Hello readers!:) It has been a while since my last update, and I appologize. I hope you like this chapter! It is a little choppy and I don't like it very much, but I hope you will.
I do not own ATLA or any of the characters! Except Salji, she is mine:)
After Katara left to find Aang, everyone else got to know each other. They all talked about their childhoods and how they all came to know each other. Then Sokka asked how Salji got her scars.
"What scars?" Toph asked.
"I've got scars all over me Toph." She grabbed Toph's hand and put it on her face. "Four going down my eye, three across my left cheek, three across my mouth, one on my chin, and four on my neck." With each description she helped Toph trace her scars.
"Wow, what happened?" Toph asked.
"Well when Zuko and I were little I was attacked by a wild Mongoose Dragon" she said coolly.
Suki gasped, Sokka's jaw dropped, and Toph's hand dropped from Salji's face. They were all shocked; it showed on their faces.
"How did you survive?" Sokka asked.
"Zuko saved me." She looked over at him and gave him a soft smile, and he returned it.
"Wow Sparky, you took down a wild Mongoose Dragon?" Toph asked
"I didn't take it down, but I did burn it" he said with a smug smile.
They all sat there trying to image this story they were being told. It was so weird for them to hear about Zuko's past before he started hunting Aang.
"Yup, if it wasn't for Zuko I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you guys" Salji said with a wide grin.
Then Katara and Aang came through the door. Zuko looked at Katara to see if she was ok. She had a huge smile stretching from ear to ear. This made Zuko feel hopeful. He hoped that Aang would defeat his father, that he, himself could take down his sister, and that after all of this him and Katara could start their lives together. He hoped that this was a sign that everything was going to be alright.
"Salji, this is Aang. Aang this is Salji." Katara said as they sat down.
She sat beside Zuko and he wrapped his right arm around her and held her hand with his left. He looked into her eyes just to make sure everything was right, and she leaned forward and kissed him, and he knew that everything had been worked out.
"Nice to meet you Salji" Aang blushed.
"Nice to meet you too Aang" she smiled a shy grin.
"What have you guys been up to while we were gone?" Katara asked.
"Salji was just telling us how she got her scars." Sokka answered. "She got them from a wild Mongoose Dragon!"
"I know, Zuko told me the whole story" she said looking into Zuko's eyes. She knew how much pain he went through for Salji, but he picked her. It made her feel special. "It still surprises me that you're alive."
"Me too" Zuko chimed in.
"What are ya'll talking about?" Suki asked.
"Well I thought she died after she was attacked. After I brought her to the palace was when my dad dueled me to the Agni Kia that gave me this scar." He pointed at his face. "And after that I was banished, and my uncle was told she was dead. So for three years I thought she was dead, and then yesterday we met on the beach." He said with a smile.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Suki exclaimed.
"That really is amazing" Aang said in agreement.
"Is anyone else starving?" Sokka blurted out.
"Now that you say it, I am kind of hungry" Aang said. "I didn't get to finish my breakfast and I didn't eat any lunch." He said sort of embarrassed.
"Well I'll go and make us some dinner." Katara said as she got up.
"I'll help you" Salji said also getting up.
As they made their way into the kitchen they heard Sokka start a conversation in the living room about battle scars and Katara giggled.
"So, what are we going to make?" Salji asked
"Well I was planning on making Komodo Sausages with vegetarian Dumpling Soup, and for desert a Tart Pie." Katara answered.
"That sounds delicious!" Salji exclaimed. "What would you like me to do?"
"You can start on the Tart Pie, and I'll start making the Komodo Sausages." She said as she went to get the ingredients.
"Sounds good" Salji said.
As they cooked they talked. Salji told Katara how she had been living the past three years and that she was happy that she had found Zuko alive and in love.
"So you are happy?" Katara asked
"Yes I'm happy that Zuko found you. It's so obvious that he loves you. Sure I wonder how it would have been if we never got split apart, but I know that somehow he would have found you, because you're the one he's suppose to be with" she said as she waterbended some water into a pot.
It still amazed Katara that Salji was a waterbender. The only other waterbender she had met n the Fire Nation was Hama, but she was forced to live here. Salji grew up as a Fire Nation citizen, but was secretly half Water Tribe.
"I don't think that would have happened. If he didn't have to find Aang to restore his honor we would have never met." She said dryly.
"His father would have ended up banishing him even if we weren't split up. His father didn't like that Zuko refused to marry Mai because of me. His father would have banished him because I wasn't of any royal descent and that would show that Zuko wasn't loyal to his nation, as his father saw it. You and him would have met each other and would have fallen in love no matter what happened."
"Oh, I never thought of it like that. I just assumed that you and Zuko would have gotten married, had kids, and grown old together." Katara said in a soft voice.
"His father didn't see it like that" Salji whispered.
"I'm so sorry Salji" Katara said as she hugged her.
"It's ok Katara. Zuko and I apparently weren't meant to be together, he was meant to find you. And one day I will find the person that's meant for me" she said with a hopeful smile.
"I hope the same happens for Aang. He took me and Zuko being together really hard, I just hope he can find the right person for him."
"I'm sure he will" Salji said with a little blush.
"Foods ready!" Katara yelled.
Everyone came running into the kitchen. Katara didn't realize how hungry everyone was, and was instantly thankful that she made more food than she did usually. She took her seat by Zuko and started eating. As they ate the conversation flowed smoothly.
Soon everyone was stuffed and they all moved to the living room. Sokka and Suki sat on the love seat, Aang sat by Salji on the couch, Toph laid on the floor, and Zuko sat in the chair with Katara in his lap. They were all in little different conversations with each other. As Katara took in the scene before her, and it gave her hope that they would all make it no matter what happened with the Fire Lord.
Zuko interrupted her thoughts, "I think Salji and Aang like each other." He whispered in her ear.
"What makes you think that?" she whispered back.
"I don't know. Just the way they've been talking and the way they both blush when they look at each other and then the other one looks back at them…" he just kind of let the sentence hang.
"Well I guess they could like each other." She said indifferently.
"I hope they do." Zuko whispered back.
"Why?"
"Because Salji needs to find a good guy, and I think Aang would be perfect for her."
"Oh. I was kind of hoping that they might hit it off actually" Katara said truthfully.
"Really?" Zuko asked.
"Yeah, I was hoping that she might take the whole "us" thing off of his mind."
"Yeah, I guess that would help" he whispered with a small smile.
"Well I guess I better be getting home" Salji said, interrupting the small groups' conversations. "My mom's going to be worried sick about me if I'm not home soon" she said as she got up and stretched.
"Will we be seeing you again?" Aang asked worriedly.
"As long as I'm wanted I will be around." She said with a smile.
"You're welcome anytime, Salji" Zuko said.
"I'll walk you out."Aang said as he got to his feet.
"Bye everyone!" Salji said.
They all got up and hugged her good bye.
"Tell your mom I said, 'hi'" Zuko said as he hugged her.
"I will" she replied.
Salji and Aang made their way out the door. The night was cool and crisp. Little stars dotted the sky filled with the light of a full moon.
"I had fun tonight" Salji said.
"Me too, it was really nice to get to know you Salji" he said with a smile.
"Well I better be on my way" she said, not really wanting the night to end.
"Will you come back tomorrow?" Aang asked.
"If you want me to, I will."
"I would love for you to come back" he said grinning from ear to ear.
"Good night Aang" Salji said before she kissed him on the cheek.
Aang blushed a scarlet red. "Ummm… good night." he said smiling shyly.
With that Salji walked off of the porch and on to the road. Aang couldn't believe what just happened. Salji was beautiful, even though she was covered in scars. They were just a part of her, like Zuko's scar is a part of him. Aang walked back into the house hoping that what just happened wasn't all over his face.
"Why is your heart going 90 to nothing Twinkletoes?" Toph asked.
"It's not." Aang replied trying to sound normal.
"Quit lying Aang." She said indifferently.
"What happened out there Aang?" Sokka asked.
"She kissed me on the cheek" Aang could feel his face turning red.
The room erupted with "Oooo's" and "Awwww's". Aang looked over at Zuko to see what he thought about it. He had the biggest smile on his face, and Aang took that as a go ahead.
"Well it's late, I'm going to bed." Sokka announced.
"Yeah, it's been a long day. I'm ready to go to bed too." Katara agreed.
I hope you liked it! I will probably post another chapter this week since I am exempt from midterms:) Please read and review! Your reviews keep this story alive!