Day Five

"So are you going to talk about it or are we going to drive all the way to the Fire Nation in silence?"

Katara didn't imagine that this was quite what Suki had in mind when she offered her car. Currently, she and Aang were on the highway, headed straight for the Fire Nation coast, but Aang had yet to tell her why he even wanted to go there. Furthermore, he had yet to say much to her at all. Instead, he was slouched in the passenger's seat, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled low over his face, concealing what Katara suspected was a sullen and forlorn expression because his posture certainly indicated it.

At first, she was willing to give him some silent time. After the day he'd had, he deserved a little time to process all that had happened. But they had been traveling close to two hours now and the silence had become almost deafening. She needed to know what was going on in his head…even if all he did was rant or cry.

"Please, talk to me," she urged again when he failed to respond.

"What do you want me to say?" he mumbled, "A lot of people died today. It's my fault. That sums it up."

"No, it doesn't." He retreated into silence once again. Katara spared him with a commiserating look in between keeping her attention focused on the road. "I watched the news reports. At least the temples weren't destroyed and the uninjured airbenders were able to gain control of the fire rather quickly. It could have been much worse, Aang."

He released a shuddering breath. "I know that a lot more people could have died," he reasoned gruffly, "But that doesn't change the fact that the attack happened because of me, as a message to me…" He tugged his hood even lower over his eyes. "All I keep thinking is…what if Gyatso had been at one of the temples? What if my parents had been?"

"What if you had been?" Katara wondered thickly.

Their eyes clashed in a profound stare. "You shouldn't worry about me," he whispered.

Katara favored him with a sad smile. "I'm beginning to think it's hard-wired."

His gaze skittered away then, but not before becoming embittered and filled with self-loathing. "But you really don't have reason to be concerned about me, do you, Katara?" he mumbled, "I'm the Avatar, after all. I must be protected at all times. It's other people who should suffer for my existence."

"That's it!" Without warning, Katara slammed on the brakes and swerved the car into the emergency lane. Aang barely had time to recover from the near heart attack that she had given him because she was already throwing the car into park and rounding on him in righteous indignation. "Would you stop blaming yourself?" she cried, "What happened today wasn't your fault! There are evil people in the world, Aang. You're not responsible for their actions."

"Katara, I don't know what you want me to say! I can't do this," he lamented brokenly, "I can't be this leader they want me to be. I'm scared and I just want…just want…" He faltered off into silence an anguished sniffle, furtively wiping away the tears that fell on his cheeks with his fists. "I don't want to think about it right now."

"Well, what do you want, Aang."

He leveled her with an entreating look. "This. To be with you, to get out of my own head for a while. Can you understand that?"

"Yes. I understand."

"Does that mean you won't try to send me careening through the windshield again?"

It was the first joke he'd told in hours and, because of that, Katara was willing to let the subtle dig at her driving skills slide. She bit back her answering smile and carefully maneuvered them back into highway traffic. "Fair enough," she murmured, "But can you, at least, tell me why we're going to Ember Island?"

"I have happy memories of that place. It's where my parents first met Iroh. It's where I made some of my closest friends," he explained, "After I came back from the temple, I would always spend my summers there with Iroh and Zuko on the beach."

"Aang…I hate to point this out to you when you've already had such a crappy day, but…it's freezing. I don't know what happy memories you imagine you'll make in the middle of winter besides turning into a human Popsicle."

To her amazement, he actually grunted a small laugh and tipped a glance at her around the edge of his hood. "Actually, I was thinking that I wanted to be alone with you and Ember Island is about the last place the monks will look for me."

"You can't run forever, Aang," Katara advised him softly.

He turned back towards the window, his tone morose once again when he said, "No…but I can run for now."

It was shortly after midnight when Katara and Aang finally crossed the bridge that would take them onto the tiny island. Long ago, she had silenced her cell phone because the constant buzzing had become incessant. She and Aang had deliberately avoided listening to the radio because they imagined there was a media circus going on with Aang's disappearance. She knew that couldn't stand for long and, eventually, Aang was going to have to call and let everyone know he was alright. But, for now, she was willing to give him a break about it because he seemed to need some time to process all that had happened earlier that day.

Once they reached the island, Aang directed her on a winding, gravel path that led to a row of bungalows just along the beach. When they reached the house on the very end, he told her to stop. She couldn't see enough of the place to have an impression of it, as shimmering moonlight was the only illumination they had. Frankly, Katara was so exhausted that she didn't particularly care either. All she wanted right then was warmth and a bed.

As Aang climbed from the car and reached into the backseat to grab the few belongings they'd brought with them, Katara stretched and worked out the kinks in her back. She tried to take in as much of her surroundings as she could in the darkness. "Is this where you were born?" she asked when Aang came around to join her.

"No," he replied, starting up the paved path that led to the house, "This is Iroh's summer place. We actually passed the Firelord's house on the way up here. He's Iroh's younger brother."

Katara stopped short. "Iroh's brother is the Firelord? You never mentioned that he and Zuko were Fire Nation royalty."

"Technically, Iroh is the rightful Firelord. But he deferred the throne to his brother so that he could follow his dreams. He gave it all up so that he could be true to himself."

"No wonder he and your parents became such good friends," Katara murmured.

Aang nodded. "Yeah. They have a lot in common. Come on," he urged, beckoning her forward, "Let's get inside. It's cold."

"Are you sure it's okay if we stay here?" Katara fretted as Aang felt along the top of the doorsill for the key, "I'd hate to add breaking and entering to my current list of crimes. Grand theft auto is more than enough."

"I have a key," he informed with a short laugh. A moment later, he produced the aforementioned and inserted it into the lock. He pushed the door open with a satisfied smirk. "Presto! See? Nothing to worry about."

Once they stepped inside, Aang clicked on the interior light, allowing Katara her first full view of the house's interior. It wasn't the lavish getaway that one might expect for a former Firelord, but it was certainly no modest abode either. The floor plan was an open one, with a large, pristine kitchen and a spacious dining area. The front living space was also large and led out to a covered patio on the side of the house. Though the furniture was mostly draped with heavy white sheets, Katara didn't doubt that it was as fine as the rest of the house.

"There are two bedrooms and each has its own bathroom," Aang told her, "You can take the one at the end of the hall. It's bigger. I'll sleep in the one just off the kitchen."

Katara took her bag from him. "Aang, don't you think we should talk?"

"In the morning," he mumbled, "I promise we'll talk more then. I'm beat."

Ten minutes later, Katara found herself ensconced within the largest bed she had ever seen and probably more exhausted than she'd ever been in her life…but she couldn't sleep a wink. As weary as she was after driving all night, both mentally and emotionally, she couldn't rest when she knew that Aang was lying awake in his own bed, suffering in solitude. Whether he was intent on pushing her away or not, Katara knew that he needed her. Finally giving up the pretense altogether, she flipped back the covers and rolled from the bed.

It took her a few seconds to adjust to the darkness enough to navigate her way through the corridor and around to Aang's bedroom. When she was just outside the door, she paused to take a shaky breath and then raised her fist to knock softly. He didn't immediately answer, but Katara refused to concede defeat. She turned the knob, relieved to find it unlocked, and slipped into his bedroom. The instant she entered, Aang popped upright to regard her in the spilling moonlight. She was able to make out only his murky outline in the darkness. His expression remained a mystery so she didn't know if her arrival was welcome or not.

"I can go if you want," she prefaced timidly, "But I was thinking that you shouldn't be alone tonight." She swallowed thickly and added, "I didn't want to be alone either."

When her admission was met with yet more silence, Katara thought that Aang was rejecting her request…until she realized he was holding up the corner of his sheet in invitation for her to join him. Katara quickly scrambled underneath the covers with him and they situated themselves so that they were lying face to face with only a foot or so between them. She reached out to brush her fingers across his cheek, not surprised to find them damp. Aang captured her hand and pressed a fleeting kiss to her fingertips.

"I'm sorry about everything," he whispered, "I've been taking this day out on you and that's not fair."

"Don't be sorry…I've been there. After my mother died, all I could do was lash out, especially at the people who loved me. I get it."

"That doesn't make it right, Katara," Aang argued, "You've done nothing but support me. You drove out all this way when I asked you to without question. You deserve better than the way I've treated you."

"If you mean that, then tell me what you're feeling right now."

"I feel guilty…" he confessed brokenly, "And ashamed. While I was with you today, my people were being terrorized. They were dying. I feel like I should have done something to stop it, to protect them, but I don't even know what that is. But the worst part is…I can't be sorry."

"Can't be sorry about what?"

"I can't be sorry that I was with you today. I'm glad we shared that…something good and pure in the middle of so much ugliness. What kind of Avatar does that make me, Katara?"

She dropped a loving kiss to the tip of his nose. "The human kind."

"I feel like I'm failing before I've really even started," he told her, "The monks were planning to take me away tonight, to some secret location that only they knew. They don't think it's safe for me anymore."

"I've been wondering the same thing," Katara confessed, "I don't think it's safe for you to be alone and unprotected either, Aang."

The corner of his mouth turned in a wry smile. "I can take care of myself. Besides…I have you here and you're all the protection I need, Katara."

"Somehow, I think the monks would disagree."

"The monks don't get a vote." He sighed despondently before revealing in a whisper, "They know about us, by the way. Gyatso told them. Under the circumstances, he didn't feel like he had any other choice because no one knew where I was before and there was a lot of panic going on. It was a pretty big fustercluck."

"And that's why you ran."

"The monks have taken away everything that matters to me. I won't let them take you too, Katara." His voice became a faint whisper, trembling with emotion when he said, "I love you."

There had never been any question about his feelings for her. Katara had been growing surer of them as the days passed, but hearing him say the words out loud still managed to make her heart jump into her throat. She scooted closer to him, nuzzling her nose against his and splaying her hand across his bare chest. "I love you too, Aang."

It was natural for them to kiss following that avowal, a symbolic sealing of the words they had just exchanged. But what began as small, nibbling pecks gradually increased in intensity as they shifted closer, their bodies aligning, their limbs tangling. Aang splayed his hand over Katara's hip, sliding his palm along the curving line of her body and dragging her nightshirt with it. He exposed the lower half of her body, lightly caressing the soft skin of her thighs and belly and inching his way higher. Yielding to his silent urging, Katara broke their kiss long enough to rise up and whip the shirt over her head before eagerly returning to his arms.

There was no hesitancy on Aang's part this time when he kissed and caressed her naked breasts. They had moved beyond shyness with one another. He swirled his tongue around the rigid crest of her nipple, delighting in the sounds of her pleasured moans. Katara writhed against him, turning her body into his, silently inviting him to touch her more intimately. Within the confines of his pajama bottoms, Aang throbbed painfully. The thin cotton provided very little barrier between him and her bare skin. Aang was overwhelmed with the need to touch her.

When his hand began meandering down the flat expanse of Katara's abdomen she held her breath, her body tingling with anticipation for the first moment when his fingers would breach her panties. Aang's first touch was tentative, explorative. He sifted lightly through the tight, trimmed curls before venturing lower to stroke the sensitive bud nestled between the swollen lips of her sex. Katara melted against him, her fingernails digging into his forearm as she lifted her hips in gasping appeal for him to take his exploration further.

After what seemed like eons, Aang finally slid a single digit into the snug, moist depths of her body. They both hissed with the sensation. She clenched and convulsed around his finger, rolling her hips against his hand in panting need. He added another, stretching her taut, virginal walls. Katara cried out in pleasure with each penetration, becoming slicker and slicker with each foray he made into her body. Aang sought out her nipple in hungry need, sucking the sensitive bud in tandem with each thrust of his finger. His arousal pulsed heavily, almost to the point of pain.

Katara fumbled between them to reach down into his bottoms and curl her slender fingers around his fevered length. Aang groaned, losing focus a bit as she began stroking him in quick, spasmodic jerks. "Not so hard," he whispered against her skin, "Slower…" He withdrew his hand from between her legs and shifted onto his back, curling that hand around her own to demonstrate to her the rhythm he liked. "This is how I like it…" he instructed her gently, guiding her hand in long, gliding strokes. His fingers fell away as she caught on quickly. "Yes…just like that…"

While Katara acquainted herself with the smooth contours of his erection, Aang shoved his pajama bottoms further down his hips in an effort to give her more access. But when she dared to drop a darting kiss to the bouncing tip of him, he knew he was going to lose it. Without further preamble, Aang kicked out of his pajama bottoms and then moved between her legs to remove the final barrier of fabric between them. He hooked his fingers into her panties, dragging them down over her hips and legs before tossing them aside.

And then he was pressing himself against her swollen opening, his words garbled with emotion and desire when he asked, "Are you sure?"

She jerked a nod. "I want you."

That was all the permission Aang needed. He pushed inside her, breaching the tight center of her body with hormonal enthusiasm and…it hurt and not in a good way. Katara bit her lip, trying not to cry out as he continued to thrust against her but Aang quickly became aware of how tensed she was beneath him. He looked down at her, reading the discomfort on her face.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little bit…" she confessed, feeling like the most inept woman in the world.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked with some uncertainty. He would if she asked, but he would also probably weep like a child if she did. The dutiful boyfriend in him wanted her to be comfortable. The hormonal teenager, on the other hand, felt like he was going to die.

"No…don't stop," she whispered finally. Aang sagged with relief and Katara had to bite her lip to keep from smiling over how obvious he was. "Maybe if you tried a different angle…"

After considering her suggestion for a few seconds, Aang instinctively slipped his hand beneath her bottom and lifted her hips against him so that she was closer. When he did, his erection slid into her body with surprisingly little resistance, filling her up completely. They both gasped with the unexpected sensation. Katara could feel him pulsing deep inside of her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her vaginal muscles clenching reflexively around his length and drawing him even deeper.

That was far more stimulus than Aang could take. He lost all self-control at that point. His inexperienced, sex-starved body took full command. He began rocking against her in feverish need, driving fiercely into her body with low, piercing grunts. Once…twice…and finally a third time before his orgasm took hold and he climaxed uncontrollably on the fourth thrust. He cried out her name and tucked his face into her shoulder, shuddering again and again as he emptied himself into her. It was a long time before he stopped shaking and, when he did, Aang was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally.

Once Aang found the energy to rouse himself and roll away from her, Katara continued to lay there, her body still taut with the desire he had awakened in her. He was sated but she felt like they'd only just begun. She had been building towards her orgasm, spurred on by the stimulation he'd created both inside and outside of her body and then…nothing. Suddenly, he had groaned and, within moments, he had become flaccid inside of her and on top of her as well. Without warning, something that had begun with such exciting promise was over.

As Aang scooted onto his side to regard sleepily her in the darkness, Katara tried not to look as disappointed as she felt. Yet, despite her silence, Aang was more than aware of her dissatisfaction. "Sorry…" he mumbled wearily, "I know it wasn't very good for you."

Katara shook her head to refute that, still a little dazed. "No, it just…it went so fast," she replied after a few moments, "I wasn't expecting that."

Aang winced. "I know…I don't know what happened. I thought I had it together, but then…you moved and I…I couldn't stop myself…"

Strangely pleased by his tacit admission that she had made him lose control, Katara gently placed her hand against his cheek and smiled. "It's okay," she whispered, "It's not a big deal. It was enough to be with you tonight, Aang."

He groaned in self-deprecation. "Isn't that girl speak for 'you really suck in bed, but I love you, so I'll overlook it?'"

"You didn't suck," she insisted, though she ruined the avowal by giggling, "You don't suck."

"Katara, come on… I know you didn't…well…you know…"

She hid her face in his shoulder before admitting in a muffled tone, "No, I didn't."

Aang bit out a soft curse. "Did it feel good to you at all?" he whispered.

"It felt really good after you lifted me up," she whispered back, "I liked how it felt when you were moving inside of me. That was great! I just wish you had lasted longer."

He groaned again, inciting another smothered giggle from Katara. "Next time…will be better…" he said around a broad yawn, "I promise. Give me half an hour to recover. I'll make it up to you."

"Just forget about it. You've had a long day and you're tired," Katara said, noting the heavy way his eyes began to droop, "Get some rest."

He was asleep within seconds. Katara waited for his breathing to become deep and even before she carefully untangled herself from his arms and slipped from the bed. After slipping her nightshirt down over her head, she hovered at the bedside for a moment, smiling a bit as she studied the tattooed lines of his nude body, twisted and partially concealed by the bed sheets. Watching him sleep, she couldn't help but throb with want for him still, especially because her desire hadn't yet been satisfied. It wasn't exactly what she had imagined for her first time.

But Katara supposed it could have been worse. She had heard plenty of lost virginity horror stories and as far as first time experiences went, it wasn't that bad. The sex hadn't been inordinately painful. As fast as it had gone, she had felt loved and cherished during the act and she had definitely not felt discarded or used after. In fact, it had been ridiculously pleasurable before, during and after, especially so once Aang entered her completely. She liked how full she felt when he was inside of her and how unbelievably hot his skin had been. She liked the friction he'd created when he started to move.

The problem wasn't that it hadn't been good, but that it had ended too soon. Something hot and furious had been unfurling inside of her, something that had been threatening to explode just as he fell still. Before she could prepare herself or even understand what was happening, the flames were abruptly extinguished. And now she was all keyed up, still aching with want for him and he, with his head buried deep into a pillow, was blissfully and soundly asleep. Katara's brows knit together in a wry frown. As extraordinary and thoughtful as Aang was, in many ways, he remained the typical boy.

Still, despite her sexual frustration, Katara couldn't help but feel some measure of satisfaction in knowing she had left him so thoroughly spent. He was the Avatar after all, the most powerful being in their universe and she had left him trembling like newly born buffalo-lamb. Not bad for a small town girl from the South Pole who didn't even have any experience with kissing a man, let alone seducing one.

Biting back her wry smile, Katara leaned over to brush a kiss across Aang's cheek and then headed off for the bathroom for a quick shower. Once she finished washing away the remnants of her tryst with Aang, she rejoined him into the bedroom and crawled into bed next to him, completely nude. The instant the bed sagged under her weight, Aang grunted her name and hooked his arm around her waist to drag her into the warm crook of his body. After a mumbled "…love you" into the damp hair at her nape, he fell asleep once more. Katara smiled, snuggled deeper into his arms and fell asleep as well.

What seemed like a short time later, Katara found herself awakened by arousing tingles traveling down her inner thigh. She blinked her eyes open, only half processing the fact that Aang was kneeling between her open legs and placing small, biting kisses against her skin. She whispered his name and was about to drift back to sleep when she realized his kisses were beginning to descend. Katara tensed.

"Aang?" she whispered again, now fully awake. She reached down to trace the pale line of his tattoo. "What are you doing?"

"I want to make you feel good." He lifted his head then. His eyes glittered brilliantly in the dimness as he regarded her. "Can I do that, Katara?"

In her head, Katara could hear him whispering those exact same words into her ear, only from another time and place, but that didn't make them any less familiar. The memory was so distinct and clear that she could practically feel his tongue sliding across her slick folds and dipping inside her with lazy expertise. And suddenly, the prospect of him tasting her so intimately didn't seem so scary because he had done it before…because he knew what she liked.

At that point, pure instinct took over for them both. Katara relaxed back into the mattress and opened her legs wider for him in eager offering. Aang lowered his mouth to her, smiling against her heated center, nuzzling her there as well. Katara whimpered out a tiny moan. She shivered when his tongue darted over her skin, tried not to writhe too much as he reacquainted himself with the taste of her. Though he began his exploration rather tentatively, flicking her distended clitoris carefully with the tip of his tongue, Aang soon grew bold enough to draw the sensitive nub into his mouth. When he began to suck, Katara arched off the bed with a keening cry of pure pleasure.

She opened her thighs wider for him, her fingers clenching fitfully into the bed sheets. Her breath came in shallow pants as Aang licked and lapped and tasted her as deeply as he could, his tongue piercing her again and again. She could feel a pressure building low in her belly, tingling in her limbs and locking the breath in her lungs. She was racing for it, tumbling faster and faster… When Aang dared to hook a single finger inside of her, stroking her slick muscles within while his tongue flicked against her tender flesh, Katara came undone. She ground herself against him with a loud, serrated moan, her every muscle pulled tight as her orgasm ripped through her.

While the pulsing currents of her release were still rippling through her body, Aang crawled up her body and wedged himself firmly between her legs. He took her mouth in a torrid kiss at the precise moment he penetrated her as deeply as he could. The combination of tasting herself on his tongue and feeling him throb within her caused Katara to cry out. Their ragged moans of satisfaction bounced off of the walls and echoed in their ears as Aang slowly began thrusting.

He rose up on his knees, grasping hold of her hips to pull her more securely against him and then pushing her thighs further apart so that he could stroke inside of her unencumbered. Her creamy inner walls flexed and tightened around him. Aang choked out a guttural moan, his jaw clenched firmly as he struggled to maintain control and give Katara ultimate pleasure. Katara, likewise, struggled to keep her eyes open because she wanted to watch each gratified grimace that contorted his boyish features. She wanted to see the pleasure she was giving him.

Aang watched her too…her breasts jostling slightly with every lunge of her body, the sweet way she bit her lip to muffle her ecstatic cries, the eager way she lifted her hips against his… He feared that he wasn't going to last. Desperate to bring her to climax this time, Aang lowered himself against her and slipped his hand beneath her so that he could cradle her hips and better control the rapid tempo of his thrusts. But even with that, he felt like his self-control was swiftly slipping away.

He whispered her name against her cheek in an anguished plea. "Please…please…" he moaned hoarsely, "You feel too good… I can't take it…it's so good…"

Katara strained against him, trembling with need. "Not yet…Aang, don't…wait for me…" She sought his lips in a breathless kiss and that only made him groan more.

"You're so wet, Katara…" he gasped into her mouth, "I don't know if I can wait… I'm trying…"

Her breath came in desperate bursts. She gripped his buttocks, her nails digging into his firm flesh. "Aang, please…don't stop…don't…" The pressure was beginning to build inside of her. Every nerve fiber in her body felt like it was firing simultaneously. Each thrust brought her closer to the brink. Just a little bit more and she would be right there with him… Katara tightened and throbbed around him in an attempt to draw him deeper.

He buried his answering groan into her throat as the drives of his body became fitful and frenetic. "Katara…stop clenching…" he moaned, "…you're killing me…" Before she could prepare herself, Aang withdrew from her suddenly in order to prevent his premature release. Katara cried out and reflexively clamped her legs around him in protest. Aang soothed her frustrated whimpers with sweet kisses. "It's okay…" he whispered, "Let me get control. I just…need a minute…"

As he spoke, he continued to roll his hips against her, his erection creating a maddening friction against her sensitive flesh. Katara moaned, surprised by the surge of pleasure the sensation gave her. She splayed her hands down the damp expanse of Aang's back, arching into him hard in an effort to increase the pressure. His breath stirred against her ear in warm, staccato beats.

"Does that feel good?"

Her throaty, drawn out, "Yes…" was an absolute turn on for him.

He pressed against her in slow, rolling strokes. "Like this?"

She jerked a nod, barely able to choke out the word, "Harder."

"Katara, tell me what you want me to do…" he urged her breathlessly, his tempo and force increasing.

"More…inside me now…" she gasped, "Please…"

He positioned himself at her moist opening and guided his erection into her quivering flesh with one, fluid thrust. Almost the instant he penetrated her, Katara came apart. Her inner muscles began to spasm around him violently, growing hotter and slicker as her climax rippled through her. The rhythmic contractions of her orgasm triggered Aang's as well and he quickly followed her over the precipice. He groaned loudly with the force of his release, curling his body into hers as he rode out the longest, most intense climax he'd ever experienced.

When he finally found the energy to move again, Aang gradually rolled his weight off of Katara and sprawled next to her in a boneless heap. They regarded one another with breathless smiles. They exchanged several drowsy kisses before shifting closer to tangle their lethargic bodies into an embrace. Aang cradled Katara against his chest, sifting his fingers through the tousled waves of her hair while she listened to the accelerated thump of his heartbeat.

"I'm going to say that was much better than last time," he laughed.

Katara pressed a contented kiss to his nipple. "Agreed."

"We should definitely keep practicing though," he teased, "Can't give up until it's perfect."

"Hmm…transparent boyfriend is transparent," she yawned.

"Can't help it. Hot girlfriend is hot," was his sleepy retort.

She laughed at his joke but sobered an instant later. "You know…we…um…we should probably use protection from now on…just to be responsible."

"Right," Aang sighed soberly, "I wasn't thinking about that before. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't just your responsibility, Aang. I wasn't thinking about it either, but…now we should think about it."

"I agree, but there's not a store around here for miles, Katara. And I don't know where we can get any at this hour. I doubt Iroh keeps a hidden stash." He repressed a repulsed shudder at the thought. "At least, I hope he doesn't."

"Don't worry about that. I have something we can use." She tipped her head back to meet Aang's dumbfounded expression. "Don't look at me like that! They're the ones we were going to use earlier. I shoved them into my purse so that they'd be out of sight. So…now we have something to use for the next time."

A chuckle rumbled in his chest as he twirled her hair around his fingers. "Oh, so you're already planning the next time, are you?"

She buried her giggle in side. "What can I say? I'm an industrious girl."

"I'm definitely not complaining." His smile faltered a bit as another thought occurred to him. "You don't think that I might have gotten you pregnant, do you?"

Katara cuddled against him once more, her manner relaxed despite the delicate subject matter. "No. I think it will be okay," she murmured after a thoughtful moment, "Besides, we have other things we need to worry about right now." She became quiet and pensive as the reality of their situation dawned on her anew. "You know we're going to have to go back soon, don't you?" she whispered.

His fingers stilled against her hair. "I know."

He sounded so despondent at the prospect that Katara raised up on her elbow to regard him. "It doesn't have to be so terrible, Aang."

"But it is. I don't want this burden, Katara. I never asked for this. I don't want to be the Avatar."

"It doesn't matter. You are and you have to find a way to accept that or we're all going to be lost."

"I don't understand how I'm supposed to make things better," he argued, "It hasn't even been a full week since I was announced as the new Avatar and things are already getting worse."

"Maybe that's a good thing." The look he gave her clearly stated that he thought she was out of her mind. "Hear me out for a minute," she laughed softly, "Aang, we can't always be so eager to run away from the bad stuff. Maybe we shouldn't even be so eager to change it.

"When I lost my mom, I thought that it was the worst thing in the world," she revealed thickly, "I wanted to die with her because I couldn't imagine living out the rest of my life without her. But I didn't die. I went to Ba Sing Se to live with my brother…and I met you."

She leaned up to feather a kiss across his lips. "Sometimes our tragedies are what ultimately lead us to something better. Sometimes they define us in a good way. You have to stop viewing your identity as the Avatar as a curse, Aang. You have to stop running. It's time."

"And what about us?" he wondered quietly, "What if the monks try and keep us apart?"

"No one will ever keep us apart, Aang."

He tangled his fingers in the rumpled strands of her hair, bringing her close to him for another soft kiss. "You're right. We'll go back. We'll leave in the afternoon after we've had some sleep."

After sharing a few drowsy kisses, they made love a third and final time that night before rolling away from each other and finally falling into a deep, exhausted slumber. Both Aang and Katara anticipated that they would sleep far into the afternoon, but when they were awakened again it was nearly an hour before dawn. Something inexplicable jostled them into awareness. Neither of them could be sure exactly what had roused them from sleep, but both were inundated with the foggy need to rise. A strange, rhythmic chanting pounded in their ears, called to them like a sweet, seductive whisper.

Aang rolled his aching body upright, only vaguely aware of Katara doing the same. Although, their eyes were open and they looked to be awake, they both moved as if in a sleepwalking haze. Without speaking or really even acknowledging one another, Aang and Katara slipped from the rumpled bed and began pulling on their discarded pajamas. The room was silent except for the low beat of drums that reverberated in their heads. Only when they were dressed did Aang and Katara finally acknowledge one another and, even then, they did not speak.

With an eerie calm, they met each other at the foot of the bed and linked hands, navigating their way through the darkened house towards the front door and eventually out onto the moonlit beach. The chanting continued to break over the rolling hush of the ocean. Just off the coast, barely visible and surrounded by the foamy sea, the mysterious silhouette of an island could be seen in the moonlit distance. Neither Aang nor Katara could recall seeing it there when they arrived, but its sudden appearance didn't seem to matter to them at all. They knew that they were headed there regardless.

As they drifted towards the crashing waves, they were impervious to the bitter chill or the cold grains of sand spilling over their bare toes. Nothing existed for them except the journey that lay ahead. The island was beckoning them forth and they had to answer. It had been waiting long enough.

With their hands still linked, Aang and Katara stepped into the frigid waters together and began to swim…

A/N: I'll post the final part tomorrow morning and then this puppy will be finished. Hopefully, all questions will be answered then. Thanks for reading, everyone. And thank you, Kataang Caps, for spawning this idea in the first place.