A/N: I'm just going to say, I'm slightly proud of this chapter.

It had been a few days before the storm calmed down enough for the search party to depart. Ten of us, including myself and Katara left early in the cold bitter morning. I said goodbye to Appa, thinking it was better that he remained in the care of Kya, for this storm was too much like the one we fought a hundred years ago.

Kya stood with her daughter, embracing her and whispering her farewells. It was scary how much the two looked alike, the same dark hair and dark blue eyes. Their height almost matched, with Katara only slightly taller than her mother. She hugged Kya one last time before I joined them.

I smiled warmly at them. "Don't worry, Kya, we'll find them."

She cupped my face in her hands. "I know you will, Aang." She kissed my cheek and hugged me. "Just keep her safe."

My gaze shifted to Katara, who had gone to join the other volunteers. She hadn't talked to me since the day the party went missing and despite her cruelness towards me, I still couldn't help but love her endlessly. However, what she said to me still hurt. I hadn't realized that my being gone for so long would have hurt her that much. Had I known...maybe things could have been different.

I pulled away from Kya and nodded. "I'll try my best."

She grabbed my arm as I stepped away. "Aang, I know your feelings for my daughter are strong, but please, don't do anything foolish. We cannot afford a repeat of the past years."

I shook my head. "Kya, your daughter hates me, nothing foolish will happen."

Kya smiled. "Oh, Aang. If only you knew how she really felt." She patted my cheek and wandered off, leaving me slightly perplexed.

I shook my head again, gathering my thoughts and then made my way over to the party. Eight of the best benders in the Southern area stood before me. Then there was Katara, the one who would be defenseless if we were to get into any real trouble. I greatly disliked that she would be coming, but I had no other choice. The village might see it as bad form to leave her behind just because she couldn't bend. Besides, all she had to do was ask me and I would go out of my way to get her anything she wanted.

"Avatar Aang," Himya came up to me. "We have all the provisions we need on the sleigh. The dogs have a basic scent of each of the missing hunters, and hopefully they will help us find them, if the blizzard hasn't covered their scent too much."

I nodded. "Thank you, Himya."

Without any other words, we left the village. The other party members waved to their loved ones as I trudged on, trying to ignore the pang inside my chest as I thought about the loved ones I had lost a long time ago.

The storm seemed to have reached a calm point. The air was still, with a few flakes of snow falling around us. The snow was hard packed, making it easier for travel. Random bursts of wind would deter us, but I was able to bend them away from us when needed. The white tundra soon became a bother too us as the sun reflected off it whenever it dared to peak through the clouds. However we savored these moments because it was only then that we felt any sort of warmth. The coldness was a bitter mistress to us, weighing us down until it was almost unbearable. Not long after we left the village did the first complaint of the journey take place. Others soon followed, but I was surprised to find that Katara did not complain once.

As the day bore on, our searching heeded us with little results. A young bender had found footprints, but they were soon covered by the snow and therefore useless to us. We proceeded in the direction we thought they went until the harsh weather conditions became too much for us.

"Avatar, the winds and cold are getting to unbearable for us! We need to make camp" Himya said as the light of the day began to show signs of ending.

I nodded. "We need to create a shelter from the wind!" I shouted as the air howled behind me.

Himya nodded and arranged all of us in a circle, Katara in the middle, seeing as she couldn't bend. We all faced away from her, waiting for Himya to shout out instructions. As he did we all began to move as one. Beneath out feet the ice began to move. It shot up and created a giant dome, meeting perfectly at the top, leaving a small hole for the smoke from a fire to seep out.

I turned to see Katara standing just behind me. Her mouth moved as if she were going to speak, but she closed it just as fast.

I raised my eyebrow at her and she frowned.

"I was going to ask if you could help me with my tent!" She said defensively, tossing me the material that she was very much capable of setting up on her own. Despite the fact that I knew it was a lie, I helped her anyway, hoping it would aide her in forgiving me.

Yet still, I couldn't help but wonder what she was going to say. I eyed her suspiciously as she readied the fire and prepared small amounts of food for the others. On more than one occasion I would find her returning my stare. I was relieved to see that her horrid glare had softened to one of curiosity, but, I was nervous as to why this curious stare was directed at me.

After our small meal I made my way into my surprisingly large tent, falling down onto my cot and slowly closing my eyes, exhausted from the bending I had to do periodically throughout the day. I heaved a sigh and rolled over and nearly screamed. Apparently, I had been followed into my tent.

"Katara..."

"Aang, I have something I want to ask you."

It had been four days since the party left camp and the cold was beginning to take a toll on them. By the time they had realized that the storm was too strong, they were miles from camp. The harsh weather was bent away from them with the help of Sangok and his fellow people just long enough to find a cave for shelter. However, the cave may have protected them from the snow and the winds, but it did not protect them from the cold. The team spent their days huddled together for warmth, only uncovering their bare skin for the call of nature as well as to munch on their small amount of food.

Night had fallen and Hakoda sat leaning against the wall, his eyes half closed as he listened to the winds howling outside his shelter. His arms crossed over his knees, holding them to his chest. His hood was tight around his face, trying to hold onto the heat that radiated from his body. His cheeks grew numb continuously, but he countered that by rubbing his gloved hands on them until his face felt warm again. The only thoughts that seemed to cross his mind was his beloved wife and how much he wished he was a fire bender.

His gaze shifted from the swirling snow to the pile of tribesmen sleeping next to each other. He sighed, slightly worried about the odds of all of their survival. He knew they were slim, but he hoped that if they just waited out the storm then they would all be okay.

"Hakoda?" one of the bodies whispered. A black blur crawled over and sat by him, mimicking the curl of the older man's body.

"Sangok?" Hakoda asked tiredly. "What is it?"

"Hakoda, while I was lying there, I realized that I, the prince of the Northern Watertribe am marrying your daughter, who is practically the princess of the Southern Watertibe. Also, your son is marrying my sister, the princess. Sir, please heed my words, the Watertribes seem to be uniting on their own, is it not about time that they formally united as one?"

"What?" Hakoda chuckled, thinking that his almost son-in-law was jesting. "Sangok, by creating a united Water Nation, there would be a new threat to the world. We couldn't possibly do such a thing!"

But Sangok's face did not give any hint that he intended to give up this battle. "Hakoda, your village has grown to a city on behalf of the Northern Watertribe. We have created this city that you do not know how to protect," he paused, letting that fact sink in. "But we do."

The chief's eyes cast down at his feet as he thought about what Sangok had said. He tried to think of the last time he saw Southerners making repairs in the city, or putting up new building. He couldn't think up any of them.

"Hakoda, let the tribes unite under one rule and we could easily become the most powerful nation in the history of the four nations! Our power could spread...possibly even to the whole world! Just think, Hakoda, the Watertribe as a unified nation would no longer be pushed around by the larger kingdoms."

He shook his head. "No, Sangok. This is not right. What would Katara and Kya say?"

"I've already talked to them both!" he said quickly. "They agree with me!"

The man closed his eyes and sighed. He glanced over at the remaining party. With the ratio of South to North, he decided it best that he didn't argue with the boy until they made it home. "Sangok, you keep watch. I'm exhausted."

Sangok opened his mouth to speak but quickly decided against it. He snuggled against the wall and also fell asleep beside the chief.

"I suppose it's possible, but Katara, why would you ever think of such a thing?" I asked, slowly standing from my cot.

"But Aang, could there be? I mean, I suspect that something is afoot, but I don't want to confront him about it before I am sure!" Katara wailed, tears streaming from her eyes. "He's been so suspicious since you arrived. I don't want to assume that he's been lying to me, but I don't want to be fooled by him with false adoration."

I sighed. Women. All they did was worry about everything. Seriously, the smallest piece of information could turn into the biggest scandal on their behalf. One misunderstanding of a mans body language could turn them into the biggest worriers. "Katara, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Now please go, I need to meditate."

She nodded, rubbing the tears from her tear stained eyes and sulked out of my tent.

I rolled my eyes and sat on my cot, crossing my legs and letting my hands rest on my thighs, palms facing upward. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, repeating this until I felt my spirit slip away into the Spirit world where Roku was waiting for me.

Aang, you must hurry. The lives of the Southern hunters are in great danger! He warned

"Roku, how am I to find them? The snow has covered their tracks so greatly!" I begged, fearing for the life of my loved one's father.

The former Avatar placed his aged hand on my forehead. My eyes closed as I felt his thoughts unite with mine. Our shelter of ice was before me, the small opening to the side faced me. The image turned so that I was facing the mountains just before us. Slowly at first, the ground began to move. Then, the mountains were suddenly just before me, they moved to my left and came to a stop. A cave was before me. Roku's voice beckoned me to go in and I did as he said. I slowly stepped in and gasped when I saw the campfire flickering softly. The entire hunting party was huddled around it, sleeping soundly. Except for the elder man who banished himself to the wall.

Hakoda is freezing, Aang. You much find them tomorrow before drastic ends are met.

"Roku, I can't possibly get the whole party there in less than a day!" I protested. Frantic thoughts ran through my mind as I tried to think of what to do.

No, you cannot. However, you can get yourself and Katara there in a matter of hours.

I stopped. All the frantic thoughts ceased as I realized that Roku was right. With my bending, I could get two people there in a short amount of time.

I felt myself reattach to my body and my eyes slowly opened. Katara stood before, her arms crossed staring at me.

"You know where they are?" she asked.

I nodded. "I know where they are."

The words from the night before still hung in the air. Hakoda hadn't spoken all morning and his silence was beginning to worry Bato. Hakoda's gaze would occasionally shift to Sangok, though his stare was virtually unreadable, Bato had a good idea from what he heard earlier.

"Hakoda, my old friend, what is troubling you?" he asked, though he knew every well after what he had been listening to the night before.

The man blinked for the first time in what seemed like ages. He glanced over at Bato and gave him a wrinkly smile, but his eyes lacked the usual cheer that would brighten up the chieftains face, and usually his people. "Nothing, Bato. Nothing is troubling me."

He laughed. "Koda, don't lie to me. We're trapped in a blizzard! Something has to be troubling you!"

Hakoda sighed, his eyes refusing to make contact with his companion. "I am just worried about who will take care of the tribe if I do not make it back."

Bato let out a noise of displeasure. His lifelong friend did not trust him enough to volunteer the information he harbored. He did not pressure him, however, he simply nodded and remained by his friends side, eying Sangok with suspicion as the man kept on looking back at the elders.

We had slipped out in the middle of the night, running until the shelter was a good distance away. I had Katara stand just behind me as I broke the ice beneath us and lifted it in the air. From there I air bended the block of ice that carried us to the mountains. It was exhausting work, but the feeling of Katara's arms around my middle kept me going. Her cheek was pressed against my shoulder blade, holding onto me as tight as she could. Containing my excitement was difficult, for I had longed for her touch since the day I had left the tribe. I dreaded the moment we had to stop and walk the rest of the way to the mouth of the cave.

This was it. After this moment Katara would be back in the arms of another man. She would forever be with her fiance, and I would fade from her heart and be eventually forgotten.

"Katara," I said, reaching for her wrist. Before she even had a chance to respond I pulled her to me, my lips crashing against hers.

At first she resisted, slightly pulling away. I let my arms go limp, but they didn't have to. Her lips met mine once again and my arms tightened around her narrow hips. Her arms snaked around my neck as the kiss deepened. Something about this felt right to me, like fate wanted this to happen and was forcing us against each other. Our kissing remained moderately innocent, only the sweet tastes of the others lips remained familiar to us, but it was enough to make me want more. Need more.

She pulled away slowly, her eyes lifting to mine. She gave a weak grin and stepped back, her hand over her chest, as if she was touching her heart. She turned away from me, trying to hide the smile that had graced her lips.

Not moments later, we found the cave. She stumbled in, calling for her father. We found him easily and she tackled him into a hug, but that hug was not returned.

"Father? What is wrong?" she asked, throwing a blanket that we had packed with us over his shoulders.

His gaze remained on the floor as he responded. "Nothing, daughter. Nothing is wrong."

"He's lying," Bato said, coming up beside me. "Avatar, Sangok is plotting something."

Katara whirled around. "What, Uncle Bato, what is it?"

He swallowed. "Katara, last night he was trying to convince your father to unite the Watertribes to create a Water Nation. his exact words were 'Our power could spread...possibly even to the whole world.' Aang was right, he's working for his father and can't be trusted."

"WHAT?" Katara screamed, the snow around us trembled with her rage.

"He also said you agreed with him," Bato added.

Just then Sangok turned the corner, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Katara. He hesitated when he caught a glimpse of the anger that adorned her face.

Nothing could ever explain the rage that boiled through her body when her eyes met his. Everything around us began to shake. The snow at our feet rose as her hands did, swirling around her until she finally thrust her hands forward. She screamed words of disappointment and anger at her fiance-actually, by now he was probably her former fiance-as the snow turned to ice and darted at him. He was slow to deflect all her blows, but he managed. Her gaze shifted to the frozen stalagmites just above his head. She shifted her body and moved in one fluid motion, crossing her arms at her chest and then thrusting them down to her sides. The stalagmites fell from the cave ceiling and made a perfect circle around Sangok, who now stood awestruck. But that did not stop her. With every move she made other things started happening. Cracks began to form in the ceiling and the snow at the mouth of the cave started trickling down. Yet no one called for her to stop, we were too stunned. By the time her tantrum had ended, the mouth of the cave was covered with snow, barricading us in.

She sniffed. "You dare try to escape from your ice prison, your father won't have a leech to do his dirty work for him," she threatened, stepping away.

I snorted and she turned to me, but I stood my ground, not phased by the terrifying bending she had just done. "So, um, what happened to not being able to bend?"

"Aang, shut up," she snapped, but I could see the hint of a smile tugging at her mouth.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH A KISS! I don't know what came over me but I HAD to do it. You love it. You know it.

And you know you love the end of this chapter. Cause Katara shows her BEAST side.

Also: Ty Paula dearest :)