Disclaimer: I don't own avatar, it just wasn't meant to be :(

Chapter 4: what lies within years pt. 2

"Then what happened to you Aang?" Katara asked hurt and pain heavy in her tone.

"The first thing I remember is water ………water and something being taken away like a heavy burden, like it died, or like part of me died……………." Aang started. "The rest of what the water was about escapes me but I do remember Komaku beach it was where I washed up on then I met Nana."

"So let me get this strait," Katara interrupted. "You were floating in water for how knows how long and then you washed up on a beach with absolutely no idea how you got there or anything about your life before hand?"

"Pretty much" Aang mumbled sipping his tea again. "Sometimes when I used to asked people if the knew me some said that the water just gave birth to me, some said I was a very lucky ship wreak survivor with memory loss, and others just said I was the spirit of the dead avatar coming back to haunt everyone. Although I'm pretty sure I'm no spirit" he laughed, and Katara smiled thinking he was about to tell her some good news about his life. But then out of the blue he frowned. "I felt completely lost," he continued. "Like no one could help or no one even wanted to. But something deep down in me told me one day I would find someone who would help me find my past and discover my future and I did"

"Oh, Aang" Katara sighed in relief thinking she finally got through to him. "You really think I can help you?" Aang blinked a few times as if to process what she was saying, then looked downward.

"Well, um, it wasn't you I was talking about" he whispered, and Katara froze a blush creeping across her cheeks in embarrassment. Nana chuckled.

"Of course he doesn't mean you stupid," Nana hissed. "He means the royal family."

"The-the royal family?" Katara pondered. "You can't possibly mean the fire nation!"

"Yep" Nana added. "They took us in off the streets and gave us a home"

"They couldn't have possibly" Katara objected. "The fire nation just doesn't take stray poor kids off the streets like that, they must've had a motive!"

"There was no motive!" Aang yelled standing up. "The fire is kind and are great rulers, without them I wouldn't even be alive!"

"Well it is the least they could do after they killed you once in Ba Sing Se!" Katara stood as well.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Katara paused. Aang had never gotten so mad at her to curse—even though 'hell' wasn't the worst word in the line up--it just wasn't him. She breathed heavily and quietly sat back down attempting to finish her breakfast as if nothing went wrong. But Aang stormed out of the shed and took refuge under the young oak tree near their current resting place. Nana shook her head and noticed the state of hurt and shock Katara was in.

"Don't get all bent outta shape about it" the young girl attempted to calm down Katara. "He's such a drama king, he always does this every once in a while, though the swearing is new."

"He's lost isn't he?" Katara whispered.

"Yeah" Nana agreed. "We've all gone through hard times," she added. "My parents died when I wasn't even three yet, I had just learned to walk properly too (it took her a while) so I just walked and walked and walked until I got to this beach and saw a boy washed up on the sand and I needed someone so he took me under his wing of course we still struggled but it was the closest thing to family I felt I was ever gonna get again."

"Pardon me asking but how did you parents die?" the water witch asked.

"Fire nation" Nana answered casually.

"Then why….?" Katara raised her voice a bit but Nana stopped her.

"Hey when someone treats you as good as they treated us you'd go with anyone."

"Where I come form it's called selling your self short" Katara hissed.

"Yeah well where I come from it's called living!" Nana returned the evil tone. "You should try it some time. In stead of chasing your little blast from the past" the two girls eyes narrowed at each other and went to opposite sides of the shed.

Silent and thinking.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Just lay down here and it'll all be fine princess" the doctor assured. Azula obeying his orders stiffly. "Shouldn't the father be here?"

"He will be soon he's traveling here he should be here in a day or two." She answered stiff not knowing how to tell him when the moment came.

"Alright just let me take a look at this" the doctor examined in many various ways on Azula's abdomen finally resting on his decision. "Yep your defiantly pregnant" he said. Ty Lee was there as well taking the role of the absent father at the time and she began clapping as if the brighten the mood. But Azula lay unmoved. There was no turning back now. She was going to have his child. Though she had to admit it would take her some time to wrap her mind around the idea but since it was his she would have to manage.

"Congrads Azula whatcha gona name it?" Ty Lee asked gingerly.

"I don't know doctor what is the gender."

"As far as I can tell it's a girl," the doctor answered removing his gloves.

"Sakura" Azula finally settled.

"Aww isn't that where you two had your first kiss?" Ty Lee asked, and Azula just shook her head and for the first time for a while now she blushed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"You wanna tell me what this is all about?" Katara asked. After a few hours Katara got tired of the silence in the shed so went to go straiten out things with Aang outside.

"I thought we had gotten past the whole telling each other what went on in our lives" Aang mentioned bitterly.

"Do you always do this?" Katara crossed her arms. "Do you always get angry then go off to your self for hours instead of talking it out?"

"I never had anyone to talk to" he whimpered letting his head fall. "But I haven't been having these problems until you came in, bubbling all the things I'm trying to escape back to the surface!"

"I'm just trying to help Aang! You know you might be the last hope for the world" Katara pressed.

"And how am I the last hope unless I was the avatar but he can't come back." Aang stated.

"What makes you say that?" Katara asked, taking a seat next to him.

"Well if your story about why it's always dark is true then when the spirit world was destroyed then wouldn't the avatar spirit be gone too?" crap, Katara had never thought of that then could this really be aang she was walking to? She was almost it was. It was him he had his eyes, his voice, his hair (even it the length was different), his smile, even his arrow how could he have gotten that if it wasn't him? His appearance seemed to be intact which for the first time Katara realized: she hadn't seen him in almost three years so why didn't he look older. Even by a little (he had to be almost 15)

"You know you look the same" Katara suddenly stated.

"What?"

"You look the same as when you were 12"

"I don't remember 12 just 13 and 14" he mentioned.

"That water you went in, you said before you left that it could take you through time, but I remember hearing that when you go in the age you go is..."

"The age you stay"Aang finished for her.

"Yeah" Katara breathed. "You were ready to save the world Aang I knew you were but then you just..."

"That's who your looking for isn't Katara? The avatar?" Aang asked cutting her off again. Katara just nodded with a sad smile. "Well I'm truly sorry but he can't still be here you've got the wrong guy" he slowly stood while katara cried until she let the tears flow freely. Aang began to walk but stopped when she gave out a loud sob. By then his his everey muscle was aching to go wrap his arms around this complete strnager and tell her everything was going to be fine. Why did her feel so close to here when he'd barely known her a day? And every feeling he got for her when she was in pain was open to any sort of intiment soothing.

Maybe it was puberty? (after all she was a 17- year- old woman)

No.

It was something way more deep that puerty and he intended to find out what.

BlackRose's note: the funny thing is i was reading a interview in the avatar mag with the voice of Azula and the advice she gave was for Azula never to have children. ha! i whole heartedly agree but come on who doesn't like messin' with Azula? yeah so next chapter: Plight of the Prisoners

P.S: thank you for all the wonderful reviews. keep 'em comin