Disclaimer: I still don't own Avatar, but I still own this story

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy Chapter 2!

Chapter 2

Mai slid from underneath Zuko and silently adjusted her shirt while painting on an expressionless face. She left him without saying a word and returned to her bedroom. Zuko wanted to stop her but did not because he could see, despite how well she tried to hide it, that she was inwardly seething. She walked slowly and attempted to clear her thoughts. Although she was still angry when she reached her bedroom door, she was no longer consumed by the emotion. Instead, she felt a ripple of tingles throughout her body as she remembered Zuko's touch. Taking a few deep breaths to clear the color from her cheeks, Mai opened the door to find Ty Lee sitting at the vanity brushing her long brown tresses.

"Mai!" Ty Lee exclaimed when she caught her friend's reflection in all three of the mirrors facing her. She happily skipped over to Mai and hugged her. Mai, always a bit irritated by Ty Lee's exuberance over the most mundane of activities, stiffly returned the hug. "So, did you find him?" Mai knew to expect this line of questioning. Despite the dozens of guest chambers in the palace Mai wound up sharing a bedroom with Ty Lee. Growing up in a family of six girls Ty Lee has always been uncomfortable being too far from human contact.

"Umm yeah. We had it tea" Mai said flatly. She didn't want to lie to Ty Lee but she felt it best if she didn't tell her the whole truth.

"Tea?" Ty Lee gave her a skeptical gaze as she gathered her hair into its normal ponytail.

"Mmhmm. Ginsing. It was nice." Mai could lie nearly as well as Azula so she figured that Ty Lee would soon stop annoying her with these questions. But it wasn't what Mai said that gave her away; it was how she looked. Even in battle Mai seemed to look flawless, but Ty Lee noticed when she walked in the door that Mai's hair was a bit disheveled and her shirt looked hastily tied. Not to mention she smelled slightly smoky—like a fire bender, and a male one at that.

"So if you were drinking tea all afternoon how'd ya get that red mark on your neck?" Mai lost her composure. Her eyes grew as large as two gold pieces and her mouth contorted. Covering her neck with both hands she got up from the bed and rushed to the vanity.

"I swear to Agni if he bruised me…" But Mai couldn't finish for the fit of giggles erupting from Ty Lee. She was doubled over on the other side of the bed now laughing hysterically. Mai walked over and gave her a hard but playful shove. Ty Lee fell onto her side and laughed even harder. She hadn't expected this from Ty Lee. Azula? Yeah. Azula always lied to find out the information she wanted. Obviously the three girls had spent too much time on the road together. "I'm so glad I amuse you Ty Lee" Mai said crossly while digging for a change of clothes from one of the two wardrobes in the room.

"Wait, where are you going?" Ty Lee stopped giggling and almost looked serious.

"I want to take a bath before dinner."

"Ok but before you go tell me what it was like."

"You've got to be kidding me, right?"

"No."

"You've kissed boys before."

"Yeah but I've never kissed my soul mate."

"Yeah well neither have I." Mai walked out the door before giving Ty Lee a chance to respond. As she walked, Ty Lee's words kept repeating in her head. True it was different kissing Zuko. In the three years since she last saw him, Mai had dated a few other guys but none of them seriously. In fact, her mother had met only one of the boys, allowing him to publically court her daughter. She had felt sparks when she kissed him, more than what she had felt when kissing the other boys, but with Zuko it felt like the fireworks from the Lotus Dragon Parade festivities were going off inside her body. Mai was still trying to sort it all out when she saw Azula rounding the corner flanked by two Dai Li agents.

"Mai," a devious smirk spreading across her placid face "so nice to see you again."

Ignoring Azula wasn't always easy, but at 15 Mai had nearly ten years of practice. Plainly and straight faced Mai replied with a courteous "Good evening Azula."

Azula hated that she couldn't get a rise out of Mai. Still, not one to be outdone, Azula asked, "Where are you headed?"

"The underground bath house."

"Hmmm, sounds relaxing. I think I'll join you." Turning to face the two agents Azula continued, "That will be all for now. We can continue our little chat after dinner."

Shit! Mai thought and sighed aloud.

The two girls walked silently through the palace hallways and the narrow passageways below it. When they reached the bath, the servants bowed having been already instructed to greet their conqueror/princess in such a manner. After disrobing in the changing station and donning the appropriate bathing attire the girls entered the warm, shallow pool. Mai closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and waited for the other proverbial shoe to drop.

Servants scrubbed their feet and moisturized their hair with scented oils. Mai's favorite had always been Jasmine and so she chose that scent while Azula selected the smoky scent of Sandalwood. The girls felt tension melt away as the reflexologist strategically kneaded their palms. Finally, Azula broke the silence.

"So I see you and ZuZu are getting reacquainted nicely."

Clearing her throat Mai gazed across the bath. "Yeah, we talked about the past over tea. It was nice." Azula shot Mai a "don't play stupid" look. Seeing that Azula was not in the mood for games Mai decided to not press her luck. Looking down she added, "kissing him was nice too."

Azula groaned. As much as she wanted to rub Mai's face in her own smut it honestly pained her to think about her friend and her brother in that way. Azula allowed a few minutes to pass, enjoying the fingers massaging the stress out of her head. Then dismissing the servants with the flick of a well manicured hand, she decided to address the issue of Mai and Zuko's blossoming relationship.

"Mai I need your help."

Mai was clueless. "With?"

"Zuko." Mai didn't like where the conversation was headed but it is pointless to refuse the princess of the Fire Nation.

"What do you need me to do?" This Mai was afraid to ask. She held her breath until Azula responded.

"Nothing much really. Just keep an eye on him."

"So what, I'm his babysitter now?" Mai knew that nothing was ever this easy with Azula.

Chuckling, Azula answered. "Well kinda. You see, my policy is once a traitor always a traitor. In the letter I sent father, I gave Zuko the credit of killing the Avatar. Even though I would like to believe that he is dead, the truth is there is no body to corroborate this. I've ordered the Dai Li to scour every corner of this city looking for him and his crew but so far nothing. If a body is never found then father's displeasure will be directed at Zuko, not me. Plus, I have already taken measures to ensure that I will succeed my father as heir to the throne not Zuko. The whole missing Avatar body fiasco played right into my hands. I couldn't have orchestrated it better if I had planned it myself! Poor ZuZu believes that by returning home his birthright will magically be reinstated. Zuko will never be Fire Lord, but if he were to discover this painful truth he might betray his family and his country again and neither I nor father can take that risk."

Mai was furious. She couldn't believe that Azula would manipulate her relationship and jeopardize her happiness for personal gain—well she could but she liked to believe that Azula wouldn't do that to a friend. What other options did she have? Refuse her? No, the only option was to assume the position, take it, and like it. Mai nodded her head in resignation. She couldn't look at Azula let alone speak to her.

"Good. Now one other thing. I need you to stay focused. You can't let your feelings for my brother stand in the way of your responsibilities to me. From the beginning, I chose you because you are precise, detached, and uneasily distracted. Don't make me regret my choice." With that Mai looked up and stared Azula in the eye. She held Azula's gaze for nearly a full minute before turning away when she felt the tears welling inside. Mai rarely cried, but when she did it was a result of uncontrollable rage rather than sadness or grief.

Azula stood in the pool and began to exit. "So, we're clear?"

"Perfectly" Mai responded dryly.

"Great." Then with a sudden, manic burst of cheeriness, "see you at dinner!"

A/N: Again, please R&R. If I can be so bold, I would like to know how I did writing Azula. I have a serious love/hate relationship with her and I loved/hated writing her character here. Chapter 3 should be coming soon!