Zuko wasn't sure what he and Katara would find at the healing house, but every step led them closer to finding out. The frigid air filled his lungs with dread, but he continued to walk at a rapid pace.

Katara was beside him as they silently walked back to the healing house through the maze of a city. The sun had risen and shone over the snow. It had been a while since she had been in an artic climate for this long. It made her miss home, her dad, and Gran Gran. Now that Aang was back, maybe they could visit.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko watched Katara. He resented how beautiful she looked without trying, and he admired how gentle and suborn she was. Maybe it was all in his head. She probably always looked like that, but it didn't strike him until he was about to lose her. Aang was awake… so, this was the last moment where Katara would be with him before she was Aang's again.

He wasn't mad about it. He was just sad. He was sad that the last five years didn't work out in his favor, but he couldn't resent Aang for it. She had always belonged to Aang. Once he sees them reunite, perhaps these feelings will melt away. The idea almost made him eager to get her back, to release her, and become unattached.

Then a thought occurred to him. Katara and Aang weren't the only once reuniting. He would also be seeing his friend for five years. The thought made him feel uneasy.

What would they find? It had been almost an hour since Zuko fled from Aang's room. Surely, he was out of bed by now. Hopefully, someone found him… most likely Sokka, undoubtedly Sokka. Sokka was being a true friend. Sokka would have told Aang everything, including the fact that Katara had spent the last few years living with him in the Fire Nation.

Zuko silently cursed himself for not staying. His story would have been a better representation than Sokka's. Although he did trust Sokka, he was still filled with anxiety about what Sokka may have told Aang about Katara and himself. How much did Sokka really know? What might he lead Aang to believe, intentionally or not?

I should have stayed. I should have stayed and explained everything myself.

But he didn't. He ran away like a coward, and now it was too late. He would just have to trust the Sokka had been kind… or fair… or at least tactful.

When the healing house was in their sight, Zuko glances at Katara. She was staring at the ground before her feet. A cloud of despair had gathered over her, and it was growing as they got closer. Zuko could practically feel it. Once again, he considered telling her about Aang, but he remained silent. They walked on.

After climbing up the stairs, they were greeted by healers making their rounds. On the second floor, they entered the hallway that led to Aang's room. Katara began to lag behind.

"Katara, come on."

She sighed and shut her eyes. "Just give me a minute," she whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm… I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I did anyways," she laughed sadly. "So, I'm trying to get them back down."

Zuko took her by the arm and pulled her forward. "You don't have to do that. There's nothing wrong with getting your hopes up."

"Zuko," she looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry that I've been acting kind of weird lately. I think I was a little hard on you, and I want you to know that… I care a lot about you."

Zuko looked away. "I know, Katara."

"I just… I don't want to push you away now that Aang's back. Its not like that, and I hope you don't think that."

"It's fine, Katara."

"I really want things to be okay between us."

"I know. Come on, we're almost there."

"I couldn't stand it if we weren't friends anymore," she continued as Zuko reached for the door. "I couldn't stand it if I came between you and Aang."

The door swung open, and Zuko held his breath. Katara looked inside and felt her heart stop.

The room was empty.

When she didn't react, Zuko glanced inside the room. He wasn't surprised to see an empty bed. He was relieved that he wouldn't have to face Aang yet.

Zuko looked at Katara, and her eyes were glued to the bed. Her breathing escalated, and all the blood in her face drained.

"Where is he?" She whispered to herself. Then, she shrieked, "WHERE IS HE? He's not here!"

"Katara, I'm sure he's- "

But she was gone. She took off down the hallway in a sprint and nearly trampled a healer, who leaped out of the way with a startled cry.

Zuko just stood there. He watched her retreating body and was unsure what to do. Should he go after her? Or should he stay out of it? Her voice echoed in the hall, and he could hear her frantically shouting Aang's name.

Suki returned to the courtyard with a small mug of clear liquid and handed it to Aang with a sinister smile.

"Thanks, Suki," Aang sighed and took a large gulp. As soon as he swallowed the burning liquid, he choked and sputtered. "This isn't water!"

"Yeah… I thought you would need something stronger to face Katara. It's gin," she smiled innocently.

"You're gonna need it, Twinkle Toes," Toph pushed the mug back up to his mouth.

"Can I have some?" Tenzin asked.

"Maybe in ten years, Jr.," Toph said sternly.

Aang took another drink of the gin and shuddered. He put the mug on the ground.

"Aang," Sokka said in a very serious tone.

"What?" He said while wiping his mouth. He was starting to feel dizzy.

"Eventually, you're going to have to talk to Katara."

Aang gazed at him for a moment. Fear and regret started to pool in his stomach, and he dropped his eyes to the snow around his feet. "I mean… she's not around right now, so…"

Sokka studied him closely. "Look, Aang, I know you're having a pretty rough… hour or so, but Katara's gonna be back any second now, and you have to talk to her. She went through a lot to save you… a lot. Not to sound creepy, but the only reason she wasn't hovering over you, ready to tackle you as soon as you opened your eyes, and she was too exhausted from waiting for you to wake up. She's literally been dying to see you for five years. You have to talk to her."

Aang gave Sokka an uneasy look, and he guessed that Sokka knew what had happened between him and Katara the last time they saw each other. What Sokka didn't know was the real reason Aang cringed at the thought of seeing her again.

The truth was, Katara didn't want him. He knew it, but no one else did. None of them understood that she simply didn't want him. Maybe she did at first, but he was sure that she didn't want to be together forever. Aang had been so confident in their relationship, and he thought she was too. When she had ran away and left him alone, she had crushed him and smashed him to pieces. Her words still echoed in his mind.

It had been five years for everyone but him. For him, it had been a day or two. He was still reeling, and he hadn't had a chance to make sense of everything yet, to steady himself. Everything had been dumped on him so suddenly.

Every time someone mentioned her, it brought back all those vivid memories. His heart was broken, and it didn't matter how many times people assured him, he couldn't stop worrying. He couldn't make his shattered heart believe that she might suddenly want him.

He wanted to hope, but he was too confused.

She saved him from Koh. That had to mean something, didn't it? It was something that Aang still couldn't fathom, but she had done it. It couldn't have been easy, and she had gone through so much trouble to do it.

Everyone said that she was so desperate to see him… but, where was she? Why was she away for so long?

Maybe she had only saved him for Tenzin. The boy needed a father and an airbending master, and he was the only one that could fulfill that role.

Then again, she was always saving people. She would never turn her back on someone that needed her. Maybe that's all he was to her, nothing special. She would have done it for anyone.

No, that didn't seem right. Katara wouldn't choose to be with him because of some obligation, for Tenzin. But then again, it had been five years. People change. Who was she now?

Clearly, Katara had done fine without him. Perhaps she didn't need him at all. She had been on her own this whole time: raising Tenzin and taking care of Appa. He feared that Katara would secretly hate him for abandoning them, although he didn't mean to. Maybe she didn't recognize it yet, but it would surely surface one day.

What if she had changed, and only he had stayed the same? What if they were awkward strangers now? What if her idea of him had changed over time, and the real him disappointed her?

He knew he would disappoint her somewhere. His heart twisted. He couldn't face her… he still loved her to much. He was too vulnerable right now. If he got his hopes up, they would certainly crush him, and he wasn't sure if he could pull himself back together again.

"Aang?" Suki quietly pulled him from his thoughts.

Aang shut his eyes for a moment. "I'm okay."

"Let's go see if Momma's back now!" Tenzin shrilled. "Maybe Zuko's here too. We gotta tell them everything." He quickly grabbed Ursa's hand and pulled her out of the stables.

Only the adults were left.

The bitter wind blew a strong gust past them, and Toph shivered. "Maybe I'll go look inside. It's too cold here."

"Aang," Sokka insisted with worry. "I know you don't believe me, but Katara wants to see you, you'll see. It'll all be okay."

"Yeah, I guess," Aang's sad voice made Toph stop in her tracks. She was trying very hard to not get mad at the airbender. He needed to get his shit together, but she knew he had gone through a lot in a short time.

"Actually, I think I'll get you more gin," Toph snatch the almost empty mug off the ground and took off quickly.

Aang rubbed his arms and said, "Maybe we should go inside too. I'm starting to get cold too."

Sokka narrowed his eyes at Aang. Something was deeply wrong with that statement. Aang was never cold, but he struggled it off. Maybe he wasn't able to airbend or firebend himself warm yet.

Sokka nodded. "Sure, let's go. We can wait for Katara inside. I can't imagine she'd really stay away this long.

Aang gave Appa one more pat on above his nose before turning to follow the others inside. He shivered again, and wondered why he was suddenly so cold, why he couldn't suddenly send it away like he normally could.

When Suki and Sokka reached the stable doors, Suki glanced back at him and noticed he hadn't moved. "Aang, are you coming?"

"Yeah," he took a couple of steps forward. "Its just… what should I say?"

"To Katara?" Sokka asked with a small smile. "You probably won't have to say much of anything. In fact, you probably won't be able to say much of anything."

Aang blushed at his words. "I mean- I don't know. The last time I saw her, she wasn't exactly talking to me… What if…" He couldn't even finish the sentence. Although, it was clear what he was dreading.

Sokka was the first to reach the stable door. He was about to assure Aang once more when he felt the doorknob turn itself. The door was shoved open, and it sent Sokka flying back onto his behind. Meanwhile, the person who had opened it- Katara- was sent flying forward at the easy of the door opening. She was sent uncontrollably forward and straight into Aang, who caught her before he was knocked over himself.

They landed on the ground with a hard thud. Aang was once again reminded of his soreness.

"Katara!" Aang cried as his face went pale.

"Aang!" She squeaked as her eyes met his. Before either could say another word, she leaned up and crashed her lips onto his. She melted into him with relief.

Aang's eyes went wide, and his face went from white to red immediately.

Meanwhile, a laughing Suki pulled Sokka back to his feet. Toph entered the stables too.

"Found her!" Toph declared with a chuckle, grateful for the thin layer of dirt on the stable floor. There's no way she would miss this reunion.

As soon as Katara released him, Aang gawked at her. He was stunned and baffled, unsure of what to do. "I, um…"

Before he could say anymore, Katara began to weep into his chest. She was shaking and hiccupping with joy, and Aang continued to feel powerless on the ground below her.

"Why would you do that to me?!" She cried between sobs and spurts of laughter. "I thought you were gone! Again! Don't you ever do that to me again! Why would you do that?" She gasped and began to laugh. "You- you waited until after I left to wake up! I wanted for you to wake up for days, and you didn't wake up until I left? That's… that's just mean!" And then she passionately kissed him again.

By this point, Aang was reduced to a puddle on the floor. He held her tightly, gladly, and brimmed with relief. The remained passive with confusion. His eyes didn't close when he kissed her, his head began to throb, and he felt his heart stutter. Katara was there. She had never expressed so much affection towards him, and he didn't want her to stop. He didn't understand, but he didn't feel like he needed to anymore.

Maybe everything would be okay if he accepted it blindly. He wanted to, but he still wasn't sure if he should. Aang glanced up helplessly at Sokka. Sokka was making an uncomfortable face at the sight, but he couldn't hide the tears in his eyes.

Suki took his arm and Toph's and began to pull them out the stable door. He gave a quick wave to Aang and a look that meant, "Told you so," or "Good luck with that." They slipped out quietly, and Toph shut the door.

Then, they were alone.

When Katara released him again, he gaped at her. "Um… hi, Katara?"

She just stared at him for a second before flushing with giddiness again. "Aang! Wow, it's really… Um, hi. Hi, Aang." She laughed again and blushed at her inability to speak. "Sorry."

His face was burning, and it only got worse when he got a clear look at her. She had changed like everyone else. Although, he couldn't tell what it was specifically, but she was still so, so shockingly beautiful. Her hair was still long and flawless. Her blue eyes had the same gleam in them, and she simply glowed in the sunlight. It made Aang;s heart beat faster.

"You…" he trailed off, scared to say something stupid. "You seem… pretty happy to see me?"

Katara blushed more and shook her head with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry!" She laughed and pushed herself off of him. "You must think I'm crazy. It's just… its been a really long time you know?" She reached out and helped him up as well.

"Yeah, I guess it has been," he muttered.

She held onto every word he said, delighted at merely the sound of his voice. She nodded slowly, "I've been waiting a while."

"Yeah… I heard."

Her body tensed. "Did you meet Tenzin?"

"Oh, yeah!" Aang nodded while grinning. "Sure did."

"Did he like you? What did you talk about? What did he say?"

Aang rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "Lot of things. He- he asked me to go penguin sledding with him."

Katara rolled her blue eyes and laughed. "Of course, he did. He's been waiting to do that."

"He said my voice sounded different than he thought it would…"

"Well, don't worry. It sounds just right."

Aang felt himself blush again. "Good? I mean… thanks?"

She still couldn't believe that he was there. She choked back sob as she reached up and touched his face. "I can't believe its you. You're really here."

He wasn't sure what to say to that. "I am."

Tears were rolling down her face again, and she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. Her face in his shoulder.

Aang put his arms around her. His heart was racing, and he still wasn't sure what to do with her. Their reunion felt too perfect. This was exactly what he wanted. For her to fall in love with him again, for everything to go back to normal. Now that it had, he was still confused. She had tackled him as if she hadn't rejected him. He was scared to ruin the happiness.

"Don't leave me again," she ordered.

"Oh…. Okay. I'll try not to."

"No, don't try. Just don't."

"Okay… I won't?"

She was shaking in his arms and sobbing into his robes.

"Are you alright?" He asked and held her tighter. "There's no need to be so upset. It's okay. Don't cry, K-"

Without warning, she jolted back and covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't!" She cried. "Don't ever say that again."

Aang's eyes went wide as he asked a muffled, "Whuh nuh?"

She shook her head at him. "Just- don't. I'll tell you about it later."

"Um… okay?"

With a deep sigh, Katara pulled him close once again. She closed her eyes to savor the moment. Her face was filled with joy.

Aang could fell himself quivering from head to toe. Everything about her made his knees weak. He wanted to enjoy this moment as much as she did, but he couldn't. His heart was still filled with doubt and fears. It was too good to be true. Everything was perfect like it was before, just before it all fell apart.

He willed his mind to stop thinking. This wasn't the place. Katara could always read his mind.

"Katara?"

"Hm?"

"Could…" he lost his train of thought when two big, blue eyes looked into his. "I- I mean… are you sure? I mean, I'm not really… Maybe we shouldn't, right now?"

"Shouldn't what?"

"It's just... I'm," he stammered and cursed himself for not being able to put his thoughts together. "I'm just confused…" It was the truth.

Katara stared at him for a moment. Then, she smiled at him and whispered, "Don't be."

"But- "

She cut him off with another kiss. This one was long and deep. It shattered his defenses and went straight to his vulnerable heart. At least, he crumbled. He kissed her back fiercely and surrendered, lacking the strength to resist. He couldn't help himself… especially because he thought it may never happen again.

Katara was filled with happiness. She assumed that his kiss meant everything was okay, and it made her glad. Everything was finally going to be okay.

But he wasn't okay.