A/N: I am sooooooo sorry for this chapter being so late. I had been copying out this story in a notebook and I am only up to chapter 5! Anyways, I hope you love this chapter. P.S – Aang becomes a man in his mind :D

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, but if we had bending abilities; I'd be a Waterbender!

Chapter 15: Journey to the South, Part 1

Aang and Katara stayed at the Western Air Temple for two weeks, and they got no closer to finding the Airbenders than they had when they met up with Zuko, Mai and Ursa. Aang was starting to get stressed and had started to have nightmares again. They were mostly about the death of the Airbenders and how he wasn't there to stop the Fire Nation from destroying them. Aang was stressed, and Katara was getting worried about him. She hated it when he was being mentally tortured like that.

After two weeks, Aang had finally enough of the Temple and they decided to leave for the Southern Air Temple; Aang's old home. Aang, Katara, Zuko, Mai and Ursa were packing their belongings on Appa when Toph and Teo walked up behind them. When Aang turned around he noticed that Teo had two large bags on his lap and Toph had several bags of food. Aang already knew what they were going to say.

"No guys, you can't come with us" he said, his voice stern and very controlling.

"No you listen Air Head!" Toph exclaimed, who obviously wanted to get her message across before he said anything in protest. "I left my home to go on an adventure with Teo. I do not want to go home back to them and no offence Teo, but the Temples' a little boring. Plus I have also missed feeling sick on Appa". Whilst she talked, Aang was searching for a good argument in his mind.

"What's it going to take to have you guys not coming with us?" he asked, challengingly.

"Just about nothing" Teo added.

"It's too dangerous guys, plus it's getting crowded on Appa" Katara butted in.

"Ha! Yeah right. We've met much more dangerous things on our trip two years ago when Aang had to defeat Ozai. Teo can glide alongside Appa and then there's enough room," Toph argued back.

"Fine, whatever" Aang gave up. He threw his arms in the air in defeat, took the bags from them and packed them on Appa. An hour later, they were on their way to the Southern Air Temple.

Whilst Appa flew, Teo was gliding next to them with his chair-glider. Katara and Ursa were having a nice conversation about wedding plans, Toph and Zuko were having a heated argument about which nation is tougher with Mai sleeping on Zuko's shoulder and Aang sat on Appa's head with his knees tucked against his chest. He was thinking about the future, and how it could be changed dramatically so quickly. He was thinking about his engagement with Katara, and the Airbenders, and the future of the world. Katara noticed that he was awfully quiet and she ended her chat with Ursa and crawled over all the bags up to Aang and sat down next to him on Appa's head. She laid her head against his shoulder and sighed. It was sunset and it looked absolutely beautiful, but it never compared to Katara in Aang's eyes. They stared out at the sunset for what felt like hours, until Aang and Katara stared at each other. Katara, with her blue eyes sparkling in the dimming light and Aang, with his bright blue arrow visible in the darkness. Katara placed her hand onto Aang's cheek. She leaned towards him and pressed her lips against his softly. Aang felt her cool lips press against his warm lips. They kissed for what felt like hours, or maybe it was just a few minutes until Aang had to stop it because the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon. He landed Appa in a grassy meadow surrounded by trees. They set up camp and fell asleep for the night soon after.

Aang opened his eyes. He was in a blue Water Tribe tent. Where was he? He lifted himself up on his elbows and looked around and there was Katara looking at him, smiling. She looked older than he remembered, possibly nineteen or twenty years old and she was wearing her betrothal necklace that Aang had made for her. Her hair was longer than it was before; it was now below her waist. Aang grabbed a mirror that was laying beside him and looked at it. He looked way older; he looked like a young adult. He was eighteen years old. He wore a leather band around his wrist with a stone on it. The stone had a Water Tribe symbol and the Air Nomad symbol on both sides of the stone. They were married! He turned back to Katara and she kissed him full on the lips. She showed a massive desire in the kiss and the way she wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with full force back. It was a blissful oblivion and there was no going back now…

Aang woke up with a start. He saw the blur that was the tent. The light from the sun was shining in from outside. He looked at Katara, who was sleeping soundly next to him. He smiled at the thought that she could be dreaming about anything random or even about him. He opened the flaps of the tent and crawled outside. Ursa was already awake and was cooking breakfast on a fire. Aang noticed she was cooking meat, and the smell reached his nose and smelt horrible. Aang had to hold his mouth closed to stop himself from gagging. He ran behind the fire where the wind wasn't blowing and allowed himself to blow in some air. He searched a bag that was on the floor and pulled out some vegetables and he made his own mini-campfire and began roasting the vegetables.

When he had finished cooking the vegetables, he heard a yawn and a muffled "Aang" from inside the tent. Zuko, Mai, Toph and Teo had already woken up and were eating the meat that Ursa had cooked them. Katara was the last one to wake up.

"Katara, I'm outside" Aang called out towards the tent. A minute later Katara crawled out of the tent wearing the beautiful Fire Nation silk robe that she had worn when they were in the Fire Nation two years before. Aang stared at her with his mouth wide open. Katara began to blush when Zuko nudged him and whispered at him to close his mouth.

"Er… hi Aang, how do I look?" she asked as she did a turn on the spot to show off her clothes. Aang didn't know what to say, she just looked so beautiful.

"Beautiful, absolutely gorgeous Katara" Ursa answered for him, as his mouth had opened wide again.

"Er… thank you Ursa you're too kind. Shall we get going to the Temple? Or can we stop at my village for a visit?" she asked as Aang gripped himself together.

"Yes, yes we should get going. Er, we can visit the village if you want Katara, we've got time" he gave her the massive smile that she loved most about him. She nodded at him and he clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled, we're off to the Southern Water Tribe!"