A/N: OK, just to clear up any confusion that might surfacing… With the exception of Katara's letter in the first chapter, all italicized parts in this story are flashbacks. They are all from before Aang and Katara's separation six years prior and serve as a way of building up their relationship. I'm sorry that some of my reviewers got a little confused with the last one. I hope that this clears some things up for my readers. :)

Of Sea-Prunes and Memories

Despite the sudden drop in temperature, Katara could still feel the burn of Aang's skin on her palms as they made their way into the ice hut. The winds and snow and ice did little to numb the warm feeling that had seeded into her every cell, warming her from the inside out. A smile played across her lips and he eyes sparkled, tiny snowflakes catching her lashes and frosting her hair.

As she pushed through the animal pelt that served as a door, the sweet smell of sea prunes and seaweed stewing over the fire welcomed her home. She couldn't help but smile when she noticed the wrinkle in Aang's nose as he caught the scent.

The small room in the front of the hut that was the main living area was empty, save for a small fire in the hearth and of course their dinner. The wooden planks that made up the floor creaked under her feet as they made their way into the hut, "Um, I think Sokka must be in his room."

Aang nodded, glancing around the small room and eyeing every detail from the animal pelt area rugs to the decorative tribal art hanging on the walls.

"I'm going to go see if I can find him," Katara motioned to a pile of pillows near the fire, "Feel free to make yourself comfortable."

He smiled and sat down near the hearth, "Thanks."

Aang followed Katara's exit with his eyes, feeling her absence more than predicted as she disappeared around the corner that lead to what he presumed to be the bedrooms. He sighed, moving his gaze to the fire lit room surrounding him.

It was small, cozy, and extremely Katara. Her presence seemed to be saturated into every detail of the space. A large vase of moonlillies sat in the window sill that overlooked the tundra prairie where Appa was, and their brilliant white petals blossomed in the cool light of the nearly full moon that showered through the small window.

He smiled when he noticed several artifacts on display from their journeys together as kids. The small Painted Lady statue that had been a gift from the village they had helped redeem sat on a row of shelves on the far wall. The decorative masks they had worn at the "Fire Day" festival hung on the wall near the fire place and the tickets from the Earthbending Tournament where they had first met Toph were framed and hanging beside them. Sokka's boomerang and sword sat against a corner nearby and an old wanted poster for "The Runaway" hung above it.

His smile widened when his gaze landed on the simple necklace that he had made for Katara out of fishing line when she had lost her mother's necklace, it sat neatly on the same shelves that held the Painted Lady statue. Beside it sat a pile of dozens of rolled up parchments that he recognized as his many letters to her over the past six years. He smiled softly as he thought about his own box that sat in his room at the Fire Nation that held her letters…

Several waterbending scrolls were laid out on a small table opposite him, foretelling of Katara's dedication and passion as a bending instructor at the Academy. He found himself shuffling through the parchments, fond memories weaving their way into his sub-consciousness as he fingered their worn edges and intricate designs…

The water was surprisingly cool under the warmth of the Fire Nation sun that day, and it caused insensible chill bumps to bud all over Aang's body as he entered, ready for another vigorous waterbending session with his favorite sifu. He smiled when she came around the tree she had been changing behind, the white bindings of her undergarments clinging to her hips and chest. He blushed… It seemed he'd been doing that a lot lately.

"Ok Pupil Aang," she began, that familiar 'teacher look' entering her eyes once again as she lowered into her stance. "Are you ready?"

Aang nodded. "Ready when you are Sifu Katara!" he called as he spread his feet apart and readied himself.

The training session started as they always did… Katara coming at him over and over with attack after attack, dealing her shots relentlessly as Aang evaded each one. Dodging her water whip, eluding her octopus form, and sidestepping each frozen dagger that was hurled at him… At the end of twenty minutes Katara was out of breath and Aang found that the water didn't seem so cold anymore as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Katara inhaled deeply to catch her breath. "Aang… I think it's time for the next step of your training," she said, her cerulean eyes glittering brightly with excitement.

Aang took the pause in combat as an opportunity to splash some cool water on his face, "What do you mean?"

Katara straightened up, her brow pierced and her eyes staring at him in decision. "I want you to attack me."

Aang felt his jaw drop, "What?!"

"Attack me…" Katara stated simply, the furrow in her brow deepening. "We've perfected your defensive ability and it's time we started working on your offensive approach. You can't expect to defeat Ozai just by dodging all of his attacks Aang. You've got to be ready to deal some of your own."

"But Katara…" Aang started, only to have her glare deepen.

"Aang… Attack me!"

Aang sighed, realizing that her stubbornness would only get in the way of him trying to talk her out of it. Plus… as much as he didn't want to admit it, she was probably right.

He let out a deep breath and used its energy to propel a wall of water at Katara. When the wave subsided she stood in the water drenched, with a disappointed look on her face. "Aang…" she sighed, realizing he was holding back. "Come on. I know you can do better than that. Don't worry… I can take it," she assured him as she re-entered her fighting stance.

Aang filled his lungs with a deep breath, unsurely drawing his arms out in front of him to attack again. He didn't know why he was so surprised when his first wave of water whip attacks was blocked so easily. He decided to pick up the pace a little and drew two long whirlpools of water from the stream and shot their energy at Katara. She diverted the flow of water around her shoulders effortlessly and pushed the force back at him with more strength than he had originally anticipated. He stumbled backwards, using a shield of water in front of him to absorb the impact as he steadied his feet again.

She smirked, raising her eyebrows at him in a 'I-told-you-so' gesture with a certain 'make-my-day' expression lacing the corners of her eyes.

Aang narrowed his gaze, focusing his energy into his fingertips to release several ice daggers all at once to hurl through the air.

It wasn't until he saw the thin trail of scarlet lace across her right shoulder that he realized she had unsuccessfully dodged the last dagger…

He was at her side in seconds. "Katara! I'm so sorry!"

She hadn't even realized what he was apologizing for until she felt the tiny sting in her arm and the small amount of warm blood under the pads of her fingers. "Aang, it's barely a scratch…" she said as a warm light flooded around her left hand while she healed the shallow wound.

Aang buried his face in his hands, ashamed that his bending had once again brought harm to her. "I knew it was a bad idea…" he muttered, "What was I thinking?! I hurt you again!"

He jumped slightly when he felt her fingers wrap around his hands to pull them from his face. "Hey… it's okay. Look," she motioned to her shoulder with her eyes.

He sighed as he followed her gaze and found her shoulder to be completely healed. He met her eyes again with a new understanding, "I'm sorry Katara. I should have been more careful."

She smiled at him, and that's when he realized that she still had both of his hands in hers… "Apology accepted. And next time… you will."

He opened his mouth to object, but she interjected before he could proceed by bending an arm of water to weave around his ankles and pull him head first into the waist deep water. When he surfaced, coughing and sputtering, she was laughing. "Now we're even."

He grinned as he wiped the water from his eyes, "Now we're even."

The sound of feminine laughter brought Aang back from his memories, and he dropped the scroll he had been holding. It clattered to the ground and rolled several feet to the opposite side of the room. He shook himself of his thoughts and grumbled at his clumsiness as he crossed the room and bent down to pick it up.

He was startled when a heavy boot came down softly on his hand right as he reached for the scroll. He moved his eyes up a pair of dark navy trousers and a darker navy anorak. His face split into a grin as his gaze met a pair of steadfast icy blue eyes, "Sokka!"

Sokka shook his head, a grin plastering its way across his face and his eyes lighting up in excitement. "I can't believe it…" he muttered as he raised his foot off the Avatar's hand and pulled the young man to his feet.

Aang chuckled, "Well… believe it."

Sokka ran his fingers along his jaw line, narrowing his gaze at Aang as he slowly started walking around him. "I haven't seen you in what… has it been six years now?" Aang nodded as Sokka pulled at his goatee softly, seemingly deep in thought. "Six years, huh?"

Aang nodded again, a confused look finding its way into his expression, "Yeah Sokka… six years."

Sokka suddenly grabbed Aang in a brotherly hug, patting his back firmly several times with an open palm, "It's good to see ya Aang…"

It was only then that Aang realized that he was the same height as his older friend. He grinned, returning the friendly hug, "Same here buddy."

Sokka pulled back, chuckling to himself and mumbling something about how he still couldn't believe that Aang was there. Aang just smiled and patted Sokka's shoulder lovingly, "So I hear that you're about to be married! Congratulations man!"

Sokka nodded, "Yeah… I guess my big-mouth sister just couldn't keep anything a secret long enough for me to tell you myself…" he muttered.

Aang shook his head eagerly, "Oh… no actually… Well… it's kind of a long story. Just know that she isn't the one who told me…"

Sokka raised his eyebrows as if he were going to ask a question, but decided against it as he made his way over the pot stewing over the fire. "Ya hungry?"

Aang passed a hand over his growling stomach and lifted his gaze back to the mass of stewing sea prunes, "Um… Maybe… A little." Aang's ears perked up at the sound of laughter coming from the other room again, one distinctly Katara's and one… not. "Hey Sokka, is that…"

"Well, I know that you and Toph aren't too big on Stewed Sea prunes, so I asked her to bring some breads and vegetables with her from Gaoling." Sokka said as he used a large wooden spoon to stir the pot, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing…"

"Oh! Toph's here? I saw her earlier in the market today, but I guess I didn't think that she would be staying here with you and Katara…" Aang thought out loud as he craned his neck sideways, trying to see down the hallway to possibly catch a glimpse of whoever it was Katara was laughing with.

Sokka sighed, as if he were listening to a speech he had heard a million times before, "I know I know… It's not tradition for the groom and bride to share the same roof before the ceremony. But I wouldn't let her stay by herself. She's been sleeping in Katara's room if that makes any difference…"

"Groom and…. Bride…" Aang relaxed his posture as his confused expression met Sokka's back. Suddenly his face contorted into a pang of realization, "You mean… Toph?! Toph's the bride?"

Sokka turned back towards his bald friend, smiling despite himself, "You didn't know? Nobody told you?"

Aang chuckled, suddenly realizing what Katara had meant earlier by saying that Sokka wasn't technically the first one to get married in their group. He sighed contently as he met Sokka's eyes, "No… I guess no one did."

Katara sighed, tossing over in her animal skin bedding and staring tirelessly at the ceiling. She rolled her eyes as Toph mumbled something in her sleep. The nearly full moon outside showered her room in a soft pale glow, its energy tingling in her fingers and heightening her senses. The smell of sea prunes and seaweed still wafted in the air around her from dinner and the sound of Sokka's snoring couldn't be missed through the thin walls of their small ice hut.

The evening had been, in one word… perfect. For those few hours it seemed as if the six years that had separated the four friends for so long had melted away. Sokka made crude jokes, Toph made petty insults, Aang made lighthearted small talk, and Katara made herself comfortable in the family that had been apart for so long. All at once they were "Team Avatar" again, laughing and teasing, just like old times. She smiled at the thought.

Just being in Aang's presence again had caused a myriad of lost memories to resurface, and she had spent the better part of the past two hours tossing and turning in bed and recounting dozens of shared moments with the Airbending Avatar. Her mind raced with images, words, smiles, and stormy grey eyes. Although she knew he was probably fast asleep in the next room, regardless of Sokka's incessant snoring, his distance seemed to stretch miles as she replayed the day's events in her mind's eye.

To say that she had been surprised at his reappearance would be the understatement of the century. Her reaction to his greeting had been, in word, embarrassing. She'd never fainted before… How did he suddenly have such a strong effect on her? After six years… she still felt a heated spark from his touch and a warm glow in her chest with the smooth gentleness of his voice.

She sighed, resigning to the fact that her mind wouldn't allow her to succumb to heavy eyelids anytime soon. She pushed back the covers and slipped into a robe. Careful to not wake Toph, she tip-toed out of the room and down the hall, her bare feet padding softly against the cold floor boards.

The small living room was lit by only the dull smolder of burning embers in the fireplace and the cool pale glow of the moon outside. She shivered, suddenly missing the warmth from her bed as she stoked the fire gently to revive the hot coals. She curled up on the hearth, wrapping her arms around her legs and sinking into the mound of pillows by the fire.

Sokka's wedding was in two weeks. In two weeks he and Toph would be… married. It was a strange thought. Her brother… a husband. Sokka… raising a family. She sighed, a warm pride suddenly rising in her chest for her older sibling. Despite their constant bickering, she loved her brother dearly and was truly happy for him.

But she couldn't help but be a little jealous. How had he managed to find happiness before she did? How did he manage to win Toph's love and affection without Katara even realizing her brother had a liking for their blind friend? She smiled, he would always be a mystery to her…

As she stared into the fire, she found herself humming softly into the night. A simple tune that she had known as a child, though she couldn't remember where she had first heard it... It was a song that she could remember being sung by a woman with pale blue eyes and soft tan skin… "I miss you Mom," she murmured as she clutched the pendent of her necklace against her chest. Suddenly a pair of soft grey eyes filled her subconscious and she smiled softly, a single tear tracing down her cheek as she closed her eyes.

A/N: I know, it's kind of a sad way to end the chapter and there wasn't much Kataang fluff… But alas, all the chapters can't be the same, or that would get really boring really fast. Haha, and did you catch that? Sokka has a goatee! I decided to give in to his obession with facial hair in the show and grant him some of his very own!

Reviews are always replied to and greatly appreciated. :)