I never planned on writing a one-shot with Tenzin in it (mainly because we know so little about him), but I had this idea and I just couldn't resist. Hope it's not too bad.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

XXV. An Airbender Thing

"The love of a family is life's greatest blessing."

~ Unknown

Katara stood in the shade of a tree, idly bending circles of water from the air. A cool breeze whistled among the treetops and danced across the water, causing the liquid to ripple in the air. The morning seemed strangely like a place of her dreams, with flowers in full bloom, sunlight dancing off silvery waters, a cloudless sky, bluer than any ocean she had ever seen. The sun was high in the sky, bathing everything in its golden light and if Katara didn't know any better, she would have sworn she was in heaven and not just her new found home that was beginning to feel more and more like paradise each day.

Katara glanced up at the sky and watched a flock of birds high above. She wondered what it was like to fly that high, to soar higher than most people had ever gone and to be able to see the rolling landscape, the mountains far in the distance, the little villages that peppered the countryside, the streams and rivers, everything. What I'd give to be an airbender sometimes, she thought, watching the birds until they were little more than tiny specks hovering in the endless blue sky.

By now, the water she was bending had lost its perfect circular form and was nothing more than an orb of liquid that was growing smaller and smaller as drops began falling. Absentmindedly, she began reshaping it. Slowly, it took form. First a head, then eyes and a smile. Slowly and carefully, she bent the water, until it faintly resembled her mother. She gave a small smile. What would her mother say if she saw her now? So much had changed since her death.

"Mama, Mama, look what I can do."

Katara turned to see a little boy running towards her with a huge smile on his face and she laughed. Tenzin was running towards her with such speed, Katara thought if he didn't slow down, they'd both fall when he collided with her. The little airbender, however, stopped short just before he collided with his mother and grinned.

"Look, Mama," the five-year old demanded. "Look what I can do." He held up one hand and Katara watched as a small column of air issued forth. Tenzin grinned wider and Katara smiled.

"You're learning fast, aren't you?"

Tenzin nodded vigorously as they started walking back to the house. "I'm going to learn airbending real fast so I can help just like you, Dad, Aunt Suki, and Uncle Sokka did."

"We were a little bit older," Katara pointed out, laughing. "But speaking of your Aunt and Uncle, I wonder where they are." She knew Sokka wasn't one for punctuality, but when he was tardy, it was usually by a few minutes, not by two hours.

Tenzin merely shrugged and rushed off to finish his airbending practice.

Sokka and Suki arrived a few minutes later and Katara wasn't surprised to see that her older brother hadn't changed one bit. Other than looking a little tired, he looked and acted every bit like the goofy Sokka he was.

"Sorry we're late," Suki apologized, balancing her four year old daughter on her hip. "Someone decided to stop at a local market for food."

"I was hungry," Sokka admitted.

Katara just hugged him. "I don't care. I'm just glad you three are here."

"So," Sokka asked, looking around. "Where's my favorite nephew."

"He's your only nephew," Suki said, grinning.

"He's probably off somewhere practicing his airbending," Katara said. "He's determined to learn all of it in a week."

"I hope you told him that's not possible," Suki said, chuckling. "We wouldn't want him to overwork himself."

Katara just shrugged. "I tried a thousand times and Aang must have too, but he's convinced he can do it. As for overworking himself, I'm beginning to wonder if that's possible. Sometimes, he's got too much energy."

"We know he doesn't get any of it from his uncle," Suki teased.

"Normally, I'd be mad," Sokka said, watching their daughter run off to find her cousin. "But even I can't argue with that one."

The three of them burst out laughing and only stopped when Sokka noticed Aang entering.

"Sheesh," he cried, jumping in fright. "Don't you airbenders ever knock? I nearly had a heart attack." Suki choked back a laugh.

"Sorry," Aang said, grinning. "Old habits die hard."

"Yeah," Katara said, wryly. "And Tenzin's learning how to sneak around just as quietly."

"Oh wonderful," Sokka groaned. "I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever get out of here alive."

The sun was just beginning its descent when Katara and Suki began preparing the food for the evening meal. Even though she and Suki had often sent letters back and forth, there was still so much to catch up on. It seemed like centuries since they had seen and spoken to each other, though it was really only a few months.

"So much has changed, hasn't it?" Suki asked, watching Sokka and Aang outside.

Katara nodded. "It has, but I'm not complaining."

Suki smiled. "Me neither. It seems strange doesn't it? I feel like things have always been this way. I can't imagine a different life."

"It does seem that way," the waterbender agreed. "Honestly, I don't think I can imagine life without Tenzin anymore."

"Speaking of the kids, where are they?" Suki wondered.

Katara shrugged. "It's hard to keep track. They could be anywhere, really."

Suki gave her in incredulous stare. "Katara, are you saying…?"

Katara noticed her sister in law's mortified look and she burst out laughing. "Calm down. I didn't mean that literally. I meant they could be anywhere in this house. Tenzin's so quiet when he walks, I never hear him. Honestly, sometimes that boy is as silent as a spirit"

"Then how do you know where he is?" Suki asked.

"I don't," she replied. "But he usually never goes anywhere without asking. Besides, there's no way those two are going to get past Aang and Sokka; Aang would sense them if he did."

"True," Suki said. "But what if…"

She was interrupted by the little airbender.

"Mama?" Tenzin asked, poking his head into the kitchen. Both women jumped. "Can we go outside?"

They nodded.

"Just be careful," Katara called as the two little children raced to put on their shoes.

"He's like a ghost, isn't he?" Suki chuckled, watching her daughter follow the young airbender out the door.

"Something he inherited from his father," Katara said. "Those two come and go like spirits. One of these days, I just might die from fright, like Sokka."

Suki shook her head smiling. She didn't know much about airbenders or airbending, but she was beginning to see why Katara sometimes complained about it in her letters. Tenzin was like a spirit and if he kept sneaking up on them like that, Suki didn't think she'd make it out of the house alive either.

By evening, everyone had returned indoors and Suki and Katara were setting the last of the meal on the dinner table when Tenzin poked his head into the kitchen once again.

"Mama?" He called.

Katara jumped in surprise and the Suki dropped the pot of soup she was holding.

"Oh Aunt Suki I'm sorry," the little airbender cried, trying to airbend some of the liquid off of her, while his cousin just giggled.

"It's fine," Suki said, laughing. "I'm beginning to wonder how your parents put up with this though. That's the second time in five hours that you've scared me."

Tenzin giggled. "I scare you?"

His aunt beamed at him. "The way you sneak around this place is enough to scare anyone. Now go wash up before your Uncle starts complaining about being hungry."

Obediently, the airbender led his cousin wash their hands before seating themselves at the table.

"You know," Sokka said, once everyone was seated. "I really missed this."

"By this, do you mean spending time together or my cooking?" Katara teased.

"Both," Sokka said, popping a piece of food into his mouth. "Suki's cooking is wonderful, but this is the best dinner I've had in a long time because it's just like old times."

And it might have been the best dinner the warrior had eaten, but half way through the meal, Tenzin sneezed and unleashed a small gust of air that wasn't strong enough to knock any of them over, but strong enough to send food flying everywhere.

"That dinner couldn't have been any better," Katara laughed, later that night after she and Aang had cleaned up the mess and after Suki had given the children a bath and cleaned all the food off of them.

"You don't sound upset," Aang noted.

"I thought it was kind of cute," the young mother admitted. "Besides, I knew what I was getting myself into when I married an airbender."

"Oh really?"

Katara smiled. "Really. After all, I've gotten used to the two of you sneaking around and scaring me half to death, haven't I?"

"I'm beginning to wonder if you have," Aang teased.

"More or less," Katara replied. "I'll admit, it took me a while, but at least now every time you two sneak up on me, I don't drop things or waterbend the nearest person away."

Aang had to admit she had a point. The first time their son had snuck up on her, Katara had instinctively frozen him to the wall. The second time, she had dropped several pots and pans on top of a stunned Momo and after that she began to take extra cautions to make sure their little airbender didn't scare her.

From somewhere down the corridor, they heard Sokka give a surprised shout as he ran into the little airbender trotting back to his room with a small glass of water. Aang just chuckled and Katara smiled.

Must be an airbender thing, she thought, watching her son slip back into his room with an innocent smile. She didn't know anyone else who could come and go so quietly without making a sound.

"This is some family," Sokka muttered, smiling and shaking his head as he made his way to the kitchen to get his daughter a glass of milk.

It sure is, Katara thought, smiling to herself. But she knew she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. She loved her little family to pieces. Who ever said you had to have the perfect family to be truly happy?

I don't think I did this topic any justice at all, but oh well. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you to all the wonderful people who left reviews. You're all terrific. ^_^

~ Cassidy Alice