((AN: Woo, another new story for this collection. I know, finally, right? xP

This one is an idea that I'd toyed with for ages, but was just procrastinating on it until now: Aang and Katara's reactions when Tenzin is discovered to be an Airbender. I know, it's short, but I think that I conveyed all the emotion that I needed and wanted to in this little story anyway. x3 This is something that I would actually love to see in canon. Aang would be much more than ecstatic, I think, when one of his own children turns out to be another Airbender. But, Aang would be a good father anyway no matter what they turn out to be. =3

Hope it's enjoyed!

Everything here is not owned by me, but by Mike and Bryan.))

Before Aang's first child was born, but when it was still developing in Katara's womb, he often spent ages musing about what kind of person it would someday be. Would the child look more like him, or Katara, or a little of both? Will he lean towards his father's calm and youthful disposition, or have his mother's grounded and serious nature?

And what if he turned out to be a bender? He would love it if he had given Katara a little Waterbender of her own to teach. And then the possibility of an Airbender…oh, how his heart often leaped at the prospect. Someone for him to teach…to watch his flesh and blood soar into the clouds with him…someone to show him that he was no longer the last of his kind.

Of course, he couldn't try to expect too much out of this child…however it turned out, bending or no, he would love it all the same, for it was his beloved son or daughter; his and Katara's. No matter what, he would have all he'd ever dared to dream of having: a family, to love and cherish.

And so, after Tenzin had made it into the world, to say that Aang had fallen in love with the tiny bundle of life was quite mildly accurate. He was always ready to be of all the help he could, be as perfect a father as he wanted, tripping over his own feet at times to respond to the baby's shrill cry (often much to Katara's amusement, before she'd assured him that things were under control).

Yes, often times the nights were restless, and there was so much to get used to, and to worry about…but every time he could hold his own child and look at his face, with those blinking and wandering gray eyes, all troubles were forgotten. All thoughts of what he could be were only ghosted over in his mind. He was there, he was his own, and they had all the time in the world to find out.

It was a mild autumn day at the Southern Air Temple. The previous summer's heat still lingered in the wind, fighting for its place, but the nightly chill always prevailed over it. It was long time for the seasonal changes…time for the elemental power to shift from Fire to Air.

Still, it made for a reasonable day to be outside, watching the orange and gold leaves fall from the trees along the Temple gardens. And for Aang, any day to be home, not having any tedious Avatar duties to perform was a perfect day to be with his family. That afternoon after lunch, he was sitting in the grass near one of the courtyards, with a two-year-old Tenzin and an ever-protective Appa as his only company; other than the occasional curious lemur.

The nomad smiled as he held a ball of air aloft over his son's head. Every time the captivated boy reached for it, only to have it pulled out of his reach, he'd bleat in shrill laughter.

"You definitely have some Air Nomad in you," Aang mused with a laugh. "You're always happy to play, aren't you little guy?"

"Pwaaaaay! Heehee!" the child replied with a giggle. His father had to grin; Tenzin was growing quickly, and learning to speak just as fast. Soon enough, too soon for Aang's liking, he'd be all grown up. His birthday was even a few weeks ago; while the Airbender liked to keep to his people's tradition of celebrating any autumn birthday in one huge event on the Equinox, Katara had made it a point to record the exact day of Tenzin's arrival into the world. Either way was fine for Aang, but he would have to at least teach his son more about the Air Nomad half of his heritage.

For now, it was enough to watch him growing as any child should, living as happily as Aang himself had ever wanted to do. He'd promised himself that Tenzin shouldn't feel like the child who'd only be known for having the Avatar for a father.

After a few moments, the two-year-old got up on shaky legs and started after one of the lemurs. The chattering creature flew around his head and higher into the sky, leading him on with a striped tail. Whenever Tenzin fell over, he'd only get back up again, undeterred and focused on the objective before him. I can see your mother's stubbornness in there too, Aang snickered as he followed the energetic child to where Appa was lying in the sun.

Hearing the approaching noises, the bison flicked his ears and opened one eye to the disturbances, only to find a tiny human flop on the end of his giant black nose with a giggle.

Aang spared his gargantuan friend an apologetic grin as he caught up with his son and picked him up. "Sorry about that, buddy," the Avatar soothed, his free hand running through the fur on Appa's head. "Seems the little guy wants to rush around today."

Still, the bison simply gave a light-hearted huff and nudged the two of them with his nose. When he'd seen Tenzin for the first time, Appa was quite curious; but Aang could feel the bison opening his heart to the child all the same. The beast was gentle, never too loud, never too intimidating, and was ever-patient when he was used as a bed or a big plaything. Both parents trusted the Avatar's animal guide with everything they had, for he would never be anything but the best of guardians for their family; and in Appa's mind, it was as if he could see his master's very spirit within him…an otherworldly harkening back to the Air Nomad legacy.

Aang could sense his good friend's feelings. Looking down at Tenzin as he extended his hands to rub on Appa's forehead, a sad smile formed on the monk's face. I only wish Appa wasn't the last of his kind, too. More sky bison would truly start the path to rebuilding my people's world; and would really make him happy as much as my son makes me happy. He sighed. Still…I guess it'll only be enough to hope.

With a chuckle, Aang sat a giggling Tenzin on the creature's head. "That reminds me; I'm gonna have to show you how to fly Appa someday. Wanna learn to fly?"

Tenzin's answer was a pause, as he stopped pulling on Appa's fur for a second. His nose scrunched, and he let loose a loud sneeze…which promptly sent him flying in the other direction.

"Whoa!" Aang exclaimed as he sprinted off after his son, using a short Airbending blast from his foot to snatch him out of midair before he started falling over the mountainside.

As the Air Nomad drifted back to earth, sighing in relief, he was staring wide-eyed at the dubious toddler. "Did you just do what I think you did…?"

His answer was another sneeze. Aang felt the momentum from the blast trying to knock him off his feet and force a breeze through his clothes.

…That was NOT a regular sneeze. Could it be true…?

Holding his son up, Aang searched his eyes, as if looking for the answer within him. But he only saw a pair of wide gray irises focusing back on the father, in wonder at what was going on…though it was more likely he only wanted to keep playing.

Watching him though, with something of a new reverence, Aang knew that what he saw was real. Tenzin had just demonstrated the most basic, most telling act of Airbending, just a year shy of the age that it would have normally appeared.

"Oh, by the Spirits…" Aang murmured and cast a glance to Appa, who also suddenly seemed interested. "Appa…did you just see that? Did…he did." The nomad turned back to a grinning Tenzin, about ready to burst at the seams with glee himself. "You did, didn't you? You just Airbended…!"

Then, holding the child tight, he took off from the garden like a shot towards the interior of the Temple.

"Katara…! Katara!"

Back inside the temple, Katara hummed an obscure tune to herself as she kept busy, washing a few articles of clothing and blankets. With Aang looking after Tenzin, it was enough to enjoy a small break from parenting. Every so often though, the Waterbender liked to imagine that they were having such fun. I doubt there's ever been a dad quite like Aang, she chuckled mirthfully.

But the musings about her son and husband wouldn't be in her mind for much longer.

SLAM! "ACK! Katara! Oh, feathers...oof…"

Startled, she whirled on her feet toward where she'd heard the door flying open and Aang's voice calling her name. Her heart was racing, as always ready for any sudden danger. But she calmed down with minor irritation at the sight before her.

The Airbender lay on the floor, panting, as if he'd been running the entire length of the Temple looking for her (which he had, as a matter of fact). Tenzin, with a hearty chirp of "Mama!" upon seeing Katara, wriggled out of his exhausted father's arms to hobble toward her.

"Okay…" she quirked an eyebrow as she knelt to take the baby. "Aang, what in the…?"

"Tenzin!" Aang interrupted swiftly, still panting through each word as he stood up, eyes wide. "Katara, he…Ten…Airbending…our son…my son…!"

"Aang, calm down!" Katara ordered, laughing. "One word at a time. What about Tenzin?"

Turning his back for a moment, Aang straightened up and took a few deep breaths. When he turned around again, he still looked as if he was trying to contain a good amount of euphoria; his eyes twinkled, and that familiar grin took over his face. There was even a small spring in his step as he spoke.

"Katara; our son is an Airbender."

She froze. The words barely registered in Katara's mind as she looked from Aang to Tenzin and back again, mouth agape. "Wh…really? An Airbender?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed in a breath of laughter. "He is! I saw it!"

"Are you sure?" her head tilted, just as much wanting to believe the news as he was. "What'd he do?"

He grinned again. "You remember when we first met, and I sneezed, and flew about fifteen feet in the air?"

"Yeah?"

"He did that."

Blinking, Katara looked back to the two-year-old in her arms as he pawed at her hair loops. "He...what…"

"It's true…he did it twice. Nobody but an Airbender could ever do that." Aang laughed again and lowered his gaze. As Katara observed her husband, he seemed to calm down a little more, to the point that his breaths became deeper and forced. When he raised his eyes again, they were glistening with unshed tears, his smile unwavering. "Katara…I'm not the last one anymore."

The Waterbender felt her heart welling with emotion, seeing the light in his eyes when he said that; and she felt his happiness, his hope, raising his spirit as he repeated those words and shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not the last one…I'd always hoped, and now…"

He felt her approach and take him into an embrace with one arm, while the other held their son between them. Overcome, he hugged them both tightly, until the toddler squirmed and tugged at his father's robes.

Pulling away, Aang wiped the tears from his eyes and beheld all he had in his arms; Katara, the love of his life…Tenzin, his own child, and another Airbender besides…

His wife read the expression in his eyes and gently caressed his cheek with her fingers. "You've been wishing for this for so long, Aang…you don't know how happy I am for you. The future of Airbending might yet be saved."

"It's not just that," he sighed happily. "I've so much to be thankful for, more than I ever thought I'd have, after everything that's happened to me. It was enough that I'd had you, and then our son…now…"

"I know," she soothed, smiling warmly as she set a squirming Tenzin down at their feet to embrace him properly. "You don't even have to say it. And I knew that it would happen, I just knew. The spirits wouldn't have denied you this, after everything you've had to do."

He laughed quietly. "Maybe. But I think I have you to thank, as much as the spirits."

"Are you kidding? You know I'm more than happy to have children with you; even a whole slew of Airbenders," she snickered.

"I still think that at least a few of them should be Waterbenders," he argued and laughed along with her before pulling away to watch the toddler toy with a sock from the wash basket. "Still…an Airbender. Wow…" Then, he widened his eyes, and slapped his forehead. "Oh man…!"

"What?" Katara's eyebrows rose.

Aang snorted. "I should've bet someone money."

She laughed. "You'd bet on our kid's bending abilities?"

"You'd bet for a Waterbender, don't deny it," he accused with a grin.

"I would not…"

"Uh-huh, right…"

"Enough of that," Katara playfully spat as she turned around to pick Tenzin up again. "Time to give my little Airbender a bath, anyway."

"No!" the child argued suddenly. "No bath!"

"Sorry, Sweetie, you're all dirty," she argued back and poked his nose. "Now c'mon."

"No, Mama, no bath!" He reached over her shoulder as she walked away with him, humming smugly. "Daddy!"

"Sorry, can't help you; Mom's in charge," Aang grinned toothily at his son and waved.

When they retreated into the washroom, the father shook his head and started off toward one of the meditation chambers; if he did have the spirits to thank, it would have been a good place to start.

But he hadn't taken two steps before he heard a sudden, loud "WA-CHOO!" followed by a screeching yelp and the sound of something falling and splashing. Startled, Aang rushed back to the washroom and peered inside.

Water was strewn all over the stone floor, having been splattered from inside the full tub…in which a still-fully-dressed Katara was lying, drenched, hair covering her face; and where an underwear-clad Tenzin was sitting on her stomach, laughing like crazy and clapping at his sudden feat of sneezing his mother off her feet and into the tub.

Groaning and sputtering, Katara reached up to pull the hair from her face and send a glare toward her husband, who was trying his hardest not to double over himself.

"Well," she coughed, "Yeah. He's an Airbender, alright." An indignant smirk crossed her features. "Guess he gave me a bath instead."

It was too much for Aang, who clutched his sides and exploded in laughter for a few moments before hurrying to help his wife out of the tub and to bend all the water that had been displaced.

"That's my boy," he grinned proudly to Tenzin, who only beamed back in response and kept up his clapping.

In his son's eyes, the Avatar could indeed see the spirit of the Air Nomads reborn…he could feel the Spirits of the Air rejoicing, and he could hear the combined good-natured laughter of monks long departed from the world.

Just by being himself, Tenzin couldn't have made Aang more proud. But for a budding Airbender all his own, he couldn't deny that another level of pride and hope had indeed been added to his family. And he couldn't think of anything more to ask for.