Finally!

[yukinoomoni]

Story Title: Say Uncle
Fandom: A:TLA
Characters: Tom-Tom, Katara/Aang, Mai/Zuko, Suki, Kaida (OC), Tyana (OC)
Summary: While visiting Mai and Zuko, Tom-Tom is witness to one of the best and worst things about life.

Notes: I've been meaning to write a fic about older!Tom-Tom for ages, but I just never got around to it due to laziness and fail. Then this happened and over 6,000 words later I finally had the fic I wanted. It started in a different route than it ends up, but I'm happy with it. So there.


Tom-Tom walked into the very Palace that he had been raised to treat with reverence and awe as casually as he could. He had been doing this for a few years now - ever since he was able to visit without his parents hovering over him and fussing over whatever he did - and yet he still had trouble shaking that reverence and awe he was told to feel. It was silly, and he knew the place better than most of the servants, and yet he still couldn't help but stop and stare around him once he cleared the tall and ornate doors.

Mai gloried in mocking him for this, said it was a silly little ritual that he always insisted on partaking, but even though he protested this, he wondered if it were true. He was twelve, now, after all - the same age that the Avatar was when he fought against Firelord Ozai - and yet he still had to pause all the same.

"Tom-Tom!"

He looked down and blinked, and the image of his sister came into view, dressed in loose robes of maroon and black, a smile on her face and her hands in her sleeves. He smiled in turn, unable to keep it in. Mai had always been somewhat of a shadow floating around him in the early years of his life, but in the recent couple of years, her presence in his life had increased, to the point of him almost depending on seeing her.

Once she reached him, the hands came out and his smile got wider, almost wincing as she grabbed him into an awkward hug. She still wasn't quite used to his height yet, despite being blessed with great height as well, but she managed well enough. He hugged back, unable to suppress a snort at the difficulty. "You're huge," he observed, and she growled and pushed him away with a rolling of her eyes.

It was true, after all; she was well into her pregnancy and was looking rather round, but that apparently didn't stop her from doing as much as she liked - especially after the scandal with Zuko's kidnap. Her eyes were still dark and ringed with shadows, and her face was rather pale, but she seemed to be managing well enough, though Tom-Tom knew that his visit would be the extent of her activities for the day.

"Whatever," she said now. "Are you here to visit or to be a pest?"

He considered, and she scowled. "Maybe both?" he offered.

She reached out and flicked his nose, then turned, waving a hand to him so he would join her. He did, noticing that she still moved slowly. He decided to comment on it. "Does Big Brother Zuko know you're even up?"

Mai's eye twitched. "Why do you still call him that?" she answered instead, her hands spread over her stomach and rubbing a little as she walked.

Tom-Tom blushed a bit. In truth, he wasn't sure why; Zuko had always treated him kindly and never made him feel too small or too young. In fact, he had always treated Tom-Tom with utmost respect and kindness. But there was always some small part of Tom-Tom that saw Zuko as that all-reverent figure, that saw him as Firelord first and brother second. It was confusing at times, which is why he erred on the side of caution.

"I just...do," he answered instead. "Why don't you answer my question?"

Mai scowled at him. "Because Zuko isn't my keeper and that is that. How are Mom and Dad?"

"You know he's going to find out eventually, Sis," Tom-Tom replied dryly. He wasn't lying; Zuko always found out eventually.

"How are Mom and Dad, Tom-Tom?" Her voice was irritated now.

"Should I tell him? Should I get Royal Guard Suki to tell him?"

Mai growled and turned towards him, cutting him off and stopping him in mid-stride. He gulped, but stood his ground - Mai could be scary when annoyed, but he also knew that she was mad only because he was right. And he was pretty sure that he was also right about Zuko not knowing she was on her feet.

"If you tell him," she hissed, "I will tell Dad about what you did last year during the Solstice Festival."

The blood left his face instantly. "You wouldn't," he accused, his voice cracking.

Mai's eyes gleamed in triumph. "Are you sure about that?"

He hesitated. Mai knew that out of the two of them, Tom-Tom was incredibly spoiled. It was something that he knew about and didn't deny, but it was also something he didn't exploit, either. But he also knew that if their parents found out that he had purposely drank too much of the fire-whiskey last summer in order to experience getting drunk for the first time ever, he was sure the relatively easy life he was experiencing would end.

It wasn't his fault! The whiskey tasted good, and it was being given out for free! And once he found out it was alcohol, he was too happy to care, and both Mai and Zuko found it more amusing than anything else...

And it wasn't his fault that it made him get all happy and had him singing his academy's song at the top of his lungs in the middle of the crowd, nor was it his fault when they found out he was Mai's brother and they started adding requests. And then started paying him in coin for the requests...money he kept...

Yeah, probably wouldn't be a good idea for his parents to know. Especially since they had viewed Mai as a bad influence and had kept him from her for most of his life...he didn't want her to take the blame, either. But he doubted Mai thought of that...or even knew that - although he always thought she had an inkling, anyway.

"Come on, Mai," he said now, whining a bit. He really wanted his humiliation kept from people he knew.

Mai rolled her eyes and moved to the side, and together they walked again. Tom-Tom looked around, recognising that they were on their way to the Royal Apartments - which he liked, since there was always comfortable places to sit and great food to eat.

He tried again, peering at her closely. She still looked pale and annoyed, and though he didn't know her as well as he thought he should, he knew her enough to realise she wasn't quite a hundred percent yet. "So...does he know?"

"No," she snapped. "He was in a meeting when I left. He'll be out of the meeting after we sit down. He'll think someone fetched you. Keep it that way."

"Why?"

"Solstice."

Tom-Tom sighed. He could understand he hesitation - Zuko was rather scary when it came to Mai and her health - but he also thought that she was being stubborn for dumb reasons.

She must have sensed it, for she softened and said, "I don't want to worry him, but I don't want to be fussed over. I know my own limits, okay? Drop it."

He dropped it. It meant more to spend time with her, anyway.

The rest of the walk was done in silence. Once they got to the receiving room, however, Mai seemed to find her second wind. She threw herself onto one of the couches and sighed, rubbing her belly slowly and closing her eyes. Tom-Tom smiled and mentally counted, and sure enough, right at one, Mai muttered, "Stupid Zuko and his good aim."

She had started saying that ever since her pregnancy began giving her trouble, and probably without realising it said it every time she was feeling the strain of it. It was sort of comforting to hear her say it; it must mean she wasn't hurting too badly.

"So," she said now, her eyes open. "What brings you to the capitol today? How are Mom and Dad?"

Ah, that question again. He sighed and sat down on a chair close to her. "They're fine, Mai. Can't I visit my big sister without a reason from them?"

She smirked. "You usually visit when you've had enough of being hen-pecked. I put up with it for eighteen years, and you're balking at twelve? Amateur." She shifted in her seat. "I know why you're here, and I think it's really immature."

Tom-Tom blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Mom and Dad could have come in person - nobody here hates them. If they want to know how Zuko and I are, then they should just come here and visit, instead of sending you."

"Mai, I came here on my own," he answered, getting annoyed. "I personally wanted to know how you and Big Brother Zuko are. I'm not a messenger, and never have been."

Mai raised a brow. "What about in the future?"

His answer was a scowl. He understood her paranoia, but not everyone had ulterior motives - least of all him. He also knew that she and their parents didn't get along too well, but while Mai blamed them, Tom-Tom secretly thought that Mai was being stupid, too. "Why are you so crabby?" he said instead, unable to keep the impatience from his voice. "You're usually thrilled to see me."

"I am thrilled," she said, sounding like she meant it. "I'm just impatient, waiting for Zuko to hurry up and finish his stupid meetings that I'm too wussy to attend."

"What, I'm not good enough company for you?" Tom-Tom teased, though secretly he wondered if it were true. He knew that his sister loved him, and indeed took pleasure in spoiling him, but he also wondered if she ever held him responsible for how their parents had treated her, as opposed to how they treated him.

He should have known better. "You are good company, more than good enough," she replied, her voice sounding weird. Almost...strained. In all of his life, he hadn't heard her sound like that before. "It's just that I sort of need Zuko for something, and I wasn't anticipating it, and then you showed up and, well, I need his help a little bit."

"Maybe I can help," Tom-Tom offered with a smile. "You know how much I like a challenge."

Mai raised the other eyebrow this time. "Yes, well, I don't think this is a challenge you would be equipped to handle."

Now he was annoyed. "Come on, Mai!" he protested, unable to keep the whine from his voice. "I'm hardly ever able to visit, and the one time I can manage this soon after...dramatic death-defying scandal...you treat me like I'm useless and annoying!"

"I'm not," she answered, her voice softer. "You're not. I honestly didn't realise this would happen today. If I did, I would have sent a hawk and rescheduled with you so that our time wouldn't be wasted."

"Except...?" he prompted, narrowing his eyes.

Mai closed her eyes and leaned back. "Except that my water broke an hour ago, and my contractions are getting closer and closer with each passing moment."

This was all said flatly, with no emotion, like she was describing the weather. Tom-Tom stared at his sister, feeling the blood leave his face. "Your what?" he whispered. He wasn't quite learned in the ways of sex and babies, but he knew the basics, and knew that when a pregnant woman talked about breaking water and contractions, that meant...

Mai opened one eye, a wry smile on her lips. "Yep. Get ready to wear your uncle hat, Tom-Tom."

Zuko was having one of those mornings.

For example, take the weather. It was early summer, so you would think that it would be warm and dry. But for the past few weeks, it had actually been muggy and wet, with bizarre periods of rain that lasted days on end. That was annoying.

In addition to that, Zuko discovered a new irritation that came with broken bones, and how they occasionally twinge and tighten when wet weather arrives - or was about to arrive. So his wrist and ankle were bothering him a little, despite being fully healed for weeks. That was also annoying.

But perhaps the most annoying so far was the fact that, despite being perfectly fine and healed, his advisers were still fretting over him like a flock of fussy hen-geese over a sickly chick. He understood their worry, but found it extremely annoying, especially since he was fine.

When his fingers went to the bridge of his nose and massaged, Adviser Chi leaned in towards the throne, his hands clasped to his chest. "Are you not well, Firelord?" he asked softly. "Do you have a headache? Do you need a break?"

I need to break something, Zuko thought moodily, frustrated now. If the revolt against him and Mai had done anything, it was definitely successful in making him look like a weakling.

Standing at his side, her arms held behind her back and her face expressionless, stood Suki. She had taken to attending the meetings ever since her hire, but Zuko knew that it wasn't just his imagination that she stood closer to him than she had before. She never said anything during these meetings - she just stood at his side, her legs apart, her arms behind her, her eyes swooping over the entire throne room constantly, sharply looking for anything out of the ordinary. While her silent vigilance usually comforted him, this time it bugged him; he wished she would speak up for him and reassure everyone that he was just fine and didn't need babying.

But he knew she wouldn't do that. She was nothing if not professional.

"I'm fine," he said slowly, lowering his hand from his face. "Please don't think that I can't handle this sort of thing. It's a simple, routine meeting, and I'm just fine. Now, can we please change the subject of my health and keep on track?"

A few of the advisers had the decency to blush or look embarrassed, but Chi was stubborn. "If you're not well, we can hold off," he said slowly. "Especially when it comes to why we've gathered this meeting."

Zuko's temper finally sparked. "I know why we're here and I would like it if we just talked about it instead of dancing around it like a bunch of drunken sailors!" he snarled, the fires surrounding him jumping in reply to his emotion.

"Zuko," Suki's voice broke in softly, her lips barely moving. He sighed. Her voice was calm, but it held the slight hint of reproach.

"Please, just update me on my sister and then we can be done and you won't have to worry about how my health is," he added, unable to keep the contempt from his voice.

A few of the advisers exchanged glances, and Suki shifted a little from foot-to-foot, but Adviser Ling stood up slowly, holding a rather short-looking piece of parchment between her two hands. She swallowed, then began. "Princess Azula's state has been, for the most part, stable," she began. Zuko cupped his cheek in his hand, listening to what was being said, as well as what wasn't. "For the past decade, she has gone through various stages of her illness. She will go from catatonic to almost comatose. She will lash out with her bending, only to later forget she can."

So she's improving, but not much, Zuko concluded silently. Ten years under the best care I can give her has done little to ease her insanity. I'm at a loss.

"However..."

His head jerked up. "However?" he echoed.

"However...there are moments - rare moments - that she appears normal. She keeps herself clean and tidy, she carries conversation...she even eats and makes snide remarks about what she is eating."

He found himself smiling faintly. "That's my sister, alright," he murmured.

Ling nodded. "These lucid moments, while brief, have been increasing more over the past three years. With time...with time, they may be permanent."

For the first time in what feels like ages, he feels a bite of hope deep within his breast. For so long, Azula had been thought to be a lost cause, almost as if she was happy with her prison of madness. But hearing this recent report makes it seem like, maybe, she was close to being on the path to healing.

"Thank you," Zuko said honestly, swallowing the urge to add, Was that so hard? "I think now we need to focus on-"

The doors suddenly groaned open, causing everyone - even Suki - to start in surprise. No one was ever willing to interrupt a meeting with the Firelord - unless the reason was urgent. Zuko was already on his feet, Suki a step or two in front of him, when a high-pitched young voice shrieked out, "Sorry to interrupt you but I don't know what to do and she's a stubborn idiot and keeps insisting on waiting for you!"

There was a brief silence, broken only when Zuko squinted, trying to make out the shadowy shape. "Tom-Tom?" he wondered.

The figure darted forward, now lit by flames, and indeed it was Mai's only brother. He was pale and sweating, his hair coming loose from its topknot. "You need to come quick, because I know she says she's fine, but she's making horrible jokes and calling me Uncle and-"

"Have you been into the whiskey again?" Zuko wondered.

Tom-Tom's face flushed. "No!" he said hotly. He reached forward and grabbed onto one of Zuko's hands, tugging hard. "You have to come now! You have to summon Lady Katara, because Mai said she was the midwife and-"

"Midwife?" Suki echoed, only before her eyes went huge and she started running. "I'm on it, Zuko. You take care of Mai!"

Zuko still wasn't quite sure what was going on, even though Suki, Tom-Tom, and the rest of the advisers seemed to. Tom-Tom yanked so hard on his arm that it hurt. "What?" he snapped, startled.

Tom-Tom glared up at him, not at all deterred. "Mai, and the baby? It's happening now!"

Oh, was the first thing that came to mind, feeling the blood leave his face. For a moment, he was confused again - but only for a moment. He nodded, grabbing onto Tom-Tom's hand. "Right," he said calmly. "Lead the way."

It was a bad labour.

Despite being prepared for it for weeks, and despite having one of the best midwives in the entire world, Mai still had inherited the curse of her family's women, and the process was long, hard, and painful. While she herself hardly uttered a scream, panic was still thick in the air during the nine hours it took for the baby to be born - and long after.

Zuko was of the most panicked, but unlike Aang or Tom-Tom, he didn't show it as much as they had all thought he would. His eyes were bright, and his mouth was a hard line, but he kept quiet and helped when he could, never straying too long from Mai's side and always making sure he wasn't underfoot. There were no comical moments of shock, no fainting or teasing, or revelry. Everything was too close for comfort, too worrisome to relax this soon.

But the baby was born - a girl, just like Mai and Katara thought. She was born with a full head of wispy black hair, and her shrieks and screams from being brought into this new world were loud and almost piercing. Mai laughed very faintly when she heard the screams, squeezing Zuko's hand lightly.

After that, though, it was a haze of confusion. The delivery had been hard, and Mai had suffered more tearing than normal, and once she had dispelled the afterbirth, the bleeding didn't seem to stop. Mai didn't have an explanation - she was too tired, and fell into a heavy, hard sleep after, her face pale and almost white. Katara was calm, but her eyes were worried. While Zuko watched over his daughter and held her close to him, his eyes stayed on his wife, his heart thudding dully in his chest.

Outside, waiting with Aang and a squirming Tyana, Tom-Tom fussed with his fingers, unable to cease his fidgets. He stayed with Aang and Tyana well out of earshot of what was going on - Katara's orders - but that didn't stop him from missing the tension in the air, nor did he fail to see the worry in the Avatar's eyes.

Sitting with the Avatar was a novelty all its own. While he had grown up knowing the Avatar, he still had his moments of awe around the man, just like when he walked into the Palace. After all, this was the man who single-handedly saved the world, all alone, and with a strange form of bending that no one had ever even heard of before. And all while he was the same age as Tom-Tom was now. It was hard to forget that.

Hard, but only rarely, especially during moments like this, when Tom-Tom really needed not just an adult presence, but a friend as well.

"You okay?" Aang wondered, his arms around his finally-sleeping daughter, her chubby form curled in the nest of his arms. "You look worn out."

Tom-Tom shrugged one shoulder. "She'll be okay, right? I mean, she would have told me, right?"

Aang leaned back, his grey eyes serious. "You know how your parents don't like you hanging around with us as much," he said bluntly. "They never have, ever since that day in Omashu, when you were a baby."

He knew. He didn't like it, thought it was stupid, but he knew. He nodded slowly.

"Well, then you probably already know how careful Mai is with you," Aang went on, his eyes still on Tom-Tom. "She doesn't want to break the trust your parents barely have for her. She wants to make sure she can keep seeing you, because you and I both know that they could stop her from seeing you quite easily."

Tom-Tom scowled. He loved his parents, and always would, but he loved Mai, too. He nodded again, then added, "but what does any of that have to do with Mai being honest?"

Aang shifted Tyana's weight in his arms a little. "She wants your visits with her to be perfect," he said slowly. "She wants to keep you in her life. So while she'll be honest with you about most things, you should probably accept - and respect - that some things she'll keep from you for your own good."

Tom-Tom frowned, looking down at his hands. Aang closed his eyes, sighing deeply. He, too, was tired, but not tired enough to ignore anyone else in need. He, too, was worried, but not enough to scare someone else. And he wasn't lying to make anyone feel better, either, though he wished he could.

"Do you think she'll die? And the baby, too?"

Aang's eyes snapped open. "No," he answered, his voice surprisingly hard. "No."

Tom-Tom stared at him, his eyes wavering dangerously. He had been holding it in, but now he was close to tears, both from exhaustion and fear. "How do you know?"

Aang tried to smile. "I'm the Avatar? I know everything?"

Tom-Tom stared at him blankly, and he laughed a little. "You look just like your sister when you do that," he admitted. "And I know, because I know Zuko better than anyone else in this world." His voice was serious now, his eyes fixed on something that either wasn't there, or something Tom-Tom just couldn't see. "If either one of them were close to dying, we'd know it. The world would be ashes."

Those worlds chilled Tom-Tom deeply, and he stared at Aang, unable to miss the degree of conviction there.

"Drink."

Mai complied sleepily - she resented being woken up to ingest whatever foul concoction Katara had for her - but she did it all the same. It was absolutely disgusting, and it unfortunately woke her up. She scowled, her eyes bright and furious amidst her pale complexion, but Katara merely smiled happily and pulled the cup away once it was empty.

"You enjoy making your patients miserable, don't you?" Zuko wondered dryly. He was sitting on the bed beside Mai, very carefully keeping her still and comfortable as she woke up more.

"Sometimes!" Katara replied with a grin. She put the cup aside and walked back over to Mai's other side, her hands quickly going over parts of her that, on any other day, would have gotten her full of sharp things. Instead, the only thing Mai threw were the words, "So, am I dead?"

Zuko scowled at her, but Katara smiled, taking it for what it was. "Sorry, but you're alive," was the cheeky reply. "Although I have to say, seriously..." And here her mirth vanished, her eyes dark. "You might want to reconsider having any more kids, Mai."

Both Mai and Zuko stared at her. They hadn't really had much of a chance to discuss it, but it was always a given that they would have at least two children. It was how things were always done in the monarchy. It was expected.

But Zuko recovered faster, and his arms held Mai tighter. "She's right," was all he said, his voice soft.

Mai hesitated, but said nothing. Instead, she said, "so what about the kid I have?"

Katara's happiness instantly resurfaced. In a flurry, she darted over to a small, blanket-covered table, leaning down and scooping up most of the blankets into her arms. She then rejoined the two, her face glowing. "A baby girl, and absolutely healthy and safe."

Zuko moved to pick her up again, but Mai stopped him, holding up a hand. She pushed herself up slowly, pressing her back against the wall in a sitting-up position, then held out her arms. "Mine," she said plainly. Katara smiled and complied, and Mai found that the small baby was warm and soft and fit perfectly in her embrace. Zuko leaned in close and put an arm around Mai's shoulders, his other hand reaching up pull some of the blankets away from the baby's face.

There was a long silence, one that hung in the air as the two drank in the sight of their new child. It was like being attached to something so fast that you have no hope of moving away, no hope of getting free, and yet you find that you really don't care so much.

"Hey, uh," Katara said softly. "I'm going to go let Aang and Tom-Tom know. I'll be back."

Mai knew an excuse when she heard one, but she looked up and smiled. "Thanks," she replied, actually thanking her for the chance to be alone with Zuko and her daughter.

"She's so tiny," Zuko murmured, his eyes as wide as they could go. "I don't remember Azula being this tiny."

"That's because you were tiny, too," Mai replied. "But you're right. Even Tom-Tom wasn't this tiny."

"She's supposed to be sleeping, right?" he wondered, sounding a little scared. "Babies sleep this much, right?"

"I think so," Mai replied thoughtfully. "Although from what I remember, they also sleep when you don't want to, and wake up when you do."

"Baby," Zuko murmured, his voice softer than the blankets. He reached out and touched the wispy hair with the very tips of his fingers. It was the softest thing he had ever felt.

"Good aim, Zuko," was Mai's dry reply. He looked at her with a scowl, one that instantly softened when he saw her face: she was smiling, her eyes full. He leaned in closer, resting his cheek to hers.

Tyana was having the most fun out of the three of them. She took turns shoving her fingers up various parts of both Aang and Tom-Tom - usually eyes or ears - only to scream when she was stopped. When Tom-Tom attempted to distract her with hand games, she instead grabbed onto his fingers and tried to eat them. Was I ever this annoying? he wondered, yanking his stinging fingers away from her.

Aang drifted in and out of sleep, waking each time Tyana moved away from him. Tom-Tom marveled at this - how could he be calm enough to sleep, with all that was going on? He felt as if he could never sleep again, not until he was sure that things were alright.

The sound of footsteps startled the trio, instantly waking Aang up. He sat up and scooped Tyana back into his arms, which she protested, but she stopped once she saw her mother walking towards them. She looked tired and worn out, and - this made Tom-Tom almost faint - there was blood on her clothes, but her smile was real. Tom-Tom opened his mouth, but Katara saved him the trouble. "She's fine. So is the baby. A girl." And here she turned to Aang and held out her hand, looking at him pointedly. Aang scowled, juggling Tyana as he reached into the pocket of his robes. With a grumble, he slapped a gold piece into Katara's waiting hand, and she grinned. "Never doubt my abilities again," was her conclusion to this.

"So..." Tom-Tom stammered, unsure. "Mai's okay?"

Katara turned back to him, smiling softly. "She's just fine, really. In an hour or two you can go up to see them."

"Wow, that's so weird," was his reply, rubbing his head. "It feels like it only took minutes. And now..."

"I can assure you it did not take minutes," Katara replied, her voice amused. "Get some rest. Aang, you should probably take Tyana to our rooms for now. I can take care of things."

Tyana was already drowsing on Aang's shoulder, but Aang looked at her in question, eying her closely. "You sure?" When she nodded, he hefted Tyana up closer and nodded. "Okay. I'll be back later. Get me if you need to, okay?"

When they left, Katara said to Tom-Tom, "You should probably get some rest, too."

"I can wait," was his reply. "I won't be able to sleep anyway."

But he did sleep. At least, he thought he did. One moment he was sitting there, leaning back and thinking about food, and the next he felt a hand shaking his shoulder gently and calling his name. He opened his eyes and saw Katara there, looking just as tired as before, but with different clothes (a relief). "Whass wrong?" he slurred.

"Nothing," Katara replied calmly. "You can come and visit now, but after, you need to get to a real bed and sleep."

"Kay." Tom-Tom slowly got to his feet, still feeling like he was half-asleep. He followed Katara down the hallway of the private infirmary, not even registering where he was, or the history he was surrounded by - things he normally would have been spellbound by.

"The baby is sleeping," Katara was saying, helping him focus. "She was up for a while, and Mai fed her a bit, but now she's asleep. You can still see her and hold her if you like, though she might cry."

A baby crying, Tom-Tom mused. He wasn't sure what that was like. He had heard babies cry before, of course, but never up-close. He just hoped it wouldn't make him panic and drop her.

Katara stopped at a door, one that was flanked with two female guards. Tom-Tom blinked up at them, and they blinked back. One of them, an older one, couldn't help but offer a small smile. He relaxed a little.

The room was large, larger than he had ever seen a hospital room be before, and it smelled vaguely sweet, like stale incense. Katara led him in and shut the door behind him, his eyes adjusting slowly to the dim light. When he could see, he saw his sister lying in a bed, covered in heavy blankets and holding a bundle of blankets herself. Big Brother Zuko sat in a comfy-looking chair beside her, wearing his best robes but with his hair loosed and in his face. Both looked up when he came in, and both smiled at him. He felt himself relax completely; if there was any danger, it was long past now.

"Hey, little brother," Mai called softly, holding out a hand to him. He walked over and took it, noting that her fingers were cold. "How long have you been haunting this place?"

"Forever," he blurted, unable to keep the whine from his voice. He then blushed; he hadn't wanted to whine like that in front of Mai and Zuko, but being tired and just woken up weakened his defences and make him stupid.

Mai, however, took it in stride, and she squeezed his hand and smiled wider. "Poor baby," she teased. "It's so hard becoming an uncle, isn't it?"

Zuko started. "Oh, that's right!" he said. "You're actually her uncle!" and he laughed, which made Tom-Tom blush deeper.

Katara scowled at Zuko. "Don't be a jerk," she snapped. "Tom-Tom, you should rescind all babysitting duties for that."

Zuko paled and held up his hands. "No, no, I take it back!"

"It's okay," the poor uncle in question replied. And it was, actually. If they could tease him, things would be fine. He knew that if something was really wrong, they would try to hide it from him and pretend like everything was normal, which was something he didn't like. However, despite the fact that there was a strained quality in their voices, and Zuko's voice was a little high-pitched, he sensed it was from exhaustion and not stress, which actually made the teasing okay.

Mostly.

He edged closer and peered at the bundle in Mai's arms. "So that's...?"

"Yep," Mai agreed. "Nameless, for now. We want her to show some personality before we give her a name."

"Although she is just a baby and probably won't show personality for a while," Zuko added, giving his wife a pointed look.

"Whatever," she answered. "Want to hold her, Tom-Tom?"

Did he? Tom-Tom swallowed, instantly nervous at the thought. "Would I be a bad uncle if I said not yet?"

"Yes," Mai answered, her eyebrows raised. "So bad. So horribly bad."

"Mai!" Katara protested.

"She's just joking," Zuko said, mostly to Katara. He leaned over and rested his head on Mai's shoulder - something that surprised Tom-Tom, to be honest. He had always viewed Zuko as someone who had to be tall and stoic and without much emotion - his parents had always told him that that was how a proper Firelord acted. Seeing him lean on his sister and take comfort and strength from her made him seem...really rather normal. He smiled.

"So," Mai said, sounding rather off-handed. "While I know this wasn't planned, I hope your visit here wasn't too horrible."

Tom-Tom blinked, surprised. Was she kidding? "What's horrible about it?" he wondered. "I get to see your baby first. I feel special for that."

He realised the moment the words left his lips that he sounded rather childish, and he blushed again. Both Mai and Zuko, however, smiled warmly. "You are special, idiot," Mai answered. "She only has one uncle, and you're it. How can that be anything but?"

Tom-Tom smiled. He agreed.