A/N: Thanks again to all my reviewers! I love you guys! This chapter's dedicated to all of you who love fluff, and sparkysparkyboomman! Wish I could respond to your reviews, so this one's for you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, if I did, the rest of the episodes would be out already.

Chapter 5

Katara woke to sunlight hitting her face. She groaned and turned under the blanket to face the other way, but it was too late. She was already awake. She peeked her eyes open and found that she was facing Toph's bed, Toph's empty bed.

"What…?" She started, sitting straight up. "Toph?"

Her voice echoed around the empty room. She got up and sat on the edge of the bed. The room was circular and the walls earthen, as in all earth kingdom cities. Green and white drapes hung around the window and tapestries showing ponds and flowers adorned the walls.

Katara looked out the window and by the light, thought it was at least noon. She glanced around and saw a large cherry wood dresser with some clothes on top. Upon investigation, it turned out to be a light green dress in her size, much like the one she had worn in Ba Sing Sae to the palace.

"I'll have to thank Hina," she said to herself as she changed into the dress, leaving her light robe folded neatly on the dresser.

She was about to open the door when a knock sounded on it.

"Yes?" she answered.

"It's Hina, dear, may I enter?"

Katara opened the door and smiled at the motherly attendant.

"Oh, I just knew that dress would look beautiful on you," Hina cried as she smiled at Katara.

Katara felt a blush come onto her cheeks. "Thank you, for everything."

"No worries, my dear," Hina replied. "I was just coming to check on you. You must be famished. May I take you to your friends? They're at luncheon now."

Katara felt her stomach rumble at the thought of food and nodded.

"Yes please."

Hina bowed her head and gestured for Katara to follow as she headed down the hall.

"Is everyone all right?" Katara asked as they walked down elegant hallways. "Was there an attack at all?"

"Yes, everyone is fine. You poor children did so much and were so worn out. The one who looks like you, your brother?" Katara nodded, and Hina continued. "He woke up just before you. Poor boy looked like he was going to faint if he didn't get a bite to eat soon."

Katara smiled at her brother's voracious appetite, and was glad that Hina didn't know the real Sokka yet.

"And no attack. The sentries have passed word that there's confusion in the fire army camps. Some of our men are disrupting them even more. Ah, here we are."

Hina opened a large door and gestured for Katara to proceed. It was the same room in which she, Sokka and Aang had had a feast with King Bumi on their first visit. The large table had tons of food on it, almost every type imaginable.

She smiled as she saw Sokka eating a chicken leg with one hand and grabbing for a roll with the other. Toph and Zuko were eating more properly, and were laughing occasionally at Sokka. It looked like Aang had just finished and was reaching for an orange when he spotted Katara and his jaw dropped.

"Wow," he said as he froze in mid reach.

Katara blushed and dropped her gaze as everyone turned to stare at her. Aang got up and walked to stand in front of her.

"You're gorgeous," he whispered. "Here, let me show you to your seat."

He offered his arm as Katara felt her blush intensify. She took it and he walked her to an empty seat between himself and Toph, on the other side of the table from Sokka.

"Thank you Aang," Katara said as Aang pushed her seat in for her.

He gave her a beaming smile and took his own seat.

"What would you like?" he asked her.

She eyed the dishes set out before them. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't eaten since the evening before, and that had been early.

"Just some fruit and perhaps some of those sandwiches."

Aang smiled at her and airbended an apple, a melon, and a sandwich onto her plate.

"And to drink?"

Katara smiled at him. He was being very courteous, even like a gentleman.

"I'll get that."

She waved her hand, expecting some of the juice in the pitcher to come to her glass, but it didn't even stir. She frowned and waved her hand again, moving her arm, but nothing happened.

"Something wrong?" Zuko asked.

She frowned at the prince. "No, at least it shouldn't be."

She waved again, but again no response.

"Katara, what's happening?" Aang asked.

She looked at the water jug and moved both hands, trying to draw the water towards her, but nothing happened, not even a ripple. She stared in shock at her hands, then at the water before meeting Aang's gaze.

"Aang, my bending's gone."

Aang put his hand on hers and she saw compassion and sympathy in his grey eyes.

"So," Sokka said between mouthfuls. "Thad gurl tuched you. Like Ty Lee, it'll be back lader."

Katara glared at her brother. "Swallow, and then talk, Sokka. I hope you're right."

She looked at her hands again. Whenever Ty Lee had knocked out her bending, it had never been for this long, but perhaps Sokka was right. She should just wait, it would come back.

"Here, let me get that," Aang said as he bent some juice out of the pitcher and into her glass.

Katara smiled her thanks before concentrating on her meal. Aang and Toph tried to pull her into a few conversations, but Katara remained silent throughout the meal. Sokka focused only on his food, and Zuko entered a few of the dialogues as they ate. She noticed that he and Aang kept sending concerned glances her way.

She wasn't nearly as hungry as she had once thought, and as soon as she had finished the food on her plate, she excused herself. She felt sorry for the look of sorrow on Aangs' face as she left the table and room. Upon closing the door behind her, she fell back, resting against the door.

"So where to now?" she asked herself as she looked up and down the empty corridor.

She heard the light tinkling of water falling from her right and felt pulled that way. She followed it and after a few turns, came upon a courtyard in the middle of the palace. Trees shaded the courtyard, and grass lawns wove in and among several paved paths. All the paths led to the center where a fountain stood, twice as tall as her.

Katara moved to the fountain and saw the fountain was actually the figure of a woman with long hair holding her hands, palms up at face level. Water poured from the hands of the woman and fell into a pool at her feet. Katara felt pulled to the water and went to it, sitting on the edge of the fountain. She ran her hand along the top of the water and frowned when she tried to bend and it was unresponsive.

"This is a place to soothe troubled minds. What troubles yours?"

Katara turned to the voice and saw it was King Bumi, walking up one of the paths towards the fountain and her. She relaxed and smiled at him as he sat down next to her.

"So, young lady, why are you troubled?"

"I can't bend your majesty. That girl, the assassin, she was able to grab me, and now I can't bend."

"You can call me Bumi, Katara," he said with a kind smile. "But from what I've heard, you've faced this problem before. What makes this time different?"

Katara stared at the water as she thought. What made this time different?

"Whenever Ty Lee touched me, it always came back sooner. This time, I can still feel the water, it just won't respond. What's happening to me?"

She looked up into the wrinkled face as she asked her question. Bumi sat back and brought his hand to his chin in classic thinker position.

"Hmm, well, we'll wait and if it doesn't return, there is a physician here that may help."

"Thank you, your…Bumi."

The king smiled at her before his gaze turned to look over her shoulder.

"Ah, just the person to cheer you up. I'll leave you two alone," he said before he rose and walked past her.

Katara followed him with her eyes, puzzled until her gaze came to rest on another person. Aang was watching her, with sorrow and tenderness on his face. He smiled at Bumi as the king passed him and walked over to Katara.

"May I sit?" he asked her.

She nodded and blushed as Aang sat in the place Bumi had just vacated, though he was closer to her than the king had been. He placed a hand on her folded ones in her lap.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked her.

She looked up into his grey eyes and felt her stomach flip. She saw an emotion in his eyes that she had seen many times when she caught him just staring at her, but for the first time, recognized it for what it truly was; love.

Katara broke her gaze away from his and stared at the water again.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I feel…useless. I can't bend."

"But it should just come back. Just like Ty Lee…"

"But that's the thing," she interrupted, looking into his eyes again. She had to make him understand. "It feels different than when Ty Lee did it. And I've always gotten it back by now."

Aang took one of her hands in his own and squeezed it gently. "Maybe it will. What did Bumi say?"

Katara stared at him. "How did you…?"

He blushed and grinned at her sheepishly.

"I didn't, until now. What did he say?"

"That I should wait, and if it doesn't return, there's a physician here."

Aang's grin grew. "See? Now, let's have some fun today."

Katara couldn't help but smile back at his easy, laid back attitude, and his enthusiasm.

"Ok, but no riding the mail shoots."

His grin faltered for a second.

"Ah, you're no fun. But I had a better idea. C'mon."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up and away from the fountain, laughing. Katara couldn't help but laugh as well as he led her out of the courtyard and through several hallways.

He led her to the outside courtyard where Appa was laying down. He gazed at them as they passed by, chewing on some hay.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked as they hurried down some stairs.

"You'll see," Aang said as he led her down into the city.

She heard a smile and a hint of laughter in his voice and smiled. He certainly loved surprises. Katara followed Aang through many more turns until he finally stopped and turned to her.

"Ok, close your eyes," he said.

Katara gave him a hard look. He smiled sheepishly again and waited.

"Fine," she said as she closed her eyes.

"You're peeking, cover them."

She sighed and put her free hand over her eyes. Aang squeezed her hand and led her around a corner and for about fifty feet. She felt a breeze on her face and rustling her dress as he stopped her. He brought his other hand to hers and placed something inside of it.

"Okay, open."

Katara dropped her hand and opened her eyes, staring out at the open expanse before her. The wall was about a hundred yards from where they stood and below them, and beyond that, several camps of the fire nation army. But past them was the ocean, with the sun glittering off of it as it started to set, lighting the ocean in shades of pink and gold.

She then turned her gaze to the object in her hand and stared at a small shell pendant attached to a blue velvet band. She turned the shell over and saw the air and water symbol side by side. She looked up to see Aang blushing and rubbing his head with one hand

"It's a bracelet. I know you have your mother's necklace, so I, uh, made you a bracelet."

Katara smiled at him and held it up to him.

"Can you put it on, please?"

He grinned and took it and moved to place it on her right wrist. She grinned back at him and held up her left arm. He stood and stared.

"Are you sure? That means…"

"I know," she whispered as she felt a blush come onto her cheeks. "That I'm taken."

Aang blushed and tied the band securely to her left wrist. She looked at it in the sunlight once he was finished and then back at him. He was really blushing and looking at his feet while he fidgeted.

"This isn't the only surprise, is it?" she asked him.

"No!" Aang cried out as he brought his eyes to meet hers. "Um, I mean, no. Would you like to fly with me?"

Aang took up his glider from the ground and snapped it open. He held out his hand to her.

"Please?"

She looked into his grey eyes again and saw his love for her. She took his hand, smiling.

"I'd love to."

He grinned and pulled her hand so that she twirled into his embrace. She blushed and gave him a wry smile as she looked into his eyes.

"You learned that from Jet, didn't you?"

"Yep," he replied, grinning. "Hold on to my waist, from behind."

Katara moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him. He moved the glider into position and shot a quick smile at her over his shoulder before he jumped into the air. The air currents took the glider and them up and around the city in a wide circle.

"Hold on!"

Katara grabbed around his waist tighter as Aang started a series of loops and flips. She heard screaming and found it was coming from both her and Aang. It wasn't the scream of fear, but excitement. They started laughing as they evened out and Aang took them on another slow circuit of the city.

She started frowning when she saw the remains of the balloon in the distance. Aang must have felt her tense because he turned so that they couldn't see it.

"It wasn't your fault," he said to her.

Katara nodded and hugged him, pressing her cheek against his back as they started to descend. They hovered for a second a few feet above the courtyard where Appa was before Aang let go of the glider as a cushion of air took hold of them. They floated down as the glider flew to land quietly a few feet away. Aang turned to her once they were on the ground.

"I want you to know that I love you, I always have."

Katara felt lost within the grey depths of his eyes. She had never felt like this before.

"If you don't…"

"Shh," she said as she brought a finger to his lips. "I…I don't know. But I do care for you, a lot."

She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. He was surprised, but started to kiss her back.

"Ahem," a voice said behind them. "Sorry to interrupt…"