I have to admit, I'm kind of partial to this chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Chapter 8

"Tom-Tom," Mai whispered in horror. "Auntie Mura!"

She broke into a run, unthinking of anything but her baby brother and aunt trapped in the burning building. If she didn't get them out…

She was twenty feet from the door when Zuko grabbed her arm, pulling her up short.

"Mai! You can't help them from inside!"

"Of course I can't," she yelled back, trying to free herself from his grip. "But Tom-Tom…"

"Which one is his room?"

"That one." She pointed to the front left window. "And Auntie Mura is just across the hall." He nodded and shoved her roughly against Hinata, who she hadn't even noticed come up beside them.

"Keep her out here," he said as he began shrugging off his formal Fire Lord regalia.

But Hinata brushed past her. "I can't let you go in there, either. The fire is out of control!"

Zuko paused for a brief moment, fixing him with a stern glare. "Then you better get it under control."

He finished tying his cloak around his face and ran into the building. Hinata swore violently and ran after him, leaving Mai by herself.

Watching Zuko run into the building slowed her frantic heartbeat. While she knew on some level that there now was the possibility that she could lose Tom-Tom, Auntie Mura, and Zuko, the thought didn't terrify her. He was one of the best firebenders in the world; if anyone could save her family from a burning building, it was him.

With the uncharacteristic panic out of her system, her usually calm and cool battle nerves began to take over.

An out-of-control fire was exactly the kind of emergency she was useless at. Throwing knives at the building would do more harm than good, after all. She would have to find other ways of being useful.

She surveyed the scene. A small group of firebenders was standing near the shop, doing their best to dissipate the flames from a distance. A larger crowd had gathered on the other side of the street, staring in horror at the fire and making shocked observations about how there were people trapped inside, and the Fire Lord himself had run into the building.

"Has the Fire Brigade been called?" she asked a woman at the front.

"Lady Mai!" The woman stared at her dumbfounded, bowed deeply, then managed to stammer. "I - I think so?"

"You think so?"

"My son ran off to tell them," a man piped up from further into the crowd. "They should be here soon."

Soon was relative. She couldn't count on them arriving in time.

"Fire Lord Zuko is making his way to that window," she addressed the crowd, pointing behind her. "If the Fire Brigade hasn't arrived by then, we have to make sure that he is able to safely exit from up there. Bring anything that will soften a landing and pile it under that window."

The crowd immediately went into action, but before they could go too far she stopped two athletic young men.

"You," she indicated the first one, "Fetch a physician."

"The… royal physician?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Any physician. The first one you can find," she said. "Now hurry."

He bowed and started running.

"And you," she said to the second, "You run to the palace and alert the guards at the gate that the Fire Lord is inside a burning building. Tell them where it is. They will know what to do."

As soon as he started running, she turned back to the shop. The flames were pouring out of the roof now, burning hot and fast, threatening to consume the entire structure.

It was strange, though. Homes in the Fire Nation caught fire fairly often, but when they did it was usually extinguished quickly without much damage. Everyone was so careful, making sure to eliminate fire hazards in their homes, and most families - like hers - had regular safety drills. For a fire to get this out of control was very, very rare.

And for it to happen to her house on the night of their engagement banquet…

Mai narrowed her eyes, and was about to run around to the back of the house to look for - well, she wasn't quite sure what, but there had to be something - when a crash brought her attention back to Tom-Tom's window.

It was broken now, and flames were licking the edges of the frame. Crouching on the ledge was Hinata. He took a leap into the pile of blankets and pillows supplied by the crowd, only stumbling a little.

He turned around and held his hands out. Zuko was now in the window, holding a small boy in his arms.

Tom-Tom.

He tossed him into Hinata's waiting arms, then disappeared back into the room.

Mai thought no more about her suspicions. She ran over to the pile of blankets and took her brother from Hinata.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

His only answer was a deep cough and a wave of his hand that either meant 'he's fine, stop worrying', or 'no, he's not going to make it'.

With a scowl at Hinata's incompetence, she turned her attention to the still form in her arms.

His eyes were shut tight and he was covered with soot and a few angry red marks that were obviously burns. Her fingers flew to his neck, and her shoulders sagged when she felt a pulse.

He took a shuddering breath that turned into a hacking cough and shivered. She cradled him in her arms and patted him on the back, while simultaneously casting her gaze back up.

Where was Zuko? The flames were intensifying around the broken window, so thick that even if he'd been standing right behind them, she couldn't have seen him.

She held her breath for an interminable moment, waiting.

Then, with a deep whooshing sound, the wall around the window collapsed, and a massive fireball shot out of the room towards them.

In midair, the fire dissipated to reveal Zuko with an unconscious Auntie Mura slung over one shoulder. His free hand and legs were swinging wildly, as if to gain control over his fall. But Auntie Mura's weight was throwing off his balance, and he hit the ground hard, tumbling to a stop. Auntie Mura flew out of his grip and skidded off the blankets and onto the ground.

The crowd collectively held their breath.

When Zuko rolled over to his hands and knees - with a groan and a cough that rivaled Hinata's - they cheered and rushed in like a swarm of fire ant flies, blocking him from her view.

Still clutching Tom-Tom to her chest, she scooted over to Auntie Mura's body.

Her hair was singed in several places, and her arm was bent at an extremely unnatural angle that meant it was probably broken, but Mai could see her chest rise and fall. She was alive. They were both alive.

Unwilling to move from the spot until she was sure both of them had been tended to, she settled into a comfortable cross-legged position and watched everyone else run around like pig chickens with their heads cut off.

"Give the Fire Lord some space," Hintata was croaking in an attempt to sound in charge, but his weak, hoarse voice wasn't inspiring much obedience. People were crowding even closer to Zuko, telling him how amazing he was, telling him their names and boasting of how much they'd helped.

She heard the clanging of a bell in the distance, sounding strange and warbling as it came closer and closer to them. The Fire Brigade had arrived and immediately started bending the flames.

As the fire died down, the crowd seemingly increased. Curious bystanders and neighbors, Fire Brigade chasers, and, finally, the physician, a middle-aged man with a rather prodigious bald spot.

He pushed in through the crowd, making a hawk-beeline for Zuko.

"My lord," she could hear him say. He paused, presumably to bow. "I humbly request permission to examine the royal person."

"I'm fine," Zuko said, sounding decidedly not fine to Mai's ears, though since she still couldn't see him through the crowd, she couldn't be quite sure. "Treat the woman and little boy who were trapped in the house first. I can wait for the royal physician."

"My lord!" he protested. "Your health-"

"Is not the primary concern here." He injected a bit more steel into his voice.

"Y- Yes, sir."

A few moments later, the physician knelt on the ground next to Mai and began inspecting Auntie Mura.

"Broken arm," he murmured. "Possibly a concussion, too. Second degree burns. Smoke inhalation."

He sat up and shook his head. "She needs to be admitted to my clinic, the sooner the better."

She nodded woodenly. "And my brother?"

He took Tom-Tom from her arms and examined him.

"Nothing major, but in a child that young we always worry about the aftereffects of smoke inhalation. Their airways are so small…"

"Then take him to your clinic, too. Better safe than sorry."

"Eh, yes, about that. I will need to speak with the responsible party before he is admitted. I will also require payment in advance."

Responsible party meaning a father. She hated her father, sometimes, for putting her family in this position in society. Dodging that question for now, she focused on the matter of payment.

"All our gold was inside the house," she said. "As soon as the Fire Brigade finishes I can try to locate the strongbox."

"You will do no such thing," came a hoarse voice from behind her. Zuko. "The house is likely to come crashing down on you."

Standing up, she crossed her arms across her chest. "You're one to talk, you idiot. What were you thinking running into a burning building?"

He lifted a partially singed eyebrow. "I was thinking about you."

A snarky reply was on the tip of her tongue, but the sight of his injury made her swallow it. She took a few steps closer to him and put a gentle hand to the missing spot in his eyebrow. It was the only one he had left, and if it was scarred, too...

"How hurt are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said softly, though he flinched at the contact. He grasped her wrist and pulled her hand down by his side. "I've been hurt much worse before."

"Now you're going to look all scruffy for the wedding," she said, mostly to distract her from the warmth of his hand against her skin.

His eyes softened, and his voice dropped as he replied. "It's better than having to get married in mourning clothes."

She shivered - but whether from the implication of his words or the effect his gaze and touch had on her, she didn't want to examine right now. She pulled her hand out of his grip, then turned around to distance herself from it all.

What she saw was the physician gaping at her from Auntie Mura's side, where he was placing a splint on her arm.

"Lady Mai," he said, bowing quickly. "My sincerest apologies. I didn't know it was you!"

"Whatever," she said, brushing the matter away. "Just make sure they're taken care of."

"Of course! I will arrange to have them taken to my clinic, and they will receive the best care possible!"

"That won't be necessary," Zuko said. "They are coming back to the palace with me tonight. You only need to provide basic first aid."

By the pained look on his face, Mai could tell that the physician recognized his behavior had cost him a once-in-a-lifetime job to treat the family of the Fire Lady, but he valiantly pulled himself together, bowed, and said, "Yes, my lord," and continued splinting Auntie Mura - with, perhaps, a bit more care than before.

Over the noise of the crowd, the Fire Brigade, and the faint crackling of the quickly receding fire came the sound of dozens of feet pounding on the street, all in sync, followed by the ever-increasing sound of clanking armor. In another moment, a division of soldiers rounded the corner and filled the street.

Behind them was Zuko's palanquin and the royal physician, clutching a lacquered and bejeweled box that must have contained his medicines and tools.

He followed the smaller group of soldiers who were making their way to Zuko, bowing as they approached.

"I'm fine," he said again, pointing them in the direction of Tom-Tom and Auntie Mura. "Deal with them first. They need to be moved to the palace infirmary. And see what you can do about clearing the spectators from the area."

They hurried to do his bidding, and taking advantage of the distraction, she turned back to him and said in a low voice, "You're taking them to the palace?"

"I'm taking you all back to the palace," he corrected, and immediately broke into a coughing fit.

"Sit down," she said, patting his back and pushing on his shoulders. Once he was seated and the fit had begun to subside, she continued. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

He looked over at her in confusion. "What-" cough "-do you mean?"

"Don't you think it's convenient that my house burned down tonight, of all nights? And don't you think the fire burned awfully fast?"

His eyes narrowed. "You think it was arson?" At her nod, he coughed again and shook his head. "Even if it was, wouldn't the palace be the safest place for your family? The odds of an arsonist getting past the palace guards is incredibly low."

"That depends on who the arsonist is," she said darkly.

Zuko froze. "You mean Azula."

She gave him a significant look, but couldn't say anymore because at that moment the royal physician appeared at Zuko's side and insisted on examining him.

Mai wasn't the hovering type, so she took that opportunity to check on Tom-Tom and Auntie Mura again. Her aunt was being loaded into Zuko's palanquin - apparently the doctors had made the call that she needed it more than the Fire Lord right now - and Mai only managed a short wave to her before the palanquin bearers set off at double speed.

Tom-Tom was sitting up on a blanket, tears in his eyes and a quivering lip, but mostly holding up well given the circumstances. When she knelt down next to him, he took a shuddering breath and set his jaw. Putting on a brave face for his big sister; Mai almost smiled at it.

"How are you holding up, kid?"

"It hurts," he whined, picking at one of his burns.

"Don't do that," she scolded. "You'll only make them hurt worse."

His answering, "Ouch!" made her raise an eyebrow, and, abashed, he dropped his hands into his lap.

"Cheer up," she said, ruffling his hair. "Zuko says you get to sleep at the palace tonight."

"The Fire Lord?" he said, awed.

Mai rolled her eyes. "Do we know any other Zukos? Of course the Fire Lord." At his gasp, she frowned. "Don't you remember him?"

"I remember you got engaged to him last week."

That answer made her heart ache almost as much as seeing Zuko dying from dragon pox. In the early days after the war, before they'd broken up, Zuko had been almost a big brother figure to Tom-Tom. Yes, he'd been very little and it had been years, but for him to have lost those precious memories to the point that being invited by the Fire Lord to the palace - which used to be a regular occurrence - was a major milestone in his life…

"You used to go to the palace a lot when you were little."

"But I've never slept there before!" he gushed. "Have you, Mai?"

"A few times," she shrugged.

"Wow," he said again, his pain forgotten in view of the adventure before him.

"You do remember that next week Zuko and I are getting married, and then the palace will be my home," she said dryly.

"Oh yeah…" Then he frowned. "Wait. You're moving to the palace?"

"What, did you think Zuko was going to move into the flower shop?"

Slowly, sheepishly, he nodded his head, and Mai had to allow herself the faintest twitch of a smile. Kids could be so funny when they weren't driving you out of your mind.

"I'm afraid the Fire Lord has to live in the palace, and so does his family."

"Can I live with you, too?"

"Then who would look after Mom and Auntie Mura?"

A look somewhere between pride (at being responsible for looking after two old ladies) and annoyance( at being stuck living with two old ladies) played across his face. Finally, he sighed.

"I guess. But I'm going to miss you."

Feeling uncharacteristically tender, she leaned over and gave him a hug. "I'll miss you, too, kiddo."

It was another hour and a half before everyone was patched up and back at the palace. Mai's mother was sitting with Auntie Mura and Tom-Tom in the infirmary - both of whom were sleeping, though the royal physician had to give Tom-Tom an herbal sedative to calm him down.

Mai was leaning on a wall in the back of the throne room, tossing a knife in the air over and over to pass the time. Zuko and Hinata, who were both looking much better, were up on the dais. Zuko had just dismissed a meeting his advisors had called over the incident and had ordered rooms prepared for her and her mother for the duration of their stay.

Those items of business accomplished, he walked across the room, Hinata in tow, to where she was standing. She could see the slight stoop to his posture; he might look and sound better, but he was obviously worn out.

She slipped the knife back into her sleeve and bowed.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Will you cut that out? No one's here but me and Hinata. Stop being formal with me."

"Maybe I was bowing to Hinata." To a normal person, she knew she sounded catty - acerbic, even - but she could tell from Zuko's reaction that he still recognized the subtlety of her sense of humor. "I take it from the raised voices that the Council wasn't pleased with your foolish heroics tonight?"

"You could say that," Hinata scowled. "And with good reason."

Zuko scowled back. "If I hadn't gone in there-"

"Yeah, I know," she said quickly, not wanting him to finish the thought. "That's where the 'heroic' part comes in."

"Hmph," was all he said, though the faint tinge of pink on his cheeks made her think that he had understood the unspoken 'thank you' in her words.

After an uncomfortable moment where she and Zuko did their best not to look each other in the eye, he cleared his throat and began again.

"I told Hinata what you said earlier, about the fire," he said. "He thinks we should send a team to investigate tomorrow, to see how it started or if there are any clues as to who might have started it."

"That makes sense."

"And we both agreed that given the circumstances, it makes sense to assign you a guard, too."

"Ugh," she groaned. "I don't need a guard."

"You're going to have to have one anyway, once you're Fire Lady. It's required by law."

"That's a dumb law. It's just some random person following me around everywhere, intruding on my private thoughts, and who probably can't defend me half as well as I could myself."

"I'll grant you the last point, but the rest of it is really not so bad. At least not once you find a guard that clicks with you. It's like having a friend around all the time. Really, it's not so bad."

In her peripheral vision, she could see Hinata looking very pleased with himself. Well good for Zuko.

"I don't make friends," she said flatly. "Only Azula and Ty Lee, and both of them forced their friendship upon me. I have no intentions of getting friendly with anyone else, ever."

"Then lucky for you," he said, a teasing glint in his eye, "the Kyoshi Warriors are still officially acting as royal guards."

Her heart skipped a beat, torn between horror and relief. "Zuko. You didn't."

"Isn't this just the best?" Ty Lee squealed, grasping Mai's hands and bouncing on her bed. They were in the room she had been given to her for the next week, a large and extravagant one in the same wing of the palace where Zuko and Azula used to live.

In other words, the royal wing. Just down the hall from the Fire Lord's personal suite. She was trying not to think about that.

There was also a real possibility that at some point this had been Azula's room. She was trying even harder not to think about that.

Lucky for her, Ty Lee hadn't given her a chance to do any thinking since she'd burst into the room in an effervescent explosion of Kyoshi Warrior green.

"Suki says this couldn't have worked out any better, and I totally agree. We're going to have so much fun getting you ready for your wedding! I can't wait to see your wedding clothes and the makeup scheme your stylist picked out, and-"

"Makeup scheme?" The items she was trying to force out of her mind were multiplying like rabbit rats.

"Of course, silly," Ty Lee giggled. "You can't be crowned Fire Lady without a makeup scheme."

Oh, the things she was willing to put up with for Zuko. (For the Fire Nation, she hastily corrected herself.)

Ty Lee threw her arms around Mai and squeezed so hard Mai was afraid her ribs would pop. "I'm so happy you and Zuko made up. Your aura is so much brighter than it has been these last few years."

"No it isn't," she protested. "Zuko and I have been fighting the whole time and I've been stressed and miserable and-"

"And you've never been happier," Ty Lee finished with a flourish, sitting back and admiring her with a nod of her head. "You're going to make a beautiful bride, and a perfect Fire Lady, and you and Zuko are going to have the most beautiful babies, and-" She broke off suddenly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sighed, wishing Ty Lee would be quiet so she could finally get to sleep. "Nothing's wrong."

She shook her head. "Your aura just noticeably dimmed." She leaned forward and peered at her. "Do you not want children or something?"

Sometimes she wished Ty Lee weren't so perceptive. "Look, it's nothing like that. I definitely want kids. It's just late, okay? It's been a long day."

"Oh, you're right, it is kind of late. I'd better let you get your beauty sleep. There'll be plenty of time to catch up tomorrow!"

She nodded faintly as Ty Lee blew her a kiss and backed out of the room.

The door clicked shut, and Mai was left alone in the silent, cavernous room. She looked at the closed door, remembering how different the room had seemed with her friend inside, and smiled ruefully.

Zuko had been right. Having a guard wasn't so bad after all.