Katara sat at the table reading over some scrolls. She jumped as the door slammed open and a very unhappy Aang stormed in. Sokka and Toph walked in behind him and seemed to try to stay out of the war path. Katara frowned and stood up. She walked over to Aang and grabbed his shoulders making him look at her.

"What is wrong with you?!" Aang growled and grumbled under his breath. He stormed past her and into his room. Katara frowned and looked over at Sokka. She brought her arm up and hitched her thumb over her shoulder. Sokka shook his head and fell down on the mound of pillows by the large window.

"The king refused to see us." Katara sighed and turned to look at the door. She walked over and tapped lightly.

"O ebae." Katara frowned and knocked again. She took a step back as she heard a pillow or something similar hit the door.

"I said go away!" Katara pushed the door open and shut it behind her leaning on the door. Aang looked up at her with hard eyes.

"Where's Zuko?" Katara frowned and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. He got mad at me earlier and left me in town. He hasn't come back yet." She looked at him and shook her head. She walked over and knelt down in front of the bed so that she could see him.

"Want to talk about it?" Aang frowned and huffed at her. She furrowed her eyebrows and stood up. She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him off of the bed. Aang looked at her with daggers. She turned around and drug him out of the room. Sokka jumped up as he watched his sister drag a kicking and fighting Aang behind her. She pulled him out onto the balcony and swung him around so that he was backed against the rail. She put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

"Let's walk awhile. Then maybe you won't be so pissy." Aang couldn't help but smile at her. She may have been separated from them for a long time, and stuck with the prince of gloom himself, but she was still the same old Katara. He nodded and followed her as she walked down the steps. He looked at her and stopped.

"Hey there's a beautiful pond just this side of the palace. It would be a great place to get in some training." Katara turned and looked at him. She frowned for a moment but it disappeared as soon as it showed.

"Sounds great. Lead the way." Aang smiled and lead her down a path. He pointed out to her as they walked, the small shop that sold turtle ducks as pets. He pointed to another shop where they had stopped that morning for breakfast. Aang stopped and looked over the small lush park that spread just under the palace walls. There were trees around the edge and a solitary pond in the middle. Aang walked over and sat down at the edge of the pond. He pulled his shoes off and put his feet in the water. He turned and looked at Katara.

"Come on. Sit next to me." Katara walked over and sat next to him. She leaned over and looked at him. He turned and jumped as he almost cracked his head against hers. She was frowning at him again.

"What?" Katara sat back and the frown disappeared. She smiled and shook her head. She brought her hand up and flicked a stray leaf off of his shoulder.

"You look tense." Aang nodded as a sense of defeat washed over his face. Katara moved over closer to him. "Aang, you know you can tell me anything." Aang looked up at her. He frowned and looked back to the pond.

"No. Not anymore." Katara frowned and cocked her head to the side.

"What does that mean?" Aang leaned over and touched the water where a small fish nibbled at his ankle. He shook his head as if he were debating on what he should say.

"Not since Zuko came into the picture. You have someone to share things with now. I'm just a friend of yours. I don't need to unload on you like that. It's not fair." Katara shook her head at him. She reached over and touched his chin. He looked over at her and felt his blood run icy.

"You can tell me anything." She said and leaned over into him. Aang froze as Katara's lips brushed his. She pressed her lips against his, her hand still cupping his chin. She broke away from him and looked at him. His eyes were wide and a deep blush spread across his face. He blinked at her.

"What about Zuko?" Katara sat back and shook her head.

"I thought there was something between us. But there is not. I wanted there to be something. I can't make there be something, though. It isn't done that way." She looked up at the sky then looked over to Aang. "I realized today that he didn't want me. That I was nothing to him. But you...I know that I am something to you. You have always been so special to me." She leaned over again and kissed him lightly. She set her forehead against his as she pulled away from him.

"I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it." Aang looked at for a moment the pulled her into a kiss. Katara pulled back and giggled. She looked over at him and smiled. Aang touched her cheek and dropped his hand.

"You're lying." Katara turned her eyes to look at him.

"What?" Aang looked at her with hurt filling his eyes.

"I can tell by the way you kissed me. You still feel for Zuko. You just don't want there to be something. Katara, please don't use me as a crutch." Katara's face softened she got up and walked over to stand behind him. She knelt with her hands on his shoulders. She started working her fingers, kneading the tense muscles under her hands.

"Aang...I would never lie to you. If I didn't want you, I wouldn't have made a fool of myself just then." Aang closed his eyes as the relaxing grip seemed to force happiness into his brain. He leaned back against her forcing her to stop. He looked up at her with soft eyes.

"You didn't make a fool of yourself. I did." She smiled and bent over kissing him again. She pushed him up and continued to work on his shoulders. She sat lower to the ground and bent over his neck. She kissed him gently behind his ear then down to the nape of his neck. Aang turned in her grip and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away from him.

They stared at each other for a moment. Aang stood up and pulled her to her feet. He reached up and touched her cheek with the back of his knuckles.

"After this is all over, we'll be free." Katara leaned into his hand and opened her eyes to look at him. She blinked for a moment and set her eyes in a fashion that Aang didn't recognize. A shiver ran down his spine as he looked into her eyes. She wanted him. It was there in her eyes. She wanted him and by the look of it she didn't care who saw. He took a step back as if to break the imaginary hold she had on him. He lost his footing and stumbled backwards into the pond. He pulled his hands out of the muck and looked up at Katara who was laughing at his misfortune.

"A little help?" He ask as he held a hand up. Katara frowned and shook her head.

"You fell in there. You can get out." Aang frowned and pulled himself back out onto the grass. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the sky. Katara knelt down next to him with a sly smile on her face.

"Now I can help you out." Aang frowned up at her a small amount of anger boiling in his stomach.

"How? I'm already out of the water." He growled. Katara's eyes turned dangerous as she brought up a hand to run it over his wet shirt.

"Out of these wet clothes." She said as she slipped her hand under the shirt to find his damp stomach. Aang's eyes grew wide as he looked at her. He put his hand over hers on top of the shirt and stopped her caressing.

"Katara..." She looked at him and leaned over to look at him in the face, her chest gracing the top of his hand ever so slightly.

"Yes." Aang's eyes grew wide as he looked up into her blue eyes.

"Anyone can see." Katara's eyes narrowed and she pulled away from him. She stood up and looked down at him.

"Well how are we going to fix that?"

Zuko walked up the stairs and prepared himself. He didn't know what he was going to say to Katara. He didn't even know how he was going to look at her. He leaned his forehead on the door before he pushed it open. He walked in and looked around the small living area. Sokka seemed to be passed out on the widow sill and Toph was lazing about on the couch.

"Hey Sparky." Zuko looked around and frowned. Katara wasn't in sight. Please don't let her be in my room waiting for me. He took the few steps down into the room and looked over at Toph even though she couldn't see it.

"Where is Katara?" Toph shrugged her shoulders as she bit into a hunk of bread.

"I don't know. I think her and Aang went to get some training in."

Good. Zuko thought as he started towards his room.

"I think I need a nap."

"I'll tell Katara when she comes back." Zuko stopped with his hand on the door. He turned and looked at her for a second.

"Actually, don't. Tell her I haven't come back yet." Toph frowned and shrugged.

"Whatever you say chief."