If I Didn't Have You
Alice C. Hale

Jeong Jeong watched a playful Aang and Katara from a short distance. The young lovebirds were by a lake taking turns splashing and waterbending. Piandao noticed Jeong Jeong's far away look as he walked up to his old friend. Piandao softly touched his Jeong Jeong's shoulder. "Where are you?"

Jeong Jeong smiled faintly and responded. "In a far off place where two young boys not much older than the Waterbender enjoyed the euphoria of first love."

"Hmmm....whatever happened to those boys."

Jeong Jeong sighed. "Life happened."

"We never have talked about my staying behind after -"

Jeong Jeong cut him off. "And we never will. Above love there is duty. Duty to all nations. Those young boys still remain. Frozen in time. My ...heart may have hurt but it never stopped beating for you. If I never knew the White Lotus, well, if I never knew, I would have been like Zhao. I'll never regret you. Damn it!"

"What?" Piandao asked.

"You have an annoying habit of making me corny."

"Sorry about that."

"No your not."

"Your right, I'm not."

Jeong Jeong glared at Piandao.

"Jeong Jeong?"

"Yes."

"Can we go back to the way we used to be?"

"No."

Piandao winced.

"We are going to be better than what we used to be."

The old lovers' hands clasped together as they both watched the young lovers run off.