Aang seemed taken aback as Katara explained to him, shortly after his arrival back home, that she was to travel to Ba-Sing-Se for a while to see her brother.

"I'll come along!" He quickly volunteered. Katara's smile faltered.

"Actually, I'm going on my own." She said, voice a little too firm. Cerulean eyes were hard as diamonds as she looked at her partner.

"O-oh. Okay." Aang seemed taken aback. Katara gave him another small smile. He had gotten so tall. He was handsome. His tattoos were still beautiful.

But she didn't get butterflies anymore. Sometimes, she dreaded his return. She wanted to love him. She had to fix it somehow... but needed time. Just some time. Maybe that would work. Maybe.

It became somewhat of a mantra as she traveled.

From their current home in an old Air Temple (it was... isolated) to Ba-Sing-Se was quite the journey, but she had the coin to rent various ways of travel. She arrived in Ba-Sing-Se on an Eelhound and then walked by foot to where her brother's home was marked on the map. She didn't even make it to their door when a short, slender woman came bolting out, black hair tumbling in her face and eyes the palest green staring unblinkingy.

"Toph!" Katara said.

"Sugar Queen! So you have arrived!" She declared, a smile on her face and unseeing eyes focused on Katara nonetheless.

Toph was now of age, and she and Sokka quickly caught up. Apparently very well, considering they moved in together rapidly and still seemed to enjoy themselves.

"Sooo... we have another guest." Toph said, mischief in her voice and that all-too-familiar grin on her face.

"Do I know them, or something?"

"Oh, maybe." There was a singsong lilt to her voice. Katara tucked long locks behind her ear, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Wanna go inside, then? It's hot out here anyway."

Katara nodded slowly and followed Toph into their home- modest, pale stone, and sturdy. She lead the Waterbender into their kitchen, and suddenly Katara understood the shit-eating grin plastered on the Blind Bandit's face.

Her heartbeat sped up as she looked at the man sitting at their table with her brother.

"Katara!" Sokka called, standing abruptly and stumbling over to her, enveloping his younger sister in a hug. The man sitting with Sokka swung around, black hair tumbling over widened gold eyes... one marked with a vicious red scar.

"Katara..." Zuko echoed thoughtfully. "What a surprise."