Chapter Two

Katara looked up the next morning to find Aang sitting above her lightly dozing with his staff across his lap. She shifted on the bed roll and he quickly snapped to attention, clutching his staff and ready. He looked around quickly before noticing it had been Katara's movements that had roused him. He slumped tiredly and rubbed his eyes.

"Hi." She whispered, mindful of the sleeping club members all around them.

"Hi." He murmured back.

She sat up and touched his cheek gently. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

He shook his head. "I was making sure it didn't come back."

"Aang…" She crooned, kissing him on the cheek. "You didn't have to do that for me."

"Yes I did." He said staring into her eyes with a very serious expression. "I'll protect you no matter what. You're my girlfriend Katara… and I love you."'

She blushed deeply. "I love you too." As they were leaning in for a kiss Momo jumped in through the window and hoped along sleeping bodies to them starting a wave of waking complaints.

He landed on Aang's shoulder. "Momo…" Aang muttered frustrated and slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"Aang! You're awake!" One girl gushed and suddenly a wave of fan girls had swamped Aang once again.

"Katara?!" Aang tried to call out through the masses.

"I'll just pack up Appa." She called back.

Katara was currently the one steering Appa through the sky as Aang took a nap in the saddle trying to catch up on what he lacked last night. They had agreed to find a town far away from where they had been to put some distance between them and whatever had attacked the night before and this allowed Aang plenty of rest. Katara smoothed the map across her lap, comparing landmarks below to the ones on the parchment. There was smoke curling from a clearing in the distance and she refolded the map gingerly and tucked it back into her shirt to return to her bag later.

She looked behind her to see Aang sprawled in the saddle, sleeping soundly; his exposed chest lightly rising and lowering as he slept peacefully. She smiled lovingly at him before trying to angle Appa into a gradual descent so as not to wake him. She stroked Momo's fur as he settled into her lap.

As they got closer, Katara called softly to the slumbering Avatar. "Aang, we're almost there."

He didn't even stir at her probing voice.

"Aang?" She tried a little louder.

Still nothing. He must have been exhausted.

"Momo, go get him." Katara urged, holding the flying lemur behind her. The lemur chattered unintelligibly before scampering over to the air bender and lifting an eyelid, peering at him from above.

"Agh!" Aang startled and shuffled quickly to the back of the saddle, arm out to fend off his furry foe. "Momo…" He muttered groggily as the lemur crawled into his lap and reached for his face again before being snatched around the middle and lifted away from his head.

"Afternoon sleepy head." Katara greeted him with a smirk, trying to hold back her laughter from the lemur assault she had launched.

"How long did I sleep?"

"Long enough for us to get there."

"Sorry about that." He said stretching and coming forward to take the reins.

"You needed the sleep. Don't worry about it." She reassured him, surrendering the piloting to him. She still had yet to figure out the best landing tactics for a few tons of flying bison. He said nothing but led Appa to the edge of the city in a clearing. He was helping Katara down from the saddle as the mayor approached them.

"Avatar Aang!" He heartily shook his hand and gave him a great slap on the back causing him to take a step to catch his balance. The mayor was a heavy man with thin gray hair, sparse on top but thick on his lower jaw in a bushy beard. "And this must be the lovely Katara!" He brought her hand to his lips; his palms sweaty and his kiss slobbery with nothing but eager sincerity behind it. "I am mayor Tayo at your service!" He turned and clapped, a boy appeared before him. "Raito, take the Avatar's bison and take him to the stables."

"Yes mayor Tayo." The boy said obediently taking the reins from Aang's hand and leading Appa away.

"Come! Come!" Tayo waved them to follow. "We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival. We even have a feast prepared!" He said jovially as he led the way back into the village.

"You really didn't have to go to all the trouble." Aang began.

"No trouble at all my boy! Think of it as a small token of our thanks."

Aang's stomach growled loudly. "Well in that case, you're welcome." Katara raised a hand to hide a smile. Times like these he reminded her of her voracious brother. Aang was growing all the time and he could really put away food these days. It was a relief there was a feast. Many towns had them, but when it was just a modest meal at their host's house, they would gratefully consume their meal and Aang would excuse himself under the pretense of checking on Appa when in reality he was digging through their supplies to satiate himself.

The mayor led them to a large reception hall where they were greeted warmly and were seated near the head of the table where the mayor was seated. "So Avatar…"

"It's just Aang." He said as he shoveled mounds of rice and fruit onto his plate, sticking to a vegetarian diet while Katara helped herself to some of the fried meats and aromatic soups.

"So Aang, tell us of your adventures."

Aang grinned. "Which one?" He relished retelling the tales of their exploits and Katara couldn't help but share in his enthusiasm.

"The one of the northern water tribe's raid or the serpents pass. They're all so intriguing." He shoveled food into his mouth as he stared at them with eager eyes.

"Ah, how about the serpents pass? Things seemed pretty hopeless, but a traveling family was able to restore it. That and my friends." Aang turned to her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He proceeded to tell the tale, embellishing a bit to their rapt audience as they hung on every word and Katara would intercede every now and then to add to the story a part Aang would have otherwise glossed over. The evening passed, stories were shared and the food disappeared. It was growing late and the crowd had thinned when Aang and Katara were led by Tayo back to his luxurious house.

The house that was home to the lone bachelor was expansive enough to comfortably fit a rather large family. As such, Aang and Katara were given their own rooms for the night, lavishly furnished and across the hall from one another. Each room even had its own personal bathroom attached and Katara was overjoyed to soak in a long overdue bath. When she was done she toweled off and adorned clean clothes, bended the remaining water from her hair and braided it quickly. When she opened the door, steam escaped around her but a breeze from the open window of her room made her damp skin chill.

She stopped dead in her tracks. "I didn't open the window." She mumbled to herself. Eyes scanning the dark corners of her room, searching the shadows, she made her way to the little bed side table looking for her water skein. She had just grabbed it when a shuffling sound from the corner behind her sent her rolling across the thick carpet and out of the way of the dark figure that had launched at her. She let out a startled cry and used her canteen's water to launch a water whip at the figure as it was straightening from its crouch of where it had landed where she had been moments ago. Being distracted from the recovery her attack was going to land until a second figure sprung from the shadows and blocked it.

"What?" She spluttered. "There's two of you?" She pulled back for another attack when the first assailant leapt into the air, slinging another bola at her over the second ones head. The weighted rope quickly wrapped around her and her canteen clattered to the floor.

"AANG!" She shrieked as they advanced on her. One of the figures hefted her to his shoulder when the door burst open with a bang.

"Let her go!" Aang shouted, leaping at the figure who held her. He sprang backwards as the other darted forward to meet Aang with a fist, but he was able to twist in the air to avoid the blow. A blast of air sent the one holding Katara thumping into the wall and dropping her to the ground simultaneously. A shot of flame stopped the other attacker short, but a bola burst through the flames and wrapped around the avatars body and knocking him over from surprise.

"What is going on here?!" Tayo stood in the doorway, his little remaining hair sticking out at odd angles in disarray. The momentary distraction was enough for Katara to use her bending to slice through the ropes and kick the lunging figure in the chest, knocking him off balance. From the floor Aang blew a mighty gust, propelling both attackers out the open window. Katara rushed to the fluttering curtains, yanking them aside and peering into the dark night, Aang quickly joining her once he freed himself from his bonds.

"They're gone." He muttered a mute rage in his voice.

"What is going on?" Tayo asked looking stunned and leaning against the door frame watching the two teens wide eyed.

Katara and Aang exchanged a look. "We don't know."

Hey all! Sarahplainntall here! I'm so excited by the positive responses I've gotten so far! Keep reading and reviewing! Also, I have other stories that are finished if you liked this one. Sorry the chapters are short, but it allows me to get them out to you faster.