So I've decided to try something a little different with my oneshot this time around. I'm going to try my hand at some humor with everyone's favorite funny man, Sokka. I hope I did a good job. :P Anyways, I hope you all enjoy reading this oneshot, and please review! :D OH! And I'm going to start work again on "A Lifetime Of Love"! Expect a new chapter within a day or two!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

A Brother's Duty

Sokka was feeling something deep inside of him, an emotion he didn't feel very often, but when he did it scared him out of his wits. He was Sokka, the Meat and Sarcasm Guy as well as a cunning warrior and strategist. He was Sokka, the swordsman of Team Avatar, who were the saviors of the entire world. He wasn't supposed to feel this way, but the emotion gnawed at him like a frenzied Saber Tooth Moose-Lion.

Sokka was nervous.

Now many of those who know Sokka would ask why he would be nervous. After all, he took down the airship fleet alongside Toph and Suki on the day of Sozin's Comet without breaking a sweat. He had traveled all around the world with Team Avatar, fighting the Fire Nation wherever they went. He had gone through much in the past year of his life, but nothing could have prepared him to deal with the most recent development in his life.

Katara was going out with Aang.

It had been quite a shock to his system when he had first learned of their relationship. He remembered it as if it were only yesterday…

He looked up from his painting and looked around, noticing that everyone was there except for two people. "Hey, guys," he said, "where did Aang and Katara go?" They all looked around, but the two were nowhere to be found.

Toph shrugged and nonchalantly said, "I think I felt them walk outside. They might just be enjoying the view…the one I pretty much can't see." To emphasize her point, she waved a hand in front of her milky green eyes.

"Again with the blind jokes…" he muttered to himself as he got up, leaving his painting on the table. "I wonder what they're doing out there? The party's in here," he said as he walked towards the entrance of the tea shop, though he did catch a glimpse of a knowing smirk from the blind Earthbender. He ignored it, however, and continued to walk towards the entrance.

As he came to the doorway, he looked out…and what he saw caused his jaw to drop completely open in shock.

Aang and Katara were indeed outside, but they were doing something…something he had never seen the two of them do. Her arms were around the Avatar's neck, hugging him close to her body. His arms were around her waist, pulling her closer to him. But it was their lips that shocked him, for they were completely locked with each other in an open-mouth kiss. He heard the others come up behind him, but he was frozen to the spot by his immense shock and disbelief. Never before had his mind been so completely locked up like this. It was if someone had taken his entire world and flipped it upside down. His sister was kissing the Avatar, and that thought alone caused the gears in his mind to grind to a halt.

His mind began to work again as he shook his head, the gears starting back up and going into overdrive. He looked at Aang and Katara, frantically screaming, "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" The two broke off from their kiss and looked at him, scarlet blushes covering both of their faces as they separated from their embrace. Everyone else was laughing behind him, intensifying the burning blushes on Aang and Katara's faces.

Aang held his hands out defensively and stammered, "S-Sokka, I-I can explain!" He stormed up to the young Avatar and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him into the air. The laughter behind him stopped completely, tension thick in the air. His mind was nothing but a vicious blur, his protective instincts for his kin taking over his whole body.

"WHY WERE YOU MACKING WITH MY SISTER?" he angrily demanded, eliciting a frightened yelp from Aang. "I'M GONNA-"

"Sokka, put him down!" shouted Katara, causing her brother to look over at her. They stood staring at each other, neither one making another move. "Put him down now!" she shouted again, a serious tone in her voice.

"FINE!" he shouted angrily, letting go of Aang's collar and dropping him to the ground. Katara gasped as Aang grunted in pain from the impact, and she made a move to help him. "STOP KATARA!" he shouted at his sister, causing her to stop in her tracks. He could see the fear in her eyes, but his overprotectiveness of her was driving him to the brink. He pointed an accusing finger at Aang and yelled, "YOU'VE GOT FIVE SECONDS TO TELL ME WHY YOU WERE KISSING MY SISTER!"

He was suddenly yanked back, as if the ground beneath him were pulling him back. He was spun around, his face connecting with a pale fist. He collapsed to the ground, rubbing his sore jaw. He looked up to see an angry Toph staring down at him, shouting, "And you've got three seconds to chill out! Got it?" He stared at her in shock, not believing what he was seeing. First, his own sister is kissing Aang, and then Toph is defending them. "One!" she counted loudly, slowly raising a fist. "Two! Thre-"

"I'm cool, I'm cool!" he said frightfully as he held his hands in front of his face, not wanting to get punched again. He felt her reach down and grab his wrist, yanking him upwards onto his feet and spinning him around to face Aang and Katara. His sister was holding Aang's hand as she stood in front of him, determined to protect him from her brother. He took a deep breath, desperately trying to calm his raging mind. He looked at the two and firmly said, "Now…will someone please explain to me why you two were kissing?"

Aang stepped in front of Katara, still holding her hand, and said, "I know this may be a shock to all of you-"

"Not really," scoffed Toph, causing everyone to look at her. "What?" she asked innocently, shrugging her shoulders. "Anyone who didn't see this coming is pretty much an idiot…no offense, Sokka." He just glared at her, frustrated that he knew nothing of what had led up to what he was seeing.

Everyone turned their attention back to Aang as he said, "It's hard to put into words, so I'm just going to say it…Katara and I have realized our feelings for one another."

Katara spoke up at that moment, saying, "It's taken me a while longer than Aang to realize how I felt about him, but now I'm not confused anymore. The War's over, and we can finally be together." The new couple looked at each other and smiled, love passing between their eyes.

He sighed and asked, "How long have you known, Aang?" The Avatar looked at Katara's brother, slight fear in his gray eyes.

"I knew how I felt about Katara from the first day we met," he replied, causing Katara to smile and blush at his words. "When I first saw her, I knew that she was going to special to me."

He looked over at Katara and asked, "What about you? How long have you known?"

"Not until recently," she replied, slight regret in her voice. "I didn't know how I felt about Aang until Sozin's Comet came…I was so worried about him…I just wanted him to come back to me…" Small tears fell down her face, and he knew that her heart was aching with pain. Aang leaned over and tenderly kissed Katara's tears, collecting the droplets on his lips. When he separated from her, she was smiling and blushing at him.

"You two look so cute together!" happily said Suki, who had come up next to him. She looked over at him and said, "Come on, Sokka. Aren't you happy for them?" But he didn't look at his girlfriend…his eyes were entirely focused on Aang and Katara. The young couple was staring at him, apprehension in their eyes. His mind was a total mess, the world not making sense to him anymore.

"I guess…" he muttered to himself as he turned around and headed back inside, feeling everyone's worried eyes on his back. His heart was heavy with dejection and uselessness. For so long, he had watched over his little sister, taking care of her and making sure nothing happened to her without his knowing. But after all this time, he had no idea what had been going on with Katara…all under his watchful vigilance. He felt like a failure...a complete and utter failure.

Things had improved over the next two weeks, and the tension between Sokka and the young couple had eased. Everyone else had instantly accepted their relationship, giving their full support to Aang and Katara. Sokka, on the other hand, had been hesitant in his acceptance. Actually, it was more of a half-acceptance, thanks in part to Suki's insistence that he should support his sister's decision to date Aang. He cringed at the very mention of the word 'date', for it meant many things to him: it meant that Katara and Aang would be holding hands, hugging, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes, kissing, going out on the town, spending time together...it was all new to the young warrior, and that's what made him feel nervous.

He was pacing back and forth at the entrance of the Jasmine Dragon, worry eating away at his sanity. Aang and Katara had gone out on a date today, a common occurrence in the past two weeks, but for some reason this time was making him very nervous. The night before, he overheard (or in other words, eavesdropped on) Aang telling Katara that he wanted take her out on the town the next day and talk to her about something. Sokka's overprotective mind jumped to a most ridiculous conclusion: he thought Aang intended to 'do the deed' with Katara. That thought alone came to be an undeniable truth in Sokka's mind, consuming his every thought with images of his own sister becoming pregnant because of Aang.

He knew he should be trying to do something to prevent that from happening, but he had promised his sister not to interfere with her dates. But Dad's gonna kill me if something like that happens to her, he thought to himself, nervous sweat appearing on his brow. I gotta do something, but what? Argh! I don't know!

"What's wrong with you, Snoozles?" asked a tough feminine voice from inside the tea shop, causing Sokka to jump at the sound of the voice. He looked over to see Toph walking up to him, dressed in her usual attire. She stood next to him and added, "Your heart's beating so hard that I could probably feel it all the way back home in Gaoling. Care to explain?"

Sokka sighed and replied, "It's Aang and Katara…I just think that-"

"Don't even," she said firmly as she placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "You promised Katara that you wouldn't interfere with her dates with Aang."

He gently took her finger off his lips and said, "I know, but she's still my sister." He pointed a thumb at his chest and added, "It's my job to be worried about her."

Toph crossed her arms and said, "We know, Mr. Overprotective, but this is Aang we're talking about."

Sokka flung his arms in the air and exclaimed, "That's exactly my point!" He brought his arms down and held a finger up in the air as he said, "It's always the nice ones that draw you in, and then BAM!" He hit his right fist into his cupped left hand as he said that last part. "The next thing you know, they screw your entire life up."

Toph laughed incredulously and replied, "That may be true of other guys, but this is Aang. He's been in love with Sugar Queen ever since the day they met, and I highly doubt he would do anything to hurt her."

"You weren't there when he burned her with Firebending!" he exclaimed. He remembered that day well because he had tackled Aang to the ground after he had accidentally burned Katara.

Toph put a hand on her hip and said, "I know, but I can still feel the regret in his heart whenever he talks about it with Katara." Her voice softened as she said, "And you know that he didn't mean to hurt her that day." Sokka could feel himself almost relax as she said this, but his mind was racing at a million miles an hour.

Sokka said, "I know, but I just have this feeling…" He looked out of the entrance of the tea shop, his gaze spreading out over the vast city. "It's like something's tugging at my heart, telling me that Katara could be in danger."

"In danger of getting too many kisses from Twinkle Toes," chuckled Toph, earning her a dirty look from Sokka. "Oh lighten up, Snoozles," she said as she playfully punched his arm, as she was wont to do with her companions. "Let those two have their fun. They deserve each other after all they've been through." She folded her arms behind her head as she walked away and said, "Just relax. If you do any more worrying, your head might explode!" She laughed to herself as she walked away, heading to a practice area to do Earthbending training.

"It's the fun that worries me…" he mumbled to himself as he looked out over the city again, as if he were trying to spot the couple from his vantage point in the tea shop. He gasped as an idea popped into his brilliant mind, and his creative gears cranked into action. A devious look came across his face as he said, "Sokka might not be able to interfere with their date, but Wang Fire can! I've still got the fake beard, the Fire Nation clothes, everything!" A smug smile appeared as he said, "Wang Fire can spy on them and jump in when he-I mean I-think that Aang's trying to pull a move on Katara!" He ran to his room as he proudly said, "You, my friend, are a genius!"

Twenty minutes later, Wang Fire was boldly strolling through the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. His 'instincts' had told him that the young couple was likely in this area of the city. As he walked around, he noticed that there were also numerous other Fire Nation people walking through the streets. Many Fire Nation citizens had migrated around the world after the end of The War, wanting to build new relations with the other nations. At least I won't look totally obvious in this crowd, thought Wang Fire to himself, silently thanking his genius mind for this brilliant plan.

He rounded a corner and spotted the young couple, who were sitting on a bench underneath a small tree in a public square. Aang was wearing his master Airbender robes while Katara was wearing a blue dress, and the two were holding hands. Wang Fire raised an eyebrow and said to himself, "Now why in the world would those two just be sitting there? I gotta get closer to hear what they're saying." He made his way towards them, keeping just out of sight of the couple by ducking behind people in the crowd. He spotted a bench on the other side of the tree, just opposite of Aang and Katara's bench. He smirked to himself as he sat down and thought in an internal monologue, Wang Fire, Master of Stealth and the Awesome Beard, now begins his noble quest to save the young maiden from the scheming Avatar. He stroked his beard in a most complacent way, feeling very pleased with himself as he listened in on Aang and Katara.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk about, Aang?" asked Katara, instantly causing Wang Fire to perk up his ears. He knew that the young Waterbender was totally unsuspecting of Aang's 'intentions', but Wang Fire was determined to interfere if necessary.

Aang sighed and nervously replied, "Well…we've been going out for about two weeks now, and well…I'm just kind of, uh…" Out of the corner of his eye, Wang Fire could see Aang shake his head and said, "No, it's completely stupid. You'll just laugh at me."

Wang Fire smirked smugly to himself as the Sokka side of him thought, You got that right. You really think Katara's going to go along with your little scheme? I don't think so, buster!

Wang Fire shifted his eyes over towards Katara as she chuckled and said, "You can tell me anything, Aang. And I promise that I won't laugh, no matter how silly it may seem." He saw Katara lean over and give Aang a sweet peck on the cheek, causing the young Avatar to blush. Wang Fire rolled his eyes, knowing full well from the Sokka part of his mind that Aang and Katara kissed a lot.

He glanced back over at Aang as Katara leaned back, and he knew that the monk was indeed uneasy about something. "It's just…we've been through a lot together, and you've become really special to me…more special than anyone has been in my entire life." Wang Fire could practically feel the heat coming off of Katara's intense blush, and he knew that she was smiling lovingly at her boyfriend. Aang chuckled timidly and added, "Even though I'm the Avatar who saved the world from the Fire Nation, there's so many things that I have to learn." His voice grew quiet as he sheepishly said, "Dating is one of them…and frankly, it kind of scares me."

"Why is that?" teasingly asked Katara, love coating her voice.

Aang sighed and replied, "I just don't know that much about dating, and I'm afraid I might look like an idiot in front of you because of my ignorance. I'm scared that if I do something wrong, you might hate me for it…maybe because I might hurt your feelings, and I don't want to ever hurt you again…not after what happened when I first tried Firebending…" Aang closed his eyes and hung his head down slightly while Katara looked at him with compassion in her eyes.

Wang Fire was surprised to hear such sincerity in Aang's voice, and the Sokka part of him thought, Wow. Aang really has changed since I first met him about a year ago. He's matured a lot…maybe enough that – no, he's just using this as a ploy to get into Katara's bindings! Why you smug, conniving little- His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Katara cup her hand under Aang's chin, gently lifting his head to look up at her as he opened his gray eyes.

She smiled at him and said, "I could never hate you for anything, Aang, not even when you burned me. You're a sweet and loving young man, and I understand where you're coming from." She chuckled and added, "But you don't need to be nervous around me. The reason why we're together like this is because we care dearly about each other, and we both know we will support each other with our whole hearts. Plus, I want you to feel comfortable with our new relationship." She leaned in closer to him and added, "If you need any help with dating, you can always talk to me. I'm here for you, and I always will be." She kissed her boyfriend deeply on the lips, tender love and affection passing between them.

Wang Fire had to restrain himself from jumping in at that moment and breaking up the couple. He's good, the Sokka part of him thought. I knew Aang was popular with girls, but this is ridiculous! He's got Katara practically eating out of the palm of his hand! He saw the couple part their lips and watched as Katara leaned back, bright blushes on both of their faces.

"Thanks, Katara," said Aang sincerely. He chuckled and added, "I'm glad that you don't think I'm an idiot for what I said."

Katara smiled kindly and replied, "You're not an idiot. Nervous maybe, but not an idiot. No one's an expert in dating, not even me…but I am an expert when it comes to you, and that's how I'll help you with us." Wang Fire silently gagged in the back of his throat, feeling nauseated by the sickening sweetness of the young couple. Aang and Katara got up from their seat, and she sweetly asked, "Shall we continue our walk, my wonderful Aang?"

Aang chuckled and smoothly replied, "I would love to, my dearest Katara." Wang Fire watched out of the corner of his eye as the two made their way down the street, still holding hands as they walked along. After a few moments, Wang Fire got up and followed after the couple, keeping a good pace behind them so that he wouldn't be spotted.

Wang Fire continues his quest, keeping a watchful eye on the sneaky Avatar, he thought to himself as he continued his internal monologue. He may have the young maiden fooled, but Wang Fire sees through his ruse. The Beard knows all and sees all. He felt a sudden inspiration to be sneaky, and as he ducked behind people and cover, he muttered to himself in a sly and upbeat tone, "Da di dum dum da di dum dum da di dum dum." People around him looked at him as if he was crazy, but he didn't care. Wang Fire has his own secret theme when it comes to stealth, one that makes him as shifty as the dark night. The Avatar will not spot him as long as he keeps this song going. "Da di dum dum da di-WAH!" He tripped over something and fell to the ground, face-planting on the stone street.

He looks up to see Aang and Katara look back at him, and he quickly ducks behind a box. He's close enough to them to hear Katara ask, "Did you see that, Aang?" Wang Fire became fearful for a moment, afraid that he had been discovered. "I thought that Fire Nation guy looked really familiar…"

Aang chuckled and replied, "Well, we were in the Fire Nation for a few months during The War. I wouldn't be surprised if whoever that was was someone in a village we were in." Wang Fire quietly sighed in relief, glad that Aang hadn't thought anything suspicious about him.

"I guess you're right," admitted Katara. "Let's keep going." Wang Fire peeked around the box to see the couple continue on their way, but as he did he heard a growling sound behind him. He looked back to see an angry Pygmy-Puma standing there, snarling at him. He realized that this was the thing he had tripped over and had almost blown his cover.

A frightened look came over his face as he nervously said, "Good kitty…nice kitty." The Puma gnashed at him, sharp teeth coming towards him. He quickly jumped on top the box just as the Puma's teeth hit the box, smashing the side with its head. Looking up, he saw a roof ledge above him. "A dramatic escape!" he said to himself as he jumped up, grabbing the ledge with his hands and pulling himself up. When he was up on the roof of the nearby building, he looked down to see the Puma jump onto the box and look up him with yellow eyes. "Oh crap!" he squeaked as the Puma jumped up towards him, scooting backwards from the animal. He got up and began running along the roof in the direction of Aang and Katara, wanting to get as far away from the Puma as possible.

He looked back to see the Puma hot on his trail, and he shouted in his best 'Wang Fire' voice, "Get away from me, you mangy cat!" The Puma yowled at him, and he squealed as he poured more speed into his legs. He didn't care if he got caught by Aang and Katara. He just wanted to get away from the enraged animal.

Aang and Katara heard him shout and they looked up to see him running along the roof, the Puma trailing close behind. "What in La's name…" said Katara to herself in a bewildered tone, stunned by what see was seeing.

Aang quirked an eyebrow at the scene and said, "Now there's something you don't see every day." Katara nodded in agreement with him, both of them focused on the weird scene. "Let's go this way," he said, leading her down a side street.

"That was the same guy from before," Katara said when the man and Puma were out of sight. "I'm telling you, Aang, I've seen him somewhere before." She had seen a beard like that man's before, but she couldn't place the person she had seen it on.

"Don't worry about him," he said casually, smiling at his girlfriend. She smiled back at him and affectionately squeezed his hand, silently telling him that she wouldn't worry about the man. "I want to show you something," he cheerily said to her. She started to say something, but he said, "I'm not telling you what it is, though. It's a surprise." He winked at her, causing her to blush lightly. She nodded at him, and the two continued walking through the street.

Meanwhile, Wang Fire was still running from the Puma. He was coming to end of the roof, and he realized he would have to jump for it. Hopefully, the Puma wouldn't follow him. "Auggggghhhhh!" he screamed as he jumped, seeing that he was going to land in a produce stall. He put his hands in front of his face just before he hit the stall, landing with a great CRASH! His face was immediately buried in something green and leafy, his nose becoming stuffed with the produce.

"MY CABBAGES!" screamed an older man in a horrified voice, and he knew that this was probably the owner of the stall. Wang Fire quickly sat up and snorted the cabbage leaves out of his nose, looking behind him to see the Puma snarling at him from the roof. He laughed to himself and stuck a tongue out at the Puma, who yowled at him in anger before turning around and leaving. "You're going to pay for this!" said the Cabbage Merchant, causing Wang Fire to look at him as he got back on the ground.

"Sorry about that, friend," Wang Fire said in his characteristic voice as he rubbed the back of his head. He took out a sack of gold coins, which he kept for emergencies, and tossed it to the Cabbage Merchant. The old man opened up the bag, counting the money to ensure that it was enough. When he was sure, he nodded at Wang Fire and put the bag away in his pocket. Wang Fire looked around to see that Aang and Katara had disappeared. Oh no, he thought to himself as his eyes went wide. I gotta find them! He looked up at the roof behind him and thought, I'll be able to spot them from the roof tops! He quickly jumped onto the remains of the stall, scrambling up to the roof again.

As he got onto the roof, he looked around at the street below him. He couldn't spot Aang and Katara down below, and he instantly knew that they had spotted him and taken a different route. Aw crud, the Sokka side thought glumly. Now I gotta find them before Aang has his way with Katara! He drew himself up and ran along the roof tops, determined to find them again. And so, the Bearded Crusader continues his epic quest to find and stop the Avatar from ravaging the young maiden. Her purity is on the line! Wang Fire must not fail! He was filled with an energy like never before, as if he had the strength and determination of a hundred unstoppable Earthbenders in his body. He leaped across roof tops, never faltering as he ran upwards through the Lower Ring.

He came upon a section of roof tops that were above an abandoned alleyway, one that ran straight through the Lower Ring to the upper levels of the city. Down below, he saw Aang and Katara walking through it. Wang Fire leaned on the edge of the roof, smirking to himself as he looked at the back of the couple. Wang Fire has once again found the Avatar and his captive maiden. All that's left for our hero to do now is- He never got to finish his thought as a tile beneath his foot slipped, causing him to lose his balance. "WAH!" he cried out as he fell and hit the ground, causing Aang and Katara to look behind them at him. Wang Fire looked up and saw them looking at him, knowing that his spying was over. He quickly stood up and brushed himself off, saying in his characteristic voice, "Darned roofs. Someone should really fix those tiles." He looked up as if noticing the couple and said, "Oh. How are you, youngsters? Lovely day for a walk, isn't it?"

Katara looked at the man and asked, "Umm…do we know you?" Isn't this the same guy who was being chased by a Pygmy-Puma? she thought to herself. Why would he be walking on roof tops?

Wang Fire chuckled and replied, "Nope. I'm just a complete stranger from the Fire Nation. I'm someone you've never met before, probably will never know, and will most certainly forget after today." Aang and Katara just looked at him with weird looks on their faces, thinking that the man was out of his mind.

Katara looked closely at the man's features, trying to find any sort of familiar sign on his face. He did indeed seem like someone from the Fire Nation, due to his red outfit and top-knot. Her gaze drifted up to his eyes, which were a deep blue and-wait. Blue eyes? she thought to herself, and suddenly something clicked in her brain. Blue eyes! Oh Spirits, don't tell me… A mischievous smile came across her face as she said, "Actually, sir, you do seem very familiar…are you related to a man named Wang Fire?" She put a lot of emphasis on the name, wanting Aang to catch on as to who the man actually was. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aang's eyes widen, and she knew that he understood what she was trying to get across to him.

Wang Fire faltered for a moment, knowing that he had been caught. The maiden has been put under the Avatar's spell! He's turned her against our hero! Wang Fire must come up with an alias if he is to succeed! He scoffed and replied, "Of course I am…I'm his identical twin brother, Lee Fire!"

Katara raised a skeptical eyebrow and said, "Oh really? Is your brother married?" She wanted to drag this out before she revealed the person behind the beard.

'Lee' Fire laughed and replied, "Of course he is! Both of us are ladies' men…although I'm not actually married, but that's another story. His wife's name is Sapphire and their son's name is Kuzon. Sapphire is also expecting their second child any day now!" He directed his attention to Aang and asked in a sly tone, "Now you wouldn't be having any children with this young lady, right?"

Aang blushed profusely as his face dropped and stammered, "Of c-course not! Why would I think of d-doing anything like that? I mean, if we were married it would be a different story, but we're not!"

"Suuuurrreee," drawled 'Lee' Fire skeptically. "And you two young people are walking through a dark alleyway, unsupervised…alone." He crossed his arms and asked, "What's stopping you from taking her?" Aang looked down at the ground, completely embarrassed and red-faced. Katara could feel her anger at the man behind the beard grow even stronger. He had no right to be asking those sorts of questions!

Time to end this little charade, she thought to herself. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "you look an awful lot like my brother, Sokka." She saw a brief glimmer of fear in the man's eyes, and she knew that she had him.

"Oh really?" asked 'Lee' Fire. "Your brother must be quite the handsome type then. May I ask what he looks like?" I'm so a dead man! he fearfully thought to himself behind his smiling face, knowing that he had been caught by his sister.

Katara walked up to him and playfully said, "Well...he looks like this." As she said the last word, she reached out and grabbed the beard. She ripped it off the man's chin as hard as she could, holding the dark mass of fake facial hair in her hand.

"YEOW!" screamed Sokka in pain as he clasped his burning chin, his eyes watering slightly. Aang gasped as he saw the beard came off, realizing that it was actually Katara's brother behind the disguise. Sokka looked over at his sister and shouted, "That really hurt, Katara!"

"Good!" she shouted back, anger filling her voice. She jabbed a finger into her brother's chest and said, "You said-no, you promised not to get involved when I'm on a date with Aang!" She shoved the beard into his hands as she shouted, "Why can't you trust me?"

Sokka shoved the fake beard into his pocket and sarcastically replied, "Well gee, I wonder. Maybe because of him?" He pointed an accusing finger at Aang, who had a surprised look on his face.

Katara stepped in front of Sokka's finger and firmly said, "Leave Aang out of this. You have no right to get involved in my personal life." Sokka dropped his hand back by his side, glaring into his sister's eyes.

"I will get involved!" he angrily retorted. "Especially when it concerns your little boyfriend's plan to get into your pants!" Aang and Katara both blushed at the same time, looks of disbelief on their faces.

"What are you talking about, Sokka?" crossly asked Katara. "Aang would never even consider doing such thing to me."

"You don't know that!" screamed Sokka as he flung his arms in the air. He glared at the Avatar and asked, "Well, Aang, what do you have to say for yourself? Thought you could get away with my sister, didn't you?" Aang's face turned completely red, unsure of how to respond to the overprotective brother.

"S-Sokka, this is nothing like t-that," nervously replied Aang, his eyes wide with fear. "I just wanted to show Katara-"

"Don't even say it, you dirty pervert!" explosively interjected Sokka before Aang could finish. He narrowed his eyes at the young boy and said in a seething tone, "I've seen how you look at my sister. You so want her, and you'll do anything to get what you want, even if it means dragging her through a dark alley. Well, I'm not about to let some dirty-minded, scheming monk have his way with my sister."

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" bellowed Katara, drawing her hand back and slapping it hard across her brother's face. A loud SMACK! resonated throughout the alley, leaving only stunned silence in the air. Aang stared open-mouthed at his angry girlfriend, who was glaring hard at her shocked older brother. A large red mark was on Sokka's right cheek where Katara had struck him, the flesh burning from the slap. "I am so sick of you and your stupid overprotectiveness!" furiously screamed Katara, a raging sea of anger in her eyes. "Why can't you just accept the fact that I love Aang and that I want to be with him? And for another thing, he would never do something like that with me! We're not ready for that kind of thing yet!" She got right up in her brother's face and screamed, "Why must you always get involved in my personal life? I don't need to looked after like a little girl anymore! Like it or not, Sokka, I've grown up!"

Sokka staggered back from his sister, shock and disbelief on his face. He backed into the right wall of the alleyway, slouching down the wall until his bottom hit the ground. He stared at his sister the whole time, who was still glaring angrily at him. His head was suddenly cleared at the moment, all his anger towards the young couple gone from his mind as regret took hold. He stared down at the ground between his knees, feeling more useless than ever before. He loved his sister dearly, but she was right…she had grown up. She was a master Waterbender, the one who defeated Azula during Sozin's Comet, and the one who healed the now-Fire Lord Zuko. She wasn't a little girl anymore…she was a young woman. Sad tears filled his eyes as he mournfully said, "I know…but it hurts me to see you growing up so fast." Katara's face softened at his words, sympathy and compassion filling her eyes.

"Why?" she asked, concern heavy in her voice. She could see the pain on her brother's face, that look of uselessness that made his face so laden with sorrow. She knew he was only looking out for her well-being, but she didn't mean to hurt his feelings.

The tears flowed down Sokka's face as he sadly replied, "For so long, it's been my job to protect you…to make sure you were always safe. Ever since Mom died, you were always the strong one in our family…the day Dad left to fight in The War, it was my turn to be the strong one for the both of us." He let out a choked sob and added, "You don't know how hard it is, seeing the little sister you would give your life for grow up so fast…until the time came that she didn't need you anymore." His voice cracked as he said, "I only want what's best for you, Katara…that's the way it always has been."

He couldn't see it, but his sister also had tears flowing down her face. She was touched by his words, and she felt terrible for having yelled at him so viciously. She walked over to him, kneeling down by his side and looking at him with concerned eyes. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and softly said, "I'm sorry, Sokka…I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you."

"No, I deserve it," he said in a self-pitying tone, his voice heavy with sorrow. "What good am I anymore? If I can't be there to protect you, then what good am I as a brother? No one needs me…" Katara felt her heart ache at Sokka's words, knowing how much pain her brother was in. She hated seeing him in such a doubtful state of mind, for he wasn't one to loath at himself.

"Sokka…" she said softly, causing her kin to look up at her. She smiled kindly at him and said, "You're my brother, and I will always need you. I know you wish you could be there to protect me like you've always done, but things change, whether we like it or not. I have Aang to look after me now…but even he can't replace you. I love Aang as my boyfriend and even as a soul mate, but I love you dearly as a brother. I love everything about you: your sense of humor, your goofiness, your intelligence, your skills as a warrior and strategist, your fierce determination to protect those you love…everything." More tears flowed down her face as she said, "I couldn't have asked for a better brother, because I got the best." She gave him a warm hug and said, "I love you, Sokka."

Sokka was touched by his sister's words, smiling as he hugged her back and replied, "I love you too, Katara." Brother and sister remained hugging for nearly a minute, their sibling bond keeping them tightly bound. Aang smiled at the touching scene, glad that the two were able to make up. Sokka took Katara's words to heart, and he knew that she was right. She had Aang to look after her and, even though his overprotectiveness had driven him mad, he trusted Aang with his whole being. As the siblings separated, Sokka looked over at Aang and said, "Come over here, buddy." Aang walked over to him and knelt in front of him, and Sokka placed a hand on the Avatar's shoulder, saying, "Aang…you have my full blessing to date my sister. I'm leaving her completely in your capable hands. Will you look after her, defending her life and honor with your whole being?"

Aang nodded and cheerily said, "I would do anything for her. I've gone through a lot to be with her…and I completely love everything about her. I promise you that I will look after Katara with the same care and love you have given her your whole life, if not even more. She's my most sacred treasure, and I hope you can see that." Katara smiled lovingly at her boyfriend, proud of the maturity in his voice.

Sokka chuckled and replied, "I do see that, and I'm glad you're the one who loves my sister so much. I couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend for her, because she got the best." Katara rolled her eyes as she realized that he had stolen her line, but she still smiled at him just the same. "Now," he said, "can you guys help me up?" They got him back on his feet, brushing the dust off his outfit. He looked over at Aang and timidly said, "Hey…I'm sorry about…you know."

Aang shook his head and smiled, saying, "It's no big deal. I'm not one to hold a grudge against anyone, especially you. You're were only trying to protect Katara, and that led you to say things that you didn't mean."

Sokka smiled back and said, "Thanks buddy." He quirked an eyebrow at the Avatar and asked, "So why are you two going through an alley anyway?"

Aang gestured to the continuing alleyway and replied, "This alley goes all the way to the Upper Ring of the city. I wanted to show Katara the preparations they were making at the Royal Palace for the big ball tonight in honor of the end of The War." He nervously rubbed the back of his head and sheepishly added, "I was going to ask her then if she wanted to go the ball with me, but then you kind of…dropped in, so to speak."

Katara took her place by her boyfriend's side and affectionately said, "I would love to go to the ball with you, Aang." She planted a sweet kiss on his cheek, causing him to smile. After she kissed Aang, she looked over at Sokka and asked, "Would you, Suki, and Toph want to go to the ball with us?"

"Sure," replied Sokka with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "We could all use a night just to dance and relax." He winked at Aang as he said, "Clever thinking, buddy." Aang blushed at Sokka's words, glad that he wasn't being so overprotective anymore. Sokka turned his attention back to the couple and said, "You two go on. I'm going back to the Jasmine Dragon to get out of his outfit and get ready for tonight."

Katara chuckled and teasingly asked, "What, no more following us to ensure that Aang doesn't 'have his way with me'?"

Sokka shook his head and said, "Nope. From now on, I'm no longer the overprotective brother. I'm going to be the good guy and let his little sister have a fun time with her boyfriend." Katara smiled gratefully at her brother, happy that he finally given his full approval of her relationship. He shooed them away and said, "Go on, go on. Have your special time together. I'll see you later tonight." They said their good-byes to each other and went their separate ways, walking in opposite directions through the alleyway. Sokka smiled to himself and thought, In the end, it wasn't Wang Fire who saved the day. No, it was Sokka, the Meat and Sarcasm Guy, who finally allowed his little sister to be with the guy she loves. He's the real hero in this story. He felt extremely proud himself, and he knew that he had made the right choice.

That night at the Earth King's Royal Palace, the ball was in full swing. Earth Kingdom Royals of all classes were gathered in the ball room as well as regular commoners from the city itself, united in their celebration of the end of the Hundred Years' War. On the edge of the crowd sat Sokka in his suit, propped up in a chair against the wall. Suki came up to him and asked, "Have you seen Aang and Katara? I haven't seen them all night."

Sokka shrugged nonchalantly and casually replied, "Nope." Suki gave a surprised look at her boyfriend, who should have been worried out of his mind about his sister.

"Your sister and her boyfriend are missing, and you're not worried at all?" she asked him, clearly confused by his behavior.

Sokka smirked and replied, "Not a worry in my noggin about those two." Suki tapped on his head with her finger, and he playfully batted it away, saying, "Hey, it's still me!"

"That's what worries me," she replied, concern on her face. She put a hand on her hip and asked, "What happened to you? For the last two weeks, you've been watching those two like a messenger hawk. Now, you're acting like there's nothing to worry about."

Sokka chuckled and replied, "That's because there isn't." He folded his arms behind his head and added, "I gave him my full blessing to date Katara." He smiled as Suki gasped happily, a joyful look on her face.

"Sokka, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a mighty hug. He hugged her back and kissed her on the head as she said, "I'm so proud of you!"

"I was just trying to be a nice guy," he admitted modestly, causing his girlfriend to chuckle as she looked up at him. He could see the pride sparkling in her eyes, the happiness behind her smile. The two kissed each other deeply on the lips, total love passing between them.

"Hey, lovebirds!" called out a voice from the corner of the ball room. Sokka and Suki broke their kiss and looked over to see Toph beckoning for them, waving a pale hand at them and saying, "Get over here! You gotta see this!" Sokka and Suki made their way over to Toph, and when they were next to her she pointed out what she had called them over for. They followed her finger to see a sight that warmed their hearts with sheer joy.

There, in the midst of the crowd, were Aang and Katara slow-dancing. Her arms were around his shoulder while his were around her waist, their heads leaning against the other's shoulder. Both of them had their eyes closed with happiness and loving smiles on their faces, as if this contact between them were pre-ordained by the Spirits themselves. Suki sighed happily and leaned against Sokka, saying, "Don't they look so perfect together?" Sokka wrapped his arm around Suki's waist as he watched the dancing couple, but he was mostly watching Katara. He hadn't seen his sister smile like that in many years, and it truly did bring joy to his heart that she was happy again…and it was all because of the boy she loved. Aang was the one who made her this happy, and Sokka was grateful that the young Avatar had brought back his sister's wonderful smile.

Sokka smiled and happily replied, "They do." Sokka was finally at peace with himself, knowing that although he couldn't protect his sister like he used to, she would always need him. That's what siblings do, after all…love and support each other, and he fully supported her decision to date Aang. He was happy for her, and for the rest of the evening he had a pretty good time.

That was until he got mauled by a Pygmy-Puma on the way home.