Chapter 1 Waiting for you

A gentle breeze swept through the cold air of the South Pole. Saying good-bye was the hardest thing they ever did. It was only two month ago when they defeated the fire Lord but it seemed like it was only just yesterday. Now they had to separate. Just a week ago they dropped Toph at her parents' house. It was a joyous and sad occasion. Toph's parents now finally understood their daughter and she was welcomed home as a war hero. Sokka and Katara agreed to go back to the South Pole to the family they left behind. Aang as the Avatar had to return to the fire nation for a while to keep order since the fire nation has gone through many changes recently including a new Fire Lord, Fire Lord Zuko.

Aang held Katara close to him for one last time before leaving. He remembered when he told Katara how much he loved her right before the final battle and now they were saying goodbye.

"I promise I will come back," he gently whispered into her ear. A soft tear ran down her cheek and he brushed it away. She pulled him into a passionate kiss a moment later they broke apart.She stared into his deep gray eyes, and whispered, "I love you" and watched as the young airbender flew up on Appa.

He stared back at those same blue eyes that he saw waking up in her arms just a year before. He gave her a weak smile "I'll be back" and with that he took off. The young waterbender watched as her best friend, hero and love disappeared into the setting sun.Sokka put a hand on his little sisters shoulder to comfort her and they both walked into their village to be finally reunited with their family.

The South Pole has certainly changed since some Waterbenders' came to rebuild the tribe. It wasn't as elaborate as the Northern Water tribe yet, but it was definitely not a block of ice any more. The Tribe welcomed Sokka and Katara's return. It was hard for them to believe that the two water tribe peasants were now legendary heroes. They were also not peasants anymore; Hakoda has become Chief of the Southern Water tribe, which made Sokka and Katara a Prince and Princess.Hakoda could tell that his children were not the same as when he left. Sokka was now a man and Katara was a beautiful young woman who he can swear was looking more like her mother every passing day.

Hakoda was confused because his children were acting so strangely. He laughed when Katara unleashed her awesome waterbending skills on boys she could tell were stalking her. However he was confused at the fact that she would spend hours by the ocean looking towards the horizon.Even his Son was acting strangely. He would go off to hunt on his own and bring back game that would usually take three warriors to kill. He would also sometimes catch him in the middle of the night just staring up at the moon. Everyone was also curious to the fact that neither of the two heroes spoke of the adventures they had. The water tribe people had heard rumors about their journeys that seem unbelievable to them. Since Pakku went to the South Pole many waterbenders and their families came along soon after.

Many girls spent much of their time trying to get Prince Sokka to notice them, and almost every boy in the city had their eyes set on Katara. However neither Sokka nor Katara seem to pay any attention to this.Before they knew it, it was Katara's sixteenth birthday. Nobody wanted to bring out the topic until dinner when Hakoda made the decision not to avoid it any longer.

"So, today's your sixteenth birthday," Katara didn't bother to look up

"I guess it is" Hakoda took a deep breath.

"You are now of marrying age"Katara said nothing just sat there spinning around her stewed sea prunes with her waterbending as if she were bored. "I have gotten numerous requests for your hand from many fine young men." she was still silent "Do you prefer someone?"

At this the waterbender stood up and ran outside. He could of sworn he saw tears in her eyes."She won't have any of them" Hakoda turned his attention to his son. Sokka stood up too and retired to his room. Hakoda later went outside to see where Katara had run off too. He soon found her by the ocean staring at the horizon as she usually did. He decided to let her be and went back inside.Katara stood frozen watching the setting sun.

"Aang, please come back, I want you" tears began falling uncontrollably from her face.

Aang has been doing nothing but peace talks and being rushed from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation. He also had to find the time to complete his firebending training with Fire Lord Zuko. But not a day went by when he didn't think about the waterbender he left behind. Ever since she had woken him from the iceberg, they had been inseparable. It seemed, once he had the courage to tell Katara how he felt and to find out that she felt the same way, they separated. This was nothing short of torture for Aang. He couldn't take it any longer; he got out of his bed and began to carve something. A few days later it was done he placed it in a letter and on the front he wrote

For Katara

then he wrote another letter to the Southern Water Tribe.He left his bunk and walked over to his pet lemur "Momo I got a job for you, make sure this gets to Katara before anyone else."

Hakoda didn't bother to talk to Katara about marriage instead he started to ask Sokka why he hasn't been looking for a wife. But his responses were just a silent as his daughters.

One day Katara was walking out of the healing hut after finishing a lesson she had given to some little waterbenders. She heard Sokka yell her name. She looked up and saw he was pointing to a very familiar winged lemur heading her way.

"MOMO!" the lemur flew right into her arms and purred loudly.

"Momo what are you doing here and where is Aang?" she then noticed the letters attached to his leg. She took them off and when she saw the one with her name on it, she quickly pocketed it. Momo went to rest on Katara's shoulder then he jumped to Sokka who came running over. "Aang just sent us a letter?" she exclaimed happily and she began reading it to the crowd that had gathered.

The letter talked about how he was and what progress they had made with the Fire Nation. Everyone could tell that the Prince and Princess seemed happier than they have seen them yet. Katara and Sokka took Momo inside and gave him an abundance of fruits in gratitude for his long journey. After dinner Katara went straight to her room and froze the door shut and took out the letter Aang had sent her. As she opened it, a beautiful blue shiny stone fell out followed by a blue silk ribbon. The stone was most likely carved with earthbending. The stone had a water tribe symbol and in the center was the Air nomad symbol. The back of it held three classic Chinese characters for

"I love you".

It was too incredible to believe it was an engagement necklace. She took off her mother's necklace and placed it carefully in a drawer. She then took Aang's necklace and tied it around her neck. In doing so she was now engaged to the Avatar, to her best friend, to Aang.The next morning began like any other but some people noticed that the princess seemed even happier than yesterday.

Even Hakoda took notice and asked Sokka to find out why she was so happy, even while doing her everyday chores. Sokka casually walked up to Katara "Soooo what did Aang's letter say" She looked up at her brother

"You know what it said I read it out loud"

"No not that one, I saw you pocket another letter as you unattached them from Momo" he could now see the blood rising in his sisters cheeks.

"That letter is none of your business Sokka"

"Fine" he studied her closely and then her necklace caught his attention. It was different somehow. He then noticed the Air Nomad symbol. Katara saw what he was staring at and quickly covered his mouth before he could say anything and pushed him into her room.

"Did Aang…. You guys are…. O-ma-shu! This is huge".

"Please keep it down, someone might hear" Sokka slowly sat down on her bed deep in thought.

"When is Aang coming back?"

"He said in the letter he'll come back as soon as he can" they sat in silence for a while

"Are you angry?" Katara asked Sokka looked up at his little sister "Honestly No, I never told you this, but I was never completely blind you know. I knew he had a thing for you way before things became all mushy between you two. I decide not to say anything then, but before The Day of Black Sun me and Aang were talking alone and said that if I saw anyone try to get close to my sister I would kill them, but I told him you're the only one that I will actually be OK with" he gave Katara a smile, Katara was surprised that Sokka wanted them together. It hit her that maybe that her brother gave Aang the courage to kiss her on the submarine.

"Are you going to tell Dad?" He asked her.

"No" she said quickly "Everyone will say he still too young and won't approve of the Avatar having any earthly attachment"

"Katara I know this will sound cheesy but if any two people are made for each other it's you and Aang."

Katara smiled at her big brother "Thank you Sokka""What are big brother for" he gave her a hug "Congratulations" and walked to the door.

"Hey Sokka… I think it's time you let go of Yue and Suki" The warrior stopped looked at his sister, his eyes showed the pain that he has been keeping inside.

"I think both of them will want you to move on. They didn't sacrifice themselves for you to be miserable the rest of your life. Don't you think they want you to be happy?"

Sokka stood there thinking about what she said "I don't think there's a girl for me since Suki died" Katara gave him a weak smile.

"I know of one girl who is just as stubborn as you and I know as a fact she has a secrete crush on you.

""Do I know this girl?"

"Oh you met before… she love to call you names and earthbend you out of your sleeping bag."

"Toph?" Katara smiled at Sokka's sudden genius"You know she should be around sixteen by now, can you imagine little Toph all grown up?"

"Yeah" Sokka laugh to himself "I bet Aang changed too He'll be what? Sixteen, Seventeen?"

Katara began to blush at the thought of the thirteen year old she saw leave on his flying bison and the man he has probably became by now.

Back in the Fire Nation, Aang is doing a practice Agni Ki with Zuko. "Hey I think I had enough for today" Zuko said.

"You're just saying that because you know I'm winning" he smiles at the fire Lord.

"All right. Avatar you won" Aang rolled his eyes at his remark"Please stop calling me that, my name is Aang."

"All right Aang, it's just old habits die hard. Do you want me to call you Great Grandfather Aang."

Aang chuckled at this "That was my past life not me, but I can't deny we share blood."

Zuko and Aang walked through the palace together. They had become great friends during all this time.

"Hey ZuZu I need to leave for the South Pole as soon as I can"

"Why? You can't leave, there is still small battles of guerrilla warfare all over the fire nation rebellion is growing every day and not every earth kingdom town has fully…"

"I Know, I know, I know I just need to do something very important."

Aang was surprised to see Zuko smile"It's about Katara isn't it?""How do you...""Aang, please, even when I was chasing you guys all over the world I knew how valuable the water tribe girl was to you. I did use her twice to get to you" The Fire Lord looked up at his young friend "You love her don't you."

"You have no idea" Zuko understood.

"You must go then. I will cover for your absence" Aang smiled at Zuko and he felt like Katara was told she was destined to marry a very powerful bender all over again.

"Thanks" before he could leave a palace guard walked in.

"My Lord, there is a member of the Bafong family demanding the presence of the Avatar" Zuko looked at the now excited face of the young Avatar. "One of your old friends?"

Aang then took off at full speed to the chamber Toph was at."TOPH!" Aang ran up to his friend and embraced her.

"Nice to feel you again too" Aang looked at Toph she was definitely different. She had grown some and her black hair hung down low some over her glazed eyes as usual.

"What are you doing here?"

"My Parents came over to attend some party so I came along knowing you will be here. Besides I need to get away from this civilized society and my parents said I am old enough to go wherever I want" she sensed the smile on Aang's face and smiled back.

"Great, let's go to the South Pole I think it's time to get Team Avatar back together" Aang then gave Toph an evil smile "And I bet somebody would be very excited to see Sokka again."

Toph punched Aang so hard on the shoulder that he fell down. But even that didn't hide her blushing "Let's get a move on twinkle toes, the South Pole awaits"

"Great, Oh and Toph I need you advice on something."

"It's about you and Katara"

"Does anybody not know?"

"Please, every time she is around or is mentioned your heart starts beating out of control. So what up? Are you planning on giving her an engagement necklace of something?"

"Well actually…"

Nobody else seemed to notice Katara's switch in necklaces besides Gran Gran who spotted the difference almost a mile away. Sokka and Katara had to explain everything to their grandmother. She was actually happy for Katara but she did warn them that their father was looking for a husband for her. Because she has been refusing to pick one herself. Katara was becoming more and more anxious and was actually starting to worry if something had happened to Aang.

She spent hours looking at the horizon every day. One day she was sitting in her room staring at the sun set out her window. She felt a soft breeze and saw a small dot rising over the horizon. She had imagined the same thing many times before and she knew it couldn't be real. But it began to get bigger and she could make out a Flying Bison's shape. She hopped up and ran through the house neglecting to put on a coat.

"HE'S BACK!" she exclaimed

"what?" Sokka yelled after her, Katara didn't stop.

She ran outside. Villagers stared as their princess ran down the main street. Katara could see Appa in clear sight and a yellow orange figure had jumped off and was slowly descending to the Earth. She didn't even let him get the chance to touch the ground before she tackled him in the snow, and she pulled him into a long kiss.

It was like the last four years never happened they were together again. Katara pulled away and saw the same deep gray eyes. They didn't need to say a word to each other to tell the other how much they miss each other. Aang lifted himself up with Airbending, now some of the villagers were pouring out of the city to see the giant bison that had just landed. Aang helped Katara up to her feet and she noticed how tall he had gotten he was now taller than her but still an inch shorter than Sokka.

As Aang helped her up he realized how much more beautiful she was. For the last four years he kept the memory of the fourteen year old that he came to love. Now he was looking at a young woman he tried to take all of her beauty in at once. He could barely breathe around her then he noticed she was wearing his necklace. Tears began to form in their eyes and they embraced each other.

"Aang!" Sokka's voice could be heard coming from the crowd of people that had gathered. Sokka ran to them and pulled Aang into a hug "Congratulations buddy but seriously I think you and me should have a little talk later" Katara giggle but Aang looked a bit frightened.

"Um, how many people know?" he asked her.

"Just Sokka, and Gran Gran" she whispered back to himA voice came from Appa's saddle.

"Hey is anybody going to help me down" Sokka looked up and saw Toph; Katara finally tore her eyes from Aang to see her old friend. Sokka went over to help her down but as soon as her bare feet touched the ground she jumped into Sokka's arms.

"COLD!"

"Maybe you should wear shoes?"

"And blind myself? I don't think so Snoozles!" Sokka laughed at her old nickname

."Don't worry I got you" as she held on to him tighter. Sokka looked at how much Toph had changed. She now looked very pretty. Was it true that she had a crush on him? Some of the girls in the crowd looked at Toph with jealousy at the attention their Prince was giving her.Aang and Katara laughed as Toph just hung unto Sokka tighter, they turned back too each other and just gazed into each other's eyes. Aang took Katara's hand and gave it a squeeze and they walked together back into the village.