This story takes places after the Awakening, and before the Painted Lady.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is also my first fanfic, so don't be too harsh. :)

The Waterfall

On Appa….

Aang: Maybe we should stop here…

Sokka: Are you kidding?

Aang: Well Appa is tired! We can't keep putting him through sleepless nights.

Katara: Sokka, I think its best we land here for the night.

Toph: I said we should land an hour ago!

Aang: But you always think we should land.

Katara: I don't see anyone around; we will just rest here for the night and get food and water to last us awhile.

Sokka: Alright…alright…

On the land…

Toph: Goodnight! (She shuts her earth tent and goes to bed.)

Sokka: Alright, I will put up the tent and get the camp set up, Katara you go find water, and Aang, you go find food.

Katara: Yes master Sokka.

Aang: I shall do my best your highness.

Sokka: Ha ha.

Katara starts to walk away, and Aang follows her.

Katara: Aang, did you see any rivers or lakes or anything while we were flying?

Aang: To tell you the truth, I didn't really look.

Katara: Oh…okay. Aren't you supposed to be looking for food?

Aang: I am. Look…here is a delicious….twig….

Katara: mmmm….I'll make a delicious meal with it, I'm sure.

Aang: Okay, okay. But really, the best food is going to be by water. So we should look together.

Katara: Alright, fine.

They start walking in silence.

Aang: So…are you okay and everything?

Katara: Sure. How about you?

Aang: I'm fine.

Silence

Katara: So Sokka is pretty fun-

Aang: Katara, I can't help but feel like you don't really want to be here anymore.

Katara: What? Of course I-

Aang: I can't help but feel that something is wrong and that you would rather be somewhere else.

Katara: Aang, I would never-

Aang: I know you would never leave us. But did I do something? Is everything okay with you?

Aang stops walking and stares directly into Katara's eyes. Katara stares at him for a moment, and sheds a tear. An overwhelming feeling of regret throws itself upon Katara, and she looks away. Something about Aang's fierce look into her eyes makes her nervous. She can't lie to her best friend, but she can't confront her feelings either. So she runs. She isn't sure where she is going, but she runs as fast as she can.

Aang just stands nervously still. What did he do?

Aang: Katara!!! I'm sorry!!

What if she doesn't come back? What if she leaves forever and never wants to see him again? Aang starts to panic. He jumped to the top of the tree he was standing next to, and looks for any source of water. For sure, that's where Katara would be. He looks down at his shaking hands and feels ashamed. What on earth did he do?

Katara ran with thoughts of sorrow and panic in her head. Aang didn't do anything wrong, and she knew that, but she just could not stand to look at him. Her feelings were beyond overwhelming and running was the only thing she could think of doing.

Katara didn't stop running until she reached the most beautiful waterfall she had ever seen in her life. The water beautifully fell into a gorgeous setting full of flowers, trees and clear blue water. The moonlight portrayed the features of the setting even more magnificently. Katara stared into the moon and fell onto her knees. Why was she acting like this? Katara faintly heard "Katara! I'm sorry!!" in the background. This made her even more upset. Aang didn't do anything wrong at all. The fact that she had made him feel like he had done something wrong made her even more distressed. She just could not come to realize her emotions. The only thing she felt at this point was sadness.

Katara knew Aang would come looking for her, so she climbed onto the rock behind the waterfall to hide. She sat down and tried to think about what she was feeling. She started at the beginning, all the way back to when they met. She knew right then that they would have a powerful connection. Then there was the Aunt Wu, "I see a great romance for you, he will be a very powerful bender." Was Aang not a powerful bender? Of course he was. Then there was that cave, where she and Aang shared a magical moment. She was the one to suggest kissing in the first place…but was that really what she was upset about? No, it wasn't. Then there was that traumatic night in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. And then her emotions hit her hard in the face. She knew why she was upset, and why she had not been the same since that night.

Aang looked from the top of the tree and saw a glimpse of water through the moonlight. He sped towards that location as fast as he could. He had to apologize for whatever it was that he did, and he would do everything that he could to not lose Katara. She was too precious for him to lose. He knew that he loved her, and losing her was the last thing he would ever want in this world.

He reached the waterfall, and lost himself for a second in its beauty. But the only thing he could think of was how beautiful Katara would look in this setting. Then he saw her, sitting on a rock behind the falling water. He climbed up the rock slowly, so he wouldn't scare her off, and landed behind Katara. Katara was sitting on the rock crying, and Aang knew that he would never forgive himself for hurting Katara like this. He was ashamed. He had to do something to fix this and make everything better.

Aang: Katara? I am so sorry, please, please don't run off (he kneels to the floor). Please forgive me, I am so sorry. I would never want to lose you.

Katara: (turns around and stares into his eyes) And I realized that that's the problem Aang. (she stops for a moment and just looks at Aang) You don't realize what happened that night at Ba Sing Se. Aang, you were almost gone. The world had almost lost you forever, I had almost lost you forever.

Aang: So what did I do wrong?

Katara: Nothing! You didn't do anything. Aang, I have finally realized that I have not been the same since that night, because my fear of losing you was too real. If anything like that happened again, I don't know what I would do. Do you know what it was like to look at you and think that you would never wake up again? To think that you would never smile or laugh again? To think that I would never get the chance to tell you how I… how I feel? It devastated me. I have lived everyday in that fear. But now I realize that you have a second chance, and that I have a second chance.

Katara leaned over and kissed Aang on the lips. She hesitantly pulled away after a moment, not fully sure of how Aang would react, but Aang put his hand on her arm and pulled Katara closer to him, he refused to let her go. Katara's heart skipped a beat to his touch, and then beat furiously fast against her skin. Katara wrapped her hands around Aang's shoulders, and Aang put his other hand on the small of Katara's back. Aang moved his hand up and down Katara's back and arms, and she completely lost herself in Aang's touch. Every move Aang made put shivers up and down her spine. Aang had wanted this ever since he had met Katara, and made the most out of every second. Katara tasted so sweet, and everything was so pure and perfect. They stopped to breathe after their few but blissful moments in heaven, but they stayed still, unwilling to move. Aang moved to kiss Katara's forehead, and rested his forehead on hers.

Aang: Katara, I hope you know that I will never, ever try to leave you. I love you with all of my heart.

Katara: And I hope you know Aang, that there is nothing you could ever do that will make me not love you anymore. I love-

Aang let his overwhelming feeling of love and passion overtake him and he kissed her. Katara was overjoyed and felt the same love and passion for him as her felt for her. Neither of them had been this happy in their lives. They let themselves get lost in each other, and knew that this was the way it is supposed to be. They would have been perfectly happy staying like this forever, until-

Sokka: Katara! Aang! Where are you?!

Aang: I guess we better go down there. So much for food and water.

Katara: What are you talking about? I have my water (and she waterbends water into her pouch)

Aang: Haha. Oh well. Taking the heat from Sokka is well worth it. We better go-

Katara: Wait!

Katara gave Aang one last kiss.

Katara: Who know when I'll be able to do that again?

Aang: Oh, we will have to make time.

Katara: I love you so much Aang.

Aang: I love you to Katara. I always have. Now lets get down there before things get worse.

Sokka: Katara?! Aang?! What were you guys doing up there?

Aang:…Uhh…I was helping Katara get water.

Katara: Yeah, we were just about to go look for some food.

Sokka: Okay…well hurry up; we need to get some rest for tomorrow.

Aang: Yes master, I'm sorry if we displeased you.

Katara: Goodbye your highness.

Sokka: Nuh uh uh. I'll go get the food; you guys can finish with camp.

Aang: Okay, see you there.

Katara: Good luck Sokka.

Katara and Aang walk away holding hands headed back to the campsite.

Sokka started gathering food and glanced behind him. H could barely make out Katara and Aang…and where they holding hands? He would have to talk to them about that later.

Then again, he and Toph really weren't any better than Katara and Aang.

I know I know, it sucked. Please leave me comments on your opinion so I can write a better one in the future! Thanks for reading my story

---speechless8582