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Sokka couldn't really process what had happened. Days were just blurring together at this point as he tried to figure out what exactly had happened. Suki had passed away a few weeks ago and now their son was missing. The house was ransacked and everything was a mess that was falling apart.
He could still remember those days clearly, coming home from a meeting along with San, only to find a note stuck to the slightly ajar door, blood splattered all over it. A trembling hand had come to take off the note and immediately dropped it as if it had shocked him.
“ The line of Suki is done for...
Badla"
And the scene inside… he could clearly see that Suki hadn't gone down without a fight. All the furnitures were turned over or thrown over the place, some broken. There were marks, probably made by a sword, Suki’s fans or whatever weapon the murderer was using and… Suki… oh Suki… he retched the moment he got a glance of her and left the house. As much as he wanted to sit and cry beside her… he still had a son and he wasn't going to let him see his mother in that state.
Oh their darling boy… the nightmares of what could’ve happened to him haunted him day and night, not really letting him sleep. Some days were worse than the others as he saw visions of him getting killed in the most gruesome ways possible. How could one ever do that to a child? That too just a few weeks old?
“Sokka…” he heard his sister say in worry, “you really need to get some proper rest and come out of this room. You can’t stay like this forever.”
But the words never penetrated through the fog. No one’s ever did, except for Bumi’s. It was hard not to smile when Bumi was around and he could see that his sister was taking full advantage of it. Kids had always been his weakness.
Days turned into weeks with him letting himself get lost into this hole of darkness until, he thought it was Toph, beat him over the head and talked him out of whatever he was thinking.
And something snapped inside him, not really the will to move on, like people like to dramatise often. Nor was it for revenge. Whoever had killed his wife and son, they wanted to destroy Suki… and he wasn't going to let them do that.
“Hello ladies! It’s good to see you all once more” Sokka said with a strained smile, going in to hug every single one of them.
It was their annual Haiku club meeting and while Sokka wasn't really a member per se, the girls had immediately made him an honorary member when he revisited Ba Sing Se, saying something along the lines that it would be refreshing to have outside perspective but he didn't really know what this ‘outside perspective’ actually consisted of.
Nonetheless, it was fun to see them again. In all honesty, it had been nearly 3 years since he last saw them, with all the stuff going on with Republic City and his own personal life and spiralling. He knew he was in no shape to travel at that time.
“Sokka, it’s good to see you too. I am glad you are doing better,” Yin said with a smile, placing a kiss on his cheek. She’d been the only member he’d been in touch with since the horrors that happened three years ago and was really grateful for her help in everything.
“So, what is happening with all of you? Anything new?”
“Things are slowly rebuilding here. At least most of us are able to take up jobs if we want to, even if it will kind of be a mini home business. I know no city can be rebuilt in one day, but the lower ring has taken a huge hit and has yet to recover.” Shan supplied.
Sokka nodded. The lower ring was indeed taking time in being rebuilt. Maybe he should ask Aang to talk with Kuei about that on a later date.
“Anyone get into the poetry business?” There were giggles all over the table and the familiar response made him relax a little.
“You very well know that poetry is not a business, Sokka. It is art and should be treated as such.” Jin playfully chided, politely taking a sip of water.
“Well, Yin did manage to have another son in this time period. An earth bender at that too” Kriti gossiped, waggling her eyes at the woman.
Sokka gaped at her. “You didn't tell me! The last you told me was the fact that the healers said you wouldn't be able to have children after you had Chow! Yin, my lady, I feel betrayed!” he said, placing a hand over his heart.
“Sorry Sokka, but I didn't want to tell you about it right after you’d lost your wife and son in a disastrous manner. I found the poor boy in a dumpster. I wouldn't know who would do such a heinous act on such an innocent being. I took him in and am raising him at the moment. Would you like to meet him?”
“Of course! I would love and be honoured to meet him! How old is he?”
“I’ll assume that he’s nearly 4 years old, but I wouldn't know for sure as to how old he will be really” Yin said with a bit of hesitance but Sokka didn't pay any heed to that.
“After this meeting, we are going to meet them. It was about time I visited Chow anyways, I would be upset if he’d forgotten about me.”
What he hadn't been expecting was to see a splitting image of himself and Suki playing around in the house with Chow, happily giggling away as he tackled the older boy and started to playfully fight each other.
“San?” Sokka stared, wide eyed, the fragile whisper hanging in the air.
“How did you know? I never said his name to you” Yin asked in worry.
“He looks just like my San… and those eyes… they are Suki’s eyes” Sokka whispered as he bent down to San’s level and ghosted a hand over the confused child’s face.
“Sokka…”
“Sorry, I just… he looks soo… I don't know what came over me to say things like that but… he just…”
“Sokka, I understand. Losing a child is hard. Trust me, I know. Talk me through what you are thinking” Yin said softly.
“He just… He looks so much like how San would’ve been if he were to be your San’s age. And… and… that miniature fan and boomerang bracelet… it just looks like the one Toph made for him when he was born. Also I-”
“Was this also your San’s?” Yin asked, bringing in a baby blanket with San’s name knitted on it shabbily.
“Yess” he breathed out a shaky whisper as he eyed the cloth, the very cloth Bumi had given to him proudly, stating that he himself had stitched in his favourite cousin’s name. “But how…”
“This was what I found when I found San in the dumpster. And if… I’d known he’s your San… Sokka, I am so happy for you!”
“Mama? Who is this uncle? Why is he crying?” San asked innocently, not knowing what is going on.
“Sorry darling. You just remind me of my son who I lost. I am uncle Sokka. Maybe you will be seeing me a lot in the future” he said, giving him a smile before turning to Yin.
“Sokka, if this is your San, I will be more than happy for you to talk him with you. You deserve a family and I wouldn't dream of separating the two of you.”
“Is he happy here?” Sokka asked, not removing his eyes away from San.
“I believe he is. But he could be happier with-”
“Then please promise me that you will raise him to be a nice man. A better man. One that would make all of us proud.”
“But Sokka, he’s your-”
“He’s your son, Yin. And he will be your son. Even if this were to be my son, I am not in a position to be a single father and Republic City is not in a position to let me be one. My whole family is a target for some person or the other, Yin. Maybe it is fate that led San to this ordinary and peaceful life and I would like to have it that way. He doesn't need to…”
“Sokka, you are not telling me something…” Yin said, cutting off Sokka’s rambling.
“Someone is targeting us, Yin and if people presume San to be dead, then he is the safest that way. And I will sacrifice anything to see my son safe. I am trusting him with you, Yin. Let this not be known outside this family, please. It is the best for all of us.” Sokka pleaded.
“Should San know that…”
“One day, I will tell him myself. I am not cutting myself out of his life, but I am not going to uproot him off the peace he’s found himself in at the same time. He is happy here, Yin. Happy and safe. And that’s all I need to know” Sokka said with a sad smile.
Yin nodded as she grasped Sokka’s arm. “I promise you that no harm will befall your son. He will become an amazing person, just like you.”
Sokka wiped the tears away as he stood up to leave the place. “It was nice seeing you, Yin. And thank you.”
“You don't need to thank me, Sokka. I will have your back, always. But what about the rest of your-”
“It is best if they don't know about San. The lesser the people know, the better.”
Yin just nodded, mimicking as if she were zipping her mouth. “See you soon then.”
“See you soon.”
<Years later>
“Hi, uncle Sokka!”
“Hello San, fancy seeing you in Republic City… I thought you were in Ba Sing Se!”
“Well, I was. But I think I needed a change in scenery. Also, this is my wife Naoki and our child, Mako” he said with a bright smile as Naoki stepped forward, visibly pregnant as she held a child in her arms.
“Say hi to grandpa, Mako!” his daughter in law cooed and Mako turned towards him and waved before hiding his face behind his hands.
“Does she know?” Sokka asked.
“About us? I told her, uncle. She knows everything.”
“Have you thought about it?”
“I… I don't know” San sighed. “Maybe some day. But that day is definitely not right now. Maybe after our second child is born.”
“I am happy for you, son, no matter how things were for us.”
“I am happy too, dad. I am happy too.”