Suki and I reached the temple in what had to be a record time. We ran into the courtyard and found Aang and Sokka just getting off of Appa. I saw Sokka do a double take. "Katara!" he yelled and ran and hugged me. I realized he was crying when he said, "Katara, I thought you were never gonna come back!" I remembered thinking that myself, and then I realized the pain I had put him through. He must have been frightened when I'd left, he'd promised dad he would take care of me, and to wake up and find me missing.
"I'm so sorry, Sokka," I said, "I hope you can forgive me." Tears were now silently leaking from my eyes as well. We broke apart and Sokka looked at who I brought with me. "Suki?" he said as though she wasn't really there. "Sokka," I heard her whisper, and then I saw them embrace, and it immediately turned into a kiss. I now turned to Aang.
"Aang-"
"Why'd you do it Katara?" he said softly, "Why'd you have to leave me? I thought I was never going to see you again."
"Aang, I had to leave! If I had stayed here I would have killed you!" As these words left my lips Aang's face turned from concern to shock.
"You- you would have killed me?"
"Yes, just like Haru," I said the tears now pouring down my cheeks. "I need to tell you the whole story of why I left, and it starts with the bloodbending at night. Suki helped fill in the blanks," I said, now wiping away my tears with my thumb.
"I'm listening," he said. I related all of the information that Suki told me to Aang and I ended up in tears "Toph had predicted I would do the same to you as I did to Haru, and so once I realized I had killed Haru I knew I needed to leave to protect you."
"Katara-" and without another word, he kissed me.
He pulled me in tight, closing the gap between our bodies. In that kiss I could feel all of his frustration, all of his fear, all of his passion. That kiss was like looking into Aang's soul. I kissed back, also pouring my emotions out, hoping he would look into my soul. His hands snaked around my waist and mine found their way into his hair, holding him there, even though there was no need to.
When we finally pulled away he said, "Don't ever leave me again Katara."
"I won't," I replied truthfully, "but I don't want to hurt you."
"I'll do whatever it takes to help you figure out how to stop this," Aang said determinedly, "Whatever it takes."