Author's note: Hi guys! I know it's taken a little while longer than usual to get this chapter out, but then again, it is about twice the length of any that have come before it! I actually started writing this the day after the last chapter was posted nearly 2 weeks ago, but sometimes life throws you a curveball and the last couple weeks have been pretty crazy - yet here we are. I was debating splitting this into two chapters, but the way the story is headed we've got a hell of a lot of ground to cover, so I thought it worked better as a single piece - plus it means you guys get to read more! This week, we get some advice from Sokka, a big reveal, and, finally, just a little hint at some Kataang... Don't worry though, we're only just beginning...

This chapter's song is 'Light Years' by The National. Enjoy...

'I'll drink to that!'

'Toph, I'm seriously starting to think you might have a drinking problem…' Katara said, only half joking.

'Oh please. Drinking has a ME PROBLEM!' Toph snorted back, giggling.

'That was poor, Toph. Like, Sokka level poor.' Aang retorted.

'HEY! I'm the funny one, remember? Suki?! Back me up here?!'

'Oh, sure you are honey.'

The five old friends were sat round a large wooden table in the centre of Sokka's dining room, at the sizeable house he shared with Suki and their two children just outside the city. It was the first time the five of them had actually seen each other together since Aang's return only a few days earlier, the strain of their individual lives keeping them apart until now.

Suki, on Zuko's insistence, had taken temporary leave of her position as leader of his personal guard shortly before the birth of her and Sokka's first son, though she had found that despite her initial reluctance, settling down was much more enjoyable than she'd imagined, and that temporary leave had become permanent on her request two years ago. She now worked as an advisor to both Zuko and the Council of Republic City on matters of security. All that isn't to say that she couldn't still go head to toe with the best of them - old habits die hard. Their son Hakoda was only a year older than Kya, and was already shaping up to be quite the proficient warrior in his own right, but for now the two of them were currently snoozing on a sofa in the next room, having quickly abandoned the dinner table to play and swiftly tuckered themselves out.

'You ok Aang?', she asked, quietly, leaning over to him so as not to disrupt the verbal sparring match that Sokka and Toph were currently engaged in. 'You've been quiet.'

'I'm fine, Suki. Just…got a lot on my mind.'

'You wanna talk about it?'

'Honestly, it can wait. I just want to have a good time.'

'Okay. Well, I'm here if you need me.'

He looked at her, and felt a sense of strange comfort seeing the genuine kindness in her eyes.

'Thank you. I know.'

It wasn't that Aang had been on bad form - not at all. In fact, he was surprised at how much he was enjoying himself. Any fears of awkwardness and stale conversation after so long away had evaporated within the first half hour, and the second Toph and Sokka started drinking, the evening only descended further into chaotic enjoyment. For a while, it was just like old times. Well, almost. You see, while Aang was certainly enjoying this momentary return to their teenage years, it had the unfortunate consequence of making him even more starkly aware of how much had changed. He was sat between Suki and Toph. That felt…wrong. In the past, he'd always had Katara there, by his side, giggling away at something he said and gently holding his arm to steady herself whenever she'd got a bit too tipsy. Now though, she was sat across from him, the two of them separated by what felt like miles of table.

He had resolved the day before to talk to Sokka, but after arriving slightly early in the evening hoping to catch him before the others arrived, he'd been swiftly press-ganged by Suki and placed on fruit peeling duty - and before long, Katara had arrived.

'I'm going to go and get another drink.' Sokka announced, standing to head to the kitchen.

'Me too', Aang quickly responded, sensing an opportunity.

Katara shot him a look.

'But you don't-'

'Maybe I feel like having one.' Aang retorted, in a slightly more sarky tone than had had perhaps intended. Katara pouted, and turned her attention back to Suki.

Aang shook off the guilt he felt for snapping, and swiftly followed Sokka into the kitchen.

The room was large, spacious, and separated by a sliding door from the main living room. Much like the rest of the house, the walls were dotted with Southern Water Tribe art and various artefacts that Sokka had collected on their travels during the war, but this place had Suki written all over it. It was sweet, Aang thought. Sokka lived in her world, and he loved it. Before he had a chance to ponder it any further, he heard a call from the other end of the kitchen counter, where the older man was buried face first in a drinks cabinet.

'So whaddaya feel like? Plum wine? Ive got some good stuff from the Fire Nati-'

'You know I don't drink, Sokka.'

'But you…'

'I know. We need to talk. Have you got a sec?'

'Oh, yeah. Of course. Do you wanna head outside…?'

'Yeah. I think that would be best.'

The night air was cool, not cold, as the two friends stepped outside onto the balcony adjoining the kitchen. They were all but shrouded in darkness, the moon sending streaks of silver light that cut through the indigo sky and illuminated their faces just enough to speak.

'So what's up?'

Aang took a breath. Why was he so nervous? This was Sokka - it made no sense for him to be feeling the way he was. Then again, feelings are more often than not impossible to explain.

'So…Kya.'

'Yeah?'

'She's not my daughter.'

'WHAT!?'

'SHHHH!'

'You guys ok out there?' Suki shouted from inside.

'YEAH! It's fine!', Aang snapped back, trying his best not to sound panicked.

'Shut up!'

'But you- she…'

'Yes I know. But- be quiet. Katara doesn't know.'

Sokka was still somewhat in shock from the revelation, and not exactly hiding it - subtlety had never really been his strongest suit.

'Aang. Why the hell haven't you mentioned this yet?!'

'I told Toph…'

'You told Toph?!'

'I told her yesterday, ok? I had an opportunity to - which is more than I can say for the rest of you…'

'What are you talking about? You don't think that's a kinda important piece of information to leave out when you get back after seven years away with a kid?'

'Honestly, I don't even know. My mind's been such a mess the last few days - I've not been able to think straight about anything, let alone this. I'll tell you what I told Toph - Kya's not my kid, no, but she's as much my daughter as Hakoda's your son. I've raised her since before she could even crawl. She's my kid, as far as I'm concerned.'

'Ok. So, and forgive me if I'm missing something here, what's the problem? Why leave that out?'

Aang eyeballed Sokka. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

'Oh. Right.'

'Yeah.'

There was a moment of silence, as both men thought hard about what to say next.

'What was it like? After I left?'

Sokka paused, and looked out at the star scattered sky above them.

'Hard. Really hard. For her, especially. She wanted to go with you, you know. Deep down. But I just think she couldn't bring herself to go on. She wanted something different that little bit more. Something…solid. Stable.'

'I think I wanted that too.'

'But you don't get the choice…'

'No. No I don't.'

'She wouldn't speak to anyone for weeks. It was like you'd died. Disappeared completely. She barely left your room.'

This was all becoming a bit much for Aang - while he was, in a way, relieved to hear that Katara had missed him, he still cared too deeply for her to be able to even contemplate her in so much pain - even less a pain he had, regardless of whether he wanted to, had a hand in. After he left, he had had time to heal, alone. Time to contemplate, and plenty of distraction. But Katara… she'd been surrounded on all sides at all times. Sometimes when you're struggling, the last thing you need is an army of people asking if you're ok - oftentimes it only serves as a reminder of how not ok you are.

'But…she healed?'

'Eventually. Well, I say that - honestly, I'm not sure she ever did heal completely. I think there's still a part of her that wishes you never left.'

Aang's mind jumped to the piece of himself he could feel out there somewhere. He wondered if Katara had had the same thoughts. If perchance those two splinters of soul had come across each other in the time they had been away. Perhaps they had, like two old friends who had since fallen apart, crossed by each other on a busy street and walked on a few paces, before stealing a shy glance over the shoulder, and going their separate ways. A brief moment of contact, and an acknowledgement of a shared past, giving way to a mutual acceptance that things couldn't go back to how they were.

He found himself remembering a piece of advice monk Gyatso had given him, soon after he was told he was the Avatar. He hadn't fully grasped it at the time, he thought, but he understood it now…

'Destiny is a fickle thing, Aang. People are born believing they have a purpose, and often this is the purpose that the world bestows on them. But they are wrong. Destinies change. Just as the elements are forever striving for balance, as light and dark remain engaged in perpetual conflict, the forces that guide us in life are constantly at work, and the roads we take forever shift beneath our feet. Where one road might lead us to the life we want, to the life we dream of as we drift off at night with young, idealistic minds, often we find ourselves stood on ever shifting ground. What we want is rarely what we need. And the universe has its ways of showing us what we need most. People will tell you throughout your life that it is your purpose to maintain balance. To stop change. But you will come to realise in time that your purpose as the Avatar, and as yourself, is not to prevent change, but rather to allow it to take place. People do not like it, but then again, people rarely like that which they need.'

'Aang? You ok there?'

'Wha- Oh. Yeah no I'm fine. My mind just went somewhere.'

Sokka looked at him with a face of piteous kindness.

'Do I tell her?'

Aang took a breath, awaiting his friend's response.

'Yeah. Tell her. I think she deserves to know as much as the rest of us do.'

Aang was silent. He almost felt relieved. The decision had been made for him. He was going to say something. He had to say something.

'Aang… do you still…?'

'What? No. Uh, no. I don't think so. I don't know. It's been so long. I don't really know how I feel anymore. My head's all over the place right now.

He had never been a particularly good liar. But as far as he could tell, he'd gotten away with it.

'I need you to do something for me, Sokka. Or, rather, with me.'

Sokka turned to him.

'Anything. What do you need?'

'The people. I think I have a way to find out what's happening, but I need to find someone. Someone I thought was dead - I need you to come with me.'

Sokka looked him dead in the eyes.

'I'm in.'

He smiled.

'It'll be like the old days.'

Aang let out a breathy laugh, thinking back to the very beginning of their time together. To when it was just the three of them. To when his love for Katara was a tiny fledgling, still hidden away in the recesses of his soul. In a way, he wasn't in too different a situation now.

'Yeah. I guess it will. Kinda.'

Sokka put a gentle hand on Aang's shoulder.

'We should head inside. Who knows how much damage Toph has caused…'

Aang laughed, a genuine laugh, and the two men wandered back into the house.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Toph eventually coaxed Aang into giving in and having just the one. Drinks disappeared one after another, and as the evening dragged on, the hours seemed to melt together into a slow-moving river of passing time. Before anyone knew what was happening, it was the dead of night, and after it was established that Toph was in no state at all to go home, Suki insisted that they all stay the night.

Eventually, the house fell quiet, and as Toph snoozed loudly on the sofa, and the kids remained wiped out in Hakoda's bedroom, Suki and Sokka retired, leaving Aang and Katara alone in the living room.

There was a painful silence in the air. Neither of them really knew what to say. When all the pomp and drunken antics had been removed, what remained was a void, a vacuum in which they both existed, somehow united in their disconnection.

Katara stood. She smiled, awkwardly.

'I think I'm going to go to bed.'

Aang said nothing, but as she began to cross to the door that led to the spare room, he stood too. He felt himself compelled to speak. After all, he was leaving tomorrow, and whether it was his conscience or the wine talking, it seemed wrong to not say anything at all.

'Katara…'

She stopped. Straightened up.

'Can we talk?'

Katara turned, and nodded towards Toph, comatose on the sofa.

'Outside?', Aang said, hopeful, yet nervous. Now seemed as good a time as ever.

The air was bracing as they stepped outside, right where Aang had spoken with Sokka only a few hours before. Aang took a deep breath.

'Look, I feel like we need to talk. Since I got back, I know things haven't exactly been easy between the two of us. I need to come clean about something. I don't know why I didn't say anything when I arrived, but my head's been in pieces the last few days and I'm honestly not sure when I would have said it.

I've been so swept up in everything that's been going on, and I thought, for some stupid reason that everything would just be easier if I said nothing.

It didn't seem important to me. But I realise that it might have been important to you and…'

Katara just stood there. She stared at him, her expression totally unreadable.

What is she thinking? Why can't I tell what she's thinking? Come on. Spit it out.

'I'll just say it.'

Come. On.

'Kya's not my daughter.'

There was a moment of total silence between the two of them. Katara either didn't know how to react, or was very good at hiding her feelings. She looked totally blank, and said nothing. Aang felt like he could explode. He thought that this would make him feel better, lift a weight off his shoulders, but not knowing how she felt was only making it worse.

'Katara…'

'Okay.'

Okay?! That's all?! All she's going to say is 'okay'?!

'Okay?'

Silence.

'I'll admit, that wasn't the reaction I was expecting.'

A hint of a smile appeared on Katara's lips, for just a split-second.

'Well that wasn't what I expected to hear…'

Wait… What was she expecting to hear?

She paused, then looked his way again.

'What do you mean 'not your daughter'?'

Aang breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were talking.

'I mean she's not my kid. Well, not my kid. She's my daughter, yeah, but she's not… mine.'

Somewhere in Katara's eyes, Aang detected a hint of understanding. It was the first time he'd felt like he could read what was going through her mind since he had returned. It felt good.

Katara moved closer to Aang. Something about having her so close caused his breath to hitch. The wind whipped up around them, almost as if it were aware of the tumultuous sea of emotions that raged within both of them. She smiled.

'It's late. We should get some rest.'

'Don't you want to kn-'

She put a hand on his arm. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and his heart started to beat just a little faster…

'We've got time. We both need sleep. Let's talk about it tomorrow.'

Aang panicked. He didn't think.

'But I won't be here tomorrow!'

Oh no.

Katara stopped. She looked at him with an expression that seemed almost afraid.

'What?'

'I…I have to leave the city. Tomorrow. I have to go and find someone. To find out what's going on.'

Katara's expression turned from fear, to confusion, to anger in a split second, before settling into a gaze of utter disappointment.

'Oh.'

He had only just got back.

It was as if she didn't know quite what to say. Quite how to express how let down she felt. She knew that this was simply part of life, part of what Aang's life was, but it didn't make it any easier. It didn't mean that she hadn't hoped that just maybe there was a chance he'd stay. That they could work things out and maybe have another chance to stay together while he was in one place for a while. He was leaving again.

'Night, Aang.'

She made a start to head inside.

'Katara, wait. Katara. Let me exp-'

But she was gone.

Aang was left standing alone, on the patio of the house. He felt wretched. Why did he say that? Why couldn't she let him explain?

I wanted to ask her to come with…

He looked out into the darkness. She was right about one thing. He needed sleep. He had a long day ahead of him.

As she settled down in the spare bedroom for the night, Katara's mind was racing. How could he just leave again?

She hadn't even had time to properly process the revelation that Kya wasn't his child, and still, on that account, knew next to nothing. A large part of her felt completely relieved. Kya wasn't the product of some vengeful tryst, an impulsive way to fill the void that she had left in his life. But she still had so many questions. She still felt this terrible whirlpool of anger and sadness and guilt swirling inside her head, forcing her thoughts to spiral into overwhelming confusion.

She felt so angry. Angry at him for not telling her sooner. Angry at herself for worrying so much about something that apparently seemed so insignificant to him. Angry at him for leaving again so soon. She couldn't lose him again. She knew what was at stake here. She knew that if he was leaving, it was what he had to do. She shouldn't have left him there. She thought about going back out to find him. To talk now. But it was late. She needed rest. She would find him tomorrow.

She wondered to herself if she might go with him. A reminder of the way life used to be. The way it was when they were together, young and free of the emotional baggage that came with growing up. She almost smiled at the thought. Maybe that was what they needed to move past this. She didn't know what their relationship was right now. Did they even have one? They weren't 'friends'. They were a relic. A memory of a time gone by.

Did he still feel anything for her? Or was he simply happy to move on? To act like none of it had ever happened. That would be the easy way. But Aang had always said that the easy way was rarely the right way. She still didn't know what she wanted from him. Was that chapter of her life simply over? All she knew was that she wasn't content to simply let him fall out of her life again, regardless of what their friendship was.

She found herself surprised by her own thoughts. She had thought for so long that what she wanted was to stay here, in this place that she had built. She still did. But the road beneath her had shifted. Her destiny, whether she knew it or not, had changed once more. She was conflicted. And yet she sensed that her mind was already made up. There was nothing to do now but to wait. To see how time might guide their paths.

The next day, Aang and Sokka were getting ready.

Suki had agreed to look after Kya in Aang's absence, on his promise that they would only be gone for a few days at most. Kya was tough enough after seven years growing up as the daughter of the Avatar to not be too broken up at the thought of her dad leaving. In fact, she was so busy practicing her waterbending forms that she barely even noticed as he finished loading up in preparation to leave.

As Sokka heaved the last of the food Suki had spent the morning making for them onto Appa's back, the sky bison grunting unappreciatively at the weight, Aang found himself looking back towards the house. He was distracted, as if some unnatural force was pulling his attention towards it. His mind was still very much on the events of last night, which had sent his mind into a downward spiral of speculation. He'd come clean, yes, but he hadn't been able to explain. And then he'd picked that of all moments to announce that he had to leave again? What on earth did Katara think? Was she still angry? He hadn't been able to find her when he woke, and had assumed he wouldn't get to see her before he left, so begrudgingly had begun preparing himself for the journey he knew lay ahead. He had tried to put it out of his mind. To focus on the task at hand, but he found himself simply unable to.

Then he saw her. She was walking out from the front of the house with what looked like her old leather water skin, and a large green leather satchel, which he recognised, oddly fondly, as the bag Sokka had bought when they first passed through Gaoling years ago.

She looked… not angry - determined. There was something about her demeanour, the way she was moving, that he had not seen in her for years. It excited and terrified him in equal measure. But for now, he was just grateful to have a moment to apologise before he left. He began to walk over to her, to try to say something.

'Katara I- I'm sorry. About last night. I just… I don't want to just leave again before I have a chance to explain. Before we can have a chance to talk. I don't want to go, believe me, I don't. But I have to, and I just want to te-'

She stopped him before he had a chance to go on.

'You can explain on the way.'

Wait.

'What?'

'You heard me,' she said, as she began to climb, much to Sokka's delight, up onto Appa's back.

Aang could only watch. This was terrifying. He almost didn't want her to come. The last thing he needed right now was the constant pressure of having her around. Of having his emotions constantly forced so close to the surface that he felt as though they could break through at any minute.

But he had no choice. Whatever this relationship between the two of them might turn out to be, however much this might damage them, or force them to change, or even forge some newer, stronger bond, he had to see it through. He had been given a chance. He had to take it.

The road had shifted once again. And he had no choice but to follow it.