Pained screams broke through the still air of Kyoshi Island.

Suki, newly resigned leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, dropped back on to her bed as another contraction subsided.

"You're doing great, Suki, just one more push." The voice of her sister-in-law drifted up to her ears and she felt the painfully familiar tightness start to build in her lower stomach. Suki inhaled sharply as the next, and hopefully last, contraction hit full force.

She pushed with all her might, the sound of her child's first cry silencing hers. The next few minutes were a flurry of movement and soft cries as Katara cleaned the newborn and wrapped it in a small plush blanket.

The Water Tribe woman placed the bundle in her arms and smiled.

"He's perfect, Suki," Katara said Tears filled the new mother's eyes.

"A boy," her voice was hushed, all the pain of labor forgotten as she looked upon her son's face for the first time.

Her eye's flashed up to Katara just for a moment.

"Will you go get Sokka for me? I think that he would like to meet his son."

The Healer nodded and left to get her brother. When Katara entered the main part of the house Sokka practically ran at her.

"Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" The Waterbender held up a hand, signaling her brother to stop.

"They're both fine. Now, go see your wife and child." He didn't need to be told twice. Giving his sister a fast hug, he fled the room. Aang and his sister Anima were talking, one telling the other about their latest adventure, but stopped when Sokka left the room.

Katara watched her brother go, a happy tear slipping down her face; of all the people in their circle of friends, Sokka was the last one that she would have expected to become a parent first.

Shaking off that thought, she turned from the doorway to the other two people in the room.

Both pairs of gray eyes were on her and she flashed the twins a smile before going over to sit beside her husband. Aang smiled down at his wife and draped an arm around her shoulders.

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" It was Anima that asked, voicing her brother's question before he could. "A boy," came the hushed response.

.oO*Oo.

Back in their bedroom Suki smiled at Sokka as he burst through the door and froze.

"Sokka, aren't you gonna get over here and say hello to your son?" His dark blue eyes settled on the bundle of cloth in his wife's arms and his grin widened.

"Son?" Suki nodded and he was by her side in an instant, placing a soft kiss on her flushed cheek as he sat down on the side of the bed.

"What are we going to name him?" A light smile graced the mother's face. "I was thinking Daichi, after my father."

"It's perfect; he's perfect." There was no hiding the awe in his voice as Sokka reached for his son. But he stopped short.

"May I?" Suki nodded, too happy to say more than what was necessary, and passed the small body of their son to her husband. She wondered why he had felt the need to ask to hold his own son but pushed it to the back of her mind. Sokka smiled down at his son, tears filling his dark eyes.

"Hey," his voice took on a soft tone that Suki had never heard him use before and she watched with half- lidded eyes as he rocked the bundle gently. Daichi opened his eyes sleepily, revealing light blue-green orbs. Sokka touched his son's face with a finger, tracing the soft curve of the infant's cheek; the baby's skin a perfect mix of his parent lighter and darker tones.

Sokka looked over at Suki only to see that she had fallen asleep, the past twelve hours of labor catching up with her. Sokka let out a light laugh and looked back at his son. "I guess it's just you and me now, Dai." The baby cooed at his father in reply, a bubbly smile on his tiny lips.

.oO*Oo.

It was well into the afternoon by the time the sound of a Fire Nation airship could be heard.

Aang, Katara, and Anima went out to meet the ship, excited to see their friends after almost six months of separation; the last time having been at Aang and Katara's wedding.

The ship landed near the middle of the small island, close to the center of town, and the Fire Lord and Lady got off, followed shortly after by another couple. Toph Bei Fong walked close to a man who looked familiar to Katara, though she couldn't match the face to the name.

The Waterbender pulled Zuko and Mai into a hug almost at once, surprised when Mai hung on even after Zuko had pulled away. "I have to talk to you," Mai said in a low wobbly voice, one that was meant for her friend's ears only.

Katara nodded and the Fire Lady released her from the hug. Toph came over, having pulled away from the unnamed man, and gave Katara a quick hug.

"Heya, Sugar Queen."

"Hi, Toph, how've you been?" The Earthbender nodded. "Good. Life's been good. Ran into an old friend." she jerked her head over to where the man was standing awkwardly off to the side of the group of friends, shifting from foot to foot.

Katara, much to her frustration, still couldn't remember his name, or where she had seen him before.

Aang, however, could. "The Duke!"

The man's head snapped over to the Airbender at the sound of his name and Katara gasped as the pieces finally snapped into place.

The former Freedom Fighter had changed a lot since the end of the war, most noticeably in height. The once smallest member of the rough group of scorned kids now stood almost as tall as Aang, an amazing feat as the Avatar was now a little over six feet tall, with straight black hair dusting his shoulders and dark eyes far too old for a boy of eighteen.

Numerous pale scars littered his face and arms, bespeaking of the hardship he'd faced in his youth. The Duke shook his head at the Avatar, amused that Aang hadn't lost his enthusiasm in the five years since the end of the post-war rebellion.

The two men embraced and Aang asked how the rest of the Freedom Fighters were faring as Katara led them into the large earthen house. Sokka came out of the back bedroom and made a beeline for Katara.

"Suki needs help, um, feeding Daichi." light blush burned his cheeks, but if his sister saw it she didn't say anything.

"Excuse me," she said with a slight nod to the others before ducking down the hall to aid the new mother.

"So, Sokka, do I have to give you a new nickname now that you're a father, or can I still call you Snoozles?"

Even as the teasing question was being asked Toph walked over to Sokka and hugged him, giving him a solid punch to the upper arm as she pulled way.

"Snoozles is fine," he grunted out. Toph tried to roll her eyes, the motion doing little more than causing her milky orbs to flicker upwards slightly, and muttered "baby" under her breath.

Katara came back into the room just in time to hear The Duke say something about Longshot and Smellerbee having their first child a few weeks prior to his departure, the young couple having been married nearly a year and a half before. Despite her interest in this news, Katara's eyes landed on Mai.

The normally proper and sonic Fire Lady sat somewhat slouched on the couch, her eyes moving from one thing to the next with thinly veiled discomfort.

Mai looked up when she felt Katara eyeing her, pressed lips twitching up in a slight smile when the Waterbender gestured for her to follow her down the hall. Katara lead Mai past the first room, the sound of Suki cooing at her newborn as he ate clearly audible through the door, her stomach clenching painfully as she walked. Katara hid the wince with ease, it wouldn't do to show pain in front of a patient, even if said patient was a close friend.

When the two women got to what would be Mai and Zuko's room for the duration of their stay Katara told Mai to sit down on the bed before leaving the room, coming back a few minutes later with a pot of tea and two cups balanced on a tray. Always the mother of the group.

"Now," said Katara, handing Mai a cup of tea and sitting down next to her. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

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