A/N. Wasn't totally sure if I had to include the reunion between Hakoda and Katara, but as I was writing a chapter during the travelling, I knew I had to. I scraped the chapter about travelling, as I didn't get enough material for it, so next chapter will be… Family reunion, and a whole lot of explaining lol.

Tapping her foot on the muddy ground, Katara knew one thing for certain. This might be the stupidest idea Sokka and Zuko had come up with. And that was saying a lot, as she knew they had broken into the Boiling Rock with as plan We will see, how bad can it actually be?

Sure, it made sense to show the Fire Nation that it was possible to live in peace. Zuko shouldn't fight his own people. And Azula had next to no one left. But that was the problem. A big army is difficult to hide. A few guerilla fighters? That was a whole different matter.

And by making Aang go away, they did make it seem like he acknowledged the threat the princess had made. She had wanted him to leave the Fire Nation, otherwise there would be consequences for her "prisoner". Katara rolled her eyes. It was stupid. Why not just let the world know that that bitch had lied? It would be the surest way to show the Fire Nation that Zuko had always been telling the truth. But no! Why do the easy and simple thing? No, they, of course, had to do the hard thing.

Make everyone believe Aang had left, and by doing that, make Azula come out of hiding.

"Hey." Suki voice sounded from behind her. Sokka and Toph had left to go get the things that they had left at the camp. Zuko had also gone back, but the Kyoshi Warrior had stayed behind with her and Aang. The airbender was currently getting Appa ready for travelling.

"Hey." She gritted her teeth. Sure, Suki had not done it willingly, but Katara still was angry over the fac that the others had not left them in peace.

"Sorry about… Well, this." Her friend gestured to the hut behind them, "I tried to tell Sokka, but he was sure you two wouldn't… Well, be doing that."

"Sure. We got away from everyone, to a place that means something to us. Of course we wouldn't." Katara sighed, knowing that sarcasm wasn't her strong suit.

"Exactly what I told your brother." Suki nodded, "So… Eh… I guessed you would need this." With that, the Kyoshi Warrior lifted her hand, and Katara, looking, saw that there was a cup between her fingers. Knowing what it was, she smiled tiredly, nodded, and took the cup.

Draining it quickly in one go, she grimaced.

"I thought you told me about one of the other Kyoshi Warriors having a tea that actually tasted good… Right?" She shuddered, handing the cup back.

"I haven't had the chance to see the others… I know they were released from prison, but well… We had things to do." Suki nodded, and the waterbender knew what she meant.

"How bad was it? I mean… Sokka and Aang were probably crazy, right?" The airbender had told her things, but she had guessed he had left a lot out of his story.

"Sokka… well, was angry, but the kind of tempered anger, if you understand?" Katara understood perfectly. Her brother, after the death of their mother, had become rather subdued, focusing all his energy into training, doing his chores, and so on. But she had seen the fury behind his pale eyes. She guessed it had been something like that.

"And Aang?" She asked.

"At first, imagine the Serpent's Pass, but ten times worse. We were afraid he would blow up the Caldara just to let off some steam. Then, if Toph is to be believed, he was an arsehole to her for two weeks straight."

"Aang?" That sounded rather unlike him. Even angry and sad, Aang always tried to be kind to those who had nothing to do with the reason of his mental state. Well… That was untrue. He had been unkind to her in the desert.

"Yeah, we sent him to look for you, and Toph went with him. We guessed, if someone could hold him back, it was her." Suki explained, and Katara saw the logic in that. If not by words, Toph would be able to restrain Aang… At least, for a few moments.

As silence settled between them, Katara heard Appa's soft bellowing, and guessed that Aang was busy fixing the saddle. That meant that they would be ready to depart any moment now… But she didn't want to. She didn't want to go just after reuniting with her friends. She wanted to fight, to be able to stop Azula… But if this was the way, then she would accept it… For the moment.

"The moment you guys find out where the bitch is hiding…"

"We will send a message. You know that. Sokka said that Fire Nation hawks don't travel to the South, but we'll make sure you know. The worst-case scenario, I'm going to get you two myself." Suki spoke immediately, and the waterbender understood that the Kyoshi Warrior wasn't a fan either of the plan, but just like she had done, Suki accepted it because it was the best thing they had come up with.

"Good." She nodded, "So… My dad is going with us?"

Katara actually didn't know how she felt about that. The last time she had been home, with her father… It was years ago. About… six? That was it. Home had become something without him in it… Her grandmother was home. The people of the Southern Water Tribe were her home… But she couldn't imagine her father in it. It was a horrible thought, and not at all how she wanted to feel… But she still felt the same.

"Yeah… Zuko doesn't want the tribesmen in the army, and it is a good idea to be honest." Suki sighed, "The Fire Nationals are… less than keen to see savages fight with them."

Katara rolled her eyes at that, knowing that the Fire Nationals were probably not liking having her people fight with them for the simple reason it meant that they had to admit that they actually needed that help.

"How… How bad was it actually? I mean… With the invasion, the imprisonment… How many… died?" She dreaded to ask it.

"Sokka told me that twenty died in total I believe. He spoke of someone called… Kranuk? And another… I believe his name was Iqa… something?""

Kranook… Old Kranook, horribly old-fashioned and the eldest of all the warriors that had accompanied her father. She had never liked the man, but still… A tribesman gone, someone that had been there her whole life…

And Iqaluk… One of the younger men that had gone. She remembered his wedding. It had been the first real party she had been allowed to participate in. Katara remembered falling asleep on her grandmother's lap as her parents had danced and as Sokka had been stuffing his face with food, to the great amusement of Bato and several other tribesmen. Iqaluk had two daughters back at the tribe, one of which he had never met… His wife had given birth three months after the warriors had left…

Straightening her back, she nodded, accepting it.

"But… Why does he need to travel with us?" She asked, and the waterbender nearly heard the desperation in her own voice.

"Why… Is there a problem?" Suki's side way glance, halfway between amused and teasing, was more than Katara could bear.

"Oh stop it, you know perfectly well why I don't want that. But if the warriors will go home, he could go with them, and we could fly!" She bit back.

"Yeah, because a Fire Nation ship appearing on the horizon will really be welcome sight." Suki explained, and suddenly, Katara understood. Of course, the tribe had lost all its ships… Meaning that the tribesmen would have to borrow a ship. And she guessed that the appearance of such a ship would cause panic at home…

"We could go first, and warn them they are coming by Fire Nation ship?" She spoke, before shaking her head, "No, that won't work. There are northern waterbenders at home, and knowing what kind of idiots they were up there, they would never accept the world of an Air Nomad and a tribeswoman. That is why Dad is coming with us, right?"

"Yeah… And the fact he and Sokka had an argument." The Kyoshi Warrior admitted.

That was something that shocked Katara. Her father and brother had never, ever, argued. Sure, they had been on opposite sides of a discussion… But arguing? She couldn't even imagine.

"Why?"

"Because it was Hakoda who encouraged Aang to enter the town." Suki sighed with an exasperated look in her eyes. Katara groaned aloud. She could have guessed that… Of course her father had been there, talking when he shouldn't have. She loved her dad, but he didn't have any idea how to talk to Aang.

"Oh… ehm, I did that all on my own." The airbender's voice suddenly sounded behind them, and Katara turned around to see how Aang stood there, slightly uncomfortably, as Appa emerged from the barn with Momo still hanging on one of the bison's horns.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, Hakoda… helped with the plan. And he didn't try and stop me. But I guess he was a little angry with me… For, you well… Not telling him about… that night on Ember Island." Now, the airbender rubbed his neck, a telltale sign that he was embarrassed.

"You didn't tell him about our marriage?" Katara felt aghast. Of course, that would make her father angry… But still, not a reason to send Aang in alone!

"I would have!" the airbender protested, "only… ehm… Piandao told him. So… yeah." That last word was accompanied by awkward gesture, and Katara shook her head. Of course. How had she managed to go from missing, to finding herself in the midst of a battle, and then, right in a family dispute… All in less than forty-eight hours?

Walking towards Appa, she rubbed the bison's furry chin as he closed his big brown eyes, clearly having a great time. Smiling at how happy Appa seemed, she felt the slight stress creep up in her heart. She had not seen her father since… Since the air temple. And much had happened in between.

As they waited, Katara heard the rest of the story of the battle during the comet. At least, the part about the airships. Aang had told her some details, but now she listened to Suki telling her part of what had happened, and Katara grimaced as the Kyoshi Warrior talked about the burning of the forest, of the airships crashing into each other, and how she had been separated from Toph and Sokka during the fight. The waterbender could only imagine how hard that would have been, and how hard it had been for the blind girl and her brother to fight against comet fuelled firebenders.

"We managed to clear the last airship, and by that time, we had a moment to… watch." Suki sighed at the end of her story, as Aang had gone to Appa. The Kyoshi Warrior clearly checked if he was in earshot, then turned even more serious, "He was frightening."

Katara nodded, understanding perfectly. Aang had told her about the fact that he had been in the Avatar State at the end of the fight, so she guessed Suki meant that.

"It can be frightening when you see it for the first time." She sighed, "Sokka and I saw it at the South Pole. He nearly blasted Zuko's ship to the bottom of the sea."

"Oh, this was apparently the nice version if Sokka is to be believed. He told us that… Well, that it could be ten times worse." Suki actually sounded afraid now, "Aang… That wasn't him."

"Exactly, it was… Well, the Avatar. That is why he hates it. It is so… so different from his own character." Katara sighed, looking at the back of the airbender. She could see the edges of the scar on his back, hidden for the rest by the tunic hanging loosely around his frame.

"Well, I hope to never see it again." Suki stated, "Once was enough. And I believe it permanently scarred Ozai." That, however, was said with half a smile.

"Tui and La, I forgot! What is going to happen to him?" Katara nearly slapped herself on the forehead. Of course the former Fire Lord, being alive, was going to have to answer for the crimes he committed.

"Zuko doesn't want the responsibility of judging his father, he told us when we were at Fire Fountain. He is going along with Aang's idea of imprisoning him for the rest of his life." Her friend explained, and Katara couldn't help but feel… Well, as if it wasn't enough. Sure, it fitted perfectly well in Aang's way of thinking, and there had been enough death. But… This was the Fire Lord, the person responsible for so much misery. This had been the person who had ordered the attack on the North Pole, the one that had, if the rumours were to be believed, killed his own father to get to the throne.

Was imprisonment truly enough for such a person? And if that was the case, how were they supposed to keep him in prison? Azula had escaped, probably with the help of some people. The Fire Lord was supposed to be this all revered person, the embodiment of Agni on earth… No one thought of Zuko like that. Luckily, because she would have laughed at that idea… But Ozai was still considered to be just that.

Shaking her head, Katara knew it was no use to think about these kinds of things now. There would be a time… And perhaps she didn't need to think about it, because it was Zuko's problem… If needed help, or advice, she would gladly give it. But it wasn't her problem. Her problem, now, was going home… And explaining a whole lot of things…

Tui and La, what would her grandmother say?

Sure… Gran Gran was progressive, and hated the sexist traditions of the Water Tribes… But marrying a century-old Air Nomad would perhaps even be too far for her. Glancing to said airbender, she couldn't help but laugh at his antics, as he was trying to catch Momo, who, perched on Appa's horns, shook his little paws at Aang. Perhaps a hundred and… seventeen… years old, but still a kid at heart. At clearly, his horrible mood was at least disappearing. She could only imagine his brooding during the time she had been missing…

"He is clearly happier." Suki confirmed her thoughts, probably having guessed what she had been thinking about.

"Yeah… me too. Perhaps this is a good thing… He needs some time to be… well, himself. The world has asked enough of him. Let him be Aang, for a few weeks." Katara spoke softly, so that he didn't hear her. And it was true. There would be enough time to be Avatar Aang and Master Katara. But perhaps, after all that happened, the war, the battles, the Fire Nation civil strives… Perhaps they both needed some time to be just Aang and Katara…

"After we have dealt with Azula, he will need to be there, so that the world doesn't rip itself apart." The Kyoshi Warrior spoke, confirming what Katara already knew, "The moment he looked away, Azula escaped, and the Fire Nation was at war. He will need to be around here… a lot." Suki fixed her, and Katara knew what she meant.

"I know… But he and I… We have an understanding about that." They had talked about that on Ember Island. No one knew what the future would bring, and they had been on the same page about what the near future would look like. If they won the war, they had softly whispered during those warm nights, they would travel together… Around the world. Perhaps with their friends, perhaps alone. But the first few years, they would be wherever they were needed.

They had not spoken about settling somewhere… More permanently that was. But he had told her that wherever she wanted to life, that would be his home. He was still a nomad, but even the Air Nomads had kept a permanent home and had travelled from and to there.

"Hey!" Aang suddenly shouted, "I think they are coming!" Looking at him, Katara saw him standing on Appa's head, waving a hand towards the foot of the hill on which the huts were built. Walking towards the slope, she saw one of the eelhounds that Piandao kept racing towards them. On it, she could make out three people. Toph, Sokka, and… Dad.

"Dad!" She called, and as the animal come to a grinding halt, her father nearly leapt off it as he came towards her. Before she could kick him for encouraging Aang to do something incredibly dangerous, she found herself returning the enormous hug he was giving her. Katara had wanted to be angry with him, but she found herself being happy and extremely relieved to see her father.

"Sweetie." He sighed into her hair, as she felt his arms slacking slightly around her. Looking into the pale eyes, so much like those of her brother, she saw the horrible relief of seeing her safe, and also, deep down, the pain that had always been there, ever since the death of her mother. She knew why. Her eyes were so much like those of her mother, that her father was probably reminded of her every time he looked at her. She remembered hating that look the months after her mother's death.

Now, for some reason, she was comforted by it.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly.

"Never mind me. Are you okay?"

"I was just stuck." She felt the urge to tell him more, "I went to Wulong, to look for the others after beating the living shit out of Azula. They thought I was breaking curfew, so locked me up. After that, a friend made sure I was safe. Nothing happened to me." It was a very, very, brief recollection of the last few weeks… But still.

"Aang got you out?" Her father asked, and that made her arch an eyebrow at her brother, who came hopping towards them, still walking rather funny with his half-healed leg.

"You didn't tell him everything?" Spirits, she knew the tribesmen had helped with securing Kirashi… But not telling him what had happened?

"Ehm… I thought it best if you two did that." Sokka smiled tentivaly, and Katara resisted the urge to break his other leg.

"Aang got stabbed by an idiot. After that, it was he who… opened… the gate. We got out during the fighting." Katara explained to her father, feeling the irritation bubble up, "Seriously, sending him in alone? Why not stop him?"

"You think I could have stopped him if I had tried?" Her father immediately answered, and she guessed he had prepared his defence. Feeling her anger deflate at that idea that he had thought he would need to defend his choices, it made her feel rather awkward.

Suddenly, the waterbender felt fingers on her arm, and knew who it was before looking down to see a tattooed hand on her. Looking sideways, she glanced into the soft silver eyes she loved so much.

"We were all idiots." Aang murmured softly, "But idiots that are alive. And idiots that could do with some time to make less stupid decisions."

"Avatar Aang, the great philosopher." She shook her head, smiling, "I hope that they won't write that down in the history books."

"Some people would be wise to call themselves idiots from time to time. It has never hurt to be a little foolish."

"Because making a tunnel through a wall, walking, in full Air Nomad attire through a town that wanted you dead, and getting stabbed, is just a little foolish?" She shook her head, guessing she would have to heal quite a lot of wound if Aang ever decided to get a little more foolish than that.

Looking at the airbender, she saw the awkward grin on his face and smiled too. It was just too surreal, being here, with the people she loved… She felt her father loosen his embrace, and stepping away, and guessed he was feeling a little uncomfortable. He wasn't used to seeing her and Aang together… At least, he had not seen it a lot. At the time of Aang's coma, there had been no interactions between her and the airbender, and after that, during the invasion, there had been too much to worry about. And the last time she had seen him had been at the Air Temple, and there… Well, Aang had not been with them all the time, training firebending…

"So… Home?" Her father broke the silence that had crept up between the group, and Katara nodded.

"To the south, because apparently, the plan is to let Azula think Aang has done her bidding and left the Fire Nation. And the Southern Air Temple is also in that direction, so that might make her think he has actually left." She sighed, still not wholly convinced by this plan.

"Well, I talked to Pakku before we came here." Sokka spoke up, "He send a message to Gran Gran, letting her know everything that was happening. The news will be old now, but still, she should know that the war is over."

"Did he tell her about the whole missing part?" She felt her knees buckle. That would make her grandmother sick with worry!

"Eh… I think so." Sokka grimaced, probably having figured out the same thing as she had done.

"We are going." Katara gestured to Appa, "How fast can he get us there?" That, she asked to Aang.

"Ehm… Three days of flying? Count the weather, I would say four." The airbender counted the days on his fingers, a gesture that was so like him Katara had to resist kissing him. He had only kissed her once in front of her father, and that had been when he had joined them after finding the palace empty at the invasion.

As the airbender grabbed the bag, her father had brought with him and walked to the bison, Katara saw her father look from Aang to her, and back again. Oh… yeah…

"So… I heard you learned about… us?" She spoke quietly, feeling more like a child that admitted to something than to an adult telling her father about something she was proud of.

"I did." His voice sounded confused between a mixture of amusement and irritation. A very weird combination, she had to admit. She saw Toph grin at her, and that was worrisome enough for her to actually hope that the blind girl would keep her mouth shut for once.

"We all eagerly await more happy news." Toph said instead, still with that stupid grin, and Katara saw the nice thing for what it really was. A thinly veiled joke about children. Rolling her eyes, she realized that the earthbender didn't see it, of course, so instead opted to ignore it.

"How do you feel about going home after six years?" She asked her father, still ignoring Toph.

"Weird. On the one hand, I'm excited to see it again… But on the other, I'm afraid of finding it… Different than I left it." Her father sighed, voicing the exact same feelings as she herself was having. Nodding, she turned to Suki, quickly hugging the Kyoshi Warrior as a goodbye.

"You will send a message when she emerges." The waterbender whispered in her friend's ear, and Suki nodded.

"Of course. Stay safe and good luck with this trip." She pointed her chin to her father and Aang,

"Thanks." She smiled at that, turning to Toph.

"No hugging Sweetness." The blind girl quickly warned her, "I have had enough physical contact with you yesterday to last me all year."

Katara still saw the awkward hesitation Toph always did when saying goodbye or trying to say something nice, so she opted to pad the girl on the shoulder.

"Next time, you are coming with us to the South Pole. I'm sure my grandmother would teach you some manners." Katara smiled.

"My own mother failed to do so, I can't imagine your grandmother being capable of making me in a perfect mannered princess." Toph scoffed.

"Oh, in that case, you haven't met Gran Gran. Take care Toph… And make sure those idiots do what they are supposed to. You have my blessing to hit their heads together if needed." Katara shook her head at the evil grin spreading on the girl's face before finally turning to her brother.

"Say hey to Gran Gran from me." Sokka spoke, as he hugged her. Returning the hug, Katara smiled. It was actually a nice idea to see her grandmother after all that had happened…

"And when you come back, if you could get her to give you some jerky for me, I wouldn't say no."

"Is that all you think about?"

"Of course not, I want to come with you and see her, and see home… But that will have to wait. Also, tell her that Pakku is really a pain in the ass."

"You didn't already know?"

"I spent some time with the grumpy fool at Fire Fountain. And I hate the fact I will have to endure him on a regular basis from now on." Sokka grumbled.

Pressing her brother into the hug one more time, Katara released him and smiled at him as she turned to the bison, where Aang and her father were already waiting.

Sure, it was going to be uncomfortable and horribly awkward to have her father with hem on this journey, but at the same time, she was actually kind of curious… How would this dynamic be shaped? Well… only one way to find out. And that was by actually going and hoping for the best.

Stepping towards Appa, Katara knew that at the very least, it would be good to spent time with Aang, even if her father was there… And in the worst-case scenario, they could always leave him on Whaletail Island. Worst case.

Answers :

Kalaong : I think Hakoda would be the kind of father that would hesitate between being a friendly guy and an absolute menace for any son in law lol. But yeah, as you said, Hakoda has seen Aang and Katara being totally ready to kill and destroy whatever in their way for each other, so he might be more like "You know what, we are cool."