A/N. I'm going to spend next week stuck in a cave (I love my work, really…). Not a metaphor. I'm really spending a week in a cave. In November. So, I will not post a new chapter next week, I'm sorry! But after that, you are getting an Azula POV! Didn't think I forget about her, right? So, for now, enjoy babysitter Aang in a slightly longer chapter than normal!

Aang leaned against the wall of Kanna's igloo as he watched Maruk and Loatuq open the ice wall by bending it into its liquid state. Hakoda and Kanna stood next to them, watching, and Katara, who had finished the pits for… well, he guessed to put the waste coming from the hunted animals… Katara stood a little apart from her family, between them and himself.

Aang looked at her and felt the familiar pull in his heart, but also the irritation. How dared the northerners think they could just take over the running of the south? They had no business doing that. They were sister tribes, and none of the two was supposed to have the upper hand. Balance… How difficult was it? And why did people always want to disturb that balance?

But Katara was right… Solving this, with her… It would be so much more fulfilling that ending the war. They had put a stop to the century of war because it was evil, because it had to be stopped so that balance could be restored… But that had been a duty. Helping the south rise from ear annihilation… That would be more than duty. That would be a salve to the horrors of the last century.

He knew that the real work of helping the world would begin when Azula was defeated, and behind bars next to Ozai. After that, he would need to make sure the nations didn't destroy each other just out of spite… But that could wait for the moment. The Earth Kingdom was still ruled by Bumi as regent last he heard, for Kuei was still missing. But this, this he could solve.

With Katara.

At that idea, he smiled. It was so good… so good… to finally spent some time with her, away from every worry and every danger. It could be good for them, being here… Learning to live without the war.

But, of course, some archaic ideas loving idiots had to put their problems in their way. Because, why not?

The opening created by the two waterbending let in the wind that blew over the tundra, and Aang inhaled deeply as the air touched his face. As he closed his eyes, he tried to ignore the fact that during meditation this morning, he had once more tried to contact any of the Avatars, and had yet again fallen on deaf ears. Surely they were too busy finding Sozin and Szeto. Still, one of the more obscure Avatars could perhaps drop by to tell him about it.

Straightening, the airbender looked down and pulled his tunic so it was slightly less revealing. He doubted his attire was acceptable in the Water Tribes, but no one had said anything as of yet, but he suspected that that would change very soon when the village filled with people. Squinting his eyes, he saw that said people were coming through the gate the waterbenders had created. At first, they looked tired, but as the first people crossed into the village, he saw several women he seemed to recall from a year ago, and three men stop dead in their tracks.

The three men looked confused as Hakoda stepped towards, but the women laughed aloud, dropping the bundles in their arms and ran to the chief, hugging him and slapping him on the back. Aang smiled at the display of affection and happiness, but also glanced towards Katara, who seemed to hover a few steps behind her father, clearly waiting for her turn to be spotted.

As the four women released Hakoda, one spotted Katara, and the reaction was almost comical, as Aang, who stood some good distance away because he had not wanted to intrude in the reunion, heard the shout.

"Little Katara! You had your grandmother sick with worry!" And with those words, he saw the waterbender disappear behind a wall of fur-clad women who all seemed to talk at the same time to her.

Shaking his head, still with a grin on his face, Aang stepped a few paces forward. He still didn't want interrupt them, but it would be polite to at least show he was there, instead of hiding behind the igloo and Appa's giant form. One of the women turned slightly, and probably saw the orange and saffron that didn't belong there, because she quickly hit the arm of the person next to her and just pointed.

The sound of voices slowly disappeared as more of the women saw him standing there, and just… looked. He felt the grin on his face slowly fade, as he lifted a hand awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. What could you say to a group of people who were just staring at you?

"Tui and La, he won't bite." Suddenly, Katara's voice broke the silence, and a ripple of soft laughter came from the group. Some of the women, and one of the male waterbenders who had come in with the group stepped a few paces towards him, and Aang bowed politely, trying to recover from the awkwardness.

"Katara!" The cries of several children interrupted the moment, as a few small forms rushed towards the waterbender, distracting the others. Aang, relieved that the moment had passed, took the last few steps and came to stand close to Katara and the group of women. The children were all around Katara, all talking at the same time.

"Where were you? You didn't say goodbye!"

"Kanna said you left with the Avatar!"

"The grumpy old man said you had been to the North Pole!"

Aang looked at the small group of children. He had not noticed the last time he had been here, but none of the children were under the age of six, which he supposed was normal, as the men had been gone for that amount of time… Still, some looked no older than eight or nine, and that realization filled him with sadness. Most of these children wouldn't even remember their fathers… Even though he himself had not really known his parents very well, he still remembered them… But these children might even be fatherless…

"Children!" One of the women, an older looking woman between forty or fifty, Aang couldn't really guess, chided the group, "Let her talk, instead of asking questions without awaiting an answer!" The group of children fell silent, all blue and brown eyes looking up at Katara expectedly.

"I did go to the North Pole, and to places where mountains spit fire, places where trees grow as high as the geysers, and even to the Fire Nation." Katara spoke in a mysterious voice, and Aang smiled. He had actually not seen much of this side of the waterbender, even though he knew it existed. They had only been in contact with two children for a longer amount of time. The first had been that Fire Nation boy in Omashu, and the second had been baby Hope on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se… But the children here knew her, and they all looked at her with wide eyes as she mentioned the Fire Nation.

"You mean you have seen the bad men?" A rather small girl, seven at most, asked her with apprehension in the high voice. Aang saw the flash of sadness cross Katara's face, and guessed that this girl's father had probably died during the six years away… Or even at the invasion…

"They are not all bad. But the evillest of them all, the Fire Lord… Aang beat him." With that, the airbender saw that Katara discreetly waved her hand for him to join her. He quickly moved towards her, zigzagging between small children.

"My Gran Gran all told you stories about the Avatar, right? Well, Aang is the Avatar, and he stopped the war." The waterbender crouched next to the child who had asked the question, letting a hand rest on the child's head, "He is nice, you remember him, right?" With those words, he saw the big innocent blue eyes look at him for a few moments, followed by a determined nod.

"I didn't do it all by myself. Katara and Sokka did as much as I." Aang crouched too, so that the small child's face was on the same level as his, "She taught me waterbending, and is far better than I ever will."

"Is Sokka here too?" Another boy, a little older, asked, nearly jumping up and down.

"Sorry Saltuk, he isn't here. He had to stay with a friend of ours, but he will surely come soon." Katara straightened, but Aang himself stayed crouched, seeing how the little girl kept staring at him. He smiled at the child, but she just frowned.

"Well, I guess you had a good hunt, right?" A few enthusiastic answers from the children made Katara laugh, "Well, what if you go with Aang while you mothers work on cleaning it? I have to talk to your mothers, but after that I will come join you."

Aang felt the waterbender's hand touch his shoulder, grazing the bared skin. The soft gesture made him shiver an instant, because Katara had pricked a hole in the warm air around him and he felt the horrible cold of the South Pole for an instant. Or just because she touched him, that was possible too.

He watched her made her way through the mass of children, towards the group of women that had huddled around Hakoda and Kanna, probably to learn the fate of their fathers, sons and husbands. Aang tried not to grimace at that horrible truth, but it wasn't easy. Looking over the heads of the children, he saw Maruk and his brother stand with around ten other waterbenders, of which two were women. They kept themselves a good distance away from the reunions. Aang hoped that it was for the same reason he had tried to do so, to be polite. But he guessed it had less well-meant goals.

Straightening, he felt the gazes of the children around him follow his movements.

"You all remember Appa, right?" He grinned, "He will be eager to see you all again! And I have a new friend, Momo! He is a lemur from my home!" Aang heard a muffled groan coming from the group of women as Katara disappeared into the sea of blue and grey. So… Hakoda was probably telling which of the men would not come back to their homes.

"Come!" He kept his grin as real as possible as he managed to move the group of children away from where the women were hearing the fates their husband, father or son… And Aang vowed to ask Hakoda which of the women here had lost their family. And he would visit them, after a day or so… And hopefully find words that could bring a little bit of peace. He himself had felt the despair of early losing Katara… And he didn't wish it on anyone.

As they neared Appa, he saw the bison give him a look of absolute irritation, which settled into silent resignation as he dropped onto his stomach, sending small fleck of snow in every direction. Momo, who hung from one of the bison's horns, looked curiously at the group approaching them, apprehension clear on the small face of the lemur.

"That wasn't there before!" A small child pointed at the shelter Aang had bent for his animal companion.

"I made it. Katara taught me how to do that! Would you like to see how I did it?" He knelt in front of the child, letting his hand fall into the snow, grabbing a small handful. He felt several other children huddle around him, as some of the younger ones moved towards Appa.

Glancing towards the Sky Bison, Aang smiled, still kneeling tough the warm air around him didn't extend to his knees, so he felt the cold seep into the dark trousers he was wearing. Showing the handful of snow to the child, who looked at him in confusion, Aang closed his other had over the snow. Concentrating, he felt the snow solidify as he turned it into ice, and he slowly changed the form of the clump of ice. After a minute, he lifted his hand from what had been just snow a moment ago.

The small ice figure showed Appa, and Aang smiled as he saw the surprised look on the child's face, his mouth making a circle of astonishment.

"You can keep it if you want." The airbender held his hand to the young boy, "It won't melt. Not here in this cold at least. But don't keep it too close to a fire. Katara can do this better than I, hers wouldn't melt." The small hand of the child took the figure, and the others huddled around the boy to look at what Aang had made.

"Avatar Aang." A new voice, graver and deeper than any of the children's high-pitched voices, spoke up. Looking away from the child's happiness at the ice figure, Aang saw the small group of waterbenders had moved with him towards Appa, away from the reunion and the heartbreak.

"Master Maruk." Aang nodded, a polite smile on his face, "Come to help keeping the children entertained?" That had been Katara's idea, and now he saw the other part of it. The children wouldn't hear about the death of loved ones, at least not immediately… And the northerners, if they wanted to be in his good graces, had to follow him with the children.

The man looked at the group of small human beings running around Appa, or standing close around the airbender, and smiled too.

"I'm sure Kuiana and Hita will be delighted to take care of them while we talk." A small gesture of a hand, and two rather sullen-looking women in their twenties stepped forward. Those would probably be the healers Kanna had talked about with Katara.

"Well, I'm staying here, making figurines for everyone." A small cheer from the children, "You can help me if you want. It would give us time to talk while we work." Moving, he crossed his legs so that he was sitting in his usual meditation position, and grabbed a new fistful of snow, before turning to a girl, around eight years old.

"I would think you like otter penguins. How about I make you one?" The girl nodded enthusiastically, and Aang laughed aloud, "Alright, coming up."

"Avatar Aang." Maruk still sounded amiably enough, but the airbender thought he heard a hint of irritation, "There are surely more important things you would like to do?"

"Such as?" The airbender asked, still grinning at the girl as he froze the ice and began to work.

"Inspect the work we have done here, getting introduced to the waterbenders who are making this place liveable. I could think of a few more things." The crunching of the snow underneath heavy boots suggested Maruk was stepping closer, and a moment later, Aang saw the shadow next to him.

"I didn't think there was much to see. I saw the wall yesterday, and the two igloos you made didn't look much different from the one Kanna lives in. But you are right, sorry." He handed the icy otter penguin to the girl, then looked over his shoulder and fixed the group of waterbenders. He thought he could see the hint of smiles on the faces of Kuiana and Hita.

"Hello! I'm Aang, from the Southern Air Temple. But you probably knew that, as we spend around two weeks on the boat last spring." He actually didn't recall many of the faces from that trip, as he had spent most of his time hiding under the deck, trying to block out the images of the battle at the North Pole.

"Can I have… ehm…?" The girl who had talked to Katara asked, pointing to Momo who was circling above him, and looking at him with big eyes. Aang, remembering the sad look on the waterbender's face when she had seen the girl, nodded to her and began to work.

"Are you suggesting we didn't do much?" Maruk's brother, Loatuq stepped forward. Aang thought he understood the two then. Maruk, clearly the older, was probably the brains, while the brother was the brawn.

"That is exactly what I'm saying." Aang knew he would have to be polite and diplomatic, but he was also aware that the waterbenders here wouldn't listen to reason, as they were so frozen into their traditions and conservative ideas. He began working on the next figurine, imagining a hog monkey.

"The old ha… lady, Kanna, didn't want us to make houses for the women. They wanted to wait for the men to return. It isn't our fault that they are stubborn." Loatuq shrugged, but Maruk quickly intervened.

"We could have made temporary shelters, as you did for the beast. That was an oversight on our part, but we didn't want to interfere with the Southern Water Tribe wishes." The lie wasn't obvious, but still, with the other information he had, Aang doubted it was the truth.

"The men are coming back in about two weeks, which is right before Eternal Moon Season I am told. Perhaps you should speak to Chief Hakoda and Kanna about what you could do to make that as easy as possible." Push them in the right direction. Push them to ask the opinions of the leading figures of the tribe.

"I know that name!" The boy in front of him, his two front teeth missing, smiled broadly, "He is nice, my mother says!"

"He sure is." Aang gave the boy the hog monkey, looking how the child closed his hand around it and walked away. This, he could get used to. Making a small difference in lives that mattered. Who cared he had defeated Ozai? This little boy certainly had not… He had just been happy with a few words, ad a toy… And for some reason, Aang suspected that that boy was now happier than he had been. Just with a few words, and a smile. That was important. For that boy, the war had been abstract, far away and not really important. But a toy and some new people to see and talk to? That was a difference…

"We certainly will talk with the Chief." Maruk spoke decisively, and Aang didn't miss the fact that waterbender had not mentioned Kanna.

"You should." Aang stood up, and saw the disappointed look of the child next in line. Turning the girl, he smiled, "I will just be a second, and then I'll make you the water serpent Katara and I fought in the lake next to Ba Sing Se! Would you like that?" The child nodded, big blue eyes looking at him expectantly.

"There are things to discuss, I admit." Aang turned back to Maruk, and was surprised he had to look up to have eye contact. That had not happened for a year…

"There are. You came here without warning, and we would like to know why." The waterbender crossed his arms over his chest. Until now, the words had been rather amicable, but this sentence had been asked in a much less friendly tone.

And… Well, Aang didn't have an answer. The true reason he was here was because Azula, trying to make him believe that she was holding Katara, had ordered him to leave the Fire Nation. And with Katara with him, the South Pole had sounded like the best option. Far enough to make everyone believe he had gone away, but also a place where Katara was safe… And that, in his heart, had been the most important reason.

"There is a civil war in the Fire Nation. My friend Zuko is Fire Lord, but his sister, Azula, is trying to usurp that throne." He began to explain, but Loatuq interrupted him.

"I would think the Avatar is needed there in that case, not standing here, making toys. And why did you only bring the Chief and his daughter?" The man stepped forward, standing next to his brother with a frown on his face.

Ah… Yes…. If you put it like that, it sounded rather… cowardly.

"Azula threatened the life of Katara. And Chief Hakoda has fought enough. Surely you would agree that those are good enough reasons to bring them home?" Aang heard the irritation in his own voice, but still, he was pleased by the excuses he had found.

"Of course." Maruk smiled, "But my brother's question still stands. Why are you here, Avatar Aang?"

And that was precisely the question Aang didn't want to answer… Katara had said it herself, and Kanna had hinted to it during their talk the night before. These northerners would never accept him as Katara's husband, and would use that information to discredit them so they could keep their little power hold on the South.

"Zuko didn't want me to help, as it would only look like the Avatar imposing a ruler on the Fire Nation." Aang bowed as politely as he could, but still felt the eyes of the waterbenders on the back of his neck, "Zuko is more than capable of dealing with this, and the Avatar needs to keep neutral. I can't just choose a ruler because I can't agree with the other person."

That was not bad, as far as explanations went, right? Sure, he would never tolerate Azula as ruler of the Fire Nation. He would rather be stabbed again and shot with lightning than seeing that nightmare become a reality.

"I am sure that you wouldn't like if I interfered with northern politics, right?" He couldn't help himself apparently.

"Exactly! And I'm sure it will never be your intention to meddle in Water Tribe politics… I couldn't have put it better myself." Maruk actually smiled, and Aang realized that he had just made a mistake. Maruk was right… By the logic he had presented, him not taking sides in the Fire Nation… That would mean he wouldn't take sides in the conflicts that may arise in the Water Tribes…

Maruk had wanted him to answer that… Biting the inside of his cheek, the airbender could have hit himself. That had been so, so stupid…

"I'm glad you agree with the idea that each nation should solve their own problems. Such as us, helping our sister tribe to get back on its feet." Maruk nodded, smiling broadly. Shit. Monkeyfeathers, and shit!

"I will help resolve conflicts, where my help is asked, or needed." Aang closed his hands around each other, behind his back, trying to look as peaceable as possible. But he couldn't help it, he wasn't made for this kind of talk. He didn't do thinly veiled threats or sly remarks.

"A… Aa… funny man?" A small, high voice sounded just beside him, and looking down, the airbender saw a child, who couldn't be older than six, stand next to him, pulling on his tunic with a little hand. Aang quickly smiled, crouching in front of the child.

"Yes?" He asked, feeling relieved the child had interrupted the discussion.

"You are funny looking." The child frowned, his blue eyes concentrating on the tattoo on his forehead. Trying to hold in his laugh at the rather endearing remark, Aang nodded.

"I am an airbender," He began to explain, "To show the mastery of airbending, my people tattooed the whole body of the new master." He lifted the arm that wasn't covered by the tunic, showing the child the tattoo that ran all the way up, past his armpit, towards the blue line on his back.

"My momma said that air people are gone." The child spoke seriously, "She said the bad ash people killed them."

Aang tried to keep his smile, but he felt it falter slightly. Remembering himself at six, he couldn't imagine he would have known what killing meant. Perhaps it was different here, where survival relied on killing to feed oneself? Still, it hurt to see a child so at ease with the notion of the whipping out of a whole civilization. He probably didn't know what his mother had meant, and was just confused to someone who wasn't supposed to be alive?

"Air Nomads aren't gone Kaoliq." Katara's voice sounded, and glancing over his shoulder, he saw said waterbender stand a few steps away from the group northerners. Her beautiful dark blue eyes were tinged with red, so Aang supposed they had told the women who was coming back… And who wasn't.

"Okay." The child, whose name apparently was Koaliq, nodded, accepting the words coming from Katara, "Can I have a … ehm…" he held his hands against his head, fingers towards the sky. Looking at Katara, he raised an eyebrow.

Help, what does he mean?

Katara, looking a little confused, stepped forward, crouching next to him.

"Why do you want a leopard caribou Koaliq? They are dangerous, and I'm sure your mother wouldn't like to have one in the tent." The last word was said with a quick, irritated glance towards the northerners, who acted like Katara had not talked at all.

"I'm making ice figurines." Aang explained, more than happy to be rid of the northerners nagging about his place. He could very well decide his own place.

"Oh!" The irritation in Katara's eyes disappeared, and the airbender also observer that the redness of her eyes was quickly fading away, "Well, I'm not sure Aang can make one, for he probably never saw one."

Aang saw the child look at him with a frown, clearly puzzled by the fact that someone wouldn't know what that animal was. And to be honest, he had no clue whatsoever what a leopard caribou was supposed to look like.

"If I made one, would you like that?" Katara suggested, taking a bit of snow in her hand just as he himself had done.

"Great idea, Master Katara." Maruk interrupted them before Aang could even see what Katara would make, because to be honest, he was curious now. Turning around, he saw that Katara did the same.

"If you take care of the children, we could properly show Avatar Aang around, to discuss the plans and the housing." Aang nearly jumped back as the man put a friendly hand on the airbender's shoulder. The airbender opened his mouth to object, but Katara was faster.

"Excuse me? You have no authority to do any of that. The planning, the decisions. Neither you, nor even Aang have that. If you want to discuss such things, I suggest you talk to someone from the South. Such as the Chief of the tribe, my grandmother, me, or any of the women here. Tui and La, even little Koaliq here has more to say about his home than you." The whirlwind named Katara straightened, standing right in front of Maruk. The soft look that had filled her eyes when talking to the child was completely gone.

Maruk, or any of the waterbenders, didn't look particularly impressed.

"Should we go, Avatar Aang?" He asked instead, leaning slightly to the right so he could look past Katara.

"You heard her. Talk to anyone, but I'm staying here." Aang shrugged, trying to hide the disgust he was feeling. How dared that man ignore Katara?

"Of course… Avatar Aang." Maruk bowed slightly towards him, threw a kindly, but mocking, smile at Katara, and turned around. All the waterbenders followed him away from them.

"He is going to get frozen in a bigger iceberg than me, right?" Aang touched the arm of Katara with a gentle nudge. She turned on her heels, but he was surprised by the fact she was smiling. A smile he had seen several times before. Grim and determined, just as she had looked when she had fought Pakku.

"Oh, no. I'm going to chase him out of my home. I only accept frozen Air Nomads in my home. No, Maruk is getting his ass kicked all the way back to the North, of that, I will make sure. He has no say in what we can or cannot do, in whom to love or who to hate. He has to go."

Aang nodded, keeping his mouth tightly shut. Go Katara.

Answers:

The Talent: I don't think Katara is going to be diplomatic lol. She sure wanted to be, but her character is just too direct for that. I had real fun writing the more chill chapters, but next chapter, with Azula… less chill…

Handler : I really enjoy writing them! So I'm going to keep up! After I'm done freezing in that cave that is…

Katara 2323: Oh, no worry, there will be cute and sexy chapters! I really love writing those chapters! Oh, Maruk is an asshole, for sure, and his problems will be of far more personal nature for Kataang than the civil war has been!