Regret

An Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfic by Jon Turner

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is the property of Nickelodeon. I am simply responsible for this fanfiction.


If there was anything Avatar Aang loved doing best, it was spending time with Katara. Ever since she had freed him from the iceberg on that fateful day when their long journey began, the 12-year-old (or rather, 112-year-old) boy had become rather fond of her. They were best friends, and had been there for each other during the toughest times. Deep down, Aang had wanted their friendship to be something more, for he had fallen in love with her. But it wasn't until after he had defeated Fire Lord Ozai, shortly into his 13th year, when his wish was finally granted. Without the stress of the war going on or the thought of losing him, Katara was finally able to confess her feelings for him. The kiss they shared on the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon began a relationship that had only grown and deepened in the time since then.

Two years had passed. Aang was now fifteen, and Katara had, several days ago, just turned 17. And Aang had grown quite a bit taller over the years. Now he was the same height as Katara. But the differences of their ages was hardly enough to make a big deal. They both loved each other just the same.

Although Katara and Aang had had many special times together, it had been quite awhile since they had alone time. Luckily, Sokka, Toph, and Suki had mutually decided to spend that whole afternoon visiting Kyoshi Island (with a little help from Appa, of course). It was the perfect opportunity for Aang and Katara to have the day to themselves. (Besides, it would also spare both of them from Sokka constantly getting in their way and complaining about both of them giving him "oogies." Of course he was only joking every time.)

And what a day it was! They went down to the beach, waterbending the waves, just like they always loved to do, went soaring through the air around Ba Sing Se on Aang's glider, and, in the evening, they shared a glorious dinner. It was at sundown of that wonderful day when Katara and Aang were walking through the marketplace. Crowds of people were everywhere, and vendors were selling their wares. But Katara and Aang had only one thing on their minds—each other, for they were an item. Two inseparable friends turned lovers. It was all the better for it.

What both of them hadn't remembered was that this was also the same day when a former ally of theirs died. Actually, to call him an ally was stretching it. He had once lured both of them into joining his gang, only to betray them with a terrible deception. This same person had regretted his choices and had died redeeming himself, but the damage he had done to them was immense. And there were some people who hadn't forgotten about it. In fact, there was one who still held a grudge. Little did the Avatar and his special someone know that person was destined to cross their paths.


While glancing around at the vendors' stands, Aang spotted one that caught his eye. The person there was selling something that intrigued him. It looked like a perfect gift for Katara — something that he had wanted to give her for a long time. Only it was made of jewelry, not the real thing. All at once, he got an idea. He turned to Katara.

"Um, Katara?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something I wanna do, but it won't take too long. It'll be just a second."

"What are you up to, Aang?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a surprise for you," Aang whispered.

Katara's face brightened. Whatever it was that Aang was thinking, it was sure to be special. And when he gestured to the vendor's stand, she understood. He wanted to get a gift for her. Katara nodded her approval.

"Go ahead, sweetie," she said.

"I'll be back before you know it," Aang added, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off to the stand.

Katara blushed. Aang was such a sweet boyfriend, and she loved how he was so open about it.


The vendor who owned the stand, an old woman with a gaze as gentle as a grandmother's, was pleasantly surprised when she saw who had come to call.

"Ah, Avatar Aang," she said casually, bowing. "What an honor this is."

"Uh, thanks, ma'am," Aang replied shyly.

"And what may I do for you?"

Aang knew what he wanted. He picked up the item that had captivated his attention.

"Ooh, let me guess—are you getting this as a gift?"

"That's right," Aang nodded. "It's a present for someone very special to me."

The old woman smiled. She had a good idea who Aang was talking about. It was fairly well known in all of Ba Sing Se that Aang and Katara were a couple.

"I'm sure she will love it," she said warmly. "It is said that the flower which this necklace is modeled after is a special key to opening a girl's heart."

"I know," Aang answered, "I've tried to get a real one once, but I guess this will have to do for now. How much will that be?"

"Oh, there's no need to pay," the old woman replied.

"But ma'am!" Aang protested.

"I insist. You are the Avatar, and you saved our world from the war. It is only fitting that you get this for free. It's my way of saying thank you."

"But…"

"I lost my husband and youngest child in the war, and I had all but given up hope that we would ever be free. But you made that possible. It may have been two years ago, but I remember hearing of your victory like it was yesterday. That's why I vowed to myself that the day someone like you came into my shop, I would thank you, and this is it."

"Wow," Aang replied. "I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am."

"Oh, it's fine. Time heals all wounds, you know."

Aang nodded.

"Would you like me to wrap this necklace in a special package?" asked the vendor.

"Oh, yes, I'd like that. Thank you," Aang said.

"Very well then," said the vendor. As she took the necklace and began to do just that, Aang reached into his pocket. He couldn't just take it for free, as much as he wanted to. He was very touched by this old woman's story. He offered her some coins.

"I told you," said the vendor. "It's not necessary."

"No, ma'am. I insist," said Aang, "This means a lot to me, and I wish there was something I could have done for your family."

"You already have," the vendor smiled warmly. And she got to work right away. Aang waited patiently. He couldn't wait to see how Katara would react to his gift.


What is Aang up to? wondered Katara as she gazed at him. She reminded herself that he was her boyfriend and always loyal to her, but a part of her was a little insecure. She had lost people important to her before and even though she had felt so sure that Aang would always be there for her, sometimes she felt a small tingle of fear… especially when he seemed to take longer than necessary.

No, don't worry, she told herself. He'll be back. He always comes back.

"Hey, is that you, Katara?"

Katara gasped. She hadn't heard that scratchy-sounding voice in a long time. But when the young waterbender turned around, she saw who it was. A girl shorter than her, with trimmed brown hair. She had the sort of look that anyone could probably assume would be a boy, and it was something she very much disliked. But this tomboyish girl remembered Katara all too well.

"Smellerbee?" Katara asked. "What are you doing here?"

Smellerbee looked quite cross. "Nothing, just taking time off from my job."

Katara was curious. "What job?"

"Oh, I found work at a stable. It's pretty smelly and tiresome, but what can ya do?"

Katara didn't quite like the sound of that. "It does sound rough. Sorry to hear that."

"Heh, easy for you to say, boyfriend-stealer!"

"Hey, what was that for?" Katara asked, offended by her rude remark.

"You and I both know," Smellerbee answered. "And I haven't forgotten either. You stole Jet from me back then, and I'm still mad at you for it."

Jet. That was a name Katara hadn't heard for quite some time. In fact, it was one that Katara was trying to forget. She remembered him all too well. He was the first boy to ever sweep her off her feet… and betray her trust. Such a memory filled her with nothing but regret. Still, Katara could not deny it. She had felt… something for this charming stranger… but whatever it was, it was never love. She knew that now more than she ever did back then. Aang was the one she loved. He was the one who had stolen her heart, not Jet.

"Smellerbee, I…" Katara began.

"And I'm gonna make sure everyone knows about it," Smellerbee added spitefully.

Katara's face turned from shock into anger and embarrassment. "You've got it all wrong! Jet never meant anything to me. And for your information, I was naive back then, okay? I'm trying to forget about that!"

"Well, I haven't," sneered Smellerbee, "I know how you had eyes for him the moment he came to you. You allowed him to take you up into the trees. And you loved it!"

Smellerbee's words made Katara angrier. "How dare you!"

"Ahh! You admit it! You were madly in love with Jet. I knew it! You wanted to be his girl all along!"

"No, that's not true! I never loved him, I was just fascinated for a moment, okay?!" Katara yelled.

"That's not how I remember it," Smellerbee grinned nastily.

"I told you, I was foolish and blind. And stupid! If I had known what kind of person he was, I would never have let him mislead me like that! But I'm over him, and it was so long ago anyway, so what is your problem?"

"I envy you. You've been going so cozy with Aang lately, but me? I never had a single chance in my life! Nobody ever found me attractive. Today I still don't even have a boyfriend. All along, I thought Jet was the one for me, but he never paid any attention. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and understand, but I couldn't forever. I was going to tell him how I felt… until you butted in!"

"I'm sorry," Katara admitted.

"I don't forgive very easily," Smellerbee growled. "It was on this day that he died. And I'll never forget how heartbroken I was."

Katara remembered the guilt she felt that day, too. Even though she no longer was fond of him, she still had tried to heal the wounds Long Feng had dealt him. But they were too painful. "Smellerbee, if there was any other way, I would have probably saved him. But even then I'd never take him back. I couldn't."

"You really think that's gonna undo the pain you caused me?" Smellerbee snarled.

Just at that moment, Aang came by. He had heard the shouting just as he had received the packaged item from the vendor. He was just coming back with it to give Katara her present. But right then, he sensed something was wrong. Then he saw her. Smellerbee! Someone who he hadn't seen in a long time. And what was she so angry with Katara about? Whatever it was, he was ready to defend his girlfriend.

"What's going on?" asked Aang. "What are you two arguing about?"

"Listen, Aang," Smellerbee snapped, "Your girlfriend Katara's a two-timer. She was crazy about Jet and even kissed him!"

The words struck Aang like a knife. This was something that Katara had never told him about. He hadn't even imagined that it could happen. But what if it was true?

"You don't know what you're talking about! Nothing like that ever happened between me and Jet, I swear!" Katara protested, furious.

"Liar," Smellerbee growled. Then she marched off.

Katara's face boiled with embarrassment and rage. How dare Smellerbee say that in front of her! How dare this infuriating girl remind her of a memory she had been trying to put aside, especially one that had caused her so much pain and misery! Then she saw the look on Aang's face. It was one of genuine heartbreak and confusion. Katara felt very sad, too. She hated seeing him look like this. But she didn't quite know what to say. After all, they were in the crowd.

"Um, sweetie," Katara finally spoke. "Let's go back, okay?"

Aang nodded, still looking quite depressed.

Katara and Aang didn't speak to each other during the walk back to the house they were staying in. Both had expressions of gloominess on their faces. And to think that moments before they were having such a wonderful date! If Smellerbee hadn't shown up and reminded both of them of that time, who knows what could have been? One thing was for sure, though, Katara would never forgive that girl for humiliating Aang that evening. She would not.


After what seemed like a long time, Katara and Aang finally reached their house. It was the same house they all shared back during their travels. Aang strode to the couch in the living room and sat down. He was still deeply hurt by Smellerbee's words. He had believed that something special had happened between him and Katara back in the Cave of Two Lovers when they shared their first kiss. He had always assumed that it was her first as much as it was his. But what if it wasn't? What if she had kissed Jet? All at once, he began to feel very doubtful. He hadn't experienced such feelings since the evening when he and Katara went to see "The Boy in the Iceberg", on Ember Island. That play featured a scene which scarred him quite badly. It was one where Katara admitted that she only thought of Aang as a brother. Even though it turned out to be untrue, and it was only a play (and a horrible one at that) Aang could never forget the pain that scene had caused him. Worse yet, Katara had not been able to admit how she felt about him then... which was probably what would have soothed his anguish then. That was an unpleasant memory he had been trying to forget. But now it was coming back to haunt him. How could he speak to Katara now? What would he…?

"Aang?"

Aang turned slowly and saw Katara sit beside him.

"What's wrong? Wanna talk about it?"

For a moment, Aang didn't say anything. But he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Then, slowly he turned toward Katara and asked, "Is it true that you and Jet, well, you know…" he stopped himself, he dreaded saying the word.

"Aang, it was nothing like that." Katara explained.

"But Smellerbee said…" Aang began.

"Oh, never mind what Smellerbee said. She's just a jerk."

"But I remember you seemed to really be into him."

"Aang," Katara asked calmly. "Were you jealous of Jet?"

Aang hesitated to answer. He was afraid of what Katara would think of him.

"Aang, you can tell me." Katara added encouragingly. "If we don't talk about this, well, then it will just make things worse."

Aang took a deep breath and answered. "Well, I guess I didn't really think about it at the time, because I was so thrilled to be meeting new friends, like the Freedom Fighters. But now when I think of it, yeah, I was. Especially after Sokka suggested you kiss him to jog his memories."

Katara winced. She hadn't forgotten how hurt Aang looked during that time.

"Oh, you know Sokka. He was just being a jerk. He always is."

Aang had to agree, although he preferred not to use such words to describe Sokka. He had come to see him as a brother, too.

"Still… would you like me to tell you what happened between me and Jet?" Katara asked.

Aang thought for a moment and said, "It's okay, you don't have to. I don't want to force you into this."

"No, Aang, I think it's OK for you to know. After all, we have been together for quite some time. And it is better to talk about our problems than hide them."

Hearing this, Aang nodded. This wasn't at all like that fateful evening at the Ember Island Players' theater. Back then, Katara was just as troubled as he had been, but for a different reason. She was worried about Aang not surviving his battle with Fire Lord Ozai—so much so, that she was not able to provide the comfort he needed. But things were different now. The war had been over, and Katara was much more relaxed and less troubled. Both of them had been open with each other for quite some time, and it had far better results than dancing around whatever issues either of them might have had.

Katara gave a deep sigh. "All right." She closed her eyes for a moment, and tried to think back to how she felt back then. It was a harrowing memory to be sure, and she had hoped that she would be able to bury it. But she knew that it wouldn't do her any good to do so. More importantly, it wouldn't be fair to Aang. Calmly, she took a deep breath, and started speaking.

"Well, I guess I was sorta fascinated with Jet the moment I saw him. Back then, I hadn't met anyone like him. The only boy in my village was Sokka. All the other boys and men in the village had gone off to war with Dad. Jet was tall and handsome, and quite charming. He knew exactly what to say to a girl like me. Not to mention, he could fight very gracefully, and he was quite a leader. I was impressed by all that. And no one had ever spun me around, or wrapped their arms around me while taking me into the trees like he did. I did find that a bit dreamy."

Aang winced. Katara had a feeling he would take that rather badly. Gently, she grasped his arm and smiled, as if to let him know that she understood his pain.

"But mostly, I was surprised to find out how much he and I had in common. Just after we reached the treetop village, he told me about how his parents had been killed by the Fire Nation. I could relate to that. I had lost my mother to the Fire Nation, too, as I'm sure you remember."

"Of course," Aang chimed in. "That makes sense."

"Given how we had helped other people during our travels to the North Pole, I wanted to do the same with Jet. I figured that if he and I both held grudges against the Fire Nation, it would be nice if I did something for him. Anyway, just after we finished talking about how we lost our parents, he invited us to dinner. I accepted eagerly, but my brother told me that something was not quite right about Jet. Naturally, I figured he was just being, well, Sokka. He was right, of course. But back then, I was just thrilled with the idea of meeting someone who I had something in common with. I couldn't see how someone like Jet could possibly be messed up. That evening, when Jet spoke about how we had taught the Fire Nation a lesson after we fought them at the camp before everyone, well, I couldn't help but admire him. He had a certain bravado and passion that I really liked. Also, when he asked me and you to help him on his cause, I became excited."

Aang remembered that night very well. He hadn't forgotten how he, too, had been impressed with Jet, especially since he had complimented not only Katara, but him as well. Both he and Katara had used their bending abilities in the fight against the Fire Nation soldiers quite skillfully. Aang hadn't really noticed Katara's apparent fascination with the boy back then, in part because he hadn't yet come to consider how he felt about her just yet.

"I was excited, too," Aang admitted. "He did admire us."

Katara smiled warmly at Aang. "I know."

"So what happened after that?" Aang asked.

Katara went on. "Well, the closest I ever came to going any further with Jet was after dinner. As I remember, you were pretty tired and went off to bed. But Jet invited me to hang out with him that evening. I said yes, for I was curious to know more about this boy and the cause he was fighting for. We walked around the treetop village. And through each minute, Jet talked all about the actions he and his Freedom Fighters had taken against whoever came their way, particularly Fire Nation soldiers or firebenders. The more I listened, the more intrigued I was. I had a sense, then, that Jet was someone worth respecting, for anyone who could pull off any victory against those heartless monsters was fascinating. I will admit that I was still a bit charmed by how he had pulled me into the trees earlier that day, but at this point I was more interested in figuring out more about his past, just as I had been when I first met you, Aang. Then, after the stars had come out, and we had come back to Jet's hut, he changed the subject…"


Katara's P.O.V.

"So what's up you with and the Avatar?" Jet asked.

"Well, he's taking me to the North Pole," I explained. "I have to find a master who will teach me more about waterbending. And Aang has to learn how to master the elements. There's a comet approaching this summer, and he has to stop the Fire Lord from using it to destroy the world."

"Very interesting," said Jet.

"And I want to make sure he succeeds. Otherwise, well…"

"Hmmm, sounds like you're very fond of him. Are you two—?"

"Oh, uh, no," I answered, blushing. "He's just a good friend. I'm just trying to protect him, that's all."

Hearing this, Jet smirked. I didn't pay much attention to it then, but he had a look on his face that seemed very sneaky, as if he was taking everything in. It was almost as if he was up to something. Had I known better, then I would have assumed that.

"A friend, huh?" Jet said after awhile, giving me a stare that partially made me blush but also made me a bit uncomfortable. "You know, I find you very… fascinating, Katara."

"Oh really?" I asked, flattered.

"Anyway," he went on, "I'm sure you two will be a great asset to the Freedom Fighters. We've wanted to take down the Fire Nation for so long, and we've never had a waterbender like you OR the Avatar in the gang before."

"Of course," I agreed. "I told you we're willing to stick around a little bit. There's no rush."

"And I was also thinking…"

"Yeah?"

"How would you like to be my girl?" Jet asked, starting at me with a smile.

For a moment, I was pleasantly surprised. But at the same time, I realized how sudden his question was. That was the last thing I had expected him to ask me. All at once, I hesitated.

"I don't know, Jet," I answered timidly, "I think I need some time to think about it."

"Of course," Jet responded smoothly. "Take all the time you need. I'll wait for you."

And as he said that he leaned closer to me. I turned my head away, nervously. I wasn't quite sure how to respond. But before anything else could happen, I heard Smellerbee say…

"Hey, Jet!"

We both spotted Smellerbee standing beside his treehouse. It was almost as if she had been watching us the whole time. There was a look on her face that seemed jealous. She also seemed to be giving me that evil eye. I never thought that glare would come back to haunt me after such a long time.

"Coming, Smellerbee!" Jet replied. Then he turned back to me. "I gotta go, but we can meet up again tomorrow if you want."

"Yeah, of course," I replied.

"Okay, then, good night," And with that, Jet casually strode back to his treehouse.

"Good night," I answered as he disappeared behind the tent. I felt a strange turmoil of emotions inside of me as I walked back to our treehouse. On one hand, I was amazed. Jet wanted me to be his girlfriend. Me! It was almost too good to be true! But on the other hand, I wasn't sure if I really felt ready or not. I did like him, but I wasn't quite sure if I felt that way about him or not. All I knew was that he and I had something in common — both of us had lost our loved ones to the Fire Nation, and I just wanted to help him in his cause because of that. Still, his offer was… tempting.


3rd Person P.O.V.

"He actually asked you?" Aang exclaimed.

"Yeah, he did. Of course, I remembered that I had a commitment to you, but no one had ever that forward with me before."

Aang didn't seem angry. In fact, he looked pretty understanding. "I don't blame you, Katara. It does sound, well…"

"Romantic?" Katara finished the sentence for him.

Aang nodded.

"Well, I don't know if I would call it 'romantic,'" admitted Katara. "I hadn't realized he was only saying that to seduce me. But his question that night did make me wonder if perhaps I might want to go beyond my simple desire to aid him. I was still pondering it the following morning. That was when Jet had taken Sokka on that mission of his. They were gone for such a long time, and after thinking about it over and over, I still hadn't come to a decision. But I could at least make Jet a gift to show my appreciation."


Katara's P.O.V.

While Aang was busy playing with some of the other Freedom Fighters, I got to work on making a hat for Jet. After all, I had made hats for the children of our village, and I was pretty talented at it. I spent all day working on it, finishing just as Sokka returned to tell me, "Your boyfriend Jet's a thug."

"No, he's not," I responded. I meant that he wasn't really my boyfriend—yet, but also I seriously couldn't believe what Sokka was saying.

He insisted that Jet had attacked an old man without provocation. I didn't believe him, and so I wanted to hear Jet's side of the story. I could not believe Jet was capable of such cruelty.

When we came into his tent, the first thing Jet noticed was the hat I made for him. I was hoping he would be charmed.

"What is this?" scoffed Jet.

"It's a hat. I made it for you, like it?"

But Jet only sneered and said, "Hmpf. Pretty tacky looking."

I was surprised to hear those words coming from him, especially considering I had gone to all the trouble of making it. Even more so because he seemed to really be into me last night. He had been so charming, so smooth, so nice. It was quite a surprise to see him being the opposite.

"But Jet—" I began.

"Sorry, but that's just not my style."

I felt quite disappointed. Here Jet had asked me to be his girlfriend yesterday, and he turned down my gift. But then I heard a voice.

"I think it's really nice!" It was almost as if Aang had sensed how hurt I felt by Jet's rejection. He had a wonderful way of trying to cheer me up whenever I was downcast.

"I'll wear it if you want me to," he added.

"Oh, sure," I said, not knowing what to think. Then he put it on his head. I looked at him, and he gave that shy, goofy smile I knew and loved. That was when I realized that Aang had something that Jet lacked. There was something sweet and sincere about him. And he did look cute in that hat. It seemed to suit him well. I smiled at the sight, but I also was touched.

Still, I did want to find out whether Sokka was telling the truth or not. For all of Jet's rudeness of turning down my gift, I just couldn't imagine him attacking someone like a harmless old man.

After Jet convinced me and Aang to stay and help him fight the Fire Nation and I accused my brother of being jealous, Aang and I walked off. We were alone together, which was quite a surprise. I hadn't spent that much time with Aang since we came to the treetop hideout. Without knowing why, I hugged Aang, and he hugged me back. I wanted to thank him for cheering me up and for accepting my hat. But it was also disappointing that Jet had turned it down. Despite that, though, I still trusted Jet and I did want to help him.


3rd Person P.O.V.

"Oh yes, I remember that hat!" Aang exclaimed cheerfully. "I actually still do have it."

"You do?" Katara asked.

"Of course," Aang said. "I know you didn't really make it for me, but I wanted to cheer you up. You did later tell me it suited me better than it ever would Jet."

Katara beamed. "It meant so much to me that you liked it. Whoever would have thought? And then some time later, you made me a necklace. I, too, have kept that necklace."

Aang was touched. He remembered that necklace, too. He had once made it out of Sokka's fishing line after Katara had lost her real necklace. He thought she looked beautiful then, and he even remembered with amusement how Sokka had teased him, "Smoochie smoochie, someone's in loooove!"

Katara brought Aang back to attention. "Anyway, I had hoped that Jet would take me on another outing that night just like he promised. I was wondering if maybe he would apologize for insulting my gift, and perhaps, well…" Katara stopped.

Aang's face turned anxious, and his stomach churned. He was very worried about what Katara would say next. She put a gentle, reassuring arm on his shoulders to soothe him, took a deep breath and went on…

"Perhaps I was ready to consider Jet's request. Partially because I was still angry at Sokka for doubting Jet, and I wanted to spite him. So I figured that if I agreed to be Jet's girlfriend that night, it would make us even. But it didn't turn out that way. Jet never came by to our treehut nor asked me to talk with him. Then I learned he had to make plans with his allies. Okay, fair enough. But still, I began to wonder if the time I spent with him last night was only an illusion. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but I should have guessed that night was something of a warning signal that Sokka wasn't just being suspicious. Then the following day Jet brought us to the reservoir, and... well, you know the rest."

"Yeah," agreed Aang, "I was just as shocked as you were."

Katara nodded, cringing at her own remembrance of how Jet's betrayal had disillusioned her so badly.

"So you didn't kiss Jet after all?" Aang asked, for a moment, but then he caught himself, "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have—"

Katara shook her head. "Not at all. I already did tell you a lot. But no. It never happened. I know who my first kiss was. We both know, Mr. 'I would rather kiss you than die.'" she teased playfully.

Aang chuckled and groaned, embarrassed at remembering that particular incident. "What was I thinking when I said that?" he finally said, "I was such an idiot!"

"You were just nervous, weren't you?" Katara asked. "After all, I did kinda impose it on you."

"Yeah, but I also didn't think you were really serious, and I didn't want to embarrass you. But I did want to kiss you all along… I just didn't feel sure about telling you that because—"

"But we did go through with it," Katara cut him off.

"Yeah, we did," A dreamy smile fell across Aang's face. That first kiss in the Cave of Two Lovers, despite that awkward conversation, turned out to be something that both he and Katara remembered with fondness. Not only had it saved them from being trapped forever in the cave, it was the first time both had ever shared a kiss with each other. And it was all the more special for it.

"I'm glad my first kiss was with you," Katara said.

"Me too," Aang replied.

"I don't know if I ever would have forgiven myself if it was Jet," Katara added, turning gloomy again. "Especially after I realized how stupid I had been."

"But he did redeem himself," Aang recollected. "When I saw him resist Long Feng's control and throw his sword at that horrible man, well, how could I ever forget that?"

"Maybe, but there's another regret that I have about that," Katara said, still looking sad.

"What?"

"I didn't even say goodbye or—" Katara blinked back a tear.

"Or what?"

"Well... the last words I said to him were in anger," Katara added, "And that was before we reached Lake Laogai."

Aang gently grasped Katara's shoulder.

"He had tried to tell me how he had changed, but I was so hurt by what he did I didn't believe him. I hated him. I wanted get away from him. Of course because we had to find Appa, I knew I had to let him stay since he was serious about helping us. But I didn't go anywhere near Jet after he told us about Lake Laogai that evening. I was still in a lot of turmoil. Then, the following day, as we were walking through the streets of Ba Sing Se toward the monorail, Jet tried to make another move on me."


Katara's P.O.V.

"Katara?"

I didn't want to even hear Jet's voice, much less respond to him. But he just wouldn't stop pestering me.

"Hey, Katara!" Jet said again.

"What do you want?" I responded coldly.

"I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for what I did."

He sounded genuine, but I didn't care. "Not interested," I answered. How could he possibly expect me to just forget about what he did to me? The betrayal I felt from him was so painful, and I had promised myself that I would not let anyone hurt me again—especially Jet.

"Please, I know what I did was wrong, and I know I—"

"You set me up," I responded, more curtly than ever. "All those people in that village nearly died because of what I did — no, because you tricked me into helping you in that horrible scheme of yours. You expect me to just get over that?!"

Yes, I had helped Jet clear his mind so that he could remember where the Dai Li had taken him, which is probably why he had figured that perhaps I was willing to give him a second chance. But that did not mean that I felt the same way. I was beyond caring about that. And besides Jet was making me very uncomfortable with the way he kept trying to come onto me.

"I'm sorry. It was a monstrous thing for me to do." Jet apologized.

"I don't know if you're serious or if you're just trying to sweet talk me again, but whatever it is, it's not going to work."

"Aw, c'mon, Katara, tell me you still might consider being my girl—"

"Don't say that word!" I shouted.

"Katara, I am serious. I had thought about what you said to me over and over since the day you froze me to that tree. I realized that you were right. I was messed up, and I did deceive you, and I'm very sorry I did that. But I also realized how much you meant to me. Since then, I've wanted nothing but to make up for what I did. Because I'm still very fond of you."

"If you think I'm going to fall for any of that again, think again," I said coldly. "I'm not so blind now."

"But Katara, remember how it was before? When you walked with me that evening? I thought there was something between us. I liked you a lot then and I still do now. That's why I would like you to forgive me and take me back. I want to be with you."

Jet's words were making me sick. I had been somewhat hesitant about agreeing to being his girlfriend then for a time (only sort of considering it partially to spite Sokka). But now I had absolutely no interest in any of that. It was not even the time nor the place to talk about such things. And besides I was so disgusted with him. Me, the girlfriend of such a dishonest, cruel terrorist who almost caused me to kill all those people back then? Never! Who did he think he was talking to?

"You and I both know what happened, and you can forget it. I want nothing to do with you again now or ever! I'm only allowing you to come because Aang needs Appa, and you know where he is. But after we're done I'll be glad to get away from you. And if you try anything with me again or hurt Aang, you'll regret it!"

Jet looked quite jealous. "Oh, I get it, you've fallen for the Avatar, haven't ya? You're his girl now, is that it?!"

My face turned red with embarrassment.

"Seriously, what does that goofy little kid have that I don't, huh?"

How dare he insult Aang like that! "He's not just a 'goofy little kid,'" I yelled. "He's everything that you're not—kind, selfless, and honest. And he doesn't seduce people into killing harmless innocents like you do!"

"Katara, I told you, I'm sorry."

"And I told you, sorry isn't enough," I growled. "And whatever is between me and Aang is none of your business. But I would rather be with someone like him than ever deal with you and your sick lies!"

Jet extended his arm toward my face. I backed away on impulse. "Get away from me! I despise you!"

And with that, I marched on, trying to catch up with Aang and the others. Of all the nerve! Just then, Toph came by and smirked, "Ooh, what's wrong, sugar queen? Having a lover's quarrel?"

I was so infuriated I wanted to scream. That was the second time Toph had ever teased me about Jet! And I had quite enough.

"For the last time, Jet is NOT my boyfriend! And he never was!"

"Well, then what exactly happened?" Toph asked, curious.

I tried to calm down, but my voice was still tinged with bitterness as I explained, "Jet… no, that… heartless monster… tried to destroy an entire village of innocent people — all because he wanted to fight the Fire Nation. And he used me to do it! Me and Aang! He tricked the two of us! Jet was only sweet talking me about everything, and I stupidly fell for it because I didn't know any better. But I was never in love with him. I was just blinded by his lies."

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, Smellerbee came up and jeered, "Oh I know you better than that. You were all over him when he met. You were all gaga when he swept you up into the trees, and you two seemed very cozy."

"SHUT UP!" I screamed. Then I marched on, trying to get away from those two. How dare she remind me of that! It infuriated me to even think of how naive I had been back then and how it almost cost the lives of not only my brother, but those innocent people, too.

"Katara, are you okay?" asked Aang. I was so caught up in my rage I hadn't noticed he was right beside me.

"No, I'm not!" I shouted, still angry.

Aang looked very sad. At that moment, my anger slowly calmed. I hated seeing Aang looking so hurt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," I apologized. "It's just that… well…"

"Don't worry about it, Katara. It's fine," Aang replied, smiling warmly.

For a moment, I felt better. But I knew that Aang was worried, too, for he really missed Appa, and we had to find him. Once again I remembered why we had to work with Jet one more time. He knew the way to the underground labyrinth to Lake Laogai where the flying bison was supposedly kept prisoner. When we left Ba Sing Se, he took the lead and we followed him over the hills to Lake Laogai. Even so, I didn't say another word to Jet after that. I couldn't. I had burned every bridge with him.

Even when I saw Jet dying after Long Feng had badly injured him, I didn't say a word. The last I remember was him smiling casually, putting on a brave face. "Don't worry about me, Katara. I'll be fine."

Then I looked away, with a mixture of remorse and regret.


3rd Person P.O.V.

Tears streamed down Katara's face. "If only I hadn't treated him so harshly," she sighed.

"You couldn't help it," Aang said comfortingly. "He had really hurt you badly."

After a moment, Katara sighed. "Yeah. He did. And even if he lived, I still would not have agreed to be his girlfriend. I couldn't."

Aang warmly placed his hand on Katara's shoulder. "It's all right, Katara. He died a hero, and I'll always thank him for that. I forgave him the moment he saved my life."

Katara had never admitted it to herself, or anyone. But deep down, she had forgiven Jet, too. It had, after all, been quite a long time. Still, Katara needed comfort after recollecting such traumatic memories. So she threw her arms around Aang. Without saying anything, Aang hugged her back. He always liked when Katara hugged him as much as he liked hugging her.

After a moment, Aang gently pulled away. "You feeling all right?"

Katara nodded, but then suddenly her face turned sour. "No. I only wish we hadn't run into Smellerbee. I wish I could give her a piece of my mind. And can you believe she said she was gonna tell everyone? She's got a lot of nerve!"

"Katara, is it really worth getting upset about it?" Aang asked.

"But Aang…"

"As long as you and I both know what really happened, I think that's all that's important. I don't think too many people are going to care about that."

Katara thought for a moment. Then it dawned upon her that what Aang said did indeed make sense. She had to admit that for someone two years younger than her, Aang had a lot of real wisdom.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Katara added. "Still, the next time I see her, I'll be ready for her if she dares to humiliate us again. I hate that she made you so upset."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. It could have been worse. At least I didn't go into my Avatar State!" Aang replied.

He and Katara both laughed. "Yeah, that would have been truly scary," she added.

Secretly, though, Aang was very pleased that Katara cared so much to stand up for him.

Katara smiled at his cheerful face.

"Oh, that reminds me," Aang stated after a pause, "I almost forgot about your present."

"Present? For me?!" Katara asked, her face turning into amazement.

"Yeah. I was gonna give it to you until, well, you know. But I know just the place to do it. Come with me."

Aang took Katara by the hand and escorted her outside the house. After a moment they stopped in the courtyard. At first Katara was puzzled… until Aang took her by the hand and spun her around into his arms. She was cheek to cheek with him. Katara blushed.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," Aang admitted.

"Is that all?" Katara asked, smiling coyly.

"Nope. It's only the beginning. Hold onto me."

"Okay," Katara said, wrapping her arms around Aang's neck.

"Actually," Aang suggested, gently taking Katara's arm and guiding it to his waist, "This is preferable." Then he wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her close.

Katara felt butterflies in her stomach, wondering what her boyfriend was going to do next.

Aang took a deep breath and exhaled. A gentle breeze blew beneath Aang and Katara. It was then that she realized what he was doing. He was airbending. But what for? Katara soon had her answer, for in the next instant, they were both gently lifting off the stone pavement, rising into the air, very slowly. Katara looked up at Aang's face. He cast a glance at her, giving her a smile that was full of confidence, sincerity and joy. Katara smiled back. This was like when Jet had once taken her into the trees, but this time it was even better. It was with someone who she truly loved. The Avatar. No, not just the Avatar. He was Aang. Turning away from her love for just a moment, Katara took a glance all around her. The city of Ba Sing Se looked absolutely beautiful from their view, and to see it going up was a sight that was truly… dreamy. Quite romantic.

After what seemed like a long time, Aang finally settled himself and Katara on the roof.

"Aang, that was wonderful!" Katara exclaimed, breathless and in awe.

"I'm glad you think so! Doesn't the city look great at night?" Aang asked.

"Yeah, it does." answered Katara, gazing at the view. "So what is this present?"

"That you're about to get," Aang said with a soft smile. He reached into his pocket, and like a magician, he pulled out the wrapped parcel the old vendor had given him. He gave it to Katara, and she unwrapped it eagerly. What she uncovered was something that made her gasp in joy.

It was a jeweled panda lily necklace! Katara was delighted. She knew what this kind of flower was, but she had never seen one made of jewels.

"Oh, Aang!"

"I had wanted to give you a real one for quite some time. Ever since we first came to Aunt Wu's village."

"Aunt Wu? Oh, the fortune teller! Of course!" Katara remembered that woman. She had once predicted that Katara would be destined to be with a powerful bender. Never could she have imagined that it would be Aang, of all people, that she would fall for. But it happened.

"I wish I had been able to find the real thing, but this will have to do for now. When I saw it, I just couldn't resist. I knew I had to give it to you."

Katara beamed and set the necklace around her neck. "Thank you, Aang. It's beautiful."

Aang scooted next to her. "Nowhere nearly as beautiful as you." He had come a such long way in many respects. In addition to learning how to control his powers and his status as an Avatar, he had also gotten much better at compliments. His previous attempts (advice from Sokka) hadn't turned out as they had expected. Then of course, there was his clumsy "I'd rather kiss you than die" moment in the Cave of Two Lovers. But since then Aang had romanced Katara in a dance at the Fire Nation, with the words "It's just you and me right now." The past two years of having Katara as his girlfriend had only cemented how more experienced he had gotten. The best part of all was how sweet and sincere he was about it, and not superficial.

Katara could sense it, too, and his words tonight couldn't have been a better way to end the evening. For in that instant she forgot about her grievances with Jet and saw only Aang. Her best friend. Her love. It didn't matter if he was the Avatar or not. He was the sort of person who could cheer her up whenever she was downcast. But tonight, he had cheered both of them up, too.

For a long while they gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Katara finally broke the silence with the words. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Aang."

"Me too," answered Aang. "But actually, I kinda saved the best for last."

Katara raised her eyebrows. Then she saw him leaning in, and knew what he had in mind. She leaned in, too, and they shared a deep passionate kiss.

They were still in each other's arms, unnoticed by a spectral figure watching from the starry night sky. The ghost of a teenage boy who had once lived a troubled life, formed an army, and ultimately died redeeming himself for his crimes. But in spite of his crimes, he still had held a soft spot for Katara. But because he was no longer part of this world, he could only look down at the girl he once loved and smile softly. She had found true happiness, and it was with the Avatar. And he had observed every move that Aang made that evening. Spinning Katara, airbending her romantically up onto the roof… he was very, very impressed. Aang had managed to do what he could not, and he had done it his own way. He was just as happy for the Avatar as he was for the girl. Now he could rest in peace. But before disappearing, the ghost of the boy had one thing to say, even though he knew no one could hear him.

"Well done, Aang," the ghost of Jet said proudly, just before he vanished into the night sky.

Katara and Aang didn't notice, as expected, but just after their lips parted, a soft breeze whistled through the night, as if something was rushing through them. Neither of them knew that it was Jet's ghost taking one last flight toward them before returning to wherever it was that he now dwelled in.


While the two lovers relished their evening, someone else was having a different kind of experience. Smellerbee sat in her bed, crying. She still missed Jet and deeply regretted never telling him how she loved him. And she still would never forgive Katara for stealing him away from her, if only for a time. At the very least she got her revenge by telling everyone about it, so that long after their time, this unpleasant tale would still be talked about by anyone who would learn about Avatar Aang and Katara.

To this day there are people who still wonder if Smellerbee's story is true or not. Only Aang and Katara knew what had really happened. And while the world probably would never find the answer, both would always take pride that their kiss in the Cave of Two Lovers was their first for both of them.