Chapter 2 everyone! Sorry that this update took so long, I have been very busy.

I won't write a mega long authors note like I did in the last chapter, that takes too much time to write and I'm sure you all don't want to sit here reading something other than the story.

btwwwww

Ages!

Aang: 23

Katara:25

Sokka:27

Suki:27

Zuko:28

further characters and ages will come later in the story.

NOW! ... ON WITH THE STORY! J

9 MONTHS EARLIER

The next day was like the others, training, sweat, and more drills. Recently training had gotten more intense. We leave, we fight and potentially lose our lives soon.

It was 5 pm. Training had just finished and my knees gave way. They ached, badly. If I tried to stand I feared that I couldn't support my body, but I tried. I tried to rise to my feet and just as I suspected I fell back down to the ground. My face falling into the dirt. I lay there, I lay there for god knows how long, but I felt a soft pair of hands touch my shoulder.

I knew those hands. They were so familiar, so warm and welcoming. I turned my head to my right side. All I saw was brown hair, those curls were so beautiful, but I couldn't see this persons face. I move my head to the left and see a soft pair of blue eyes looking back into my grey ones.

"Katara" I mutter, exhausted and tired, there was no energy left inside me.

"Aang, your training too hard" Katara says with concern "Here let me help"

She puts her hands around me and helps me to my feet. She snakes a hand around my waist as I put my arm across her shoulders. We 'walked' and talked for a bit. She spoke about me training too hard and I debated that I was training the required amount.

"Aang, you're so stubborn" she laughed "Just take it easy okay?"

"Haha yea I'll do my best" I winked. We reached a park bench. We both sat down next to each other. We were sitting at the Cliffside, watching all the waves' crash and sway. The sun was setting, the sky was an orange and pink. Such a sight. I turned my eyes to Katara, Her smile big, her eyes shining and her cheeks slightly flushed. Her lips were pink, my eyes were stuck on them. My gaze impossible to pull away. She looked my way and smiled. She placed a hand gently on my cheek and moved closer to me. Her eyes were now on my lips. Happiness overwhelmed me. She tilted her head and gently pressed her lips to mine. I put a hand on her waist and my other hand on hers. She intertwined our fingers.

She separated from me. Looked into my eyes and giggled. "Your face is red" she laughed. I turned my head away in embarrassment.

"Don't" she smiled, moving my head back in the direction of her face "It's cute"

She leaned close and put her lips to mine again, my cheeks still flustered. How did she have this effect on me? Why did I feel like I was falling and flying at the same time? This feeling scared and excited me at the same time. Her lips felt soft. My knees suddenly didn't ache anymore.

She pulled back and looked into my eyes again. "You should get some rest, you have more training tomorrow"

"Yea, I know" I agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure, I would love that" She said with a bright smile across her face.

We both had gone our separate ways from here, she returned to the hospital to finish some work and I had returned to my dorm room to get some sleep.

As nice as getting some sleep had seemed at the time, I didn't get much. The night was filled with tossing and turning. My eyes would shut from exhaustion, then open again some time later. By the time I had fallen to sleep without waking up, our commander and a few other instructors had put flashlights in our faces screaming "WAKE UP!"

We were all sent outside, in the dark and on the beaches sands. We were told to put life jackets on, tie a rope around all of us in a straight line and to stand by the water's edge.

I glanced behind my commander. Katara was standing there with her medical gear. I didn't want her to be there, I didn't want her to witness if something 'did' happen, like me drowning. Well maybe. She smiled at me and winked. I smiled back and turned my attention back to the men in front of me. All were serious and

"Welcome to hell ladies" one of the instructors said sternly "You will all be pushed to the limits tonight, and tomorrow, you don't have a day off. TRAINING WILL STILL BE SCHEDULED!" He shouted in my face. I didn't flinch and I didn't look away. I just stared into his eyes. They were fierce.

"Walk into the water until you are all waist deep. Then sit" he ordered as he paced in front of us "The waves will crash into you, I don't want to see any of you getting out of the water, or any of you standing up"

"You all stay down or stay out of my sight!" Another commander commanded "Is that understood!?"

"YES SIR!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"good" he walked and stood behind us "Now go!"

We all moved into the water, step by step our bodies had gotten deeper and deeper into the oceans wrath. When the waves had reached our waists we all sat down quickly. The water was ice cold, my body began to shake and my fingertips were blue.

The cold air made things harder, and when I had finally felt a wave crash into my face I felt as though I was drowning. The came another wave. It was non-stop. I constantly felt the sting of the salty waves in my eyes. This training session was the opposite of easy and to make things harder none of us were allowed to bend to make our situation easier.

More waves, they feel like they are getting stronger. My chest aches and my lungs are on fire, but I continue to go head on with the waves. I do not turn my face away, I face everything thrown at me like a true marine of the United States Marine Corps. I push every negative thought away. I didn't need them and they definitely wouldn't help me with what I have to do.

Hours later and we were allowed to leave the waves behind. All of us collapsed on the sand. I never thought I would miss sand as much as I did tonight. I looked up at the stars and closed my eyes. I could hear the wind blowing through the trees and the crickets coming to life. I had always loved the night, for me it was the time of life. It was when I felt most relaxed, and the stars. Boy did I love the stars. They always reminded me of home, and of my father Gyatso.

FLASHBACK

10 YEARS AGO

I lay on the grass. The stars were so bright.

"Dad?"

"Yes Aang?"

"What are stars?"

"Well stars are like suns, and the hotter they are the bluer they are. The colder they are the redder they are"

"hmm" I hummed as I rubbed my chin "What are they made of?"

"I'm not entirely sure" He laughed "But I'm sure it is very hard to explain"

"Someone in my bending class told me they are our ancestors"

"Yes some people do believe that, and some people used to believe they could see their entire destiny in the stars"

"Wow" I gasped "that would be awesome!"

"yes it would" he agreed "maybe one day you will discover yours through the stars"

END OF FLASHBACK

"Aang?"

I opened my eyes and saw Katara standing over me. "Oh, hey Katara"

"You okay?" she asked with concern.

"Yea why you ask?"

"Well you have a tear on your cheek" she said as she reached to wipe it "whats going on?"

"I was just thinking of an old memory"

"Want to talk about it?" She asked as she sat down and moved my head to her lap. I felt her soft hands slowly massaging my head.

"Yea okay" I responded. I explained my flashback to her and her face had shown nothing but confusion.

"How did that make you sad?"

"Well my father died a year ago from cancer" I muttered "He was all I had"

"Oh my, I'm so sorry" She said as she covered her mouth, shocked and speechless.

"Aang, you aren't alone anymore" she muttered a minute or so later "I'm here now, I'll always be here for you now"

I blushed. I went from having nobody, to having the most perfect woman on earth.

"and I am here for you, if you ever need me I'll do whatever I can to help you" I responded. I sat up and faced her. I put my hand to the back of her neck and pulled her head in closer. I gave her a kiss. It was loving and passionate. I pulled away. We were both blushing and smiling. She giggled. "well that was unexpected" she laughed "but it was cute"

I smiled brightly back at her.

Being in the marines was not that bad of an idea after all.

Thankyou for reading everyone! I had a bit of trouble trying to write this chapter and I'm so sorry it took so long to update. But, here it is! I hope you all like it.

Please remember to review and follow. If you have any ideas for the story, or anything you want to happen in the next few chapters please feel free to message me and let me know. I always read all comments and messages.

~Kataangfan1999 :) xx