Chapter Two: Where She Went

One Year Ago

The tears were starting to freeze on her cheeks. Some small part of her brain thought about wiping them away, but she continued staring out across the frozen tundra, unable, unwilling, to move.

Another part of her wanted to scream and to lose her temper- to curse the gods for causing her and her family this kind of grief.

La, I miss her.

Katara closed her eyes at that thought. She felt too tired to cry anymore, and yet, the tears kept coming. She sobbed through the funeral, before she wandered off and found herself alone at the edge of the village.

Aang had wanted to come with her, of course. He had reached for her, wanting to take her into his arms, but she rejected his comfort. She didn't want to be coddled.

Kanna had lived a long, long life. She had seen the beginning of the long, bitter war and had lived to see it end in peace. She had loved her first husband and had given him a son, and she had been blessed to find love again later in life.

Before she had gone, Kanna had told Katara that this was simply the end of her life in this world- and this was just the beginning of something new. When Katara had asked what she had meant, Kanna had simply smiled, and told her granddaughter to be strong, and that she would always be there with her, even if she couldn't see her.

Katara turned her gaze towards the sky. The sun was slowly setting, and the moon would begin to rise soon. Katara knew it would be full tonight, and that another night of sleep would evade her.

"I will always be with you…"

"Katara."

Katara didn't removed her gaze from the horizon. She could sense him next to her and saw some movement out of the corner of her eye. When she did glance over, she saw he was offering her a handkerchief.

"What are you doing here, Zuko?" she asked, taking the handkerchief.

"I wanted to see if you were all right. Everyone is worried about you." Zuko tilted his head slightly, studying her. "I know you're not."

"Is it obvious?" Katara asked, her tone slightly snide. "I wonder why."

"Katara, I can't even imagine what you're going through-,"

"Good, then don't," she snapped, her eyes blazing. "Don't give me your pity."

Zuko raised his brows. "I understand you're in pain, Katara. I'm not one to pity anyone, especially not you. I just thought you might need… a friend."

Katara viciously scrubbed the tears off of her cheeks. She knew he hadn't meant it that way, and she didn't have any reason to snap at him.

"I'm just tired," she said, softly this time. "I thought things would get better after the war, and for a time they did, and now…"

Zuko stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No one is expecting you to be strong now, Katara. You can mourn in your own time."

"Gran-gran would want me to be strong," she confessed, looking at the handkerchief. It was made from black silk and had the Fire Nation emblem stitched in the corner in red thread. Her free hand balled into a fist. "And all I want to do is…"

Zuko waited patiently. He could all but feel the despair and frustration rolling off of her in waves.

Katara took a deep breath. "All I want to do is run away." She looked at him finally, her eyes wide and red-rimmed. "Does that make me a coward?"

"No," Zuko said. "It's not running away if all you want is space to think or to grieve."

"I didn't think about it that way," Katara said.

"You don't always have to take care of everyone, Katara," Zuko smiled slightly. "Although I know that may be difficult for you to believe."

Katara scoffed, even as her lips twitched.

Holding her gaze, Zuko continued. "If you need time to take care of yourself, who would stop you? And why would you stop yourself?"

"Since when did you become big on self-care and love?" Katara asked.

Sensing the teasing note in her voice, Zuko's smile widened. "I guess my uncle is rubbing off on me. He always has to remind me that if I don't care for myself, then I won't be able to care for my people."

"He's a smart man," Katara stated, her expression softening.

"Yes, he is." Zuko looked back at her. "He would also understand if you left."

Katara stared into his eyes. "Not yet."

Zuko nodded.

"But can we stay here for a little longer? I'm not ready to go back yet," she whispered. When he nodded again, she shifted closer to him, so her shoulder leaned against his side.

Zuko looked down at her, keeping his hand on her shoulder. His thoughts betrayed him, however, and imagined how it would be to wrap an arm around her waist...

Ooo0ooO

"I don't know what to tell you, Aang. I just need some space."

Aang stared at Katara with a confused expression. "I understand why you need to get away," he told her. "But why do you need to get away from me?"

"Aang, please. Don't make this harder than it already is."

"I'm sorry," Aang said, taking her hand.

"I am too. I think this is for the best. We haven't…"

"We aren't in the same place we were four years ago," Aang surmised, nodding. "Do you think we could get there again?"

Katara broke her gaze from his. "No," she said firmly. "We had just survived a war. Things are too different now."

Aang squeezed her hand. "Katara, please-,"

"I said no!" she shouted, ripping her hand from his. "Don't you get it?" Her eyes burned with rage and grief. "I'm leaving."

Aang watched her go, the hand that had been in hers placed over his heart. It hurt, yes, but… His eyes closed.

Even the Avatar could not deny something that was inevitable.

Had it always been like this? Was this the only way?

He could remember long ago, after the war, when they had all been at Iroh's tea shop. When he and Katara had kissed, when she had finally become his…

But the years had not been easy on any of them, especially the young couple. They often found themselves apart, trying to repair the damage caused by the war, and with that distance,they had drifted apart… They had both changed.

Aang looked in the direction Katara had disappeared. She had entered his life for a reason, that much was clear. And, in many ways, he knew she would always be, even if it was not by his side…

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The waterbending master found herself travelling all over- even to familiar places that they had stopped in during the war. The first familiar place she had gone was Kyoshi Island, five months after the funeral.

Suki was delighted to see her sister-in-law, having been on the island for a few months to train a new group of recruits. She and Sokka had often divided their time between the Southern Water Tribe and the island.

Katara could admit that seeing Suki, even Ty Lee, had been uplifting for her spirit. When she moved on, she decided to spend more time in the Earth Kingdom, allowing herself to blend into the villages where people did not recognize her.

When the invitation for the celebration of the fifth anniversary since the end of the war found her, she was in a remote part of the Fire Nation colonies. The messenger hawk had landed on the tree next to her, and when she read the message, she knew that it was time to go home.

Gazing out towards the ocean from the cliff she was on, Katara allowed herself to reminisce about her travels, before she made the slow descent to find her way back to the Earth Kingdom.

Ooo0ooO

Present Day

"There seems to be a story there," Katara commented, raising a brow.

"Yes, but it's not one to tell right now. Here comes everyone else."

Katara turned and saw the group approaching, which included Iroh, Ursa, and Bumi. She found herself looking at Aang first, who seemed oddly quiet.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to bless us with her presence. Where've ya been, Sugar Queen? Not another spa, I hope," Toph said, shoving the airbender aside to grin at Katara.

Chuckling, Katara stepped forward to hug the other woman. "No, not a spa, Toph. I missed you."

"Sure you did. I got all your letters. They made me cry," Toph teased, patting her on the back.

"Nice try," Katara muttered into her ear, making Toph laugh before she pulled away.

"It is good to see you again, my dear," Iroh said, embracing her warmly. "Perhaps you will share your stories of adventure over a cup of tea?"

"Sure, Iroh," Katara said, smiling.

Lady Ursa was next to welcome Katara back, and the Fire Nation noblewoman insisted on joining Katara and Iroh over tea.

"The rest of them were positively a mess without you," Ursa whispered to Katara, smirking slightly.

Katara laughed softly, before her attention was drawn to Aang, who had finally approached her. She wondered how someone who was now so much taller than herself could manage to look like he was not.

"Hey Katara," Aang said. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," she said, before hugging him in turn.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I mean…"

"I'll let you know when I figure that out," she told him, with an understanding smile.

"Well now that Sweetness is back, can we please get back to the party? I'm starving!" Toph exclaimed, which was quickly seconded by Sokka.

Smiling wryly, Katara took Iroh's offered arm as they walked towards an open table. She found herself sitting between him and Zuko, and was relieved to find that although she had been away for so long, she did not feel like she was an outcast. Toph teased her just like before, and Iroh made terrible jokes, and Sokka and Aang were discussing treaties with Zuko.

Ursa ended up moving next to Katara when Iroh went to find Bumi and other attending members of the White Lotus. "How are you doing, my dear?"

Katara sighed. "I feel… less lost. I think getting away was… good for me." Katara glanced around the table. "It doesn't feel like I just ran away."

Ursa nodded. "It's not running away if all you want is space to think or to grieve."

Katara blinked. "That's what Zuko told me."

"My son is a wise man," Ursa said, smiling in his direction, even though his attention was elsewhere. "He is fortunate to have good friends."

"We are fortunate too," Katara stated. "After the war, he's always been there… even when he's busy running the Fire Nation, or negotiating peace."

Ursa studied Katara as the waterbender stared at her son. "You will always find him to be very loyal, especially to those he cares about."

Katara shook her hand, turning her attention away from Zuko and the other men. "So, what has happened since I've been away?"

Suki and Ursa leaned in, and before long, the trio was immersed deeply in conversation.

Across the table, Zuko glanced at Katara briefly. She was laughing at something that Suki had said, and his chest constricted again. His brow furrowed at the strange sensation, but he ignored it, and turned back to the others.

Ooo0ooO

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Please review!