It's been two decades since the end of the War. The Fire Nation has become a peaceful folk, or at least very less bellicose one. The Earth Nation has regained all of its territory and the armies of all Nations are now decorative and reused as local police. This is why the Avatar can picnic with his old friends without any disturbance, even if their party consists of a Fire Lord, a wealthy heiress of the Beifong, an important Councilman, the last airbender alive and the most powerful healer of all the Nations. Aang stretches on the ground, smiling.

"I'm happy we could all make it this time!" he says.

"I am, too" yawns Sokka. "Suki didn't want me to leave the kids but… I think she can manage two days alone. She's not a Kyoshi Warrior for nothing!"

"That's so inconsiderate of you!" complains Katara. "She could have come. She was in the Gaang for a while, and proved worthy of it."

"She didn't want to" counters her brother. "She hates ship travelling."

Toph yawns too. They had just eaten plenty of food and she is feeling full and rested.

"And you, Toph, did you get any problem getting here?" asks Aang.

"Oh no. Of course the whole Republic City is currently wondering where their Chief Police is, but…"

"You mean you let them alone?" cuts Aang, springing to his feet.

"Uh… Yeah. They can manage."

The Avatar facepalms slowly, getting a fit of giggles out of his wife.

"Sparky's pretty mysterious" Toph goes on. "He's so quiet I nearly don't see him."

Zuko glances at her, even if her spaced out eyes couldn't perceive it.

"We're past 30. Don't you think you could stop with the nicknames?" he mumbles.

"You wish, Fire Princess."

Aang decides to step in before they go on in a myriad of insults.

"Yeah. It's the first time I see you in years, Zuko. You finally succeed at getting an afternoon of free time?"

"Yes. The Fire Nation had a calm year for the first time in… centuries. I hope it will last."

They all nod. It wasn't easy for the renegade son of a powerful and admired Fire Lord to completely turn the Nation around and spread the anti-war ideal to every house and heart. There are a lot of riots since Zuko's coronation, and even some assassination attempts.

"You do look worn out" admits Katara. "You need vacation. Why don't you and Mai…"

"Mai is… Mai wouldn't follow me anymore" cuts Zuko.

Everyone stares and then feels the awkwardness of the revelation.

"Are you and her…" starts Sokka.

"No. No. It is not what I meant. She is still the Fire Lady and… probably will be until our deaths" Zuko clarifies. "She just… does her stuff, and me mine. She is still a bit shocked by the… way Azula killed herself and she is seeking comfort in her friends, that is all."

"Wait!" yelps Aang. "What happened to Azula?"

"Oh. True. You don't know."

Zuko clears his throat. His audience shifts to listen to the news.

"Azula, my sister, never came back from her fight with Katara…"

He looks at the waterbender. She shivers, remembering the insane cries and sobbing of the fallen Princess.

"So we put her in a special cell in prison, a padded one so she couldn't hurt herself. Guards were feeding her so she couldn't have access to a knife of any kind. She was restrained to hinder her movements in a way she couldn't firebend. It wasn't a real life for her, but I couldn't let her go after all she has done. But last month, she died."

"Yeah, we got that, but how?" interrupts Toph.

"I was getting to that part. She probably manipulated one of her guard to loosen her restrains a little bit. We all know how good she was at lying. But she didn't free herself. Or maybe she did, in a way. She zapped herself in the back."

Katara and Aang gasp.

"When we found her we didn't see what was going on. Then I flipped her and I saw the deep burn. She couldn't have survived that. You know that, Katara. You know how strong she was."

She nods. Aang nearly died that way, not so long ago, and the scar is still there on his back, a reminder of Ozai's proud daughter.

"I'm… We're sorry to hear that, Zuko" Katara offers. "She was a monster, but she didn't deserve to end like that."

"I know."

"I could have taken off her bending!" exclaims Aang. "I should have thought of it!"

"It wouldn't have done her good" adds Zuko. "My father is now a limp form in his cell. He is lifeless. It is not better."

They all sit in certain sadness. Azula was still young. There was still hope for her.

"Well, you do know how to turn down the mood, Hotpants" comments Toph. "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight guys!"

The rest of them wish her goodbye.

"Well, that's a good idea" yawns Sokka. "See you tomorrow!"

"Wait for me, bro."

Katara kisses the bald top of Aang's head and just like that, Zuko and Aang are alone. Not far away they hear a loud thud and they know Toph just created a tent out of thin ground.

"Could you light a fire?" asks Aang. "I'm not as weatherproof as you are, and it's colder in here than in Republic City."

"Sure."

With a flick of his wrist, Zuko starts a big and jolly campfire on the pile of logs.

"You haven't lost your touch" notes the Avatar.

"Oh no. I do have lost it. My daughter is better than me, now. She practices a lot. She has great mentors."

"How is she?"

"Perfect" Zuko says with a broad smile. "She has all the power of my father, yet all the wisdom of my uncle. I couldn't ask for more. She is really inspiring."

Aang smiles too, liking the tender side of his friend.

"Shut it, Father Lord, I'm trying to sleep!" shouts Toph from nearby.

"Then go farther!" snaps Zuko.

There is a shaking rumble when the blind earthbender drags her rock tent further into the woods.

"What a pain" sighs the Fire Lord.

"She is bitter" grants Aang.

"What is going on with her?"

"I don't know. Maybe she... feels alone."

"Hasn't she met someone yet?" wonders Zuko.

"No. I don't think so." whispers his friend.

"But she is a Beifong! That is almost royalty! And she is pretty."

He swallows hard. Why did he just say that?

"I mean…"

"No, I know" reassures Aang. "But she's proud. And she's a Chief Police. She is quite intimidating."

Zuko ponders that. Her manly manners probably disgust some pretenders too, but Aang is too sweet and pacific to ever say something like that.

"I think she's sad because everyone here has at least one baby" the Avatar goes on.

"Really? Can't she… mold herself a baby out of mud or something?"

The airbender laughs loudly.

"It wouldn't surprise me if she tried!"

"She still has time, though" says Zuko. "And she always seemed to be happy with herself."

"She is. She doesn't complain, at least."

They stay in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the forest and the crackling fire.

"I think I'm going to join Katara" finally announces Aang. "It's getting late."

"Goodnight then. I am glad I came."

"Well, it's always an honor to have the Fire Lord with us…"

Aang does a short bow with his hands before his chest, mimicking the Fire Nation custom.

"It is always an honor, Avatar."

Zuko stands up and bows too, letting his long hair flow in front of his shoulders and around his collar. Aang disappears into the darkness, where the tents are. Zuko stays and lets his mind drift on how weird it is that a girl –well, woman– like Toph doesn't have a line-up of desperate men trying to be good enough for her. To be worthy of her. Zuko dozes, staring at the fire and thinking about empty green eyes.

…

"Wait up, Twinkletoes. You know I can't climb on that fur monster…"

"He'll wait, I swear" says Aang, helping Katara on Kuji.

Toph panics when she feels her feet being lifted off the ground, but then she realized someone is pushing her upon the flying bison. And since Sokka's gone on his new invention –some kind of dangerous thingy she doesn't want to know about– that floats safely enough for him to travel on, she figures the only man strong and tall enough to push her on the top of the resting animal is Zuko. And there's the spicy scent, the unnatural warmness of his hands on her hips, too.

"Well, thanks Princess!" she says to prevent her mind from lingering on the touch.

She grips the rough fur under her palms and achieves the top where Katara waits to grab her.

"Hey! That's not Appa!" Toph shrieks.

"No. Appa died some years ago. But we found a community of wild flying bison in an Air Temple near the North Pole and we tamed them. This is Kuji" explains Aang.

"Well, tamer Twinkletoes and Sweetness. I've heard everything."

She settles herself on the new animal, gripping the saddle.

"Bye bye Hotpants! Nice seeing you! Well. You know. Not seeing you, really…"

"I get it. Bye Toph" answers the Fire Lord. "Bye Aang and Katara!"

Toph figures he's waving his hand at them since she feels Katara squirming to wave back.

"Yip, yip!"

Then the flying horror takes off and she holds for her life on the stool.

"It's fine, Toph. You should be used to flying by now" hushes the waterbender near her.

"Well, nope. I don't like being blindfolded."

Katara chuckles lightly.

"You're way too happy, Sweet Queen. When's it for?"

"Uh… What?"

"Your baby. You. You have a baby. In your belly" articulates the earthbender.

"Oh, I don't think so…"

Toph braces herself to touch the abdomen of her friend.

"I could say for sure on the ground, but yeah, there's something. I felt it today, when you climbed on App… I mean Kuji. It probably was too small before, but yeah. Tiny wee heartbeat here."

"Oh! Really! Oh…"

She fidgets more.

"Why don't you tell Twinkeltoes?" asks Toph.

"I'll wait. It's dangerous when he's driving. He gets distracted easily. But… That's such good news Toph!"

"Why? It's not like it's your first…" she answers more dryly than intended.

"I know, but so far none of our children are airbenders and… I can tell it makes Aang anxious. What if he is the last airbender after all…?"

"Ah, come on! You still have plenty of time to make sweet love to each other and repopulate the Air Temples…" Toph goes on.

"… Well… Thanks. That was quite crude but… Yeah, you're right."

Katara is so excited that even if they're not on the ground, Toph can see her happiness. She smiles for her friend. That's a couple she never thought could manage. But here they are, having babies like the world depends on them… Well, the world does depend on them. The balance between the elements, at least. She notices that every one of them became somebody whose fate matters, after all. When Sokka'll die, they'll have to re-elect someone from the Southern Water Tribe, and nobody is as talented with people as he is. When Aang'll die, there'll be a new Avatar to find. When Katara'll die, she'll leave the world to the next generation of healers and strong women she mentored. When Zuko'll die, his radical ideas for a better world will die with him. The idea of his death creates a strange feeling in the depths of her stomach. And when she'll die, she'll leave behind the Metalbending Academy, the Police she created. But no one to wear the name Beifong. She always thought the mother side of every woman was a myth, something her mother told her just to be sure she'd get an heir. But now, she's almost crying thinking about babies. Katara's last one, Bumi, for example. Toph was staying at their place when Katara gave birth to him. He was so cute with his gurgling and squirming. She had the right to take him in her arms, feeling the dull heartbeat, the little breathing pattern, how alive he was. Katara told her he looked like herself with darker complexion and round blue eyes. She envies her, a bit. She has two small replicas of herself, and another on the way. What she'd give to have a little baby Toph… A Toph that could see…

"Hey! Aang, let's trade places, it's been long enough!" calls out Katara.

"Yeah."

Toph listens to the soft padding of Katara on the wooden straddle, the rustling of Ap… Kuji's fur.

"Still good, Toph?"

"Always, Twinkletoes" the earthbender assures. "But just saying, are we there yet?"

Aang huffs shortly.

"Don't be like Kya! And yes, in an hour or so you'll be home."

"Thanks for the lift."

"It was on our way."

He sits by her.

"You look sad, Toph" the airbender says.

"I was thinking about our deaths."

"That isn't… merry, to say the least."

"I know. But it was okay because we all left a good thing behind us."

Aang chuckles.

"Yes. We did. We just, like, saved the world…"

Toph snorts.

"Yeah. And I was your teacher" she claims.

"Well, Katara and Zuko were too but… You were there for my biggest challenge."

"You mean pushing that boulder? Or fighting the Fire Lord?"

The clear laughing of the Avatar echoes all around.

"The boulder, of course! I was in my Avatar state when I fought Ozai, so it wasn't so hard."

She ponders on that, wondering how hard it could be to be the Avatar, and yet having the security to know you won't be gone for long before reincarnate in a new body.

"There. You are sad again" insists Aang.

"It's nothing."

She feels a soothing hand on her tense shoulder.

"Toph. You don't know how to lie."

She smiles meekly.

"I'd like to have a child. Just, you know, to teach it my special tricks, my way of thinking" she finally explains.

"I understand. It's natural. Why don't you adopt?"

"I thought about it but… Being pregnant is something I want to experience, too."

"Then just find yourself a husband! Or a boyfriend…" exclaims Aang.

"Easy to say. Anyway, I don't want to lose my time into a relationship just to have a baby. I mean… Poor guy, the day he'll figure out all I wanted from him was to fecund me…"

"Well… That's a problem."

The Avatar thinks a moment.

"I don't really suggest it but… If you simply… sleep with a man, one night? Would it do?"

"I'm not a fan of one night stands, Twinkletoes, and I want to know the personality of the donor. I mean, I don't want a baby jerk! And I want a cute baby, not some hobo's crooked nose on my baby's face!"

"You are quite finicky" Aang sighs.

"I know."

Toph's face closes into sadness and thoughtfulness.

"I would propose to help you, but I have to admit I'd be too awkward to do it" he says, feeling himself blush.

"Thank you, but I wouldn't have sex with you, Twinkletoes. Sweetness here would crush me into wet little pieces of ice and I'm not really attracted to you. I guess it couldn't work out."

Aang sighs in relief.

"Then we have to think about someone single that you know and like…" he resumes.

Toph closes her mind, knowing what her brain wants her to shout out.

"Well, he isn't exactly single…" mumbles Aang.

"Speak up, I don't hear in all that wind."

"I was talking to myself."

"About who?"

Aang seems to hesitate. Maybe even playing with his fingers.

"Uh… You know, Zuko doesn't seem too happily wedded…"

A hot pool of emotion rushes to her cheeks.

"Hotpants?"

"Yeah. He… How can I say that…? He thinks you're cute, too. So… He won't be disgusted if you ask him…"

Okay. The actual Fire Lord thinks she's cute. She feels like a teenager again and almost wants to giggle and roll around in pure bliss. She contents herself with a smile.

"Well, I don't know. Is he cute?" she says back.

"Hm. Hard to tell for me. Hey! Katara! Do you think Zuko's cute?"

"Why are you asking me that?" yells his wife over the rushing wind.

"Just to know. General opinion."

"Well then… Yes. He is. Quite a lot, in fact. I mean, he's tall, probably quite strong, his eyes have a nice color and form, his jawline is…"

"Thanks! That'll be all!" cuts abruptly Aang.

Toph stifles a laugher.

"Jealous, Twinkletoes?"

"No. She just… overleaped the details you don't need to know."

"Yeah, sure. Don't worry, Madame Fussy Britches here is all into you. Inside out. Literally."

Aang is a tad confused by her sentence, but he just nods.

"So? Zuko then?" he says brightly.

"If he wants to, why not?"