A/N: This is coming a lot later than intended, but here it is. And if anyone is concerned about me ever abandoning the story, I promise that that will never happen. Enjoy!

Katara's new relationship with Aang couldn't have gotten off to a better start. As his girlfriend, Katara got to see every aspect of what made Aang truly one of a kind.

First, there was Avatar Aang. This is what the public saw. Avatar Aang had the charm to make every girl's knees go weak and the charisma to be the leader the world desperately needed after 100 years of senseless violence. Despite being easier going than one would expect an Avatar to be, Avatar Aang was a man whose presence was instantly felt once he entered the room.

Then you had Aang the airbender. This is what people who knew Aang on a personal level saw. Aang the airbender was a goofy guy and who was always the life of the group. He also had the unique gift of pushing people's button's just far enough to show people a good time without becoming annoying. Although Sokka wasn't the biggest fan of his the first time he dropped a fruit pie on the top of his head.

Finally, there was Aang the boyfriend which only Katara had the privilege of knowing. At least she assumed that was the case otherwise there would be a new Avatar born in one of the Water Tribes. This Aang wasn't too different than the one his friends knew. He was goofy, somehow always full of energy despite his workload, and a total romantic sap.

Even though they were already together, it didn't stop him from using cheesy pickup lines to try and impress her. The most recent example was when they were taking a ride on Appa for a casual stroll.

"No wonder the sky is gray today," Aang said softly looking at her, "all the blue is in your eyes."

After recovering from her facepalm, she looked at his hopeful expression waiting for her response. She sighed and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "You're lucky you're so adorable otherwise I'd have to break up with you."

"That bad?"

"You thought it was good?"

"Maybe."

"You're a dork, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know that. But according to my girlfriend I'm adorable so I think that makes up for it."

She chuckled lightly and placed her head on his shoulder. With each day that went by, she was closer to admitting to herself that she was in love with the airbender. Since they had only been dating for about a month, it was still too soon to draw that conclusion, but the overwhelming feelings she had for Aang were undeniable.

The physical stuff that went on between the two of them behind closed doors didn't hurt either. He couldn't keep his hands off her if he tried and she wasn't any different. They both knew that this stage of the relationship wouldn't last forever, and they made sure to make the most of it.

Finding alone time was rather easy thanks to Appa and Aang's island. She still had no idea what the island was for, but for now, it was used for what they told Sokka was waterbending practice. Technically, that was true as waterbending was performed. However, waterbending practice normally lasted longer than a few minutes and it would never involve Katara riding her partner like an ostrich horse.

"Can I ask you something?" Aang said after one of their "waterbending" sessions. They were cuddled up together beneath a rock tent Aang bended for them.

"Shoot."

"How come you didn't have a boyfriend or husband when you got here?"

"Why? Are you trying to get rid of me already?" she teased.

"Seriously. It makes no sense to me. You're smart, a fierce warrior, pretty, what more could a guy ask for?"

"Just because you like me so much doesn't mean everyone else has to."

"I know that, but if a guy felt half of what I feel for you I'm sure they would do anything to be your boyfriend."

"It's not like I haven't been in any relationships before. It's just that… they didn't go anywhere. I don't need to be in a relationship for me to be happy, so I haven't been in one in a while. If I didn't think this had any chance of going anywhere than I wouldn't be here with you."

"That's good to know," he said with a smirk causing Katara to giggle into his neck.

"What about you? I'm sure the Avatar has no shortage of eligible bachelorettes. Why were you still on the market?"

"That's just it. Finding someone for the Avatar is easy. The trick is to find someone for Aang and I've learned that has been quite the task."

"That's silly," Katara said passionately. "I guarantee that isn't true." She felt weird trying to convince her boyfriend that there are other girls out there that would love to be in the position she was in, but she genuinely felt it was ridiculous for him to say something like that.

"I'm telling you it is true. Being the Avatar will always overshadow everything I am including being the last airbender and I've accepted that. The problem is that it's impossible to form a meaningful connection with someone if they view me as the Avatar who happens to be a man instead of a man who happens to be the Avatar."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, if you weren't the Avatar, there would be no way I'd be into you," she said playfully causing Aang to snicker.

He rolled on top of her and stared lustfully down at her. "Then I guess I better give you the special Avatar treatment," he said huskily before capturing her lips with his.

While Aang said they didn't have to sneak around when it came to their relationship, it kind of happened anyway. During the days at the council, it was business as usual for the most part. Everyone knew that Aang and Katara already established themselves as great friends since her arrival and he would always stop by her office for a quick chat. What they didn't know was that he would now spend a few extra minutes longer than usual exploring Katara's mouth with his tongue.

It started innocently with Katara unconsciously giving Aang a kiss on the lips after one of their chats. She scolded herself for being so careless. When it happened again the next day, Aang deepened it and she made no effort to stop him.

Katara heard from some of her friends from back home how their boyfriends would sneak into their rooms in the middle of the night for a quick make out session. She didn't understand the point of that as she felt the risk of being caught would ruin the enjoyment.

Now that she was experiencing something similar during Aang's "visits", she understood what they were saying. They almost got caught a few times and each time it sent electricity throughout her entire body. While they weren't doing anything wrong technically, they knew it wasn't best to use work hours for playtime. But it never affected their work and it never would, so it wasn't harming anyone.

The one person who was on to them was Jin and they had no one to blame but themselves for it. The ironic thing about it was there was no extracurricular activities that day and Aang was only in her office to discuss a trade agreement regarding the Southern Water Tribe.

"Hey Katara," Jin said while stepping into her office. "I got some documents that need your signature."

"Thanks. You can just put them on my desk."

Jin smiled and strolled past Aang who was sitting in the chair in front of the desk. She placed the documents down and noticed something strange on the Avatar.

"Aang, you got something on your neck," Jin said and pointed to the right side of his neck.

He adjusted his collar to take a better look and to Katara's horror, it was a massive hickey. One thing Katara hated to admit about her friendship was Jin was that she liked to gossip with her. Normally, Katara hated gossip, but for some reason, she loved it with Jin. Needlessly to say, Jin was a woman who was a bit nosey just like her and she wouldn't be the first one Katara would turn to to keep a secret.

"Did I get it?" he asked while wiping the area with his fingers thinking it was something left over from lunch.

Jin tried her best to contain her giggles when she realized what it was. "I think someone's been lucky recently."

"Huh?" He turned to Katara whose eyes were as big as dinner plates watching this whole exchange. That was enough for Aang to understand what Jin was talking about.

"Oh you mean that? It's not what you think," he said nervously while rubbing the top of his bald head. "It's actually a funny story. I got this from a… from a… from a…"

Aang was good at a lot of things but lying on the spot wasn't one of them. It would've been too torturous to see him stutter like a buffoon for any longer so Katara decided to take matters in her own hands.

"A training accident!" she blurted.

"What?" Jin and Aang both said simultaneously. Katara shot Aang a look praying he would just go along with this story.

"I mean yes," Aang said while trying to regain his composure. "An unfortunate training accident. I was uh trying a new bending move and lost focus. But as you can see, I'm ok."

"A training accident?" Jin asked. Katara could see the wheels turning in her head as she eyed the two suspiciously. "What type of training were you doing to get hurt in that area?"

Katara immediately responded with earthbending while Aang immediately said waterbending. They both internally cringed as this was turning into a disaster. Katara at this point was willing to tell Jin as there was no way she was buying what Aang or Katara were giving her.

"Oh I see what's going on," Jin said with a devious smile causing Aang and Katara to wait on eager breath for Jin to out their secret. "You're dating someone and are trying to keep it a secret and you've been going to Katara to get advice!"

Katara thanked the Spirits that Jin's analytical skills weren't her strong suit. While it pained her to not tell Jin the truth, it wasn't the right time for their relationship to become public knowledge.

"I'm so happy for you Aang!" Jin continued and brought him in for a hug. "Katara, you have no idea how many times I've tried to set him up with some of my friends. Whoever this mystery girl is, she must be really special."

"She is," Aang replied proudly with a smile.

Katara did her best not to beam at him for his genuine response. Fortunately for them, Jin left it at that and told them she wouldn't let his secret out. Unfortunately for them, Katara blew their cover a mere few hours later and Jin was easily able to solve the puzzle.

During a meeting, Jin caught Katara undressing Aang with her eyes while he was addressing the room. The worst part about it was that Katara's presence was completely unnecessary. The meeting involved Earth Kingdom related business and Katara was the only non-Earth Kingdom person in attendance. As a new Councilwoman, Katara always attended these meetings anyway as she wanted to not only get used to how things operated, but also to demonstrate how committed she was to her job.

Once the meeting was over, Jin dragged Katara back to her office to confront her.

"You need to be more careful Katara," Jin teased with a sly grin. "For a second, I thought you were going to pounce on him in front of everybody."

Katara sighed in defeat. "I know, it was stupid. I'm sorry we lied to you earlier. It's just that-,"

"Don't apologize," Jin interrupted. "I get it. You guys are just starting out in this relationship and don't want it to be in the spotlight yet. I promise I won't say a word to anybody."

"Thanks, that means a lot."

"So… the Avatar huh?"

Most of their friends had a good idea of what was brewing between the two before they told them. Zuko had already seen with his own two eyes what occurred at the celebration and as Aang's best friend, Aang just flat out told him. The Fire Lord wasn't much for gossip so they wouldn't have to worry about him exposing their relationship before they wanted to. Although, he would later admit to Aang that he let it slip to Mai who could care less given where she was in her pregnancy.

Azula was a different story. Just like at the celebration, she was able to manipulate Katara into admitting that her and Aang were officially an item without even realizing it during one of their sparring sessions. Katara made a mental note that if she ever wanted to have someone expose a secret, Azula would be the first one she would go to for help.

Toph was able to pick up Aang and Katara's heartbeats at a group dinner. She was too hungover to remember what was going on at the celebration, but immediately gave a knowing smirk to Aang at the dinner. When she had a chance to confront the two of them, she teased them relentlessly. Mostly Katara by telling her how she could date someone so feminine. Katara was about to blurt out to Toph just how manly Aang was in the bedroom but thought better of it.

Suki caught Aang giving Katara a goodbye kiss at her house when she stopped by to see Sokka. She squealed in delight and pulled the two of them in a hug. Because she sat at a different table than them during the celebration, she had no idea about the dance as she was so invested in her conversations with the other Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka. Instead of visiting Sokka like she intended, she ditched him and took Aang and Katara out to dive into all the details.

As far as her brother, he was surprisingly indifferent to her relationship with Aang. When they were younger, he would always sniff out any potential boys that were interested in her and vet them to make sure they wouldn't cause any trouble. With Aang, there was none of that.

He had to know they were dating as he would come home and see them cuddled up together on her sofa from time to time. Yet, he didn't say a peep. It was almost bothering her so she decided to confront him about it when she saw him enter the kitchen while she was making breakfast.

"You know Aang and I are dating right?"

He chuckled at her as he let out a long yawn from just waking up. "Of course I know. I might be dumb, but I'm not stupid."

"Why haven't you said anything about it then?" she asked him bluntly.

He gave her a puzzled look. "Do you want me to say something?"

"It's not that I want you to, but you always have before."

"Yeah, when we were younger," he replied and took a seat in one of the chairs in the kitchen. "You're 24 now. I think the big brother stamp of approval card has run its course."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I don't care who you date as long as they make you happy," he stated simply. "And besides, I like Aang. We've become friends and I can tell he's a good guy."

She let out a snort at that last bit of information. "If only you could've had that insight ten years ago when you 'banished' him from our tribe."

"Ugh," he groaned in annoyance and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many times have we had this conversation? What's done is done."

"I know, I'm just teasing," she said as she handed him a plate. "It just reminds me to never trust your instincts."

"Hey! My instincts have come in handy plenty of times!"

"Keep telling yourself that," she muttered under her breath.

"I will keep telling myself that thank you very much," he huffed.

"By the way, how are things going with Suki?"

Instantly, his sour mood was brightened by the sheer mention of the Kyoshi Warrior. "Really good," he said with a satisfied sigh. "Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask you a favor."

The cup of tea that was heading towards her mouth froze. "What kind of favor?" Nine times out of ten, when Sokka needed a favor, it was because he did something horrible.

"I know the plan was for me to head back home once my training is over, but I've been thinking of staying on a more… permanent basis. I was kind of hoping I can continue to stay here."

"That's the favor?" Katara asked which prompted Sokka to nod. "Of course you can stay here. This place is more than big enough for the two of us."

Sokka instantly leapt from his seat and gave Katara a big kiss on her cheek. "You're the best!"

"I know," she responded with a shrug. "What do you plan on doing for work while you're here?"

"I've been talking with Aang recently and he's mentioned that the city is looking for a new City Attorney as the current one is retiring."

"Wait, Mao is retiring? How come I didn't know about this?"

"Maybe he doesn't like you. Anyway, Aang arranged a meeting between us and it went really well. He told me the position is mine if I want it."

"That's wonderful Sokka. You'll be great as our City Attorney."

"Look at us," he said happily. "Two kids from the Southern Water Tribe making a name for ourselves in the big city. Life can't get much better than this, huh on sis?"

"Nope. It really can't."

Loud, obnoxious knocking woke Katara up early the next day. It was a Saturday and she loved sleeping in any chance she got. She cursed under her breath the entire walk to the front door and was ready to freeze whatever idiot had the audacity to come to her home at this hour.

She opened the door and saw a messenger boy holding a scroll.

"Is there a reason you are here so early?" she spat venomously. She knew the poor kid was just doing his job, but waking her up this early was committing treason in her eyes.

"I'm sorry miss," he replied shyly, "but I was instructed to deliver this to you or Sokka immediately."

Katara snatched the scroll from him and saw that it was from her father. Her eyes widened as she knew this couldn't have been good. She waited for the messenger to leave before she began to read it.

Katara and Sokka,

Gran Gran suffered a heart attack. The damage was catastrophic and she is currently in a coma. The healers have informed me that there isn't anything they can do and she doesn't have a lot of time left. I wish I had better news for the two of you and I know how close both of you were to her. Please come home as soon as possible.

Love,

Dad

When she finished reading the letter, she crumpled to the ground. It took a few moments for the shock of the news to settle in before the tears started to flow furiously down her cheeks. She knew when she accepted this role that sooner or later, this day would come. She never imagined it would be this soon after she left as Gran Gran was in as good as health as one could be in her advanced age.

She wasn't sure how long she was in this position when she heard her brother groggily walk towards her from his bedroom.

"What are you doing on the ground?" he asked with a chuckle. His smile turned into a frown when he saw the tears on her face. She handed him the scroll of the dreadful news and heard a sharp gasp from him.

He rolled the scroll back to its original form, tucked it into one of his pockets, and brought Katara up to her feet. "I – I'm going to get us two tickets for the earliest ship back home. Ok?"

Katara could only nod as her body still felt numb. She stole a glance at her brother and saw that his eyes were watery from failing to try to hold back his own tears. She slowly brought him in for a hug to silently tell him that it was ok to let it all out and he didn't need to put up a front for her. As they stood in their embrace, she could feel his tears running into her hair. After a minute, he gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head and was off to get their tickets.

Katara immediately went to work on packing both for herself and her brother. She wasn't sure how long they would be in the South Pole so she played it safe and packed much more than they would probably need.

Next, she went ahead and began writing letters to get some of her business affairs settled. While she was sure that everyone would understand why she had to head back home on such short notice, the world wouldn't stop for her. It was difficult to concentrate on what to write as all her thoughts were filled with memories of her grandmother. Eventually, she was able to put ink to paper and get everything sorted out. She sent out a messenger hawk to send someone over to deliver her letters to the right people.

Not long after, her brother returned with two tickets as promised. The only problem was that the ship wouldn't depart for another six hours. It was practically torture for the siblings to sit and try to will time to move faster. Each minute that ticked by was another minute closer to Gran Gran's passing. Given that it took a week to get back to the Southern Water Tribe, the chances of seeing their grandmother one last time were already slim.

After a few hours of dreadful silence, a knock came at the door. Katara had no energy to get up and answer it, so she simply muttered a "come in" just loud enough for whoever was at the door to hear.

Aang walked in with his usual cheerful attitude and it reminded Katara that he was going to take her out for a picnic. When he saw the bags beside her and Sokka, he understood that something was wrong.

"What's going on?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"It's our grandmother," Sokka answered. "She suffered a heart attack and… and she isn't going to make it."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm assuming you're headed to the Southern Water Tribe as soon as possible?"

"Yeah," Sokka replied with a defeated sigh. "The ship departs in a couple hours."

"Take Appa."

"What?!" the siblings shrieked in unison.

"You'll be able to get there way faster on Appa."

"We couldn't ask that of you," Sokka said.

Katara had the same reaction. Everyone on the planet knew how special the bond the Avatar had with his animal guide. As much as she wanted to get to the South Pole in a hurry, she'd rather not separate the two surviving members of the Air Nation from one another.

"Please," Aang replied and walked over to Sokka to hand him the bison whistle. "I insist."

Sokka hesitantly took it and examined it for a few moments before looking back at Aang. "Are you sure?

"100 percent."

That was all the convincing Sokka needed as he wrapped Aang into a bear hug and grabbed their bags and headed out the door.

"I'll make sure Appa is well taken care of," Katara said once Sokka was outside.

"I know you will," Aang replied and offered his hand to her. "Come on, let's get you to the South Pole."