*- Finally!! I've got this up now! I would've got this sooner but you know what? My crappy computer crashed, so the chapters that I was going to update to my in-progress stories were all erased! Uh. I hate that mess. So, yeah, I have to re-write everything. Giving you a heads up, this chapter's kinda of sad, maybe depressing. Sorry I have to give you grief on V-day, but it is what it is, sorry! Anyways, here I go babbling again, so just scroll down now and start reading before I babble some more.!! =] -*

*-Still don't own Avatar or any of its characters, so no need for a hundred thousand lawsuit on anything! Still just a really overly hyper fan!!!-*

Everything in Katara's life was falling apart. Zuko's life was shattered when his uncle had to be hospitalized after the event one week ago, and everytime she tried calling him, her calls would go staight to voicemail. She send hundreds of texts to him, asking if he was okay and hoping he was alright. No reply. Christmas break ended and school finally started again. No Zuko.

Worst of all, today was one of the worst days she had in her life. The day of her mother's death nine years ago. Her mother's murder. Today it fell on a Thursday, a school day. But, instead of attending school, both Sokka and Katara stayed home with their father. Usually, on this very tragic anniversary, the family would come together and visit Kya's grave and speak a couple of prayers. Because of their new location, they could not do that. Kya was buried at Evergreen Cemetary in Juneau, Alaska.

Katara was sitting on the couch in the living room, wrapped in a large blue blanket. tears stained her moca skin, her eyes a bloodshot red from crying so much. She hated when this day arrived every year. It only reminded her of the brutal murder of her loved mother. She cried for months after it happened, practically wouldn't even eat or sleep.

And now, at the age of sixteen, she wouldn't cry so much. It got worse, because the murder would replay over and over in her head, tortuing her mentally. A vivid image of her mother, burning in their own home flashed in her mind, causing Katara to break into a fit. She bawled harder and harder, her throat was flaming hot, eyes painful and struggling to see through their blurry pupils.

"Katara! Katara, are you okay?" Sokka said, running down the hall to see his sister a disheveled mess. She strained trying to look up at him before she burst out sobbing. Sokka automatically knew what was wrong and didn't even pressure her to tell him. He sat on the sofa next to his sister and wrapped his arms around her. Her cries were mffled as she leaned into her brother, who was holding her tightly, trying to comfort her as much as he could.

"Shh, Katara......it's okay," Sokka consoled, hugging his sister.

"No, it's not Sokka. Mom's gone. She-she-ss-she's not coming b-b-b-back," Katara cried, pulling slightly away from her older brother, breaking into hystericals. Even though the horrific incident happened years ago, it still felt as if it only happened yesterday, a sad memory still floating fresh in her mind. Sokka looked at her, something inside of him was churning, making him sick. He knew the exact way she felt, and just like her, he really had the need to cry. But, he couldn't. He had to stay strong for his sister, because if he cried, it wouldn't make anything better.

"I know, Katara....I know," he said, rubbing Katara's back. Katara started to shake uncontrollably, cradling her head between the palms of her hands.

"It's just....life was so easy back then. You know, you, me, Dad, and Mom. Everything was perfect. Now it's all gone. Because someone murdered her, Sokka! They wanted her to die!! And it's not fair! Why-why-why'd they have take my mom? WHY, Sokka?!!!" Katara bawled, screaming as more tears-hot tears-fell from her face. Sokka hesitated before answereing her, he himself didn't know the answer. Why did they have to take their mother? Who would be so corrupted and kill someone innocent in the most brutal way?

So, instead of replying to his sister, he took her in his arms again and embraced her, his eyes close shut so that the tears wouldn't fall so quickly from his own eyelids. "I....I don't know."

---

"PUT ME DOWN, TWINKLETOES!!" Toph screamed, as Aang ran around carrying her bridal-style. Aang's eyes were beaming as a large grin spread across the young boy's face. Toph threw her legs up, kicking fiercely to be let go, as her small-ish fists began punching on Aang's shoulder. He seemed unphased by her tantrum and twirled around quickly, making both himself and Toph dizzy. Toph screamed again, louder than the first, and even though she struggled to be released, she was enjoying every minute of it; a light pink blush was rising on her pale cheeks. Aang finally put Toph back on the ground, looking down at his girlfriend. Toph punched him; hard.

"Ow! What was that for?" Aang asked her, rubbing his shoulder.

"What do you think it was for, Twinkletoes?" she said, placing her right hand on her hip.

"I don't know, Toph. That's why I asked," he said sarcastically, smirking at her. She punched him again; harder than the last.

"Ow! You've gotta stop doing that," Aang said, looking down at her. She smirked deviously at him, lifting her head to meet his chestnut-brown eyes. Aang leaned down, lightly brushing his lips to hers, giving her a small peck. Toph opened her eyes, greeted by the half-smile that was on Aang's face.

"You are such a romantic, Twinkletoes," she said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"But you like it," he added, a cocky grin on his face. A grin was on Toph's face, but Aang could always tell that it was fake.

"What's wrong, Toph?" he asked, taking Toph's hand in his.

She looked away from him for a minute, before her green eyes looked blankly beyond him."I have something to tell you."

---

Katara's head was aching with the worse pain that any human being could experience. After five minutes, she finally gave in to the little voice inside her head, echoing through her mind, telling her to rest. But, another part was telling her no, saying that staying up would be best today. Too bad Katara was already drifting to unconscienceness.

(KATARA'S FLASHBACK)

Kya, Katara's mother, was standing over the stove in their kitchen, cooking an elaborate dinner for her family. Hakoda, their father, was back in the study room, doing the taxes. Seven year old Katara and nine year old Sokka ran into the kitchen, slding on the blue-tiled flor as they chased after one another, Katara letting out scream as she hid from Sokka behind their mother.

"Woah," Kya laughed, holding on to her young daughter, her other hand still stirring the steaming pot on the stove. She tapped the spoon on the rim of the pot, resting it between the first two burners on it, as she looked down at her two children. "And just what do you two think you're doing?" she smiled.

"Katara took the remote from me and Nui and changed it to some stupid girl show!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing at his younger sister.

"Nuh uh!" Katara replied, "I just wanted to see what was on and Sokka caught a fit!"

"Liar!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Alright you two, Katara, can I have the remote please?" Kya asked her daughter. Katara looked down, and took the remote from out of her small jeans pocket, handing it to her mother.

"Thank you," Kya said, now handing the remote to Sokka, "Now, Sokka, go back and watch your show with your friend. Your sister and I will stay in here." Sokka stuck his tongue at his sister before running out of the kitchen and back into the living room.

"Am I in trouble, Mommy?" Katara asked, looking up at her mother, holding her leg tighter.

"Of course not, sweetie. Grab that stool over there, please," Kya said, pointing to the white stool leaning on the wall. Katara did as she was told and grasped the stool, pulling it over by her mother. Kya held Katara's hand as she stepped onto the stool, gesturing for her to look in the pot she was stirring.

"Mm, that smell good," Katara said as she inhaled the aroma coming from the pot before her mother.

"Really? Want a taste?" Kya asked, scooping up some of the tomato soup from the pot, holding her hand under the spoon so that it wouldn't spill. She fed the substance into Katara mouth, who after two seconds wanted some more. Kya laughed, putting a lid on the soup and taking katara off of the stove and toward the table, where a bowl and a couple of other kitchen utilities lay on the table.

"You like eating cookies, am I right?" Kya asked, readying the ingredients, as Katara nodded quickly.

"Well how about we make some, sounds good?" Kya said, making Katara nodded again, as her mother handed Katara a measuring cup full of flour.

"Now pour that inside the bowl." Katara did as she was told, some flour poofing up and leaving white residue on her tan face. kya giggled at her daughter as she cracked some eggs open and poured the yolk into the bowl. The two went on, taking turns putting different ingredients inside the bowl, for about fiftee minutes, until they finally put two batches of cookies into the oven.

"When will they be done?" Katara asked as she peeked inside the oven.

"Soon," her mother answered with a smile, "Why don't you go join your brother and Nui for a minute? i'm going to finish preparing the rest of dinner, okay?" Katara nodded breifly before joining the two boys on the couch, as her mother returned to the stove.

Katara plopped on the couch, sitting at the end, where, on the other side, Sokka and Nui were sitting, gazing at the Pokemon show blinking on the screen. "What's up Katara?" Nui said, patting Katara on the back as she sat down. Katara smiled at Nui, a light blush creeping up her cheeks as she answered him," Nothing."

"C'mon Nui, it's coming up!" Sokka said, shaking Nui. They looked at the screen intensly before exclaiming, "Pika-Pika-CHU!!" Katara looked at the two weirdly before something else caught her attention, smoke was coming from the kitchen, setting off the fire alarm. BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! All three of the young kids looked toward the kitchen, both of the siblings running toward the smoky room. "Mom! Mom! MOM!!!" Katara screamed, coughing as she ran into the room, searching wildly for where her mother was. In a quick moment, she saw her, laying on the floor helplessly, coughing, spewing specks of blood coming from her mouth.

"MOOOOOOOM!!" Katara screamed louder, more black, puffy smoke filling her nostrils, her mom was appearing clearer to her, until something scooped her from oof the ground, strong swift hands, brought the small body on their shoulder. The person, her dad, grabbed Sokka and Nui up too, heading toward the door to lead his children to safety, where their grandmother was standing across the street, taking the children's hands and pushing them into her own home as Hakoda rushed back inside.

The fire was getting worse, hot, blazing streams of vibrant reds, blues, and oranges, pitch-black smoke fillling the air more and more. hakoda tried filtering the smoke from coming in his lungs, but it wasn't working. He was coughing, choking, almost. But, at that moment, none of that mattered to him; he needed to save his wife. he ran to the kitchen, picking up Kya, trying to extinguish the fire that was building up on her arm, and led her out the house. Fire trucks skided down the road, plugging their hoses to the fire hydrants as they began to put out the fire. Katara, Sokka, Nui, and Gran-Gran were all staring out the window. Katara ran away after seeing the orange flames on her mother's arms, curling up into a ball by the door. Sokka ran to his sister, trying to comfort her. But, soon, he couldn't be strong for her at that moment. he had to cry too.

At the hospital....

"Is she okay?" Hakoda asked anxiously as one of the doctors came out of the room, taking her gloves off and putting them inside her pocket. "I'm sorry to say this, but Kya Lee, your wife, mother of these two children, has not survived. I'm afraid her lungs were too clogged up from the soot from the smoke, and she suffered third-degree burns from both her upper arms," the female doctor reported to Hakoda.

"No," Hakoda mumbled. "Can't you do anything else?! My wife CAN'T be dead!!" Hakoda burst, his words coming choked up as his eyes were filling with tears.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we've done all we could. I'm terribly sorry."

---

"It's all my fault," Katara sobbed as she awoke. "it's all my fault," she repeated again, sobbing still, even though it pained her eyes and mouth to do so.

---

"What? It's something bad, isn't? Aw man, you're breaking up with me, aren't you? Toph, why?" Aang asked her, bringing his hands to his face.

"Get a grip, dude, I'm not breaking up with you," Toph said, punching Aang on his shoulder. "my parents think I'm out of control and have decided to send me-against my will-to some boarding school, with so called 'troubled teens' for a couple of weeks.

"But.......Toph......I......I, Toph.....you can't leave......Toph...I....love you," Aang said, choking back tears. Toph's face softened, before she reached up and hugged him. They stood like that for awhile, because for once, Toph didn't have anything to say, or a smart remark about anything, She just hugged her boyfriend, throat unable to let words slip out of her mouth.

---

Sokka sat on his bed, head in his tanned palms as he wiped the hot tears away from his face. He took his head from his hands, and looked up toward the ceiling, still more tears falling from his face.

"Mom? How are you up there? I hope you're good, but I hate this. Why'd you have to leave so early? I miss you so much Mom, do you know that? I wish you were here with me, and Katara, and Dad. I wish you were alive. I know it's not your fault that you couldn't be here. And its great that you're in a better world now, but......I just don't understand. Spirits, why did you take my mother from me? Huh? Why? IT WASN'T HER TIME!! I-I........Mom.....it's hard okay.....just hard....Katara's really taking everything hard now, and I try my best to be there for her, I really really do. I try to be strong for her, not show her that you being gone has hurt me too. that everytime this day comes around every stupid year it brings that horrific memory that I try to store a the back of my mind up close for me to see again. It's....it's too much. Just...just know...we're always here, Mom....and we always will love you...even if you're not here on this earth, but in Heaven, we'll love you," Sokka spoke, staring up at his dark blue ceiling, his tears hurridly rushing out of his eyes, hot and moist; throat welled up; eyes burning. He realized he was standing up now, his mind flooded with memories of his mother. Sokka collapsed once again back onto his bed, and fell asleep.

---

Six days passed since the day her mother passed on, and Katara was doing a little better, even though that day brought all the sadness back into her life. She wasn't crying as much, Sokka went to the park with Nui to play basketball, and her father finally stopped staying in the gym all day. Katara lounged on the couch, surfing the channels, stuffing her mouth with popcorn. Gran-Gran and Pakku left the house, apparently going out on their third date this week to 'rekindle' their love.

Ding-Dong! The door bell rung, snapping Katara out from the television world. She put the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table, and threw the remote back on the couch. Not even bothering to look through the peep hole to see who was on the other side of the door, she reached for the knob, revealing an unwanted famliar face leaning on the door frame.

"Hello, Katara. Miss me?"

*-Where am I going with this? Why have I added soo much drama now? Because I can! Woo. but hey, I've given fluffy romance, and romantic stuff, but don't get me wrong, I love that stuff and there will be more of it, just...later. There needs to be drama. And yes, Katara had a little thing for Nui when they were younger, but it's different now, rite? I mean, she doesn't like him now, because they're older, rite? Haha! Who knows! I had to have something going on with the rest of the characters too, don't worry, Toph, won't be gone for long. Or will she? Haha, isn't this so much fun?!! Woo! haha, anyways, reviews will be appreciated.! And I'll try to make the next chapter a little longer.!!! =] -*