ATLA: We Live

“Funny that it’s me that delivered your baby, huh, Katara?” The short, but lanky woman asked her friend as she handed over her newborn child, wrapped snugly in a blanket.
Katara beamed and glanced at her husband over her shoulder as both proud parents gazed down at their son. “Honey, look!” She exclaimed excitedly. “He has your eyes exactly!”
Aang smiled as he leaned closer to his son. Bright gray eyes blinked up at him. “He’s beautiful,” he murmured.
Toph was grinning that mad grin of hers as she finally turned to the two men standing behind her, a little apart from the group. And a little apart from each other, too. They both looked a bit queasy.
“Hey, you guys! Get over here! It’s a baby. He’s not going to bite you.”
Blue and amber exchanged cursory glances.
“Sokka!” Katara called. “Come on. Meet your nephew!”
The Water Tribe warrior’s expression softened and he chuckled nervously as he hurried to his sister’s side.
“He’s…squishy?” He said for the second time in his life, at a loss for anything normal to say.
Aang smirked at him as Toph punched her friend and Katara rolled her eyes.
The Avatar looked to the other man, still huddled in a corner of the room, looking rather left out. The man’s dark hair hung over his faces, hiding his eyes, his head bent.
“Zuko.”
The Firebender’s head tilted up in surprise and he walked over slowly.
Katara nodded at her husband with a smile and Aang gave his master a bow. “We would be honored if you would be Kishu’s godfather.”
Zuko’s insides froze and he stared, mouth agape at the three in front of him. His jaw slid around silently, quite unable to summon any words. His wide, gold eyes finally rested upon Aang and Katara’s son, Kishu.
So much he had done to these now-adults, and this was like a formal apology. No…a privilege. An acceptance. They now completely and utterly trusted him.
Kishu made a gurgling noise and stuck out a pale, pudgy hand.
Towards Zuko.
The Firebender suddenly felt a lump in his throat as he placed his forefinger into the baby’s grasp.
“Of course,” he murmured, tears brimming, but not about to be let spill over. He locked eyes with Katara, then Aang. “Of course I’ll be his godfather. The best one!” He added loudly and Sokka smiled, obviously pleased with the bender’s attitude.
Toph had been shifting back and forth behind the Waterbender uncomfortably during this time. Katara smirked, knowing the blind woman couldn’t see it. “Would you like to hold him, Toph?”
“Can I?!” She asked immediately and held out her arms.
Aang helped the new mother place Kishu into the Earthbender’s arms. “Support his head,” the parents said at the same time, exchanging huge grins when everyone gave a short laugh.
“Do you think he’ll be a bender?” Sokka asked as he sat at his little sister’s feet.
The parents looked at each other and shrugged as Toph cradled their child delicately, Zuko following their conversation with a slight smile.
Aang placed a hand on Katara’s. “We’ll love him no matter what.”
“Hm…this is weird,” Toph murmured, jumping back as both Zuko and Sokka started shouting this such as: “What’s wrong? What’s weird? Stop messing around, Toph!”
The woman’s dark eyebrows drew together in annoyance as the worried gibberish subsided. “I just meant he feels funny. Like, tingly or something.”
Aang blinked and Katara raised an eyebrow as Zuko and Sokka continued to stare at her in confusion.
Suddenly, the Avatar reached forward and, his back towards his wife, brushed the baby’s dark brown hair back with his fingers. Toph stood like a rock, motionless and quite, until something wet dropped on her arm. “Huh? Twinkletoes?”
“Aang, what’s wrong?” Katara asked, blue eyes wary. They widened as her husband’s back shook with a sob. “Aang?!” It now sounded more like an alarmed shriek.
“Katara…” It was a like a whimper as he faced her, tears streaming down his face. “Look. Look.”
She turned frantic eyes onto her newborn son and gasped.
A tiny, blue arrow pointed downward from her son’s forehead.
“The blanket…we couldn’t see the tattoos…Toph delivered him,” Sokka was muttering.
“He’s an Airbender. Aang, he’s an Airbender!” Katara laughed with joy, tears forming in her own eyes.
Zuko smiled as Aang put his long arms around his love. “I—I’m not…I’m not the…”
Toph hugged the child to her. “You’re not the last Airbender anymore.” She said, souding sincere and sweet almost.
The parent’s wiped the tears from their eyes as Aang kissed the top of Kishu’s head, holding him close. “Welcome to the world.”