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Thanks for sticking with this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Chapter 5

Sokka burst through the door of their Ba Sing Se home. "The meeting's been moved, Dad's coming."

"What? When?" Katara asked while sitting up too quickly from her favorite couch. That light headed feeling came over her again and the dizziness made her nauseous. She silently cursed the rock and the earthbender who did this to her and plopped her head back down on the pillow.

"Soon, the note says the meeting with Chief Arnook was moved to this week." He looked at Katara. "You're still not yourself. He's gonna want to know what happened and there's no way we can tell him without angering you know who." Sokka pointed to the sky but then realized he had no idea where the spirit world was.

"Wow! How in the world am I supposed to see him and not tell him about mom?" Katara asked Sokka.

"Did you see your mom….on the other side?" Suki asked, surprised."

"See, this is what I was afraid of," Aang said, fearing retribution. "Suki already knows too much and now your dad's coming and then Toph will find out everything because you can't lie to Toph! Katara, you can't talk about this anymore, ever! Tell your dad you were hurt and you didn't want to worry him and I'll talk to Toph when she gets back but we're done discussing this." He put his face in Katara's and spoke more forcefully than he'd meant to, "understand?"

She looked up at him with sheepish eyes, "I won't say another word."

The new moon made the night pitch black. She walked from her bedroom's balcony to his and peeked in. "Aang, Are you awake?"

"Yeah, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I wanted to check on you. See how you're doing." She whispered.

"How I'm doing?"

She walked in, feeling her way and found the edge of his bed. "You've been taking care of me and taking care of work but no one's taking care of you."

"I am." He said firmly.

She crawled onto his bed towards the sound of his voice. "No, you're not. You haven't been sleeping again. I hear you up at night and I know something's troubling you. Please, talk to me, Aang. You hardly eat and I'm worried about you." She reached her hand out to find him in the dark and touched his leg. "When my dad sees that I've been hurt he's going to get overprotective and want to take me home. Would it help if I left for awhile, if you didn't have to worry about me?" She grasped his leg and moved closer to him.

Aang closed his eyes and let the evening breeze wash over him. "Is that what you want?" His voice sounded controlled.

She hated how dark it was and that she couldn't see his face to read his expression. "This isn't about me, it's about you. You've been through so much and now this. I'm so sorry. It must have been horrible seeing me like that. I used spirit water on you but what you did for me, it was so much more. I know you're worried about me breaking the deal but I won't and I know I was mad about my new obligations, but you'll never be an obligation to me."

She found his face, first with her hands and then her mouth. They hadn't been physically close since her accident. Truthfully, she worried whether he would ever find her attractive again after seeing her lifeless body. She knew he'd always admired her strength and beauty. Now she felt thin and weak and scarred and for the first time in a long time, very unsure of herself.

Had she been so consumed by the thought of her obligations to him that she hadn't considered that he may now only be with her as an obligation as well? Was that what was bothering him? She had started to kiss his lips but her thoughts stopped her cold.

She pulled back from him and insecurity spilled from her lips instead. "You don't have to stay with me if that's what's bothering you. I don't want you to feel obligated either." She sounded like she was upset so he held out his hand to firebend a small flame so he could see what this was about.

"I almost lost you, Katara." He moved his face close to hers. "I'm with you because I love you and that's where I belong."

She saw both love and sincerity in his eyes and was thankful for the flame's light. "So what's troubling you?"

"I'm not sure my people are coming back."

"What do you mean?"

"I just keep replaying what happened in the spirit world." He said, shaking his head. "I offered to bring balance to the world and they said nothing. They only brought you back when I mentioned Ummi. It makes me wonder if they already know the air nomads aren't coming back." The thought made his body weak and his flame went out.

"I don't know, maybe it's meant to be this way, but I've spent the last year looking forward to bringing back my people and my culture. It was going to be a nation built from us, Katara. I feel like I'm losing them all over again."

"I'm so sorry, Aang. So this is what's kept you up at night?"

"Well, that and one other thing." He wasn't sure if he should continue. "I'll just come out and say it. I made you something but now I don't think you'll be able to wear it and I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't wear your mom's necklace anymore. Does it hurt your neck?"

"No, I had to take it off when I changed my bandages and I just didn't want to lose it. Did you make me a necklace, Aang?" Now she was thankful for the dark because she was practically beaming.

"I really can't say anything more," he said rather quietly.

"Am I supposed to sleep now, after you just told me you made me a necklace a week before my 16th birthday? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" She searched for his hand and then pointed to his palm and he understood she wanted firelight.

"I can't really talk about this, Katara," he whined. In the dim light he saw the biggest smile he'd seen in a very long time. His eyes met hers and he gave in. "Yeah, that's what I'm saying."

She closed her eyes and when she opened them they were filled with tears. She lunged for him and their lips met hard and her arms circled his neck. He fell backwards smiling at her reaction. In the dark, her kisses were deep and needy and their tongues played as he pulled her to lie on top of him. They hadn't kissed like this in a long time and it was both familiar and comforting.

She pulled away slightly. "Can I stay with you tonight, just to sleep? I can't hear what I just heard and not be with you."

A comforting arm wrapped around her as the other pulled a sheet over them. He brushed her forehead with his lips and felt calm for the first time in weeks. He whispered, "If you go home we'll be apart on your birthday, you'll have to wait for your present." He paused. "Unless I meet you there." He squeezed her against him and smiled.

Exhausted, she touched his face and brought it to her own, "You're my one true love, Aang." She felt a sweet kiss and briefly thought of their impending engagement before he drew her closer to him and she drifted off in his arms.

THE END