Meka's POV

"I'm Meka and this is my son Mikoto. I like to formally thank you both for saving us." I said while drinking the wonderful tea. 

"Anytime Meka. My name is Iroh and this here is my nephew Zuko." Iroh said making me nod. 

"Why were they chasing you guys?" Zuko asked not looking at us but instead at a stick. 

"We were just passing by through the forest and they came out of no where. They wouldn't leave us alone so I fought them off while Mikoto ran away." I explained as Mikoto began to fall asleep. 

"Mikoto said if he could bend he would have saved you himself. What was that about?" Iroh asked. 

"That's because he's a fire bender. We can't really find someone to teach and to hell I'm going to give him away. He's all I have and it's the same way for him too." I said. 

"I don't mean to be rude but aren't you a little young to be a mother?" Iroh asked. 

"Uncle!" Zuko yelled in surprised. 

"That's because I am too young. When I was young I was lost. Didn't know where I was, what my name was or how I come to be where I was. All I knew was that I was alone. Then I met a group who were all victims of the fire nation. They traveled together and took care of each other. They took me in and gave me a name. A place to belong. Hana was the one who took care of me and was like a sister to me. She fell in love with a fire soldier and he did as well. After we packed to leave once again she found out she was pregnant. Told everyone she fell in love with a earth bender who went into war. When I turned ten Hana died while giving birth to Mikoto. She told me to raise him as my own and to take care of him. Which is what I am doing. One day he was getting bullied by the other kids and he got angry accidentally burning one of the children. He's only six and they wanted to ban him from our group. I couldn't let that happen so instead I left with Mikoto. I wasn't gonna leave him all alone. Especially since he's all thats left from Hana." I explained. 

"Does he know about what happen to his mother?" Zuko asked. 

"He does but he still prefers to call me mom and I'm alright with that. I just want him to be safe and to grow up like any child but it's hard when the fire benders are hated and how he can't even control his bending." I said. 

"Well how about we teach him." Iroh said surprising me. 

"What? Uncle" Iroh stopped Zuko from talking. 

"Would you really?" I asked. 

"Of course. It would be nice to travel with more people." He said. 

"Uncle have you forgotten our mission?" He asked his Uncle. 

"No I haven't but they need us Zuko." Iroh said. 

"I can cook, clean, sew, I'll be any use for you guys just please help him. We are already use to traveling so we won't get in the way." I said with desperation. 

Zuko sigh and scratch the back of his head. "Alright. Just don't get in the way." He said as he walked into his tent. 

I secretly cheered as Iroh gave me a huge smiled. "Looks like we're all gonna know each other very well. I think we should celebrate to that." He said as he raised his tea cup. 

I did as well as we talk over the open fire. 

It was morning and I woke up early for the only purpose of getting up and cooking breakfast early for everyone. They were helping me, helping us and I didn't want to be a bother to them. I need to make sure I'm on their good side. I have to do it for Mikoto. I was able to catch some fishes on a nearby river and I had some rice I've bought from a few days ago. I started to cook at once as I heard Mikoto jumping out of our tent. "Morning mama!" He said while giving me a back hug. 

"Morning Mikoto. How you doing?" I asked as I lift the top to check on the rice. 

""I'm up and going. Where are we going now? When are we leaving?" He asked running around the camp fire. 

"Mikoto don't run around the fire. You can get hurt." I said. 

"Sorry mommy." He said sitting down a few feet away from the fire. 

"And to answer your questions we are gonna stay with them for a while." I said moving the pot away from the fire. 

"So we're not gonna be by ourselves?" He asked 

"No, for a while we'll  be traveling with them." I said. 

"Like how we use to do before the accident?" He asked with a whisper in the end. 

"Yes but they know about you being a fire bender Mikoto. They're gonna show you how to control your fire bending." I explained taking out the fish from the fire. 

"Really?" He asked with excitement.

"Yes indeed." I said serving a plate for Mikoto. 

"I can finally protect you mom!" He said with excitement. 

"And yourself." I said. 

"I don't care about me mama, all I care about is protecting you." He said with a mouth full of food. 

I felt a little shocked and worried about his statement. "Protecting yourself is protecting me Mikoto." I said serving myself. 

"Mama, do you think I can learn quickly?" He asked slowing down. 

"No, it'll take a lot of practice for you to even learn the basics." Zuko voice startled us as he walked out of his tent. 

"You hungry Zuko?" I asked handing him my bowl. 

"Uh yeah, thank you." He said as he grab the bowl. 

"We should be thanking you Zuko. Your the one who's gonna help Mikoto." I said serving another bowl for myself. 

"Are you really gonna show me? Am I really gonna be able to fire bend?" Mikoto asked excitedly. 

"Uncle was the one who said it so he'll probably be the one who would teach you." He said a littler nervous. 

He must be a little shy towards new people. It's kinda cute. "Good morining everyone!" Iroh said happily.

"Morning Iroh. Want breakfast?" I asked. 

"Morning Iroh." Mikoto said quietly. 

"Why that would be delightful. I'll make the tea." He said as I started to serve him. 

"We should head north, that's where the air bender was last heading." Zuko said to his uncle. 

"Why must we hurry to where he is? Let us take our time and enjoy the outdoors." He said as he pour himself a cup of tea. 

"Uncle! We don't have time to mess around. Someone else might capture the avatar." He said. 

I wanted to ask what they were talking about and why they were so interested in the avatar but I kept quiet. I didn't want to risk them not teaching Mikoto how to fire bend. I looked at Mikoto seeing that he was curious too. He looked at me and I shook my head letting him know it's not our business. I need to turn a blind eye from something that could potentially go wrong. "Mikoto why don't we go wash up while they talk it out?" I asked breaking the tension a bit. 

"Alright. Can we go swimming?" He asked. 

"Just for a bit." I said walking away from the situation with my boy. 

I have heard of the avatar reappearing again as well as the fire nation pulling an entire search for him. So I am not surprised that they are also looking for him. Their business is not for me to poke my nose into. All that matters right now is for Mikoto to learn how to control his fire bending. Oh Hana, why'd you have to fall in love with a fire bender? It would have been easier if it was a earth bender, heck even a water bender. Then I would have taught him everything that I know. Instead we are here. In the hands of two fire benders that could betray us at any time. Especially if they knew that I was a water bender.