"Aang, I can't come with you this time."

Aang just stared at me from his spot across the bedroom. His hands had stopped rummaging around in his messenger bag on the vanity stool, stilled by my breathy comment. He looked speechless.

"B-but…why not?" Aang stuttered at me. "We'll need your healing abilities on the battle field!"

I felt my face go red and I turned around, letting Aang's hard, confused stare cut through my back instead of my eyes. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling my breathing pick up. I shivered in the silky nightgown, which had suddenly become too small for comfort. I felt exposed.

"Because…I just can't…" I looked down, but quickly squeezed my eyes shut, knowing that if I took one look at my stomach I'd give myself away. I wouldn't be able to hold my emotions in any longer if I thought about the tiny life growing inside of me.

I knew Aang would be overjoyed to hear that I was pregnant. He'd wanted children from the start and I was more than willing to give them to him. I was just worried about what the council or the rest of the world would say. What if I couldn't give them an airbender? What if I miscarried? And the worst…what if Aang didn't come back from the battlefield one day? The what-if's were too great to fathom.

"Katara…" Aang stepped up behind me, placing his hands gently on my waist. "I know you aren't scared…you've never been scared…and if you were, you would tell me…"

My husband gulped as I leaned my head back against his shoulder, loving the feeling of his breath purling on my neck. He continued huskily, "So what is it? I want to help you…is it just the fact that it's Azula? I know she almost seriously hurt you that day we ended the war…but I can assure you that I'll protect you…"

I felt Aang's hands slide over the satiny fabric of my nightdress to my hips and I pulled away, reluctantly. I faced him, finding a pout spread across his handsome face, disappointment evident on every sharp angle of his expression. I giggled a bit but immediately sobered at the though of the impending news.

"Aang…this is so hard to say…" My eyes darted around the room, trying to find something other than Aang to study. "So I guess…hold on…"

I put my face in my hands and sighed, long and loud. Aang stepped up to me and delicately took my wrists, "What is it, Katara?"

I chanced a look up at him. His brow was furrowed with worry and his lips were contorted in a fine frown. I couldn't take making him so confused anymore…

"Close your eyes…" I gazed at him steadily. He realized how serious the situation was so he did it without jokes or questions. I slowly slid my wrists from his grasp and wrapped my fingers around his own. Breathing slowly, my heart almost beat out of my chest as I guided his hands down to my stomach. When they lay there, warm and safe, I closed my own eyes, waiting for Aang's reaction.

Seconds pass…then more…and finally I heard a sharp intake of breath. I glanced up to see Aang's face in a brilliantly giddy expression, "Katara? Are you…? How long…? This is great!"

Suddenly his hands were off of my stomach and he was whooping and gliding around the room on his air scooter, a huge smile on his face. I laughed along with him, the cheery sound of his laughter infectious and beautiful. Then Aang was out the window, flying everywhere, yelling and shouting at the top of his lungs about absolutely nothing.

In a flash he was by my side again, caressing my flat stomach and cooing to it as if our child could actually understand him. I stifled a laugh and he chuckled at my expression. I was positively glowing with joy.

Aang swept me up into his arms gently, my arms around his neck as he inhaled with pleasure and excitement over the news. Still smiling, he pulled away and looked into my eyes. At first he seemed perfectly content with the situation but suddenly he paled, his eyes growing to an enormous size.

Frowning I gazed up at him, tracing the arrow tattooed on his head with my fingertips as I tried to calm him down, "What's wrong?"

Aang swallowed and stared down at me in almost pure terror, "Sokka is gonna kill me."