Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Thank you everyone for your reviews. I did NOT end this chapter with a cliffhanger, so you guys can drop your tomatoes and penguins. Unfortunately you will have to wait a little longer for the Sokka piece, but he does appear in this chapter! Hope you guys enjoy the Kataang!

He was at a loss of words. She loves him. Had she just uttered those wonderful words? Stunned, Aang could only gaze at her as she cupped her other hand to his right cheek.

"I've always loved you, but I didn't realize it until I lost you," she said soothingly.

He wanted to cry out in joy, leap into the air and kiss her but a question building in his mind prevented him from doing so.

"Why… why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly. Katara cringed, secretly wishing that he had not asked her that question. She knew she must tell him the information that she had kept secret for so long.

"Because I was scared," she whispered.

Aang's eyes widened in sadness as his voice dropped to an almost inaudible whisper. "Of what?"

She realized what he was implying and pulled him into a tight hug, placing his head in her shoulder. "Aang, I would never be scared of being with you. You are the most wonderful person on this planet. You are kind, compassionate, honorable, and you're part of our family." She pulled back from the hug and wiped his damp cheek with her thumb. "I was scared that I would lose you… to Ozai."

He wasn't sure how to respond so he just sat in silence and watched her struggle to form an explanation. Her face dropped, obscured from Aang's vision by shadows. She shifted to sitting on her knees, which Aang did the same. When her face rose to face him again, a fresh coat of tears now trailed down her cheeks and across her jaw line. Whatever she was about to confess to him, it must really be deep to affect her so much.

"Aang, when my mother died, a part of me did too. I was so lighthearted and carefree before her death, but her departure strained my family so much… I had to fill her place and grow up at such an early age…" she spoke through sobs, seeming to barely be able to contain herself. Aang realized that she was confiding in him feelings that she had never spoken of before, and gently grasped one of her hands that laid in her lap. Katara looked to her right at the beautiful cherry tree in the courtyard below. She wiped her face and continued.

"I never was able to enjoy childhood; playing in the snow, going penguin sledding with Sokka. I had to control everything, to make sure that I couldn't get hurt again. I couldn't have fun. That part of me didn't exist any longer. It's absence, my mother's absence, left a hole in my heart." She looked at him again and managed a teary smile. "That is, until I found you."

Aang was touched by her words. He had no idea that he had such an impact on her life. She had rarely spoken of her past before he met her. Occasionally, had heard Sokka tell stories of their childhood, but he failed to see how much she had struggled as a young girl.

"You were so free spirited and fun loving; I was drawn to you from the start. Not to mention you were an airbender," she said, looking at the blue arrow atop his forehead.

He smiled.

"As we traveled together, my feelings for you grew stronger. At first, I thought my love for you was platonic, but over time it seemed to grow into something much more," she said bashfully. Aang could see the blush growing on her cheeks.

"Do you remember, in the Cave of Two Lovers-" she began.

"Secret Tunnel, secret tunnel!" Aang sang loudly as he shot to his feet and threw his arms above his head dramatically. Katara burst in to laughter at his display as he fell back to his knees in laughter as well. After catching their breaths, Katara continued.

"When we were in the tomb, I purposed that we should kiss." Aang nodded his head, drawing up the memories of that moment in the dark tomb. She had brushed the thought off as a 'crazy idea' and he attempted to do so as well, but it had backfired. He was dragged out of his thoughts by hearing her resume their conversation.

"-even though I felt that it was our only way out, part of me really wanted to kiss you. Then… well, you remember," she said, her blush deepening on her face. He plunged back into his memories. Their first kiss in the dark, damp cave; her eyes closing as she drew near to him was an image he would never forget.

"But I really didn't realize that I loved you until that night at Ba Sing Se. Traveling across the world hadn't given me time to reflect, so I was caught off guard by how deep my feelings ran for you. When I saw you falling from the air from Azula's shock and held your cold, lifeless body in my arms, I knew." She paused and took a deep breath to prevent herself from crying again.

"I knew that I loved you. I felt… so much pain. It was like losing my mother all over again, except worse. You had made me feel more… alive than ever before, and I realized that I had become dependant on you being with me. I wanted to stay with you forever. But you were dead in my arms…" she could not hold back the tears any longer as they spilled down her face.

"I thought all the hope in the world had died with you," she sobbed. "But then I remembered the spirit water and… it gave me one last chance. I used it… but you didn't move… nothing happened; you just lay motionless in my arms. I gave up and began to cry, but you lit up and returned… I was relieved." She wiped the last tear from her eyes and began to chuckle, much to the confusion of her company.

"I'm so embarrassed. I'm behaving just like that actress from the play," she said. They both broke into laughter, recalling the melodramatic performer that portrayed Katara in the horrid play, 'The Boy in the Iceberg'. She had cried in almost every scene that featured her, much to the displeasure of the real Katara.

"I realized then that you were vulnerable and ever since then I've watched you like a hawk. I cared more deeply about you than ever, but I couldn't open up to you. I knew that you were going to face Ozai and the fear of losing you again grew as time wore on. When you kissed me at the invasion, I was shocked. I had suspected that you had a crush on me, but when you kissed me, I knew that you loved me back… which made it worse. I couldn't bare the thought of losing you again, but if we were… lovers, then…"

"So that explains why you were angry when I kissed you at the theatre-" Aang piped up, but Katara interrupted him.

"No! I wasn't angry at you!" she shouted, but softened after seeing Aang taken aback. "I was angry with myself." She sat in silence for a few moments, pondering if she should tell him the truth. Would he forgive her? Could he forgive her?

Aang opened his mouth to speak, but Katara interjected him again.

"I thought that maybe… if I distanced myself from you, I could protect myself if… something went wrong." She could not meet his eyes. She looked away in shame.

"I didn't want to get hurt again, I wasn't sure if I would be strong enough to move on if I lost you. So I hid my love for you away." Admitting this to him broke Katara's heart. He trusted her with his life and she had deceived him. She became enraged with herself.

"But that wasn't fair! It wasn't fair for you to have to suffer from my reclusiveness!" her voice rose in volume. "You trusted me, but I played your heart because of my own fears!" she was shouting now. Aang feared that she would wake the rest of the palace with her ranting.

"Katara, calm down. Take a deep breath," Aang instructed. He closed his eyes and demonstrated for her. After a few breaths, she regained her composure.

"When you left before the comet, I deeply regretted hiding from you for months. I was being so stupid! It wouldn't have mattered if I had told you because I would have felt the same loss either way if you had died. Then I became terrified that you would die not knowing that I loved you, so after you returned I promised myself that I would confess to you…" she trailed off, returning her gaze to meet his. Her eyes appeared to plead with his.

"Aang… I'm so sorry. I'll understand if you can never forgive me for hurting you."

"Forgive you, Katara? I love you more than anything else in the world," he beamed at her.

"You mean you're not mad at me, at all?" Katara asked in disbelief.

"Of course I'm not. To know that you love me back… it's great—it's incredible! I understand why you hid your feelings away from me so don't be angry with yourself. Besides, you're being open right now."

She let out a sigh. "You are just too wonderful Aang. I don't deserve someone like you."

"Don't be ridiculous Katara. I probably wouldn't wake up in the mornings if I couldn't see you," he laughed. She couldn't help but smile at seeing his joy.

He placed his hand over hers and leaned forward. "This is the happiest moment of my life." he said, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight.

"Agreed," she said happily. She felt herself leaning towards him, their faces now inches apart.

"What are you to doing up at this hour?" came a sleepy voice from behind them.

Aang looked up as Katara whirled around to see her brother standing in his newly- acquired Fire Nation bed robes, wearing an annoyed expression on his face. Suki stood in the doorway, seemingly asleep on her feet. The couple blushed furiously as Sokka lifted himself up onto the patio.

"Uh, we couldn't sleep," Aang said quickly. "So-uh-we came out here to get some fresh air." he lied.

"I heard you shouting, Katara. Were you two fighting?" he asked, not noticing the obvious stumbles of Aang's response to his first question.

"No, I was venting… to Aang," Katara stated. It was true.

"Oh, well that's great," he yawned. "Now come to bed."

They rose as Sokka hopped down from the patio and shuffled over to a sleepy Suki to lead her back to their room.

"Thank goodness he's so clueless," Katara whispered in Aang's ear and they both giggled. Sokka looked back at them with a raised eyebrow before disappearing into the dark hall

Aang and Katara followed them back through the hall to their rooms. Sokka motioned them goodnight before quietly closing his door. Aang turned to enter his room but was stopped by Katara's hand on his shoulder. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight Aang, I love you," she said, before turning to go to her own room. She had wanted to do that for so long. All of the turmoil inside of her was gone now, replaced by a wave of love and happiness. She could finally get some rest.

He smiled after her as she left. "Goodnight, Katara. I love you too."

See, no cliffhanger. Katara was a bit sobby, but this issue would be a very emotional thing to deal with. I love to know what you think, so please review!