Here's Chapter 2. Now when I wrote chapter 1, I thought that it was gonna be a one shot. And then all this stuff came out that I didn't know was there. So I was like okay I'll do two chapters. Then I finish this one and I'm like ARGH I NEED THREE CHAPTERS. Oops! Well, like I said in the previous chapter, Warning, it's super sad. Kataang. Kataangst. Also a song-fic, only because a song inspired the 2nd and 3rd chapter, and the 1st chapter reminded me of a song. Enjoy, R&R, all that good stuff.

I don't own Avatar or any of these characters. Or the song. Derp.

No, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way this story goes,
You always smile...
But in your eyes your sorrow shows…
Yes, it shows.

She died in his arms that very night. There had been no sudden pinnacle, no harrowing moment of climax, no screams, no pain. They had whispered their hushed 'I love yous' to one another throughout the entire night, until she found she had no more breath with which to whisper; and still he gave her his own. He blew life gently into her until she touched his lips with her finger, then shook her head and gave him a ghost of a smile. But he saw it there, in her eyes; he saw how much she worried for him. He watched those eyes until the life ebbed out of them, and they finally closed.

His tears had spilled freely against her skin, even as it cooled. He had rocked her gently in his arms, whispering against her lips, even as the heat of her body flowed out of her. He had even screamed in unearthly anger when her brother came to try and take her away from him. His eyes and tattoos had blinded Sokka, sending him reeling back out of the hut with genuine fear in his heart.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. She was the strongest, most powerful woman he'd ever known. The greatest waterbender in the entire world. She had held the power to bring down armies of men with a flick of her wrist, if she so wished it. She even held the power to control from within, though she never used it. And she had the power to captivate the Avatar wholly and completely, with nothing more than a touch, a look, a breath.

How, then, was this possible? How could she have simply started to wane so soon in the twilight of her life, far too soon for his liking? Why was he holding an empty shell in his arms, instead of the vibrant and lively woman he'd known just a few days ago?

How, in all the fairness and justice and righteousness of this world, was this supposed to make any sense?

He had fought tooth and nail to bring balance back to this world. He had given his entire life to pursuing his fate. He'd sacrificed so much, and he did it without a second thought; because she was right there beside him for every step. Even when they had to be apart, she was never very far. He could hear and feel her heartbeat in the very air he breathed, even if it was on the other side of the world.

He lifted his head- the first real movement he'd made in hours- and listened.

He heard nothing.

He felt nothing.

Slowly, he released her body from his clutches, and settled her back down on the bed. Her head lolled to the side, and he rested his hand against her cheek to set it forward. She felt colder than the ice around them to the touch. It was that touch, alone, that finally cracked his barriers. This beautiful, cold vessel was no longer his Katara. She was far, far away now. No longer in his arms.

He brought the blanket up to cover her anyway, and fussed with her hair. He wanted to be sure she looked beautiful when her family and friends came to say goodbye.

He pursed his lips as a sudden wave of guilt washed over him. Sokka. He'd scared the old man so bad, it was a wonder he hadn't joined his sister in the afterlife. With one last touch of her lips, Aang got up and left his wife's mortal body behind.

As he pushed the animal skin that covered the exit away, he stopped in the doorway. His brother-in-law was sitting just a few feet from the door, curled in on himself. Sokka's arms were wrapped up tightly around his knees, and Aang's broken heart went out to him. He shuffled the few steps forward to be across from Sokka, and dropped down to his knees.

Sokka had aged much more gracefully than the rest of them, and he looked all the more rugged the older he got. When his big blue eyes shifted up to look at his friend, however, none of the strong and manly attitude was left in his expression. In his eyes, Aang saw a little boy suffering just as much as he was. His face was streaked with tears, and his eyes shone brightly with the reflection of the moonlight. Aang had to turn away quickly, for his heart stopped when he looked into the eyes that reminded him so much of what he'd just lost.

"Sokka, I'm-"

"Aang, I-"

The two old men had tried to start the conversation at the same time, and the awkwardness of it had them expelling a much needed chuckle. Aang looked back up at his old friend, his brother, and gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry."

Sokka shook his head, unsure of what Aang was apologizing for, so he pointed at his eyes and tattoos and wiggled his fingers suggestively. He even let out a soft 'oooh' to indicate he was trying to mimic the spiritual creepiness of the Avatar state.

A single eyebrow lifted slowly on Sokka's face, and he watched his old friend act just as much the fool as he had so many years ago. Aang barely noticed that Sokka was reaching out to him, and he definitely didn't expect the flick of his forehead from Sokka's fingertips.

"Ow.." Aang mumbled, and he rubbed his forehead, looking up at his brother-in-law sheepishly. He expected to see some kind of smile there, but his own fleeting moment of lighthearted feeling vanished as he saw the pain in Sokka's face. It was still there, still evident in his all-too-familiar eyes.

"Can I go see her?" Sokka whispered meekly, clearly asking permission. Aang wondered how they had gotten to this point, where Sokka had to ask him permission to see his own sister. He felt awful for putting his friend in this position.

Aang pushed himself back up and held his hand out, and Sokka took it. With a tug, Aang helped the warrior to his feet, and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. He stood there for a moment, letting a great surge of emotion well up inside him, and then pulled Sokka into a hug.

Sokka took a moment to assess what kind of answer this was, before finally returning the hug. His own arms wrapped around Aang as tight as a platypusbear, and lifted him up off his feet. It could have been an awkward display of emotion, but there was no room for awkwardness in their hearts tonight.

Sokka put Aang back on his feet, and started to pull away, but Aang held back for a moment longer. "You've been the best big brother a guy could have ever asked for." He whispered hoarsely, his voice thick with pain. This admittance finally brought a smile to Sokka's face for the first time today, and it felt as though the cracks in his heart were soothed by Aang's words. He heard the words unspoken, as Aang appreciated him for Katara's sake as well as himself, and he truly needed them.

"Thanks, buddy. You're the best little-brother-but-also-an-all-powerful-Avatar that a guy could ever ask for, too."

Aang grinned that face-splitting grin, and finally let Sokka go. He turned to walk away, and Sokka headed into the hut to see his sister for the last time.

But as he pushed open the flap, he paused. Aang's words were sincere, and had truly healed some of the pain in Sokka's heart – but a moment later, as he let them sink in, something started to nag him about how Aang spoke.

There was something.. heart-wrenchingly wrong about all of it, and Sokka couldn't put his finger on it. He turned around to ask, but Aang was already a blip on the sea of white. He was long gone, and Sokka was left with a dreadful feeling of worry.

His mind was not the quickest of the lot, but it finally sunk in; what was wrong with Aang's sweet and comforting admittance.

"You've been the best big brother a guy could have ever asked for."

He'd been speaking in the past tense. Was he truly speaking for Katara? Or..

Sokka shook his head and rubbed his temples, returning to his original purpose of heading inside. He was being ridiculous. Aang just wasn't thinking straight. Who could blame him, Sokka realized, as his eyes fell on the lifeless body of Katara. The tears welled up for the second time today, and all thoughts of Aang's cryptic words fell forgotten by the wayside.