Hey There.

See! I promised two chapters at least! Yay Thanksgiving! And you're tuning into this party already in progress. I hope you enjoy the rest of Mai's birthday.

Special thanks to Rose-Aki for her review (thank you so much), and to the two people following this story. Thank you so much!

Standard disclaimers apply - I don't own Avatar Last Airbender, Nickelodeon or any of the other trademarked things mentioned in this story. I'm merely borrowing all of these things for my own amusement. Most will be returned unharmed.

Dedicated to that special super fan who is looking so forward to the baking this holiday and Christmas! You know who you are, this one's for you.

"They Forgot!"

Chapter 7 - Fireworks

(Zuko's Perspective)

I was mad okay. Wouldn't you be? If you loved someone and had to watch them be mistreated by their family for so many years? Then you go out of your way to plan a party for that person. Pull out all stops and your sister tries to take it over? Chosing this day of all days to get married. Azula kept swearing that wasn't the case and saying it was all a coincidence. But I can't ever forget, Azula always lies.

I couldn't trust her. While I agreed that she should have a choice in who she marries. That everyone should have a choice, I still couldn't trust her. Not even in something as simple as letting Mai finally have a day all about her.

So when I was sure Mai was having fun with some of the games after cake. And after I steered her away from the ones where Sokka was hiding cactus juice as the penalty. I stepped out one of the back doors of the Ballroom (one of the actual exits and not balconies). To catch my breath, I should have known Azula wouldn't let this opportunity to irk me pass. She followed right on my heels and told me, "Oh don't worry! This is still very much Mai's day and I wouldn't dream of stealing it from her."

"Only because you tried and it didn't work." I pointed out.

Azula maintained, "I never wanted to steal it away from her in the first place. Kavin broke me out for the weekend, I will go back when this long weekend is over. We got married and it crossed my mind that I wanted to see Mai. I'm still glad I did."

"Sure, whatever you say," I said, sarcastically.

Then my sister reminded me, "I'm sorry." Even though she didn't sound sorry at all. "But do you think you're alone in this? That all of those years of cruelty to Mai were only yours to bear."

I shot back at her, "You didn't care."

My sister insisted, "I was her friend before you, I had to watch her cry even more often than you, dumb-dumb. Because I was there-"

"I would have been there if I could have been but I was banished." I reminded.

"How long are you going to keep going back to that same old excuse?" Azula asked sounding bored.

"As long as it's relevant and true." I insisted with an edge in my tone.

"So forever." It wasn't a question.

"Guess so." I nodded.

Azula said, "Knew it."

"It's not like I had any say in the matter, Father banished me at thirteen." I bit out at her. Acting like it was all somehow my fault.

But Azula even surprised me and said, "He sent you away and kept me close. And it turns out he did you the favor and used me."

"I know that," I told her. I let some of my shock show, "But... you know that, now, too?"

"I do now," She revealed, "I thought I was one of the more fearsome players in fathers games. It never occurred to me till I was in sessions with Kavin that I was just as much his pawn as you... well, you before you got from under his thumb. Switched sides and all." It looked like it had taken a lot for her to say that. It must be something they were working on.

Azula got back onto the subject of her friend. "But this isn't about me, like you said. This is about Mai. I was there for her, and all you did was write her letters that she kept like buried treasure. I know! I was with her the day she bought that stupid clunky wooden box to keep them in. She was worried about her staff stealing them or reading them. Or even worse her parents finding them or hearing about them. So she kept them all in a place that locked and that was before you were penning the sappier love letters you're probably scribbling for her these days. That was me, I was there for her and, you weren't Zuko! I want her to have tonight just as much as you."

"I want to believe you, I do." I had to tell my sister. "But you're history is what's against you. For me as well as Mai."

"What are you overdramatizing now?" Azula underplayed.

"You've tried to kill us! Both of us! Multiple times!" I had to say.

"But I didn't." She shot right back.

"It wasn't from lack of trying." I had to remind her. "The only reason I'm here at all is the collective help of everyone in that room. They were all saving me… from father and you. No one more than Mai."

"I told you I was sorry, what more do you want? An apology signed in my blood?" She asked.

"No." I roared a little louder than I meant to. But thankfully I didn't affect the party still in full swing, happening inside. I regained control over my tone and asked. "Does it even enter your mind that you could be disrupting more than a birthday party tonight?"

"What else could I be interrupting," Azula shrugged, "Mai's turning twenty today. It's not like I haven't already done that and it's not like she juvenile enough to expect full spotlight like a teenager. She's much more mature than you are, Zuko. Besides I'm here, there's no way that's possible after that fact. I always own the spotlight, even after my time locked away."

I didn't trust her, so I couldn't tell her my full plan. I just said, "You can stay as long as you and your… husband, or whatever. Will not stand in the way of any of the things we have planned for her tonight."

"Zuko, I just got married, we have a honeymoon period to kick off. Believe it or not, none of that is gonna be about anyone but the two of us. You could burn the place down and we wouldn't notice. Just maybe don't, they can lock you away for something like that if it happens often enough."

I had to agree, "You would know."

Then she surprised me by getting serious as she asked, "Can you even for one second PRETEND to be happy for me?"

I took a deep breath, and I had to confess. "I am happy for you… I am. I just can't believe that you could actually love this guy."

"Me either," she admitted, "Opposites do attract I suppose... But I do love him… and I don't think I really knew what love was… till I met him. Same as Mai with you."

"Huh?" I asked.

"Before Mai got her little crush on you, we used to always call her 'heartless.' She was so pale and stiff all the time, so dark-humored and twisted. I really thought she was born without a heart. Just like me. Then she got all mushy whenever you wrote to her and I knew that wasn't true." Then she went on to share, "I wouldn't get a moment like that till I was locked away in a session with Kavin and had my first moment of clarity in... years, if not my first, ever. That wasn't brought on by sedatives or medications."

"Do I need to hear this?" I asked her,

"No, you don't." She agreed, "But just know that I am happy. Just like I know that you and Mai are happy. And visit a little more often, so all of this stuff won't be such a blow to you. Okay?"

"Okay," I said, as I accept a hug as I did at the end of every visit to my sister. She really had gotten better at those too. I believed for the first time in ages that maybe, even if it is wishful thinking. Maybe she could live a more normal life now… if someone loved her like this guy seemed to. I hoped that they would be good together. Even though I still couldn't believe Azula was married.

((Mai's Perspective))

After the meal and desserts, party games and Sokka's cactus juice tradition had taken effect on a few unfortunate guests. The crowd started to thin out more and more. Till only Zuko's uncle Iroh, Zuko himself and I were the only people left. I had to hug Iroh (even though I'm not a hugger) and say "Thank you so much for everything. The food was delicious that your friends made and the music was beautiful."

He said, "Oh Mai, you're quite welcome. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun."

"I can't remember the last time I had anything like this happen on my birthday. Or for me." I said, which made both men frown. Even though I had said it so happily. Well, happy for me. "Thank you both for such a great day."

"Our pleasure, our absolute pleasure. But don't forget. Tomorrow's gonna be just as fun and there's still more fun planned. You two had better get off to bed and get some rest."

I felt Zuko place a hand on the small of my back and say, "Right. Goodnight Uncle." But I heard something in his tone that had a weird edge to it. I wondered what that could be about. Zuko didn't usually get so guarded around his uncle. But after Azula's appearance tonight, I guessed that my boyfriend could possibly be still dealing with the repercussions of that meet-up. Not to mention her astounding news.

But Iroh was all smiles, almost reassuringly. As he sent us off, saying "Nighty Night, you two play nice."

As I'd tried to leave the ballroom, so I could head up the stairs and to my room. Zuko had caught me by my hand and I could feel him trying to steer me towards the doors at the back of the ballroom instead. When I asked him, "Aren't you tired? Don't you want to head up to bed? Like everyone else already has."

He said, "No." Plain and simple.

So I let him know, "Well, you look like you're about to fall over. And today is really starting to catch up with me. I wasn't excepting any of this to happen. So what's going on with you, are you alright?"

"I'm okay." He said very clearly, even repeated, "I'm okay, but I really wanted to take a walk with you out of this back door. Did you ever go out of it during the party?" He asked and I noticed the glint of sweat on his brow.

"No, are you sure that you're feeling alright?" I asked again, putting the backs of my fingers to his forehead. They had been cold so his eyes drifted closed. "You're sweating a lot and you haven't even danced or done anything like that for a while. You're awfully warm, are you sure you don't have a fever? Sure you're not sick? Or may have accidentally gotten into Sokka's cactus juice?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He said again, still dodging the question. "Could you please walk out with me?... Please?... We won't go far, I'm tired too. But I think the night air might help me and I don't want to walk out there alone."

"Okay," I agreed and he took my hand and walked in front of me, but you should have seen how fast his stride got and board straight his back was. So much tension, and as soon as we were out in the cooler night air. He seemed to be able to breathe a little easier. But I was still concerned. There wasn't a single light lit, only the moonlight shining, and its reflection on the ocean surrounding us. Zuko leaned his back against the wall of the building and breathed in and out for a minute. He gripped both of my hands and I tried to let him calm down.

But what I was completely unaware of was that most of our team hadn't gone to bed. They'd all met up at the shoreline… off a safe distance from the Inn. Where they were lighting fireworks that started to go off as we were standing there. I could hear their cheers off in the distance, even Appa's opinion was clear. It was the perfect way to end the night, and they were shooting the whole show to best be seen right here… where Zuko had led me. it couldn't have been more beautiful.

But Zuko still didn't look well. So even though I enjoyed what they were doing… I was also very worried about my boyfriend. As the pyrotechnics were still firing off, I asked him, "What's wrong?"

After ages of saying he was fine, he finally said the word, "Nervous!"

"What are you nervous about?" I asked just as the entire balcony lit up with candles that aligned the entire railing of this balcony. And lanterns all across the top lit up to match the ones that had been hanging inside the ballroom.

I looked over at Zuko, and he'd clearly managed to light all of that using his bending. I think I even said outloud, "For someone who's so nervous. You have a funny way of showing it."

He asked me, "How was everything? Did you have fun today? Tonight? Did you like everything except for the sunbathing? And possibly Azula trying to steal the party from you?"

"I did, and I don't know how to thank you." I had to say. The words seemed so small for all that he'd done. "And I didn't mind sharing with Azula, she was so different since she got together with that doctor Kavin guy."

"I minded," Zuko just had to say. "I planned today for you, and I wasn't gonna let anybody steal it. But I'm asking for future reverence. Would you like something like this again, maybe next year or when you turn twenty-five?" he asked as he took hold of my waist and kept me close.

I turned so I could still watch the fireworks and said, "I could do this again, but maybe my twenty-fifth would be better for another big one like this." Today had been so much fun, but it had been overwhelming too and I really could have done without all of the agony of this morning.

"What about next year? Any ideas." He had to ask, and I could tell he was making conversation so he could talk about what he needed to.

So I shared honestly, "Next year… if it's possible, could we maybe do something like this just the two of us?"

"Are you suggesting just the two of us on a deserted island or just the two of us period?" He asked for clarification.

I smirked, "Just the two of us, is all I need." I said as I came so close to kissing him. And pulled out at the last minute. "But the deserted island was really nice too. Not being surrounded in all those strangers flipping out when they realize you're the Fire Lord."

"Yeah, that was nice," He shook his head at me for teasing him like that.

It was now that I had to ask, "So the Ballroom was decorated because the party was happening there. And this little balcony is decorated the same because of the fireworks? Or was there something else that was supposed to happen here that I'm missing?"

"No," Zuko began. "There is more than fireworks happening here, I just needed a minute to breathe before I could… get to it, that's all."

"Just breathing, that's what all of that was?" I had to point out.

"Mai." He used his irrefutably serious tone. "Are you happy with me? Really happy?"

"Of course I am," I didn't hesitate to confirm. "I think it's safe to say, I've never been happier than I have been these past few years or twelve hours. Zuko, you don't doubt that do you?"

"No, I was hoping that was what you would say." He smiled, but I could still see his guard was up and it was sending up all kinds of red flags and alarm bells off in my head. That this was all getting pointed at me for some reason. Why was he nervous about me? Was he breaking up with me? That didn't make any sense. Why would he go to all this trouble for me to feel special if he planned to break my heart? Was he gonna have to go away for a while or something again? The last time he'd made a big scene like this, that was the case. But then he'd just taken me out on a date to tell me, this was in the middle of nowhere. Just the two of us, even though our friends were all around.

Zuko lit a super fast fuse next to us and I watched as it shot off like a bullet to where all of our friends were still shooting off fireworks. I could even hear Sokka saying, "Zuko, lit it! He actually freakin' lit it!" Only this fuse took a turn in the opposite direction from our friends,' probably right at the shoreline. A bunch of fireworks shot off from a different set up place. They shot off together and formed the words, "Marry me?" In the sky.

When I pointed and was about to ask, Zuko what was happening, I turned to look at him and he was down on one knee. Clutching one of my hands in both of his. The hand that he wasn't holding shot for my face and I tried to contain my reaction by covering my mouth. But some strange sounds still escaped through my fingers. As I tried to lock my reaction down so I could hear what he was saying.

"Mai." He said seriously again, "I love you and I honestly can't remember a time where I didn't love you. Not since meeting you, you're my best friend, you're who I turn to for everything… you're just… everything… To me… and I can't picture any of my future without you being right there with me. I don't want to picture another minute without you. So Will. You. Marry. Me?"

I always promised myself, whenever I watched a proposal happening. That I wouldn't be one of those vapid little bubbleheads who bawl and blubber through it. But then Zuko got down on one knee in front of me and I was crying so hard I couldn't answer him. I even fell to my knees in front of him and hugged him. Just because I couldn't get the words out.

He hugged me back and shifted his weight to sit on the ground. Pulling me into his arms telling me, "Hey, don't cry… If the idea upsets you so much. We can forget I asked and just go back to the way things have been-"

"No," I finally could say.

"No." He said softly. Thinking that was my answer, the one word had come out sounding so hollow.

"No!" I panicked. "Not No! I don't… want to… forget it and… I'm not crying… b-because I'm upset."

"But tears are so rare for you," Zuko said, I still struggled to pull myself together. "You usually have to be very upset for something like that."

"I know," I agreed, "But I really thought you'd never ask me. Because of the very thing that Azula was talking about earlier. What about the elders, don't they always tell the Fire Lord who to marry?"

"Not me," He affirmed, "I already met with them and they're gonna let me marry whoever I choose. But I really think what that means is that they already approve of you as my choice. We have been dating for years and I've never really done that with anyone else. And you're not just anybody, you're the Governor's daughter, you've saved me, Aang, and your family countless times. Your reputation speaks for itself."

"Can I give you my answer now that I can talk again," I asked him as my head was resting on his shoulder. The crack and fizzle of fireworks still going off in the distance.

"If you can, but if you need to think about it, I understand that too," Zuko said as he held me so tightly. "Just think about it. You don't have to answer right away."

I couldn't wait another minute, I had to let him know. "But I have my answer now, and it's yes."

He leaned back and asked, "Yes? For real?"

"Yes, I'll marry you." I said just before I was pulled into the longest kiss we'd shared all day. I thought that I was the happiest I'd ever been, and could ever be. It turns out that I still didn't know what real happiness was. Not till I was on that ground with my boyfriend, or now he's my fiancée isn't he? I've never been happier sitting on the ground before… or anyplace else.

I couldn't help but think to myself, in that moment. If we do this, really get to share our lives like this. In what other ways am I gonna be shocked by my own happiness? How many other moments are gonna be like this one? And I did wonder, could I ever make him as happy as he's made me.

One glance at his face and I had my answer, I could. He hugged me so tight after that I knew he never wanted to let go. And it made my heart pound, knowing he wouldn't always have to.

That's all for this chapter!

But don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. It's not posted today, it will be here soon. I hope this as been as fun to read as it was to write. God bless you all have a great day and those who are celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving!

~DarcyBeDippy85!