'Sokka, please? For me, just... keep it down a notch?' Katara smiled as sweetly and as endearingly as she could towards her big brother.

'I don't know Katara, if I'm being forced to go to some formal Fire dance-'

'-Please don't call it that.'

'-whatever. It's gonna need some good old Water tribe style to you know'

Katara rolled her eye's in annoyance.

Suki merely smiled at the two siblings, giving Katara a slight, sympathetic nudge.

'Where is his Sparky-ness anyways?' Sokka butted in, arms folded tightly across his broad chest.

Two armoured fire guards faltered as they strode passed the group, and Katara huffed in annoyance.

'Sokka. Please?' She shot him a stern look, that didn't particularly need words. Sokka didn't retaliate but simply shrugged.

They may have grown, but they all somehow retained the same old character traits. Sokka was no longer a scrawny teenage boy, he had truly followed into his fathers physique; a tall muscular build, his hair styled back into his traditional wolf tail. His Kioshi warrior wife stood somewhat reluctantly proud at his side. Suki had a somewhat muscular build for a woman, but still had her flawless doll like beauty. They had two sons by now; Hadoka and Oshi. It is traditional for a first born son to be named after his grandfather in water tribe society. As much as Katara loved the two boys, they were complete copies of her brother as a child. The last time they stayed at the palace, they almost ate the place empty and insisted on inventing yet more and creative names for Zuko; including Fire Lord Spark-butt, Sparkles, King Honour of Sparkle Land, and many more- Katara was quite pleased that Gran-gran had kept the boys back home in the south pole this time.

'Fire Lord Zuko,' Katara made a point of pronouncing exceptionally clear, 'Has gone to meet Aang and Toph. Guards around the shoreline reported seeing a flying bison only an hour or so ago, so they should arrive soon.'

'I haven't seen them both for so long!' Suki smiled.

'Yeah, they're too busy now days, you know... young love!' Sokka continued to make a series of smoochie, kissy faces, largely ignored by the two women.

'Well I think it's sweet.' Katara smiled a little unsurely. Suki raised a quizzical eyebrow.

'Are you sure? Not even they littlest bit strange?' she nudged the water master a little more firmly than was perhaps intended, in her upper arms.

'Ow Suki!' Katara half snapped, half smiled at the warrior. 'No, no, I am fine, really.' Katara placed a hand on her slightly grown tummy, unseen to the others. 'I'm really happy with Zuko. Really happy. And I want Aang and Toph to be happy too.'

'Bluegh!' Sokka blurted, 'enough already, we get it. Happy Lord Sparky and the Ice princess, yada yada yada...'

Katara glared. 'Thanks Sokka' she said flatly.

'So, this fire Dance thingy. It's a good job I brought supplies, I don't think you can get these over here.'

'Oh Sokka, please say you didn't...'

The older Water tribes man proceeded to produce pouches of fish smelling substances from his napsack.

'We got seal jerky, Crab sticks, some blubber bites... oh yes! Oyster and clam chowder.' He unscrewed a particularly huge jar of thick, gloopy, slop like liquid. Katara could feel her stomach turning, the smell was caught at the back of her throat and it did not take much to make her feel unwell these days.

'Okay okay, we get, I'll look later.' she blurted, holding back her desire to wretch.

'What's wrong? This is your favourite! Just like Gran-gran makes it!'

'What smells like whale spit up?'

The four span around at that small familiar voice.

'Toph!' Katara beamed.

Katara ran over and knelt down to hug Toph, whose slender, porcelain hands flew tightly around her back.

'It's great to see you princess' Toph smiled.

Two tall fingers came to stand just behind Toph.

'Sparky hey, you had better be looking after my little sis!'

'Hi Sokka' Zuko smirked, 'Suki' he smiled.

'Hi Zuko, it's good to see you again.'

Katara stood straight again and sighed a big smiled at the last figure to be announced.

'Good evening Avatar Aang.' She grinned.

Aang had really grown up in the last few years, he no loner looked like the little boy he once was, albeit a one hundred and something year old little boy. He was almost matching Zuko for height and although he still had his more slender frame, Katara could see all the earth training with Toph was starting to really take effect.

Toph also had shot up, although still the smallest of the group. She had grown into a young woman, and no one could not notice that the tiny tom boy was certainly more womanly. Her jet black hair still hung characteristically in front of her misted pale eyes that stared off to some middle distance.

'It's great to see you Katara, Zuko has been telling about the progress of the intergrated healing schools, it sounds fanastic.'

Always about work- Katara smiled.

Toph's face looked puzzled. She pressed her feet flatter to the ground.

'Aang, Sparky, Snoozles, Suki, Princess...'

'What's wrong Toph?' Zuko queried, glancing nervously to Katara.

'No body panic, but there's someone else here.'

'Well yer Toph, lot's of people,' Katara looked just as confused. 'Guards, maids, Zuko's council, they're all around here somewhere.'

Zuko glanced at Katara's nervous hand resting upon her stomach and realised. He smirked knowingly and strode over to his wife. He slipped his arm around her waist, placing his hand over hers and laced their fingers together.

'So what do you reckon Toph? Who's the intruder?'

'You know something I don't Sparky?' Toph shot are steely glare into Zuko's rough direction. Zuko just smiled, giving a squeeze on Katara's hand, who suddenly drew a quick breath, realising what- or who- Toph could feel.

'Well, it's really why we asked you guys to visit.' She smiled, looking up to Zuko's smirking face.

'What?...' Sokka seemed to have clicked on, he stood clutching a bog of seal jerky in part shock part excitement.

'We're going to have a baby.' Katara almost blurted, but just about managed to keep her control, until glancing uncertainly over to Aang. He smiled warmly.

'That's great you two' His voice was honest and genuine.'Congratulations.'

Zuko gave a small bow to the Avatar. 'Thank you Aang.' He turned his attention to Sokka, 'So...Sokka?'

'My little sis-'

'Toph?'

Katara jumped a little as the blind earth bending master shuffled towards her and place two firm hands upon her stomach.

'It's a little Fire Bender.' she gawked open mouthed.

Zuko chuckled. 'We won't know anything like until he's-'

'-or she' Katara added.

'-or she's born. Elements don't present until at least a few years old You never know though Toph' he smiled.

'No. I'm telling you Sparky. There's a little Fire bender in there.' Toph adjusted her hands slightly, 'I can feel the heat.'

Katara looked confused and a little worriedly up at Zuko. Toph seemed to pick up on the tention.

'It's going to be one lucky kid either way.' she smiled.

Zuko held Katara closer and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

'Thank you Toph.' Katara replied.

And with that a loud clatter of silver ware and saucers bustled into the study.

'Hello everyone. It is a pleasure to see you all together again! Chief Sokka, Chiefess Suki, Master Toph, Avatar Aang.' Uncle Iroh bowed humbly to the group of old friends.

'Uncle Iroh' Toph beamed.

'Now, as is time honoured tradition amongst most cultures, let us take tea! You all need to tell me of your adventures!'

'Uncle' Zuko smiled 'I'm afraid we're no longer children.'

'Oh come on! Indulge an old man! I am sure there are talks of the southern water tribe, legend of Kioshi Island and great stories from the infamous Earth Kingdom to tell!'

A team of maids and serving staff bustled into the room with an array of teas, all steaming regimentaly. Trays of rice cakes and fire nation delicacies.

As the group strolled over to take a place at the low table, Aang placed a firm hand on Toph's shoulder.

'Is everything okay?' he breathed.

'I don't know. What do you think?' she mused.

Aang paused.

'She'll be okay, I know it.'

Toph shrugged his hand away.

'Your lying.'