••
Twenty year old Zuko sat on the floor leaning against the wall with his head down and hands over his eyes. On the bed were two infants that wailed laying on their backs side by side. He changed them, fed them, he didn't know what else to do.

He looked down at the floor as silent tears rolled down his face. He didn't sleep, he was stressed, he was scared, he was exhausted and beyond.

He didn't know how to be a parent. He didn't know how to be someone for them.

"Prince Zuko?" A new voice came in but he didn't bother looking up. He didn't care. He was in defeat.

A few minutes passed by and once one twin stopped crying it didn't take long for the other to stop. Zukos ears rung at the silence while the man that found him held one of the babies.

"Hey kid," a foot tapped at the young mans ankle. He looked up seeing Kataras father holding one of the twins and the other was finally asleep.

"Chief Hakoda? What are you doing here?" Zuko rasped.

"I've been looking for Katara," Hakoda rocked the infant in his arms and smiled softly at the baby that grabbed his finger.

"She's not here," Zuko told him as his jaw clenched.

"I don't know where she is, I need her, I need help," he trembled.

"I don't want to ask but I have too... Katara was gone for a year, she hasn't been here with you has she?" Hakoda asked softly.

"You already know the answer," Zuko rubbed his eyes, the bags under his eyes were dark and his eyes were red.

"Meet your grandsons," Zuko scoffed leaning back in the chair as he bounced his leg.

"I can't take care of them, Hakoda I can't do this alone, what the fuck am I doing?" He started to breath faster as he heard one of the boys whimper. He couldn't take the crying, he was going insane.

"What, You want me to take them? Raise them in the village?" Hakoda snorted shaking his head.

"Please, you had two children, you know how, please you'll do so much better-I don't want them to grow up with me, I'm not better than my father," Zuko broke down with trembling shoulders.

"From father to father, your job is to protect your children, teach them, and most importantly be there for them," Hakoda narrowed his eyes, he had to be realistic with the kid even if it's not what he wanted to hear he had to hear the truth.

"I don't know how, I'm going to hurt them or fuck them up like me, I can't be a father Hakoda, please please please help me I'm begging you," Zuko wiped his face but more tears ran down his face.

"I don't want to be a dad," he covered his mouth as he choked on a broken cry.

"Kid, go rest, wash up, eat something, we'll talk after," Hakoda touched the back of his head. "I'll stay for a bit to help,"

"I'll take care of the twins but you need some rest, you look like shit," he smirked a little.

"I'm so sorry, thank you," Zuko felt humiliated but he was so tired, it's been days since he was able to sleep without being startled awake.

"It's going to be okay," Hakoda nodded softly and Zuko looked at him with glossy gold eyes.

"So what's the names of my grandsons?" He asked as Zuko got up.

"I uh.. I don't know," Zuko sighed pushed his hair out of his face.

"Katara wanted these other names but I can't bring myself to use them," he rubbed his eyes and Hakoda looked at the infants gently.

"It's not like her to leave when things get hard, and I never would think she'd leave her own children, she's always been the mother kind of friend, she's always stepped up, it's expected of her," Hakoda whispered gently, the baby that held his finger in the tiny fist opened his eyes and Hakoda smiled gently at the baby with blue eyes.

"There was suppose to be a third, she was a stillborn and it almost took Kataras life... I understand she needs time but we were going to have a life together," Zuko felt another tear run down his face.

"We were engaged chief, we accidentally got pregnant but we were going to wait till the baby's were born and tell everyone," he wiped his face, heart broken truly.

"I need her Hakoda, I can't do it alone," he whispered covering his mouth.

"Go get some sleep Zuko, I promise it'll clear your head," Hakoda insisted and Zuko looked at the twins laying down, Ren was sleeping as aito had his fists in his mouth.

"Okay," the princes voice trembled.

••

"Dad look!" Aito ran ahead and did a cartwheel to show off as Ren cheered proudly.

"That looks awesome, maybe you both can join the circus one day," Zuko teased as Ren held his hand while they walked to the town together. Zuko was able to sneak off with his boys for their usual morning walks, getting away from the old friends that were waiting.

"Take it easy, I'm glad you feel better from yesterday but I don't need you getting to dizzy Ai, I need you two to stay healthy," he told him as aito ran back and grabbed his other hand nodding knowing to stay close when they were in the village.

"Do you guys want anything specific for dinner this week? Aito you need to eat more now that your feeling better, protein to get you stronger," Zuko looked around for food as he held a small hand in each of his.

"Can we make dumplings?" Aito asked looking at some of the toys one merchant had.

"I thought you guys didn't like dumplings?" He looked at the twins confused.

"No we like the steamy ones, they're always gooy and yummy, with soup!" Ren agreed and Zuko rolled his eyes a little.

"Next thing you tell me is that you don't like my jook," Zuko pouted a little. The four year olds looked at each other mocking a gagging face behind their father's back, pretending to throw up.

"No dad we love the jook," Ren said sarcastically. "We just like dumplings more,"

"Well since we'll be on the road more soon we can do dumplings tonight," Zuko didn't catch on the sarcasm but heard the two snickering.

"Wait so we're going with you?" Aito asked confused.

"Yay no babysitter!" Ren jumped excited.

"I-I uh.. I can't leave you guys behind so you'll have to come with to a safe place, probably with your grandpa," Zuko pursed his lips. He didn't like the idea of keeping them at the pub alone with yuna, at least maybe the white lotus can keep them safe.

"Grandpa iroh?!" They both yelled excited.

"The one and only," he chuckled as the two jumped around happy to see the old man.

"Wait so we're leaving? To go stay with him?" Aito asked letting it sink in.

"Yes, we're going to a secret camp where grandpa iroh and many of his old friends are, we're going to be around old masters so you have to be on your A game boys," Zuko explained and they both groaned loudly.

"Did something bad happen in the war? How come we leave?" Ren asked now.

"I don't know yet, I'm going to be busy helping so I just need someone to make sure you boys are safe," he sighed not looking forward to it.

"It's cause of the evil fire lord," aito stated factually.

"Right, aunt and evil lord gotta go I guess, at least we don't know them," Ren put a hand on his chin.

"Excuse me?" Zuko looked down at them confused.

"It's because you're a prince papa, that's why they need your help right?" Aito had an innocent look on his face.

Zuko didn't hide that he was royalty from the twins as his uncle and Hakoda still addressed him as prince many times. But he didn't know if the children really understood his role in the fire nation.

"Something like that, you know not to talk about that outside of the house though, but once we get to camp we can again," he tried and they both nodded.

"Secret," ren zipped his lips.

"But that's why your friends want to kill the evil lord?" Aito rubbed his freckled nose.

"Can you not be brutally honest? People are going to think your little sociopaths," Zuko looked at them unamused and they both grinned.

"Stop that," he said flatly and ruffled their hair when he stood up making the boys cackle and hold each other's hands as they followed Zuko.

"How are we getting to grandpa, pops?" Ren asked as he gripped aito's hand.

"I'm probably guessing they have appa with them, he's a fuzzy flying monster, you could fit in his nose," Zuko smirked back at them.

"Like a badger mole?" Ren's eyes widen.

"Wha- no," he put his face in his hands. Children's logic baffle him.

He bought a bag of almonds and dried berries for the three of them to snack on knowing it was close to lunch. He handed Ren the bag but when aito reached for the food, ren slapped his hand and went around to the other side of their father.

"Hey, kid, you share that," Zuko stopped him.

"Aito has dirt on his hands," ren whined.

"I saw you eat dirt last week," aito said flatly.

"You ate it too!"

"You lied and said it taste like chocolate!"

Ren snickered knowing he was right and remembered the betrayal on his brothers face last week.

"Don't eat dirt," Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

"And don't eat random plants, I don't want to supervise you two when your outside so you don't eat a plant that your not suppose too," he sighed taking them bag of nuts back and poured some in both twins hands for themselves while he held the big bag.

"Your telling me you never ate dirt?" Ren didn't believe him.

"No I never ate dirt, I was supervised usually or with my sister, but she did try some mischief, put an apple on a friends head and shot it off with fire bending," Zuko thought about it for a minute.

Ren grinned mischievously at aito at the idea.