Disclamer: Nope. Still don't own Avatar. If I did Kataang would no longer have a hope, and I wouldn't be writing fan fics.
A/N: This chapters short, I know. I promis three will be longer!
"What did you say?" Aang said, after a few moments of shocked silence. His hands were shaking, and he couldn't bend the water back into the bucket. Katara did it instead, and then turned to him with a serious expression on her face.
"Aang" she said. He refused to meet her gaze, he looked anywhere but her face. His eyes rested on Momo who he walked over to and coaxed onto his shoulder.
"Aang, look at me" Katara ordered. He did. "Kenya's an Airbender, and she needs a teacher." Aang looked away. 'How can she expect this from me?' he thought 'After everything she's put me through she now expects me to teach the child she had with that… that monster? No! I won't do it'
"You expect me to teach the child you had with Zuko?" Aang asked his voice cold.
"Aang -" Katara began.
"I SAID NO!" he shouted at her. She blinked in surprise, and Aang suddenly felt ashamed. He had never yelled at her the whole time he had known her, why should he start now?
"Katara, I'm sorry" he said, his voice softer. "I just can't, it would hurt too much. The only reason I was willing to fight that stupid war was for you. Now you ask me to teach the kid you had with my enemy just because she was born an Airbender? I can't, you see? It's just not possible right now"
"Aang" Katara said her voice gentle. "I'm not asking you to teach Zuko's child. I'm asking you to train your daughter. Zuko may have helped me to raise her, but she's your daughter, and an Airbender through and through."
"I'm not her father" Aang said, tears in his eyes "I wasn't there to see her first steps, but you were, and Zuko was. I didn't hear her first word, but you did, and Zuko did. I wasn't there when she grew up; I wasn't there to dry her eyes when she was sad, I wasn't there to take care of her when she was sick. I wasn't there Katara! Nothing can every make that right. I may have helped to create her, but I will never be her father."
"But she'll always be your daughter" Katara whispered. Only silence greeted her words.
"I'll do it" Aang said, breaking the silence that had gathered so thickly in the air.
"Thank you Aang!" Katara said, flinging her arms around his neck. "I knew you would." The hug broke and they stepped back a few paces, avoiding each others eyes. 'What happened to us Katara?' Aang thought, feeling his heart squeeze as the words entered his mind. 'We used to be so close. We used – well I used – to dream of an us.'
"We'll stay the night" she said at last "but after that me and Zuko will have to be off. Kenya is going to have another playmate someday soon." Katara placed a hand on her stomach, which Aang now noticed was slightly swollen.
"It's been to long, Katara," Aang said, tears in his eyes "much to long." He tried to think of a way to tell her … well, everything. That he still loved her after all the time that had gone by, that he wished she could stay for longer, that she had made a mistake in marring Zuko but he forgave her and he'd let her come back, that he'd never forget her.
"I don't want to lose you again" was what he finally settled on. Her clear blue eyes fogged up with tears and suddenly he was in her arms again.
"Oh Aang!" she cried, tears rolling down her slender cheeks and onto Aang's shoulder. "I'd love to stay, you know I would! It's just…" she looked to where Zuko had disappeared with Kenya "I have a family now." They drew apart again, but slower this time. They stood close to one another, hands just barely touching. They were still for what could be a second or a year, Aang couldn't tell which.
"I'm sorry Aang." she said in the end her voice choked with tears. She turned her head away. "For everything" then she walked away slowly. As if on cue, Zuko came out of the room, took one look at Katara, put hand around her shoulder then led her into the spare room. He shot one last hateful glare at Aang and then disappeared through the door behind her.