It was evening time, and Katara and Hope had set the table for dinner. Hope was feeling curious that evening, and ignoring her embarrassment, asked about Katara's children.
Katara had laughed, and told her that she only had two so far, little Gyatso the air bender and baby Gemma whose cries she heard when she first arrived. Hope smiled, and was about to ask more when the father walked in holding his two children.
"Hello everyone!", he shouted. Hope helped Katara serve the meal, and then the small family sat down to it. Aang told his wife about meeting up with her brother today, and she smiled and told an old story from before they meet Aang. This then led to the story of how mom and dad meet, and when this story had ended, the children were done with their meals and ran off to play.
"So, Hope" started Katara, "You say have met other air benders".
Hope nodded and with an air of excitement neither man nor wife had seen since the first night, said, "Yes, on my travels I visited many places you had on your journey to Ba Seng Se. In a few villages I found people, who for some reason were mostly around the same age as I, and they could bend. Where I saw it, it was always the same. Those people were all alone in their gifts and were treated as outsiders, not really part of their village. I told them to go the southern air temple, and when I found the avatar I would bring him to them. I certain most of them must have found it by now".
Both the air bender and the water bender looked at each other, smiles tinting their faces. After seconds they nodded and Aang spoke first, "Well then, we need to go. If those people need me…then I must go. I must begin packing and make sure you and the children will be safe".
He was looking to Katara, who before had seemed completely on board with what he was saying. Now her face looked` surprised and slightly angry.
"You mean we, don't you?" Her husband shook his head and was about to begin speaking again when he was cut of by angry words.
"I'm alright with you being gone a few days on avatar business, but this could take years. I'm not sitting home alone with the children while you're flying around the world for ten years". Aang's face grew angry too and his words were short.
"Katara listen, of course I would bring you with me, but it's too dangerous for the children to make such a trip. There are always bandits, and the days are long on Appa, and we would have to stop for camp in the woods. Lots of people would kidnap the little ones for favors from me. Appa is too old to carry everyone, plus supplies , he would never make it!"
Hope was starting to get uncomfortable, and she was about to back away when she looked over at her hostess. Katara's mouth had fell open in an angry frown and while she had stood up, she knocked her chair over in the process.
"You listen to me, Mr. Avatar" she said bitterly, "I have watched you endanger yourself since your were twelve years old. I didn't realized I was IN love with you till later, but I loved you from the start. Those days were terrifying, and when you got struck by Azula's lightning…" She trailed off, her sentence lost behind small tears and tight lips.
"Ever since we moved up here, I have had to stay up long into the night rocking the baby, while praying to the spirits that you would return. Being the avatar is a fulltime job, as you know, and just because you're teaching students at the air temple, doesn't mean you won't have to be flying around BEING the avatar anymore. I, we, have to be there when you're gone. To help those kids! If they're all Hope's age, they won't be able to just sit there and wait until you get back!"
No matter how the avatar wished his wife were wrong, she was blatantly not. His eyes, burning with furious embarrassment and self-righteousness, showed he would never admit his foul. Instead, he slowly and deliberately walked to the front door, put on his coat, and said shortly,
"I said no. It's just too risky."
Then he sulked out the door. Hope sat in her plushy seat, mouth wide in shock at her mentor's childish actions. Katara must have felt the same, but instead she ran away to her bedroom, and the sound of furious water whips echoed in the ice.
Hope could not help but wonder how her mentor, her idol almost, and the wise avatar could justify his response. She drifted slowly around the table, picking up plates and bowls leftover by her hosts' speedy escapes. Just then, she heard the soft footsteps of a child behind her.
Hope turned to see the smaller air bender clutching a teddy platypus bear looking tearfully up at her. Hope's heart melted. "Oh come here small one, what's wrong?". The child wiped his eyes with the stuffed animal, and sniffed. He tilted his head towards his parents' bedroom, speaking only with his deep grey eyes, Hope understood immediately.
"Shhh, don't worry little one. Your mommy and daddy are just have a little disagreement". Even though Gyatso was young, he gave her a skeptical look, and there was no need to speak his mind. "Oh please, you think you know more then I? Don't worry, both of them love you with all their hearts, and are only fighting because they are worried about your safety".
This seemed to make him even more forlorn, and Hope panicked. Her parents had not had any children after her, so she had no idea how to take care of younglings. "You know, I seem to be terrible at making you feel better", she said sweetly, "Let's go find your father, and make him see sense".
After she dressed herself and small Gyatso in warm furs, she took his hand and began searching for her mentor. After a small while, they found him sitting by a small creek, surrounded by snowy hills.
He was making steam rise from the water, and every time it did, his face became visibly more at ease. Hope whispered in the child's ear, and the slim boy ran forward with great speed, tackling his father with only the swiftness of an air bender.
The avatar let out a belly laugh, and pulled his son up onto his shoulders. They were soon running through the snow, Aang using different elements to make a more joyous ride for the child he so obviously loved. Hope joined in laughing with all her might as the two boys shared in their similar trait of goofiness. Soon, both father, son, and student were tired out. Gyatso ran to play with a few village boys, and Hope and her mentor sat beside the stream again.
"Teacher", Hope asked sweetly, "Please. I hate to ruin your fun evening, but your wife is right. You need your family. This will be long and treacherous, and many years of Gyatso's and the baby's childhood will pass that you will never see. The little ones know you can't be with them everyday like their friends fathers', but years? Please, see sense".
Hope had been watching the flow of the creek while she talked. When she tentatively looked up, the avatar was staring of into the distance.
He turned his head to look at her, but what Hope saw was the gleam of a thousand lives in his eyes as he asked Avatar Roku and his other predecessors for advice. Soon, he was blinking and wobbling as he returned from his inner conscience, and put his hands firmly on the ground to keep from falling in the snow.
Unknowingly, one hand rested on Hope's, and she felt a bolt of electricity like nothing she ever felt before. Her heart raced, and for a small second she thought…No, Hope told herself, keep your eyes on the prize.
She was ready to begin again when Aang cut her off. "I have to apologize to my lovely wife, and I'm sorry you witnessed our transgressions. Thank you, but excuse me." Aang said, and leaped up, running back to the igloo.
Hope's heart felt jealous and confused, yearning for his hand on hers. Hope looked away, and played with the breezes as it crawled by.
Finally the sun was drifting away from the sky, and Hope called little Gyatso home. They walked slowly, hand in hand, while showing the other different things.
Hope pointed out different clouds and the color of the usually white sky, while Gyatso showed her a hidden world she never would have seen. When darkness was just around the corner, they got inside and Hope kissed Gyatso goodnight. She turned to lay out her sleeping things, but saw Katara and Aang sitting on the fluffy family room couch, smiling and holding hands, obviously waiting for her.
"Did you have a nice walk?", Katara asked with a smile. Hope nodded and said, "Gyatso is an amazing child, you must be so proud". Katara nodded as well, and told her to come sit down.
"We are so very proud. On to the thing we all have on our minds, I must thank you and your amazing gift of making thick-headed people see sense", she said with a flirty tone. "My husband has finally decided to bring the whole family".
Hope nodded, trying to be polite and hide her need to just fall sleep. "We leave in two days. We will all be very busy getting ready, so no time for another lesson. I'm sorry", Aang said glumly. Hope nodded for the third time, she understood.
Finally all three guest stood up, ready to go to bed There was a slight shift of noise outside, and suddenly Aang shot up and bended something large. The small group could feel the vibrations, and a loud moan came from the other side of the ice.
All three benders ran outside to see a young man in the cerulean blue of the water tribe, with bright blue eyes standing limp against an icy rock. "KURT!" shouted Aang angrily, "I thought you were a spy! Or an assassin! I could have killed or injured you if I didn't just stop you in your tracks!" Kurt tried to adjust himself, but grimaced in pain at his immobility.
"I feel pretty injured right now.. sorry…I was just trying to find out something.." Kurt groaned. Hope was shocked, and yelled "So you WERE spying!"
"NO, no really. Listen, it's dark and cold and I can't move in this friggin' rock shell. So how about you let me free and we will all go inside and I'll spill the beans?"
He said it with obvious sarcasm, but it was almost lost on his captors since he moaned and grumbled every word. The avatar was set to yell some more, with his wife stopped him. "He's right. It's too cruel to keep him out here. Let him go."
The eldest air bender didn't want to, but he lowered the rock and grabbed Kurt by his thick collar, dragging him inside the igloo. The strong older man threw the boy on the couch, and gently helped the other ladies through the wind. When all were settled, he demanded what Kurt was doing behind his house.
"You see Avatar Aang, I was working with young polar leopards when I heard your wife yelling. I ran over ready to save her from bloodthirsty pirates but instead heard most of the your fight. Then when you and Ms. Hope were talking, I was messing around with the younglings near by and heard that too. When Avatar Aang left, I followed him back and listened to you and Mrs. Katara figure things out. Then Hope came back, and you all talked about it and were going to bed. I decided to ask if I could go with you tomorrow and was getting up to leave when I was brutally attacked"
All other members of the group were blushing for one reason or another, but Katara spoke first. "Kurt, you needn't sneak around so. We were going to announce our leaving tomorrow, and you could have asked us then. I don't know if we would have let you, but now there is a serious doubt you will be able to. I mean spying on us? Don't you of all people know better then to spy on the avatar in his own home?"
Kurt's face went from controlled worry to all-out panic. "No please! You have to let me come with you! I can help! I'm a decent water bender and a strong young man who knows basic warrior training! Please…I can't stay in this little town anymore! This is probably my only ticket to adventure…" he trailed off.
It was apparent how strong his need was to come along, but Hope didn't want him, and she begged the spirits for her friends to say no. "Kurt, my wife is one of the greatest masters of water bending in the world, and I myself…am, well I'm the avatar, not to brag. Another water bender isn't necessary. Basic training really isn't helpful either. More a liability then anything. Katara and I are more then capable to take care of our family"
Hope was nodding, completely on board with what her mentor was saying. Then she realized he said Katara and I…what about Hope? She could take care of herself! Kurt seemed to notice that too.
"Wait! Please! My father won't let me leave until I'm a married man, but that could be years from now, and my wife wouldn't let me leave. He'll let me go with the avatar…and Hope needs someone to watch her back! She obviously has no warrior training and you've only given her one lesson in air bending. You yourself said there would be no more time for lessons until you got to the temple and whatnot. Please, I need this"
Hope wanted to scream and yell, she was fine on her own. She had to get here somehow, and the journey from Ba Seng Se is not exactly peaceful. She was about to stand up for herself, when Katara spoke. "Kurt, I don't know. I mean you make a good point…I'll be too busy making sure the enemy doesn't hurt anyone and that the children and Aang and Hope are safe, but then we'll have to worry about you. Can Appa hold us all even? Without adding you?" "Mrs. Katara, I will swim if have to" he said with a smile.
He was winning this war, he could tell. That's when Aang leaped up, a huge grin on his face.
"Katara! I know what we should do! With all of our combined bending, we could sail on Appa, instead of flying! Pack him up, make some room and create huge waves! That's it! When we hit land, we'll see how far he can fly, then I can earth bend to our campsite! That's it!"
Hope had never seen him quite as excited, except for when she told him there were other air benders out there. "Kurt, for giving me the idea, I will be a gracious host and ask you come with us in return for protecting Hope. Will you come with us?" he smiled and joked but Hope would not laugh.
She couldn't. Did her teacher really think she was incapable at protecting herself? Hope had practiced for years in secret at home, and she had managed to make it all the way to the South Pole. How could he believe so little in her?
Katara was a little shocked too, but she smiled a warm smile and nodded. "Alright then. It's settled, but no more spying. I will go speak to your family tomorrow about your joining us, and then we will pack and set off for the Southern Air Temple. Now get out of my house!"
Katara had appeared to be joking, but then she pushed the young man out of the door. Hope stole a glance at the most annoying water bender ever, who had such wonderful blue eyes, and he winked at her. He WINKED at her! Hope looked away in a grimace and stomped to her bedroll as the door closed.
For the last time, the loving couple said goodnight and goodbye, leaving their young guest to fume about. Hope let her hands snapped in quick slashes, creating small winds that knocked over chairs and cushions. How could her teacher doubt her so much, Aang meant so much more to her and he didn't even think she could fight. How could he embarrass her so badly?
And Kurt. How could he have the gull to ruin her dream? Since she was a child she planned on flying to her ancestral home with the avatar and his wife. His presence would thoroughly dampen her experience.
With a an angry humph, she fell asleep.
