Hello and welcome to…my story. Yes I'm back again after about three weeks! My computer is fixed and I have finished my homework for the weekend and sooooo here we go! It's nice to write again…

"Dad!" The girl cried out, running through the snow and into her father's arms.

Their trip had been long and relaxing from the Fire Nation to the Southern Water Tribe, but now the heroic gang was just glad to have hit land. Katara and Sokka were especially happy to finally be home after two years of journeying around the world. The Water Tribe boy ran up and joined in the hug. When the three pulled away, Katara and Sokka looked up to see Pakku standing, smiling. He, too, received a hug.

Katara couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of her face. She was finally home. The word seemed so odd to her. "How are you?" she asked.

The men only smiled and nodded. "Well, Katara, and you?"

"Great! I mean, I'm a little tired from travel but I'm just happy to see you!"

Katara gave her father another hug and sighed contently. Nothing could ruin this. Nothing at all. She was home.

"Where's Gran-Gran?" Sokka asked the two relatives before him. Katara also perked up to the question.

The two men just looked at each other. "Um," Hakoda started, "Sokka…Katara…you grandmother is very ill."

The smiles that she thought would never leave left her face in a second. Her grandmother was ill? Very ill?

"What…what do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"I mean she's not doing well. A few days ago she became very tired and it seems she's in a great deal of pain. I'm sorry, kids; she's an old woman and-."

"Where is she?" she demanded, suddenly very mad.

Hakoda was thrown off by his daughter's sudden behavior. He knew she wouldn't take it well but he didn't think she'd be angry. Pakku motioned for his grandchildren to follow him. They left their friends who were unpacking supplies and brought them down a long, icy street walled by small shops and houses. The Southern Water Tribe had grown a great deal since their leave and it was now looking like its sister tribe up north.

Pakku stopped in front of a home with the Water Tribe insignia carved into it. He carefully opened the door and stood back.

"She's inside."

--

"Shhh. It's going to be alright," the woman spoke softly. "Everything is going to be okay."

The little girl didn't seem to listen. She just continued to sob into the old woman's coat. The woman stroked her dark hair with much care and held the girl in her arms as she cried.

"Please, stop crying, my dear. You'll be okay. Everything will be okay. Honey, I want to give you something."

Suddenly the sobs lightened up and the girl looked into the woman's eyes with questions. The woman reached in her long coat's pocket and pulled out a remarkable sight into her hands. The girl's eyes shimmered as she stared at the object.

"Your mother said that she wanted you to have this one day. I know you're young now, but I think she'd want you to have it now."

The girl sniffed and her tiny hands softly grabbed a piece of the ribbon in the woman's hands. Then she moved her hands to the center of the ribbon and clutched onto the stone that showed the Water Tribe symbol. And as the little girl held it, she began to cry again.

"Shh. Katara, calm down."

"Gran-Gran?" she whimpered. The grandmother looked to her granddaughter with bright eyes. "Thank you."

Katara's grandmother placed a soft kiss on her forehead and hugged her one last time. And as she left, Katara held the necklace that had belonged to her mother earlier that day and clung onto it.

--

Katara stopped outside of the door and held took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly and shakily. Then she opened the door very slowly. The room's light was dim and warm. The girl walked in and sat in a chair next to the bed. She placed her hand to her necklace, looking back on the memory of how she had received it, and let out another soft sigh.

"Katara?" a weak voice asked. "Is that you, dear?"

Katara removed her hand and looked down at the woman in the bed and smiled softly. Her grandmother looked so old yet so filled with joy despite her condition.

"Well my, my have you grown into quite the young lady," she said. Her voice was weak and breathy. "Tell me, Katara, have you found yourself a boy?"

Katara chuckled. Her grandmother had always told her that she was so beautiful that one day the boys wouldn't leave her alone and she'd have a husband in no time. So now that that time had come, her 

grandmother wanted to know if her prediction was right. The girl blushed slightly and nodded. Kana's mouth curved into a small smile.

"I knew you would. Now who is this boy? Is he a Waterbender?"

Katara nodded. "In fact, he is, Gran-Gran."

Sokka made it to the house and when he heard the conversation that had started; he stood in the doorway and smiled, listening.

Katara continued. "And he can also Firebend, Earthbend, and Airbend."

"So you married the Avatar? I knew you would. Ever since I saw the way you two bonded so quickly I knew."

Katara shook her head and laughed. "No, Gran-Gran. Aang and I aren't married."

"Well, heavens, why not? You should be making me a great Gran-Gran by now."

Katara blushed and Sokka couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.

"Well don't laugh at your sister, Sokka. You should be married, too. And have kids. Tell me, Sokka, who is your wife?"

Sokka walked into the room with a bright but sound smile on his face.

"I'm not married, either, Gran-Gran."

The woman shook her head and scolded her grandson.

"Well what is taking the two of you so long? Aren't you with that Kyoshi girl?"

Sokka nodded. "I just haven't had time."

"That's no excuse," Kana pouted. Then she sighed and looked back to Katara. "You look exactly like you mother, dear."

Katara smiled once again and thanked her grandmother. Sokka placed a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"Katara, I hate to say this but we need to help Toph, Suki and Aang unpack."

Sokka hugged his grandmother and told her he loved her and left the room to go help his friends.

--

"Hey Sokka!" Aang called, carrying a box of food. "Where's Katara."

Sokka's face slowly formed into a frown.

"What's wrong?" Suki asked.

"She's at our grandmother's house," he replied, pointing to it. "Our grandmother is really sick and will most likely die soon. Katara didn't want to leave her."

Suki came over and pulled Sokka into a hug.

"Oh, Sokka, I'm so sorry."

The Water Tribe boy returned the hug and then pulled away. Aang looked down the icy road and to the house that Sokka had pointed to earlier. He couldn't help but wonder why something like this had to happen. They were all starting to have such a great time and now this. It didn't make any sense. The boy decided to clear his thought and start unpacking into the guest home that they would be staying in.

--

After about twenty minutes, Aang finished settling down and headed outside the house. Appa and Momo were given a small hut to stay in during the visit and had already been fed so boredom had begun to enter the boy's mind. He heard footsteps to his left and turned to see Katara walking towards him.

"Katara?" He asked, wearily. His tone was partially out of concern and partially out of travel. He felt drained.

"Hi," the girl said, waving. Katara stopped in front of the Avatar and with sad eyes stared to the ground.

"Sokka told me what happened. I'm really sorry."

Katara's head suddenly shot up and she her eyes held an angry glare. Aang stepped back a little at her confusing reaction.

"It's not like she's dead, Aang! You don't have to feel sorry for me! She's still alive and she'll get better."

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

Katara sighed and shook her head. "Look, I know you're just trying to help, but the way you put it, you just sounded like she…she passed on. And I don't want to think about her like that. Besides me, she's the only woman left in my family and now that my mom's dead I…I don't think I can lose her, too."

Katara tilted her head down and to the side as she spoke and tears began to roll down her face. Aang smiled and pulled the girl into a tight embrace. After a long moment, he pulled away and looked to her face.

"Katara, you know she'll be okay. If I've learned anything about your family over the past years, it's that you are all really strong people."

The girl's head slowly picked up, this time with a slight grin on her face. Her eyes locked with Aang's and she leaned in and tapped a light kiss on his lips before walking into her house next to the guest home and heading off to her room. Aang's sight followed her as she left.

"Dear spirits, let her be alright," he whispered.

--

"Please don't leave me. I pray you'll always stay. 'Cause we have been best friends, don't let it end."

The woman's voice was shaky from her old age but it still sounded angelic and it soothed Katara's mind. Every time she heard her sweet grandmother play that lovely tune with her voice she couldn't help but to fall into a peaceful, deep sleep. But that night she couldn't sleep. She didn't want to trouble the woman, so Katara closed her eyes and pretended to be out. A moment later, a kiss was placed on the girl's forehead and the woman was gone. Katara got out of bed and walked outside her grandmother's tent in the snow and waited. She waited for her song.

--

It was the next week when the gang had decided to head out. The village had been completed to the fullest and it was time that they started making their way back to Ba sing Se to help the Earth King with the rebellions that have been taking place since the war had ended. Sokka, Toph, and Suki had gotten…well as comfortable as they could on a giant flying bison.

"I'm gonna go see if Katara's ready to go," Aang said.

"Rodger, Sir Avatar," Sokka said, saluting.

Aang walked to the one place that he knew Katara would be: Gran- Gran's house. He slowly opened the door and stood outside when he heard speaking.

"I'm really going to miss you, Gran- Gran."

There was no response. The girl sniffed.

"You know, you've taught me a lot over the years."

Again, more silence.

"I'm gonna miss you, Gran- Gran."

"I believe you will have many more adventures in your future," a shaky voice whispered. Aang had a hard time hearing the woman. "You and the Avatar share a special bond. I saw it the night you brought him home. I know I acted like I didn't like him at first but it was because I didn't want to lose my little granddaughter. But that's when I began to realize you weren't so little anymore." The woman paused and Katara squeezed her hand. "Katara," she said lightly, "my Katara. You have become such a beautiful young woman. The Avatar is lucky to have you."

The woman paused again and Aang blushed at her words. But she was right. He was very lucky to have Katara. If it weren't for her, the world would probably be demolished by now. Kana continued.

"Through the rest of your life, Katara, you will encounter a great deal of joy and a great deal of pain. But I want you to remember that you'll always have me. Wherever you go, clasp hold of your necklace I gave you when you were little. Do you remember that day?" Katara nodded, tears beginning to stream down her face. "That will remind you of me and your mother. Please just remember me. I love you sweet darling." The woman squeezed Katara's hand one last time before her eyes closed for a final time.

Aang's heart dropped when he heard quiet sobs come from the room. Then he heard a light, shaky voice. Katara's voice.

"Please don't leave me. I pray you'll always stay." The girl choked on her words and continued. "'Cause we have been best friends, don't let it end. This is where I say…goodbye." Her last word came out as a whisper, almost inaudible.

Aang began to walk into the room when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. The boy turned around to see a man before him.

"Chief Hakoda?" he asked.

The man sighed and signaled for the boy to follow. He obeyed. Once outside of the house, Hakoda began to speak.

"Aang…there's something I need to speak with you about. It's about Katara."

The Avatar gulped. He knew this talk was coming, he just didn't want it to be now.

"What you just heard in that room is something that girl is never going to let go of, you know that right?"

A sigh in relief came from his heart as Aang looked up at the man and nodded. Hakoda placed a hand on the Avatar's shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I need you to look after her. Katara's grandmother was the only woman figure in her life since her mother died and now she's on her own for growing up. I want you to make sure that she has her head straight and keeps strong like she has been. I believe if it weren't for you she wouldn't have made it past losing her mother. You really have helped her more than you know.

"So when the two of you leave for Ba Sing Se today, I want you to comfort her just the way you have been." The man stopped and sighed before starting again. "Thank you, Avatar. Take care of my daughter."

Aang bowed to the chief and smiled. "I'll do the best I can, Sir."

With a returned bow, the man left the house. Aang heard a door shut and a startling gasp. Calmly he turned around to see a girl before him with a tear-stained face.

"Aang," she said, wiping her eyes and clearing her throat. "You startled me, I didn't know you were out here."

Before the boy could respond, Katara walked up and threw her arms around Aang's neck. He returned the hug when he felt sobs coming from the girl. He knew it was going to be a long path of recovery ahead for the girl's heart but he knew that she'd make it. All he could do was thank the heavens that he had the chance to help her through it.

Okay, rushed I know but I was having a lot of trouble writing this. And yes, Gran- Gran is dead. And even though this chapter is rushed IT HAS A PURPOSE! Well duh. But really, this chapter is kind of an outline for what's coming next. So…hope you paid attention!- beyondthesettingsun