And here is the final chapter of this fic, where we wrap up the discussion of life and death. With the topic of illness and death, we have to end it with the next step of the life cycle. Yes, it means the creation of a new life, of which Aang and Katara will have to engage in some explicit behaviours. Please note that due to FFN's policy, I can only include the SFW version here. If you want to see the NSFW, explicitly sexual version of this chapter, please visit my AO3 site and read it there.

Warning: NSFW scenes will not show up explicitly, but there will be a lot of physical intimacy here. No penetration or other overly sexual conduct is shown, but enough of it is mentioned to suggest it occurring. Please turn back if this makes you uncomfortable, otherwise I will not be held accountable for how you react.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.


"I just want to say that it's been an honour to have you serve your final term as a medical student at our facility," Shung stated, shuffling Katara's evaluation papers on his desk. With this being Katara's final day, they had to finish the paperwork to be delivered back to Katara's home university. "And for your medical skills, I definitely say you passed with flying colours."

Katara smiled. "Thanks, Shung," she responded, brushing some hair away from her forehead. She too shuffled a couple of pages around, but paid particular focus on one. "I actually want your evaluation on my personal reflections, because I feel like this goes beyond what I learned as a physician. Do we have time to look into this?"

"For sure, but let me get the medical forms done first," Shung reassured Katara, scribbling some notes over her evaluation. He paid particular attention to Katara learning about the traditional Air Nomad medicine skills, including touring the herbal baths and the pills production centre. "And of course, who can forget your first impromptu surgery, where you had a hand in saving the life of a young hemophilia patient?"

Katara chuckled. Thanks to Aang's talk with her, she managed to calm down a bit. Seeing Aang explain certain Air Nomad customs gave Katara some context about that surgery, which provided her work life with a new perspective. Aang was right in that Katara's job was to preserve and protect life, and a beating heart was the most important thing in mind. Moreover, Air Nomad beliefs in valuing life meant having compassion for others, including discarding some traditions if it threatened life. It only made Katara treasure the living even more.

Turning back to the page, Katara watched as Shung signed off on the final page. "With this done, all we have to do is send an electronic copy back to your dean," the abbot explained, capping his pen and placing it down, "Now, you were hoping for some assistance with the personal reflection? I guess this is related to the impromptu surgery, yes?"

Katara nodded. Sliding the personal reflection form out, she showed her supervisor the sections in question. "A lot of these experiences in the hospital actually go together with the personal experiences I had here," the water bender described, going through the tours she did outside the hospital. These include seeing the Yang Chen's Festival, the publication centre, and even the tattooing room for new air bending masters. "I want to see how I can weave those experiences into how I really view my medical experience here in the past month."

Shung took off his glasses and gently wiped the lenses with a cloth. Placing them back on, he took the sheet and pulled it closer to him. "How do you want to weave your experiences into this?" he asked, "I know you keep saying you have a new perspective on life and death, but are there particular things that happened during this internship that gave you that perspective?"

"Let's just start from the beginning, when I first saw you bring in that family of Air Nomads," Katara recalled, still remembering the scene when that big group marched into the prayer room, "You explained that they were there to support the loved one, and I told you that I feel the patient was very fortunate to have that happen to him. Even with Air Nomads having very little personal effects, their actions filled the patient's heart, and that's worth a lot more."

Shung nodded. "You're exactly right, and that ties in with the Air Nomad views of emptiness and letting go of things," he added, scribbling some notes on his notepad and showing that to Katara, "Our compassion for people is both a complement and an opposite to the idea of relinquishing possessions, but I believe you found some wisdom relating to this."

"That's right, and that came directly from my husband," Katara pointed out, recalling Aang's comments about being imperfect. Aang wanted to spend more time living a fulfilling but imperfect life rather than fretting about perfection and becoming unhappy. "By letting go of his need for perfection, Aang can enjoy what he has. It's like how I approach my patients with the idea that they can only make improvements to managing health, rather than seek perfection health. No one wants to be hospitalized, but it's my job to heal them and guide them."

Katara scrolled down to the bottom of the page, where she looked at personal reflections of the traditions surrounding her facility. The first thought was definitely Yang Chen's Festival, where she saw the admiration for Yang Chen. However, it was her observation of the children at that time that changed her views the most. "Seeing those kids enjoy themselves with only a few possessions, all the while knowing that medical techniques are not like what I'm used to back in Republic City, that definitely brought home how important my role is," Katara announced.

Shung nodded again. "And sometimes, it's difficult not to be afraid of confronting life and death. Even with Air Nomads who try their best to shed personal possessions, they still have connections to others that they care deeply about," Shung added, his finger jabbing at a specific point on the page, "That's why part of the Heart Sutra becomes important, as the more an Air Nomad can identify and relinquish things bringing them emptiness, the more likely they can escape from the cycle of suffering that may entrap them indefinitely."

"But of course, there are differences in how we reach enlightenment. Yang Chen herself said there's no one way to do it, and we're at liberty to discard ineffective methods if we can come up with more effective methods," Katara recollected, scribbling more notes on the page, "Sweetie took us to an Air Nomad debate forum and that opened my eyes. It only taught me to always better myself by seeking new medical knowledge and sharing that with everyone."

"And the best example of that would have been the impromptu surgery, where you did that for the first time ever," Shung concluded, clasping his hands on his desk and glancing at Katara with a serene smile, "Of course you were nervous about it, and I'm glad Aang has been so supportive of you. But if you look back at the surgery now, what did you learn from a medical perspective, and how did that affect your personal growth here?"

Katara mulled over that for a minute before answering. "I think it reminds me of something Gyatso said in a videoconference with Aang and me," she recalled, thinking of the exact details, "Gyatso told us about the story of Tang Xu, who was a mix of stubborn and dedicated. He spent all his time fasting on an island, trying to attain his truth. And once he reached that, he wasn't afraid to share that with the world."

"And to an extent, you're sharing your knowledge with the world. By practicing your medical skills and healing so many patients, many people are beneficiaries to your skills," Shung pointed out, "You can even tie that in with what your husband is doing, with his international development efforts. If renewable projects are successful here, and we can expand both our medical facility and our ingredient production, then more people will benefit."

Katara smiled, finally able to pull every theme together. They were all connected in one way or another, with any separation being an illusion. She, along with Aang and the rest of their friends, should use their knowledge for good and not out of malice. But most importantly, they must treasure life and inspire their future generations to face life and death openly and bravely. It was a reality for every individual and their families, but being able to face life and death in such a manner was truly the most fortunate event for a person. It required both compassion and courage, and there was no other person Katara wanted to face that with except for Aang.


The smiles on Aang and Katara did not abate, even as they re-entered their residence. After an outstanding evaluation from Shung, Aang took Katara to the hot springs for another evening dip. Instead of life and death, the entire night was filled with a celebratory mood. "I'm surprised the phone access is good enough for me to get texts from everyone," Katara exclaimed.

Aang leaned over and saw Katara scroll through her phone again. Hakoda and Malina sent the first message, followed by Sokka and Suki. Pakku and Kanna were next, along with Gyatso. Toph, Zuko, and other friends sent individual texts. "I saw some from Haru and Teo, and also our two writer friends," Aang observed, "It's too bad none of them can be here."

Katara shrugged, readjusting the bag strap slung across her shoulder. Using her free hand, she pushed open their bedroom door and slowly sat down on their bed. "We can always celebrate when we get back," she responded, removing the bag filled with her clothes, "Besides, you think they won't all show up at my graduation? We'll have to do a lot of catering after that!"

Aang chuckled. Taking both his bag and Katara's bag, he sorted through the clothes and threw them into the laundry basket. "We should probably do one last clean before we check out," the air bender proposed, "We only have this weekend before heading home."

Katara nodded. Deep down, she would always treasure this place, even though she was a fish out of water more often than not. It greatly changed her points of view, both in terms of medical practice and outlook at life. She recalled telling Aang this before, but she resolved to remind Aang again that if they had children, she wanted this place to be a part of their lives.

"Sweetie, do you want to wash up for the night?" Aang asked, causing Katara to lift her eyes from her phone. Aang had removed all of his clothing except the swimsuit he wore at the hot springs. "I'll let you use the bathroom first if you want, and then we can get changed."

Katara placed her phone down and looked at her body. Like Aang, her swimsuit was underneath her regular clothes. For most of the month, Aang and Katara were involved in little physical intimacy, other than unbuttoning their tops and flashing each other. Given it was their last weekend here, and Aang was only in his Speedo, should they make these final days count?

Moistening her lips, Katara allowed her bold side to take over. "It won't be in the bathroom where I'll be undressing," she retorted, using some of the snark her brother was so famous for, "How about we wash up tomorrow after doing some risqué stuff tonight?"

Aang's eyes widened as Katara unbuttoned her top, slowly peeling it off in the most sensual way possible. She slid one hand across Aang's body and tossed the top into the laundry basket with her other hand. She then positioned herself right against Aang, pressing her bikini-covered breasts against Aang's bare torso. Placing her hands on Aang's shoulders, she slowly guided them both to the bed, seating them both down before planting her lips right on his.

Seeing his wife's audaciousness, Aang wasted no time reciprocating. He inserted his tongue into the kiss while his hands brushed against her bare midriffs. As he reached the denim shorts covering Katara's bikini bottom, Aang removed his lips from Katara's in time to obtain permission. "Am I allowed to take this off?" Aang inquired.

Katara smiled again. Shifting her body, she allowed him to remove the shorts and had him toss them to the laundry basket. That left her only in her white bikini, to which Katara lied on her back on the bed. "You can start first, Sweetie," Katara suggested, "I'm ready for you."

Aang straddled Katara's hips and leaned his body on top of hers. He resumed kissing her, all the while his hands landed on the two mounds. He kneaded them through her bikini top, allowing Katara's moans to echo through their kiss. Sensing Aang pressing harder onto her chest, Katara reached up and tapped Aang's shoulders. "Let me take the top off first," she stated.

Aang lifted his body slightly, allowing Katara to undo the strings around her neck and in the middle of her back. She pulled the bikini top off with a flourish, tossing the white fabric onto the ground and showing her bare breasts to Aang. In turn, Aang gently rubbed circles around the soft mounds. Seeing Katara's face light up in pleasure, Aang rubbed her nipples with his thumbs. While he did that, he buried his tongue between her breasts, giving the crevice a long lick.

That got Katara panting nonstop, which allowed Aang swipe his tongue down her breasts, all the while inching and pulling on Katara's nipples. He stopped after a few more licks, just to make sure Katara was alright. Letting her settle down, Aang pressed his lips against Katara's left nipple. He nibbled and sucked on it while his left hand played with Katara's right nipple.

That got Katara to emit more moans of pleasure, which was a signal to Aang to switch sides. Leaving Katara's left breast, Aang pressed his lips against Katara's right nipple, doing the same thing he did to her left nipple. His right hand now stroked Katara's left nipple, although the sensation was different given it was covered in his saliva. Still, the lubrication made it that much more exciting, and both Aang and Katara could not help but ask for more.

Aang then lifted his head off Katara's chest and travelled lower. While still feeling her nipples, Aang slid his tongue down Katara's midriffs. He paused at Katara's belly button and stuck his tongue in, swirling at the folds inside. That got Katara moaning even louder, her midriffs twitching and flexing in response. Aang continued licking her navel while rubbing her nipples for another minute before finally stopping, letting his wife recover from the highs of pleasure. "Did you like that?" he queried, lowering one hand and poking her navel with a finger.

Katara nodded while still hyperventilating. Aang just held her in place while allowing her to recover from her overload. Once Katara's breathing and heart rate levelled, she turned to her husband with a devious grin. "Are you ready for what I have in store for you?" she asked.

Before Aang could reply, Katara held their bodies close and rolled over. Now she was on top and his back was pressed against the mattress. Pushing her hands against Aang's pecs, Katara repeated Aang's previous motions back to him. She massaged the chest muscles and rubbed his nipples, sometimes pinching and pulling on them as well. Meanwhile, her lips went right for his sternum, kissing the hard bone from his collar to his diaphragm. Now Aang heaved his chest up and down, and Katara's hands were pushed along for the ride.

Katara then moved her lips down Aang's midriffs, half kissing and half licking down his flat abdominal muscles. She paused right above Aang's outie belly button, knowing it was his weak spot. Giving her husband a cute look, Katara stuck out her tongue and licked the protruding lump of flesh. That in turn caused all of Aang's muscles to tighten, the slightly creases on his midriffs becoming more prominent. The air bender let out several moans of his own, all the while his wife continued her combination of nipple and navel play on him.

Wanting to repeat Aang's actions, Katara placed Aang's protruding belly button between her teeth. She gently nibbled and pulled on it, all the while pinching his nipples with both hands. By now, Aang was so stimulated that he could barely say anything. He only threw his head back and waited it out, allowing the wave of pleasure to smother him. It was another minute or so before the trio of sensations, two on his chest and one on his midriffs, were gone. Still trying to catch his breath, he tiled his down in time to see Katara glance up with a cute smile. "I really enjoyed that, Sweetie," he declared between deep breaths, "Did you enjoy it?"

Katara grinned, lifting her body back up to his height. Despite this, she snaked one hand down to Aang's navel. She now pinched and pulled on his outie while gently pecking his lips with hers. "You know I always enjoy that," she stated, playing with the fleshy knot, "And if you let me share this moment with you, then I'll always give you my consent."


Aang finally opened his eyes after a long sleep, letting the sunlight seep through the blinds and onto the bed. Last night was his most intimate night with Katara yet, which served as a celebration of their achievements. Even though he wished their friends could be here, part of Aang did want to celebrate this alone with his wife, who deserved to be the centre of attention.

Aang turned to his left and could see his Sweetie already stirring, reaching across to the bedside table and grabbing her cellphone. "You're not concerned you'll post a topless shot of yourself online? Or do you want this to be part of our intimate collection?" he asked.

Katara glanced over and smiled back. "It's not like you're wearing a lot either," she retorted, tilting her head towards their lower bodies. Aang pulled the blanket to the side and exposed both their bodies. He still had his Speedo and she still had her bikini bottom, the same items they had on throughout their celebratory night. "But yeah, if you want, we can do a couple of intimate shots wearing only these, and then keep them on our phones."

"We'll see," Aang trailed off, rubbing his hand over his midriffs. He leaned his head over to Katara's phone and took a peek at her Instagram. Katara scrolled through their friends' photos, including those from Suki and Sokka. "I see they're enjoying Kyoshi Island," Aang observed.

Katara tilted her phone to the right, letting her husband see what Sokka and Suki were up to. "Apparently they have hot springs in Kyoshi Island as well, and those two also went soaking in them," Katara stated, pressing on Sokka's newer photos, "And believe it or not, Ty Lee was also there and they invited her to join. Did you know she was asked to be a guest coach for the Kyoshi Island junior gymnastics team? It looks like she'll be staying on the island for a while."

Aang placed both hands behind his head and looked on, watching Katara click the video section of Sokka's profile. Sokka put up a short video of Suki and Ty Lee doing some flips and somersaults near the hot springs. Both had on string bikinis, although Ty Lee's bikini bottom was more a thong than anything else. The spaghetti strings tied on the sides of their hips dangled and swung as they pranced around, making it quite the scene. "Maybe Suki and Ty Lee should do a synchronized gymnastics routine or something," Aang proposed.

Katara nodded. She went back to the main page and saw some of her other feeds. Zuko and Toph managed to reach the Southern Water Tribe, where Satoru met up with them. Oddly enough, Niyok and Nutha, two natives of the Southern Water Tribe who knew Katara from way back, were also there. "We reconnected after Sokka saw them at an engineering conference when they were all in university," Katara pointed out, "I believe they were at our wedding as well."

Aang nodded, but then he saw an image of someone that he didn't realize Katara still contacted. He remembered this person well, as she met Katara during water bending classes with Pakku. She was three years older than Katara and attended a different university, and Katara felt she formed a friendship with her due to their mutual interests. But after she graduated university, it was like she actively avoided any link with Katara. "Why do you still follow her?" he asked.

Katara scrolled back and her lips pursed into a line. Like Ty Lee and Suki, the young woman had on a string bikini, posing at a lake with some family members or friends. It was a variation of the purple bikini she wore at Kori's high school graduation party, except it was a lot more revealing. The top piece was tied behind her neck and back and barely covered her breasts, while the bottom piece was a thong with thin strings loosely tied at the hips. Katara always knew her former friend was more risqué in her swimsuits, but this was the most daring one so far.

Turning back to Aang, Katara exhaled before speaking. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to cut ties with her," the water bender explained, readjusting the grip on her phone, "I truly thought we were friends, but she kept ignoring me for years. I thought it may have been something I said or did, but she didn't reach out. She didn't even reply when I emailed her to congratulate her when she graduated university. I just want to keep the good memories, which is decreasing daily."

Aang loosened one arm and reached for Katara's far shoulder to pull her closer. "Sweetie, maybe the Heart Sutra may help. If this relationship brings you nothing but emptiness, then doesn't that make you suffer? It's now become a burden, which affects your mental health," he described, his eyes still on the photo on Katara's phone, "While it may hurt to release this friendship, continuing to seek an empty goal isn't the best option, so it's best to let go."

Katara's eyes tilted between the photo and Aang, her finger hovering over the screen but not pressing anything. "I guess you're right, and I did try to be as compassionate with her as I could," the future physician stated, "Maybe I should focus on bettering myself, or at least invest in those who are just as invested in me. I know Ty Lee is pretty apprehensive about cutting ties with Azula, even claiming that she still fears what Azula can do years after that. But seeing the latest video, she's now surrounded herself with a lot of positive influences, and that's what I want to do for myself as well. After all, those influences may increase if we have children."

Aang pulled Katara closer and kissed her temple again. "You don't have to decide now, but definitely give it some thought," the air bender stated, "And yes, if you end up becoming pregnant, the priorities change in a hurry. But in the meantime, do we want to shower first?"

Katara saw the devious grin on Aang's face and smile back. Placing her phone down, she linked her arm through Aang's and pulled them both up. They both padded into the bathroom, closing the door and immediately planting kisses on each other's faces. While their lips attached onto each other, their hands roamed to places that weren't touched the night before. Aang squeezed Katara's buttocks through her white bikini bottom, while Katara snaked one hand down the front of Aang's red Speedo and groped his sex organ through the thin fabric. That got their circulation and breathing rates higher, and their kissing became more desperate.

They separated just in time to go into the bathtub. Reaching for the faucet, they turned the shower on about halfway and allowed the water to soak their bodies. Aang wasted no time burying his face between Katara's breasts while massaging her nipples. It was a variation of what he did last night, except the running water made things more intense.

In the meantime, Katara placed her hands on Aang's back and ran them down his spine, tracing the entire length of the blue arrow until it disappeared into his Speedo. She dipped her thumbs into the back of the briefs and slowly rubbed the entire length of the waistband. In turn, the red fabric slowly lowered, showing more of Aang's buttocks to Katara.

Sensing Katara's hand, Aang lifted his head off his wife's chest. "Why don't we get rid of the last pieces of clothing first?" the air bender offered. He placed his hands on the front waistband of his red Speedo. "Should I take it off first, or do you want yours to go first?"

Katara placed her hands on her bikini bottoms and smirked right back at Aang. She might not like wearing as revealing a bottom piece as Ty Lee, Suki, or her former friend, but it didn't mean she wouldn't flirt with Aang about it. "How about we pull down together?" she replied.


Katara had not stopped smiling since she marched across that stage when her name was called. From when she shook the dean's hand to when she entered her front door, everything was just a blur. She could see her family and friends congratulating her, and then having dinner with them at a downtown reception, but she barely caught anything they said or did. Had it not been for Aang accompanying her all night, Katara probably would have passed out from excitement.

"Do you still want to be a graduate?" Aang queried, snapping Katara back to attention. The water bender tilted her head at her husband, who gestured at her body. "We're back home and in our bedroom now, and you didn't make any move to change out of your grad gown."

Katara took a gander at her body, and indeed the dark robes were still on. Her cap and several papers were placed on the bedside table. The only thing still in her hands was her medical degree. It was like she didn't believe she finally achieved it, and she kept holding it to remind herself that this was real. "You can wash up first, if you wish," she murmured to Aang.

Aang shot a small smile at Katara before grabbing his pyjamas from his drawer. He trotted into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving Katara alone in the bedroom. The sounds of the shower could be heard, which snapped Katara back to attention. She glanced at the degree in her arms, where "Katara Kuruk-Anil" was branded on the page above "Doctor of Medicine." After her stay at the Southern Air Temple and the pomp and ceremony, the result finally sunk in.

Adjusting her grip, Katara reached for her phone with her free hand. She scrolled through her texts and saw so many congratulatory messages, along with photos taken at the graduation ceremony and the reception. Hakoda, Malina, Kanna, Pakku, and Sokka all attended and sent photos. Gyatso, Suki, Zuko, Toph, Mai, and Ty Lee did the same. Some other friends she wasn't as close with were still invited, such as Haru, Teo, Kori, Sneers, and the two autistic writers. Heck, even Hana, Yihua, and their parents showed up. It reminded Katara how much she was supported, despite her concerns about not sharing the completion of her program at the temple.

"Sweetie, do you want to use the shower?" Aang called out again. Katara looked up to see her husband tossing his suit into the laundry bin. He was now in his pyjamas, and as usual, the top was completely unbuttoned. "I doubt you want to sleep in your grad gown."

Katara chuckled before placing down his items. "I just feel so blessed by being around such great people," the water bender explained, gesturing at her phone, "I know the Heart Sutra talks about emptiness and letting go, but my heart is full right now and I never want this to end."

Aang marched over and stood before his seated wife. He leaned down and pulled her head closer to him before planting a kiss on her temple. He then held her against his body, which in turn allowed Katara to wrap her arms around his waist. Savouring the moment and the feel of Aang's bare abs next to her face, Katara closed her eyes and relaxed her entire body. She would stay that way for another minute or so before getting up from the bed to fetch her sleepwear.

Pyjamas in hand, Katara entered the bathroom and closing the door. She removed the graduation gown and went into the shower. When she was on her phone earlier, she noticed her calendar outlining her menstrual cycle. Tonight and tomorrow were peak times for pregnancy, which was their best opportunity to try again. Given they agreed to have children at the wedding, Katara was surprised that they kept putting it off or didn't take it as seriously as they should.

After five minutes or so, Katara turned off the shower. She stepped out of the bathtub and went right to the sink. As she reached for her toothbrush, her thoughts returned to the Southern Air Temple. Despite confronting illness and death, the creation of life was just as important, which made her realize how rarely she and Aang performed penetrative sex. The joke between them was that they flashed more than penetrated each other, which was good for enjoyment but bad for pregnancy. To pass her wisdom to her children, it would start with pregnancy.

Copying her husband, Katara stepped into the bedroom with her top unbuttoned. On the bed, Aang organized Katara's papers and paid special attention to the degree. "Should we buy a special frame for this?" he asked, watching Katara toss the graduation gown into the laundry.

Katara nodded, but wanted to do her special thing first. "I don't know if you're aware, but the next day or two will be perfect for increasing the size of our family," she stated in an intentionally cryptic but funny way, "What say we really go all the way, starting with tonight?"

Aang rolled back to the right side of the bed, allowing his Sweetie to climb into her usual left side. "I know any sexual activities we did in the past year involve nearly zero penetration, so I wasn't sure if you wanted anything further," the air bender replied, rubbing a hand over his bald head while staring into his wife's blue orbs, "If you consent to it, then I will too."

Katara smirked, reaching out with one hand to cup Aang's chin. The other hand went straight for Aang's unbuttoned top, stroking down Aang's sternum between his pecs. "I'm telling you right now that you have my voluntary consent, and I take your earlier comment to be your voluntary consent as well," Katara described, "So which one of us should undress first?"

Aang grabbed the sides of his top and pulled it off completely, leaving him completely shirtless. That emboldened Katara to straddle his waist before pressing her hands on his pecs. She rubbed the chest and circled his nipples, gently pinching and pulling on the brown nubs. That put Aang in a state of bliss, to which Katara paused to remove her top and unclasp her bra. Tossing the items aside, she then stroked Aang's midsection with one hand. With her top hand rubbing on Aang's outie, Katara's bottom hand dipped into his waistband and pulled down.

Aang lifted his hips to let her remove the article of clothing, leaving him in his briefs. Aang wasn't sure what his wife had in mind, but he figured it was something more risqué than anything she attempted before. "Are you good with whatever it is that you want to do?" Aang asked, his eyes darting down nervously, "I'm ready if you are, but I want you to be okay with it."


Katara slowly opened her eyes to adjust to the sunlight seeping through the blinds. Stretching out her arms, Katara glanced to the right, noticing her husband was no longer in bed. Aang was completely naked, standing at the window and watching the sunrise. His lower body was not at level with the windows, good enough to avoid an indecent exposure charge!

"Good morning, Sweetie," Katara greeted Aang, all the while reaching for her phone. Last night's sexual activities were the most intense since their wedding, and Katara could feel it inside her long after Aang pulled out. Even so, it didn't stop her phone from pinging with more messages, and only now did Katara have enough energy to check the notifications.

"Good morning to you too," Aang replied, turning away from the window. He stood just in front of his side of the bed, planting his hands on his hips while serenely smiling at his wife. "How many more people contacted you about your graduation?"

"Quite a few, actually," Katara reported, scrolling through her phone once more. Of most important were Shung, Pasang, and Song, none of whom could make it. On top of that, she got texts from Niyok and Nutha, the two Southern Water Tribe sisters who did engineering with Sokka. "I also got messages from the two girls I taught water bending to, Siku and Sura."

"Yeah, I have some memory of those two. I believe they were at our wedding too, right?" Aang recalled, rubbing his bald head with a free hand, "I wonder if they're teaching anyone water bending? It felt like yesterday that you trained under Pakku, and now you're teaching."

Katara's eyes became downcast at the mention of water bending training. She should not be surprised, but there was no congratulatory message from her fellow water bending student. Even checking the online profiles, it was the same photo of her in a purple string bikini. It was like she didn't appear on social media at all to realize Katara's graduation.

Glancing up at Aang, who noticed her change in expression, Katara thought back to the Heart Sutra. Katara made time and effort to build the relationship, but clearly the other side didn't feel the same. This relationship was now a burden hindering her from bettering herself. Firming her resolve, Katara finally reached for the button that she should have pressed a long time ago, unfollowing her fellow water bender and removing all contacts of her from her phone.

Placing her phone back down, Katara placed full attention on a relationship she put effort into building. Aang truly and richly deserved her attention, and she would never take him for granted. "What did you think of our little act last night?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

Aang smiled back in return. Keeping his hands planted on his hips, he widened his stance even more. Aang wasted no time teasing her with it, shaking his entire pelvis at Katara. That got Katara crawling a lot closer, leaning her face right up to the sex organ. Tilting her head up, Katara could see Aang's chest heave up and down. "Come back to bed for a minute, because I have something special in mind for you," the water bender stated.

Aang took a gander at his wife hovering above him, and the tingling feeling rippled through him again. Feeling his mouth dry out again, he cleared his throat a couple of times before speaking. "What do you have in mind today?" the air bender asked, "You already did a pretty unique way of pleasuring me last night, so are you upping the ante?"


"Do we have everybody in the living room? If so, then we should begin soon," Aang declared, gathering his guests into the cramped living room. So many people visited his home for this event, and more could only join remotely. Thank goodness that Sokka was able to set up the laptop camera to get everyone in the shot, or the final announcement would not go well!

"I don't think we've had such a lively party since your wedding," Hakoda observed, sitting on a single-seated sofa with Malina. He had a hand on her waist, all the while squeezing them both into the too-narrow seat. "I guess the Air Nomad stereotype that they throw the best parties still come into play, which is always a good thing."

Hakoda and Malina glanced at Gyatso, who brought over a couple of plastic stools from the dining room. He sat down on one of them and invited another guest to sit on the other. "I'm just so happy for them," he stated to Hakoda, "After all, we're about to become grandparents!"

Iroh sat down on the stool next to Gyatso, with Zuko standing next to him. "You know, you're the first couple in your group of friends to have children," he remarked, "But then again, Aang and Katara have the longest relationship, and they're also the first to get married."

"I hope you're not pressuring me on that, Uncle," Zuko stated with a wry smile. Turning back to Aang and Katara, he gave them his blessing again. "I was Aang's friend since we were kids and his best man at his wedding. And even though I don't know Katara as long, I was happy to see their relationship grow. I'm so happy that you're willing to share this moment with me."

"And as Katara's maid of honour, I say the same thing," Suki chimed in, standing at the far end of the living room with Sokka's arm around her shoulder, "And even though Sokka and I are marrying soon, we'll also Aang's route and taking our time with deciding on pregnancy."

"And thank you for not pressuring me either," Sokka stated, planting a kiss on Suki's temple. Turning to the other single-seated sofa, he could see Pakku and Kanna squeezed into that chair. "And how does it feel to be great-grandparents in a few months, guys?" he asked.

Pakku and Kanna both sipped their after-dinner tea before smiling back at Sokka. "I can't wait to see the baby," Kanna announced, gently placing the cup back on the saucer in her hands, "And I already offered Aang and Katara babysitting hours, if they ever want our help."

"We'll definitely think about that when my maternity leave from the hospital is over, Gran Gran," Katara replied, slowly edging out of the hallway with Aang holding onto her. There was a visible bulge with Katara's midsection, and while it didn't hinder her mobility too much, she still had to be careful navigating the house. "But of course, we have to thank Toph for her baby reveal idea. Who could have thought to bend earthen materials in paint chips for a reveal?"

Toph shrugged, holding onto one of the confetti cannons while Aang set up the other. "Again, it's about thinking outside the box and understanding what works," she bluntly stated. Feeling Aang's footsteps, she handed over the cannon in her hands while keeping herself between them. "Paint pigment is made of ground-up rocks, and we included some with the confetti. So when Twinkle Toes lets it loose, I bend the chips into the air, and there's the reveal!"

Aang nodded. Glancing at the laptop screen, he made sure his virtual guests could see them. Those included Mai, Ty Lee, Haru, Teo, Kori, Sneers, the two autistic writers, and Hana and Yihua's family. "Let's count it down, alright?" he stated, kneeling down before the cannons. Katara stood between the two with Toph slightly behind her. "Five, four, three, two, one!"

Aang pulled both strings connected to the bottom of the cannons at the same time. Before long, two loud pops echoed through the room, and blue papers shot into the air. It was followed by Toph stomping her feet, causing blue paint chips to follow. As the in-person and virtual crowds all burst into applause, Aang could be heard shouting, "We're about to have a baby boy!"

Katara could feel tears of joy flow down her face, all the while the crowds cheered her on. Aang trotted up and gave his Sweetie a big hug, all the while Toph slugged their shoulders. "We have already proposed a name," Katara announced, "Bumi, after the candy store owner. With his crazy ideas and out of the box thinking, we hope our son will have those very skills."

As Aang and Katara caught each other in another fierce kiss, the entire group cheered once more. With how much they have achieved so far, it was truly a moment they deserved. Aang and Katara could now share all the wisdom they acquired with the next generation, and they knew that Bumi would be the first of many joys they were about to face in their lives.


And for the final chapter, here are my inspirations:

1.) Katara mentioned a water bender that she met when she was younger who she lost ties with. This is an OC based on a real-life person from one of my past stories. I can assure everyone, including my two guests, The Autistic Patriot and SaiorseParisa, that I was not referring to you. Unfortunately, what happened with Katara was exactly what happened to me. Still, it was a good way to make Katara apply the Heart Sutra in real life, hence the mention of this incident.

2.) Katara going to a party wearing a grad gown is also a real-life event. When I graduated high school, I was able to get my grad gown early. My family and I ended up celebrating at a Japanese restaurant known for their rowdy celebrations. When they reached our table to ask if we had celebrations, we announced that I was graduating high school. Not only did the restaurant staff celebrate with us with underage sake (apple juice), they even offered to take my photo in my grad gown on the spot!

3.) SaoirseParisa gets a lot of credit for inspiring the way I write the sex scenes. I really enjoyed her fic "Love Feels Like Home" where she outlined comfort levels on sex and not pressuring the other person into it if they don't want to proceed. I realize that my scenes here are a bit more explicit and risque than what she had in that story, but I still want to credit her for her contributions and setup.

4.) I was originally going to include Kelev and her family again, but didn't get the chance when she didn't get back to me. Kelev was celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Eva's birthday all within a month. I was originally going to have her family, including Yihua, appear in person. But when she didn't get back to me, I just gave them a cameo via Zoom. I wish Eva a very happy birthday and hope her entire family is doing well.

5.) Katara mentioning Aang forgoing perfection in order to achieve happiness is from "The Crossroads of Destiny" in Avatar, Book 2, where Iroh told Aang the same thing regarding the Avatar State. Ty Lee feeling apprehensive about Azula despite cutting ties is from "The Search" where she made a similar comment while seeing Azula visiting Ozai in prison. And Toph using earth bending to manipulate paint chips is from the Kyoshi novels, where Yun stripped paint off portraits via the earthen materials in the paint and used it in his earth bending.

Another wonderful ride for me, and thank you for sticking with this. I appreciate all the reviews and feedback you have given me. I'll take some time off for now, and hopefully I'll be back soon with another story!