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Enough waiting. Please read if you want.

Hard slaps echoed through darkening, elegant hallways as a pair of hard-soled boots pounded against black marble floors.

The guards stationed on either side of the elaborately decorated doorway looked at each other knowingly and shook their heads slightly at the sound of the fast approaching footsteps. They then hurriedly pulled their respective doors open and dropped their backs into well-practiced bows.

They both rightly concluded that the rapidly advancing boots' relentless disregard for the ungiving marble was a portent of their agitated leader. And while this Fire Lord was less likely to singe them than the last, it was still best to stay out of the way of a fuming Fire Lord.

The flustered Fire Lord rounded the corner just as the guards dipped their heads. He flew pass them and headed straight for the only slightly less ornate double doors to his bed chamber. He flung open the doors and they helplessly thudded against the tapestry covered walls as he threw himself into his silk covered bed.

The Fire Lady rounded the corner of the hall with the rest of the Royal Guard in tow. She internally sighed, but externally only instructed the guards to remain outside her quarters and to shut the doors behind her. She then purposely strode through the threshold and waited for the sound of the large doors gently closing behind her before she approached the bedroom doors that still lightly swung on their hinges. When she reached the doors she gingerly closed them with a soft click, and with a small sigh she turned to face her Lord.

"What in Agni's name do you think you are doing, Zuko?"

Zuko lie in a pile of silken sheets with his face underneath a rather large pillow.

"Not right now, Mai."

Mai rolled her eyes and approached the bed. She removed the pillow from her husband's face and tenderly lifted his head. She swiftly sat, placing his still-held head in her lap.

She began to softly stroke his face as she talked, "Zuko love, you need to knock this off. You aren't some spoiled child that can hide under his pillows to escape your problems and this situation isn't about to go away."

Zuko reached out a hand towards his wife's own and wove their fingers together. He felt Mai gently squeeze them as she continued to stroke his face with her free hand.

"I know, but I don't know what to do. Everything is so confusing right now. It's shameful, but I really just want to hide from this problem. What kind of man am I?"

"The kind of man that I love."

Mai leaned down to softly kiss the only man she had ever loved. She let herself get lost in the feeling of his slightly rougher lips against her own as he raised up to deepen the kiss.

After a minute or two they parted with smiles and Mia resumed her stroking.

"Thanks Mai."

"My pleasure my Lord. Are you ready to deal with this situation now, or would you rather throw another royal tantrum?"

Mai smirked as she heard Zuko mumble, "It wasn't a tantrum."

"Whatever you say, my Lord."

"Stop calling me that!"Zuko's frowning cheeks twitched up into a smile at the sound of his wife's husky chuckle, "Ok fine, perhaps it was a little bit like a tantrum. But can you honestly blame me? This is a mess."

Mai's laughter ended abruptly.

"I suppose it is a bit of a mess, but Zuko think. If you let her rattle you she's already won. Don't you see? You have all the power as long as you keep your head." Mai emphasized the word head with a solid smack to her husband's skull

Zuko grumbled back while rubbing his head, "Then why do I feel like she's in control?"

"Because you are letting her control you."

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut and growled back at his wife, "Mai, I really don't need your lecturing. I just need help."

"And how am I suppose to help, Zuko?" Mai hissed back at her husband.

"Surely you have some sort of solution already figured out. You were always better at these sorts of things than me and honestly I'm too...close to this problem to figure it out."

Mai suddenly rose, unceremoniously dumping Zuko's head back into the bed.

"You are too close? I understand that she is your sister, Zuko, but she was my...friend. Don't you think this is difficult for me too?"

Understanding that he had made a mistake, Zuko quickly stood and embraced his wife.

"I'm sorry, Mai. I know how close you three use to be. It was stupid of me to suggest that this isn't hard for you too. I never meant it like that. You know me. I have a lead tongue."

"And a hot, insensitive head." Mai hissed through clinched teeth, not yet forgiving her husband.

Zuko chuckled.

"Told you you know me."

Mai's tiny smirk returned to her face and Zuko decided to try for some help again.

"I only asked for your help because you're better at seeing consequences than me and we both know it. Like you said earlier, we have to be careful after all."

Mai began to frown again.

"I suppose this problem does deserve a little more... diplomatic sensibility."

Still pondering the problem at hand, Mai gently broke Zuko's embrace and slowly wove her way to the opposite side of the room. With her back still facing her Lord she began quietly, "Zuko dear, how far are you willing to go to protect your people?"

"As far as I have to."

Mai impatiently waved off the automatic response with a flourish of her hand, and, still facing the opposing wall, she continued, "Think before you speak."

She spun on her heel and bored into her husbands eyes with her own.

"Are you willing to sacrifice your conscience? Because that's where this problem will end. This is your first real test as a leader, my Lord. A leader does whatever is necessary to protect his people whether or not he can secretly stomach his decision. He puts aside childish things like personal honor to make sure that his nation survives. Are you understanding me?"

Zuko's bewildered face gave away his answer before his mouth ever opened.

"Why are you saying these things? You-you sound like Father."

Mai gritted her teeth and braced herself. This was not one of the pretty lessons her beloved was use to learning. Life was much more complicated in peace than anyone gave it credit for.

"Zuko, look at me. Do I look like your father? Do I act like your father?

Zuko shook his head in the negative.

Mai strode quickly back across the room and gently stroked her husbands face. As Zuko's stony expression softened so too did Mai's voice.

"Zuko...My love. Please listen, because the future of our people rests on your ability to understand what I am telling you. Everything your father did was for his own glory and honor. He put himself before his people and he nearly destroyed the world for it. Now you and I both know that that man was evil and his idea of honor was evil, but is it that much better to put your own moral good before the good of your people?"

The Fire Lord opened and closed his mouth many times as if to argue with his wife. Then his body began to slump forward until all of his weight was pressed into Mai's waiting shoulder.

Mai was surprised to feel how heavy he suddenly felt. She could feel the weight of the world pressing against them both.

Still slumped into his Fire Lady, Zuko mumbled the only thing he could say at that point, "What is it that you want me to do, Mai?"

Mai gripped her husband's shoulders and softly pushed him back until he was an arms-length away. To help him relax, she slowly snaked her hands down his shoulders, over his arms, and to his rough hands. She took his hands in her own and half-lead, half-dragged Zuko to the edge of their bed. With a swift tug she had them both sitting on the bed, hands hanging between them like a suspension bridge of flesh over a sea of red silk.

"Zuko, I am...worried. I am worried that you still won't understand the things I am about to suggest to you. Please understand, my love. Azula..." Mai paused and tried to swallow the uncharacteristic lump in her throat before she pushed on, "Azula was...is my friend. She use to make life tolerable for me in the Academy. I wish I could just suggest that you simply set her free or exile her, but that would endanger our people. Zuko, there are only two options for Azula. Neither one will be easy to stomach...for either of us. Do you understand what I am saying Zuko?"

It was now Zuko's turn to do the comforting and so he gently squeezed his wife's hands and softly smiled at her.

"You are a wonderful wife and friend, Mai, and nothing you can say on this subject will make me think otherwise. However, I think I'm starting to understand. Your duty as the Fire Lady comes first, right? That's what you mean?"

Mai gave him a rare smile.

"Yes, my Lord, and that's why as my Fire Lord I am sad to say that you have to neglect your duty as an elder brother. There are only two options. You either have to have Azula executed or you must use her as a political puppet here in the palace. I know this goes against what you think is right, but it is the only way. She is too dangerous to do anything else."

"Why can't I just exile her?"

"It would be too easy for her to turn your enemies at home and abroad against you. The Fire Nation isn't stable enough for you to do that yet."

Zuko stood up and paced to better help himself think.

"What if I just left her in the facility?"

"She would either break out or kill herself eventually. If she dies in that place by her own hand she'll become a martyr for your enemies."

Zuko's face turned into a confused scowl before he asked, "Won't she become a martyr if I have her executed?"

Shaking her head, Mai replied, "Not if you hold a public and fair trial. Then there can be no whispers that you had her killed out of fear and spite. An execution makes you look strong, but her suicide would make you look weak and cowardly. Not to mention if she is going to die anyways you might as well use her death as a way to gain international negotiation power."

Zuko spun on his heel to silently gape at his wife.

Mai shrugged her shoulders and in response said, "I told you that you wouldn't like what I had to say, but those are the facts. I personally don't think either of us could live with having her killed so there's really only one option here, but it is only slightly less dangerous than exiling her."

Zuko scoffed at his wife and resumed pacing.

"Only slightly less dangerous than exiling her? How is using Azula as a political puppet any less dangerous? It sounds pretty foolish to me."

Mai mindlessly slipped her hands inside her loose sleeves and stroked the cold steel of her blades as she thought of how she could explain her reasoning to her husband. After all he did raise very good questions.

"Normally Zuko I would agree that attempting to use Azula would only end in misery for us, but think about it. Her mind is still fragile and her body is out of practice so as long as we keep her under constant surveillance she, herself, will not be a large threat to us. The most troublesome thing we have to worry about is the support she would receive from the old-guard nobles. However, if we use her to further our own political goals, then that old-guard support will quickly dry up. We would just need to be extra vigilant for a time. And then there are the...benefits", Mai trailed off.

Zuko faced his wife with his good eye narrowed, "Benefits?"

Mai patted the bed next to her and Zuko obediently sat next to his wife.

Once seated Mai resumed in earnest, "Yes, benefits. Just imagine if we had Azula with us at the upcoming negotiations. We could use her as an intimidation factor...as long as we could keep her under control, of course."

Zuko raised his hand to play with the scraggy growth of hair he hoped would one day become a beard as he ponder this idea.

"She was always a shrewd politician. But I am a worried about one part of your plan."

"Yes?"

"How are we going to keep her under watch at all times? I mean guards will obviously be necessary, but what about in her private quarters? She might snap if she has to see a guard at all hours of the day and night. There's also the problem that too many guards on her might make us look scared and weak."

Mia allowed herself a tiny smirk. Her husband was starting to think more like a politician.

"Don't worry, Zuko. I have the perfect guard in mind."

Zuko looked puzzled.

"And who is this perfect guard?"

Mai's eyes sparkled with barely contained amusement as she answered her husband's question with some questions of her own, "Who can we assign to guard Azula that wouldn't make her panic, while at the same time giving a friend whom we desire a favor from a feeling of control over this situation?"

Zuko's eyes lit up with understanding.

"Ty Lee?"

"Ty Lee."

"Ty Lee," Azula's venomous voice spat the name out like an enraged cobra, "why did you come back? I thought I had made my feelings about you clear yesterday."

Ty Lee forced the memory of yesterday's rant out of her head and willed her lips to remain in a smile.

"Now 'Zula you should know by now that your temper doesn't scare me."

"Oh yah? Then why are these here?" Azula shook the offending manacles at Ty Lee's nose to emphasis her words.

The steal manacles were not the only safety precautions readily noticeable. Azula's ankles were also bound and a metal collar around her alabaster skin was attached to a five-foot chain that was connected to the ground. The metal bindings were much better suited to Azula's new grimy cell than they would have been to her previous simple, but comfortable chamber. Whatever Azula's old chamber had had in the way of simple comforts was easily overshadowed by her new home's dungeon-esque qualities. Azula's simple red, cotton pants and shirt were the only protection against old stone and even colder steel, the only materials in the dank cell.

Ty Lee grimaced has she took in Azula's new surroundings and accessories, "Well, you did threaten Zuko's family. If you didn't want to be chained up you should have been nicer."

Azula snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Same old naive Ty Lee. Thank you for your helping in solving the mystery of my imprisonment. Is that the only reason you came, to shine wisdom on my poor muddle mind?"

Ty Lee giggled and then opened up the basket she had carried into the cell with her.

"You can be so silly sometimes, 'Zula!" Ty Lee said as she began to remove gauze, bandages, and jars of healing ointment out of her basket. "No, I came to redress your burns."

Again Azula shook the manacles on her wrist.

Ty Lee produced a key from the basket and replied to the simple gesture, "I've been given special permission to removed you wrist manacles and treat your wounds, but only if you behave. If not that grumpy old man who calls himself the head healer said that they are going to sedate you and do it. So are you going to let me do this, or are you going to let them sedate you?"

Azula ground her teeth. On the one hand, she hated being sedated. They had had to sedate her to get her into this tiny jail cell and it had felt like fighting a losing battle. Azula did not enjoy losing. On the other hand, if she let Ty Lee treat her, then she would be vulnerable to Ty Lee's dangerously traitorous touch. In the end Azula went with the lesser of the two evils and resignedly held out her captured wrists to her enemy-friend.

"Just do it quickly." Azula growled.

Ty Lee swiftly fit the key into the locks and released her Princess' hands. She then slowly and carefully began to cut and unwind the soiled bandages from Azula's arms. When she got her first glimpse at the damaged skin, she inhaled sharply.

"Oh 'Zula!This must hurt some much! I'm so sorry! I'll make it feel better in a few seconds."

Azula looked down at her red and inflamed hands as Ty Lee gently unwound the bandages. When the acrobat-turned-prison-nurse finally got to the area on Azula's arms where the manacles had rubbed and her brother had grabbed, all Azula could see was a mess of blood and puss. Azula looked up from her mangled wrists to see silent tears falling down Ty Lee's cheeks.

"Why are you crying?"

Ty Lee continued to work as she answered, "I hate to see you hurt."

The answer was so simple, so child-like that for a moment Azula actually believed it. But then she took another look at her healer's features and remembered what a treacherous snake she was dealing with.

"You know, it's rather funny," Azula began in her honey-drenched voice, "but there was a time that I would have believed that. You had me fooled Ty Lee, more so than anyone else in this entire world as ever done. I suppose I should congratulate you, but you'll forgive me if I don't have the stomach for it at this moment."

Ty Lee winced as though it was her wound being redressed, and in many ways it was.

"I don't blame you for being angry with me 'Zula. I wasn't even upset when you locked me away. A part of me felt like I deserved it then just like a part of me feels like a deserve your mean words now."

Azula watched intently as Ty Lee applied the poultice and began to bandage her arms with a fresh cloth. She wasn't sure if Ty Lee had meant to pause to collect her thoughts, or if she was concentrating on almost...lovingly dressing Azula's wounds. Either way, Azula was sure Ty would finish.

With a final tender flourish of her hands, the acrobat was finished with the bandaging. Yet her hands lingered on the unwounded upper arm of her Princess as she finished her bit.

"You see 'Zula, I know I hurt you, and a part of me will never forgive myself for it. Cause I really do hate to see you hurt, whether you believe it or not."

Azula's breath hitched and her arms began to burn were she felt Ty Lee's strong, gentle fingers grasp her. She threw off the acrobat's light grip and scuttled to the far wall. Finally, with her back against the cold stone, Azula felt brave enough to retort.

"Well I don't believe you! How could I when all you have ever done has brought me pain? Leave me!"

Ty Lee let the tears flow freely down her face as she rose from her position on the floor. She mechanically picked up her supplies and the waste and stored them all in her basket. At last she reached for the manacles.

Looking sheepishly toward her princess with tears still rolling down her cheeks Ty Lee spoke in a cracked voice, "'Zula, I'm sorry but I have to put these back on."

Azula merely nodded her consent.

Ty Lee slowly converged on her one-time friend and lowered herself back down. A billion thoughts crossed her mind as she re-chained her Princess' wrists. A million words struggled to cross her lips as she dared to hug the fire bender's stiff body to her own. As she rose and knocked on the door to be let out, only one phrase managed to find its way to the Princess' ears.

"I will see you tomorrow."

And how Azula hated herself for looking forward to it.

Sorry again this took so long. A million very good excuses, none of wish I feel like posting.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will not be 5 months in the waiting.

-Watevs15