DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, although if it was real I would probably be a Waterbender.

Chapter 14: Katara's Birthday

Aang looked over at his girlfriend, it was still early in the morning at it was her sixteenth birthday. He stared at her and admired her beautiful long chocolate brown hair. He kissed her hair and smelt the sea salt mixed with wild flower aroma that overwhelmed his senses. He swiftly and quietly got out of bed and tippy-toed his way to the door. He looked back at his sleeping girlfriend and stared in awe at the way she slept. He walked out the door and Airbended himself down the long staircase all the way down to the bottom floor. He walked down the long corridors until he reached the Western Air Temple Great Hall. The hall was a huge room with statues of the past Airbending Avatars. He hadn't been in the hall for a hundred years, and it was gathering dust everywhere. Aang walked into the hall and checked out the statues. He soon noticed that there was a new statue standing at the front of the hall. It wasn't as dusty as the rest, probably had been there for only a year. He walked up to the statue and he noticed that it was a statue of… him! It was shorter than the rest and it was very detailed. Aang smiled to himself, he stared at the statue for a little while until he decided that he needed to tidy up the hall.

Aang made a giant air ball and blew all the dust off the statues. He then bended the dust into a giant dust ball and blew it out of the hall. When he finished the statues were clean and sparkling. He decided to light some torches and Earthbend some fountains with fresh running water. Once he had Earthbended the fountain and brought in some water, he left the hall and Earthbended some giant stone doors to stop anyone, partially Katara, from getting into the hall. He flew back up to his room and slowly crept next to Katara, who was still sleeping. He kissed her forehead and walked over to the windowsill. The sun was bright in the sky as he looked down onto the Air Temple. He saw Appa in the stables eating some fresh hay that Teo may have given him. Aang saw Momo sitting next to Appa eating some moon peaches out of a bowl. He laughed quietly as he watched Appa lick a peach out of Momo's bowl. He then heard Katara yawn from the bed.

"Aang? Is that you?" she asked as she yawned again. Aang walked up to Katara's bedside and kissed her gently on the lips.

"happy birthday Katara!" he exclaimed as he jumped onto the bed and crossed his legs. This made Katara laugh as he looked like the twelve-year-old kid she fell in love with. He grinned widely when he saw Katara laugh until he remembered his present that he made for her. He pulled out the leather bag out of his clothes and gave it to her. Katara's eyes opened wide when she saw the bag and she tried to open it. Aang grabbed the bag when he noticed that she was having trouble opening it. He loosened the string and opened it, but he didn't take the present out of it. He gave it back to her and she looked down at it, not knowing what to do.

"you didn't have to get me anything" she said and she looked at him with her bright blue, gleaming eyes. Aang stared at her, speechless.

"I… er… happy birthday Katara" he said as she began to open the bag. She gasped when she pulled out the beautiful betrothal necklace; she stared at him with her mouth so wide it could be a flycatcher. Aang just smiled at her until she realised her mouth was open and smiled back at him.

"Katara, I love you –"

"yes, yes Aang I will marry you!" she interrupted him and she brought him into the biggest hug he ever experienced and then she kissed him on both cheeks several times before finally kissing him on the lips. Aang didn't know what was happening, one second he's giving her the present, next second they're engaged.

Katara took off her mother's necklace and held it in her hand, staring at it whilst deep in thought. Aang knew that Kya's necklace was one of Katara's most prized possessions. It was also the only thing she had in memory of her. He knew that it was going to be hard for Katara to take off her mother's necklace. Aang took her mother's necklace and tied it around her wrist.

"so you will never forget about her" he said whilst he tied the necklace around her wrist.

"if she was still here, she would have loved you Aang" she thought for a moment. "who should we tell first?"

"well Katara, first we need to celebrate your birthday. Your sixteen Katara!" he exclaimed as she attached Aang's betrothal necklace around her neck. "c'mon we need to go downstairs" he grabbed Katara's hand and was about to leave when she pulled back. She signalled to him silently that she had to get ready and he left the room. Whilst she changed, he ran down the stairs to find Teo, Toph, Zuko, Mai and Ursa to tell them that there was going to be a party in the Great Hall.

When Katara finished they got downstairs and Aang blindfolded Katara and lead her into the Great Hall for the party. Zuko had turned out the lights and it was completely dark. Aang then took off the blindfold and everyone jumped out from behind the statues and they gave Katara such a fright, that she could've jumped out of her skin. When the lights came back on, Aang saw some long tables filled with food, most of them vegetarian and there was a band called "The Flameos" who were standing in front of his statue. The party was so much fun with dancing and presents and food. They hadn't told anyone about their engagement and they planned to tell the world in a speech. When it was time for the speech, Katara and Aang stood in front of everyone and coughed for silence. When they told them about their engagement, they were surrounded by people clapping, laughing, crying and even screaming. The party ended very late at night and when it was finally over, Aang and Katara were exhausted. When they finally went to bed, they crashed and fell asleep instantly. It was a fantastic way to spend a birthday. Aang was so happy because he and Katara were finally engaged. They were going to get married, and have children and raise a family together. They would be together, forever.