AN: I was thinking long and hard about the ending of ATLA...and I was quite dissatisfied with it. Mai really represents Zuko's sordid past, not to mention the fact that they've been through quite a bit that they might begrudge one another...and Katara seemed to relent and be with Aang only because it was her last option/makes him happy...I don't know...it just seemed weird in both couples for me...I hope you all enjoy this fic...

Ratings/warnings...I wouldn't say this fic is a hardcore M rating...and it's a little more than T sometimes...so I would say the in-between of T and M. Some language, a bit of sexy-ness, but not full blown lemon. If a chapter becomes lemony, I'll warn you.

Into The Fire

THE TENSION IN the room was palpable, and the cheery yellow and red decor did little to diffuse it. Zuko grit his teeth in annoyance, doing his best to keep from snapping at his beloved. "Mai..." his voice was low, and was barely restraining a hiss, "I'd really like it if you actually listened when I told you about stuff instead of dismissing my concerns." He turned to regard her, wondering if she'd actually react or if she'd continue with her blatant indifference.

She sighed impatiently. "Zuko, you mention your 'concern' over your army nearly everyday. I'm sick of hearing about your soldiers and their discomforts over assisting the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. They're fine, they're not children, get over it." She lounged on a red chaise with gold trim, picking at minute fibers, probably out of boredom.

The couple thankfully chose to have their arguement in Zuko's personal sitting room this time instead of elsewhere where the entire palace could hear. Zuko found it unnerving when the servants gossiped and shot Mai or himself pitying glances. Even Uncle Iroh had questioned on occasion what the percolating issue between the young couple seemed to be, which was surprising since he was so caught up with his tea shops as of late.

Zuko released the reigns on his temper and practically stormed up to Mai. "They're my troops! They're my people! They're important to me! And forgive me for assuming that they'd be important to you also, since you should care about what I care about!" Zuko inwardly cringed, feeling as if he sounded like a harried housewife and not the regal Fire Lord that he was.

She arched an ebony brow at him, her gaze condescending and belittling. "Well, if we're going to talk about what's important to us...what about our marriage? We've been engaged for a year and half and our impending nuptials seem to be nowhere in sight." Her voice remained level and lacked any sort of fervor. She flicked an insubstancial fiber in his direction, and it drifted amongst the motes of imperceptable dust.

Zuko froze and he felt something akin to a prickle on the back of his neck. He turned away from Mai, stalking to his sitting room's window, his hands resting on the sill for support. The Fire Lord scoured over his words, searching for something suitable to reply with. He couldn't think of anything.

Mai snorted derisively. "If I had known you'd waste my time like this I wouldn't have gotten back together with you."

Zuko winced. Her comment really hurt. As much as she irritated him, to say such a wounding thing...it was unnacceptable. He kept his gaze away from the view of his elaborately furnished sitting room and his once-upon-ago love. "Then why are you still with me Mei? Can you answer me that?" the scarred warrior felt his anger resurface and he whirled to face his finacee once more, "Are you with me because I'm the Fire Lord? Are you with me out of habit? Why do you even bother?" his voice trembled with his barely supressed rage.

She rose from her perch, her robes black and morbid, falling about her ankles. Her quick steps brought her to his side, her hand rising to rest upon his scarred cheek in a tender fashion. Mei's voice was laced with tenderness and hurt. "I love you. I was imprisoned for you. You abandonned me to join the Avatar. We've been through so much together...only to throw it away...?" her voice trailed off and her gaze searched his own.

Zuko fought the urge to wrench her hand from his face. "You always throw that back in my face. Every time. Every fucking time." he practically growled.

She frowned. "Oh, so just because we're together now we're going to pretend like the past never happened? I've sacraficed everything because I've loved you and now you just want to pretend like it never happened?" Her hand withdrew from his cheek on its own accord and Zuko felt a tinge of relief. Physical contact with her right now was just something he couldn't withstand.

"How can we even start planning a wedding together or try to start a future together when you keep drudging up the past?!" Zuko was yelling at this point, and was so enraged that he cared little if the whole palace heard or not, "Yes, the past happened! Yes, I've hurt you in the past! Yes, I've messed up royally on more than one occasion! But I can't keep having you throw it in my face every damn day!" He began trembling, for he was so mad the temptation to grasp Mai by her slim shoulders and throttle that hateful disdain from her lovely face was growing stronger with each passing moment. The Fire Lord was having a difficult time restraining himself.

"Well, I'm sorry if that's so hard for me to forgive! You didn't even know I'd been let out of prison until I came to meet you! Would you have even remembered to come and get me? You broke up with me by a note to go and play hero with the Avatar! And I got myself to imprisoned to let you go free. All because I loved you!" Tears of anger and grief stung at the warriors eyes and she indignantly wiped at them.

Zuko softened as the tears fell faster than Mai's fingers could wipe away. "Mai..." the once-banished Prince came to his lover's side and tilted her face to meet his own. The tips of his fingers traced the tears away soothingly. "Please don't cry...I'm just angry...I'm saying hurtful things..." her soft sobs were audible now, and he pulled the bawling beauty into his arms. "Oh, Mai, I love you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Zuko's hands stroked soothing patterns down her darkly clothed back.

"Oh Zuko..." she mewled, sobbing as her lover attempted to soothe her. "I can't take much more of this!"

Zuko withdrew slightly to gaze into Mai's tear-drenched facade. "Oh Mai...you don't mean that..." he trailed of uncertainly, though one thing he was certain of was that he felt the same as Mai's heartfelt expression. He smoothed her hair from her forehead, pressing kisses in the wake of his touches.

She sniffled, closing her eyes as his lips brushed against his skin. "Oh, please, Zuko...make love to me..." She pleaded, her lip quivering. It was the only way she could remain close to this man who had changed so much since his banishment. He was ever-changing just as she remained ever the same. One day...she'd turn to him, and he'd already be walking down another path, one where she couldn't follow...

Zuko blinked in surprise. "What?"

She nodded slightly as Zuko dried the last vestiges of her rageful tears. "Please. Touch me. Make me feel good. Make love to me." Her voice breathy, she looked up at him, doe-eyed from beneath her wet lashes.

He swore softly under his breath, for he could deny Mai nothing, not when she had cried so much, not when she gave him that sweet look...

The Fire Lord pulled the noble woman into his arms, carrying her to the crimson chaise she'd been picking at only a quarter of an hour before. He laid her down gingerly, his fingers making quick work of the fastenings of her clothing. "Mai..." Zuko whispered her name, his voice as conflicted as his emotions. Half of him still wanted to throttle this vengeful woman and the other half of him wanted to lose himself into the sweet depths of her body...

Mai pulled her beloved onto the chaise, sending Zuko's ornate robes to join her's on the floor. Their bodies, heated from their arguement and their passions, touched and elicited soft moans from both parties. "Zuko..." she moaned his name, for he had begun to spread kisses over her face, neck, shoulders, and beyond. She so loved his broad shoulders, his muscular chest, his strong thighs...

Zuko touched and teased Mai exactly as she liked. One could not be lovers with someone for nearly two years and not know what they preferred. His fiancee pulled him closer, welcoming him into into her body, and he cried out softly as if wounded. For his heart was. As good as this felt, as much as he enjoyed it, he knew that in the recesses of his heart, this was wrong.

But such thoughts were pushed to the side and as Mai moved beneath him, breathing his name as she reached her pinnacle, Zuko rose and fell with her, his breath coming in pants and gasps. And as much as he'd just felt, Zuko strangely felt nothing at all. The woman beneath him murmured apologies and sweet nothings, but they went in through one proverbial ear and out the other. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, as if his whole body was numb, but his head was spinning...oh...

"Zuko? Zuko? What's wrong?" Mai's voice, laced with concern, her eyes, amber and watching him with open preplexion. Zuko blinked, and, honestly, it was the strangest thing...

Zuko was now the one with tears trailing down his face.

THE BREEZE WAS cool and light, the sun was bright and strong, and the flight pleasurable, as usual. But, still, Katara was always glad to be back on the ground. And to be on Kyoshi Island to visit her brother no less. The village girls swarmed around Aang like bumble-wasps, as always and it seemingly didn't bother the Avatar anymore now than it had two years ago.

Their incessant cries of 'Aangie' were starting to give Katara a headache though. She sighed softly, and not for the first time that day wondered why she felt so irritable and so...dissatisfied.

"Katara! Hey, Katara!" Sokka's cries, though his voice had deepened considerably, cut through those of the giggly girls'. He grinned broadly and Katara regarded her older brother with wonder.

"Sokka...you've gotten so tall...and manly..." she blinked in her disbelief, as if perhaps clearing her eyes would bring back the man-child she'd seen only a year before. He was tall now, and broad, and coming to resemble their father more each day. She felt her eyes tears up. Oh, Mother, if only you could see him now...

"And you! So womanly! Why isn't Dad keeping you hidden down in the South Pole?" Sokka gave his sister a protective platypus-bear hug, laughing at his sister's surprise.

Katara grinned and smacked her brother playfully in response. "Our clothes down at home hide enough, don't you think?" she smiled, for she had missed her brother more than she'd realized. And now she was here, visiting him and his wife. Katara snickered softly, because she still couldn't believe he was married. Poor Suki must have her hands full.

Aang managed to pull himself away from his fan club and greet his long-time friend. The girls, of course, cried out in dissappointment. Aang didn't seem too perturbed. "Hey Sokka!"

Sokka grinned and slapped Aang on the back. "Speaking of who's gotten tall! Mr. Avatar must have gotten a growth spurt!"

Aang laughed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. The Avatar had kept up with shaving his hand since he'd shaved it on the Day of Black Sun. And had also grown since that day as well, already taller than Katara's 5'4''. "Well...I guess..."

Sokka chuckled. "Now you two look like a real couple! Maybe we'll have a wedding to look forward to...?" the elder of the Water Tribe siblings raised his eyebrows, apparently fishing for information.

As Aang blushed and mumbled, Katara rolled her eyes. "Please, Aang hasn't even turned 15 yet, Sokka!" she felt unexplainably irritated again, and glared at her brother. "Go help Aang unpack. I'm going to go see Suki." And with that the Waterbender stalked off to find her Kyoshi Warrior friend.

Aang and Sokka exchanged confused glances. "What's with her?" Sokka asked, looking back at Katara's retreating form.

Aang shrugged. "Haven't gotten a clue..." he sighed softly. It seemed that Katara was unhappy as of late, though he couldn't begin to guess why. The past year and a half that he and Katara had been involved had been great. They'd always had somewhere to go, people and villages to help, and an adventure or two to be had. But lately...well...she hadn't been quite herself.

"Is it...womanly stuff...?" Sokka suggested.

Aang flushed. "Um...I don't really know when...she has womanly...err...things..." The Avatar trailed off awkwardly, since women's menstral cycles and admitting that he was an untried virgin were both equally embarrassing subjects.

Sokka's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you two haven't...?" Sokka then slapped himself in the forehead. "You know what? I don't want to know. Not my business." he walked over to Appa and began unpacking his saddle. "In fact, I'm glad you haven't. Katara shouldn't do things like that...ever." As Sokka continued to mumble about Aang and his sister's sex life, or lack thereof, Aang joined him in unpacking his belongings.

"...just shut up Sokka..." The Airbender finally managed to hiss.

"Okay."

KATARA ENTERED THE quaint house that Sokka had built Suki once they had gotten engaged a year and a half ago. The marriage followed quickly, since Sokka and Suki had spent a good deal of time romancing one another while the war was ensuing. Katara smiled, running a hand along the wall. Suki had obviously been the one to decorate this lovely home, the soft browns, beiges, and greens complimenting one another perfectly. And every so often, Katara saw hues of blue that must have been Sokka's little touch. The house was not extravagent by any means, but it was well built and a sign of Sokka's love and dedication for his newly-wedded wife.

"Sokka, are Katara and Aang here yet?" Suki's voice called out cheerfully from the kitchen. Katara followed her sister-in-law's voice and did yet another double take for the day when she laid eyes upon her.

"Suki, you're pregnant?!" Katara squealed in joy and surprise.

Suki, forgetting to question where Sokka and Aang were, nodded excitedly, rubbing the little belly that had not been there last Katara had seen her. "Yes! We sent a message to your Father, but his reply told us you and Aang had already left before our message arrived." the Kyoshi warrior replied warmly.

Katara launched herself into Suki's arms, taking care not to be rough with her, and squeezed her enthusiastically. "I'm going to be an aunt! I'm so excited!" she pulled Suki to the dining table and forced her to sit. "Tell me everything!" Katara demanded.

Suki, all smiles, excitedly told her friend and sister-in-law all the girly details about how she found out, how Sokka reacted, what baby supplies she'd received already, and how far along she was. After everything had been said and done, Suki turned the conversation around on Katara. "So, how about you and Aang...?" she queried slyly.

Katara blinked. "What about us?" she replied in an uninterested tone.

Suki arched a brow. "Well, aren't you two together?" Suki leaned in, wondering if maybe Katara had some interesting break-up story. But, sadly, she was dissappointed.

"Yeah, we're together." Katara answered, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"So...? Anything juicy?" Suki asked desperately, waving her hands around to emphasize her point.

Katara sighed softly. "No. Nothing. We haven't gotten engaged, or intimate, or anything like that." and from the sound of it, Katara didn't even seem slightly interested in doing so. She rested her elbows on the sturdy table Sokka had built Suki and placed her chin in her hands. "Nothing really interesting going on on our side of things...except for traveling, helping people, ambassador type things...you know, Avatar duties." she listed things off on her fingers, looking incredibly bored as she did so.

Suki eyed Katara incredulously. "Well, all of that sounds interesting to me." she retorted, her hand coming to rest on her budding belly. When Katara sighed softly, Suki's regarded her caringly. "But it's not what you want, is it Katara?" her voice took on an almost motherly tone that shocked Suki herself, but seemingly did the trick for Katara.

"I just don't know...it was one thing when Sokka, Toph, and I traveled the world helping Aang master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord. Now..." she sighed heavily, as she seemed to be doing lately, "Now it just feels like its a chore. Aang and I are never in one place for long...we never get to see you guys or my Dad. I want my own little pretty house and my own little..." Katara trailed off, having never voiced such thoughts and desires aloud previously.

Suki leaned in, listening intently. "Your own little what?"

Katara blanched, fearful of bringing her wants and needs to life by not only acknowledging them herself, but also speaking of them to someone else. "My own little-"

But the two women were interrupted by Sokka and Aang entering the house with little silence or grace. "Next time watch where you're going, dummy!" Sokka snapped heatedly. He set Katara's travel pack down without tact or care.

Aang's apologetic voice mumbled a response, and then died down as he set eyes upon Suki. "You guys are having a baby?" he questioned, surprised. He set his own belongings down and walked over to the women to inspect Suki's baby bump.

Sokka grinned, rather proud of himself. "Why, yes Aang, Suki and I are having a baby. It's probably a boy. You know, what with this manly wolf-tail and all..." he did a few poses to show off his budding muscles, leaving the other occupants of the room sweatdropping.

"...just for that remark, I bet it's going to be a girl..." Aang whispered conspiratorily to Katara. She nodded in agreement, and Suki laughed.

"I wouldn't mind having a little girl to train in the arts of a Kyoshi Warrior." she announced, equally as proud as Sokka had been only moments earlier. She rubbed her growing stomach lovingly, as if she wanted the baby to know how much she already loved it.

Katara smirked. "Well, it could be a Waterbender...runs in the family you know..."

Sokka scowled. "No! No more magic in our family!" he waved his hands frantically. "It's going to be a boy. And he won't Bend or do anything crazy. He'll be a warrior and a fisher, like his good ol' Dad."

Everyone continued chuckling and joking, suggesting what the baby's gender could be and if it would be a Bender or not. Suki and Katara momentarily forgot their serious conversation that Sokka and Aang had interupted. There would be a time and a place later on for the two women to discuss Katara's probable unhappiness with the young Avatar.

But that evening, as Katara lay in her make-shift bed on Sokka and Suki's living area floor, Aang snoring peacefully beside her, her earlier conversation with Suki ran through her head incessantly, making it impossible for her to sleep. She wondered wearily if perhaps she wasn't really happy with the life she currently had with Aang. That maybe she did want to get married and have a family of her own, to find somewhere to call home and to stay most months of the year.

Katara propped herself up on her elbow, gazing at Aang. The room was dark, but she could still make out his silhouette. He had grown taller in the past year and a half since the war had ended, but he was still rather thin. Kind of in the scrawny stage Sokka had been in back when he was fifteen. Aang was hardly what Katara would call dashingly handsome or smolderingly sexy. He was just...Aang. Sweet, cheerful, silly Aang who wanted to ride Giant Koi more than he wanted to ride her...

Sweet Spirits, did she really just think that? Katara felt herself blush. There had been a few occasions where her and Aang's kissing had led to some heavy petting. Her hormones had been racing, and she'd wanted so badly to feel all the things a husband and wife did...but Aang had stopped himself on each occurence. Katara clearly remembered him kissing her sweetly on the cheek, telling her that if they waited it'd be something special for the both of them to share on their wedding night.

The wedding night that wasn't even pending, since Aang hadn't even proposed yet. He wasn't even fifteen yet. He really wasn't even old enough to be intimate with a woman yet. Katara sighed and laid back down, taking her eyes away from her 'boyfriend'. She, however, was sixteen. If she were back in the Southern Water Tribe where she belonged, a handsome, dashing boy would have already put a betrothal necklace on her neck. She'd be seventeen in a few months time, for Spirits' Sake! Some girls that age were carrying their first child already! Suki was a prime example!

Katara frowned, fiddling with her blanket. She truly was happy for Sokka and Suki. They were in love, were building a great life together, and now had a bundle of joy on the way. She sighed longingly, pressing her hand to her own stomach. Suki's stomach was pretty big, being nearly six months along. What would it be like to be six months along with a baby of her own? A baby that was her's...and Aang's.

She glanced at the sleeping Avatar once more. He was still so childish. He wasn't even serious enough or mature enough to be a father. Yet, somehow, he had managed to save the world. That should count for something...maybe he would be a good father...? But even at the end, he wouldn't have been able to save the world if it weren't for Toph, Zuko, Sokka, and herself backing him up.

She blinked, fighting a giggle. Fire Lord Zuko. Now that was a man who could set a woman's heart a pitter patter. She'd been so mean to him when he first tried to join their group, then, somehow, through a series of strange circumstances, they'd become friends. She'd even saved his life. They had faced Azula down together.

But, yes, Zuko was handsome. Very handsome. Dangerous. And that scar of his made him seem even more dangerous...she sighed in a manner very similar to the Kyoshi girls to liked Aang so much, and wanted to slap herself.

What was she doing mooning over Zuko? She hadn't even seen him for six months! He and Mai were engaged, probably setting a wedding date with announcements any day now. They could even be expecting a baby sooner or later...

Katara pressed her hand to her stomach. A baby...she'd always wanted children...and it was becoming alarmingly clear that she'd rather have them now than never...Katara frowned determinedly and got out of bed. She went over to Aang's bedroll and gently shook his shoulder.

"Mm...?" Aang blearily opened one eye. "K...ta...a?" he looked around, confused. "Whasit?"

Katara pressed him down and kissed him deeply. "Aang...lets have a baby." the Waterbender cared little for how loony she sounded at the moment. This was something important to her.

If Aang wasn't awake before, he was now. "What? Katara?" he instinctivally kept his voice low, not wanting to disturb Sokka or Suki. He eyed his girlfriend, not sure if she was playing a practical joke, or if she was serious...but if it was a joke, couldn't it have waited until the morning? "Haha, really funny." Why'd she have to wake him up for dumb jokes? He shifted, but couldn't really move anywhere since Katara was sitting on top of him.

"I'm serious. I want to have a baby." she watched him, as if expecting an answer, and Aang wasn't sure what he was supposed to say.

"Katara...we're not even married. We haven't even...you know..." Aang trailed off, feeling embarassed about talking about his lack of a sex life yet again for the day.

"Yeah, because you always stop us." Katara retorted quickly. She crossed her arms, keeping a level gaze on her prey...err...boyfriend.

"Because we're not married." Aang countered, bringing the conversation around to his prior arguement. He was a monk and his spiritual beliefs led him to wanting to wait until Katara and he were married.

"You're right. We're not even engaged." Katara quipped, scowling softly. Honestly, why was Aang even making such a stupid arguement?

"Do you want to be engaged?" Aang questioned point blank. suddenly he wondered if he should have proposed to Katara already and maybe he was messing up some sacred Water Tribe tradition...crap.

Katara hesitated, looking away. "...I'm not sure." she finally admitted softly.

Aang blinked. "What do you mean you're not sure?" This conversation was quickly becoming that of a few fruits short of a pie... The Airbender sat up, trying to get Katara to look him in the eye. "Katara, you're asking about a baby but you don't even want to be engaged? What...?" Aang wasn't even sure if this was real anymore, or if it was a really nonsensical dream...he looked around, wondering if Guru Pathik would show up singing about chakras.

Katara sighed, a lot of things weighing heavily on her mind. "Nevermind. Go to sleep." she pulled herself up, going back to her sleeping mat, and nestling herself under her sheets. She closed her eyes and was asleep before she knew it, too weary to dwell on the strange conversation she'd shared with Aang.

Aang, however, was wide awake and figuring he and Katara needed to have a long talk. And he wasn't sure if he would like the outcome.