Day 14's chapter!

Same as before, reviews and followers shall be noted on the 17th post later today. Please enjoy!

Sokka and Suki were only hours from land when Tippy darted past them, banner flying from around his neck and legs wrapped snuggly in bright blue leggings. Sokka stared after it before cursing, urging Suki to fly faster. She'd still not allowed him to take over, and he was near dying from the suspense, as well as the totally unfair wait. "Suki, that stupid hawk was Fire Nation bound! That means Katara responded to the Jerkb- Ow! C'mon, don't be mean! I can't let Zuko try to win over my sister!"

"And why not?"

"Because it might actually work! And then Katara would be the Jerkbender's girlfriend, and she'd have to get shipped off to the Fire Nation and she'd be miserable! I can't let my sister live that life! Don't look at me like that!" And Suki was indeed shooting him an odd look, going so far to shake her head.

"You dummy. I am literally, at this exact moment, being 'shipped off' to the Southern Water Tribe to tell your father that we want to get married! Am I going to be miserable for the rest of my life now, too?! Or should we just get engaged, and then I'll go running back to Kyoshi Island to live the rest of my life as a married spinster?"

"We're not the same! For starters, I actually know you! From your grey eyes to your favourite colour to your bra size!"

She kicked at him from Appa's head, eyes narrowed. "My eyes are blue, you idiot! You still think my favourite colour in brown-"

"I thought you liked dirt!"

"-and why would you even want to think about Zuko knowing anything like that?!"

He waved his arms in a panic. "Oh! Bad image, totally bad image! Suki!"

"Then don't say stupid things!" She guided Appa lower, aiming for the slowly appearing Southern shoreline. "You can't stop Katara from doing anything; you should know that by now. Maybe just focus on what we have to tell your dad, and not on what your sister may or may not do to our favourite Firelord when he gets here. And since we saw their hawk flying... I can guess we'll see him soon enough."

In response, Sokka went boneless and lay there whimpering.

Katara was huddled on her bed, all anger killed, just like the pen still laying on the floor. It was cold enough in the room that the ink had frozen, effectively glueing it down. She'd left it there since she'd sent Tippy out, and they stayed there until the uproar went up that her brother was back home.

She contemplated staying where she was for a few minutes before sighing, dragging herself out of bed. Sokka would just come find her anyway. She left her bedchambers just as her father entered the family home. "Katara, I was wondering if you were planning on showing yourself before Tui and La visited us this year." He ignored the miserable glare, instead lightly patting her shoulder. "Let's not let the cold freeze our tears, daughter mine. Your brother is home now."

She almost snorted, it was really very close to sounding out and making her look just a little bit less of a lady. Her father had no idea what, exactly, was bothering her. She wasn't sure he'd like it, either. She certainly didn't.

After loosing the hawk, along with her (slightly) tempremental message, she'd reread every letter Zuko had written her these last few weeks. It was ridiculously transparent that he felt something, the way he'd slip information about such personal things. She needed both hands to count the amount of times he'd spoken of his mother, when their entire adventure would have her hard pressed to recall even once. He said he'd missed having her around to argue with, and had even (regrettably for him, when she got her hands on him) complimented her cooking in the most insulting way. So, to get to the point, did he love her?

She strongly thought so.

Did she love him?

She kind of had no clue.

She reached to grab her father's hand, warming her slim fingers in his giant tiger seal gloves. It warmed her hand and her heart considerably when his grip tightened over hers.

"Let's go say hello to your brother."

A great feast had been prepared for the arrival of Suki and Sokka, one that Katara had been roped into helping with. It was with perverse pleasure (and a healthy sense of revenge) that she prepared the largest batch of sea prune stew the village had seen in years. Sokka had announced, very vaguely, that he'd a huge deal of news to share with his family. That, coupled with the conjoined visit with his girlfriend just before the annual ceremony of Tui and La, had everyone in an uproar.

Katara was certain her brother planned to marry, and that this grand feast was to be part of his proposal ceremony. It was just his style to propose over a full plate of food. If her hunch was right, she would be the one building their new familial home, the one they would raise their children in one day.

If Suki decided to stay, that is.

She knew many of the villagers hoped wildly that Suki would decide to stay. The numbers of the village were so low that any way, which, shape, or form to bring those numbers up would be widely accepted and embraced. Suki would be like a princess to them, even if she only bore one child her whole life.

Katara's slicing speed slowed down, leaving her prodding at the spongy fruit instead of relieving it of its tough flesh. She didn't know what her future held. Her dream still niggled at her mind, reminding her of her already-failed relationship with Aang. He'd made it quite clear that he had no intentions of staying in the South Pole. At first, she'd been so angry at him for straight-up refusing that she'd asked him to leave, then and there. He couldn't listen to her, so she had refused to listen to him.

But then she'd started to realize that maybe she didn't want to stay there her whole life. Could she stay in a place with so few people when she knew she had the power to help people, to heal the sick and injured? This had left her calling for Aang to come back, if only so she could travel with him once again. But the trust had been damaged already and, like an eraser, could only be used and used until it was worn away completely, irrepairable in every sense of the word. They'd tried to travel for only a month before they were bickering and squabbling.

After that, she'd told him that maybe they weren't meant to be. Understandably, he'd been very angry with her, leaving her alone in their travel camp for an entire day before returning, quiet but serene. He'd stated that, if Fate wished it, they'd be together again.

Her dreams had her thinking that Fate wasn't so very happy with that answer.

Stupid dreams.

Onwards to the next chapter!

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