A/N. So, another chapter in the south! Next time will be Aang's POV, but after that one, I'm having another character take up the story, outside the South!

Grinding her teeth, Katara could not believe it. She had, finally, left the Fire Nation. She had thought that after the war, Aang and her relationship would finally be something generally accepted. But Gran Gran was right, the northerners would try and use it against her if they knew. So, for what felt like the hundredth time… She waited for Aang to finish mediation to tell him that they would have to hide that part of themselves…

First, they had hid it from Sokka and Toph while travelling… And to be honest, that had been fun. The element of secrecy had fuelled their passion quite a bit. But after the invasion, they had to hide it as not to attract unwanted attention and risk their lives… And in Kirashi, she had hidden her whole identity. Katara had thought that here… She would learn what it was to be together with Aang without the constant fear of death or capture… Tui and La, she longed to know how that would feel. But no! Apparently, a dozen idiots would keep her from that dream.

The sun was now well up, and she stood on the icy wall, that was easily accessible to be frank. From outside, it had looked a little higher than a very tall man, but inside, the snow had created a ramp to access it with ease. And from this position, she could keep an eye out for the tribe's people, that were a small dark dot on the tundra, and also on Aang, who was still sitting in the middle of the ice, just outside the wall, facing the rising sun in silence and meditation.

Looking towards the tundra, Katara felt her heart accelerate at each beating as she realized she was going to see her family, friends and fellow tribesmen again. How many times this year had she thought that she would never see them again?

Auntie Ashuna, who was not really an aunt, but Katara had never called her otherwise… Nanüu, Ashuna's daughter, who was probably around ten years old now. The child's father was with the warriors, and the waterbender smiled at how happy the family would be to be together once more.

If the children remembered their fathers.

That was a thing. Sokka had been the oldest to be left behind at thirteen. Then she herself had come, eleven. All the other children had been young, for Katara knew for a fact that there had been at least three years difference between herself and the next child, Jintua. How many of the children would see their fathers when they came of the ships, seeing a stranger? And how many fathers would ask themselves which of the mass of unrecognizable children were theirs?

Then again, those were the lucky ones… Katara also remembered that some were now dead. Iqulak, father of two of the younger children… He would never come back.

Shaking her head, trying to push out the depression thoughts, she glanced towards Aang. Spirits, if she hadn't known he was bending the air around him, she would have frozen in place, afraid of frostbite and what that might result in. Then again, perhaps the embarrassment of last night kept him warm?

Spirits, Katara still felt the slight heart attack she had sensed when seeing her grandmother sitting in the shelter, talking to the airbender. But she had also seen the kindness in the gesture, and loved Gran Gran even more for it. She had not cared about tradition, but had tried to bring them together. She had not known, of course, how far they had got without any help, but still, it had been nice.

And Gran Gran had been the first family member who had not asked questions, who had not been disgusted. She had just nodded, smiled and accepted. Aang didn't have to end a war to be accepted in her heart. Aang didn't have to be wounded and nearly dead for her grandmother to just say, "go for it."

Katara heard a crunch in the snow behind her, and glanced over her shoulder. She had expected her father to be the one climbing on the ramp, but was irritated to see it was the waterbender Maruk. Her grandmother had not seemed overly fond of the man, and Katara could see why. Yesterday, at first glance, he had looked like any northerner, or tribesmen. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a mane of dark hair and a closely cropped beard. His eyes were a darker blue than she had thought, but she could also see the character behind the eyes. He gazed into the world as if it belonged to him, haughty and privileged.

"How should I address you?" His voice was like the rest of him, making it sound more like a command for her to answer than a well-meant question.

"Just as I would address you, Master Maruk." She had not forgotten her manners… Even if his attitude made it difficult.

"Of course. I heard a lot about you from Master Pakku and the… lady… Kanna." It was surely not his goal, but Katara couldn't help but think that the word lady had been spoken with a slight disgust.

"Do you have a problem with my grandmother, Master Maruk?" The words left her mouth before she could think about them. No one insulted Gran Gran. Even if that had not been the direct obectif. Katara knew how the northerners thought. They would probably see her grandmother as a threat, someone who had not accepted the traditions. So, they would treat her as an outcast.

"Lady Kanna has all my respect. I don't think I would have been brave enough to go through what she did." Maruk words didn't sound ironic now, but Katara, after having heard what he had been doing after Pakku left, doubted that what he said was true.

"There are few people braver than her." She answered thinly.

"Of course! But going against what is right and proper would discourage even the bravest of warriors." Maruk smiled kindly at her, but Katara knew better. The tone was kind, but the words were everything but gentle. In a few words, the man had criticized her grandmother, making it sound like the most normal thing.

"Perhaps what is right and proper is wrong in that case. Even Pakku agrees on that, seeing how he agreed to teach a woman waterbending." Katara tried her best to sound just as kind and gentle, but eve she could hear the irony drip from her voice.

"Ah, yes, that was quite something I believe!" Maruk laughed, and it sounded as it truly amused him, "I would have liked to see the old man's face when you were beating him up."

Katara suddenly understood the charm of the man. He was capable of making his point in a kind, amused way, and if you weren't listening too closely, it really sounded as if he was meaning it! Perhaps he even was meaning it. But Katara trusted what her grandmother had said. This man was dangerous.

Glancing towards the airbender, who had been meditating just in front of the wall, she saw that Aang was looking towards the sound the laugh had made. She couldn't see his face, for the rising sun was casting a long shadow on it, but she didn't need to see it to know the expression. He was probably frowning, arching a thin eyebrow up at the man who was talking so loudly, while some other people had tried to meditate. Other people, meaning him. But Katara also knew Aang would shrug it off, thinking it was probably not important.

"So, the war is truly over. The message of Master Pakku didn't say much, except the Fire Lord was defeated and that you were missing." It didn't sound like a question, more like a statement. Katara had opened her mouth to answer him, but realized something before she spoke.

The man had been counting on their absence. He would have understood that any tribesman in the Fire Nation would stay and look for her. He had probably understood that her… friend… The Avatar would stay to look for her. He had understood Pakku would go look for his step-granddaughter.

"Aang imprisoned Ozai, indeed." She answered, trying to keep her voice even. This man was truly cunning. Perhaps not a genius like her brother, but still, he knew how to use a situation, and apply charm and kindness to reach his goals.

She saw Aang stand up and turn towards the wall. Katara watched as he simply jumped up towards them, landing softly next to her. Now that the early light lit up his face, Katara saw that she had been right. Aang's face was a mask of polite neutrality. Anyone who knew the airbender longer than a few hours would know that that was the face he used when something irritated him but he was determined to ignore it the best he could. And she didn't need to ask what bothered him.

He never really hated people, except Azula perhaps. He had not even hated Ozai, even though there was reason enough. But Katara knew Aang could be shocked by some people. And he had been shocked during their stay with the Northern Water Tribe, by their views and ideas.

"The… master… Katara was just telling me about your victory over the Fire Lord, Avatar Aang." Maruk spoke kindly, and the waterbender didn't hear a single thinly veiled insult in the sentence, except the small pause he had used before her name.

"Just Aang is fine. I'm not here as the Avatar." The airbender spoke softly, in a tone Katara knew he used when something bothered him. Such as being treated as the Avatar, and not as himself.

"Of course. I would like to hear about the battle, but right now, I have work to do." Maruk half bowed, clearly intending to leave right away.

"What work?" She asked, before he could leave. For a second, Katara saw the flicker of irritation in the man's eyes, an irritation she had seen often enough during their stay at the North Pole. A look that said Not of you damned business girl.

"Why, someone must keep a lookout. The villagers will come back from the mountains farther south. Surely the lady Kanna told you they went hunting?" The moment of irritation disappeared as snow in front of the sun, and the amiable, kind voice spoke to her.

"Oh, don't worry, my grandmother is already doing that. And perhaps, instead of keeping a lookout, you could instead be more helpful? Such as making a place for smoking and salting the meat they bring back?" Katara couldn't help it. It wasn't diplomatic, but the way he had just assumed he would do something, without talking to anyone, irritated her. Here in the south, the roles were divided before a hunting trip. Some people would go out, while the others prepared the village for the work that followed a hunt. Skinning, salting, smoking… All that.

"I shall keep a lookout, I have better eyes than the lady Kanna. But you are right, we should prepare the grounds for the game they brought back. Perhaps you could do that?"

It wasn't a question, Katara was quite sure. But before she could even respond with a roll of her eyes, Maruk quickly turned around and fled. Opening her mouth to shout back, she felt a hand on her arm.

"That was planned, wasn't it?" Aang spoke softly, "I gather it is not the most fun of chores?"

It was not. Katara had seen it often enough. Spirits, she had helped more times than she could count. And each time, she remembered the hard work of preparing the ground, digging the pits in the snow to find the rock underneath… It had always been hard work. And with a hunt like the one before the Eternal Moon season… That meant there would be a lot to do…

"Gran Gran hates that man." She grumbled, "I can see why! They are trying to take over! They are giving the commands, sidelining her entirely!"

"I know." Aang sighed, "Your grandmother told me yesterday."

"Oh… So… She didn't only talk about…" Katara coughed slightly.

"No… She also talked about the northerners. Actually, I think that was the more important part of her… visit…" Aang spoke softly, and Katara saw the red tinge on the tips of his ears. She smiled at him, imagining how flustered he had been when Gran Gran had begun her love offensive. She had an inkling he had not immediately confessed to being together because he didn't want to be the one to tell Gran Gran about them.

And she loved him even more for it. Yes… Telling Gran Gran had been important to her. Katara had not realized it, but as she had talked with the older woman this morning, she had enjoyed… parts of the conversation. Reliving Hama, Yon Rha and Aang's injuries were not fun, but telling her grandmother some details had brought a smile to her face.

"She even asked me to help. Suggesting that as Avatar… I could perhaps push them in the right direction." Aang continued, and Katara thought that her grandmother had probably meant a male Avatar. Still, that could help. It would prevent a conflict between the Southerners and the Northerners, just by doing what was right…

"Gran Gran talked to me this morning… Told me some rather disturbing news." Katara spoke, and glanced around her, making sure Maruk or his brother were not anywhere close. When she was sure, she still lowered her voice.

"Apparently, if the northerners learn about… ehm… you and me… being… married," She mouthed the last word instead of speaking it out loud, "They will think it is a scam. As we didn't follow the traditional way, and you being a foreigner." She could feel the anger bubble in her heart. How dared they think like that? Since when did they have a say in the private life of a complete stranger?

Of course, that was the North. They thought they had a say in everything.

"Excuse me?" Aang sounded indignant, and Katara immediately closed her hand around his lower arm, resisting the urge to grab his fingers.

"I know! I'm angry too! But Gran Gran is right! They will take any opportunity to discredit any of us, because our arrival, you, me and Dad, it brings their plans in jeopardy. Dad because he is the legal authority here, you because you are the Avatar and me because they know I would kick their asses into the hells of La, just like I did with Pakku." She explained, seeing the look in Aang's silver eyes. Most people thought he was too kind, too gentle and too… Well, some people would call it weak. But Katara knew better. Aang was more than capable of anger, but it was never aimed at a specific person. It was directed towards an idea, a way of thinking… And the anger that flared in his eyes was directed specifically at the traditions of the north, and what that meant for them.

"That was what your grandmother meant about the northerners being a nuisance…" Katara saw the anger disappear from the airbender's eyes, "If they want to keep their power of the south… The only thing to discredit you and me that they would need…"

Katara nodded, too angry to say it out loud. It wasn't fair. After all that had happened, she had thought being here, stuck while the others were fighting, would let her and Aang be together, without having to hide or at least be discreet…

"But the warriors know. And they are coming back in… what, two weeks?" Aang whispered.

"Sounds about right. That gives us two weeks to turn the tables on the waterbenders." Katara squared her shoulders. It was no use to feel sorry about themselves. The only thing they could do was to solve it.

"And how would you do that?" She saw the quick flash of teeth as Aang smiled at her, and she smiled back. This. This was what she loved so much about him. He didn't assume to have the answer to everything, and it would never cross his mind that she couldn't do anything. In short, he wasn't a sexist otter penguin like those idiots from the north… Or even like some men from the south.

"Gran Gran said that the northerners have evicted the children from one of the igloos." At those words, Katara saw the shocked expression on the airbender's face, "And that they decide who works on what. They had taken the influential jobs away, such as Gran Gran being the healer of the tribe."

"They let the children sleep in the tents?" Aang sounded horrified, and Katara didn't say anything. She had slept often enough in the cold as a child to know that it wouldn't kill you, but that it wasn't good either for a child. Still, she could understand what he meant.

"And that is why we need to stop them." She nodded.

"Monkeyfeathers… At least, if they will only listen to the Avatar… That horrible job will have a purpose." The airbender sighed, and Katara saw the dark look cross his face… That dark look that she had seen several times since reuniting… Bitterness. Some people didn't expect it of him, seeing only the carefree airbender… And he mostly showed just that part of his character. But around her or Sokka, she had seen his dark looks when something horrified him, or if something just disgusted him.

"At least, you did the worst part of the job, ending the war. Sure, there is still Azula, but that is just a little while longer. Otherwise, your tasks will be like this. Correcting inequality and stopping people from exploiting weaker people." Katara put her hand against his cheek, lifting it slightly so he looked in her eyes.

"And I know for a fact you'll enjoy this. No fighting… Just trying to make the world a little bit better." She smiled as her fingers slowly caressed the pale skin of the airbender's cheek, and she slowly watched as the anger left his beautiful silver eyes, replacing that emotion by the look she knew all too well. His grey gaze filled with so much love that she could feel her own heart swell and rise at the sight.

"You always know what to say… Kat." She heard the mirth in his voice, and Katara let her hand slide from Aang's cheek, slapping his shoulder softly.

"My grandmother always calls me that!" She defended the name. Katara remembered that most of the tribe's people had called her like that until puberty had hit her, but Gran Gran had never stopped, "And you are one to speak! You always call me Tara."

"Not always." The amusement in his eyes changed yet again, and Katara knew that look even better. He called her Tara is very specific moments. Intimate ones, with whispered words… Or during their… meetings.

"About that… Maybe it will be better not to… Do that, while the northerners aren't aware of us…" Katara kicked the snow, trying to hide her disappointment. She had hoped, to be quite honest, to be able to have sex without secrecy. And now, she realized, it would have to wait. But she didn't plan of having the Eternal Moon season escape from her grasp. Even if she had to cause a scandal more terrible than when Gran Gran fled the North. She would spend that month with Aang, northerners be damned.

She felt fingers on her chin, and Katara looked up to see that Aang's expression had not changed.

"You know you are only encouraging me to get them to see the light even faster, right?" He whispered, and she laughed. Tui and La, she laughed, and the sound probably resounded over the walls. It was crazy. They needed to be discreet and to make the Southern Water Tribe independent from the waterbenders, and here they were, laughing about sex on the wall, visible for everyone, if there had been anyone.

"You are worse than Sokka, only thinking about that!" She whispered, shaking her head with a smile.

"You corrupted me." He retorted, with the same smile.

"Didn't need much corrupting." Katara stuck out the tip of her tongue. Spirits, how did they do that every time? They would have a serious conversation, but a smile and a small pun turned it into a joke. And each time, Katara felt like all the hardship they had endured melted away, and they could just be two people teasing and laughing… Spirits, she had missed that feeling during those weeks behind the walls of Kirashi…

"But really, what can I do?" The airbender turned a little more serious, but she still observed that the corner of his lips was turned upwards. Sighing, she smiled once more, putting the moment behind them and forcing herself to be more serious.

"As I said to Maruk, someone needs to prepare the grounds. And as he will not do it, I will." Katara grimaced. It would be hard work, but the fact that she could use waterbending would help.

"We will." Aang immediately spoke up, but Katara shook her head.

"We need to make pits in the snow to put the entrails. Remove the snow from several large areas to smoke the meat that the hunt brought back. Such things. I don't think you would like to do that." She spoke, letting her fingers slide over the bare arm of the airbender. She saw how he turned slightly paler, and opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and looked a little bothered.

"I… ehm… Digging holes is no problem." He spoke quietly, but Katara shook her head once more. She knew more than enough about the Air Nomads that they would be bothered by such things. They would consider it helping the hunting party. She had actually never seen Aang even approach Sokka after her brother had hunted their diner.

"Perhaps you could watch the children as the others work on what they brought back? And try and force Maruk to help you." She suggested. Seeing the smile creep up on the airbender's face, she smiled too. That was a way better thing for him to do…

"You think he will want that?" The smile slowly changed into a genuine grin, "I would think that taking care of children would be beneath him."

"Oh… exactly." Katara began to grin too, "But he will also want to talk with the great Avatar Aang."

"You think I'm great?" Aang arched an eyebrow, and Katara pinched the skin of his arm. Spirits… It had been so long they could just talk… Like they used to. After the fall of Kirashi… They had to talk about what had happened, and do some… things… That were long overdue. After that night, they had spent every waking moment with her father, so there had been no time to just talk…

"Meh, bit skinny and annoying, but what can you do? Other people think you are great. I myself still have doubts." She shrugged, as if she didn't really care. But the waterbender knew, probably better than most, how great he truly was. Not as Avatar Aang… But just as Aang.

"Oh, I'll just have to convince you about my greatness in that case!" He answered, puffing out his chest. Katara couldn't help herself, but bit her lip as she saw the muscles of his arm swell.

"And how would you do that?" She managed to ask evenly.

"By watching children… And other things." And by those not very cryptic words, he turned around and led himself slide of the snowy ramp. Katara watched him as he glanced over his shoulder, smiling, before he began to walk towards the shelter where Appa was probably still sleeping.

Spirits, he really needed other clothes. As he walked away, she felt the familiar shiver as his attire was really not suited for the South Pole… But that would have to wait probably. As her eyes glanced over the village, she saw that her father was emerging from Gran Gran's igloo, clearly barely awake. She lifted a hand, which was met by a grumpy wave as her father disappeared behind the igloo. Shaking her head, she turned her back to the village, letting her eyes rove over the tundra. She had not looked at it for some time, and the fires they had watched earlier this morning had disappeared.

Straining her eyes, Katara could see a group of a little over a hundred people walk over the vast icy landscape. There were sledges, clearly stacked with something she couldn't make out, but she guessed it would be dead animals, ready to be cleaned and salted for the coming months. The waterbender couldn't make out the exact faces, but knew that as soon as they would come into view, she would know every person, every child… And she also knew that those people would recognize her, and that there would be no calm moment for hours.

Smiling at the prospect of seeing all her family, friends and fellow tribe people, Katara let herself slide of the ramp, following the line Aang's feet had made in the snow. Walking towards the open space inside the village, she knew that that was probably the place where the animals would be prepared. Rolling up the sleeves of her parkas, she hoped her grandmother was watching… She had not yet shown her what she was able to do now… And Katara knew her grandmother. She would like to see such things…

"Come on Appa!" She heard the melodious voice of the airbender resound from the shelter, "You are going to be a slide once more! Just like last year!".

And Katara laughed aloud as she heard the bison groan a loud bellow, clearly not as happy with that development as Aang was.

Answers :

TheTalent : Oh, you can be sure I will have some rather interesting "discussions" about topics, next chapter! I hope you enjoyed this in between chapter!

Shade5280 : And you bring me joy everytime you review!

Guest : So happy to see you enjoy the story! I really love writing these chapters, as they feel slightly less horrible than the death and destruction one from Kirashi, but still with some serious topics!