"Bao must be so excited about the baby," Katara said as we traveled on Appa to Yu Dao.

I confessed, "Actually... I still haven't told him."

Katara's eyes widened. She looked as if I'd told her that I kicked her grandmother. "Why not?!" She shrilled. "He has to know! Saki, what aren't you telling me? Is he— Is he not the father?"

"Katara!" I couldn't help but laugh. Her imagination tended to run wild when she was caught off guard, and it never ceases to amuse. "I promise you that he is indeed the father," I said. "We're just..."

"What is it?" She asked. "What's the matter?"

Luckily, I didn't have to reply. We'd arrived to Yu Dao. "We're here," I said, relieved.

"Saki, you can't avoid the subject," Katara persisted as he dismounted the flying bison.

Sure I can, I thought. Watch me.

Zuko and I led the two through the marketplace of the city. It was bustling with commotion as people went about their day to day business.

"Did you know that Yu Dao is the oldest of all the Colonies?" Zuko asked. "Many of the Fire Nation families here immigrated over a hundred years ago, when Yu Dao was just a tiny village at the bottom of a valley. Together with the Earth Kingdom who were already here, they built all this."

"And they've grown so much as a society," I interjected. "Yu Dao now makes the finest metalwork ever produced, using both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom expertise."

Zuko nodded. "That's why this is one of the richest cities in the world."

Katara noted, "It doesn't seem like Fire Nation citizens and Earth Kingdom citizens share equally in wealth." She gestured towards a booth in which an Earth Kingdom boy was buffing the boots of an elder Fire Nation man.

"It isn't perfect, Katara," Zuko replied, "but all the citizens, including the Earth Kingdom people, are better off now than they were a hundred years ago."

"This history has been great and all," Aang finally said, "but none of it matters! By betraying the Harmony Restoration movement, you're going to start another war!"

Zuko stopped in his tracks and let out a heavy sigh. I looked at him, noticing that this decision was visibly weighing on him. "Look, Aang," he said, "when Saki and I came here a week ago, I had planned to personally enforce the removal of Yu Dao from the Earth Kingdom..."

"Well, what changed?" The Avatar asked impatiently.

"We met the mayor and his family," I explained. "A Fire Nation man married to an earthbender, and their daughter was an earthbender too. Can you imagine?" I snuck a small smile at the thought of my own parents, and the reaction they must have received upon their betrothal. "His wife invited us to prolong our stay," I went on, "so we could learn more about the Colonies."

Zuko nodded. "So we stayed. I saw what my people created here. I saw what the Harmony Restoration movement would destroy. I changed my mind. Ever since my coronation, I've had trouble finding peace. Now I've finally figured out why. I'd forgotten about my people."

Katara tapped on my shoulder and whispered to me, "There's a group behind us. They've been watching us for a while now."

I looked over my shoulder and saw that she was right. Mayor Morishita and his family had their eyes fixated on us. "That's the mayor and his family," I told her.

She was silent for a moment. This was when we noticed that the boys were in a heated argument — no pun intended.

"Regardless," Katara cut in, "the Earth King needs to be a part of whatever happens next. If Aang and I can arrange a meeting, will you be there, Zuko?"

When he didn't reply soon enough, I answered with a nod, "Yes. He'll be there."

We returned to the palace about an hour later. Luckily, Katara had forgotten our earlier conversation. Once we'd parted ways at the palace, Zuko went directly to the throne room to, quote, "clear his mind". I made my way to my room, where I found Bao laying down in the bed.

"Where did you go?" He asked. "As soon as I came back, the other guards said you and Zuko went off somewhere." He paused. "You aren't in your wheelchair."

I shrugged and climbed into the bed. "I can't get better if I stay bound to a chair, now, can I?" I laid beside him. "Zuko and I took Katara and the Avatar to Yu Dao. They needed to see why Zuko retracted his support for the Harmony Restoration Movement."

"Because of your influence?" He asked.

I sat up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Saki, be serious," Bao snickered. "Everything you say and do has some sort of influence on what Zuko does. It's always been that way."

"Bao, why are you so bitter all of a sudden?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Bao, be serious," I mimicked him. "You're angry about everything I do. It's always either arguing with you, or you're not here at all. I haven't even had the time to tell you that..."

"Tell me what?" He sat up quickly. I kept my lips locked. "Saki," he pushed, "what haven't you told me?"

Hesitantly, I replied, "I'm pregnant."

His widened at my words. "Y-You're what?"

"Pregnant, Bao," I repeated. "For three months now. Because of everything that's been going on, I haven't had the time to tell you."

"I'm gonna have a child," he thought aloud.

"Actually," I interjected, "I'm having the child. You just helped make it."

He ignored the remark, murmuring, "I'm going to be a father."

I opened my mouth to speak, then stopped as a wave of anxiety washed over me. I climbed out of the bed and took a deep breathe.

"Is everything okay?" Bao asked, still in shock from the news.

"I'm okay," I answered honestly. "I just have a bad feeling. I'll be right back. I think I just need to walk around for a bit." With that, I rushed out of the room. However, I was just walking around. I was heading directly towards Zuko's bedroom. As always, my instincts told me that something was wrong with him. That instinct had yet to be wrong.

As soon as I was close to his door, I was prepared to demand entrance to his room, but I was met with a surprise that made me lose my words. The usual guards were no longer standing outside his door. On either side of the door were two Kyoshi Warriors, neither of them strangers. "Suki? Ty Lee?" The names came out happily.

"Saki!" Ty Lee squealed. She ran forward and hugged me tightly, nearly knocking me off of my feet.

I let out a laugh and pried myself from her, walking the rest of the way to hug Suki as well. "It's so great to see you again," she said.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked.

"Mai asked us to come!" Ty Lee said. "She appointed the Kyoshi Warriors to replace Zuko's guards because he's been so paranoid."

"That's an understatement," I chuckled. "Is he okay? Has everything been clear since you've taken post?"

Before either could answer, Zuko came barreling out of his room. "Did you hear anything?!" He asked frantically.

"No, Zuko," Suki replied. "It's been quiet all night."

His gaze turned to Ty Lee, who responded with, "Honest to goodness! There hasn't been a peep!"

"Zuko," I cut in with a frown.

It was then that he noticed me in front of him. His eyes looked dark and hollowed from sleep deprivation. "Saki? What are you doing here? You should be asleep."

"So should you," I retorted. "I came to check on you. I had a feeling that you weren't doing well, and I was right. Zuko, you should trust them to keep you safe. Nobody can get past these girls."

The young Fire Lord sighed and walked into the corridor, standing by my side for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's not that I don't trust you. I know that the Kyoshi Warriors are the best guardsmen in the world."

"Guardswomen, you mean," Ty Lee giggled.

I placed a hand on Zuko's back, and held his hand with my other. "Please go back to sleep, Zuko," I pleaded. "You have to at least try."

"No," said Zuko. He shook his head and slid his hand from mine. "No, I'm going to get a drink of water."

"Do you need someone to escort you?" Suki offered.

"I'll be fine," he insisted, waving his hand dismissively as he walked away. "The walk will do me some good."

I looked to Suki and said, "Follow him. I know him better than anyone, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that he's up to something."