"After the fight, we wait. Katara, you will have to confront Aang. But it will have to wait. If its too soon, people will start to suspect something's up. One week after Mai and Zuko break up, you have to confront him. And no matter what happens, sis. You come to me, not Zuko."

Waiting was the hardest part.

A piece of her wanted to just get it over with. To tell Aang that she didn't love him, to stop watching Zuko's heart break a little more every time she had to kiss her fiancé and laugh at every stupid thing Momo had done. She hated pretending that she still cared, that his antics didn't grate on her nerves with the intensity of Azula's insanity. She hated listening to the same stories over and over agin. His voice had deepened and they had changed from tricks in his bending to political qualms he had helped of stop or soothe. Different places, different people, different problems: same outcome. He was taller and broader, but he would never fill out like Sokka had. He would always be that gangly boy from the iceberg with an innocence that would never diminish. No matter how many fights he prevented or atrocities he helped rectify. She hated how much she was hurting him.

But, another part of her wished the week would never end. That the time when she had to tell him the truth would never come. She dreaded that moment when she would break his heart. She dreaded the moment when his face fell. When accusations and bitter words would fly. She dreaded the second she would scream at him that they were over. She dreaded the second she would try to walk away and he would beg her not to leave him. All so that she could be with another man.

She forced herself not to think about it. She wasn't going to back down from it. She would be brave and strong. She was a determined and strong willed woman and she would get what she wanted. She would never let Zuko go. She would be there for him, to love him.

She would be there for the man who had paid all the fines of an ending engagement for Mai. She would be there for the man who continued to defend the woman who had publicly scorned his honor and embarrassed his throne. She would always be there for the man who had continued to allow the two girls who he deemed sisters to stay within the palace. The man who would sit at the turtle duck pond and feed the tiny creatures with bread he had stolen from the meaty head chef. The man who gave the children of the city and outlaying areas free reign to explore and play in his palace. The man who built schools in the Earth Kingdom and taught firebending to the poor and built recovery wards for injured soldiers in every nation and gave Aang every chance to grow up and visited his crazy sister every week and gave his genocidal father a place to live outside of the prisons. The man who gave and gave and gave, but never asked for anything in return.

She hated her cowardice.

"Aang. We need to talk. Will you please take a walk with me?"

"Sure, Katara. What's up?"

"Just come with me, please."

Katara felt her heart beat faster and faster with every step she took towards the gardens. She hadn't wanted to make a public spectacle of their break up like Mai had. She didn't want an audience to the hurt and pain she was going to cause him with the reveal. Sokka had been kind enough not to ask what she was going to do or where. She was fairly confident that if anyone was going of barge in on their conversation, it wasn't going to be because she had put herself in the position for it to be heard. Though, she was also certain that someone would find them. Toph always had a decent guess as to where everyone was within the palace. There was no telling what she would do.

"Katara?" Aang's voice made her cringe. Not that it upset her to hear it. No, she stilled loved him dearly. She just regretted everything she was going to say. And to know that she couldn't run to Zuko when it was all over with. He was her best friend before all of this and she couldn't even tell him about what happened until later!

"Aang," she sighed. Not certain how to start, she sat down on a nearby stone bench. "I have to tell you something. You aren't going to like it. So, please, just listen to everything I say without interrupting. Please, Aang. Promise you won't say a word until I finish?"

It was obvious by his expression that he was worried, but she couldn't look at him. She still needed to gain her confidence. She was going to break his heart for another man.

Not just any man, her mind whispered to her in defense. For Zuko.

For Zuko. She could do this. Yes, she could do this. It would hurt and it would take time to get over, but she would do it. For Zuko.

"What's wrong Katara?" He was sitting beside her now. His cool hands were gentle against hers. But, not in a way that whispered of love. His hands held her like he was afraid to break her. Like letting go of her might cause her to fade away and disappear. He held her with compassion and sympathy, not love and strength.

"Promise me, Aang," she whispered. She was very close to tears now.

"I promise, Katara. Just tell me what's wrong." He was such a gentle soul. He didn't deserve the lie she had been telling him all these years. To herself as well.

"I can't marry you." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could really think about what she was saying. The instant she looked into those gray eyes, she couldn't stop everything she had thought and held back all those times when she just wanted to end the lies. "I love you, Aang. I really do. But, I can't marry you. It isn't because of anything you did or anything you are. You being the Avatar has nothing to do with this decision. You have to understand Aang, I don't love you like you love me. I have been mothering you for so many years, I just feel as though that's all I am. No! You promised not to speak!" she exclaimed. Tears flowed down her tanned cheeks, the hands that had been holding his gripped his forearms tight. Stalling anything he had to say.

"I love you, Aang. It isn't anything you did or anything you are. But, I can't bring myself to love you in any way other than the way I love Sokka. I know it's cruel and terrible to have lead you on for all these years and I'm so, so sorry. But, I tried, Aang. I tried to convince myself that I did love you like that. That I loved you the way you wanted me to. I had convinced myself that I was ready to settle down and have a family with you. Really, I thought I could. But, watching Zuko and Mai. Everyone thought they would get married and be happy, but she broke up with him! She broke up with him because she realized he didn't feel that way anymore. I can't do that to you! Please! Please, Aang. I'm so, so sorry."

She was sobbing now, her hands gripping his shoulders tight. Her head was bowed and she knew that there was a pool of her tears staining the fabric of her dress and his pants. But she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes and look at him. So she kept them shut tight. Maybe if she just stayed like this she could pretend it hadn't just happened. That she hadn't just broke this seventeen year old's heart so completely.

No. She wasn't a coward. No matter what happened, she would face this. Even if he was angry or betrayed. She would face it. Not just for Zuko, but for herself too. She needed this more than he did. She needed to be free of any guilt or else she would only be hurting him more.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she opened her eyes. It didn't take her as long to look tearfully into his eyes. Even with the ridiculous amount of water that clouded her vision, she could see how ashen his face had become. She could feel through her hands how tense he had grown. It felt almost as though he would break if she put just a bit more pressure into her hold. She didn't, however, but released her grasp on him, instead. He didn't move more than to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Please," he begged. "Please don't mean that."

"But, I do, Aang. I really do." She couldn't bring herself to do more than whisper. Her throat was cracked and sore from the lump the tears had brought. Her nose was stuffed up and running. She knew she was flushed from the exertion of crying, but she wouldn't break her eye contact. She wouldn't back down from this. Even if it killed her.

"How- how long?" He was on the verge of tears now, the painful swelling in his own throat forced him to falter.

"Since they announced their engagement," she admitted. She knew it wouldn't be wise, but she wouldn't lie to him anymore.

"All this time?"

"It's only been a month, Aang. I swear that I had no intention of ever breaking up with you before that. I swear, Aang. I thought I was happy. And I wish I had been, that this was just a joke. But, it isn't."

"I wish I could say I didn't see it coming," he muttered defeatedly.

"You knew?"

"No. But, I suppose that I always kind of guessed this was the case. I was never worried about you loving me because I was the Avatar and things would be difficult for us, Katara. I was always worried that you felt you were being forced to love me," he whispered. His head hung and he released his hold on her hands, which he had grabbed when he had begged for her to be lying.

"Aang. I wish that it hadn't been like that," she breathed, pulling him into a warm embrace. "I know it hurts. I hate myself for doing this to you. To us. And I understand if you never want to, but I hope we can still be friends. I will never stop caring about you."

"But, like Sokka."

"Like Sokka," she agreed sadly. "I'm so, so sorry Aang. Please believe me."
"No, Katara. I do. But, I don't know if I can be friends with you right now. I don't hate you, but I can't help but feel betrayed. I'm sorry Katara." With that, he was gone. Left her to be alone.

She had no idea how long she stayed there, wishing that what had just happened had not. She hated herself for it. She hated the bile that stung at her throat. The tears that flowed even more freely than before. The pain in her heart that caused her to double over, clutching to her chest as she tried to soothe herself with her sobs. She hated how much of a terrible person she was. She hated that she couldn't go to Zuko, her best friend, for comfort. She hated how hopeless and alone she felt.

She was never so glad to be found in such a state as she was when Zuko wrapped his arms around her. Even if he had to leave shortly, she was so glad that he was there to wipe her tears away and hold her close. Screw Sokka's plan.

"I love you, Zuko."

"I love you too, Katara," he murmured in her ear, holding her close as he carried her to the comfort of her brother and father.