Merry Christmas all! Some more Kataangy AU-ness for you; enjoy your holidays while I study for my exams 8(

No but seriously, have a good time ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar - not even for Christmas...

#92 - Christmas

Christmas was always a special occasion for Katara and her family. Every year, they managed to make the occasion even more unique than the previous year. Aside from the simple traditions of decorating a tree or hanging up mistletoe, they would include something unusual, like a hot chocolate drinking competition, or telling stories by the fireplace.

'And this year will be the best of them all,' thought Katara, with a smile as she gazed into the flames as they licked away at the burning wood. 'Unless, of course, I can't come up with anything…'

Her smile turned into a frown as she sighed. Once again, it was Christmas Eve. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of anything to make the occasion more special.

She groaned and buried her head in her hands. "Why is it so hard this year?" she mumbled. "Maybe it's because I'm not as enthusiastic as usual…"

And it was true – every year before had been important to her. She had wanted to impress her grandmother, prove herself to her father and keep her brother occupied.

But now, Katara's grandmother was dead (she had been very old; after all), her father was convinced that she had talent, and Sokka had a girlfriend to keep him company.

All her motivation had now officially dissolved. She had no reason to work hard every year; as much as her father would appreciate it, Sokka probably wouldn't even be around to celebrate with them.

"Okay Katara, calm down. There's always a way. Always." She said to herself, taking a deep breath. "Now, I need to ask myself – what do I want for Christmas this year?" She thought for a few moments before realisation finally dawned upon her.

Almost every Christmas, something had happened to shrink their family. First, her mother died, then her grandmother, and last year, Sokka had gone out with his friends, leaving Katara and her father alone in an empty house.

She grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and began to write.

All I want for Christmas this year is someone to keep me company. Someone who will entertain me instead of the other way around. Someone who will cheer me up. And most of all, someone who will stay with me forever.

After reading through it again, she laughed. "It sounds like I'm asking for a boyfriend or something," she chuckled to herself.

After folding her note, she gently tossed it into the fireplace like her mother had taught her, watching its ashes fly up the chimney. 'Maybe my wish will come true this year.'

--

A few hours later, Katara awoke to the sound of tapping on wood. She sat up and inspected her surroundings, only to find that she had fallen asleep while entranced by the glow of the fire.

Suddenly, she heard the tapping again. But before she could react, her brother came storming down the stairs, muttering something about 'having to do all the work around here.'

"Sokka, who is it?" she asked groggily. 'Must be one of his friends again…'

"Geez Katara, wait for me to get to the door won't you?"

He finally reached the door and unlocked it slowly. From her angle, Katara couldn't see much other than her brother asking someone to 'identify himself'.

"Hey sis!" came her brother's slightly annoying voice, snapping her out of her daze.

"This guy says he knows you. Get over here!"

She grumbled to herself as she got off the couch and walked towards the front door, only to be greeted by an unusual picture.

It was snowing heavily outside – everything was covered in a layer of ice, including their visitor. He looked about 17 years of age and was wrapped up in a heavy brown jacket. His head and shoulders were coated with snow.

He grinned boyishly. "Hey Katara. Been a while, hasn't it?"

Her expression was one of confusion. "Who…?" she managed to say before it hit her.

Flashback

"You're leaving?!" she yelled in disbelief.

He lowered his head. "I'm sorry. My dad got transferred and we have to move."

"What about me? What'll I do without my best friend?"

"You'll find other friends, I'm sure."

"…not like you…"

He pulled her into a hug, surprising both her and himself.

"Don't worry, I'll come back someday. And when I do, I'll give you the biggest surprise of your life!"

She lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him.

"I sure hope so."

End flashback

Her eyes widened. "Aang…? Is…is that you?"

If it was possible, his grin grew wider. "Told you I'd surprise you."

All she could do was stand there and stare. It had been five years since she had last seen him and they had both been children back then. But now, he looked so different – 'older' was the only word she could process at the moment, but she could tell it was so much more. She couldn't ignore the way her heart suddenly began to flutter and before she knew it, she had thrown herself at him, sending him staggering a few feet backwards.

"I can't believe….it really is…you're…here…" she breathed into his shoulder.

He pulled away before smiling warmly. "It's good to see you again," he said gently.

"Wait, you actually know this guy?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

Aang turned to him, a look of questioning upon his face. "Don't you remember me, Sokka? Y'know, that 'annoying' kid who used to come over everyday?"

Sokka waited for a while before exclaiming, "Oh yeah!" He gave the younger boy a friendly slap on the back, earning a slight wince from him.

"Good to see you again, buddy. Where've you been? All I know is one day Katara came home crying and said you'd left her. It sounded like her boyfriend had broken up with her or something."

He smirked in his sister's direction. She blushed furiously and glared at him, but he paid it no heed. Aang merely smiled at her, and she was sure she saw the traces of a blush on his face as well.

Once she had composed herself, Katara slipped her hand into Aang's.

"Come on in. We can't just leave you out in the cold!"

He laughed and followed the siblings into their home.

--

"So how are you guys? It's been a long time – you've both changed so much!"

"We're fine, I guess," Sokka replied nonchalantly.

"O-kay…" Aang hesitated before continuing. "So where's Gran-Gran?"

He noticed a change in their expressions - Katara simply stared into the fire, while Sokka looked down. He was the first to speak.

"Gran-Gran died a year after you left, Aang. She was pretty old…"

The boy gasped. He looked over at Katara. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. He scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean-"

"-no, no, it's okay." She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and settled herself against his shoulder.

"She's gone, but I haven't lost everyone." She looked up at him and smiled. "You're still here, aren't you?"

He smiled and nodded.

Sokka piped up. "Hey Aang, you're not leaving, are you? I don't think Katara can handle it if you do."

Aang chuckled. "No, I'm not going anywhere. Not yet anyway,"

Katara sighed contentedly and snuggled closer. "I missed you…" she breathed.

"…I missed you too…"

--

Katara awoke once again, this time finding the room in total darkness.

'I wonder what time it is…must be late…' she thought to herself. Then, she noticed the strange, yet comfortable warmth surrounding her. It was only then that she saw that Aang had fallen asleep next to her. He was holding her close in his sleep, with both arms, she noted with a blush. A blanket had been wrapped around them and a note was in one of her hands.

Don't worry – I've explained it to Dad. As far as I can tell, this is probably the best Christmas present you could ever get. Sleep tight, little sis.

She smiled. 'Sokka can be an idiot sometimes, but he really does care.'

"Thanks, big brother…" she whispered before falling asleep, a smile on her face.

About Katara throwing her wishlist into the fire - I remember reading a few books mentioning it when I was a little kid! Never done it myself though! Ah, the good ol' days...