Hey, guys! I started writing this story this past summer. Unfortunately, I work on it periodically when I have time which is about once a month. I'll try to update as often as I can, but I may need some reminders. So, if you guys like it, message me and tell me to work on it! I hope you like it!

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Katara was staring off into the fire she had made; the group had finally stopped for the night. Toph was lounging in her rock tent watching the rest of them set up camp per usual. Aang was reentering their clearing carrying more firewood in his arms, while Sokka remained in the woods attempting to hunt. As the flames roared and their heat warmed her body on this quickly cooling evening, Katara's gaze was pulled deeper into the fire.

She was thinking of her mother and what they would have been doing at that moment if the fire nation had never killed her. They probably would have been gathered around a fire, much like this one, with Sokka out hunting and both of them laughing at some joke about Sokka's love of food, specifically meat. Her mom would have wrapped her arms around Katara and all they would have had to worry about would be if Sokka would leave enough for everyone and when their father would return home. But Katara would never again feel her mother's arms around her, would never again have that maternal guidance. She had so many questions left unasked, so many memories left unmade. Now more than ever she could use her mother's guidance.

Sokka burst through the trees with three fresh killed rabbits and began adamantly retelling the adventure with lots of arm waving to Toph and Aang. Even though the sun was setting and everyone was buzzing around her, Katara remained entranced by the dancing movements of the flames and the ghosts of her old life.

"Katara, are you gonna cook this or not?" Sokka shouted at Katara while throwing the rabbits at her face.

"Yea, Katara, I'm starving. You're always complaining that we don't hold our own around here and you're just sitting there staring at nothing!"

The grey and brown rabbits landed soundly in her lap pulling her back to reality.

"Huh. Yea, okay." Katara said as she looked up at her friends and then back down at the bloodied rabbits feeling hollow like a piece of her was missing. Katara methodically skinned and cleaned the rabbits while her pot of water began to simmer. She really was the mother of their group. She made sure everyone was fed, that they were safe, and they were healed when they were hurt. She looked around the campsite as she started to stir in the bits of rabbits. Aang was leaning against Appa spinning his beads around and around. Sokka was seated across the campfire polishing his boomerang muttering half finished jokes to himself, and Toph was chewing on a long piece of grass sitting in front of her rock tent. Katara smiled around at all of them, this was her family. And even the though her mother had passed, she had stepped into the role just to make sure her little family felt loved.

Toph decided at that moment to spit her piece of grass out, and scratch some dirt and bugs out of her hair. Her job was also to make sure her little family actually bathed and weren't disgusting too.

"Toph, Sokka, and Aang. Everyone needs to bathe tonight, I can smell all of you from right here. You can go to the river while I finished making the stew." Katara had stood and placed her hands on her hips, her voice full of authority.

Aang spun up into the air toppling over Sokka and flying to the river shouting, "Last one there is smelly air bison."

Sokka got up as fast as he could shouting to Aang something about airbending being cheating and he wasn't being fair. Toph hadn't moved an inch from her spot, still picking clumps of dirt out of her ears. Katara hadn't lessened her stance and continued to glare daggers at Toph. Even though she couldn't actually see her expression, Toph definitely could feel the displeasure radiating off of Katara.

"Toph, that means you too. You're worse than Sokka. I just watched bugs come out of your hair!"

Toph pushed herself up with a rock pillar. And stomped footprints into the ground the whole way to the river after the boys without even replying.

Katara sank back down next to the fire and the pot of stew. The sun was starting to set in earnest, and in front of her it streaked with brilliant pinks and oranges. She could also feel the moon rising silently behind her. In that moment she felt an odd appreciation for her mother, but also the sudden feeling that she was being watched. Springing to her feet, Katara whipped out what little water remained in her water pouch, ready for a fight. She spun in a circle looking at the line of pine trees watching and waiting. The trees were dark and she could see the stars beginning to shine above them but nothing else. She circled one more time, but the feeling had already faded away.

She sat down dismissing the feeling. It seemed like everyone was after them anyway, it was no wonder she felt on edge. In fact, they had been traveling in relative serenity the past few weeks. Only encountering small, welcoming villages. Now that they were nearing the coast, the chances of running into the Fire Nation was ever present. While traveling with the avatar, you couldn't trust anyone anyway. Anyone could want to capture you, even earth kingdom citizens would want to for a reward.

As Katara was puzzling over the feeling, all three of her companions had returned looking wet and mildly better smelling. Katara could still smell Toph, but now it was more of a muddy earth smell-she didn't even want to remember what she smelled like before Toph had bathed. All three were punching each other or ruffling each other's hair. Katara smiled at the three of them while filling up their bowls. They sat down and even Toph ruefully accepted her bowl with a small thanks.

The campsite felt cozy in the glow of the fire. They all ate quickly feeling their exhaustion from the day's travel sink into their bones. They had been dodging as many outsiders as they could while Aang attempted to master Earthbending with Toph. Aang had succeeded in moving small boulders, but since the bending was so different from air or water he was moving slower than his first two elements. This secretly pleased Katara, of course Aang needed to master the elements as fast as he could to defeat the Firelord, but it also made Katara feel better that Aang wasn't good at everything.

Katara had settled down into her sleeping bag facing what was left of the fire. The embers were smoldering and wonderful ripples of red shone in the light. Katara watched the embers as she finally fell asleep to the sounds of crickets and Sokka's snoring. She fell into a fitful sleep still feeling as if someone was watching her.