A/N: Hello! Thanks for coming. This is a drabble series that follows up my first story called "Parts of a Whole." If you haven't read that you will probably be confused. There are several OCs who will get plenty of attention in this series, and you won't understand who they are if you don't read the other story first. Don't be alarmed though, it's because my "Parts" readers and I loved the OCs that this series exists at all so give it a try.

I'm calling this an "epic drabble series" because I know I will be drawn to arcs and I plan to follow that path. So it will be a fic in bits.

And to my "Parts" readers who have rejoined me for this, I hope you will enjoy it as much as you did the epic. Just thinking about it has gotten me all excited again and I can't wait to really get into it, so let's begin!!

Don't forget to review because I love it so much when you do! MacFie xoxo

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I don't own anything having anything to do with Avatar: The Last Airbender, with the exception of my OCs and some plot.

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Sunrise

Fire Lord Zuko awakens every morning at sunrise. For the past three weeks he has made it his habit to slip his hand lightly over his sleeping wife's swollen belly and feel the thumps and kicks of the child growing within her. He lies there in complete contentment, careful not to wake Katara, as he communes with his unborn child.

It certainly took long enough, he often thinks to himself. They've been married for five years and this is their first conception. Sokka once took him aside and asked him if he was doing it right. He smirks now thinking of his brother-in-law's smug suggestion that the Fire Lord might need some pointers.

When Ahni had gifted her husband with twins he strutted around proudly as if his seed were somehow more potent for having produced two instead of the typical one. When their second conception also produced twins the Water Tribe captain stumbled around in a stupor wondering how in the world he'd been chosen to have so many children so quickly.

When the healer conceived again … they will soon see how the spirits have chosen to bless them this time.

"Is that smug expression an indicator that you've decided on the bending persuasion of your progeny?" His wife's sleepy voice breaks into his thoughts.

"That's a lot of big words for a peasant." He teases.

"Yes. All the ones I know. What have you decided about our baby's bending?" She's smiling but her eyes are nearly closed, hanging on to sleep.

"He does rise with the sun." Zuko replies.

"Yes, she does." Katara agrees snuggling closer, unwilling to be awake but not being able to help it just now.

"Would it bother you if we had a firebender first?" He asks.

"We've discussed this before, and of course it would a little bit. I want a baby more than anything but a part of me wants to pass on my bending too. It's natural."

"Maybe this one will open the gate and we'll soon have as many as Sokka and Ahni." He kisses her forehead affectionately.

"There would have to be a waterbender in there somewhere, you'd think." She smiles. "But to tell you the truth, right now I'm really hoping this baby is a boy firebender." She admits, sighing.

"That might shut the Cho Sung clan up for a little while but they'd find something else to complain about." Zuko grins. "Besides I'm still hoping Yukio will agree to be my heir, so that should take some of the pressure off."

"Well, part of it is also knowing this might be our only one. I'd almost given up." She finally voices the fear she's kept inside for months.

"Well, you can't give up as long as you're still willing to…"

Katara smacks his shoulder to shut him up. She still blushes whenever intimacies are mentioned even when it's just the two of them. Her opinion is that talking about it makes it less magical. It makes you think about it later during the act itself and thinking is not what she wants to be doing at such times. Besides, these things were never discussed in the Water Tribe, although she realizes they may have been, but just not with her.

And so avoiding conversations on the subject of sex has also kept the embarrassment level high for the princess whenever it's brought up.

"It just took so long to actually work." She murmurs, closing her eyes and thinking maybe she'll go back to sleep while there's still time.

"Not for lack of trying." He kisses her neck and moves his way up to the sensitive spot behind her ear and she realizes she's not going back to sleep after all.

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Prince Yukio looks out over the ocean as the sun rises setting the sea aflame. He's soaked with sweat from practice and he still gulps the sea air from the mast-climbing race he and the twins devised and added to their regimen.

He and his friends have been on the Yue for three months. As part of their overall training they were invited to join the crew for a voyage to the South Pole, to several destinations in the Earth Kingdom, and finally back to the Fire Nation capitol.

It's been hard, rewarding work and they've all had a great time working for Sokka. They often feel as if they're the only ones on the crew who get any of the Water Tribe captain's jokes and he definitely appreciates them for that.

The return trip has been enjoyable especially for the addition of the captain's family on board. A pregnant wife and four very young children can enliven any expedition, but the three-year-olds… three-and-a-half-year olds … have been a hair-raising pair that has kept the trip exciting even into the night.

In fact, Yukio's first trip up the mast was to retrieve one of the demonic duo when the child decided to capture a pelican that had taken a rest up there. The prince had nearly flown up the mast and grabbed the toddler around the waist before he realized what he was doing. Once he had little Niko under his arm, he couldn't figure out how to get down with him.

Sokka had to climb up with a rope, tie the boy to his own chest and they climbed down together.

Since then, Yukio and his friends have used the mast as a training tool, but also as sports equipment. Right now Taoki holds the most wins, but Yukio is not far behind. Kenya tends to stop for seconds at a time to stare out at the horizon thinking he's seeing something. He just can't seem to stop himself, even though he has never quit trying to win.

The prince heads for his cabin thinking how great it will be to get home and see everyone again. He has so many new skills to tell Zuko and Katara about. And it won't take Bokkusu five minutes to start thinking of security uses for them.

But with the return comes the final answer. He must tell his cousin that he will never willingly accept the throne. If the Fire Lord and Katara never produce a proper heir his decision will be made for him and he'll accept it, but he won't change his mind and agree to the lordship for himself otherwise.

All he wants is to be a warrior for the Fire Nation. It feels as if it's all he's ever wanted.