A/N: I'm...not sure how I feel about this chapter. I know how I want this whole thing to end but, well, part of my problem with longer fics is getting to that point. Yeah.

Also sorry this is kind of late, I was sick for about a week and still working cause there's no one really to cover when one person is out in my office and my coworker was already going on vacation. It was super fun.

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Sokka looked out the window and cursed the snow. Usually he didn't mind the snow, he'd grown up in it, learned how to use it to build shelter, played in it. Not right now.

"Why did the storms have to come early?" He complained to no one in particular. Suki, who had been listening to his grievances for the past hour rubbed his back again.

"It isn't that bad," she said, trying to cheer him up.

"We're stuck here for at least a week. Then we have to make sure the balloon will still fly because its currently frozen. Then a few days to get to the Fire Nation then we have to wait until Zuko can come down here and purposely fail tests. Its going to take forever."

Suki mentally calculated that out to maybe two months, if Zuko could leave so soon after coming back. Apparently that was forever but she wasn't going to argue with Sokka right now. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. Maybe your dad could come with us to the Fire Nation, you know, as Chief and Katara's father pronounce him incompetent," she offered.

Sokka's face lit up. "That's a great idea!" He kissed her firmly on the cheek and she smiled. Sometimes she just had to state the almost obvious with him.

Ursa and Iroh were having a late night cup of tea in Iroh's personal sitting room. It was currently past their usual bedtimes but, well, when you are conspiring sleep had to be sacrificed (they'd also both agreed that, as members of the royal family, they were allowed to sleep in sometimes). They'd come to an agreement when Ursa had stormed into Iroh's sitting room when she first arrived demanding to know why in Agni's name she was hearing about her son's wedding by letter. Iroh had explained he'd known as much as her but at least thought it was a good match. Ursa shared his sentiments and they'd decided to give the children a stern talking to (yell at) about the proper ways to inform one's relatives about impending nuptials. After they'd learned of the events behind said wonderful news their plan morphed into 'how to keep the idiot children together so they could get grandchildren.'

"How long do you think it will take Katara to realize she can order the Fire Lady's suite cleaned out sooner than you have planned?" Iroh asked as he sipped his tea (white tea with rose petals and a hint of lychee).

"About a week. She's smart and has it in her to lead but she keeps getting overwhelmed by certain aspects of her new title," Ursa replied.

"You mean when you tease her about her life with Zuko."

Ursa shrugged. "It keeps her distracted and hopefully puts ideas in her head."

"And when do you think Zuko will tell her?"

Ursa chuckled. "He's, well, you know him. He's intelligent about some things and completely oblivious about others. He's probably much more worried about Katara sleeping in his bed than what he could be doing to help her."

Iroh set down his cup and stroked his beard. "There was a time where I would have given anything to have him interested in a girl."

"Thank you for all you did for him," Ursa said sincerely.

"You've thanked me enough, now let's figure out how to make these two realize they're perfect for each other."

"Hmmm, hint to Zuko how nice it is to have Katara here?" Ursa offered.

"You can do that much more subtly than I can."

"Really? I seem to remember you being very good at that."

"With most people yes. Zuko, on the other hand, has come to ignore my attempts but does listen to everything you say."

She sighed. "I'll make him have lunch with me and bring it up. You're going to have to think of something to entice Katara with."

"We can talk about how she's getting along with her mother-in-law," Iroh joked.

Ursa narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure she'll only have wonderful things to say about me."

"She's probably terrified of you." Ursa smiled into her tea.

"Now Toph," Poppy Bei Fong began as she followed her daughter into her room. "I know you've been gone for awhile but, well, I don't know how to begin."

"Spit it out Mom," Toph said as she quickly began removing her clothes to get ready for bed.

"Language Toph," she chided. "What I'm trying to say is, well, now that you're married there are certain aspects of life that you may not-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Toph turned to her mother while holding up her hands. "I already got this talk from Katara while I was traveling with her. She told me all about my changing body and boys. There's nothing really more you can say."

"You see, Toph-"

"No I don't," she quipped.

Poppy cleared her throat. "There are acts between a man and a woman that can be very pleasurable-"

"Mom please don't-"

"You are going to sit down and listen," Poppy told her daughter. "I want you to know what marriage fully entails."

Toph sat down on her bed and tried to not listen to her mother describe, in detail so she wouldn't be surprised by feel alone, what exactly sex was. While trying not to listen she debated the merits of telling her mother she was not, in fact, married.

Instead she opted for the misery loves company option. "Mom you know Aang was raised by monks over a hundred years ago and only received a basic talk from Katara. Maybe you should talk to him too."

Katara jerked awake as pain shot through her leg. Feeling slightly disoriented in the still unfamiliar room it took her a second to remember where she was and to realize who kicked her. She turned, ready to yell at Zuko, when she saw his face contorted in pain and sweat on his brow. Instead of kicking him like she wanted to she gently shook him. "Wake up Zuko," she said, "it's just a bad dream."

Their heads almost collided as he sat up with a start. "Zuko, you're all right, just a nightmare," she said again as he panted. She watched him slowly bring his left hand to his scar and close his eyes.

"Right, bad dream," he murmured before lying back down and turning away from her.

She did kick him then. "Hey, you know the best way to get rid of a bad dream is to talk about it."

He rolled over to look at her. "Who says that?"

"My gran-gran. You remember her, the one you grabbed when you first came to the South Pole."

"Talking isn't going to work," he grumbled.

"How do you know? Besides you're supposed to be able to talk to your wife about anything."

He scoffed. "Who told you that?"

"My dad." She watched Zuko open his mouth to respond before quickly closing it. "Talking could make you feel better," she said in a sing song voice.

He scowled (which didn't look to bad with about a quarter of his face hidden by the pillow). "Fine I was dreaming about how I got my scar. Happy?"

"Do you dream about that often?" She asked softly.

He looked away from her. "Not as much as I used to," he admitted.

"Any other nightmares?"

"Why?"

She shrugged. "So I can be prepared when you wake up from one."

She assumed he wouldn't answer until he spoke. "Sometimes I dream about not getting in front of Azula's lightning or of Uncle's face when I joined her. Sometimes it's dragons fighting over me." Then so softly she almost couldn't hear he admitted "and once there was a giant turtleduck eating me."

"Well there's nothing I can do about that one," she teased, "but the others, well we both know Iroh's proud of you and I'm here." She sank down next to him and gently wrapped her arm around him. "When you feel like talking about it I'll listen."

"Thank you," he said as she moved a little closer. "For now it's nice having you here."

She tried to ignore how that made her feel.

And slight fluff at the end. Reviews are awesome.