Two Years Later

by Blutus Mindpretzel

Follow-up to Daughter of Hate. Two years following the conclusion of the spirit invasion over the Four Nations, Sasuke finds himself in different sort of world than what he might have once expected. ONESHOT.

AN: Well, can't say it doesn't feel strange to just drop this after being away for so long, but I guess there's not really another way to do it. I'm going to ramble just a little bit here, so if you're just here for the read, feel free to skip on down, but please do note that this is a one-shot.

I've attempted many times to return to this universe I started back with the first story, from picking it up right where Daughter of Hate ended, to jumping forward a couple years, all the way to leaping decades ahead and into Korra territory. There are a lot of dead drafts and storyboards lying around because, no matter what I tried, none of it made sense as far as properly continuing this story. By the end of the second story, I realized I had gotten all the characters where I wanted them to be and every attempt I made to restart conflict and begin a third installation either became nonsensical, irrational, or just plain depressing from a thematic standpoint. I eventually learned I was happier to just leave all these versions of these characters where they were, where I had wanted them to wind up instead of continuing on just for the sake of continuing.

Still, as is apparent from the below text, I had a fun idea that I wagered would make for a fun one-shot and I think it turned out pretty well all things considered. I would have come back and written this a while ago, but I am in a much, MUCH different place from where I was when I finished Daughter of Hate both as a person and as a writer, so it took a long time, perhaps too long to return and post something. I hope this winds up being a fun read regardless of that for anyone stopping by who's interested.

For however many of you are even remotely curious, my novel that I have restarted more than once and have been slowly working through has finally made good progress over the last year and I'd like to think I'm perhaps seventy-five percent done. That being said, and while it still does occupy most of my writing time, I'm playing with a few ideas for a couple new stories, though I'm thinking I'll be porting a Star Wars story I started on a joint account with a college friend of mine that I put on hiatus a while ago over to this account since I've started working on it again and that other account is one the both of us are thinking of taking down. I know Star Wars is pretty far off from an AvatarXNaruto fic like my previous works, but if you're at all interested in that, I plan on resuming that within the next week and will move it over to this account shortly thereafter.

So, with all that being said, I hope you enjoy this brief little one-shot where we probably will be bidding my take of Sasuke in this universe farewell. Never say never, but I'm pretty pleased with where our boy ends up by the end of this. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year's to you all; I hope the new year is good to you and please be safe out there!

---

Two Years Later

The child ran as fast as she could across the frozen landscape, each step causing breath to explode in and out of her lungs, the snow seeming to pull her down and hold her back like a cold, wet bog. She didn't dare look back as tears of fear spilled down her face. Fear was all she could feel and it was all that drove her just then. Her mind buzzed, not even the slightest irrational thought able to manifest. All she could do was run and believe that it would be enough.

Something huge and powerful impacted just behind her and in an explosion of snow and force, the child was flung head over heels, sailing through the air for several impossibly long seconds before crashing down, half buried in the frozen precipitation. The world spun, but as it focused, the child could only release a tearful cry as she witnessed the nature of her flight bearing down on her.

It was long, longer than even the largest fishing boat her father had taken her out in not a fortnight ago. Its body was sleek and shimmering, as thick around as the igloos she and her tribe lived in and it slithered through the air as easily as an eel in water. Its head was monstrous, long and predatory, a sleek jaw filled with more serrated teeth than the child could ever have hoped to count. Large, merciless eyes gazed down on her as the creature's entire body caused the dark landscape to light up in a pure, vibrant, and light blue.

The child didn't even consider trying to wriggle free of the snow and resuming her flight. There suddenly didn't seem any point in it; escape from this monster must have been impossible. She remained where she was, letting herself cry freely and quietly, wishing her father was there to pick her up and carry her home, wishing she could see her baby brother one more time.

Ahead of her, the serpentine creature lowered its head and uttered a low, shuddering growl before pulling it back in preparation to strike, not so much as hiding its intentions. It would snuff her out just as it had nearly a dozen other members of her tribe including her uncle and cousins.

And suddenly, her fear dissipated for a moment, replaced by nothing short of a blinding rage and she opened her mouth as her brow furrowed furiously. She screamed at the monster in pure denial of its being, the sound primal and hateful. It didn't react to her tiny bellow other than to cock its head just slightly before snapping forward, mouth opening to catch her between its murderous teeth.

The child felt her body become numb as she waited to die, but in what seemed like an illusion, the head that launched towards her continued forward and then, bizarrely, passed her. Its open mouth shot above her and out of sight, but its body remained ahead of her, no longer moving. She blinked and her brain finally processed that the body no longer had its head attached to it. The stump where it had once been connected wobbled a moment before the whole massive thing crashed down into the snow with a booming, muffled thud.

The child stared at the now unmoving body, entirely in disbelief by what she had just seen.

"That was very brave of you."

Just hearing another voice sounded alien, but the child still slowly turned to look to her right where the voice had emanated from.

A woman stood in the snow, the traditional clothes of Water Tribe hunters wrapping her body tightly while a fur cloak blew about in the tundra wind behind her. A huge sword that somehow glowed turquoise was clutched in her left hand. She had piercing eyes that seemed to look right through her, hair white as the snow, and she was beyond beautiful. The girl wondered if she perhaps had died after all and was looking at an angel.

The woman smiled.

"Long way from home, aren't you?"

---

Having finished the long trek to and now from the village, Yue found the sight of her campfire to be beyond relieving. Though her sword weighed nothing to her, it somehow felt like a colossal burden on her back and she longed for nothing more than to remove it, drop it, and sit next to the fire. Days of tracking and constant movement and finally she was about to have a chance to take a break. The fire had been lit hours ago, but it still burned strong and she could see the shadow of her tent cast by it.

Slowly, the fire grew larger and larger in her vision until she was right on top of it and, true to her wish, she deposited her spiritually imbued sword unceremoniously in the snow beside her and dropped down to sit without a word, relishing the heat of the flames as they tickled her face. She sighed and closed her eyes, listening to the crackling and feeling the gentle wind in her hair.

"Sheesh, kick back, why don't you."

Without opening her eyes, she slowly smiled.

"I will, thank you."

Steps exited from the tent and walked around the fire beside her. Yue rested her chin on her knees and spoke, still without opening her eyes.

"I assume you took care of the other four?"

"You sure look relaxed without knowing that for sure."

"Well, if you didn't, you'd better get over to that village and tell them, because I may have told them we took care of the whole lot."

There was a short pause in which she could hear her companion smiling.

"Yeah. All gone."

They sat down heavily beside her, blowing out a sigh.

"I assume the kid made it?"

"Why would you assume that?"

"Because you'd look a hell of a lot less content if she hadn't."

Yue's smile faltered a touch as she thought to the situation.

"She was being stupid. After the spirits poached her tribe, particularly some family members, she grabbed a spear and went off to hunt them."

"She looked like she was nine."

"Seven."

"Hmm… stupid."

"Yeah. Really damn stupid. Although we might have been looking for a good while longer if she hadn't baited them out for us."

"Was she hurt?"

"No, not really. Got tossed through the air, but landed in snow… probably will be sore in the morning. Pretty traumatized though, from the moment I picked her up to when I gave her back to her parents, she didn't seem to be seeing me or anyone else for that matter."

"The village know it's safe now?"

"Yeah, and I barely got out of there. The girl's parents were basically sobbing the whole time, and the whole village was trying to put on some kind of celebration for me. I only got out by saying there were more spirits I had yet to deal with elsewhere and I had to get back to the hunt."

"Glad I missed that."

Yue's grin returned and she opened her eyes to look over to her companion.

"Why? You love social events like that. Aren't you excited for the wedding?"

Grunting, Sasuke rose to his feet, straightening his back and looking at the clear night sky. His black traveling cloak billowed around him, his jagged black hair catching in the breeze.

"I'm just going to be hiding behind you, or whoever else I know. If you think I'm going to be out at that venue chatting up strangers…"

Yue leaned over and gave his leg a playful punch.

"Oh what, like during the festival last year?" Just the memory of it brought a peal of laughter from her lips as she pictured what she remembered, and it only became more amusing to her as she watched Sasuke almost seem to squirm next to her. "Aang was fine with you only showing up to the banquet, but even then, I don't think I saw you once where you weren't hiding behind Ursa or Toph. Or even Soza for that matter!"

She cackled as Sasuke winced; he prodded her with his foot.

"Cut it out," he grumbled. "We all have our strengths and socializing is not one of mine."

"Sasuke, you can cut your way through an army, but you can't be asked to talk to a few bureaucrats and politicians, most of whom you know, by the way."

"No, I can't," he growled stubbornly and didn't seem able to formulate any sort of argument further, leaving Yue to come down from her amusement in silence.

Finally, as her laughter faded into giggling and then drew to silence as well, Yue looked skyward with Sasuke and rather abruptly, a profound sense of melancholy came over her. She swallowed it down and found that she was actually able to place it quite easily; she had struggled often in the past with figuring where her emotions were built from and it was odd to her that she might know exactly where this sadness was coming from. She couldn't decide if it would be better to know what was causing it or to be in ignorance of it, if that unknowing was actually an alleviation as much as anything.

"What's wrong?"

Her change in energy and expression must have caught Sasuke's attention and Yue tried rather futilely to force a more neutral look onto her face, for reasons she couldn't rationally justify. It had always been amusing to her that Sasuke had often had such issues reading emotions when they were directed at him, but when it came to reading people's moods, nothing seemed to slip past him. She supposed he had matured a great deal since they had first met as strange as it was to consider; Yue thought she might have been almost proud of him.

For a moment, she considered coming up with some excuse to play off what was really bothering her, but as she thought about it, Yue couldn't think of a good reason why she would need to hide anything from Sasuke.

"This is going to sound stupid and probably pretty selfish," she sighed, resting her chin on her knees again. "But I'm going to miss this."

Sasuke didn't say anything to this and Yue found she appreciated that; it might do her well to simply get the lot of this off her chest.

"Obviously I don't want any innocent people to be in danger, and I don't like the idea of these spirits wandering on this eternal, crazed hunt, but… just this. Just us, like it used to be. I'll miss this."

Near two years ago, when Sasuke had defeated Madara and ended the threat of the spirit invasion, Kyoshi and Yangchen had ordered the army of spirits they had brought with them back into their world. This might have seemed the end of it, but weeks passed and strange reports started to flow in of bizarre and violent attacks by creatures unknown, most often from far flung villages and tribes. As these were people who rarely wished to make contact with the more modern world, these requests for help were taken very seriously by Aang who had quickly investigated the matter with Sasuke at his side. The two of them had found a spirit, violent, impossible to communicate with, and seemingly insane. Sasuke had dispatched it and upon seeking Kyoshi and Yangchen's counsel, Aang had learned that some spirits had refused the order to return, but, being separated from their spirit world connection, had spiraled into madness and began to hunt and attack both people and animals alike. The only way to return their essence was by killing their manifested form in the physical world and some time later, despite Aang's reservations about needing to resort to the same violence they were, he reluctantly asked Sasuke if he would act on the matter.

At the time of this, Yue had been working under her father as an ambassador; she had hated the idea of being restricted to her home tribe and her parents had understood her desire to travel and not be bound to one place. Still, the amount of political and public relations work that she was relegated even through moving among the nations was near maddening to her. There were reprieves, when she would get together with her friends for special occasions, but as she sat in meeting after meeting in different state buildings around the continent, her mind would most often drift to the spiritual sword collecting dust in her room back home and the weeks she had spent journeying an unknown world with Sasuke.

And so, it had been an utter shock and an enormous blessing when one day when she was in the Fire Nation ambassador's quarters, that Sasuke had stopped by and asked her rather bluntly if she wanted to hunt the rogue spirits with him.

"Months of this," she murmured to herself. "We did pretty well, didn't we?"

"We did," Sasuke replied. "If I had known you wanted to make it last, I wouldn't have had us moving so efficiently."

She smiled in spite of herself at his joke.

"If that were possible without putting people in danger, I might have made you."

It became silent for a while longer and Yue tried to not think of the time passing as the fire crackled in front of her, Sasuke breathing silently beside her. A thought occurred to her rather suddenly and she had to catch herself from looking over to him too quickly.

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think… I know you can get us back to the Fire Nation pretty quickly… but do you think we could take it slow? Just for a couple days, we don't need to actually be back until the end of the week…"

It struck her just how selfish she was being and a wave of guilt washed over her; she wished she could shrink to an unnoticeable size and disappear in the snow as she feverishly tried to backpedal, not even able to look over at him.

"I'm sorry, that's stupid, I know you probably want to get back and see your kids, see everyone, we've been out here for months, we should get back, there's no reason to—"

"Yue."

His calm voice cut through her rambling like a hot knife through butter. Swallowing, she forced herself to look over to him. His expression was vaguely amused and, even more thankfully, it looked to Yue like he understood.

"It's fine. A couple more days won't hurt."

Slowly, a shaky smile wobbled its way onto her face. She wanted to thank him, to tell him how relieved she was that he understood what this meant to her, but for that moment, she realized the best thing to say was nothing at all. They looked at one another for a little while longer before turning back to the sky. It was hours before they turned in for the night.

---

Soza sat on the carpet, cross legged and with a straight back, regarding the being in front of her with careful concentration. Sunlight beamed in through the window, bathing the both of them in a warm, vibrant glow as the battle of wills played out in tense silence. Soza's right arm was raised and poised, waiting for the optimal moment to strike, knowing her window for opportunity might be very small indeed. She had an abysmal track record in battles like this and she was fiercely determined not to lose this one; though her arm burned for relief and an itch on the back of her head was irking her to no end, she didn't dare readjust or move. This was a match of patience and one that she knew she could win if she only could hold onto the self-control necessary to keep still long enough to achieve victory.

On the luxurious couches beside her, both her mother and grandmother sat in silence, respectful of the moment that was passing between Soza and her opponent; despite their unmoving quiet, however, Soza didn't dare try to even so much as imagine them. Picturing anything else might shatter her focus.

In a flash, her moment came; her hand surged forward and in a single, fluid movement, the got the spoon in Itachi's mouth, lifting it deftly and ensuring all the food made it into his mouth. She withdrew it just as quickly, a victorious grin spreading across her face.

"Ha!"

"Very good, dear," Azula said from the couch, sounding deeply amused.

"He certainly has never made it easy," Ursa mused, sounding equally humored.

Itachi blinked a couple times and Soza waited for the baby to try and forcefully eject the food in his mouth, but her victory was assured when he gave a deep swallow and smiled widely at her. She looked over at the couch then, smiling proudly.

"Weeks!" she pronounced loudly. "Weeks, and it's like trying to feed a rock!"

"Toph might take offense to that," Ursa remarked.

"Yeah, well, when she gets here this week I'll have her—ack!"

Soza drew in breath in a violent hiss; Itachi, who had been cooing in front of her just a moment ago, had crawled to her lap and reached up to grab a fistful of her hair which hung down over her shoulder. Feeling tears of pain spring violently to her eyes, Soza grit her teeth and looked down at the baby who was smiling widely up at her as if she were the most amazing thing he had ever seen. She reached down and hoisted him into her lap where he continued to grip her hair but no longer tugged it painfully and as she looked into his eyes, she found there was nothing in her that would allow her to stay angry with him.

"You hear your mom?" she demanded, holding up a finger and pointing it at his chubby face in a disciplinary sort of way. "You are a handful! Feeding you is like an extracurricular activity!"

Looking at her in typical baby-style bemusement, Itachi looked back at her stern expression for a moment before grabbing her finger and sticking it in his mouth. Soza rolled her eyes as her mother let out a sharp laugh.

"Oh sure, now you're suddenly interested in eating, when it's something you have no business sticking in your mouth."

She rose to her feet, holding the baby close to her, her disapproval nothing more than a passing joke, massively outweighed by the colossal affection she had for the adorable child that had developed a sudden and profound interest in in her finger. She hadn't seen him in almost three months and it felt a far greater amount of time than that; he had grown too much, was crawling much better, had started to vastly increase his vocabulary though it was still mostly incomprehensible, and seemed to weigh twice as much as when Soza had last seen him. Despite that all, however, he still remained a stubbornly picky eater.

She didn't know if she wanted to keep smiling until it hurt or cry; she loved him as much as anyone she had ever known, and she didn't even really know why.

"One day at a time," she murmured, sitting on the couch. "It won't be long before I'm feeding him whole meals, and it's not just a battle to get him to take a bite."

"Is it time for his dinner?" Azula inquired of her mother and Ursa shook her head. "We'll give him another hour. I'm trying to feed him a little later in the evening; he's been waking up hungry earlier and earlier. And if he was really looking for supper, he'd be a lot fussier than he is now."

Soza had been on the receiving end of Itachi's fussiness more than enough times to know that despite how much he was squirming in her arms, this was child's play compared to what he was capable of.

"Are you still breastfeeding him?" she asked and Ursa nodded.

"I am, though I don't know for how much longer that will be."

"How long did you do mom and Zuko?" she inquired further and her mother fired her a look as Ursa laughed.

"Two years, or just about, pretty much until they started taking their first steps."

"How about me?" Soza asked, tilting her head towards her mother. Azula looking momentarily uncomfortable before seeming to relax at a pat on her thigh from Ursa.

"A little over three years."

Soza opened her mouth, finding the topic wholly interesting, before something that her grandmother had just said sparked something in her mind; she gasped, stiffening up, and prompting the women on either side of her to look over with urgency, Ursa's hands moving almost faster than the eye could track, ready to catch Itachi should it seem that Soza suddenly lost control of him.

"What's wrong?" Azula said sharply, but Soza looked around at Ursa with wide eyes.

"When will he start walking?"

Both older women visibly relaxed and Ursa's smile returned, her eyes clouding with fond imagination.

"No way to tell… every kid is different. Zuko was almost two before he starting walking, and your mother was up and about at not even nine months."

Azula looked at Ursa with surprise.

"I beat him by that much?"

Ursa heaved a long sigh.

"Honey, not everything is a competition."

Though they both continued to speak back and forth, Soza found herself tuning out both her mother and grandmother; her eyes returned to Itachi who she found was staring back at her with his wide, beautiful eyes. He had relinquished her finger from his mouth and instead simply had it clutched in his fist, intermittently squeezing it. As she looked into his eyes, she felt her throat tighten and the tears she had wondered if she would experience started to well up.

How long until you're walking? How long until you're talking? How long until holding you like this will be just a memory?

He was just a couple months over a year old and yet Soza felt like he had been a part of her life since as long as she could remember.

After the invasion, Ursa's very reappearance, which had nearly resulted in her death once before, had been the topic of much public discussion and attention, especially among the Fire Nation. The fact that she was alive and well was one matter that Zuko had been very public in dealing with, making sure there was no room for bad press and clarifying everything as carefully and efficiently as he could. Despite that, however, Soza could remember many intense discussions late into the night between Ursa, Zuko, her mother and father, and often others. As a surviving member of the Fire Nation royal family, Ursa could only do so much in keeping private and her presence was often expected or necessary at many events, meetings, or galas. Her being pregnant wasn't something that would have stayed in the dark forever.

Zuko, who had clearly been thinking overly hard about the matter, had suggested that Ursa spend some time away from the Fire Nation, posing it as a vacation or something to that effect and Azula had violently disagreed. She had flat-out stated that Ursa's pregnancy was nothing to be ashamed of and that the commonfolk would always find something to gossip and cause scandal over. Ursa often said she had no issue in doing whatever would be best for the Fire Nation royalty and Sasuke had refused to let her leave if he wasn't allowed to go with her. Soza, who had been eavesdropping on this not for the first time, had burst in, vehemently insisting that they were all being stupid and that Ursa should just stay and that it wasn't a big deal. She and her mother had gotten into a shouting match of their own then and Sasuke had needed to step in to calm them both down.

A week after that incident, Zuko had gathered them all together and stated the plan to catch the issue before it even became a problem; he suggested they introduce a fake lover for Ursa, someone she had met after being banished, and someone who had died a hero fighting off the spirits for the good of the Four Nations on the last day of the invasion. Out of respect, they had kept his existence a secret, but now wished that he be recognized and honored for the part he had played in defeating the spirits. The public knew little of what had truly had happened on that last day beyond the enormity of the chaos that had seemingly consumed their world. Soza had found this plan more than acceptable and so had everyone else, save for Ursa. She quietly stated that while she understood the necessity in hiding her relationship with Sasuke, the idea of entertaining the façade of a dead lover was something she took serious issue with. A night of talking in private with Sasuke, however, seemed to bring her around to the idea; the thought of being able to stay where she was to deal with the pregnancy seemed worth the cost of the lie and though they would still do their best to keep her out of the public eye, having this as a backup plan seemed the best they could do.

Months passed, Ursa's belly grew, and everyone seemed to grow more and more excited at the idea of having a baby on the way. Aang, Katara, Suki, Sokka, Jin, and Toph all seemed to frequent more trips to the Fire Nation, something that Soza was thrilled about. Zuko and Mai visited the royal residence often, spending more time there than they did at the palace, and Ty Lee would often follow after Ursa, asking if she needed anything or if there was anything she could help with. Soza found that it was likely quite good to have Ty Lee around, because she contrasted Soza's own mother quite well; Azula fussed over Ursa on a near hourly basis, constantly prying for updates on how she was feeling and making sure her mother was in the most perfect lap of luxury that could be managed, especially after the bulge in her stomach started to become more prominent. Soza herself felt herself becoming more and more excited by the day and she constantly dogged after her grandmother, asking questions as they came to her by the dozen.

The only one who seemed in a less than positive food was her father. As Ursa got further and further along, Sasuke only seemed to grow more apprehensive and his overall personality started to undergo changes as well. He seemed often in an irritable mood, snapping or making curt remarks that Soza wasn't used to coming from her father. He clearly wasn't sleeping well and she often saw him with dark curves under his eyes, looking like he was barely able to stay upright. Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee often suffered the brunt of his increasingly negative behavior and while they seemed to take it in stride and understand where it was coming from, Soza could tell that tensions were higher than they ought to be. Ursa, who was typically in a league of her own when it came to soothing Sasuke, was only able to do so much with the effects of her pregnancy lording over her, and Soza had finally cracked and sent a message to Ba Sing Se.

Toph arrived just a few days later; she had been making routinely common trips to the Fire Nation, both for the sake of seeing her friends and spending time with Sasuke, but after Soza sat down with her and talked about how worried she was about Sasuke, Toph had went to speak with both Zuko and Azula and asked if it would be alright if she might stay at the royal residence, at least until Ursa delivered. Her request had been granted without question and within a week, Sasuke seemed to be doing much better.

Quite conveniently, it had been at a get together on an evening in the palace when it had finally happened. Everyone had been there, chatting and visiting under the spell of Jin's masterful cooking, when Ursa had stiffened sharply, knocking a glass to shatter on the floor. Everyone at the dinner table had looked around to see her with looking like she was doing her best to compose herself and steady her breathing before she looked back at the lot of them.

"It's time," was all she had said and everyone had erupted into motion; Zuko and Azula rushed to their mother's side, Sokka bounded to the door and stuck his head out into the hallway to relay to the guards what was happening, Sasuke looked ready to faint, and everyone had guided Ursa swiftly to the bedchamber where she would spend the next eleven hours in labor. Soza spent the first several of those hours in the room with her, wishing she could do anything but stare as the palace maids rushed and fussed around her grandmother, but when Ursa had started to properly begin the process of giving birth, Soza had fled the room with tears in her eyes, unable to listen to the screams of pain any longer. Not long after, Sasuke, Azula, and Zuko had been asked to leave as well, Katara being the only allowed to remain in case of emergency.

Soza, who had been sitting on a couch in the lounge with Toph's arm around her, remembered looking up to see her father entering the room just behind Azula and Zuko. He had been white as a sheet and seemed like he was in the process of biting his own tongue off. And when he had looked to her and Soza saw the fearful tears in her father's eyes, she burst into sobs and ran into his arms.

They all remained in that lounge through the night, everyone exhausted, but no one seeming willing to try and doze off. Soza kept catching her head slumping onto her father or Toph's shoulder as she sat between them, and when a member of palace staff entered the room as the sky started to turn pale at dawn, she thought she might have been dreaming.

"It's over. Her highness and the baby are fine."

No force on earth would have stopped Sasuke from tearing from the room and shooting up the stairs then and as everyone offered relieved and joyous exclamations, Soza felt as though the iron hand that had been holding a death grip on her heart suddenly released itself. Though she wouldn't have thought she had any tears left to give, she started to cry again and she and Toph hugged for several minutes.

Itachi had been the name that Sasuke and Ursa had settled on in the following days, after Sasuke's late brother. Though she had seen her father emotional before, Soza could tell that this was an entirely new experience for him and he seemed beyond overwhelmed by it all. And when Soza laid eyes on the baby for the first time, she felt she could understand why.

That was over a year ago… and now look at you.

"Honey? What's the matter?"

Shaken back to reality as she bounced Itachi on her lap, Soza looked around to her mother and saw a pair of concerned eyes on her. It was when she noticed that her own vision was quite blurry that she was fighting back tears.

"I just…" she tried to say and swallowed down the lump in her throat. "He's really beautiful."

Her body shook with a single, silent sob and both Ursa and Azula seemed to understand in an instant; Ursa gently lifted the cooing Itachi from her arms and Azula pulled her daughter into a hug. Neither of them said anything and neither of them needed to. Soza let her eyes drift closed as a feeling of pure contentment overtook her in the arms of her mother. She thought of how by the end of the week, they would all be together again and at the idea of feeling her father's arms around her again, she felt her heart soar.

---

"We're just two days away and still no one can tell me where we're at with dinner quantities, even drink!"

"I'm sure it's all under control."

"When we had the festival back in December, we knew everything about the night down to the last chair and that was a week in advance!"

"Well, there were a lot more people attending that."

"But this is way more important! This is royal marriage we're talking about, I feel like nobody is able to give me any real answers on progress!"

"Like I said, I'm sure it will all be fine."

"You should be more upset about this than I am, this is going to be your night! I'm sure if Zuko weren't at the summit in Ba Sing Se… oh, I feel so bad, he's been traveling for two weeks and then he's coming right back to get married!

"Ty…"

"All of this back to back; those clowns on the council knew that this was going to happen, why didn't they wait to hold the summit until afterwards?! Aang or Iroh couldn't have said or done anything?! He's going to need a month off to destress after all this!"

"Ty!"

Coming to a sharp stop in her frantic pacing, Ty Lee looked over to the armchair that Mai was lounging in; her friend looked far too at ease with the situation and even had the audacity to be smirking at her.

"The only one who's going to need to destress after all this is you. You've been bouncing off the walls for a week trying to micromanage the entire royal staff and the wedding caterers; why don't you just lay off and let them do their job?"

Blowing out an exasperated and overly exaggerated sigh, Ty Lee dropped into the chair beside her friend, cramming herself between Mai and the armrest and ignoring her friend's displeased grunt.

"I don't know how you're so calm about this… if this was me getting married…"

"Then I would tie to your bed until two hours before the ceremony and only then let you get your dress on," Mai remarked, giving Ty Lee side a friendly pinch. "Because if you're this insufferable for someone else's wedding, I can only imagine how wound up you would be for your own."

Ty Lee huffed.

"I am not insufferable. I just want this to all go off without a hitch, that's all. And since so many of the people working on this seem to be slacking, why wouldn't I do everything in my power to—"

"Because it won't help anything and is just going to give you grey hair."

She moved her hand to lay it over Ty Lee's, her low voice losing its snark and adopting a much more concerned and warm tone.

"Come on, for me. Just try and relax; nothing good will come of you torturing yourself like this."

Absently, Ty Lee brought a hand up to her ponytail and ran her fingers through its braids. In an attempt to take Mai's advice seriously, she didn't say any of then dozen protests that immediately sprung to mind, instead allowing herself to just breathe and try to clear her mind. She thought to the few times that she had taken the morning to meditate with Aang when he was around, and tried to channel that peace she remembered feeling.

"There you go," Mai soothed, putting an arm around Ty Lee's shoulder and rubbing her gently. "Don't you worry your pretty little head. If I'm being completely honest, if it was just me, Zuko, my family, and my friends, I would be more than happy. All the other officials, noble families, all that nonsense… wouldn't bother me in the slightest if none of them were there."

"Didn't Zuko offer you a private wedding?"

Mai smiled fondly.

"He did. And I was damn close to taking him up on that, but I knew that this will be a much better show of face for him as Fire Lord. He wants all this hullabaloo even less than I do. It was enough for him to offer, I can take an evening of shaking a few hundred hands after the ceremony for him."

Ty Lee could hear the warmth in Mai's voice, something she had been hearing more and more of since the day she and Zuko had announced their engagement. Now, with the wedding being only days away, Mai somehow appeared as calm and composed as always, something that was beyond baffling to Ty Lee.

"Are you sure you're not nervous? Like, not even a little?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little, tiny, teensy-weensy—"

"Ty Lee, dear, you're going to overwork yourself trying to get everyone else as wound up as you are."

These words came not from Mai, but from somewhere off behind them, towards where the lounge led into the royal suites. Ty Lee didn't need to turn to recognize the silky tone, but she did anyway, a smile blooming on her face.

"Where you been, 'Zula?"

She bounded out of the chair as her eyes confirmed for her that it was indeed Azula making her way towards them. The princess smiled as well, but Ty Lee heard an audible wince as she wrapped her arms tightly around her; she pulled back, bringing her hands up to clap over her mouth.

"I'm so sorry!"

Azula waved her down, though she couldn't quite erase the vaguely pained expression on her face.

"Not a problem… it's much better than it was."

Mai slowly rose as well, moving to join them; she eyed Azula with concern as she approached.

"Are you sure you don't want to see someone? Even if it's not someone here, Katara will be getting in tonight with the rest, she could…"

Again, Azula waved her hand in a politely dismissive gesture.

"As I say, it's getting better. I appreciate your concern, both of you, but I'm sure I will be quite alright within a week."

The three stood in a small triangle for a moment in silence; Ty Lee knew that Mai was of a similar mind as her and while they had no chance of convincing Azula of anything once her mind was made up, it was impossible not to still feel worried.

"When do you go back?" Ty Lee asked in a small voice, not entirely sure she wanted to hear an answer.

"I hope to visit again after the wedding, perhaps in the following week," Azula said. "If I can persuade them to meet Aang as well… I think I much better improve the chance of a relationship forming."

Ty Lee watched Azula carefully as she spoke; the princess had done a very good job hiding what had happened to her during her last trip and of everyone, only Ty Lee and Mai knew what had really happened. Azula had promised them both she would speak of it while everyone was back in the Fire Nation for the wedding, but Ty Lee was still having difficulty keeping it under wraps from her mother and her daughter especially. Ty Lee would have bet money that both of them could tell something was the matter with Azula, but both knew pressing a woman such as her to divulge sensitive information wasn't a grand call.

"Would you…" she started to blurt out, but caught herself, swallowing down the question quickly; both Mai and Azula looked expectantly to her, the former hopeful and the latter curious. Ty Lee inhaled slowly before finally deciding to ask.

"Would you let me come with you this time?"

Even as she asked it, she knew what the answer would be; Azula was already shaking her head as she spoke.

"No."

"But—"

"Ty Lee, I understand perfectly where you are coming from. And I hope you know how much it means to me that you would offer that."

"But 'Zula—" Ty Lee started to plead before being quickly silenced by a more forceful shake of the head from Azula.

"No. Please, both of you… after all I've done, this is something I have to do on my own."

"I could tell Zuko," Ty Lee gambled desperately. Not even a few years ago, she would never have dared try and threaten Azula with something like that, but as she hoped wildly that it would pay off, the princess merely gave her a soft smile.

"No, you wouldn't."

She moved a step closer and reached out with a hand, gently running her fingers down Ty Lee's cheek. Her touch was both enough to mute Ty Lee and also make her feel like crying.

"I'll be fine."

You can't possibly know that.

Sensing that her reassurance wasn't enough to allay Ty Lee's fears, Azula moved in another step and closed her gorgeous eyes, pressing their lips softly together; Ty Lee closed her eyes as well, barely holding back burning tears. Mai made a noise of repulsion from somewhere off to their right.

"Ugh, get a room."

They split apart and Azula smirked over at her.

"Oh, please, like we haven't all had to deal with you and Zuko since he got back, melting lips with each other every chance you get."

"We're getting married."

"Oh, that's your excuse?"

Ty Lee only half-heard the two of them playfully banter; it should have been something that brought her a good deal of joy as years ago, their bickering had been laced with venom and resentment. To hear similar jabs now thrown with nothing short of friendship between them had only warmed Ty Lee's heart in recent memory, but even that couldn't drive the sudden anxiety that she felt awash with.

"I'm going to go freshen up before everyone gets here," she said, trying to inject some of her usual upbeat nature into her voice, hoping it would be enough to keep either Azula or Mai from worrying. She didn't give either of them a chance to respond, turning quickly and allowing herself to skip for the stairs, another faked show of good cheer.

Once out of sight of the pair, she let her pace drop to a morose trudge as she headed for her room. She tried not to think about how considering Azula's predicament had so quickly pulverized her mood, filling her with a sense of genuine dread.

Don't think about that… everyone's coming in tonight, you'll get to see Toph and Jin in just a couple hours… then Sasuke and Yue come in just before the weekend, and then the wedding… you have no reason to be so down in the dumps right now…

All sentiments that should have raised her spirits, and yet not a one of them seemed to help. Ty Lee started to wonder as she reached her bedroom door if she might as well just spend the next couple hours crying out all the emotion she was saddled with, from the wedding, to apprehension over seeing everyone, to fear for Azula. It might do her some good, if for no other reason than it might keep her in check when she went down that evening.

Warm, tired afternoon sunlight beamed in through her window the way she had left it and she decided that, yes, a good cry would be exactly what she needed before—

"Hey, Ty."

She screeched at the strong male voice that sounded behind her and spun, a leg coming up to sweep around in what would be a furious and deadly response to whoever had dared sneak up on her.

Sasuke caught her by the ankle and held her there, smirking.

"You've gotten slower," he remarked and released her. The moment her foot dropped back down to land beside the other, Ty Lee launched forward and wrapped up Sasuke in a bear hug. He laughed at her enthusiastic greeting and she felt a chuckle make it past her lips as well. She hadn't seen him in months and hadn't expected to see him quite so soon.

"When did you get back?" she demanded as they broke apart and she gave him a reproachful shove in the chest.

"About five minutes ago," he grinned and her eyes bulged at him.

"Have you seen—?!"

"No, I swung by to see you first," he admitted. "I was coming up the side of palace and your window was open, so I—"

She shoved him again, shaking her head and grinning, wiping the corners of her eyes as she did.

"You jerk… I could have taken your head off!"

"You could have," he nodded. "If I were anyone but me, perhaps."

"Is Yue back too?" Ty asked quickly and he smiled in affirmation. Her heart swelled at the idea of them both being there, it felt like an eternity since they had all been together and slowly, she felt like her heart was mending. She gave a sniff and Sasuke cocked his head slightly; she had noted his eyes move to her carefully when she had wiped her eyes and now it seemed he found it worthy of a question.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly and Ty Lee immediately regretted not wiping her eyes before entering her room. She could never have known he'd be waiting to meet her, but nonetheless, even someone as emotionally blind as Sasuke could be could have taken notice at her state. She briefly considered blowing him off, but lying to Sasuke felt beyond wrong to her.

"Oh, it's just Azula," she said as strongly as she could, not wanting to let him hear any weakness in her voice. Sasuke immediately seemed to understand and gave a long, appraising nod.

"Did they attack her again?"

Ty Lee swallowed and nodded, feeling her emotions slowly getting the best of her.

"I know why she's doing this and I know why she feels like she has to do it alone, but…"

She threw her hands up and was ranting before she knew it, subjecting Sasuke to everything that was bothering her about the situation when he had only been back for a handful of minutes.

"She's going to get herself killed if this keeps up! They don't want to hear her apologies or her attempts to make peace with them… every time she goes, it's like they're more and more angry to see her! She just… lets them hurt her! Why? Why can't she just leave it alone?!"

Sasuke watched her without speaking and she released a wet laugh, waving her hand at him.

"Listen to me… like you don't know all this already."

Over the last year, Azula had surprised just about everyone when she had stated her intentions of visiting an indigenous tribe that inhabited one of the islands that was on the far reaches of the Fire Nation's border. It had been the main tribe that Azula had once terrorized during her days of working underneath her father and Ty Lee had been the first, but not the only of their number to voice her concern at such an idea.

"This is something I feel I have to do," Azula had merely stated. "After what I did to them, I need to make amends, however I can."

Through all of the babbling that both Ty Lee and Mai had issued, her mother's voice had cut through them with a great deal more reason and concern then they had been able to appropriately articulate.

"Honey, what you did… your father is as much to blame as you; are you certain you wish to bear the burden of both your sins back to these people. I don't think it's suggesting anything outrageous to suggest they may not be willing to forgive what's been done to them," Ursa had said slowly, bobbing the barely newborn Itachi in her arms. "They may only be willing to show you the same mercy they were shown years ago."

"I know," Azula had nodded. "That's why I have to go."

Ty Lee wouldn't have even minded Azula's gesture if she had just been willing to bring company, but she insisted that no one follow her ashore; Ty Lee, Zuko, Ursa, Soza, and Mai waited offshore on the ship that had ferried them out there. Soza had been near incoherent when she had learned the nature of the trip and what her mother was planning on doing. The day before she had been raging, crying, and pleading with her mother to reconsider, but, although she had no proof of it, Ty Lee fully believed that Sasuke had gone to Soza in private and told her he wouldn't let anything happen to Azula for Soza was much more in control of herself the day they went to the island. Ty Lee had forced herself to believe this was the case as believing that Azula was being invisibly watched over by Sasuke gave her the only peace of mind about the whole situation.

The first trip had been a bust with the tribe merely rejecting Azula's visitation and refusing to listen to anything she said. She returned to the ship a couple days later and informed them all she would be trying again at a later date. It was a few trips later when Azula returned that Ty Lee learned things were going more badly than she thought.

Azula had refused to disrobe around her which hadn't been the case in years. She would come to bed late and would wear a thicker nightgown than Ty Lee was used to seeing. It had literally taken her demanding an explanation after days of a nearly silent Azula to learn that, on her last visit, she had been held down and burnt with hot irons.

Ty Lee had been irate at the news and was already preparing to storm off into the depths of the palace telling everyone she could, hoping she could convince Sasuke to step in, but the only thing that stopped her was the pleading in Azula's voice.

"Ty, please… please listen to me," she had begged quietly, holding Ty Lee's hands in her own. It was a vulnerability that she so rarely showed that Ty Lee didn't think she had a choice other than to comply. "This pain… I'm alright with it. I deserve worse, I really do. You know I do."

Ty Lee had tried to protest, but Azula hadn't allowed her more than a few words.

"I won't let them kill me. Believe me when I tell you that… but if this pain is what I have to endure to fix things, I will bear it gladly. Please let me bear it."

It hadn't been a command, one that Ty Lee might willingly have obeyed. It was a request, born from her heart and Ty Lee, tearfully, had eventually agreed.

In the now, she knew only herself, Mai, Zuko, and Ursa knew for sure what had been taking place on the island. All of them had been told by Azula herself with varying levels of fury and panic that she was hellbent on continuing this twisted process and she had asked all of them to refrain from telling Soza. That might have hurt Ty Lee most of all.

"How bad is it this time?" Sasuke asked her and Ty Lee returned to the present to see him still watching her carefully. She smiled weakly; of course, in the preceding months, Sasuke too had figured out something was amiss. There was any number of things he might have done to learn this, either with enhanced senses, his jutsu, or otherwise, but Sasuke might have been the only other one who knew what Azula had been up to.

"I think… I don't know," Ty Lee whispered. "They might have beaten her or whipped her… I don't know. She won't talk about it."

Sasuke's lips tightened and she felt the change in attitude from him.

"Why would she just… let them do that?" she asked, not really expecting Sasuke to have an answer, but feeling it was a question she had to pose anyway. "Sasuke, I'm sorry, I'm just… scared for her."

She watched the gears churn behind his eyes, waiting for him to come up with something to say, hopefully anything to make this situation easier to bear.

"We have to trust her," he finally said, words that Ty Lee knew she probably needed to hear, but words that didn't help her mentality in the slightest. "She wouldn't ever let herself be put in a position where her life we in danger, not with Soza here..."

Ty Lee had to believe that, but Sasuke reached out slowly and gently lifted her chin so that she was meeting his dark eyes.

"Not when you're here."

She whimpered and immediately put her hands over her mouth, jamming her eyes shut as tears leaked from behind her lids. Sasuke was at her side without a word, wrapping her in a different sort of hug, one that she needed, one that made her feel even marginally like things could be okay. She cried against him, knowing he was right and hating herself for feeling the way she did.

"For what it's worth…" he murmured. "I'm proud of her."

Ty Lee sniffed and nodded over his shoulder.

"I know…" she said wetly. "I am too. I just wish… I just wish she'd let us help her."

"She needs to do this. We can't stand between her and something like this. She'll talk to us when she's ready and if she needs help, she'll ask."

About to ask how Sasuke could possibly know that was the case, he answered her unspoken question for her.

"She's not the same person she was. She needs us… you, Soza, her mom, Zuko, everybody. I don't doubt for a second she'd come to us if she believed this was too much for her to handle. Just… be there for her. I'd bet that means more to her than you know."

Ty Lee experienced a fleeting thought then, conjured by her tortured imagination. She saw Azula in a lower level of the palace, walking about quietly, silently hurting with no one beside her.

What am I doing?

"You're right," she said, her voice firmer than she had heard it since she had started talking to Sasuke. "You're right."

Gently, she pushed away and looked to meet his eyes. He watched her with that careful, analyzing manner that she had always seen in him; internally, despite knowing what had once passed between them, Ty Lee couldn't have been more grateful to Sasuke for forgiving her and even more so, treating her as well as he did.

"Everyone should be getting in before it gets too late," she said, her voice thick but strong. "Have you seen… or, have you felt anybody else get here?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"Haven't really tried… I think I'll pay a visit upstairs before anything else though."

Remembering suddenly that in fact, yes, Sasuke had a family here in the palace, Ty Lee reached out, took his cheeks, and bounced on her heels to kiss his forehead.

"And yet you came to see me first… I can never predict anything with you around."

"I aim to keep it exciting," he replied, smiling and gave her a last hug before she led the way from her room. Having to keep from running, she headed down the hall and threw a look over her shoulder to see Sasuke looking after her, raising a hand in a wave. She returned the gesture and then bounded deeper into the palace, intent on finding Azula if only to give her a hug.

---

Sasuke watched Ty Lee go, keeping the smile on his face until she was out of sight before letting it slip grimly away. He continued to face in the direction she had gone before sighing, jamming his hands into the depths of his cloak, and turning to head in the opposite direction.

It was a secret he would take to the grave, but Ty Lee truly had nothing to worry about. From the moment Sasuke had learned about Azula's intention to make peace with the tribe she had wronged when she was nothing more than a child, he had kept very close tabs on her. A carefully lain jutsu assured him that if she were ever in anything resembling mortal peril, he would know about it and be able to reach her side by his power alone. His shadow followed Azula now wherever she went, regardless of her knowing it. He would never tell her of course; this was something that Azula believed assuredly she had to handle alone and Sasuke would respect that at the very least, and let her believe that was what was happening. But silently, he would ensure she never put herself in danger enough to risk death.

Still… has she really been letting herself suffer through all this?

Her perseverance was impressive if nothing else. Sasuke had trouble believing that she possessed the willpower, patience, and shame to let herself be punished by the tribe in her repeated outings to their island, but he had meant what he said to Ty Lee.

I am proud of her.

Still, he was back in this familiar place for the first time in months and he gave another sigh, a more relieved one as he slowly, heavily climbed the stairs. Twilight was starting to set in outside and if his understanding was correct, the whole group would soon be gathered in the Fire Nation for the royal wedding. Before that happened, it was crucial he paid a visit upstairs.

He let his shoulders relax and closed his eyes briefly as he rounded the corner at the top of the luxurious staircase. It felt so good to him to be able to let down his jutsu and defenses, to know he was somewhere he could call safe, to know that he wasn't at risk of being attacked…

"DAD!"

Well, any attack that could be considered deadly, that is.

Sasuke's vision was promptly privy to a mane of long, black hair as someone raced up and leapt into his arms before he had a chance to register the sight of the hallway itself. He heard a high, hearty laugh, felt the arms around him, recognized everything about the person who had just run up to meet him and he closed his eyes, desperately willing himself not to cry tears of joy.

"Hey, kid," he said and Soza pulled away to regard him with an offended look on her face that didn't quite make it to the huge smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes.

"Dad, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that!"

"At least once more," he grinned and hugged her again, not tightly enough to hurt her, but almost. He didn't want to let her go, he wanted to hold his daughter until the sun stopped wrapping around the earth. Eventually though, he reluctantly let her go and set her down before him. When he saw her smiling up at him, the tears came anyway, his vision blurring as he heard her laughing.

"Aw, don't do that!" she said, reaching up to wipe his cheeks with the deep red sleeves of her Fire Nation royal garb. He gave a single deep sniff and straightened, grinning down at her.

"You've grown," he remarked reaching out to put a hand on top of her head. She bore his touch a moment before playfully swatting his hand down.

"You always say that," she said, but looking like she was trying hard not to blush. Sasuke opened his mouth to tease her further, but a voice spoke up past Soza before he could.

"I told her the same thing. And if anyone should be able to tell, it's probably me."

Sasuke's smile doubled in size before he even raised his eyes to see who had spoken. The voice alone made him feel at peace and he wouldn't have been able to keep from smiling if he wanted.

"Looks like you beat the foot traffic."

His gaze locked on the black-haired woman standing before him, her smile broad and unseeing eyes still looking right through him.

"If there's one thing you can count on me for, it's that I'm not going to be late to the party," said Toph as beautiful to Sasuke's eye as the last time he had seen her months prior. Even just seeing Toph made him want to shed fresh tears; if there was ever a sight for sore eyes, it was her.

I missed her so much.

"She snuck in the back about fifteen minutes ago," Soza grinned, her hand around Sasuke's waist as he took a few steps towards Toph. "And then I guess you're here, too? Both of you jerks can't be bothered to just show up like a normal person, I guess."

"Call us peas in a pod," Toph said as she stepped their way as well.

"Or gate crashers," Sasuke suggested taking another step.

"Or a pair of people that can't be asked to use the front door," Toph smirked as she stepped nearer.

Soza slowly pulled away from her father and her eyes flitted between the two adults before her suspiciously before she rolled her eyes to the moon and back.

"Oh jeez, if you guys are gonna do it…"

Toph laughed and dashed the last couple steps to wrap up Sasuke in a bear hug that he couldn't help but feel had a great bit more intensity than Ty Lee's. He hugged her back and as they broke apart, he looked into her gorgeous face and, though he had promised himself he wouldn't do it unless no one were looking, his resolve shattered as he leaned in to kiss her. The moment his lips met Toph's, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in close to her.

Sasuke had gladly and willingly done the deed he and Yue had committed to earlier that year when they had set out north to hunt rogue spirits. There had been no hesitation in his desire to help aid the situation that he had unwillingly help create, but despite how much he had enjoyed Yue's company as it had reminded him of the journey the two of them had shared together in the archipelago, he had always known that his heart was aching for more than that. He had buried the feeling, knowing it wouldn't last forever, but that hadn't stopped it from haunting as the days became weeks which became months.

Now, having just seen Ty Lee, hugged his daughter, and was now kissing Toph, Sasuke knew perfectly well what he had been missing and the joy in his heart could not be matched.

"Alright, already!" Soza eventually said loudly. "You just let me know who came away with whose tongue when you're finished!"

Sasuke would have stood there kissing Toph for a great deal longer, but he supposed for his daughter's sake, he might as well show a little self-restraint.

"Sorry… maybe we should—"

"Get a room? Or at least a bed?" Soza asked pointedly and Sasuke gave his daughter a look.

"You shouldn't be talking like that," he chided. "You've been spending too much time around Jin, Ty Lee, and…"

He trailed off, realizing that the nature of his complaint was likely rooted in the very person he currently had in his arms. Glancing at Toph, he found her grinning at him as though she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar and couldn't have cared less about it.

"Yeah, yeah, well, she's not too far off from being a grown up," she said airily. "Besides, Azula had the talk with her back when she was like ten or eleven I'm pretty sure."

Sasuke winced and mentally added a note for something he wanted to ask when he saw Azula again.

"Be that as it may," he started, trying to maintain some level of authority in the conversation, but he quickly found that he was probably fighting a losing battle.

"I'll try and be better about my mouth, dad," Soza said with a smirk. "But once Toph gets pregnant, all bets are off."

She and Toph both roared as Sasuke felt his cheeks grow as pink as the sunset.

"Alright, alright!" he said loudly over the two of them; he reached up to flick Toph in the ear, but this only seemed to amuse her more. "I've only been back maybe a half hour and I think I'm about ready to start washing some mouths out with soap!"

"Well, you'll have more than the two of us on your plate," Toph said. "Jin's going to have a mouth like a volcano over the next couple days; I heard she's already rewrote the menu for the wedding twice, and she's not even here yet."

"Speaking of," Soza muttered to herself, looking past Sasuke and Toph in the direction of the main hall that rested a couple floors beneath them. "I'm going to go head down and make sure I catch her when she gets here. She promised she'd show me how to do a proper puff pastry this time she was here and since I know she'll be beelining for the kitchen as soon as she shows up…"

She glanced at the pair of them.

"You two coming? Aang, Katara, Jin, and everyone else should be getting here, they were only a little behind you, right?" she asked towards Toph.

"I'll be down in a minute," Sasuke said as Toph nodded. "Just want to…"

He found his affection grew too great for adequate words then, but Soza understood immediately.

"I think grandma wanted to lie down, so she and Itachi might be sleeping," she said. "I know you're looking forward to seeing them, but—"

"Don't worry, I wont wake them up," Sasuke smiled; he knew full well the danger of waking Ursa from her rare moments of respite, a trait she had passed on to Azula as well. The both of them could be crabby as could be if roused from a nap.

Soza smiled back, leaning in to hop onto her toes and kiss Sasuke on the cheek before she tousled Toph's thick black hair.

"Alright. I'll see you two down there," she said, skipping off down the hall and adding over her shoulder, "And don't get any funny ideas!"

Sasuke waved off his daughter, muttering to Toph as he did.

"Seriously, do I even want to know what you talk about with her?"

"Worry more about Jin," Toph answered. "Ty's got a mouth about that stuff, but Azula tends to keep her on a short leash, especially around Soza… but Jin being single has her talking sometimes like she runs a brothel."

"Nice," Sasuke said through thin lips. "Classy as always."

"Oh, come on," Toph said, bumping her hip with his. "You love her."

"Yeah, I guess I do," Sasuke sighed. He turned and started down the hallway, Toph falling in beside him and looping her arm in his as she did.

"So, how was it?" she asked. "It wasn't until you sent word that we even knew you'd be back in time for the wedding, Yue's folks were getting pretty antsy."

"Tougher than we expected, but we made quick work of them," Sasuke answered as their feet padded against the carpet. "There weren't quite as many and they were easier to track, but a couple of them were pretty slippery; I needed to bust out Susanoo more than once."

He felt Toph tense within his touch.

"That bad?" she asked and he could tell she was trying to keep her voice light. He reached around his chest with a smile and gave her cheek a tiny squeeze and she gave a playful hiss.

"Relax. We mopped up the lot of them just fine; it's on me if anything for not expecting things might be tougher than they were in the south. Something about how cold and isolated it got up north seemed to really toughen them up, some of them were getting pretty big too. You should have seen this one, it must have been half the size of the palace by the time we finally caught up to it, Yue really did most of the work on it…"

He recounted the tale the rest of the short distance between there and the residence he had been looking for, but as they neared it, Toph squeezed his arm and they slowed down. Sasuke waited patiently by her side a moment before she gave a small, confirming nod.

"They're both asleep," she smiled. "Itachi… he's breathing so deeply."

Though Sasuke had no desire to break his promise to Soza, nor would he have wanted to anyway, he knew he wouldn't be able to move from that spot until he at least set his eyes on them. Putting his eyes on the door to the room, he leaned to the side and kissed Toph on the forehead; she breathed out contentedly as he did, reaching out and hugging him.

"I'll be down in a minute," he said quietly.

"Take your time, you big softie," she smiled back, bringing him for a short, passionate kiss, squeezing his hand a last time, and leaving him be. Sasuke watched her go, finding himself stuck between a strange instance of both wanting her to stay, but also grateful to her for knowing he needed this moment.

The satin curtains were tossing about lazily in the late afternoon breeze as he entered the royal suite. He closed the door as silently as he had opened it, easing himself into the room and taking the comfort it exuded in. Nothing else seemed to move or so much as make a sound as he paced quietly into the room, pushing past a dividing curtain that led to the bedroom within the suite itself, tucked away from the rest of the world.

The room was lit only by a single small candle burning by the bedside and the moment Sasuke lay eyes on the bed's single occupant, he felt his chest swell to what should have been a breaking point.

Ursa was indeed fast asleep, her body slowly rising and falling with a gentle consistency, her long hair draping over the pillow and mattress, her face content, everything about her perfect. A rebellious and selfish urge was telling Sasuke to wake her up, knowing that any grumpiness that would ensue initially would be overwhelmed in turn by her happiness at seeing him again. He wanted to feel her arms around him, to hold him close to her and let him close his eyes, to hear her rich, warm voice against his ears as her nails gently ran over his skin. He wanted to hold her in turn, tell her how much she meant to him, to climb in bed with her and forget the rest of the world.

Sasuke wanted all of these things almost more than anything, but he knew that, given time, he would have them again.

He slowly tread to her bedside and carefully, gently sat down on the edge of the mattress. He watched Ursa sleep for what felt like minutes, reaching out with a hand to tuck some loose hair behind her ear; just that touch alone made his spirits soar.

I missed her too… how I missed her…

So caught up was Sasuke in his affection that he realized, with a twinge of annoyance at himself, that he had neglected to notice the room's one other occupant. He gave himself a pass for both seeing Ursa first and also because the crib was tucked off to the side, mostly hidden from view if one were to enter the bedroom and not give it a proper once over.

He turned to look in that direction and froze.

Itachi was standing in his crib, his small chubby hands gripping the wooden railings along its side firmly, his eyes wide and intent as he watched Sasuke sit near his mother. He hadn't made a noise in the minutes Sasuke had spent sitting and fawning silently over Ursa and Sasuke wondered if he had been awake from the moment he had entered. Toph had said he was sleeping, but perhaps he had somehow sensed his father's presence?

Sasuke slowly rose to his feet and walked the few paces necessary to reach his son's crib. He lowered himself silently to his knees so that he was on eye level with the baby. Their eyes met and Sasuke was very nearly overcome with emotion yet again.

He was barely a year old and yet there was somehow a maturity in his eyes; they pierced Sasuke like he knew everything about his father, his small mouth slightly agape. Sasuke brought a hand gently up to the crib and without a noise, Itachi reached out with a little hand and seized Sasuke's pointer finger, squeezing it tight. Sasuke felt the pressure and tried to keep his breathing steady.

He's so much more than I ever could have imagined.

Unlike Soza whom he equally cherished, Itachi had been someone Sasuke had awaited expectantly while Ursa had been pregnant. He had known it was inevitable as he watched her stomach grow day after day, but there had never been a real understanding to him that he knew what the endgame to the pregnancy would be. It seemed foreign, unknown to him until that one day when her labor had begun. He remembered the fear, the anxiety, the damn near panic that had seized him and then the relief and joy when the good news was delivered.

Then, he remembered what he had felt when he walked into that room, when he looked past Ursa's glistening, exhausted, smiling face and saw what was wrapped in her arms.

It was the same feeling he still felt now, nose to nose with his second child and knowing he would rip down the heavens to keep Itachi safe.

How could I have gone away for these months? How long will he stay like this? Is he walking yet? Does he know any real words? What have I missed?

He knew that such ruminating was nothing short of pointless and would only lead him to resent himself; he had gone away to help protect the world he had chosen to live in, to protect the future of all who lived in it, his son included. But as he felt his finger in the child's grasp, he didn't think anything could come his way short of the end times that would lead him to leave Itachi's side.

And not just him… Soza, Ursa, Toph, Azula, everyone… they're the reason I'm here.

Carefully, he reached out with his other hand and ran it over Itachi's head. Small, thin hairs pressed down at his touch as he smiled.

"Quiet now," he whispered in a voice he could barely hear himself. "Let's not wake your mom."

He needn't have said anything. Itachi looked content to remain silent, but just speaking to his son filled Sasuke's heart in the most beautiful of ways as he prayed this would become a memory he would never forget.

---

Sasuke pushed the door to the study open and was surprised to see not just Zuko, but Aang and Sokka as well waiting for him.

"Uh oh, boy's party?" he asked and Sokka made a discerning face, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hey, the ladies have been looking over their wedding dresses since yesterday," he said. "I don't even think any of them really got a chance to sleep… so I'm fine leaving them be for a bit."

"Suki isn't going with her entourage? Dressed in uniform and such?" Sasuke asked as he closed the door behind him and Sokka shook his head.

"There will be a detachment of Kyoshi Warriors present, but Reyna is going to be leading them. Suki said she wanted to be at my side for the proceedings, so I guess I rate a little higher than her warrior buddies."

He joked, but Sasuke could see the expression on his face indicating that Sokka was deeply touched by Suki's gesture to join him for the ceremony.

"Sorry for dragging you up here," Zuko said though his tone as he looked over a dozen different scrolls laid out before him suggested that he really didn't care enough to actually be sorry. He looked deeply distracted as his eyes passed over all the words, charts, and layouts with such speed that Sasuke didn't know how he was able to process any of it at all. "We just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page about tomorrow."

Aang turned to look towards Sasuke and he, in contrast, actually did look apologetic.

"You weren't sleeping in, were you?"

"No, no, I was up," Sasuke said, which was barely true. The night before had lasted well into the night; once Aang had arrived alongside Sokka, Katara, Suki, and Jin, it had become a storm of hugs, greetings, laugher, and tears in more than a few places. Everyone had headed into the palace where, for the next several hours, they resided in the lounge where Sasuke and Yue were made to recount tales of their exploits whilst being away. As was typical of the group's hangouts over the past year, Sasuke wasn't surprised to find that Itachi's presence often took the attention off him and he resolved to thank his son when he was old enough to understand; the baby was passed between Katara, Suki, Jin, and Toph who all didn't get to see him as much as the women of the Fire Nation. Sasuke had frankly been worn out by the socializing before a servant had walked in and informed then dinner was ready and he had come to the realization that an entire night was still ahead of him.

He hadn't minded, truly. To see everyone again, together, was the only reason he wouldn't have dared excuse himself, but as the night dipped close to twelve bells and Ursa remarked that Sasuke was looking as sleepy as Itachi, he had finally been given a way out to find his bed and crash. Toph had joined him and, to her credit, she hadn't pounced on him as wouldn't have surprised him, but instead held him close as he drifted off to sleep.

She had been gone in the morning and, true to Sokka's word, he had learned that all the women in the group had headed from the residence to the palace in order to have a last look over the outfits they had supposedly decided on months prior. Sasuke had never understood that clothes-focused intrigue of the female mind, but he knew well enough to keep that to himself; he imagined even joking about it to Ursa, who was one of the most practical women he knew, might earn him a bit of an earful. Even Toph had seemed caught up in the idea, trusting Jin and Ty Lee to get her dressed to perfection for the big night.

"I heard Soza was the first one to the wardrobe suites this morning," Aang said and Sasuke smiled. He didn't doubt that for a second; Soza had gushed the entire night previously on how excited she was to attend not just her first wedding, but a royal one at that.

"Doesn't surprise me. Frankly, I'm kind of just glad I'll be able to sit back and ride this whole thing out; every one else seems to be doing plenty of excess work and worrying for me."

Aang's smile faltered, but he tried to turn it into a grin that came out looking more like a grimace than anything as Zuko turned his head to look up flatly. Sasuke immediately felt tense as Sokka reached behind his head to scratch almost nervously at the back of his neck.

"Yeah… about that…" Aang started.

"We want you to be in the ceremony," Zuko stated plainly without any fanfare and he, Aang, and Sokka all looked to Sasuke immediately. Sasuke felt his stomach drop out the moment he heard those words.

"Why?" was the first word out of his mouth. It sounded almost pathetic, like it had come from a child, but he didn't know he could have said anything otherwise first. "Doing what? I'm not a member of royalty, I'm not related to you or Mai, I'm not the Avatar—"

"You're right," Zuko said, nodding slowly. "One might argue you're more important than any of that."

"What?" Sasuke breathed out. "What are you talking about?"

Zuko pressed his fingers to the flat of the desk, taking in a long slow breath before, rather comically, pointing towards Aang.

"It was really his idea…"

Aang didn't even spare a moment to look betrayed, turning his pleading eyes on Sasuke who immediately felt himself giving ground; Aang had always been so good at getting him to give ground.

"Sasuke, let's face it," he said, spreading his arms. "You've kept to yourself since the war ended, you haven't caused any stirs or anything, you've been great about keeping to yourself when you're here in the Fire Nation, when you travel to the north and south to visit the Water Nation or Ba Sing Se… but that doesn't stop the fact that everyone alive knows who you are."

Sasuke pressed his teeth together behind his lips, wishing the conversation wasn't going in this direction. But he knew where Aang wanted to take it and even dared to consider he understood why he had to.

"You're even more of an enigma than I am," Aang shrugged. "The world knows you've faced down armies, you've faced down beings as powerful as gods, and that you've saved our world. I know you hate it when we bring that sort of thing up, but it's true!"

He gestured to the scrolls lying before him on the desk.

"The people in attendance tomorrow will not just expect to see you present, during the ceremony and the afterparty… this is the Fire Lord we're talking about, getting married… the Fire Lord who spent a great deal of time working with and roaming with you, this demigod!"

Sasuke made a face.

"Don't call me—"

Aang immediately raised his hands in an apology, but continued over Sasuke's objection.

"I'm not saying it to try and make you feel weird! To me, you're a friend, one of the most important people in the world to me… but this is about how others see you, people who haven't been around you, people who may never have even seen you. There are going to be a lot of important people at the wedding tomorrow, and I think it would say a lot if you'd be willing to participate."

Trying not to look like he was pouting, Sasuke drew fingers through his black hair, casting about in his head for a way he could reasonably decline. He hadn't known all too well just what he would be doing the following night, but he had imagined that escorting Toph or merely following some of his friends around would have been in his future. He knew going hand in hand with Ursa was going to be out of the question given her supposed single status among Fire Nation society; there seemed to be an unspoken expectation that she remain that way the remainder of her life, despite her name being cleared by Zuko. Her pregnancy had been a well kept secret during those months and to protect both him and his mother, Itachi was the child of a handmaid who had been unable to care for him. Ursa never said she minded any of this, but Sasuke couldn't imagine that was entirely the case. She put on a strong face for him, for her son and daughter, but he wondered if deep down, she wished she didn't have to hide so much from the world.

Still, he had hoped his experience with the wedding would be as laid back as could be, where he could dwell in the back and not draw even a smidgen of attention to himself. He never liked social events despite only ever having been forced to attend a spare few and while he was happy to show his face at this wedding for Zuko and Mai's sake, he hadn't expected that he would have to be involved in anything other than attendance.

Participate…

The word alone sounded like a strange sort of curse to him, like he was tempting fate by sailing headfirst into a storm if he were to agree. He knew the moment he even was willing to entertain the idea he would have lost ground, but as he watched Aang staring at him with an almost desperate note in his eye and even saw Zuko's gaze twitching up like the Fire Lord was pretending not to care all that much, Sasuke sighed.

"What do you want me to do?"

It was clear Zuko had been gambling on this just as much as Aang had as his head snapped up in an instant and he began to explain.

"Nothing much, really… it used to be a custom in the olden times that a member of a visiting house of royalty or even a leading military figure would offer their blessing during the proceedings."

"How does one 'offer a blessing'?" Sasuke inquired, remaining suspicious of the whole thing.

"Before the actual vows are said, you would just come up and make a gesture over me and Mai," Zuko answered. "We'll be kneeling, so you could tap your sword against our shoulders as they rest against each other, or raise your hands over us, or… honestly, really anything would work, something to work as a sign that you approve of our joining hands. Just takes a couple seconds really, we'd figure where you'd stand and when you'd walk up and everything at the rehearsal tomorrow morning…"

Sasuke watched a fleeting image pass through his head of him standing in the grand hall with hundreds of pairs of eyes watching his every movement and an unpleasant surge passed through his gut. Of all the battles he had fought in his life, he would almost rather have tackled any of them again over making an appearance in the public eye.

But as he looked into Zuko's expectant, almost hopeful eyes, he realized what this meant to them and the moment he considered declining in his head and felt the wave of disgust wash over him at such cowardice, his mind was made up.

"Yeah, of course."

Sokka looked the most surprised of any of them, a wide grin spreading over his face.

"Well, sheesh, that wasn't at all like pulling teeth!" he exclaimed and Sasuke gave him a sideways look.

"Why, were you expecting that?"

"Oh, no, I would never," he grinned, dropping a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Well, come on, we've got to meet with the security detail and we've held them up long enough as is."

"I don't know why we need to," Aang muttered as he walked around the huge desk behind Sokka; as he passed Sasuke, he reached out and gave his wrist a squeeze of appreciation. "Zuko already approved of their setup and number, seems like overkill to double check that…"

The two of them trooped out of Zuko's office and Sasuke found himself alone in the room with the Fire Lord in silence. He put his hands behind his back and rocked gently on his heels a moment while Zuko cleared his throat ahead of him.

Sasuke liked to think that his and Zuko's relationship had gently strengthened over the years; he knew that what had passed between him and Zuko's mother and sister would always means Zuko would never look at him the way he looked at Aang or Sokka. In a way, Sasuke almost felt that he had hoped his actions over the past two years would have proven to Zuko the genuine commitment he felt towards Ursa and his niece. Things had grown stronger between them he felt, but he always knew that his mere presence alone would always be a barb in Zuko's side. He couldn't blame the Fire Lord for that.

"Well… I'll get out of your hair too," he breathed out. "I'm sure you've got a lot on your plate, getting hitched tomorrow and all."

He offered a polite incline of the chin and turned for the door.

"Hey… Sasuke?"

He turned back at the call from Zuko. The Fire Lord looked like he was trying hard to meet Sasuke's eyes, but couldn't quite get there.

"Thank you. You… this means a lot. To me and to Mai."

Sasuke cracked a half-smile.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Of everything I've had to do since I got here, this'll only be by far the hardest."

It seemed to take a second for the joke to land with Zuko, but, after a few seconds, Sasuke was glad to share a quiet laugh with him. He exited the room a few seconds later, still smiling to himself.

"You look happy… I'll take that as you said yes?"

He might very nearly have walked around the corner and into Mai if she hadn't spoken and caused him to look upwards. She was leaning against the side wall near a large window, arms crossed and looked, to Sasuke's eye, like she had been waiting for him. His smile persisted as he regarded her.

"Ah… let me guess… it wasn't just Aang's mind that dreamt this up?"

Mai shrugged.

"He may have had some coaxing… at the very least, I could say he'd had a conversation with me before he brought it up with you."

"Why didn't you ask me yourself last night?"

She shrugged again, grinning.

"I didn't think it would hurt to have the Avatar in my corner on this."

Sasuke shook his head and started down the hallway, Mai joining him as he headed for the gardens. Mai and Aang's extremely close friendship had always struck him as a little odd considering how they really didn't have anything resembling matching personalities, but he had liked the way they always seemed like they could talk about anything between one another.

"I should have guessed. Is there anything the two of you don't confide with each other in?"

"Not really," Mai answered. "If he wasn't bouncing all over the place so much, we probably would be pretty damn close to sharing a consciousness by now."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder.

"I expected you to be with the rest of the gals making sure your ducks were all in a row in terms of dress and such."

Mai flinched and reached up to tousle her own hair as if in defiance.

"Sasuke, I have had my wedding gown picked out for six weeks, I have tried it on over a dozen times, I have had Ty Lee, Azula, and every handmaid in the palace look me over and doll me up, I am done looking at myself in the mirror."

Sasuke couldn't blame her; Mai had never seemed to care much for getting dressed up and under the circumstances, he expected her to be perhaps a little stir crazy. She cocked her head slightly as they walked, looking at him closely.

"You didn't answer my question yet, though."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'll participate," he said and smirked as she pumped a fist, looking genuinely thrilled, a rare show of enthusiasm for her. "Really, you could have just asked."

"I know," Mai admitted, looking slightly apologetic. "I know, I just… I don't know. I got butterflies when I thought about asking you last night."

"Why?"

"I don't know," she repeated, sounding slightly flustered. "I didn't want to put pressure on you or make you feel like you had to. I'm grateful enough that you're coming to the wedding at all, I know you hate crowds and stuff like this in general…"

Sasuke made a face and gave her a small, playful shove.

"Come on. You know I wouldn't miss this. And I really should be thanking you guys; it'll be an honor to get to give you guys a… blessing, I suppose."

She laughed at the clear uncertainty present then in his voice.

"Zuko kind of left it up to you, didn't he?"

"Sure did," Sasuke muttered. "It's alright, I'll figure something out. Maybe I'll borrow one of Ursa's swords…"

They continued walking a ways and Sasuke found that the silence between them, rather than the one he had just shared with Zuko, felt infinitely more comfortable to him. Mai had always had a calming effect on those around her and he was no exception; he was glad that, despite their rocky history, reconciling with her in the days after the war had been almost completely painless.

"It's good to have you back," Mai said softly as they reached the backdoor to the palace's garden. Sasuke looked over to see her looking at him with a small, fond smile. "Everyone's happier when you're around, you know."

Sasuke didn't know that necessarily applied to everyone, but she seemed to read his mind without him saying a word.

"Yes, even Zuko. You make everyone feel safer… Toph is bouncing on her heels everywhere she goes, Soza won't stop smiling, and Ursa practically glows when you're around her."

"I'm happy to provide whatever meager comforts I can," Sasuke shrugged and she flicked his nose, prompting him to chuckle. He sighed almost wistfully. "I like this too; I know it's selfish… but I sort of wish it could always be like this. All of us, together."

"I know," Mai said quietly as they stood at a large window overlooking the vast fields of gardens. "I kind of do too."

She leaned against his shoulder and sighed.

"I can't believe I'm finally getting married tomorrow."

Sasuke gave his head a small shake.

"I can't either. I'm kind of nervous, this is going to be my first wedding."

Mai pulled away and he gave a small laugh at the look on her face though.

"Only a little less nervous than you though, surely…"

She smirked back at him.

"I do my best to keep it in check," she grunted, reaching her arms up in a stretch over her head. "I know Zuko and Ty Lee are bouncing off the walls trying to make sure everything goes well… I'm pretty sure Azula is pretty flustered about the whole thing too, she's following Zuko around and pestering him with questions like they're toddlers all over again."

"Ah, yes," Sasuke replied. "And it's left to you to try and be the voice of calm and reason… while you're probably maybe just a teensy bit worried about the whole thing yourself."

She gave a small shiver.

"Actually, this is the most alone I've been in what feels like two months. Thanks for reminding me what it's like to just… be around."

"Anytime," Sasuke said, putting an arm around her shoulder and smiling as she leaned into him with a heavy sigh. "It's pretty much my favorite thing to do, so whenever you're in the neighborhood…"

He had intended to head back upstairs to his room after meeting with the Fire Lord, but as it happened, he found himself happy to spend the afternoon in Mai's company as he escorted her through the garden while they talked nostalgically about much of what had once been.

---

Sasuke looked at himself the best he could in the mirror, trying not to feel flustered. He had thought just minutes ago that he actually looked quite nice until he had walked from his residence to the dressing room in the royal palace, dodging caterers, guards, and palace staff as he did. Everyone seemed to caught up in their respective tasks to pay him much mind, and he liked it that way. Despite trying not to worry about the role in the wedding he had been asked to play, he was feeling rather good about the whole thing as he stepped into dressing.

That was, right up until Katara and Suki, the room's only two occupants at the moment, got a look at him.

They both looked magnificent, expectedly; Suki was wearing a thin, grass-green dress that complimented her figure and hair beautifully and Katara's rich blue garments seemed to be very clearly traditional of her tribe, she too looking beyond stunning, her hair straight and perfect. They seemed to have been checking one another for wrinkles or any blemishes in each other's getups before he joined them and they both turned to look his way.

"Hi," he said, smiling as he walked in. "You guys look—"

The moment their eyes fell on him, he stopped talking. Suki and Katara both looked at one another, exasperation written on their faces; Sasuke could tell that they were a lot more wound up about the proceedings than he was and apparently the sight of him had just made their states of mind all the worse.

"Sasuke, honey…" Suki moaned as she walked quickly towards him. He took an instinctive step back, completely lost as to what was wrong.

"What, what?" he demanded as she closed in on him. "Is it my outfit? Why are—ack!"

He winced as a jet of water hit him on the top of his head, Katara's hands in motion as she inflicted a small amount of waterbending on him.

"Your outfit is fine, Sasuke," she said, voice tinged with frustration. "But were you really not thinking of doing anything with your hair?"

"My… oh," Sasuke answered as Suki reached him with a comb in hand and began trying to fix what he guessed was probably a pretty messy look. "I hadn't thought about that."

He truly hadn't; Sasuke had never paid much mind to his hair and had even less of a reason to do so being gone the last several months.

"Oh, spirits…" Suki cursed quietly. Sasuke tried to remain still as she went to work on him with the comb, her fingers pressing at his thick black locks more and more aggressively by the second. "Does it ever lie flat?"

"Not unless you know something I don't," he answered honestly, squinting as her hand passed across his brow, trying to sweep aside some stray strands.

"Do you need more?" Katara asked fervently from Suki's side while she looked him over with enough intensity on her face to make Sasuke believe she were in the thick of combat.

"No… this is a bit of a nightmare though."

Sasuke was seconds away from asking them as politely as he could to stop fretting over him before the door opened behind him and a much calmer voice cut the air.

"Oh dear… bad hair day?"

Already smiling, Sasuke turned to see Ursa entering and he tried to keep his mouth from dropping open as he laid eyes on her.

She was dressed in robes of gold and maroon, similar to what she would usually wear, but they were far more brightly colored and the dress accented her body in such a way that Sasuke wanted to wrap her in his arms, take her upstairs, and close the door for the rest of the day. Her hair was long and straight, her ornamental Fire Nation piece situated perfectly atop her head. She was smiling at him somewhat pityingly as Katara and Suki both looked over as well, their hands thick in his hair.

"Girls, why don't you leave him to me?" she said, her voice honey in Sasuke's ears. "I'm sure you both need to get to your places; I'll brave those locks."

"Okay," Suki said, backing away somewhat grudgingly like she didn't want to admit defeat. "Don't you two be late though; Sasuke, don't forget that you're standing between General Ungo and Aang on the left of the altar, Ursa, don't be long, seriously, your spot's still behind Zuko off to the right…"

"Yes, mom," Sasuke smirked at her and was glad to see her crack a smile.

"Shut up," she said, but patted his cheek as she headed for the door that led out to the main hall where the ceremony would begin.

"Sorry, I kind of soaked him," Katara muttered, doing a once around on Sasuke as Ursa neared his side. "Will you be able to…?"

Ursa looked Sasuke's head over and hummed to herself.

"Yes, I should be able to salvage this," she said and Katara gave a small sigh of relief.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "Wouldn't want this scruffy looking fella up there giving a blessing; people might think we let a vagrant in to bless the Fire Lord and his wife."

She and Ursa both laughed while Sasuke made a face waiting for them to finish finding amusement at his expense.

"See you out there," Katara said and Sasuke could hear the slight tingle of nerves in her voice as she followed after Suki leaving him and Ursa alone in the dressing room.

Gently, she reached down to take him by the hand and walk him over to a set of chairs where she sat him down and paced around behind him. Her fingers started to glide through his hair and as he felt her nails scrape delicately over his skin, he couldn't keep from letting a long, contended sigh escaping his nose. Ursa hummed again behind him and drew her fingers from his scalp down along the back of his neck and gave a small chuckle as he shivered.

"You don't know how much I've missed this," he murmured, his eyes closed and wondering if he could just forgo the whole thing and stay there with Ursa all night.

"No more than I have," she answered softly and leaned in to give his ear a small peck. Her hands came back up to his hair to return to work, doing her best to straighten and flatten his unruly hair.

"If it weren't my son getting married," she mused as if they shared thoughts. "I think I'd rather you and I get out of here for a bit."

"Yeah, I suppose it would be pretty selfish of me to ask you to ditch out just for my sake," Sasuke answered. He reached up past his shoulder to take one of her hands and held it tightly. "I'm back now though… I'll have all the time I want with you after tonight."

He could feel her smile against the back of his head,

"I'll remember you said that," she said.

Outside as the minutes passed, Sasuke could hear the footsteps of hundreds of guests, guards, staff, and otherwise marching past outside as they were ushered inside to begin the ceremony. He could hear instruments warming up muffled through the walls, hear heavy doors opening and closing, and the telltale clamor of hundreds of voices as they all spoke to one another beyond the room.

No one knew about the small dressing room that was exclusive to a select few where within Sasuke sat, happy as he had been in a long time.

"How's Itachi?" he asked as she combed down the side of his head.

"Asleep," she replied. "He should be fine for the night. I have Carina and Mila looking after her."

Sasuke knew she had spoken the two names intentionally; he didn't like leaving his child alone with anyone he didn't know personally, but the two handmaids she had just mentioned were the exact two that he would have trusted among all other staff in the palace. They were two young women who were fairly new recruits to the palace grounds, but Sasuke didn't know any other two who had been able to so easily stop Itachi from crying.

"Good… that's good…" he answered, barely able to remain coherent as he turned to butter under her touch. After a minute more, the door connecting the dressing room to the private back hall opened and Ty Lee poked her head in. She was done up in her own lilac colored dress and Sasuke knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she would be turning heads that evening.

"Hey, you two," she smiled. "It's time."

"Alright," Ursa sighed, her hands leaving his head to pat him in a final sort of way on the shoulders. "That's as good as I can get I think."

Sasuke got to his feet, trying not to feel as worried as he did.

Why am I nervous? I'm not getting married.

"Break a leg out there," Ursa whispered to him as she passed him by, kissing his cheek. "You'll do fine."

Of course she had been able to tell he was nervous over the whole thing; he didn't know where she found the time to be worried about him what with it being Zuko, her son, who was getting married. Still, he appreciated the gesture and gave her hand a tight squeeze before following her somewhat reluctantly out into the grand hall.

---

Sasuke stood as straight as he could, as he had for the last hour and a half, patiently waiting for the moment he would go out and hopefully not cause a stir with his participation in the wedding.

He had been in the grand hall several times in his life and had stood inside just that morning for the rehearsal. Somehow, however, it seemed even more vast and cavernous, packed with guests of various royal families, political influences, military importance, and others. Sasuke could find maybe a total of a dozen square feet where someone wasn't standing so crowded the room was.

Though he had been warned that the proceedings were lengthy and would take a fair bit of time as formalities were read, musical pieces performed, and statements made, he had still required a fair amount of willpower to keep from fidgeting too much or letting his eyes wander too excessively. Considering this was a one-time thing in their lives, he felt he owed it to Zuko and Mai to make sure he wasn't even the slightest distraction. He knew eyes were on him after all, as it always was when he made something resembling a public appearance. Part of him thought that there were at least a few people of influence in attendance that would rather a chance to talk to him than be there for the sake of the wedding.

Zuko and Mai had it worse than him by a longshot, he thought; they were wearing elaborate and traditional getups more in the vein of what he had seen Ursa wearing and they were standing at the front of the altar and had been since the ceremony started. They had moved to a couple different places as it had carried on, but Sasuke needed only to look at Zuko and feel like sweating himself.

Sasuke felt rather alone standing where he was down at the front center of the room, just off to the side of the altar. If not for Aang standing to his side on his left, he thought he might feel a lot more nervous than he did; the Avatar's presence beside him was calming in ways he couldn't put into words, especially when all the people he wanted to be around were across the enormous room in a large mezzanine box. Even from there, he could see them all in their seats, looking equally well dressed, but infinitely more comfortable.

Toph, Jin, Sokka, Suki, Yue, and Katara all had a much better seat than he did Sasuke thought. Actually, they had seats period so that was a step up from the small space that he was more or less confined to remain standing in until the wedding was over. It was good to see Jin and Toph together; they, at the very least, seemed to be keeping each other company and he could see them leaning in to whisper on occasion as Jin no doubt relayed certain things to Toph that she might not have been aware of. He thought Jin cleaned up rather nicely despite her status as owning a pub and he didn't think any of the snobbier upper class attendees would have ever guessed that she were from a much smaller income class than they were. She and Toph both had their thick hair done back in braids and both wearing vibrant green dresses to fit well with Suki's which Sasuke supposed was probably intentional. He couldn't say for certain, but he did think he saw Toph make a face in his direction at one point. He nearly returned it in kind, but stopped, first on account of the fact that standing in such a prominent place as he was meant that many people would have just the being they only knew to have godly powers make a very immature expression and secondly because he knew Toph wouldn't see it in turn.

Soza was standing just beside her mother and had somehow maintained a huge smile throughout the entire event thus far. Sasuke didn't know how to feel about how much she seemed to be maturing over the last couple years as she entered her teenage years, but as she stood almost shoulder to shoulder with her mother, he thought she and Azula were almost spitting images of one another, both dressed in almost identical scarlet and black dresses, their hair done up in and fitted with golden ornamental pieces just as Ursa's was. Sasuke imagined that if Soza were just a few years older, they might pass for twins and he found himself surprised and almost a little emotional at how happy Azula looked.

Ty Lee stood at the princess's other shoulder; she hadn't technically made the list for those able to stand at the altar's side, but Azula wouldn't have had it any other way. Though Ty Lee's lilac dress was quite tight and didn't leave a great deal to the imagination, Sasuke thought it was a more modest showing than she usually wore. She too was beaming at Azula's side and Sasuke had already seen the both of them wipe aside tears more than once.

The small orchestra seated off in the corner began another piece and a Fire Nation priest began a slow, invigorating chant prompting Sasuke to begin paying attention again. At his side, Aang gave him the smallest nudge and spoke in a voice that only Sasuke would have been able to hear over the music.

"Get ready, we're up next… you're after the general."

Sasuke suddenly remembered that he was involved in this whole affair and he nearly laughed at the spike of anxiety that pierced his heart. He had faced down armies and beings with power unfathomable to most, and here he was, feeling like he might be sick over a wedding processional.

He had spent a great deal of the last day thinking about how to offer Mai and Zuko his blessing. Whilst in the garden with Mai the day previous, he had asked her about it and what might be expected of him.

"Really, Sasuke, it doesn't have to be a big deal," she had told him. "Like Zuko said, a tap with a sword, you can extend your hands… you don't have to say anything either."

"I don't?" he had asked. That had seemed strange that he would simply walk to the altar, make some gesture, and leave without a word.

"No, not if you don't want to. It really just needs to be a gesture of goodwill… I mean…"

She sighed, looking out over the fountain and the rows of perfectly maintained bushes around them.

"Look, the truth of it is, everyone in attendance is going to know who you are. Regardless of whether or not they've ever talked to you or even seen you, plenty of people will be hoping to get a look at Sasuke Uchiha, the person who ended Fire Lord Ozai's war almost singlehandedly and then ended the spirit invasion a decade or so later. They know you're powerful, they know you're a friend of Aang's, they know you're a friend of Zuko and mine… so, it's not like you need to prove anything. So many people wanted you to turn yourself in after everything happened, just to see who was behind it, but… I don't know, Sasuke, honestly… I'm sure whatever you decide to do will be more than enough for me and Zuko."

Standing at attention now, Sasuke ran through the myriad of ideas that he had conjured up in his head as a chosen few further down the line began what would become an issuing of blessings. Zuko and Mai both stepped around to the top of the steps before the altar to receive them, the first being a royal priest of the Fire Nation. Sasuke tuned him out while he ran through his thoughts like he were rolling a many-sided dice; none of his ideas quite seemed right to him.

After a few more people went, all of whom offered gestures rather than words and some of whom Sasuke recognized such as General Gokan, the eccentric figure of King Bumi made his way up to the front, still somehow spry for a man as ancient as him. He offered a deep bow that Zuko and Mai returned by inclining their heads.

"A thousand blessings for every house in the kingdom of Omashu," the kind said. The acoustics in the room allowed his words to carry throughout the huge, yawning chamber. "May the marriage of the Fire Lord proffer a generation of peace and prosperity to this great nation, and may you live your days together with laughter and love."

He bowed again and stepped off to where he had been standing. Sasuke stared after the king, feeling quite suddenly like his gesture wasn't going to stack up to even something as well put as that.

Sasuke watched a number of other blessings; an arc of fire, a deep and detailed compliment, an elaborate sword salute, and then he saw Iroh approaching the altar. Sasuke had heard that while direct family wasn't amongst the number allowed to come and make an offering, hence Ursa not being able to join the small fold, Iroh, being an important member of the Fire Nation's reigning government allowed for a little wiggle room. The old man wasn't moving as well as he used to, but the creases of his face still shone with happiness and pride as he stepped forward and bowed low to Zuko and Mai, the former looking like he was trying not to get emotional.

"My nephew," Iroh said. "I would never be able to properly articulate the pride I feel at seeing you here now. You've chosen an beautiful, caring, and strong woman as your bride and though I lament I will not live to see you grow old and happy together, I know that is the end you will both achieve at one another's side. I will continue to serve the both of you as chief tactician for as long as my use remains, and I implore you accept my blessing and know my love for you is and will always be boundless."

Sasuke watched Iroh mouth the words 'I love you' towards Zuko as he bowed again and he saw tears swimming in the Fire Lord's eyes. A small sniff from next to Sasuke told him that Aang wasn't immune to the emotion of the moment either and he saw a tear slide down Ursa's cheek as well; he wished she were able to say something.

His heart jumped then as General Ungo stepped away beside him to offer his blessing and realized he was up next. Feelings his toes almost vibrating, he realized just how unprepared he felt.

They both told me I don't need to do much… just a gesture, that's all… but they deserve better than that. But what can I possibly do that…

Ungo returned to his side and as he drew to a halt, Sasuke knew his time was up. He swallowed and, knowing somewhere around a thousand pairs of eyes were locked on him, he stepped gingerly forward. His gaze cast ahead fretfully as he felt the back of his neck heat up and he caught Ursa's gaze for half a second, long enough for her to give him a small, encouraging nod. His eyes then somehow found Soza standing beside Azula and he saw the apprehension on her face.

Then, perhaps because she saw his own trepidation or perhaps because she just wanted to silently cheer him on, but Soza gave him a wink. Sasuke nearly stopped in his tracks at the gesture, not because it surprised him, but because of what it suddenly made him realize as he approached the steps of the altar.

Oh. Right.

He realized how much he had been overthinking the whole thing and he realized that he didn't want to make a gesture. He wanted to say something. He wanted to say something badly.

Reaching the bottom step, he looked up meet the eyes of both Zuko and Mai. Their gazes were both warm, Zuko's expression looking somewhat curious, Mai's looking encouraging as she broke her poise just briefly to give him the tiniest of smiles. Sasuke looked back at them and bowed low, they both matching his movement to a lesser degree. As he raised his head, he found himself knowing perfectly well what to do.

"I wish I could offer you the blessing of a great leader… or a kingdom… or even something as incredible as a nation," he said. The silence behind was oppressive and he almost smiled to know just how many people were staring at him, hearing him speak for the first time and wondering what this god among men was going to say.

I'm just going to be honest.

Zuko and Mai both looked surprised that he had chosen to speak and that only bolstered his confidence.

"But I can't do any of that. And despite that, I realize how lucky I am to get a chance to do this."

He looked between them both again and openly offered them a smile.

"I've known you both for a while. I'd like to say I know you better than a lot of people; you've shared so much with me and I know I've shared a great deal with you too. Not all of it has been good, some of what we've gone through together has been downright nightmarish. But somehow on the other end of it, I can still look at you both and see two of my close friends and feel nothing short of complete joy that you're getting to take this step together."

Sasuke spread his hands on either side of him. He cast no jutsu, didn't draw his Susanoo into form for an impressive display, didn't do any of the many things he could do to make a scene. He merely stood there, offering himself to Zuko and Mai.

"The blessing I can give you is that of a friend. One who knows how much you love each other, who knows how happy you both make one another. And I hope you know that just as I know you'll always be there for each other, your friends, your family, your nation… I'll always be there for you both. This I promise."

There was more he could say, but somehow Sasuke felt like that was enough. He bowed again and stepped back respectfully before quickly returning to his spot without looking like he was running.

That… felt good.

He knew that couldn't have been what those present had been expecting. They were looking for a show, some sign of the power and mystery that surrounded him name. But Sasuke hadn't given them anything like that. All he had felt he needed to do was tell them both the truth. What else was there to say? He wasn't a leader or someone with a vast amount of influence. He had no desire for fanfare or tradition or anything of the sort.

And as Aang gave another sniff and moved past him to go make his own blessing, Sasuke saw Mai and Zuko both looking his way. The emotion in their eyes told him everything he needed to know and as he heard someone loudly blow their nose from one of the mezzanine boxes where he knew his friends were sitting, he couldn't help smiling.

---

When the ceremony finally concluded, Sasuke waited until the moment he knew he was free to move to practically jog to the doors behind him. He felt bad slipping away so suddenly, but after what had turned into about two hours of standing still, sweating and nervous, he desperately needed a breath of fresh air. Everyone seemed to be congregating around Zuko and Mai as it should have been anyway, he didn't imagine he would be missed for the time being.

He made it quickly down the hall and into the large secondary hall that had been cleared out for the reception and dance following the wedding. Several caterers and servants looked around in surprise at seeing someone there before the bride and groom, but Sasuke paid them no mind; he knew the palace well enough to know that just up the main staircase was a balcony and it was calling his name.

A split second later, he was out in the warm night air, a soft breeze playing on his face with a sensation akin to ecstasy. He closed his eyes and sighed up at the stars, glad for the peaceful moment alone at last.

It wound up being rather short-lived.

"BOO!"

Sasuke hissed and spun on his heel only to find both Jin and Toph standing there and cackling at his expense. Jin had slipped up behind him and Sasuke, who hadn't been thinking remotely that he was under threat of an ambush, hadn't seen it coming.

"You just jumped about a foot," Toph grinned. "At least, that's about how long it feels like you left the ground."

"Hilarious," Sasuke muttered. "You're both an absolute riot."

"Oh, cheer up, grumps," Jin said jovially, walking up and playfully bumping shoulders with him and deftly sliding a glass of wine into his hand. "Drink up, it'll do your soul good."

Grudgingly, Sasuke obeyed, doing his best not to down the entire glass in one gulp.

"How'd you find me?" he asked warily. "I thought I'd beat everyone out and… oh, that's right."

Toph was waggling her fingers tellingly; he had forgotten briefly her ability to more or less tell where anyone was at any given point albeit they were near enough.

"Jin saw you bolt," she said. "Figured we'd head you off, make sure you weren't thinking about running away before the party even got started."

"Thinking about it? You bet," Sasuke stated, turning to lean and stare off the side of the balcony. The Fire Nation capital glittered below him, hundreds of small lights dotting streets and buildings. "But no… I wouldn't be that rude."

"Jin could tell everyone you weren't feeling well, so I took you upstairs," Toph suggested, cocking her head towards her friend. "You'd wingman that for us, wouldn't you?"

Jin snorted.

"Sure, but it's your funeral if you actually think anyone would buy that," she replied and then started speaking in a mocking, pretend voice. "'Oh, yeah, totally guys, Sasuke just wasn't feeling well, and Toph took him to his room… where they definitely didn't go so they didn't have to talk to a bunch of people they didn't want to and where they'd be able to fuck like a pair of—"

"Yeah, yeah," Sasuke said, cutting her off as Toph howled hysterically. "Speaking of, there was something I wanted to ask you about."

He pointed at Jin in mild annoyance and she raised her eyebrows, placing a hand over her breast.

"Speaking of? Sasuke, my goodness… in front of Toph?"

He rolled his eyes as they both cackled again; truly, if Ty Lee showed up, he thought he might just about be done for. He had learned full well what happened when the three of those girls started partying a little too hard in one another's company.

"Soza's been saying a couple things I've been led to believe she might have gotten from you… I'd appreciate it if you would watch the dirty mouth around her, at least for another couple years."

Jin rolled her eyes herself, matching his motion and gave Toph a look.

"Tattle-tale."

"I would have figured it out myself at some point," Sasuke said. "You've got a sailor's mouth for more than just swear words and even though I know Azula's told her a thing or two…"

"About what, pray tell?"

Sasuke's breath left him in an exasperated sigh as he recognized the voice well before he turned to face Azula. She was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, her beautiful, piercing eyes reinforcing her question. He was glad for the smirk playing at the corner of her mouth, telling him that she knew full well what about. Azula raised her chin towards Jin and Toph.

"Your third is looking for you two, she said she'd rather not start drinking without you both."

"Aw, she's rather share a drink with us than you, 'Zula?" Jin asked, her tone teasing.

"Don't let it go to your head," Azula warned and Jin laughed.

"Heard, your highness," she answered, giving Toph a poke. "Come on, let's not keep her waiting."

Toph followed after Jin towards the large flapping veil that separated the balcony from the large hall, pausing only to lean up and give Sasuke a small kiss.

"You owe me a dance before the night's out, you big sap," she said and passed Azula to head back down the stairs. Sasuke could see past her and saw guests pooling rapidly into the huge expanse, collecting refreshments, beginning to join in conversation as music began to play, heralding the start of the dance. Azula didn't seem to pay much attention to any of what was happening behind her, her eyes still on Sasuke.

"Would you be offended if I joined you?"

He saw a glass in her hand as well and shook his head.

"Not at all, your majesty."

Smoothly, she drew up alongside him and Sasuke had to force himself to tear his eyes from her. The one thing that hadn't changed about Azula from the day he had met her over a dozen years ago was that she remained strikingly gorgeous. For a spell, the two of them remained side by side, quietly sipping their wine and staring up at the stars. Sasuke was surprised how relaxing he found her company even though he knew why it was such a rarity for the two of them to ever be alone together. Sasuke rather went out of his way to avoid situations like this, but on that night, he felt daring enough to chance it.

"Your words were beautiful."

Surprised, Sasuke looked over to see Azula looking at him. There was a strange look in her eyes as though she were seeing him in a light she never had before. He gave his shoulders an uneven shrug.

"Thanks. Meant every word."

Azula nodded slowly.

"I know you did."

"What would you have said if you had gotten a chance to speak?"

She lowered her head and looked down at the lights below.

"Nothing as poignant as what you did... and certainly nothing Zuzu and Mai don't already know."

It fell silent again and Sasuke could feel the moment passing between them.

"Soza… she wants to take one of the royal ships around the eastern volcano range," Azula eventually said, her voice quiet. "I told her we'd go after the wedding… would you…"

Her voice cracked slightly and Sasuke felt a pang in his stomach that nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"Would you want to come with us?" she managed to finish and Sasuke dared to look over. She wasn't looking back and he couldn't tell in the semidarkness of the night if her eyes were shining or not.

I wonder… if this is always going to hurt like this between us.

He didn't know how it couldn't. Despite how he had changed and how Azula had changed, there was no way to erase what had passed between them. There were wrongs that could never be righted… perhaps apologized for, but never righted. And Azula knew that as well as he did. He wondered if she had spent the months he had been gone trying to think up something to say, to instigate a conversation neither of them wanted to have. Sasuke could feel her struggling as she rested her arms against the balcony and avoided his eyes.

With a mental sigh, Sasuke supposed that, while he didn't think he'd ever forgive her for what happened, he hadn't felt in a long time like it was something he held against her anymore. He reached out with an arm, offering and Azula looked over, regarding him as though he were about to play a cruel trick on her. He kept her gaze and she finally sniffed loudly and moved to his side, the pair wrapping one another up in a tight embrace. Azula shook as she cried and Sasuke gently rocked her back and forth.

Still… if I never forgive her… what am I doing to myself so much as her?

Maybe, he thought. Not today, but maybe one day.

"I think that sounds like a good time," he answered her, holding her close. "I'd be happy to come along."

He thought about what Azula was doing with the tribe she had wronged, putting herself in danger and willingly letting herself be hurt, a pain she was trying to keep secret from everyone.

I know she's changed… maybe I just have to try and change a little with her.

"Mom?"

Sasuke turned his head and looked to see Soza standing past the long, billowing curtains that led onto the balcony. Her head was cocked in worry.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice tight and Sasuke could hear the protectiveness she had inherited from her mother that had been only strengthened over the years by Toph.

"Nothing, honey, nothing…" Azula said as she gently pulled away from Sasuke. He felt her hands cling to his arms perhaps a moment longer than her motion dictated. "It's just… a bit of an emotional night for me."

Soza didn't look anywhere near convinced, but slowly nodded.

"Zuko's looking for you. The delegation from the southern water tribe is here and he wants his sister there for the meeting, I guess."

Azula cleared her throat and straightened. She dabbed the corner of her eyes briefly and sighed, suddenly seeming like she had never experienced the crying spell after all.

"I'll need to touch my makeup up, I'm afraid…" she murmured then started back towards the stairs where her daughter had come from. "Thank you, dear."

"Yeah…" Soza said, looking worried yet, but looked up as Azula came up beside her, took her head in her hands, and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"I'm fine, Soza. Truly."

Soza looked up at her mother, the conflict glistening on her face, but slowly, she lowered her head in a nod.

"Yeah. Okay."

Azula cast a single glance back at Sasuke who held her gaze as long as she was willing to share it before she returned inside. Silently, he made a promise to talk to her on this trip Soza was talking about. If the hatchet could finally be buried, he felt he owed it to himself to try... and he felt Azula probably needed it far more than he did.

Things can change for the better... they always can. I'll make it right, whatever that takes.

Still, for the time being, he supposed he shouldn't worry himself too much over Azula. She would have taken up his thoughts for the last two years if he had let her.

"I guess we're going on a little boat ride to go see the volcanos in a few days?" he asked as he returned himself mentally to the now and immediately, his daughter's face brightened.

"Yes! You're coming?"

"I suppose I can," he answered. "I've been working for so long, I'll have forgotten what it's like to kick back and relax a bit."

"Yeah! I thought about taking grandma and Itachi too, I think it'd be so cool to show him the volcanos… even if he doesn't remember them when he's older."

She ran up to his side, her dress flapping behind her and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm so happy you're back," she said against his chest and Sasuke felt a lump rise in his throat.

"I'm happy to be back, kid," he said and kissed the top of her head. "I don't think I'll be going away like that again for… oh, quite a while."

"You were helping protect people," Soza said as she pulled back from him. "You once told me that protecting is the greatest thing you can do for someone you've never met."

Sasuke had a fleeting image of the girl he and Yue had encountered who had screamed at the spirit that had nearly taken her life.

"I recall."

She hugged him tightly and Sasuke returned the embrace, not wanting to let her go. He didn't think there was anyone he loved quite so much.

A tune was struck up past the curtain, beyond the stairs and into the hall, and a smattering of applause went up. Sasuke felt his tiredness, his desire to just stay out there and wait for the night to be over, and his pure introversion press strongly against him, trying to pull him back.

Then, he looked down at Soza's smiling face and it all faded away.

"How about a dance?" he asked her and her smile doubled in size.

"Really?" she asked, her expression then fading into a distant frown. "Are we allowed to do that?"

Sasuke laughed.

"Who's going to stop us?"

She looked back at him and slowly beamed. Reaching out, she took his hand and dragged him along back towards the clamor and music. Sasuke looked back a last time and smiled towards the stars, wondering if they looked the same to someone else worlds away. Then, he let his daughter lead him back inside where his family and friends all resided, all eager to share their lives with him, to where his other child rested just a few floors above.

Naruto… I'd like to think you'd be proud.

As he rejoined the waking world, Sasuke didn't think he could pinpoint a time in his life where he had ever felt happier.