A/n: Ah, a multi-chaptered gig! It's been a while. But Pakku/Kana is worth it, I think. Their relationship is an interesting one, and yet we know so little! They were engaged as teenagers, Kana broke it off and ran, they have no contact after that, and then sixty years later he shows up at her doorstep. Drama! And we know that they eventually rekindle their romance, and to me, that implies that there was something there to start with. Perhaps something other than an arranged marriage.

Plus, we all need some old people love. It's so canon-tastic!

Disclaimer: Yeah, sure, Avatar: The Last Airbender is mine. If you wanna believe it, go right ahead. Hate to admit, but I'm not that awesome.

So, let's get rollin'! Starts off a few days after Pakku's fleet arrives at the South Pole. We all know Kana was probably stewing. I know I would be...

Chapter 1: New Arrivals

x x x x

Shuffling back and forth, arms full of supplies, Kana sighed, hugging a pile of blankets to her chest. The air was crisp and cold, cooler than usual for the early spring season. Thick powder lay on the ground, bright sun glistening off of the ice and lighting up the area. The path she crossed was carved out, snow pressed down and packed, but that didn't make her trek any easier. Every load that she carried between the ship's harbor and the small storage hut a few yards away caused her muscles to strain and her breath to shorten.

She didn't mind, though. She enjoyed the work. Carting the supplies from point A to point B, distributing them throughout her small village; it was good work, and Kana took pleasure in it. The South Pole could be a harsh climate, dumping mounds of snow and ice, blowing out frigid temperatures well below zero, and it made life seem unforgiving at times. The one hundred year war that continued to wage dampened the mood further, taking away the men of the village and leaving it bare and forlorn, full of women and children struggling to make ends meet. The village had been growing smaller and smaller since the war began, and now with the able-bodied men off serving to protect it, it looked like a ragged postage stamp on a vast white envelope.

To see it so active now, full of bustling activity and smiling faces, was like a soothing balm on Kana's heart. She had been a part of the tribe for over fifty years, and she hadn't felt the air so electric with happiness for a long while. The harbor off of the tip of the village had been vacant since the men had left over five years ago. Now a small fleet of Northern Water Tribe ships sat silently docked, and men once again walked through the village, bringing the sense of security and protection that only they could.

And though the newly-arrived sister tribe could easily handle the unloading of the supplies they had carried with them across the vast ocean, Kana refused to be cast off to the sidelines. Old woman or not, she was going to help and not a soul could convince her otherwise.

Besides, working helped keep her mind occupied and her thoughts on a short leash. Thankful as she was for the new additions to her village, their appearance had brought up countless memories and emotions. The tribe of the South had lost contact with the Northern Tribe before she had joined the Southern nomads. The war had taken too many resources, eaten up valuable time, and too many miles separated the Poles- it had been nigh impossible to keep in touch. Now, after such a long period of time had passed, they had reopened the line of communication, offering help to their sister who, on most every account, was so far behind them in resources.

Reaching the storage building, Kana paused, dropping off her load and stretching her back. Everywhere she looked she could see something. Someone patching up a house that needed tending to ages ago, or a group preparing to head out and hunt down some dinner. A flock of women streaking by, the lines on their faces not nearly as prominent and their eyes smiling, burden on their shoulders lifted considerably. It was like her village was slowly waking up and taking that first deep breath of the morning.

She continued to survey, the happy sights warming her. A small smile began to form on her lips, but the expression was fleeting. Faded cerulean eyes narrowed, her gaze falling on a figure approaching one of the docked ships. The very one she was helping with. An indignant huff swelled in her chest.

Pakku. She recognized his proud swagger instantly. Fifty plus years had done little to dampen it. Of all the people in the Northern Tribe that could have led the expedition to her village, it seemed he had been appointed to it's head. Kana couldn't say she was surprised, he had always been capable; pleased, however, she was not. He was the main reason she felt the need to reign in her thoughts and keep her mind busy.

Yet here he was, elbowing into her space. There were other boats that still needed unloading. As if invading her tribe wasn't enough.

Turning her back, Kana moved away from the storage shed and into the village. There was more work to be done than heft around boxes all day. Technically, she was the elder of this tribe, and as such it was her duty to care for the guests. Being a member of the Southern Tribe since her teenage years, she knew just about everything there was to know about every single snowflake that had ever touched the Pole. She also knew how to cook a meal, and she had a feeling the new additions would be ready to eat by sundown.

Moving through the worn paths of the town, recruiting helping hands, Kana slowly resigned to the fact that Pakku would probably have to eat, too.

x x x x

Stepping out into the winter air, feeling the warm sunshine on his face, Pakku drew in a deep breath, taking in the ice and snow surrounding him. Buildings stood scattered about, most humble in size and design, all maintained and cared for, a few perhaps in need of a helping hand. A fire pit stood in the middle of the village, flickering even in the daylight, helping with the icy chill. Stands of dried fish sat beside huts, hides tanning beside them. The largest building sat in the center, close to the flame, a sign declaring it to be the meeting place. Even the center piece of the village was simple, no added, ornate carving. Nothing to draw the eye.

The South Pole was certainly different from the North. Everything in his home was grand. Even the simplest handrail was curved and delicate. Buildings were tall, proud. Heritage was proclaimed with symbols embedded in walls. It seemed his sister tribe had not been blessed with the good-fortune of his home. It was his job, his and the men and women that had traveled with him, to help this village back on it's feet and drag it out of the slump that it had been in for much too long. He had an allotted time to do so in, and he knew he had his work cut out for him.

He didn't have time to sit back and relax. He had never been partial to idle hands, anyway.

Walking through the village, heading towards the ship he had rode over on days before, Pakku wondered just how long it would take to help these people. It was obvious they had managed to survive countless years without aide, but survive was basically all the had accomplished. He understood that the war had been hard on everyone, but it seemed the Southern Tribe had suffered many blows. He had never visited the Pole before, yet he had heard stories, read of the branch family. Nothing he had heard or seen painted such a glum picture, of a tribe full of women and children forced play two roles- man and woman, adult and child.

That had been years ago, when he had been young and ambitious, before he had been appointed a bending master and confronted with the war himself. Time had a way of changing things, so it was little surprise that the books no longer held truth and old accounts had gone stale. Still, a hint of remorse nagged at him. Ties between the two tribes had been severed before he had been born, but the decline of this village seemed senseless. Even with the war at full height, his tribe held countless men; this one had been without them for over five years.

He was here to change that, he reminded himself. Help this place so that when his brothers returned from war they wouldn't have the burden of breathing life into their homes.

Reaching the shipyard, Pakku routinely grabbed a couple of boxes, nodding a hello to the familiar faces and starting for the storage shed. They would probably be unloading ships until the day the left, having packed them with every type of good imaginable. Foods, spices, medicine, building supplies- his men had come prepared. As he walked, easily balancing the load in his arms, he spotted another known face and the boxes he held wavered as he fought to free a hand.

Which was useless, really, since the person he saw was walking away. He hadn't exactly seen their face, but even from behind, deep chocolate hair now a smokey gray, Pakku knew who it was. The years had done little to squash the image he still held of her. Kana hardly seemed to care that he was waving to her empty footprints, however, and Pakku quickly steadied his cargo.

Kana hardly seemed to care that he was here at all. Period. Years ago they had been friends. They had grown up together, been each other's shadow. He had thought that perhaps they could reopen that old channel. She had barely spoken three words to him since he had arrived. Which was a feat, since they were together for at least an hour every night for dinner and decision making. Kana held much respect in her little tribe. No one had any qualms that she head the Southern Waterbenders during meetings. With Pakku leading his own tribe, he had assumed they would speak often. He hadn't been aware of Kana's status, but he had been pleasantly surprised to see her hold such high-standings.

It seemed Kana cared little to rekindle their past friendship. She barely spoke with him when she had to. Leisurely chatting was a far-fetched hope, and retracing old ground was completely out of the question. He had never forgotten her; seemed as though she wanted to forget him.

Sighing, Pakku drew in another deep breath. The smell that greeted him- the crispness of the cold, salt of the sea, spices of the food, smoke of the fires- it remained the same as home. At least some things never changed. For that, Pakku was grateful.

x x x x

Sitting a bowl on the table, filling it full of warm seafood stew, Kana passed it on down the line. Clinking silverware and chattering voices filled the halls of the meeting house as guests plunged into their meals. The oblong tables were full of hungry Northern Tribe citizens, all happily enjoying the meal that their hosts had prepared them. This had become routine for Kana, cooking for Northern Tribe of the evenings and sitting down with them to discuss progress and map out agendas. A handful of women helped, taking shifts and rotating circles, but Kana was always there. It was her job.

She took pride in it, even though she had to sit across from the man she had never thought she would see again. The good out-weighed the bad. Pakku was one man in a sea of many.

Filtering through the room, making sure everyone was being served, she stopped occasionally to speak with someone. Juno asked for seconds, Gukoh wanted to let her know that the repairs on Mrs. Sona's home were going well. Kila asked if she could go home early because her son was sick. By the time Kana was able to get her own supper, half of the hall had cleared out and gone off to their respective quarters. She couldn't complain. She enjoyed talking with them all. Having all these people about was such a nice change of pace. Tiring, but nice.

Sitting down at her table, Kana waited for her stew to cool. With half the hall gone, she knew what was to come. It was time to go over the day's progress. Chart what had been accomplished and what still needed to be done. It had been that way since day one, and she was sure day six would be no different. Further down the table sat the one man of many, locked in a conversation with a fellow younger than himself, empty bowl sitting in front of him. Kana idly began ticking away the seconds in her head, wondering how long it would take for him to start the meeting.

She had barely counted to fifteen. Pakku ended the conversation he was having with his dining partner and turned expectant blue eyes toward her. Despite herself, she wanted to laugh. Sixty years, and he still wasted little time.

"So, shall we get onto business?"

Kana took a bite of stew, nodding.

x x x x

Later that evening, with hall completely cleared and everyone off to homes and ships, Kana was still bustling about the meeting house. Dishes were all stacked, waiting for tomorrow. Tables were all swiped clean. She mentally went through her list of tasks, checking each one off. Everything was taken care of, and she could return to her own little hut and retire. Tomorrow was going to be a another busy day.

She was reluctant. Her bones ached and her eyes drooped, but going home didn't seem like a solution to her quandaries. Her mind was still full of fuel, while her body seemed to be running on empty. Her past was right on her doorstep. She had been running from it for sixty years, and now here it stood. And she was still running. Had been for nearly a week. It couldn't last forever. The South Pole wasn't nearly as big as the North, and she didn't feel like packing up and starting over again. Not at her age.

She wanted to. Just run away. Like she had all those years ago. Pakku seemed to bring that out in her- the urge to flee. But she wasn't going to. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a woman. A woman with grandchildren. Running wasn't an option. It was time to stand and face her past head on. Had she not taught her family the very same thing?

But preaching and doing were two very different things...

"Well, my lands, what are you still doing here?"

Looking up from the table she sat at, Kana smiled, the old familiar voice breaking through her thoughts and chasing away the bleak cloud. Yugoda. One part of her past she was extremely happy to see. The woman had been her dearest friend back home, and time had not dampened her gentle spirit or welcoming voice.

"Just cleaning up. What in the world are you doing? You heard what was said over dinner. The drill sergeant seems to think we're Platypus Bears. We have to be up at the crack of dawn."

Yugoda laughed, shaking her head and sitting down next to Kana. "Oh, he's just being a good leader. You can't fault the man for that."

Kana said nothing. Yugoda was no stranger to her relationship with the old master bender. She had been there from the start. Kana didn't want to speak of Pakku at all; she'd had little time to catch up with the healer sitting beside her since her arrival. Even after the countless years, the comfort that accompanied friends was retained, and Kana wanted to stoke the flames.

"According to you, the man has no faults." Waving her hand through the air, she grinned. "Let's see if you think the same thing tomorrow."

"That's actually why I'm here." Obviously, Yugoda felt like the fire was perfectly fine. "The old Platypus Bear requests your presence. He has some building blueprints and needs someone who knows the terrain to help him pick out the best location."

"So, you're here on business? And I thought perhaps you were looking for an old friend."

Yugoda wagged her finger, perhaps a bit more wrinkled that Kana remembered, but still full of the sass she was so used to. "Don't you start with me. You know why I signed up for this job. Why else would I travel across the ocean?"

Kana grinned. "So he sent you here in his place, did he? Too chicken to ask himself?"

"Just meet him at the harbor in the morning. Lands, we aren't teenagers anymore, Kana."

"Must you remind me?"

Yugoda laughed, leaning forward in her seat. With her task taken care off, she seemed ready to fan the flames, just as Kana had hoped. They sat in the meeting house, fire slowly dwindling down, chatting over how their lives had changed, still full of the same girly giggles they had shared as children. But as they talked, Kana couldn't silence the voice tickling her ear. The past was on her doorstep.

And she wasn't running anymore.

x x x x

A/n: Gah, I hate introductory chapters. Make me all nervous! And characters we know so little about... then I go and throw Yugoda in, because her past with Kana interests me just as much as her past with Pakku. Old people parade! XD Seriously, though, beginning chapters kill me. Hope your interest was pricked enough to tune in for the next chapter. I get better as I go. Promise. :winkwink: Pakana needs more love. It's canon!

Thoughts are appreciated. Feel free to let me know what you think. I have this thing mapped out to be around eight chapters, give or take. Not extremely long, but long enough to explore past, present, and future. We'll have old people fluff eventually. And isn't that the best fluff of all?

It sure is.

- L2G