once everyone was dressed in their formal robes I was standing on the top of the steps waiting for Katara. She soon walked out with her arm tucked securely around Hakoda's. She had half of her wavy, chocolate brown hair pulled up into a bun with the rest of her hair falling down her back in soft waves. She was wearing a traditional kimono, only in the blues and whites to show her Water Tribe heritage. Hakoda placed her hand in mine once they finished their walk down the aisle. The fire sage married us and placed the Fire Lady's crown in Katara's hair.

When it came time for us to have our first dance as husband and wife I kept her close as I whispered, "Thank you for finding my mother."

She only smiled. "You did so much for me and I wanted to be able to do something for you." I kissed her sweetly as my way of saying thank you.

A few months after the wedding Katara informed me that she was pregnant with our first child. I was so excited that I picked her up and spun her around not caring if anyone came in to find us. Uncle and our friends came back with Katara's father and grandmother when she was nearing the end of her pregnancy. My mother stayed at the palace after the wedding so she was able to help Katara throughout her pregnancy.

On a fall evening Katara gave birth to our baby girl. Katara was tired afterwards, but she was smiling the whole time as soon as I saw her when I entered the room (I had not been allowed in the room so all I could do was pace in the hallway and cringe every time Katara screamed in pain. Sokka practically had to keep me from rushing in each time until I finally heard the cry of our newborn baby). "We have a daughter Zuko" she breathed.

Sitting down on the bed beside her I gently took our daughter who had been wrapped up in a soft, almost pink colored blanket. She didn't have much hair at the time so it was too early to tell what color it would be yet. Her skin tone was the same as mine and her facial features were mostly the same as mine; she definitely had my nose. When she finally opened her eyes I saw they were the same color blue as her mother's. I felt tears trickle down my eyes but Katara just wiped them away. One look at our daughter and we immediately knew what name we would give her.

Kya.

We had already decided that before our daughter was born in order to have Katara's mother's name live on. After Kya's birth Katara's family along with our friends would try to visit as much as they could and Ursa would always be willing to help us.

Watching Kya grow up and do something new was the highlight of my day after going to countless meetings and looking over or signing different papers. Katara always helps as well.

By now I am twenty one years old and Katara is nineteen. Kya's first birthday is two months away; we didn't know if she was a bender or not yet because it was still too early to tell. It was a late summer night and the rain clouds were slowly rolling in. Kya was already in her crib when the rain started to come down lightly. Katara and I had fallen asleep to the sound of the rain that had started to fall down heavily; it didn't bother us. Katara's hair was splayed along her pillow. My chin rested on her shoulder with my right arm wrapped protectively around her and my left hand holding hers that was laid gently on her swollen belly.

Katara was five months pregnant with our second child. She was positive that our next child was going to be a boy and we already had a name picked out. While we had still been dating I told her the story of my cousin Lu ten and how we used to play together all the time before he went to fight in the war with Uncle. So after that the name had always stuck with her and she told me that she wanted to name our son after my cousin.

It must have been around midnight when the rain started to pick up and the first clash of thunder was heard. The crash was loud enough to startle us both awake and we both heard Kya cry out in fear and continued crying.

"I'll go get her" Katara offered as she began to pull the covers off so she could stand up.

"No, I can take care of her" I told her as I began to sit up and pulled on my night robe.

"Zuko-" she started to protest but I cut her off with a kiss on the lips.

"No, I want you to go back to sleep."

Katara hmphed, crossing her arms over her chest, but nodded her head. "Fine." I smiled and kissed her forehead before standing up to walk to the door. "I'm guessing if you're not back in the morning you fell asleep in the rocking chair…again." I turned back around to see my loving wife smiling before she childishly stuck her tongue out at me.

"Like you haven't" I countered right back at her. I smiled and I could see the smile reach her ocean blue eyes. "Goodnight Katara. I love you."

"I love you too" she sighed before she rested her head back on her pillow and seemed to fall back asleep instantly.

I walked out the door, lighting a flame in my hand, and went to Kya's room that was right next to ours. When I entered she was standing up holding on to the rail of the crib with tears continuously streaming down her cheeks. Her chocolate brown curly/wavy hair– which now reached her shoulders – bounced a little each time she hiccupped from her tears. I lit a lamp nearby before I put out the flame in my hand before I walked over to her.

"Shh, everything's fine Kya. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you" I hushed her as I picked her up and rocked her gently as I kept her close to my chest. She calmed down and I felt her rest her little hand against my neck. "There that's better."

Thunder crashed again –but not as loudly as before – which made Kya raise her head up and she pouted the same way that Katara did whenever she was upset. "I know the thunder is loud, but it can't hurt you. You're perfectly safe." She seemed to calm down some more so I went over to the rocking chair that Hakoda had made for us months before Kya was born. I sat down and rocked her back and forth to try and coax her to go back to sleep. I stroked her forehead and the sides of her face just liked I did to calm her mother down five years ago after her nightmare. Kya's eyes started to droop close but she tried her hardest to keep them open. I think she's a mixture of Katara and me when it comes to being stubborn. "Close your eyes, you're safe" I whispered.

Then I felt her little hand clutch the neckline of my robe in her tiny fist. "Da…Da…" she sighed.

My heart stopped.

My daughter's very first word and she had never spoken once yet no matter how much Katara and I encouraged her to try. My mother told me that she was probably taking after me because I used to be just as quiet until I was a little over a year old. Then she says Dada while she is falling asleep; go figure. I watched her sleep a little longer as the amount of rain started to lessen; she reminded me so much of Katara whenever she looked this peaceful. I felt a smile spread across my face and one small tear of joy slide down my scarred cheek before I wiped it away. Unconsciously I held her closer to my chest as I whispered to her, "I love you Kya and I'll never stop loving you no matter how old you get or if you ever get into trouble and make mistakes. I'll always be your father and I promise that I'll never hurt you. I'll do all that I can to make sure no one ever does. And I promise, no matter how much things change, I'll always hold on to you. Just like I promised your mother."

In her sleep Kya smiled and burrowed her head farther into my chest and her fist tighten on my robe. I smiled again and rested my head against the back of the rocking chair. And just as Katara predicted I fell asleep in the chair holding my daughter thinking about just how much my life had changed for the better. All because I had lost my temper one night and went for a walk in the woods. And I wouldn't let them go for anything in the world.

So this is the end of this story. I hope you have enjoyed it all and thank you to everyone for sticking with me for so long as I finished this story. Now I know some of you have asked about a sequel and I will say that I will try to come up with a sequel, but it won't be posted for a while because I need to sort out some ideas. I am also working on other stories as I am writing this so please don't be upset if a sequel is not posted right away. I will be posting a new story, but not until around mid-May; chaotic schedule right now. And I do have one more question for you guys, since you mentioned wanting a sequel I am curious...would you guys also like a prequel of this story (from Katara's point of view that deals with her time she hit her head and before she met Zuko the way she did in Ch. 2)? Please let me know and please review. Again thanks for sticking with me until the end of this story. Until next time.