A/N: Sorry that this has taken me so long to update ; My muse likes to jump around damned muze Anywho's enjoy! Oh, and if you have any questions about this, I would love to hear them

Chapter Ten: Reunion

Katara sat on the small of Appa's back with her back to the rest of the Gaang. Aang was fine now. Still unable to walk or bend properly, but the young avatar was healing fine naturally. However it was Katara that was hurt. She felt betrayed and so, so angry. Zuko had turned his back on her, even after she tried to help him! Sure, she had left him, but he said he understood! He said he didn't care! He said...He said he had changed... Katara hugged her legs tighter to her chest and bit on her lower lip to hold back tears. A tanned hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, causing her to jump a little.

"Sis? You might want to come and see this." Said Sokka from just behind her. Katara Turned around and crawled to where her brother was leading her. Over the edge of Appa she saw a fleet of blue sailed ships. And that's when she recognised them.

"Dad's fleet! That's Dads fleet!" She cried with a happy smile to Sokka. Sokka nodded at her whist Toph just tutted in the background.

"What's the big deal with that? Parents just boss you around and don't let you have any fun." Katara gave her a small, sad smile. Just because Toph Bei Fong's mother and father were like that, didn't mean all parents were. Onto of Appa's head, Aang steered the sky-bison so that he flew down towards the water. This only caused Katara's grin to widen and Toph to shout out a bit. "A bit of warning would be nice next time, Twinkle Toes!" she shouted angrily.

"Sorry Toph." He smiled in his usual fashion, though the Blind Bandit could not see it.

As the fluffy, saddle-less bison approached one of the ships, a man on the deck pointed at him and shouted;

"A-a-the Avatar Flying Bison. Make space! Clear some room for the Avatar!" On command the other men moved various "Stink 'n' sinks", ropes crates and other bits to make a wide landing spot for the creature on deck. Aang steered his trusted friend down and landed him safely. He got off of the Bison's back, without his usual graze, and held out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Aang." He smiled. The captain of that particular ship gave him a bow.

"Avatar Aang. It's an honour to get to meet you. Sokka told us of you. I saw you when you took him back, but it's an honour to meet you in person." Said the man. As he did, the other three got off of Appa's bare back. "Katara!" He smiled "Haven't you grown. And it's good to have you back, Sokka." To Toph he asked. "And who may you be?"

"Toph." She said flatly, not wishing to have much to do with him. He chose not to ignore the hint and swallowed slightly nervously. At that moment, a person in Water Tribe robes but with lighter skin struggled up the stares with a couple of hefty looking crates.

"It's good to see you again, Taioh too, after so long." Katara grinned and the captain. Upon hearing her voice, the person carrying the boxes dropped them, narrowly missing their own feet. It was Beniko! Her hair was in an elongated warrior's wolf tail and she was more muscular, even a little taller, but it was the same old Ben'.

"Kitty-Kat?" She asked, stepping around the forgotten crates. Blue eyes clashed with sweet brown.

"Ben'!" Katara cried. They ran at each other and crashed into a hug. Ben' squeezed Katara's waist tight, lifting her off the floor. "I see you've gotton stronger, Ben'" She coughed. Ben' let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Sorry." She put Katara back down, but didn't release her. Sokka took a defensive step towards his little sister and pointed an accusing finger at the one he thought was a boy.

"Hey, you boy, hands off my sister!" He ordered Beniko aggressively. She gave him a look then laughed towards his sister;

"Does he-? Did you tell him? You didn't tell him." She let go of Katara and stood beside her.

"Ok, looks what happens when Tai pulls his shirt tight, Tai pull on your shirt," He did so, showing his muscles beneath it. "Now when I do that," He more femmine figure was visible.

"You're a girl?"

"Well done, give the man a prize." Smirked the retired pirate sarcastically. "Yeah I'm a girl, who'd a guessed!"

Later in the night, Beniko sat up on deck with her longer blue hair loose. Her chocolate brown eyes absorbed her mother's stars calmly and her hands twisted together over her knees. The wounded avatar hobbled up on deck and smiled at her.

"It's a lovely evening, isn't it Miss Ben'." He commented quietly. Her head snapped around in surprise.

"Oh, um Avatar Aang. Shouldn't you be resting?" The young avatar had been resting since they had got aboard the fleet. He shook his head. "Oh. And yeah, my mother does know how to make 'um." Aang chose to ignore the last comment.

"…You helped Katara, didn't you? You saved her and stuck with her until you knew she was safe." Aang asked innocently. This made the ex-pirate smile brightly

"Yeah, a girl like her deserves it though. I didn't even need to see her to know that she was just full of spirit: Of that special shazam." On the last note, she spread her arms out in emphasis. "I'm glad I did too. Even though I've lost my entire crew, my whole family, I've still saved another, and in doing so, saved the world." She smiled in self-pride. "Never thought I'd help to save the world, being a pirate and all it was only me and my crew." Ben' then flumped back with her hands behind her head. She freed one arm and patted the space beside her. On the spot that she suggested, Aang lied down as slowly and gently as he could. For a few moments, the two watched the stars calmly. "Katara is a brilliant and intelligent girl. You're lucky to have her." Aang gave a tiny blush that he hoped was not noticed. Much against his liking, it was. Beniko's dark eyebrow rose on her head. "Aang, be truthful with me, do you have a crush on K?" As she was saying this, she sat up and leaned over him, so her har brushed his cheek and her chocolate brown eyes locked steadily with his soft grey ones. The young avatar could only gawp and cringe for a moment.

"…Yes." He eventually told her. "I think- I think I love her." A sad look combining pity and pain formed in her not usually as expressive eyes after he answered.

"Oh, um, ok." She then went back into the sitting position she was in when Aang first came up. "And I wouldn't think that she told you the whole story either." Anng shook his head. "I don't know if it is my place to tell you it, and I'm not sure if you would want to hear it either, so I'll give you time to think it over. If you want to know the whole, unaltered story, then come and see me in my cabin, if not then that's fine. However, do not ask me because you are curious; ask me because you feel it is right for you to know." With that, she got to her feet and left him there with those starting words fresh in his mind.

A knock on her door made Beniko fall from her bed. The others in the room laughed at her whist she simply glared up at them. With a growl. She stomped to the door and flung it open. There stood the avatar, Katara's brother and the Blind Bandit in a slight V formation, with Aang at the front.

"I'm guessing that they wish to know to." Ben' guessed, lowering her voice. Aang nodded. "Ok, lets go somewhere more private" The place considered 'more private' was in the stores way below the decks. It was cramped but no one tended to go down there for no reason. "I warn you now, this story will hurt you as much as it hurt us. You'll feel angry and lost, but please, bare with me. I shall leave no detail out, you shall learn everything, so are you sure you are ready for this?" She looked around at the three. In turn they nodded. And so she told them it all. She said of how she met Katara and of Zhou whipping her and murdering the crew (even of escaping and surviving on rum until they were saved by Zuko) . Every single thing that she could remember, she past on to them. It indeed did hurt and it did make them angry, especially Sokka. Said Warrior swore out death threats to Tasper, but Ben' only argued that he was 'dibbed'. Though the avatar said nothing, confusion and pain was clear in the avatar's grey eyes. Ben' locked her eyes of chocolate brown with his commandingly yet gently and sadly and spoke in her softest voice, sounding, for once in a long time, feminine and understanding. "I'm sorry, avatar Aang. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I'm so very, very sorry." The room then began to blur as the pirates words buzzed around in Aang's head. His eyelids felt heavy, and he passed out cold.