A/N: Ah! Apologies to my readers because it took me forever to get this chapter started! But alas, graduation is behind me now and I finally got some free time to get this one down on paper… er computer screen. I'm not sure I'd call it a spoiler, but there is a tiny reference to the Western Air Temple episode near the end in Katara's flashback…

What Are Friends For?

It felt weird… watching him take off into the clouds again on Appa, her feet planted firmly on the ground and her eyes on the sky. She could still feel the burn of his lips on her mouth as she stood in the snow-covered field, a faint numbness in her chest as Aang and Sokka became a distant dot on the horizon.

"Well, I hope my parents are better flyers than I am…" Toph mumbled before turning back towards the town. "Sokka may be in for more than he bargained for."

"You think they'll be okay?" Katara worried out-loud as she finally tore her eyes from the sky and turned towards her blind friend. Her throat felt dry as she spoke, and she suddenly realized it'd been one of the few things she'd said all morning.

"Oh yeah…" Toph answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. ""Somehow, I just don't think that a giant furry monster will fit into Mom and Dad's travel plans," she said with a satisfied smirk.

"Right…" Katara moved her eyes back to sky momentarily before sighing and turning back towards the house to help Toph through the snow. She didn't have the energy to tell Toph it wasn't her parents she was worried about.

They'd only been in the air a total of three minutes before Aang started daydreaming… He could remember another time in he and Katara's relationship when he had contemplated their future and what it would lead to… when he had wondered silently to himself what the next step would be and if either of them would actually end up taking it.

In fact… there were several of those moments that he could probably catalogue into countless events and opportunities. But one such time stood vividly in the forefront of his mind, and not unlike his current situation, it involved an unexpected kiss… the morning of the invasion… the morning after he had tried to tell Katara his feelings for her and had ended up kissing her instead… he found himself worrying quietly how this situation would play out in comparison…

It had been a beautiful morning. Ironic… because it would actually go down in the history books as "the darkest day in the Fire Nation"… the day Ozai's tyranny ended… the day the sky fell black and the earth was dark.

Aang glared into the stream of water with determination, feeling the sharp blade running over his scalp and black hair falling around him in curtains. The winds swirled the waters into tiny whirlpools below him, carrying his disguise down the river in little black currents. He knew she was watching him from the campsite, and he sighed heavily as he ran his hand over his once again bald head before grabbing his glider and standing back up.

He knew he should go talk to her about the previous night… Try to explain why he had kissed her so impulsively and then ran back to camp when he realized what he'd done, throwing awkward apologies at her startled expression and trying to hide his embarrassment with excuses of 'needing sleep' and 'fighting the Fire Lord tomorrow' and whatever else he could come up with at the moment.

He sighed again, mentally kicking himself for being so spineless. He's the Avatar! He's supposed to be fearless! So why is he having so much trouble letting her know about his feelings for her?! He groaned inwardly as he noticed her stirring near the camp, realizing that she was approaching him… probably coming to the water to fill her water-skins.

He quickly kneeled at the shoreline again and splashed some water over his head as she approached. He didn't look up when he felt her pulling water from the river and into the pouches at her hips. "Hey Katara," he said dryly, annoyingly noting the hesitancy in his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Nice morning…"

"Yeah… it is," she answered quietly.

"Yeah…" he said awkwardly before finally looking up at her. "It is…"

Katara chuckled lightly, "Aang, I just said that."

"Right… sorry," he responded quickly, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. The silence that followed was nerve-racking. He drew a deep breath as he tried to calm his thoughts. The heat from the morning sun was already hot on his bald head as he suddenly realized that now might be the last chance he would get to tell Katara his feelings for her.

He started shakily, "Um… Katara… I…"

"Yes Aang?" She looked to him hopefully, and he couldn't help but notice the optimistic gaze in her eyes.

He swallowed hard, trying to calm his racing heart, "I uh… I'm sorry about last night…About the uh… That. And I didn't mean to… offend you or anything. I'm, I'm sorry."

He felt his burden lighten as she smiled at him, "Aang why are you apologizing?"

He drew a deep breath, "I don't know… I just wanted to tell you… something. And I just sort of got carried away I guess."

Katara looked at him confused, "Tell me what, Aang?"

Aang glanced back over the camp nervously, noting how close to leaving the rest of his comrades were, "Katara… I wanted to tell you… It might be the last chance I get to say…" he realized he was wringing his hands, and he put them down at his sides. "What I mean is… that I care about you… a lot. And if I don't tell you this now, I might not ever get the chance to say it… So…"

Katara smiled at him, trying to put him at ease so that he could say what it was he wanted to say. He paused, returning her smile and feeling his nerves calm down around him, "Katara… What I wanted to tell you is… that we've been through a lot together over the past year, some times obviously more fun than others," here her paused to chuckle. "I've grown really close to you Katara," he felt his cheeks flaring up dim crimson as he made eye contact with her, "I've never had a friend like you before…I care a lot about you and I guess what I'm trying to say is… I l-"

"Katara! Aang! What are you doing?! It's time to go!" Sokka's voice came from the camp site, and Aang looked over to it mid-sentence, missing the annoyed look Katara was sending her brother.

He jumped when he felt Katara's hand grab his to turn his attention back to her, "What Aang? You what?" she was pleading with her eyes, willing him to finish his sentence.

"I uh…" his nerves began pinching in his insides again, and his stomach turned dramatically as he met her eyes, "It's n-nothing, Katara… I'll uh… I'll just tell you later."

He missed the disappointment in her eyes as he hurriedly picked up his glider and motioned towards the camp, "We'd better get going, the others are waiting on us…"

Sokka's voice faintly brought Aang back from his memories…

"So, Aang," Sokka said as he pulled a map out of his bag, spreading it neatly over Appa's saddle. "I figure it will take us most of the day to reach the colony where we're meeting Toph's parents." He pointed to a small island off the mainland to illustrate his point, "So we'll meet up with them this evening and head back to the South Pole first thing tomorrow morning. We should be home in plenty of time for dinner."

"Sure…" Aang responded distractedly his eyes fixated in a worried trance.

Sokka narrowed his eyes at his younger friend, "Right, and then we'll stop by Kyoshi Island and invite the Unagi to the wedding… after all, he is the coordinator."

"Uh huh…" Aang responded with a slight nod of his head, his eyes still staring off distantly as he trailed his fingers in little circles across the edge of the map.

"After that… we'll stop by Sparky Sparky Boom Man's house for tea before going to Azula's cell to help her escape…"

"Whatever you say, Sokka," Aang noted airily.

Sokka rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to bring him back to reality, "Aang… what's the deal?" Aang shook his head of his thoughts and focused on Sokka as he continued. "You've been acting weird all morning. You didn't get a hold of some bad cactus juice, did you?"

Aang chuckled and pulled Sokka's hand from his shoulder, "What? No… no cactus juice for me. Sorry… I just have a lot on my mind I guess," he smiled, suddenly feeling very nervous as he stood up to take the reigns again.

"Oh, and I'm sure that has nothing to do with my sister? Does it?" Sokka grinned knowingly as he stretched back into Appa's saddle, the morning sun warming his face.

"What? No. Nothing about Katara. Not at all." Aang stammered, feeling the blush rise to his cheeks as he thought about what had happened in the stream bank only hours ago. "It's… s-something else… entirely different," he stuttered as he situated himself behind the reigns. "Definitely not Katara."

Sokka raised his eyebrows and crossed his hands behind his head, "Aang, I'm not an idiot," he said simply. "I know that look on your face."

Aang cleared his throat and tried his best to look what he thought was normal, "What look?"

Sokka laughed, shook his head and looked up into the clouds above as he answered, "She's got you," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "She's got you right where she wants you."

Aang glanced over his shoulder nervously at Sokka's laid back posture, "What are you talking about?"

Sokka closed his eyes lazily as he spoke, "Women are like the tides, Aang. They push you and pull you and sometimes drown you." He pulled one arm from behind his head to gesture as he talked. "Right when you think you've got them figured out, they change on you. They're unpredictable, complicated, but mesmerizing. They're never the same day to day, but they're always reliable." He peeked open one eye to peer over at Aang, "You get my drift?" he asked as he replaced his arm behind his head.

Aang laughed confusingly, "You're starting to sound like Iroh, Sokka. But what does that have to do with me?"

Sokka sighed and smirked, "You tell me."

Aang paused, giving Sokka thoughtful look before continuing, "It's… complicated," he said sighing.

"Complicated?" Sokka laughed, "You're in love with my sister. What's so complicated about that?"

"I know, but it's not like…." Aang trailed off as Sokka's words sunk in, "Wait… you knew?!" he asked incredulously as he peered over his shoulder again.

Sokka pulled his head off his arms to give Aang a 'who-do-you-think-I-am' kind of look before smiling, "I've known since we were kids Aang. You weren't exactly discreet about it. I think Katara's the only one who didn't pick up on it!"

Aang was numb for words, so he just nodded solemnly and turned back towards the reigns.

"She's crazy about you…" Sokka said indifferently. "You know that… right?"

Aang opened his mouth to respond, but realized he didn't really know what to say. He sighed, snapping his mouth shut and resigning to his thoughts as the Southern Water Tribe became a distant dot on the horizon behind them.

He could still feel how Katara's lips had felt on his… and he absent mindedly brought his hand to his mouth as he thought about how it had happened. It all seemed like a blur now, but he had been trying to tell her… He'd been struggling to say 'Katara, I love you,' while stammering on about how sorry he was for leaving her all those years ago. And then, before he really knew what was happening… he was tangled into her, his mouth against hers and his entire body on fire from her touch.

Thinking about it now, he couldn't remember if she had kissed him or the other way around. All he remembered was the moon's reflection in the water around them, and then faintly being surprised by the intoxicating feel of her body against his. Just thinking about it caused an inaudible moan to rumble from the back of his throat as his blood began to thunder more fervently through his veins.

He drew a deep breath to calm himself as he tried to retrain his thoughts.

"I wonder what the girls are doing…" he wondered out-loud, the heat in his face residing.

Sokka chuckled, still unmoving from his relaxed position, "Probably talking about you…" he mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Aang called back as he glanced over his shoulder.

Sokka cleared his throat loudly, "I said probably getting stuff ready for the wedding!"

Aang nodded as he turned back towards the clouds ahead, "Yeah… you're probably right."

"We'll be back tomorrow night Katara, I promise…" his words still rung in her ear like they had when he had whispered them there only a few hours ago, right before they left. His eyes had been sincere but her heart was reluctant as she answered with a small smile…

"Just be careful," she had whispered back as he pulled her into a hug, earning sideways glances from Toph and Sokka as they stayed in each others' arms a little longer than usual.

Toph cleared her throat loudly and Katara jolted from her thoughts, fumbling with the small ice sculpture she had been working on before it went crashing to the ground. Toph sighed as she heard the ice shatter on impact, "What's up with you Sugarqueen? You're acting even weirder than usual."

"Sorry Toph," Katara answered as she melted the ice and bent it back into a single chunk. "I'm just not really feeling like myself today."

"Today huh?" Toph chuckled as she sat the lump of earth she'd been molding on the table. "You haven't been yourself all week," she answered, raised eyebrows behind thick black bangs.

Katara moved to object, but Toph beat her to it, "I may not have working eyes, Katara… but I know something when I see it." She said simply, "I know there's something going on between you and Twinkle Toes."

Katara fingered the chunk of ice she'd been working on as she answered, "Toph… I…" she sighed, trying to decide how to respond. Suddenly, she sat the ice on the table and looked up to her friend thoughtfully, "How did you know you were in love with my brother?" She felt silly asking her younger friend for love advice, but she was her only female friend to ask. "I mean, I remember you two fighting all the time when we were kids and now look…" she gestured around them, "…We're sitting here making ice and earth sculptures as table decorations for your wedding in three days!"

Toph cleared her throat, seemingly caught off guard, "Oh… well… Um…" she sighed, and then suddenly smiled. It was a smile that she only used when she was either with Sokka, thinking about Sokka, or talking about Sokka, and it lit up her entire face as she continued, bringing a certain light to her useless eyes, "I guess it just kind of… happened."

Katara nodded, more for herself than anything else since Toph couldn't see it. Toph chuckled before continuing, "I guess I always kind of liked him, but we were kids. And you know… I was kind of…"

Katara smiled, "Stubborn? Arrogant? Hotheaded?" she finished good naturedly.

Toph narrowed her pale eyes, "I was going to say shy…"

Katara suppressed a giggle with her palm, "Sorry…"

Toph let herself smile back before continuing, "Anyways… I was too shy to say anything. And then, after we hadn't seen each other in a while, I guess it just sort of… happened."

"But how did you know? How'd you know it was something… more?" Katara asked hopefully. "How'd you know it was real?"

Toph shrugged her shoulders, "Being blind my entire life has made me somewhat more intuitive to other things. I've never been able to lie to myself like other people do… I guess I knew there was no denying my feelings for him."

Katara nodded again as a certain Airbending Avatar's smile filled her thoughts. Toph smiled her Sokka-smile, her pale eyes seemingly greener as she continued, "Katara, when I'm with Sokka… it's like nothing else matters. Nothing can compare to the way he makes me feel. I don't know if that's love… but it's good enough for me."

"I think…" Katara sighed, trying to decide rather or not she wanted to put into words what she thought she had felt last night. "I think I'm in love… with Aang."

Toph laughed, earning a sideways glare from her older friend. "I don't see the humor in this situation Toph…" Katara hissed. Toph tried to contain her laughter to soft giggles by pressing her palm into her mouth, but she failed miserably.

"Oh, never mind!" Katara threw her hands up in the air exasperated as she stood up.

"You think that I haven't known that?" Toph said quickly as Katara turned to leave. "Geez Katara, I thought we'd already established that I'm the one who's blind!"

Katara turned back to peer down at Toph, "You… you knew all along?"

Toph smirked through long black bangs before turning her attention back to the mound of earth on the table. "You act like it's a bad thing."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked as she retook her seat at the table.

"Being in love… you act like it's a bad thing." Toph answered simply. "I would think that you'd be happy."

Katara paused, realizing how sullen she had been acting all morning. "It's not that… I'm just… scared."

"Scared? Of Aang?"

Katara sighed, picking up another chunk of ice to bend, "It's not the Aang side of Aang that I'm worried about… It's the Avatar side of Aang. The side of him that has duties and destiny, the part of him that has to sacrifice himself for the world. I'm afraid that…" she paused, turning her eyes to her hands, "that I'll loose him again."

Toph nodded thoughtfully. "I see…"

A dull silence followed as the girls busied themselves with their elements again. Katara let her mind wander as she chiseled the ice into small decorative sculptures, remembering the heat of Aang's kiss, the silver in his eyes, and the gentle smoothness in his voice. She couldn't help but wonder if he and Sokka had had a similar conversation.

She found her thoughts drifting through the past six years and how dull and void her life suddenly seemed as she had recovered the loss of her best friend. She'd been confused, hurt, and betrayed… and all along she'd been in love and never known it… She couldn't help but relate recent incidents to those in their past: an unexpected kiss, a sorrowful goodbye, and a hopeful return… Her fingers drifted to her lips as she suddenly felt the remembered pressure of how his mouth had felt against hers. It wasn't the first time she'd tried to memorize the feeling of his lips...

The Fire Nation sun that day had been particularly hot. As if the Spirits knew how chilled she would feel from his absence, and they warmed the sky in an attempt of comfort. She felt every step etch into the ground in remorse as they neared the Fire Navy docks, her heart skipping beats at the thought of going home… but beating raggedly at the thought of leaving him behind…

Somehow, she realized that their fingers had entwined along the way, Aang's palm soft and firm against hers and his fingers laced with hers tightly. She turned to him, noting the sad smile in his eyes as he returned her glance. He managed to smile genuinely at her as he squeezed her hand gently, "Don't look so upset about going home, or I might just decide to keep you here for myself!" he joked lightheartedly.

She smiled back at him, wondering silently to herself how he always managed to lighten her mood, "Sorry, I just really wish you were coming with us."

"I know, I wish I was going with you guys too…" he looked to Sokka and Toph who were a few strides ahead, joking and laughing as usual. "But I'm needed here."

She looked down at her feet as she answered, "I know… But maybe," she looked back up to him, "…maybe I should just wait and come back with you later. I mean, you can't really be expected to do all this on your own anyways. Right?"

Aang smiled at her longingly before responding, only because they'd already had this conversation countless times since Aang had first suggested she go home during the commencement ceremony. "Katara, I can't keep you here. You need to go to your family, your home. You're needed there." He grinned as he continued, "Besides, I won't be doing it on my own. I've got Zuko!"

Katara couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips, "You've got Zuko huh?" Aang joined in her lighthearted amusement, "Why does that still sound so weird?"

Aang laughed, drawing his mouth into a wide smile as he rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand, "I don't know, but it does sound pretty strange. He's getting better though… At least he's finally calling me Aang instead of "The Avatar"."

Katara chortled at his impersonation of the new Fire Lord. "That's a pretty good one Aang," she cleared her throat and lowered her voice with a dark croakiness in her best Zuko-impersonation. "Hi… Zuko here."

Aang laughed harder, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes as Katara joined him.

When their laughter had died into silence, they caught each other's gaze momentarily before Aang smiled and motioned towards the horizon, "Just think… you haven't seen your Gran Gran in over a year now. What would she think if you didn't come home at the first opportunity so she could hear from her own granddaughter how you helped take down a tyrant?"

Katara drew a deep breath and nodded, "Okay Aang."

He squeezed her hand again reassuringly, "I'll be there with you guys before you know it."

She paused as she realized they had finally reached the docks. "Promise?"

Aang looked over to Sokka and Toph who had already busied themselves with pilling their belongings onto the Fire Nation vessel. He smiled as he turned towards her, his fingers still gripping hers. "I promise."

A/N: Ok, so… we're moving right along kiddies! Katara's impersonation of Zuko is from the new Western Air Temple episode, I had to add that in because I found that rather entertaining. For the sake of explaining the fall of Ozai and how it all happened… we'll just go along with The Day of Black Sun and how it happened in the show. Obviously, I changed a few things about it, like Katara and Aang kissing the night before and then talking at the river instead of on top of the submarines… but you get the idea, right?

Anyways, this was a long chapter for me and a hard one to write, so as always please review!