Hey, it's me, Katie. This is the first one shot I've ever written, and I really like it. It's a bit cheesy, but, as my friend says, "Everyone needs a bit of cheese. Builds your bones nice and strong." So hopefully you enjoy this little dose of calcium!

Disclaimer: I own a lot of things, none of them Avatar. This is my original story, I came up with it. I did take inspiration from other people's work, mainly Lyralocke, but I wouldn't dare copy anyone else's work.

And with that, enjoy! Leave comments!

Thanks!

Katie Paige OUT!

Fate

Katara always wondered what her life would be like if she hadn't met Aang. Would she ever have gotten up the strength to leave the Southern Water tribe, or would she have simply stayed there forever? Would she have ever married? Who? Would they have started a family? It was so strange, thinking she might have led a fairly normal life, had she not met the Avatar.

She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling of her room from her place on the bed. "Aang is the Avatar," Gran had said to her and Sokka. "He's the world's only chance. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his." So did that mean that they had always been meant to find him? Or was it chance that had led them to finding Aang? A series of coincidences that had brought her to him?

It seemed crazy to think, but what if Katara hadn't gone fishing with Sokka that day? What if they hadn't fought, or Katara hadn't gotten angry? Would Aang have just stayed in that iceberg forever? She'd always liked to believe that it had all been planned, that everything had happened exactly as the universe had intended. But now... now she wasn't so sure.

It didn't matter, though, whether it was planned or accidental. She had found him. She had found him and helped him and traveled the world with him. And now she was lying here in a house in Ba Sing Sae after saving the world. It all was rather humbling.

They'd retired to Ba Sing Se for the time being and were staying in a house the city had lent them during their stay. It was fairly comfortable, and everyone was enjoying the time off.

Aang was the happiest, though. Every time Katara saw him, he was smiling. This new, carefree boy reminded her of the goofball she'd first met a year ago. He was 13 now, older, taller, his voice a little deeper, but he was still the same little kid at heart. The same little kid that was Katara's best friend.

Well, Katara thought blissfully to herself. He's not just my best friend...

This thought sent a ripple through Katara. A ripple of pure happiness. No, Aang was definitely more than a best friend. He was the best listener, and he always said the right things. He always thought of other people before himself. He wasn't greedy, selfish, or rude. He was just a nice person with a great sense of humor and a wonderful personality. He was also sort of Katara's boyfriend.

It didn't sound right. 'Aang' and 'boyfriend' were two different things. Like saying Appa was a hog-monkey or Sokka was a vegetarian. It just didn't fit. Maybe it was just something you got used to. Katara didn't know. Aang was her first... relationship.

Katara blushed just thinking this. It was a happy blush, but she still just couldn't get used to thinking as Aang in a romantic way. She was sure she liked Aang that way, it was just that... she'd known him as a friend for so long, it felt weird to think of him as more than that. Weird, but in a good way.

And now that the war was over, she had time to work up a real relationship, not just the crush she'd had all along. But that was a lie. She'd loved Aang for a long time, and she knew it. For how long, she couldn't be sure, but she had always known it somewhere in the back of her mind. She was in love with him. And somehow she had absolutely no problem with that.

By now, the sun had risen high into the sky, filling the room with a warm orange glow. Katara sat up and swung here legs over the side of the bed. She swept her hair back and hastily braided it in a long plait down her back as she practically skipped across the room to the window. She pushed open the shutters and breathed in the fresh, cool morning air. Sparrowkeets sung in the trees outside, their songs adding another layer of warmth to the day.

Smiling, Katara changed into clean clothes and opened the door to her room, exiting into the hall and closing the door silently behind her. Walking down the hall, she stood outside Aang's door, knocking lightly. "Aang?"

"Whassgoinon?" the Avatar muttered, just loud enough for Katara to hear. She giggled and slid the door open.

"It's just me," she said, gently, shutting the door behind her. "Sorry to wake you."

Aang sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Katara?" Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he smiled a big cheesy grin. "Katara!" On a sudden burst of air, he was up and across the room.

Before Katara could react, he was hugging her in a great big platypus-bear hug. "Aang!" Katara choked out, barely able to breathe under Aang's tight grip. "I can't - breathe-"

"Oh!" the boy exclaimed, releasing the waterbender and blushing. He smiled shyly. "Sorry. I guess I just got carried away."

Rubbing her sides, Katara returned Aang's smile, replying playfully, "That's okay. You just broke a few ribs, but they'll heal."

"Soooo..." Aang said, smiling and looking questioningly at the girl.

"Soooo, what?" Katara asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Soooo why'd you wake me up?" Aang inquired. "I was having a great dream."

"Oh, really? What was it about?"

"Well," Aang started, motioning for Katara to sit on the bed, "Sokka was ten feet tall, and he had a beard." Katara laughed. Aang loved her laugh. It made him feel... light, happy. "Let me tell you, not a good look for him. Anyway, then I saw you, and I went over to you and we... kissed." Aang blushed and looked away.

"That's not so strange," Katara said, grabbing his hand and smiling at him as he looked up from under his lashes.

He smiled back, then continued, "Then Sokka was there-"

"Ten foot tall, bearded Sokka, or normal Sokka?" Katara asked, just for clarification.

"Normal Sokka. It would have been hard to take him seriously if he still had the beard." Katara laughed again, and Aang said in a mock-impatient tone, "Now, can I finish?" Katara nodded, stifling her giggles. "Anyway, Sokka was there and he was all, 'I'm glad you're with Katara, Aang. You two make a great couple.'"

"Hmmm," Katara thought out loud. "Well, I can't help but agree with dream-Sokka." Aang looked up, joy plain on his face.

"Really?" he asked in a sort of shocked excitement.

"Well, don't you?" Katara asked, bemused.

"Of course! Katara, you know how I feel about you!" He leaned towards her and kissed her on the cheek. As he pulled back, Katara reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face. She held it for a second, then leaned in and kissed him full on the lips.

As she pulled back, she smiled mischievously at the look of utter ecstasy on the airbender's face. "So, was that anything like the kiss in your dream?" she asked. Aang shook his head wildly. Katara smiled at him. "I didn't think so." Katara took Aang's hand in hers, looking down at it.

"What are you thinking about?" Aang said, examining her clearly thoughtful face. She looked up at him briefly, then back down to their entwined hands.

"Oh, yah know," she replied, vaguely. "Life."

"What about it?"

"Well... about fate. And destiny. And..." Katara trailed off, looking up at the arrow headed boy seated across from her, then gazing up at the window, through which sunlight was pouring into the room.

"And...?" he prompted her.

"And... about what life would be like... if I hadn't met you." She looked down at him to see his reaction.

The Avatar merely looked thoughtful. "Well," he started, looking down at their hands as he spoke. "You'd probably still be stuck in the South Pole with Sokka, for a start."

"Oh, you don't think I would have left on my own?" Katara accused, teasingly.

"Well... not really, no," Aang said truthfully, looking up at her, an apology clear in his eyes. "That's where your family is. Why would you ever leave?"

The waterbender contemplated this. "Hmmm... Good point. I guess I'd just have to find another little bald kid with an arrow on his head and a giant flying bison." She sighed. "To bad there aren't very many of those around."

Aang beamed. "Yup! I'm a one-of-a-kind, special edition airbender!" he said, confidently, sticking out his chest pompously.

"My hero!" Katara exclaimed, mock-swooning.

Aang nodded at her. "And don't you forget it!" The girl rolled her eyes, smiling to show she was kidding.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you?" she pondered aloud, shaking her head. "Your head's the size of Ba Sing Sae!"

"Yeah, but I'm cute," the airbender said, waggling his eyebrows as if to say 'you know it's true'.

Katara rolled her eyes, sighing. "Did I say Ba Sing Se? I meant the size of the entire Earth Kingdom." The pair laughed jovially. "You know what Aang?" Katara said, once their laughter had subsided.

"What, Katara?"

"I'm really glad that the fates played out the way they did." The waterbender smiled at the boy and crawled to sit next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. "I can't imagine living without you."

"I can't imagine living without you, either," the Avatar said. And with that, he reached down and, ever so gently, kissed her lips. He knew what his destiny was, and it was right there in his arms.