The Flight

The moment Sokka was out of the room after dinner, Aang pulled Katara over to him. Katara had been in the Northern Water Tribe for an eternity and at the delightful sensation of his touch, her body swooned. She pressed her lips enthusiastically against his. He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb.

They parted and she enjoyed the grey of his eyes, letting her hands take in the sinewy form of his torso and back. He rested his forehead on hers, savored the feeling of her hands on him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and pulled him close. He chuckled, sweeping his eyelashes against her cheeks. She was ridiculously ticklish there and he was hoping for a laugh. When that move failed to illicit a reaction, he gently kissed her nose. She had told him once that she thought it was a sweet but weird thing to do. Still, she looked on vacantly. He leaned in to kiss her lips again but she pulled his head down to her chest, cradling him.

"We are very different, aren't we?" he said, tracing a design on her dress.

"What matters we have in common," she said

"But we're not perfect for one another. There are dissimilarities. Things we dislike about each. Things we might grow to hate about each other. I love you so much right now but what if one day we didn't feel this way?"

"Nothing in life is certain," she said, " but for this, I would be willing to give everything."

"That's what I wanted to hear," he said. He pulled back, lounging against the wall, reaching for her hand, "Because I kind of decided that, if I had to, I'd defeat a thousand more Fire Lords for you."

"Well, wouldn't that be a sight," she said, "It would be nothing compared to the millions of cities of ice, I'd create for you."

"Oh, you thought my act of love would only involve defeating Fire Lords? I would also be making thousands of hurricanes while I was defeating those Fire Lords."

"My cities of ice would be on volcanoes. So they would prevent natural disasters as well."

"I would be juggling while I was both defeating Fire Lords and creating hurricanes."

The stared at each other, fighting to keep their faces blank. Aang broke down first, laughing so hard, he keeled over onto Katara's lap. He rested his neck on her thigh and turned to gaze up at her. She smiled, mildly, and stroked his head. She wasn't looking at him but at the closed window.

"You're much more mature than I am."

"What did you say, my love?"

"You're much more mature than I am. Your act involved helping people and was almost practical but mine was just dumb. " he said, "Gyatso told me once that girls mature faster than boys but it really is true."

Katara's hand stopped on his forehead, her eyes still avoiding his. She wanted to tell him everything. How, at a mere twenty years of age, adventures no longer held all the appeal they once had, how her exciting youth had aged her decades. How she thought about building a home in one place and having a stable life for once. How recently it seemed like life was missing something. Instead, she said, "Why would you say that?"

"You're different lately. You're more quiet, more serious. I mean I like it because your jokes are much funnier somehow, you have more advice than before and you listen and care about what I'm saying so much more. Who wouldn't like all that? But it's more. I don't know how much of a hardship this has been but you're even more beautiful than ever," he stroked her cheek and she finally looked at him, "Your skin is just shiny or something."

Before he could stop himself, "And you're more. . ." Patience Avatar, he thought, this next word could be your last. "Lush? I mean, you just look incredible."

He's never going to figure it out on his own, she thought, you have to tell him. But as he stared at her with those adoring eyes, she couldn't bring herself to. It might change that look and that would break her heart.

Aang smiled and sat up. He straightened his robes and propped his chin on her shoulder. "I got new sheets while you were gone. Are you going to come see them later?"

She closed her eyes and groaned. They had secretly shared a bed since Aang was sixteen and very recently, they'd begun sharing much more intimate things as well, "Maybe. What color are they?"

"Purple," he said. It was his favorite color. She had always found his complete lack of any real need to be masculine refreshing. It made him so different from all the men in her tribe or around the world that she'd met. "Gran Gran made them. She put a lovely Airbender design on in brown thread. You really should come see them."

"I'm not sure, purples not my color," she said, "Do you think these sheets would change that opinion?"

He was desperate for a confirmation and it was adorable. She opened her mouth to tease him more but before the words could be said, Sokka burst in. He slammed an object in front of them, "What is this and why did Kea the healer bring it just now?"

Katara was at a lost for words but Aang was not. He leaned forward, inspected the object, and said, "It looks like a crib. Are you expecting Sokka?"

Aang grinned but Katara was staring at her brother, mouth agape, and Sokka looked a little murderous. Then it hit him.

He looked at Katara. She was his lover, his confidant, one of his best friends but this new idea did not fit into his schema of her. "Is this a gift for . . .?"

He turned his body to face her and tried again, "Is this because you're . . ."

He pulled her face to look at him, "What is this?"

"Say it, Katara," Sokka said.

"It's tradition in our tribe to give gifts for occasions like this," Katara's eyes did not waver from Aang's "I'm pregnant."

Aang was rigid with shock but Sokka wasn't. He calmly stepped over the crib, helped Aang to his feet, and punched him in the nose. "Sorry. I just needed to get that out of my system. This will all be fine. I always knew you two would get married and be oogielicious for the rest of your lives. It'll just happen sooner now. The baby can have Aang's room. I'll keep my room and Katara can have Katara's room. And you sir," he poked Aang in the chest, "can sleep in the shed because I'll be dammed if I let you sleep with my sister under my roof from here on out."

"Sokka!" said Katara. She jumped to inspect Aang's nose.

"Alright, I'll be fair! Katara, you have to be classy now too and not sneak out to see Aang in the shed. Deal?"

"Just shut up," Katara said, as she pulled water from her belt to heal Aang's nose, "Is that better?"

"Yeah," he said, wiping away the mess from his face. He was staring at her navel with a look of sheer terror. Already he could see growth.

He was going to be in charge of raising another human life. He wasn't conscious of the pain in his nose but he was aware of the tightness in his throat, his quickening heartbeat, the sinking feeling in his abdomen and the panic in his mind.

"How long have you known?" Aang asked.

"A while. I'm probably almost in my second month now."

"Are you joking? I could have had months to prepare and you're telling me now?"

"I was always trying to tell you. I could never find the words."

"Everybody clam down. You're making me tense," Sokka put his arms around both of them, "Aang, Katara, you'll both be great parents. Probably."

"I need to be alone right now," Aang said.

In his room, he fell onto bed. He had always dreamed of being with Katara but in his youthful thoughts, he had never once thought about children. That he would have them was never doubted but the idea never actively occupied his mind. Like most eighteen year olds, he thought about food, having fun, and his pretty girl and not much else. Marriage and raising kids was not on his immediate agenda.

He stared at his Airbender tattoos. He had so many responsibilities already. Republic City was just making roots, the Harmony Restoration Movement was getting larger and needed so much attention, and his life in general, whether because he was the Avatar or because he was just unlucky, was never easy. He had so many issues. How could he start a family right now?

Already his mind was full of the things he would lose. Spur of the moment visits to go see Toph and Zuko were probably out of the question with a sleeping baby. Naps with Appa and Mom were probably out of the question with a crying baby. He had no idea how to feed a kid, or change diapers, or get them to fall asleep. He couldn't stile the selfish thoughts in his head. He wasn't sure if he was ready to dedicate himself to this new nameless force.

Over the headboard on his bed was Chief Hakoda's ceremonial headdress. Sokka and Katara's father had died the previous spring, to the shock and sadness of his children. Neither of Hakoda's offspring had gotten over it. Aang had never had a father. He'd had Monk Gyatso, the pinnacle of a good father figure. But the man was a very distant memory and Aang wasn't sure if he had the patience and wisdom as that great man. What if Sokka's joke was right and he screwed up the poor child?

Aang panicked.

He tried not to notice how he wrote the note quickly and left it on his pillow. He ignored the fact that he avoided looking back. He did not focus on the weak logic behind this decision. If he had, he would have remembered how it had ended the last time he'd left his family behind.

Later Katara cracked his door open. His bed was never made so she mistook his mound of blankets for his form. She slipped in, shut the door, and crawled in next to him, not touching him. She waited for him to say something but he didn't.

"Aang, I didn't plan for this but it feels right. I don't want any other man to be the father of my children. We don't have to listen to Sokka and get married either. I'll wait for you if I have to. As long as we're together, I'll be so happy. I'm always so happy when I'm with you. I know you're scared. I'm scared but we'll be here for each other right?"

"I love you so much." Katara reached out to touch what she thought was his shoulder. He didn't respond still. She turned her head towards the bundle of blankets and her head crinkled a piece of paper. She grabbed it and ran into the living room where Sokka was sitting, starring into the flames of a burning fireplace.

"Sokka and Katara

Going to Republic City

-Aang"

Katara threw the note on the flames. Sokka went to hold her. Neither knew what to say.