A Single Step From Parenthood

-In which we introduce the characters futures and current situations

A/N Hey guys! Thanks for clicking on my FanFiction! I hope you enjoy it! It takes place about 4 years after Sozins Comet, I tried to stick with canon pairings so please read and enjoy!

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Last Airbender: The Legend Of Korra, but I do own a cute USB stick shaped like a bunny!

….

Aang sat on a balcony of the Southern Air Temple with his heavily pregnant wife Katara, this was one of their favourite spots to come and watch the sunset- or sometimes the sunrise, an activity that was becoming less frequent due to Kataras developing pregnancy.

The couple were holding hands and thinking about what was and what is. There was a silence broken only by the sounds of chittering lemurs and the roar of Appa whenever the lemurs were annoying him too much. Their minds were perfectly blissful whilst watching the beautiful colours the sunset had decided to honour them with.

It was rare for them to have this much peace, but Aang hadn't needed to attend to his "Avatar duties" as Katara put them, and the people that usually visited had postponed their trip for about a month for this was when their baby was due to be born.

The only person who interrupted their daily activities was a healer called Yin-Bei, she came around almost every day and she would be staying at the temple during the week in which Katara was scheduled to have their baby to make sure everything went smoothly.

Aang looked over at him wife to find she had fallen asleep, Aang wasn't surprised. The last few months had been especially draining. He smiled as he looked upon her face, she looked so content that Aang didn't want to wake her, so he scooped her up into him arms and ever so gently as not to disturb her he carried her to their bedroom.

….

Katara awoke the following morning to feel her baby kicking, she moaned slightly in pain which made an already awake airbender worried

"Are you alright?" He asked her with large eyes

"I'm fine Aang, don't worry" she said with a smile and she saw her husband visibly relax.

"Ok, ok" he replied as he put his palm on Kataras swollen belly.

"Just under 3 weeks until I see my little son" he said as he felt the baby kick.

"You means until we see our daughter" Katara shot back in a joking manner.

It was a small joke between them; Aang had once referred to the baby as a "he" so Katara started calling it a "she".

"Haha" Aang laughed as he helped his wife out of bed.

"Well whichever it is….I'm sure they will be a great airbender!"

This comment earned him a raised eyebrow from Katara.

"Airbender?" she asked him

"I'm just saying…his dads the Avatar!"

"No…Her dad has a big head and her mums a master waterbender!" She proclaimed as she threw a pillow at Aang whilst giggling.

Aang laughed and dodged the pillow.

"Well bender or not…I'll love them just the same" Aang smiled as this time his comment earned him a kiss from Katara.

"You'll make a great father you know that? Avatar Aang!"

"Not as great as a mother you'll make…Master Katara!"

From inside Katara, the unborn child kicked as though agreeing.

….

As Aang and Katara were finishing their breakfast they heard a knock at the temple door.

"I'll get it!" said Aang and he promptly whipped up an air-scooter and quickly rode to the door to welcome Yin-Bei

"Good morning Avatar Aang, How is Master Katara?"

"Katara is fine, and please, just call me Aang." He felt like he had said the last part of that sentence a hundred times but Yin-Bei somehow felt she was dishonouring the Avatar if she didn't address him as such.

"Your child seems perfectly healthy" said the healer to a beaming Katara once she had finished checking her over.

"That's a relief" said Aang as he squeezed his wife's hand.

Katara nodded in response hiding her ever growing fear she would not make a good mother. She had kept this fear a secret but she suspected he knew it, for he was always reassuring her she would be a great mum.

Katara felt that she had matured quickly after the death of her own mother and she didn't know how that would translate into her own parenting skills. Her brother, Sokka, was already a father. He had married Suki shortly after the end of the war 4 years ago, and had a beautiful 2 year old son called Sen and had another child on the way. He had already begun training Sen to be a warrior, and their next child would be born a month or so after Aang and Kataras.

Katara was thrilled to be an Aunty; she had often spoken to Suki about parenting skills and had received this advice:

"Parenting isn't really something you can prepare for; I didn't think I would make a good mother until I set my eyes upon Sen for the first time. Suddenly all my fears and worries about parenting suddenly became love for my son and a desire to raise him to the best of mine and Sokkas ability….well MY best ability at least. You'll make a great mum Katara; you already seem to have a motherly instinct from the way I've seen you interact with people. Don't worry and you'll be fine."

As though sensing Kataras worried thoughts, he squeezed his wife's hand again and looked at her.

At his touch and his look Katara knew they would be able to raise and love this child, and give them the childhood they never had.

Katara looked into Aang stormy blue eyes and spoke.

"We can do this!"

Relieved that she had seemed to have gotten over her dilemma he smiled and embraced her

"I know we can"

….

Thanks so much for reading! I hope that you enjoyed it! You know how in most fanfics the author leaves a note asking for reviews? This one's no different! ^_^