Wow guys..these reviews are great! They keep me writing. I'm actually inspired to write this fic. I don't know how much longer it will be though. This may be the last chapter. ..; Which will be sad, but..at least it was well liked.

Please read and review! Enjoy the 7th chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will I ever own, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

TRIUMPH OVER TWO

Chapter 7: Hero

Previously:

Katara searched and searched, but did not see Aang emerge from anywhere. Only the flames escaped into the sky.

With a forceful scream of loss and despair, she cried.

"No! AANG!"

Katara cupped her face in her hands. There was no sign of Aang, and no sign of their enemies. If fire benders could not survive fire, how could Aang? The tears slowly leaked through her delicate fingers as she cried, not even noticing that Sokka had woken up.

"Wha..what happened?" Sokka asked groggily as he shook his head to wake up, his facial color returning back to normal. When he saw Katara crying, his features went from lost to worried.

"Katara...Katara, are you okay?"

Gran-Gran placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aang..is gone."

He looked at them all with disbelief. In his head the words were resounding, but could not bring himself to believe the words that he refused to hear. He lowered his head.

"Are you sure? Did you check?" He asked, voice quiet and soft. Smoke billowed towards the heavens, giving the sky a dusty gray look. Gran-Gran shook her head remorsefully.

"We need Katara to douse the fire with water," She said, looking at her weeping granddaughter with sad eyes. Katara looked up, eyes brimming with tears. She looked each one of them in the face, observing that they, too, were at a loss for words and had tears streaming down their face.

With heavy steps she peered over the edge of Appa. The water lapped up against the burning ships, but none reached high enough to put the fire out. Sighing, she lifted her hands.

"Appa, get closer," Katara demanded, her eyes not leaving the boats below. Sokka grabbed the reins and steered the bison closer to the flaming ships. Katara lifted her arms higher, and with one swift movement shoved a wall of water over them, putting the fire out completely.

Steam rose from the charred decks, holes scattered in different places. For all they knew, Aang fell in a hole and burnt to death, but they wanted to be hopeful.

Katara jumped from Appa and onto Zuko's ship, careful to not fall into a hole or cause one. There was no sign of life; the men she had knocked out earlier were burnt and dead against the wall she had left them. Out of them there was not any one that looked like Aang.

I hope he doesn't look like that, Katara thought, her eyes welling up with tears once again at the thought of losing the one she dearly loved.

Sokka joined her on the ship and began to search, hoping that Aang was still alive. They looked into every room on the boat and still no sign of another body other than the ones on the wall. Katara slumped her shoulders. She suddenly felt helpless again, just as she did when Aang told her that it was his fate to bring peace.

"It was not your fate to die, Aang! Not your fate!" She screamed, fisting a nearby door. As she looked up, the tears falling from her eyes blended with the rain that had begun to fall. The world as she knew it was gone; she felt alone. Sokka placed a loving arm around her.

"It won't do to get angry, Katara." For what seemed the first time, Sokka was serious, but he was also right. Katara sighed and looked towards the door that she had hit earlier, a fairly good-sized dent left in the middle of it.

Just as she was about to fall down and cry, someone from behind her called out her name. "Katara!"

She whirled around, hoping that it was Aang, calling out her name; calling her to him. But when she saw it was one of her tribesmen, her face grew dim. Yet curiosity grabbed her; for he was pointing in the water down below Appa in a rapid motion.

"Look Katara!" He said, pointing again with more force.

She ran to the edge of the boat and looked into the water.

There Aang was, face down on a scrap of metal that was afloat in the water. How it was floating was a mystery to her, but she did not care. The fact was that they found Aang, and he was whole. With a swift movement she was in the water beside him, motioning for Appa to draw nearer so she could hoist him up.

Aang...please be okay..please please be okay.

His body finally on the bottom of Appa's saddle, everyone gathered around to survey his injuries, and they did not look too good. Katara sat beside him and looked him over, tears trickling down the contours of her face.

His arms were burnt, and he was completely shirtless. On his chest there were two gashes; from what she thought might have been the metal. Somehow he managed to not burn his feet, but his legs were pretty badly bruised, and his forehead had a cut that crossed over his left eye, and his lips were swollen and red.

With a small cry, she held his hand gently and and looked at his face. It seemed as though he was sleeping; his breathing was even. Gran-Gran knelt beside Aang opposite of Katara and looked at her sadly.

"We should take him to the earth kingdom. It is not too far from here. He will get good medical attention there," She said softly, observing Aang's condition. Shaking her head, she stood up. Katara took that as a "Let's go, he needs attention now."

Katara stood up immediately after her grandmother and looked out over the perfect horizon that laid out before her. It saddened her, because this would have been a wonderful afternoon.

I could have shared that sunset with you, Aang. She thought remorsefully, looking at him once again as he lay there peacefully.

She thought of all the times that he stood up for what was right, and always triumphed almost unscathed. Not today. Now she is sitting by his side, hoping that he will live through this. His burns had to have been painful, yet he had a complacent look on his childish face.

"You are so strong, Aang," She whispered as she touched the top of his head with care.

Soon the Earth Kingdom was in sight, and a small village lay right at the edge of the ocean that they had been forever traveling over recently. Katara sighed with relief as she saw the land, craving to touch a ground that did not move beneath her.

Suddenly Aang turned his head and groaned painfully. Katara shot her gaze down at him, worried about his condition.

"Gran-Gran, we need to hurry," Katara warned as she looked him over once again, his face twisted with pain. Tears filled her eyes once again. He was hurting.

"We're landing right now, Katara."

Soon, Appa's six feet landed on the sand. Katara picked up her friend with as great a gentleness as she would a young child, and handed him down to Sokka. His eyes were clouded with worry.

"I hope he makes it through this," He muttered as he turned on his heels and headed for the village.

"He's quite the hero." Katara stated before she jumped off of Appa's back, following her brothers' footsteps in the sand. It would be enjoyable to make her foot fit into Sokka's footprints like she used to do when she was young, but today was not the day.

What I would give to have you walking beside me, Aang.

Sokka stood in front a nearby house, which Gran-Gran had given him directions to. It was small and quaint, a small sign creaking back and forth in the wind with the word "Doctor" on it. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and waited. In that time Katara found her way to his side.

"Is he home?" She asked, her eyes catching glimpses of Aang's limp body as she looked from the door to her brother. He shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe there's another doctor, and we have the wrong one."

Just as he was about to turn around, he heard the door open. Standing inside the door was a squatty little man, eyes as dark as the night, and a toothy smile that made him seem like a beaver.

"Come in, come in! I'm a little slow nowadays, so it is hard to get to the door," He ushered them in and shut the door loudly.

Sokka and Katara looked around in curiosity as little gizmos and trinkets made whirring sounds and trickled water from one tube to another, little coils wrapped around wooden pipes and cups filling with an unfamiliar liquid. It smelled like medicine. Sokka coughed.

"Oh, are you sick, dear boy?" The man asked as he hovered over a concoction that was steaming and boiling in a small cup. Sokka shook his head.

"No...it's my friend."

The man whirled around to see Aang in his arms, his body in bad condition. His eyes widened with shock and began to look around wildly, muttering something about "stupid fire benders, this is the tenth man this week."

Katara watched as he scuttled around, arranging a bed with fresh white linens and placing a small table beside it. He took three chairs and placed it around the bed, giving enough space between two of them so they could place Aang on the bed. He sighed and sat down with a grunt, motioning for them to come over.

"Katara, you take that chair," Sokka looked at the chair nearest to Aang's bed. She nodded and sat uncomfortably, waiting for the doctor to speak. Sokka finally sat down.

The doctor twiddled his fingers for a moment before speaking. "This...this is a lucky case –"

"Lucky? You call that lucky?" Katara was now out of her seat, her fists clenched tightly. The doctor waved a hand in dismissal of her outburst.

"In other words," He cleared his throat and looked at Katara, who sat back down, "He's better off than the others that have been carried into this house."

Sokka looked from Aang to the doctor in bewilderment. The doctor took this as a sign to continue his explanation.

"You see, when the fire nation attacked them, it was out of enjoyment. And I'm hoping you know this," He looked at both of them before continuing. "But they hurt them to the point to where they either died...or they were severely injured and can't move certain body parts."

Katara's eyes grew big with fear. Men died in this room, on that bed; the bed that Aang now lay on. Tears came freely now as she looked at him, the doctor remaining silent throughout her small episode.

"Aang...he won't die, will he?" He chuckled and shook his head.

"No, dear girl. He will not die. Like I said, he's the best looking one that we've had." The corners of her mouth pulled a smile, but then frowned again. He stood up and looked at Aang.

"He will be fine in a few days. The burns may not heal for another week or two, but he will be able to talk and move in a short amount of time." He said assuredly, patting her shoulder before he headed over to a basin filled with cold water.

Sokka took Katara's arm. "Come on, let's leave for a while. We'll come back later and visit, okay?" Katara nodded absent mindedly and followed Sokka out the door, and right into Gran-Gran.

"Well, how is he?" Her voice quivered as she looked at them apprehensively. Sokka smiled slightly.

"The doctor said he will be able to move and talk within a couple of days. Says it's the best looking person to have come into his house," Sokka replied, thumbing to the house behind him. Gran-Gran sighed with relief and entered the house, the rest following after.

Katara wanted to go after them, to stay by Aangs' side, to tell him that it would be okay. But she knew there was no reason for that now. A couple of days and she could, but all there was to do now was wait and hope.

> > > >

"Katara, come on!"

It had been three days since she had last seen Aang, and glimpses of his face flashed before her eyes. His burns, cuts, and bruises stood out rather vividly each time.And besides that, Aang was able to have visitors, and she was afraid to go in. What if he got worse? What if the comforting words of Gran-Gran were lies? With great reluctance she walked into the room, which was full of people.

"Come on sis, I'll get you to the front." Sokka said, taking her arm and shoving through the crowd with much needed force.

Aang...

When she saw him, sitting up in bed and a smile on his face, she could not have been happier. All of the anticipation was gone, and all of her weights had been lifted off of her chest. With a sigh of relief and a laugh, she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Oh Aang! I thought you weren't going to make it!" She cried; not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. Aang was alive and rather well, considering his still healing burns.

"Ow!" Was his reply when she squeezed him too tight. She let go and turned red, muttering a "Sorry" under her breath. He shook his head and smiled.

"It's okay, really. I'm glad to see you too."

When Sokka saw that the two would need some time alone, he began to shove people out the door vigorously. "Okay guys, lets' go, lets' go! Nothing to see here! Aang's fine and it's all good, so leave!" Even the doctor himself was ushered out of his own house to leave them alone.

Aang cleared his throat, and Katara, in response looked down and blushed a bright red. She was alone with him now.

"So..um.." He stuttered, trying to find something to say to ease the moment.

"Yeah, um...they found Zuko, Zhao, and their men...they're all dead, and the rest of the fire nation surrendered to a water tribe yesterday," She said, rather quietly. Katara, for once, was having a hard time finding something to say to him.

"Well, that's really good...um...I hope you've been okay," He said, looking up from his sheets and staring at the top of her head. When she looked up, she came to meet his beautiful blue eyes, sparkling with life and vigor. Suppressing a blush, she looked in another direction.

"Yeah, I've been really good...besides the fact I was worried about you." Katara replied, looking back at him. He smiled and motioned for her to scoot closer to him. She did as he asked and was now mere inches from him.

"I was worried about you, too." Aang whispered, fiddling with his hands. Katara looked at him, awe-struck.

"Why? You were the one injured and –" He placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. Then again, if he had asked she would have silenced herself. Katara could feel her face burning.

"I know, but when Sokka told me about you crying...and always looking distraught, I couldn't help but worry about you." Katara smiled. This was the Aang she knew and loved.

Wait...I never told him that I loved him...and I have my chance.

But if I tell him it could hurt our friendship! What if he doesn't like me like that!

Of course he does! Can't you tell?

No! That's why I'm fighting with myself!

Aang gave her a worried look and waved his hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You okay?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She nodded.

"I'm fine..just..thinking."

"About what?" He asked.

Here's your chance, girl, don't blow it!

I KNOW, I KNOW! Geez, piss off will you?

"About..." She inhaled deeply, "..us."

Aang's face looked confused, and he had every right to be. He had just been able to have visitors, and here she is, sitting beside him, wanting to talk about them. With a sigh she looked deeply into his eyes, waiting for a response.

"Us?" Was the only answer she got, and grunted with frustration.

Why couldn't he have asked me something a little more complicated other than 'Us'?

"Yes, Aang, us."

"What about us?" He asked.

He doesn't know! It's not obvious to him? If he felt the same way, wouldn't he be at least somewhat tuned in?

The tears began to fill her eyes as she looked at him, his brown eyes still filled with confusion. He did not understand what she was talking about, and she felt hurt. How could he not get what 'us' meant? With a sob she ran out of the door, leaving Aang to stare after her.

"Us...us?...what was she...oh no." He suddenly realized what she meant. Katara was trying to talk about them and their relationship, but it was too late now. She was out the door and gone.

He jumped up and put on his clothes, or what was left of it, which consisted of his pants. With gritted teeth Aang shot out of the house and headed towards where he thought Katara would be; the ocean.

How could he not understand what I meant? Does he truly not have feelings for me like I thought he did? But Gran-Gran knew...

She kicked a rock into the shallow water as she gazed out into the endless body of water. They had traveled so many times over that ocean. With frustration she sat down in the warm sand and buried her head in her arms.

"I love you, Aang. I love you, I love you, I love you. Why can't you see that?" She said aloud to herself, knowing that she was far enough away from civilization to where no one could hear her.

"Well, I know I definitely heard it."

She shot her head up and looked to where the voice was coming from. A smirking Aang was walking towards her, each step cringing from the pain of his burns. Forgetting momentarily that he heard her, she stood up and helped him to sit down.

When she realized that he heard her, she turned away and turned a deep crimson. Aang chuckled slightly.

"I didn't think you would hear me," She whispered.

"Is..Is that what you wanted to tell me?" He asked, his voice faltering a bit as he thought of Katara actually loving him as more than just a friend. Katara nodded, and he smiled.

"Well, I'm glad." He responded. Katara looked back at him, confused. "Glad about what?"

"Glad that..." He stopped to think of how to word it, then continued, "...that I heard you. Glad that you love me. And..."

She looked at him apprehensively.

"I'm glad that...that I love you back," Aang finished, giving cause for her eyes to widen with shock.

"You...you love me back?" She asked as if afraid to ask. As if it was just a dream. But he simply nodded and smirked.

"Ever since I first opened my eyes and saw you looking down at me." Aang said, coming closer and closer to her face. She could now feel the heat of his breath on her lips, and she shivered, but she smirked back anyway.

"What a coincidence," She whispered in a sultry voice, her brown eyes locking with his baby-blue ones.

"I love you, Katara." Aang whispered, his mouth still lingering over hers. In response to this, she closed the gap between them and gave them the relief they needed. Katara was finally able to tell him, and he loved her back. When they reluctantly pulled away, Katara placed her arms around Aang's neck.

"You're a hero, Aang."

"Really?" He asked, brushing his lips with hers again before she responded.

"Yeah. You triumphed over Zuko...and...you triumphed over my heart."

Well, that's all guys! I hope you enjoyed reading my story! You guys kept me going through this whole story, even though there was a large gap between chapters 5 and 6. XD.

But thank you all so much, and I apologize for the shortness of it all...but I've been working on other stories..and I just felt the need to finish this one seeing as it had been drawn out anyway due to my retardedness. XP

I'm sorry! But please...please!

REVIEW!

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It makes me happy to get reviews! Thanks again for reading!

>Deadly Silent >