Wow everyone, what a wonderful journey this has been. I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to update. I had some traumatic life events of my own lately, but things are getting better. I really can't express enough how thankful I am for every single one of you that took the time to read my story. Your words mean the world to me. When I first posted this, I didn't think that anyone would read it (hense the short chapters in the beginning). But your constant support got me through not only writing this story, but so many other things. Thank you for reading, commenting, favoriting and sticking through me on this amazing ride. It's emotional finally hitting the 'complete' button while posting this, but I know it's just the beginning. Stay tuned for my sequel, which I should be posting within the next few weeks at the latest! As always, your thoughts mean to much to me, so I'd love to know what you think!
Thank you all so much, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter of Second Beginnings!
When he finally released her lips, her airbender dropped his forehead back to hers, and she felt herself smile. He pulled back and she was able to really look at him. He looked pretty terrible, if she was being honest with herself. His face looked warn and wary, the skin around his eyes tight from strain. His hair had started to grow out, and the hair on his chin was a lot more than stubble. She let her hands run along his jaw, feeling the prickle of his disheveled facial hair on her fingertips. He grabbed her hand and pressed the palm to his cheek, staring deeply into her eyes. Her smiled brightened once more before she felt the concern slink back into her.
She glanced around the little room, painfully tearing her gaze away from his. Her eyes locked into a chair, positioned right by the medical table with a fur draped over it. Guilt begin to build in her chest as she realized that he probably had been sitting in that very chair, worried about her for what must have been a while. It had to have at least been enough time for his hair to start growing. As if he could sense the direction that her thoughts were going in he tilted her head back towards him, tenderly cupping her cheek. "How are you feeling, Katara? Are you in pain? Should I go get Akna and Yuka?"
The last question sent an unexpected surge of panic through her, and she shook her head, pain stealing her breath for a few seconds. She grabbed his hand, as if to make sure that he didn't leave her alone before she spoke. "No, no, not yet. I just… I want some time with you." She needed a few moments of quiet calm. She knew that everyone else had been worried sick, too, but the idea of everyone knowing that she was awake and wanting to either scold her for being reckless or ask her a million questions made her stomach twist painfully. Aang hesitated, looking unsure of what to do, so she gave his hand a small squeeze. "Just a few minutes, I promise."
The airbender must had recognized the distress in her face this time, because he nodded in agreement, lifting the hand holding his and pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. "How are you feeling, though? Are you in any pain, sweetie?"
She turned her attention to her body, scanning for any discomfort or pain. "I'm sore. Honestly, I feel like I got hit by an elephant-buffalo. And so tired. How long was I asleep for?"
She watched the worry in his face amplify and he looked away, taking a quiet breath before answering her again. "Too long. But you're awake now, that's all that matters." He pressed another kiss to her hand before leaning in and pressing his lips to her forehead. He rested his head on hers once more, taking a deep breath in. When he spoke again his voice shook with emotions. "I missed you so much, Katara. I thought I lost you."
The girl's eyes teared up and she had to blink a few times to keep herself from crying. She pulled back so she could look at him again. "When's the last time you slept, Aang? You look exhausted. And when did you last eat? You look skinnier. and don't even get me started about your hair…"
The monk silenced her with a kiss, quickly quieting down the waterbender, who closed her eyes and leaned into it. "Katara," his voice had a hint of warning in it, which told her that he was being serious when he spoke, as gentle as her words would sound. "For once in your life can you please focus on yourself instead of everyone else?"
The girl huffed at the love of her life, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him. The corners of the airbender's lips tilted up, so she knew that he was fully aware of the reaction that she wanted to have. She knew that there was no point in arguing with him, especially when she was this tired, so she tucked all of her questions into the back of her mind so she could remember to ask them later. instead she tenderly tried to move herself over, letting out a small whimper when she did. Aang was up in a second, slowly sliding his arms underneath her and gently lifting her up and shifting her over. She reached her hands down to shift herself up so that she was sitting up more, and the effort from that was enough that a thin layer of sweat beaded up on her forehead. She tried to stop the anxiety from bubbling up within her, patting the bed beside to her. The monk slowly laid next to her, almost as if she was going to shatter if he moved too quickly. When he was settled in, she laid her head against his shoulder and burrowed into him as much as she could, desperately wanting to be connected to him as much as possible. He leaned down, peppering the top of her head with kisses and the waterbender drank up the warm feeling it washed over her. She sighed, looking down at the littering of bandages on her body. "So what are all my official injuries?"
The girl felt him shutter underneath her, then he pressed his lips to the top of her head for a few moments before answering her. "You were in really rough shape, Sweetie. Officially, your arm and ankle were practically shattered. Your arm is almost healed, but even with Akna and Yuka working on it every day your ankle is still going to take a lot of time. Three of your ribs were cracked, but they're just bruised now. Akna did a great job healing those. You've really taught them well, sweetie. The rest, well…" The crack in his voice made her look up at his face, and she realized that there were tears brimming his eyes. "You were just so weak, Katara. It looked like you'd never eaten a meal before."
The waterbender swallowed hard, a shiver running up her spine at his words. She tried to think back to her time in the cave, though her mind wanted to reject it and have nothing to do with it. When she spoke, her voice was soft and timid, and she hated that she sounded like that. "It's all kind of a blur… My time in the cave, I mean. I only remember talking with him twice, I think. Maybe three times, I'm not sure… I only remember him letting me drink once. The rest of the time I was… somewhere else… I don't know what he did to me when I was…" She trailed off when she felt her throat constrict. She didn't really even recognize the underlying fear that she had until she started talking about it, but now that she had said it, it seemed all-consuming.
Aang's eyes widened immensely and he shivered violently. He pulled her closer to him, and Katara had to bite down a whimper so he wouldn't feel bad about it. He let out a shaky breath and blinked away tears before cupping her jaw with his hand. There was a fire burning in his eyes that she had only seen a few times. "Katara, I'm so sorry that it took me so long to find you. If I had been strong, if I had been quicker, then maybe…"
"Hey," She stopped him, shaking her head and raising her hand up as much as she could to lay it on his arm, "We both made some reckless decisions in the past. But none of this was your fault. It was Tulok who did this, and we both have to remember that."
He closed his eyes, leaning his head on hers, breathing in her scent. "I'm sorry, that's not what you need to be dealing with right now. Katara, everything and anything that you have been through or will eventually go through, we will figure out together. I know that I've made mistakes in the past, and I should have fought for you harder. But I swear to you, from this day forward, I'll always be by your side. Loving you, supporting you, encouraging you. You'll never have to be alone again. Nothing will ever separate us again, Katara. I promise you."
Through watery eyes the princess looked at the monk, all the love she felt in her entire body shining in her eyes. Everything else seemed to melt away in that moment. All of her residual fears and doubts vanished, flushed out by the love and light flowing through her very soul. "Is that an Avatar promise?"
Aang let out a watery laugh himself, smiling down brightly at his whole world. "It's absolutely an Avatar promise."
When their lips finally met it was like both of them were breathing for the first time. They were connected, in heart and soul. It was an overwhelming feeling, familiar, yet new. Katara felt like everything froze around her. She'd often hear people describe love as something that sped everything up, but with Aang it had always been the opposite. When they were together like this, time seemed to stop and everything seemed to slow down. It calmed her heart whenever it raced, slowed her mind from runaway thoughts, and quelled so much fear that seemed to simmer up inside of her. Almost as if the world fluttered around them, but he calmed all her fears and reassured her. And in that slow, safe little bubble that he made for her- for them, really- was her favorite place in the world. And she was so thankful to have found home in it once more.
Eventually they pulled apart, both panting from strain- though each for different reasons. Katara was exhausted and Aang was trying to pull himself back and be gentle with her. When they looked at each other they seemed to both understand without saying a word. Katara rested her head on his shoulder once more, closing her eyes and just enjoying the calm quiet that they were in. Her head gently rose and fell with every breath he took, and it reminded her of the calm of the ocean when it was at peace. She smiled to herself at the feeling of it.
She wasn't sure how long it had been, but Aang eventually cleared his throat, giving her some warning before he shifted away from her. He slid off the bed, turning to face her, pressing a quick kiss between her furrowed and confused brows. "It's been more than a few minutes. Can I please get Akna and Yuka to come check on you?" When he saw the hesitation in her eyes he quickly added, "just them for now. We'll let them make sure that you're doing well and then we'll think about everyone else. How about that?"
The waterbender pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, worrying it while she contemplated his offer, before finally agreeing and nodding her head. The relief that flashed across the monk's face was consuming, and she once again felt the guilt creep back in about making him worry so much. He pressed a quick kiss to her hand and practically sprinted out of the medical tent, leaving Katara alone in his wake. She looked around the empty space around her, the silence suddenly seeming to scream at her. Part of her was still unsure whether this was actually real or if it was just another painting. The princess strained her ears, listening for Tulok's laugh or the spirits cry. She scanned the tent relentlessly, looking for something that was out of place and would allow her to catch on to the fact that she wasn't really here, but was still locked in the cave.
She shook her head, almost as if she could shake the fear out of it, but it didn't seem to work, only made her slightly dizzy. She pushed herself up, ignoring the scream of pain from her arm, just needing to feel less vulnerable and more like she had a better chance of fighting back. When the princess heard the snow crunching outside, it was like her mind turned to static and she instantly went into flight or fight mode. She looked around and found a bowl of water, ready to bend it and fight back when she noticed Aang's head popped into the tent. Her mind instantly settled, almost as if it was resetting itself, and she let out a breath she didn't realize that she was holding.
If Aang noticed, he didn't let it show, and simply flashed a small smile at the girl. "Are you ready for them, Katara?" Swallowing hard, the waterbender nodded her head, silently steeling herself. Aang gave a nod of acknowledgement and backed his head out of the tent. Yuka and Akna burst through, not even pretending to be patient about it. Katara let out a little chuckle, surprisingly relieved to be seeing them. Both girls looked like they were on the brink of tears, but trying to hold them back. The girl wondered if they were trying to keep it at least a little professional, though she didn't at all care.
They ran to either side of her, placing their hands on either one of her arms. She smiled at them, thankful that the smile was genuine and not forced. "Hey guys, I hear that I gave you guys a bit of a challenge, huh?"
They both let out a chuckle, shaking their heads gently. Yuka had lost the battle with her tears, and a single one trailed down her cheek. "Yes, that wasn't the most fun time that we've had healing someone so if you could avoid making us do that again, it would be really appreciated."
Katara smirked at the girl, nodding her head slightly, "Noted."
The healers looked at Katara, almost as if they were scanning her and then sent an anxious glance Aang's way. The princess cocked her head slightly, wondering what that was about, but sitting quietly waiting to see what was going on. finally, Yuka cleared her throat, looking back down at Katara. "I know that you're probably exhausted from… well everything that you went through. But I really think that we need to check you over, to make sure everything is okay and that you're healing well. Do you think that you can handle that right now?" Though a wave a nerves flushed through the princess, she nodded her head, knowing that Yuka was absolutely right and it was something that they needed to do. The girl smiled down at her and nodded her head, before turning her attention to Aang. "I am going to need you to step out so that we can do this examination, Avatar Aang."
The monk visibly paled, looking upset, his eyes darting between the healers and his love. His mouth opened and closed, as if he was trying to think of something to say that would convince them to let him stay, but all he seemed to be able to utter was, "but…"
Katara reached her hand out and he instantly moved to grab it, no hesitation. "Aang, Sweetie, it's okay, really. It'll be a quick examination and then we'll be back together. It's only Akna and Yuka, I'm perfectly safe. We're safe." Somewhere throughout talking she had to push aside the question of whether she was saying this to make Aang feel better or herself.
He looked into her eyes so intensely, she wondered if he could see into her soul, and after a few minutes his shoulders sagged and he looked like he had resigned himself to acceptance. She understood why he was feeling this way. She hated the idea of not being near him right now. They had gone through so much together and there were so many points where she thought she would never see him again. Every time he was out of eyesight for a little while, it was most likely going to be accompanied with some residual anxiety. But they both couldn't give in to that. They had to heal and be sure in the fact that they would find their way back to each other, no matter what. A little exam wouldn't pull them apart. Nothing would.
She raised his hand to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it, letting all of her love and emotions flow through her. "Hey, how about you go get Sokka? Just Sokka, for now. I think he'd want to be the first person to know that I'm awake, other than you."
His eyes shone with excitement again, realizing that she was right and how relieved and happy everyone was going to be when he got to tell them. "Okay, yeah, I can do that. Just Sokka for now, right?" The girl nodded her head at him, smiling softly, and he nodded in return. "That makes sense, I'm sure once everyone knows it'll be impossible to keep them away, so we'll ease ourselves into it. Okay, I'll get him and we'll be waiting outside when you're done, alright?"
"Perfect," Akna piped up, smiling at Aang and grabbing the bowl of water to bring closer to them, "We'll come and get you when we're all done."
Aang nodded his head at Akna, before turning back to Katara and pressing a solid kiss on her forehead, lingering there for a few seconds. "I love you. I'll be right there if you need me."
The waterbender smiled up at him, trying not to get overwhelmed with emotions, "I love you, too. I know." She watched him leave, her eyes drinking him in until the last bit of him disappeared outside the tent. When she looked back to Yuka and Akna, the nerves seemed to settle in her belly, which was doing summersaults.
Yuka took her hand, sending her fear and smiled warmly at her. "Don't worry, Katara. It'll be a quick exam. We've been working on you every day, I don't think that anything dramatic has changed since yesterday."
"Unless you count her finally waking up, of course," Akna countered, a playful smirk playing on her lips, causing the two other girls to chuckle.
"Well, yes, besides that, obviously," Yuka responded, with an eye-roll of her own. And with that, the two got to work. They laid Katara back, summing the water to their hands so they could scan over her. They both paid close attention to her head, trying to make sure that everything felt normal now that she was awake, and they ended with her ankle, trying to get that to heal a little faster. "Everything looks really, good Katara. I think that your arm should be fully healed within a week or so. Your ribs healed very nicely, now it's just waiting for the bruises to fade. The toughest part has been your ankle. It was really shattered and I had to do a lot of resetting. It seems to be healing well now, it's just taking more time than I would like. But maybe now that you're awake you can actually help us out, instead of just sleeping all day."
The waterbender let out a laugh, shaking her head at the girl slightly. "You're right, I'm sorry for slacking."
"Apology accepted, just don't let it happen again." The three of them giggled for a moment, before Akna and Yuka looked at each other, their expressions growing serious. Katara was trying to decipher the silent looks that they were giving each other, but then Akna nodded slightly and Yuka sat down on the table next to Katara, taking her hand. "Katara… do you remember everything that happened to you when you were captured?"
Fear seemed to freeze the girl as the question bounced around hollowly in her mind. Remember everything that happened to her? She mentally scoffed. She could barely remember anything that had happened to her. So much had faded from her memory except for hazy images of paintings she was trapped in and an overwhelming feeling of fear and uncertainty. The more she thought about it, the bigger the lump in her throat grew, and she tried to swallow it down before she spoke. "No… not really. It's all a bit blurry and he had me… it's hard to explain. It's almost like I was trapped inside my own mind for most of it. Or at least I think it was my own mind, I'm not…" She trailed off, trying not to spiral into a panic attack.
"It's okay, Katara, it's alright," Yuka squeezed her hand reassuringly, trying to bring her back into the present. "I figured that you weren't going to remember everything. It's important to remember too, that you went through a lot of trauma, so your mind could be trying to protect itself, too. There's always a chance that you'll get more of your memories back overtime, once your brain heals enough." She paused and looked over at Akna, for what seemed like reassurance. "I figured that you wouldn't remember much of what happened at first. So when you first came here Akna and I did an extensive exam of you."
Katara felt her heart tighten in her chest, knowing what they meant. It was something that had been playing in the back of her mind since she woke up. She remembered him trying to kiss her once, she thought, but a part of her was terrified that there was more than that she needed to be concerned about. Her mouth went completely dry, and all she could do was nod her head and wait for them to deliver the news.
Yuka smiled, her eyes filling with tears once again. "We didn't find any of that kind of trauma. Everything was completely normal. So I don't think that has to be something that plagues your mind, Katara."
The waterbender let out a huge breath, relaxing back onto the table deeper. She closed her eyes as she relief coursed through her. She knew that she had an enormous amount of healing to go through, but she was beyond thankful that something like that wouldn't be added onto it. Looking at them both with watery eyes, she offered them a smile, reaching out to grab Akna's hand as well. "Thank you, both of you. For thinking of checking that. And for taking care of me so well. I probably wouldn't have made it if it weren't for you both."
They both tightened their grip on her hands because Akna spoke up. "Anything for you, Katara. You saved us first, when you took us in and changed our lives all those years ago." They stayed like the for a moment, composing each other, before they could hear two sets of footsteps approaching the tent. The healers took a step back, knowing who it was. "Well, I think we're done here. We'll come check on you again tomorrow, or if you need us earlier. But for today just rest and be with your people. Oh, and we don't want you to put any weight on your ankle for at least a month!" With that last bit of information to two dashed out of the tent before Katara even had a chance to negotiate.
She let out an annoyed huff, but all aggravation instantly drained from her when her brother's head popped into the tent. "Sokka!" She cried out, fresh tears of joy sprinting from her eyes. She didn't realize how much she had missed her brother. He ran at her, skidding to a stop but still throwing his arms around her in true Sokka fashion. They held onto each other tightly- well as tightly as she could, ignoring the pain in her arm- and cried. He had been with her on this journey from day one and she was just so thankful that now at the end of it, they were both together and relatively okay.
"Spirits, Katara," he huffed, pulling back to look at her, hands on either one of her shoulder, not even pretending to care about whining his eyes. "How many times have I told you that if you ever get kidnapped by an evil sociopath to not face him one on one in a duel?!"
Katara let out a watery laugh, her lips curving into the biggest smile so far. "I think this brings it up to a grand total of one."
"Which is one too many, young lady!" He cried, pulling her into another crushing hug. They stayed there for a few minutes, Sokka completely ignoring her pleas that she couldn't breathe, and just continuing to hug her. Aang smiled at them, staying back so that they could have their moment, just thankful to be able to see the reunion. When Sokka finally pulled back, he still kept his hands on her shoulders, but gently this time. His voice was soft and raw as he spoke. "Seriously, Katara, you scared the hell out of me. I thought I was going to lose you, and that terrified me."
For the millionth time today, she had to swallow the lump in her throat, "I'm sorry, Sokka. If it makes you any better, I was terrified to."
The warrior let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "At least I know that you have a little common sense behind those hair loopies." That had all three of them laughing. They sat together, as Sokka caught her up on everything she had missed while she was 'asleep', which seemed to be the only thing that anyone was able to handle calling it. She felt better knowing that the hunting scouts were able to go back out and that with the spirits officially gone they were able to get enough supplies to last them through the winter. That made everything that she had been through worth it. the entire village had deemed them all heroes, giving most of the credit to Katara, though Sokka made a point to remind everyone how crucial he was as well, making the girl laugh.
He told her about how worried they had all been, and begged her to let him go tell the whole village. The girl thought about it for a minute, but shook her head slowly, "Actually, Sokka, there are some things that I want to tell you about, before I'm mobbed by potentially the whole village." Her eyes shifted to Aang, who was sitting quietly in the chair by her table, his lips curved into a content smile. "Sweetie, will you maybe go tell my Dad, GranGran, Zuko, Mai, and Suki. But ask them to keep it quiet for now?"
The airbender rose from the chair, with far less hesitation then the first time he was asked to leave her. He nodded his head, leaning down and pressing a tender kiss to the crown of her head before promising to be right back. Sokka tilted his head to the side, sending his sister a questioning look. "Is everything okay? This isn't something 'oogie' is it…?" His face switched to a skeptical expression ands eyebrow practically disappeared into his hairline.
Katara shook her head, grabbing his hand, unsure of exactly how he was going to react to what she wanted to tell him, but she that she wanted him to know. "Actually, Sokka… it's about Mom."
The shock was clear on her brother's face when she said this and he cleared his throat. "Mom? What about Mom?"
She took a deep breath, knowing that she just needed to get it all out. "I saw her… When… well, after the duel. She found me. Our real mom, not the manipulated version from the spirits. I was with the Painted Lady and I got to see her, just for a little bit." Sokka seemed to be processing everything that she was saying, but was too chocked up to respond. She waited a few more moments, but when his silence continued, she pressed on. "She said that she's been watching over us, Sokka, and checking in on us. She knows about you and Suki getting married and she knew that you're going to be a dad soon. She said… She said that she is so proud of you, Sokka, and who you've become."
Her brother let the tears stream down his cheeks, not hiding any emotion from her, and he seemed to go through them all. She saw everything reflected back at her in his blue eyes from pain, to joy, to longing, to relief. Eventually he smiled brightly at her, pulling her in to a hug once more. "Thank you, Katara, for telling me that. You have no idea how much it means to me. I don't even think I realized how much I needed to know that mom would be proud of me- or I guess, is proud of me. Just… thank you."
"You're welcome, my brother," Katara said, resting her head against his chest, finding comfort and support there. They had always had each others backs, especially since their mom had died. Regardless of how much he annoyed her, or how many times they fought, they were always each other's greatest support systems, and she was just thankful she could give him some peace of mind. She still felt guilty that he didn't get to see their mom himself, but at least he didn't have to practically die in the process. Eventually they both pulled back, wiping their eyes. "Okay, okay, enough of this teary shit," Katara joked, "I think I've done enough crying today to last me at least a year now." Sokka laughed and agreed.
It didn't take long at all for Aang to tell everyone, and before the siblings new it, the tent was flooded with anxious people waiting to see their waterbender. Hakoda came through first, running right to his children and pulling them both into a bone crushing hug. When he finally let go he pressed a kiss to his his daughters forehead, telling her how worried he was and how he had thanked every spirit he knew that she came back to him. GranGran joined after, echoing Hakoda's words. Suki pushed her way into the group, using her pregnant belly almost as a ram to get to Katara. She had missed her sister in law terribly, and was thrilled that she didn't miss her giving birth. Injured or not, there was nothing that was going to stop her from being there for that. Zuko and Mai stayed back, clearly uncomfortable with the family affection that was happening right now. But Katara could tell from the way that Mai clung to Zuko's hand that she was relieved, along with majorly overwhelmed.
Everyone was talking her ear off, vying for her attention, while asking her a million questions. She tried to participate and answer them as much as she could, but the adrenaline was beginning to wear off and she found herself exhausted and sore. Aang had managed to sit next to her on the table, and she had her head propped up against his shoulder, his breathing threatening to lull her to sleep. She felt her eyes drifting closed, and struggled to keep them open. Eventually her responses diminished into soft 'hums' and the group looked down at her and chuckled. Aang spoke up that he thought that she needed sleep and the group agreed, saying their goodbyes before filing out of the tent, letting the couple sit in silence together.
The waterbender struggled with herself, attempting to keep her eyes open and stay awake, not wanting to lose any more time to sleep that was so consuming to her. But her airbender knew that she needed to rest and continue to heal. And as he explained that to her, he was gently stroking her hair and pressing soft kisses to her temple. The combination of that could send almost anyone into a sleep-like trance. She let herself snuggle into him closer, letting his words and warmth surround her. After about the fifth time Aang promised that he'd be right there when she woke up, she relented, drifting off to sleep with his words echoing into her dreams.
I love you.
The next few days were a little bit of a blurry haze for the waterbender. She seemed to continue to sleep, a lot, which everyone told her was simply her body's way of letting her know that she still needed to heal. And while she genuinely understood that, and knew it was true, that didn't mean that she was any happier about it. On top of the fact that she wasn't able to stay awake for more than a few hours at a time, she also had Akna and Yuka prodding her at least twice a day. Again she understood that they were doing it with the best intensions, but for Tu and La's sake, she was the one that taught them, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She crossed her arms over her chest, reveling in her own self pity, ignoring the slight uncomfortable tug of pain in her arm out of pure spite and self determination.
It was like this that Mai and Suki walked in to find her, and the pure annoyance on Katara's face had them both laughing to themselves, much to the girl's dismay. "What's wrong, Katara? You look like someone kicked your polar-bear-puppy." Suki asked, not even attempting in the slightest to hide her amusement.
Katara huffed, knowing that she was just being irritable, but unable to snap herself out of her current mood. "I am so thankful for everything that everything is doing, but all I want to do is lay down in my own bed, instead of this uncomfortable table, try and heal my own ankle, and attempt not to sleep twenty hours of the day. Is that really too much to ask?"
Mai snickered at the girl, her lips curling up only slightly, amusement hiding behind the boredom in her eyes. "Wow, you really did wake up on the wrong side of the medical table today, didn't you?" When Katara's eyes narrowed at her dangerously, her grin spread even more, almost into a full-blown smile. Not completely- but almost. "Relax, Princess, you complained to the right two people. If anyone is going to be willing to break you out of the medical tent, it's us."
Suki nodded enthusiastically, putting her hand an her hip and shifting her weight to one day. "Absolutely, although, I may just have to be more of a bystander in this escape attempt, seeing as I'm ready to pop any second now. But I'm in!"
Katara grinned brightly at the girls, forever thankful for these two. "Let's do this, then!" She said, tenderly swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She couldn't stop the cry of pain the escaped when she put her weight on her ankle, though, and she fell back onto the bed with another huff."
"Settle down there, spirit queen," Mai teased, earning her another glare from her friend. "Sokka put together this thing, that we weren't suppose to show you yet because he figured it would lead to a moment like this." She turned to Suki, who pulled a chair out from one of the storage areas in the tent. "He said he wrote to Teo and his father to get the schematics. It took him about a week to build it, but he wanted to be sure that you had it for when you woke up."
The girl understood just what Mai meant when Suki rolled it closer. It looked exactly like the wheelchair Teo had used. Katara couldn't help but grin and appreciate her brother in that moment. She was so thankful that no matter what she knew that he would always have her back. "Remind me to thank him for this later. You know, after we argue and he lectures me about how irresponsibly I acted."
The two girls laughed, agreeing with her before helping her into the chair. Mai had to push it, because Suki could barely grab onto the handles over her belly, but she didn't seem to mind. It took a little bit to get used to the logistics of the chair, but Mai got the hang of it pretty quickly. With Suki as the lookout, they snuck out the back of the tent and went right to Katara's house. She had to admit that although she knew there was no real danger, the bit of adrenaline feel good to Katara. The girls were almost in tears from laughter by the time they actually made it inside of her house, and the princess wasn't sure that she had ever heard Mai laugh this much before this. She wondered if all of them had changed in some way from this experience.
When they closed the doors behind them, Katara asked if they could bring her to the couch, deciding that she wasn't ready to lay back down just yet. The girls worked together to get her settled, propping her ankle up, before sitting on the other couch in her living room. They all took a moment to compose themselves and Katara took the time to scan around her house. "How is it so clean in here? I expected to come home to a dusty, cobwebby mess."
Suki's face reddened slightly and she cleared her throat. "That's all me. Apparently I stress 'nest' and you could say that these last few weeks have been pretty stressful. After about the hundredth time of cleaning my own house, I moved to yours… and maybe your dad's… I may have a problem…." the girl admitted.
That caused the laughter to start back up, and the three girls clutched their stomachs. Katara wiped away a tear, taking a deep breath to calm herself down and smiled at her sister-in-law. "Well, thank you, I actually appreciate it very much."
"You're so welcome, I'm glad that you benefit from my neurotic pregnancy tendencies."
The girls continued chatting, catching Katara up on everything, making sure to steer clear of any conversation that seemed like it would be too heavy. All of them just wanted to be right now. It was refreshing to them to be able to just relax and not worry about anything. Right now all they were were three friends enjoying each other's company and relishing in the time they had together. No more, no less.
But eventually Suki couldn't hold in her curiosity any longer. "Okay, okay, this had been fun and all, but I have to know about you and Aang. Sokka won't tell me anything, he just gives me some speech about how it's not his place, and it's your story to tell. So please, tell me everything, the suspense had been killing me!"
The waterbender felt her cheeks begin got burn, and she could only imagine how put she was turning. Mai smirked at her, raising an eyebrow at her as if she was challenging her to 'get on with it'. Letting out a deep breath, and letting the corners of her lips raise into a smile, she told Suki all of it. How they had both been writing to each other for all those years, the kisses (including the one that Zuko interrupted), how he found her in the spirit world, everything she could possibly thing of. When she was done talking, she realized that Suki was listening with tears glistening in her eyes.
"Wow… I can't believe that you both were writing to each other all that time. You guys have both just been through so much, I can't even believe it. So are you guys back together now? Officially?" When Suki asked the question, Mai turned her attention on the girl as well, just as curious as to what her answer would be.
Katara didn't even attempt to stop the smiled from spreading on her face again. "Yes, we are. I know that we both have a lot of healing to do, but… I just knew that he's the one for me. We both were still in love with each other for three years after the breakup, whether I admitted it or not. We've already lost so much time with each other, I don't want to lose anymore." The bender looked back and forth between her friends for what felt like forever, waiting for their reactions. They had both been so upset with Aang when everything had first happened, which she understood and was beyond thankful for. But she hoped that now they they knew it wasn't really his fault they could look past it.
Suki broke out into an enormous smile, dabbing at her eyes to try and stop the tears. "I think that's beautiful, Katara, I really do. Destiny brought you guys both together and that's the most beautiful thing in the world." The girl continued to try and get herself to stop crying, muttering to herself about 'stupid pregnancy hormones', effectively easing any tension remaining. Katara's focus turned to Mai, waiting for her friend's reaction as well. Even though Mai already knew everything she had told Suki, she didn't didn't know how she was going to feel about it. Though Mai seemed completely apathetic, Katara had no doubts about how much she cared for her and how protective she was over her.
The firelady rolled her eyes, grinning slightly at her friend. "Don't worry, the airbender has really proven himself lately. I hate him way less than I used to." It pulled a chuckled out of her friend. "I'm happy for you."
Katara smiled warmly at her friends, thankful for them like always, but her mood took a serious turn when she thought of something that she had wanted to ask them. "Guys, where are they keeping Tulok? Whenever I ask any of the guys, they get all flustered and change the topic. No one will give me an answer about it, and I just need to know that he's somewhere that there isn't a chance that he can get to any of us."
The pair's eyes widened, and they looked at each other. Katara could tell that they were both processing what they wanted to say to her and she was determined that no matter what she would actually get an answer this time. "Katara…" Suki started, taking a deep breath, "Maybe this is something that Aang should talk to you about…"
"He won't, Suki. All he tells me is that I don't have to worry about him anymore." She said, hearing the annoyance leak into her own voice, "I know that he means well, and that he's trying to cause me as little stress as possible by distracting me and trying not to let me thing about it, but I think that they only way I'll feel better is just knowing. So please, just tell me?"
The friends looked at each other once more, before letting out loud sighs. Mai sat up straighter, looking at her friend with a serious expression on her face, making Katara slightly nervous. She didn't think that this would be that hard of an answer. Unless somehow he managed to escape? But the Painted Lady had promised her that her friends were safe, so he couldn't have. Right?
"Katara," Mai started, mirroring Suki's way of starting. "Aang was right, when he said that you don't have to worry about it. When the Painted Lady took over, it was an intense experience. I don't know how much of it you remember, because she definitely said that you weren't in control, or even awake, really. But from what I can understand, Tulok and Isumak somehow… merged? I guess like you and the Painted Lady did, except… permanent. So when she vanquished Isumak…" Mai trailed off, unsure of how to finish.
The waterbender, however, understood exactly what she was implying and finished the thought for her. "She vanquished Tulok, too. Spirits. So I… I killed him?"
"No," Suki jumped in, and both her and Mai rushed to the couch their friend was sitting on to grab her hands. "No, you didn't. The Painted Lady did what needed to be done. You didn't have control over it. Tulok made his choices, Katara. We all had to make our as well. But you didn't end him, he ended himself the day he chose to make a deal with a dark spirit."
Katara felt like she was blinking too much, her heart racing and thundering in her ears. She tried to accept what Suki was telling her, but her brain was having difficulty processing. All she could think about was how she ended someone's life. As evil and cruel as he was, and as much as she thought that he may have deserved it, she still didn't know how to feel about it. How could her peace-loving, spider-saving, vegetarian monk look at her the same way? Her stomach was churning and she thought for a moment that she was going to be sick. She closed her eyes to stop her head from spinning and her mother's words came back to her, echoing through her mind.
Forgive yourself.
But could she? She wasn't sure. The girl had to admit that Suki's words did make sense to her. She didn't remember a single thing other than the Painted Lady asking her if she was sure she wanted this. After that it goes completely dark, not even hazy like her other memories. Could she really blame herself, then, if she wasn't in control? Did she just do what needed to be done? Would she be able to live with herself even knowing that?
Without warning, the door to Katara's home jerked up, causing the three girls to jump, surprised by the sudden intrusion. Mai instantly springing to her feet while Katara and Suki stayed on the couch clutching their hearts in shock. Aang and Sokka's worried faces rounded the corner into the living room where the girls were. When they realized that they girls were there and appeared to be perfectly safe, they expressions quickly merged into that of stern annoyance. "What were you all thinking?" Sokka asked, throwing his arms out to the side, shaking his head. "You can't just wanted off like that! We had no idea where you were or what happened! We were out of our minds worried!"
The girls looked at each other a bit sheepishly, pushing the serious conversation they were having aside for the moment. Admittedly they didn't mean to cause anyone any worry, especially after everything that happened. Maybe they didn't think this all the way through. Katara cleared her throat, speaking up for the three of them. "I'm sorry, Sokka, it was my fault. I was going crazy in there and needed a change of scenery. I made them bring me here. I didn't think about how worried you guys would be or anything, I'm sorry." She wanted to ask about Tulok, but she knew that she needed more time to process before bringing it up to them. In a smaller voice she added, "But on the bright side, the wheelchair worked perfectly, so thank you for making it for me…"
The last sentence worked like magic for Sokka, all of his annoyance completely fading away and excitement taking over. "Did it? Yes! I trusted the plans that Teo sent me, but I wasn't completely sure. But who was I kidding? I'm freaking awesome, of course it would work!"
Katara and Suki both chuckled, making eye contact and rolling their eyes at each other. "My humble husband, everyone," The Kyoshi Warrior teased.
Everyone seemed to calm down except for Aang, who still looked really upset. Mai stepped aside, making room for Aang to take a seat next to Katara. He cupped her jaw with his hand, turning her attention to his face. "I get it, Sweetie, really, but please, I can't explain to you how scared I was walking into that tent and not seeing you there where I expected you to be. After all these times almost losing you, I just… I need time to not feel like you're going to disappear at any second."
Her heart swelled painfully in her chest and she raised her hand up to hold his to her face, tracing her fingers over his now clean shaven skin, "I'm sorry, Aang, you're right, I should have thought of that. I promise I'll be more thoughtful of that from now on."
Aang smiled at her for the first time since he walked in, which made her feel instantly better. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers and she leaned into the kiss, completely ignoring her brother's complaints about how they were giving him the 'oogies'. It was, in fact, another voice that broke the couple apart.
"Uh, guys… I hate to break up your moment, but… I think I'm in labor."
Everyone's head whipped around to Suki, who looked extremely pale all of the sudden. Sokka kneeled down next to her, taking her hand in one of his and placing his other hand on her knee. He kept asking her if she was sure- like, sure sure- and the hysteria in his voice was hard to miss. Katara bended some water from a bowl she kept in her living room, hovering it over her sister in law's stomach for a moment before nodding her head. "Oh yeah, you're definitely in labor." Just like that Katara snapped into action. "Sokka get her into the wheelchair. Mai, go get Akna and Yuka, we're going to need their help, and tell Zuko to get my Dad and GranGran. Aang, I'm going to need you to carry me to the tent." Everyone seemed to be frozen, just staring, mouths open between Katara and Suki, who was now visibly in pain.
"Come on, people, you heard the woman!" Suki cried out in between contractions. And thankfully it snapped everyone into listening this time. They did exactly what Katara said, Mai running out of the room and Sokka shifting Suki into the chair and wheeling her out as well. Aang scooped Katara up, trying not to jostle her too much.
"Are you sure you're going to be able to help? You can't even stand right now." Aang said, the concern in his voice still touching despite the urgency of the situation in front of them.
"I'm sure. I'll take the wheelchair once she's laying down so I can sit down. I promised Suki that I'd be there for her, I'm going to make it happen. Besides, I won't be alone, so it'll be okay. I promise." The Avatar simply nodded at her, trying his best to believe her. He couldn't help but worry for her. That's what happens when a person becomes your whole heart. But he did have faith in her and he knew that even in her position, she was still one of the most capable people that he knew. He followed Sokka into the tent, and when the warrior placed his wife on the medical table, he gently sat Katara down in the chair instead. The bender wheeled herself over to the table just in time for Akna, Yuka and GranGran to come rushing in as well. Mai snuck in behind them, slipping over to the side to stay out of everyone's way.
The three of them got to work immediately rushing around Suki with ease. even though it had been months since the three healers had worked together they picked up right where they had left off, and it looked like they hadn't spent even a day apart. Sometimes they didn't even need words, communicating simply through points or looks. It entranced Aang, watching her in her element like this. Everything she did stole his breath away. Katara was too focused on taking care of Suki to notice most anything else. But when she looked at her brother and saw how pale he was, she knew that he was going to pass out any second, which isn't something that Suki needed to see right now.
She turned to look at Aang, who met her gaze without her even having to call to him and he came right over, squatting down so he was at her height. "I think Sokka is going to pass out," she whispered to him, and they both glanced over just in time to see the man sway slightly. "I need you to tell him that you both need to get more water and distract him for a little bit. I'll call him back in when it's the important part." Aang nodded, understanding his task, before popping back up and walking over to Sokka. The warrior looked relieved that he was needed somewhere, placing a quick kiss to the crown of his wife's head and reassuring her that he would be right back. Aang winked at Katara before leading the water tribe boy out of the tent.
Suki must have noticed the wink and looked at Katara questioningly, raining one eyebrow up. "My brother was about to pass out, I figured a walk would help him, because he wouldn't ever admit that he actually was ready to pass out. I can keep him outside until we really need him, to give us a better chance at not having to scoop him off the floor. Or he can come back in a few minutes. It's completely your call here."
Suki laughed her way through a contraction, panting as she looked at Katara. "No, you definitely have the right idea. I love Sokka, but I remember how he was when you delivered that baby at Serpent's Pass. We've got this."
Katara grinned wickedly at her sister in law, preparing for the intense parts to come. "Hell yes, we do. Alright, we have work to do, ladies. I'm more than ready to meet my little niece or nephew."
Outside the tent, Sokka paced back and forth relentlessly, and his anxiety was starting to wear off on Aang. Not that that was hard to do these days, the monk thought to himself. The monk wasn't certain how much time had passed, but it felt like years. He, Hakoda and Zuko stood silently, watching the boy practically pace a path in the ice, their eyes darting back and forth to follow him. Aang noticed that after about the sixth lap in front of the tent entrance, she would pause in front of it, almost as if he was going to burst through it. But after a few seconds of staring he would give up each time and start his pace anew.
After three more cycles of this, the warrior finally cried out in exasperation, raising his hands up and digging his fingers into his temples. "This is absolutely terrible. Someone distract me, please!" He begged, turning to the cluster of men staring at him and throwing his arms out to the sides.
The three men turned to look at each other, Zuko being the first one to shake his head and shrug his shoulders. Hakoda rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of advice to give, but if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't very good at this part either. He had been in the same exact position that Sokka was in when Kya had given birth. Both times. He cleared his throat, standing a bit taller. "Son, I know this is scary, but everything is going to be just fine. Your sister is in there, and Suki is a tough woman-"
"Dad, no, still thinking about it, that's not a distraction!" Sokka cried, covering his ears with his hands.
Hakoda sighed and looked to Aang with a 'you're up, kid' expression on his face. Aang floundered, very obviously flustered by the situation. He could see the tension and desperation in Sokka's face and felt the pressure from Hakoda. Zuko's amused smirk didn't help anything either. He wracked his brain for something to say, the pressure growing by the second. Eventually he got so worked up about it, he just yelled out the first thing that came to his mind.
"I want to ask Katara to marry me!"
His brain caught up to what he just blurted out, his mouth fell open in pure shock. He absolutely meant what he said, this was just not the way that he wanted to say it. He made eye contact with everyone else, where were all just staring back at him, mirroring his open-mouth expression. Everyone seemed to just be staring at each other, blinking silently. And then Sokka exploded. "You want to what? With my sister? Did this really seem like the best time to bring this up?!"
Zuko groaned, slamming his palm to his forehead, closing his eyes, and Hakoda began smiling widely Aang cringed, debating if he should try to back peddle or not. But after debating with himself for what felt like an eternity, he decided to just come clean and go with it. "I'm sorry, I didn't actually mean to bring it up here… It's just that you were yelling and Hakoda- I mean Chief Hakoda, sir- was staring at me with that look on his face and Zuko was just over there smirking and I just… panicked. But…" He met Hakoda's eyes, knowing that he was mostly likely going to be met with doubt and resistance, understanding that completely. "I absolutely meant it. I love Katara, more than anything in the world. I realize that I have so much to make up for, and I know that I've made mistakes. But I will spend every day of my life working to become the man she deserves. I'll do everything in my power to make her happy, and I will love and support her endlessly."
At first, Sokka's expression was unreadable, but he and Hakoda looked at each other, having a silent conversation between the two men. Aang's heart was thundering in his chest and he swallowed hard, trying to discretely wipe his palms on his robes. When the warrior turned back to Aang his expression remained unreadable at first, but after a few torturous seconds he broke out into a wide grin. "It's about time! I always knew you two would end up together!" Sokka said, reaching his arm out and grabbing Aang's shoulder, pulling him into a hug. "You've always been a brother to me, this just brings you one step closer. My sister is her happiest self when she's with you. Thank you for bringing that back to us."
Both of them started tearing up slightly, when the chief cleared his throat, regaining the men's attention. Aang audibly gulped, pulling away from Sokka and moving to stand in front of Hakoda. The man looked him up and down, his expression completely hidden and unreadable. The monk was sure the chief could tell he was trembling. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind. He knew that when it came down to it, Katara lived her own life, and would do whatever she wanted to do. But he truly had come to look at Hakoda as a father to him, so knowing that he approved meant so much to Aang. Finally, the man broke into a smile. "I agree with my son. You're family, Aang, and I'm so glad you and my daughter found your way back to each other. I know that you have to work on forgiving yourself, but we know that what happened wasn't either of your faults. You both bring out the best in each other." Aang smiled, sniffling slightly, before throwing his arms around the man in a tight hug. The chief let out a laugh, hugging him back and saying in a voice that was raw with emotion, "You two remind me of myself and Kya when we were your age.
Emotion rose in the young man's throat and he found his eyes brimming with tears. He pulled back, smiling brightly at the man in front of him. He knew how much of a compliment that was, coming from him and he couldn't be more grateful for it. Here he was, uncertain the Hakoda didn't completely hate him, so to hear that… it was more than he could ever ask for. Loving Katara was more than he could ever ask for, and he knew that he wouldn't ever let it slip away again. He looked over to Zuko, who smiled brightly at him, giving him an awkward 'thumbs up' causing laughter to bubble up from his chest.
The moment, completely came to a halt, however, when Mai popped her head out from behind the entrance of the tent. "Sokka, it's time for you to come in here," was all she said, and without even a seconds hesitation, the warrior ran right in.
The remaining men looked at each other with anxious anticipation. They fell completely silent, all of them holding their breath without realizing it. Until finally, the wondrous sound of an infants cry rung out, and all of them let out an amazed breath, laughing in excitement. Aang grabbed onto Hakoda's shoulder in congratulations, pulling him into another hug. The excited grandfather wiped away tears, before extending his arm out to include Zuko in their hug. The firebender looked unsure, and extremely awkward, but eventually gave in and joined the celebratory embrace.
Eventually, Mai came back, smiling widely, shocking Aang and Hakoda, but bringing an even bigger smile to Zuko's face. "The parents say that you can come in now, if you're ready."
The group looked at each other, nodding their heads and smiling before following Mai into the tent. The new parents were absolutely glowing, the new baby cradled in Suki's arms. The couple smiled up at each other brightly, before Sokka leaned down and kissed his wife passionately. Everyone waited, tears in their eyes for couple to tell them more about the little bundle of joy that they were holding. Sokka looked up, meeting everyone's expectant stare before smiling. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you officially to my son, Amaruq. Future warrior." The group laughed, calling out their congratulations and greeting the new little life.
Aang looked over to Katara, who looked absolutely exhausted, but positively thrilled. She made some comment to Suki about how she had always known it was going to be a boy, causing a ripple of laughter throughout the tent. Suki and Sokka shared a glance, before the new mom nodded. Sokka walked around the table and took his son into his arms, before walking over to his sister. "Aunt Katara, would you like to be the first one to hold him?" The waterbender looked shocked, before smiling so brightly Aang thought that the son could take a break and no one would be able to tell the difference. She nodded enthusiastically, reaching out her arms and letting Sokka place Amaruq in them.
The avatar's heart felt like it was about to burst through his chest, watching her hold a baby. The way that it came so naturally to her, like it was second nature awoke something deep within him and he felt overwhelmed be it for a moment. Zuko leaned over to him, "Katara looks pretty good like that."
The waterbender looked up, across the room, making direct contact with Aang's eyes and smiling, and Aang knew that he was done. There was no going back. She was his life-force, and he wouldn't change that for anything in the world. Absolutely nothing. "That'll be us one day," he told his friend, meaning every single word of it.
The weeks seemed to fly by for Katara. Her ankle was almost healed, it just got a little sore from time to time if she did too much on it. Her arm felt better than ever and her ribs were only lightly tinged with the fading of bruises. Her days seemed to all blend together, a wonderful concoction of helping Sokka and Suki with Amaruq, and spending time with Aang. The new parents were overwhelmed with support and Hakoda and GranGran were doing their best to convince her to take some time for herself, reminding her that though they knew she had an incredibly caring heart, she needed to let herself heal from the trauma.
The sentiment was being echoed by the wonderful man whom the water tribe princess happened to be curled up against, her head nuzzled perfectly in the crook of his neck. She peppered little kisses right behind his ear and he squirmed slightly, trying not to let her tickle him as much. "Hey, tickle me all you want," the monk replied, trying to look serious, though the laughter was leaking out into his voice, "but the bottom line is that you know I'm right. We could stop at the Air Temple first, so you can see all the changes that I made to it. Then maybe the Earth Kingdom to see Toph! Then the Fire Nation and see Zuko and Mai again! Sokka and Suki have all the help that they could possibly need. If we travel now we can be back in just a few months. Amaruq is young enough that he won't even remember you being gone, so you won't miss any bonding time with him. And…" the Avatar flipped her over, pulling a peel of laughter from her throat before he pressed soft little kisses all over her face. "We could have some bonding time of our own."
The girl laughed, swatting him with her hand, causing him to laugh as well before rolling to the side and perching his head on his hand, staring down at her. The love reflecting in his eyes was convincing, but she also knew that they had to have a conversation before they went galavanting across the world. "Okay, okay I hear you. But there's something that we need to talk about first…"
The monk stilled, and she could see worry cross into his eyes. "What is it, Sweetie?"
She felt the seriousness creep into her features and tried to soften them. It was a conversation that she had put off for far too long. She was just so busy with the baby and things seemed to be going so well between her and Aang that she didn't want to screw it up. But she had to get answers if they were going to keep moving forward. "Why didn't you tell me about what I did to Tulok?"
Aang's eyes widened so much it would have been comical, if it weren't such a serious topic. He clearly was not aware that she knew, though deep down he thought that he should have figured it out. He sighed, sitting up and pulling her with him, so they were sitting across from one another. "Katara… I'm sorry, you're right. I should have been up front with you about it, it's just… you were so weak when we first brought you back, Sweetie, I didn't want anything to get in the way of your healing. And after that, well… I'll admit, I was being a bit of a coward." He took one of her hands in both of her, rubbing soothing circles into the back of it. "I was afraid that you would blame yourself, which you shouldn't. Humans aren't meant to merge with spirits like that. Only the Avatar is. Honestly, Katara, there's a chance that Tulok was dead before you two even dueled, depending on when he combined with Isumak. There's no way for us to know, so please don't blame yourself."
Katara let out a shaky breath, not realizing how badly she needed him to tell her that it wasn't her fault. She felt the tears fill her eyes and she looked down, not wanting him to see. "Do you… do you see me differently, now that…"
Before she could even finish the sentence his hands were cupping her cheeks pulling her face up to look at his. Eyes grey eyes looked like electric, and she let out a little gasp. When he spoke his voice was raw with emotion that he wasn't trying to hide from her, "Katara… I see you differently every single day. I don't think you realize how incredible you are. Every day you do something new, that shows me another beautiful part of you. Every day you remind me of the good that's in people. Every day when you look at me and smile I fall more and more in love with you. So yes, I look at you differently, but baby, always for the better. Nothing you have done has made me think less of you, and I don't think anything ever will. Even if you were in completely control, and even if you had killed him on purpose, Katara… I don't think I could have blamed you. I think I honestly would have killed him, too, given the chance. But the fact of it is, you weren't in control, it wasn't your fault, and you didn't kill him. So please, don't think I would ever love you less. Because it's simply not possible."
The girl was openly crying as she reached her hands up to lay over his. She leaned her forehead against this, soaking up his love and strength and letting it wash over her. After a few minutes, she pulled back, looking deeply into his eyes. "After the duel I was in the spirit world. Some kind of state between the living and the dead I think. The Painted Lady was there, but… so was my mom." She could see the shock flicker over the boys face as he silently encouraged her to continue. "She told me to forgive myself, which has really helped me come to terms with it, but she also told me…" the girl had to pause to clear her throat, a lump of emotion welling up in it, "she told me to find my smile again. But Aang, I knew from the moment that you came back into my life that no matter what I would face or go through… you would always be my smile." His eyes flashed around her features, drinking her in before crashing his lips back to her in the most passionate kiss they had shared in years. When they finally parted she flashed a watery grin at her love, passion dancing in her eyes. "Ask me again, Aang."
The airbender laughed, clearing his throat. "Katara, of the southern water tribes. I love you, with everything that I am. Will you do me the honor of exploring the world with me, just like when we first met, so we can start our very own 'second beginning'?"
Her melodic laugh floated through the house and she nodded her head. "I love you, too, more than I can describe. I would be absolutely honored. But I have to ask, why 'second beginning'? Why not 'new beginning'?"
He grinned at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and once again cupping her cheek. "I like 'second beginning' because 'new' to me means a clean slate and forgetting everything that we've been through. Good or bad I never want to forget a single second with you."
The girls heart melted, and she leaned in for another heated kiss. And that's where they stayed for the rest of their day. A tangled mess of limbs, embracing one another, kissing, talking, planning, and loving. And bit by bit they dreamed up the start of their second beginning.
The end.