Chapter 20

The carnival was incredible in Aang's eyes. It was a lot like the amusement park; only smaller. There was a roller coaster, a Ferris Wheel, even the Tilt A Whirl. And a bunch of other games like Targets, basketball, and more. There was a line for a Ferry Ride around the lake, with a glass bottom to see what wonders the water holds. It was nearing sunset, and Aang and Katara were on the boat, sitting on cushioned benches, watching as fish dart away and turtles swim slowly under them. They can even see some of the seaweed. They had been on practically every ride and had played all the games. Aang even managed to win Katara a stuffed panda, saying it was an early birthday present. She had laughed and kissed his cheek as a thank you.

Aang sighed, content and relaxed. It's been so long since he felt this way. Now he was really grateful to have Katara as his girlfriend. She makes him feel so special. She would go to any lengths to insure he had a normal time. And today he had. Being normal was something to treasure, especially with his kind of life. Okay, maybe not completely normal; no one ever was. But this was close.

He brought Katara closer, and she nuzzled his neck, making Aang chuckle. "Ticklish there?" she murmured.

Aang snorted softly, trying to hold in his laughs when she continued nuzzling him. "Maybe a little," he admitted.

Katara kissed his neck there and felt his pulse jump, causing her to chuckle before she raised her head. "At least you're relaxed now," she said quietly.

Aang nodded, closing his eyes. "Yeah," he murmured, bringing her body closer to his. "Thanks to you. It's been a while since I felt this peaceful. I owe you one."

Katara touched his cheek, causing his eyes to open. She enjoyed Aang's gray eyes; she could stare in them forever. "You don't owe me anything," she said softly. "Just seeing you so calm and happy is enough for me."

Aang grabbed her hand and kissed the palm. "Only you can make that happen." He brought her hand down and intertwined their fingers. "The only time I feel like myself is when you're around."

Katara smiled softly, squeezing his hand. "You make me feel that way too." She frowned sadly. "My dad was right, you know. Before I met you, after my mother died, I was frozen, still caring about others but not willing to move on. No one has ever brought me out of my shell; no one but you. I'm grateful to have met you. You brought me back from the ice. Thank you Aang, for believing in me, and helping me."

Aang took a deep breath, bringing her into a hug, smelling her fruity scent. "If anyone's grateful, it's me. When my parents died, I thought I was doomed to be alone for the rest of my life. I didn't have any other family besides Gyatso. But then I met you, and everything became clearer. In a way, I was frozen too, not knowing what was in store for me. That first day I saw you, something in me changed. I felt more alive, found another reason to live. I'm never letting you go; I never want to lose you."

Katara blinked her eyes, holding the tears at bay as she looked at the love of her life. She swallowed. "You're never going to lose me. I'm not leaving you for anything in the world. You are my world. Nothing could ever replace you in my heart, no one can take you away from me. We belong together, Aang; it's as simple as that." She placed her forehead on his, feeling his warm sweet breath on her face. "We're soul mates, Aang. Two parts of the same whole. And nothing is going to tear us apart."

Aang grabbed her cheek and brought her face closer to his. "That means everything to me, Katara," he whispered. "I would be lost without you. We've both come a long way to find ourselves; to learn how to be the people we're meant to be. Now that we found each other, nothing is going to separate us, ever. I love you so much. I would do anything to keep you with me."

"I love you too Aang, and I want to be your everything; heart, soul, everything that will keep us together. My life would be dark if you left."

Aang stared into her eyes with love and warmth. "I'm not going anywhere. I would like to be your everything, too, if you will let me."

Katara brushed her lips against his. "I would love that."

"So would I." Then they kissed each other, not caring about the other people watching them. The couple stuck in their own little love bubble, oblivious to everything and everyone. And what they didn't expect, or know about, was a girl with hidden speakers in her clothes. Her hair was a wild brown mop. Smellerbee was watching them, listening in on their declarations that shocked her to the core. Anyone with eyes could see how devoted these two were towards each other.

Smellerbee had been sent to follow them by Jet and record what they said. He had seen them when he and his gang went into the training center. There had been a hidden camera near the Gaang's hiding spot, attached to the T.V. in the room. He wanted to know if they had heard what he had said, and he had no doubt about it. But what Smellerbee had just heard made her feel even guiltier than ever. These guys are supposed to be the enemy, set on destroying what they had spent so long to build. Now, Smellerbee was liking this assignment less and less. There was no way to separate the Gaang; they were too close together.

And that was when she made her decision. She didn't want to do this anymore; killing people and stealing from their families and businesses. It made her feel inhumane, like a monster made out of shadows, with no feelings. She frowned, determined to change her ways; and hopefully change her friends, to help them see the errors of their ways.

Jet had lost his mind, and when he is set on something, it was hard to discourage his motives. It was time to put an end to it. So she shut off the tiny but powerful recorder in her pocket, and waited for the ferry to get back on dry land.

An hour after sunset, where the sun's tip showed on the horizon, Aang and Katara decided it was to time to go because Suki was coming to get them. Earlier today, when she had dropped them off at the carnival, she had said that she would be back at sun down. When the happy couple exited out of the gates, they saw Suki's van waiting for them. Suki spotted them and waved, smiling like the Cheshire Cat, like she had a secret and wanted to tell but couldn't.

"Did you guys have fun?" she immediately asked when they were settled in, putting the van into drive and leaving the carnival behind.

They nodded, grinning like love struck goofs. "It was great," Katara said, snuggling into Aang's warmth. "We went on the Tilt A Whirl three times, shot some baskets, hit targets, went on the Ferry ride, and lastly, the Ferris wheel. Oh!" She brought up the panda, holding it close to her chest. "And Aang won me a panda on one of those hammer and bell games for an early birthday present. Isn't that sweet, Suki? I'm calling him Hai Bai."

Aang and Suki laughed, happy to see Katara happy. "That's very sweet. Good name too. I wish Sokka would win me a panda bear."

Katara laughed. "Knowing Sokka, he wouldn't get you a bear. It would probably be a lion."

Suki grinned. "Or a tiger."

Aang snorted. "Or a bear." When he said that, everyone bursted out laughing, remembering those lines from a movie. "You know," he choked out when he could breathe, "we should watch that sometime. The Wizard Of Oz was a classic."

Suki chuckled. "It's been a long time since I saw that."

"We actually have that movie at home," Aang said. "Me and Gyatso would have a movie night, and we would a pick a movie we were in the mood for. I remember watching the movie so many times I would repeat lines at random times."

Katara laughed. "With your brain, I'm not surprised."

Aang frowned playfully at her as Suki snorted. "My parents used to tell me I had a big imagination. Gyatso always said I had a photographic memory. They might be right."

There was a little sadness in his voice when he talked about his parents. Even after all this time, it still hurts him. Katara didn't want him upset, so she shrugged and said, "There's nothing wrong with having an imaginative mind. At least you use yours. That's what I like in a guy."

Aang laughed. "That was so cheesy, Katara."

She shrugged again. "But it made you feel better, right?" she asked with a wide grin.

Aang shook his head, amused at his girlfriend's tactics. "Yeah, it did. Thanks; you know just what to say."

Katara brought her face close to his. "Anytime. Besides, I'm your girlfriend. I'm supposed to make you happy."

Aang grinned and kissed her. She smiled against his lips, pulling him closer. Suki looked in the rear view and smiled, shaking her head. That was love right there. But when they started heating up, she cleared her throat loudly and they jumped apart, blushing from either embarrassment or from the heat of the kiss. "Okay, I know you guys love each other and I'm happy for you; but please keep the making out to a minimum. I'm sounding like Sokka, I know. But seriously, get a room." Her voice was both serious and joking.

"Sorry, Suki," they both said and chuckled as they went back to cuddling. They remained quiet for the rest of the ride. It took a good thirty minutes to get to Aang's house. The couple had fallen asleep shortly after their little make out session.

By the time they got there, the sun was completely gone, the moon taking its place and the stars twinkling in the heavens. Suki parked in the driveway and turned around. The couple looked adorable together, especially when they are sleeping. Her heart melted at the sight.

She gently shook Katara's shoulder after unbuckling herself so she could reach. The younger girl stirred, before slowly opening her eyes. She rubbed the sleep out of them before looking at her boyfriend. His breathing was even, and he had a little smile on his face as if having a wonderful dream. She felt her own smile break out of her face before she shook his shoulder. He groaned softly, his eyes fluttering open. He settled them on her. "Hi," he murmured sleepily.

"Hi, sleepyhead," she replied softly. "Come on; we're home."

Aang sat up with a deep breath and rubbed his eyes before looking around to see they were in his front yard. "What are we doing here?" he asked, his voice still a bit thick. "I thought we were going back to your place."

Katara shook her head, smiling. "Nope. We're going to watch the Wizard Of Oz. I hope that's okay."

Aang's mind was becoming more focused. He remembered telling them he had the movie. They wanted to watch it with him since it was his birthday. He shrugged. "Okay. Let's go watch it." Suki grinned and got out of the van, Katara and Aang following. The blue eyed girl grabbed her panda, Hai Bai, with one arm and grabbed Aang's hand with her free hand.

All the lights were off when they opened the door. Aang thought it was odd; but then the lights burst to life as his friends yelled, "Happy Sweet Sixteen, Aang!" He jumped at least a foot into the air, his heart pounding like crazy. He could not believe what he was seeing; Mai, Zuko, Toph, Sokka, Gyatso, and Lin were there. There was a table laden with treats. A few presents were on the floor stacked in piles. Decorations covered the walls and ceiling. There was a one layer cake with Happy Birthday Aang written in blue icing.

Before he could say anything, since there was a lump in his throat, his friends and family bombarded him with hugs and arm punches, Toph's being the hardest. His friends backed off and Lin gave him the biggest hug and a sweet kiss on top of his head. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart," she said softly with motherly love. Aang nodded, not trusting his voice. His eyes stung and he blinked back tears of happiness. Katara squeezed his hand, looking at him with love and happiness.

He looked at everyone. "Thank you," he said thickly. "But you didn't have to do this."

It was Gyatso who answered. "It wasn't our idea, Aang. It was your girlfriend who believed you needed this."

Aang looked at Katara's beaming face before bringing her into a tight hug, receiving a few 'awwww's. "Thank you," he murmured.

"You're welcome," she whispered back before breaking the hug. They into each others eyes.

They were about to kiss, but Sokka's annoying voice stopped them. "Yeah, yeah, we know you're grateful, Aang. But please keep the oogies to a minimum. Thank you!" Everyone rolled their eyes while the adults kept their laughs in. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Okay; enough! Can we just move on to the party? I'm hungry."

Suki snorted. "You're always hungry."

"I'm a growing boy?" he protested.

Now the adults laughed, loving these kids' attitudes. They could see how close the teenagers really were. "Okay, guys," Lin said cheerfully. "Let's have some fun!" There were cheers from the teens, and the party began.

By ten o'clock, they had gone through most of the board games, had watched Wizard Of Oz, had dinner and Aang blew out his sixteen birthday candles. Now they moved on to presents. Gyatso gave his present first. It was longer than Aang's body. "I thought you might like this, since you've worked with it before."

Aang weighed the heavy package before lifting the lid. Inside was a wooden staff, with Chinese writing for 'The Heart Of A Warrior' He gasped, fingering the smooth wood. He smiled widely, before looking at his uncle sitting next to him. "Thank you, Gyatso." The old man gave him a one armed hug.

Lin pushed a package toward him. "Your uncle told me you collected antiques. Consider this a gift from the family."

Aang took the present and glanced at Suki to see her beaming. He opened it, ans felt his eyes go huge. Inside was a wooden cat statue, painted white and red, with the paw holding a lantern. He looked at them. "Thank you guys. It's beautiful."

Suki patted his hand. "We're glad you like it," she said softly.

Zuko handed him a present. "This is from me and Mai." Very blunt; no point getting mushy.

Aang laughed and opened it, revealing a PlayStation 2 and a few harmless games. "No way!" Aang said. He beamed. "I always wanted to get this. Thanks guys!"

Zuko shrugged. "No big deal. Just don't break it; I'm not replacing it."

"I'll be careful with it," he replied, pushing it away.

Suki nudged her boyfriend, who was eating a piece of chocolate. He rolled his eyes, swallowed, and grabbed a small rectangular package, and tossed it to Aang before eating more of his chocolate. "Yeah, yeah, Happy Birthday, and whatnot."

Suki hit him upside the the head before turning to Aang. "It's from both of us. Well, mostly me. Sokka was too busy going into a joke shop." She glared at him.

Sokka shrugged. "They had a lot of funny stuff. I couldn't resist!" Everyone laughed at him. That was Sokka the Joker.

Aang shook his head, opening the wrapping paper to reveal a book about Greek Mythology. He smiled at his friends. "Thanks," he said. They nodded and Toph pushed a box to the sixteen year old.

"This one isn't just for you. It's for Appa, too." Aang gave her a questioning look which she felt. "Katara told us earlier this week." Appa was lying by the fireplace, watching them with his tail wagging.

Aang opened the box and took out a baseball, white and red, very new. He tossed it up, watching Appa's head follow the movement. He laughed. "We'll play tomorrow, boy." Putting the ball back, Aang turned to Toph. "Thanks. We're going to have fun with this."

She shrugged, smiling. "It'll be a good way to pass the time."

Katara laughed. "That's true. Well, we have one more present."

Aang furrowed his brow, looking at the table. "Where?"

"Here." She brought out a little box from her pocket, like the kind jewelry stores would use. Aang took it, staring at it before lifting the lid. Inside was a beaded necklace, red, orange, and yellow, with a small air charm with three little red feathers on the bottom. He was in awe as he took the necklace out to examine it better. "Where did you get this?" he asked.

Katara blushed. "I made it," she said quietly. "During art class. Do you like it?"

Aang brought her into a hug. "I love it. Thank you." Katara nodded before breaking the hug. Aang looked at it before undoing the clasp and putting the amulet on. He fingered the feathers. "How does it look?"

Everyone gave their approval besides Toph who said, "I wouldn't know. I'm blind, remember? Can I feel it?" Aang moved over to her and put the charm in her hand. She fingered it, feeling the smooth wood. "It's nice," she said, letting it go. "You made it, Katara?"

"Yeah," she replied. "When Aang told me when his birthday was, I've been working on it in Art class since then. It took a while to carve the air symbol. After it was done, I held onto it to make sure it stayed in one piece."

"And you did a wonderful job," Aang told her, going back to his seat and kissing her cheek.

There were a few yawns going around, and Gyatso said, "Well, it's getting late. I believe it's time to go to sleep. You are all welcome to stay here. Please, stay for the night." There were a few murmurs of acceptance.

But Lin shook her head. "I'll be heading home. I have things to do tomorrow. But Suki can stay if she wants. I have no problem with that."

Gyatso nodded. "Very well. You drive carefully."

Lin nodded before going over to Aang to kiss his forehead. "I hope you had fun today." Aang nodded and Lin turned to leave, but not before hugging her daughter. Then Gyatso showed them to different guest rooms.

Aang and Katara lay in the darkness of his room, Appa laying on the floor. The rest of the house was quiet, no one moving around in the halls. Katara was playing with the necklace on Aang's neck. "Are you ever going to take this off?" she asked softly.

Aang shook his head. "Nope. It's never coming off."

Katara looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Really," he responded softly. "It's one of the best presents I have ever gotten."

"What's the first best?"

Aang smiled. "You." Then he seemed to think for a moment before he grinned. "Either that or the staff Gyatso got me," he said jokingly.

Katata buried her face in his chest to keep the laughter from bursting out. "What am I going to do with you?" she managed to choke out.

Aang shrugged. "Love me, adore me, never leave me." His eyes sparkled with mirth.

Now the laughs came out of her. "Fine; but only if you do that for me too."

Pushing hair out of her face, he replied, "Don't I do that already?" Katara snorted; then a huge yawn escaped her. Aang brought her closer, having her head lay on his chest over his heart. "It's late; we should get to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

"But I'm not tired," she replied sleepily, her voice contradicting her words.

Aang kissed her head before running his fingers through her hair soothingly. He gave a chuckle. "Yes you are," he said gently. "Go to sleep, Katara."

Katara sighed, sinking into sleep, his soft voice a lulliby. "Stay with me," she breathed.

He held her, still combing her hair with his fingers. "Always." He waited until her breathing became low and even before staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was Katara's birthday, and he wasn't sure what to do for it. Knowing Katara, she would want something special, but simple.

He remembered their conversation last weekend, about wanting to spend time together. He thought hard. What would allow them to be by themselves for the day?

Then an idea came to him, and he smiled, looking at the sleeping angel. He knew just the perfect plan, and he knew what to get her. Not long after, Aang fell asleep, holding his loved one close.

This chapter was fun to write, not to mention a good break from all the fighting, nightmares, spying, etc. The next chapter will be Katara's birthday. I'll work on it soon. *gasp* Smellerbee has decided to change sides. She realized Jet had lost his mind. Will she be able to help her friends see the side of good? We'll find out later. Stay tuned!