A/N: I need to edit the past few chapters. I feel like I've been phoning it in for many scenes so I put hours and hours into making this chapter something I'm proud of. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.


Chapter Fifteen: Prom Prep


On April 8th, June sits in the second living room, her back against the foot of the sofa, beside Azula as they marathon the Alien movies. They have just completed Aliens and Azula crawls to open the book of blu-ray special editions. She skips the third film and picks up the fourth disc.

"And we're skipping the third one why?" asks June, untying and retying her ponytail. She picks up another skittle before Azula thinks through her reply.

"The third one is awful," expresses the Shinohai girl, "and you don't need to see it to understand the fourth one."

June cocks an eyebrow and pops another red skittle into her mouth. "I've heard people hate the fourth one too."

Azula carelessly shrugs one shoulder. "I disagree. It is iconic, and also Sigourney Weaver made that basketball shot herself without any special effects on the first try. The movie is worth watching if only for that incredible fact."

June suddenly finds herself intrigued. "So, why are you so into Sigourney Weaver?"

Azula sits back on her haunches and casually explains, "She and Harrison Ford were my childhood heroes. Well, Ellen Ripley and—"

"Han Solo."

"No."

"Indiana Jones?"

"No."

June sucks in a breath and tries to think now. "The guy from Blade Runner?"

Azula smirks, a twinkle in her golden eyes. "Air Force One."

June bursts out laughing. Azula glowers but June cannot reign in her mirth. She finishes gasping and inquires, "So, Ellen Ripley from the Alien movies. I actually know who that is, so why don't we start there. Why is she your childhood hero?"

"I used to dress my Barbies as her and act out the Alien movies," Azula blurts out. She promptly blushes and clears her throat. "Ellen Ripley murders things with a flamethrower and looks so sexy while doing it. I would love that. That is my dream. If I cannot be a President with expert combat skills tested by terrorists like Harrison Ford in Air Force One, I want to murder things with a flamethrower and look sexy while doing it."

"Yeah, you'd look sexy with a flamethrower." June gives that cavalier smirk and Azula feels a rush of heat surging through her.

"I know I would," Azula replies. She then grimaces when Mai walks into the room, Zuko right behind her.

"We go to the airport in an hour. Be ready," she says with a small sigh.

Ty Lee and Haru already drove home early this morning. Mai stayed with Zuko for extra time and Azula has to serve her sentence with her mother twice a month.

"I'll see you around," casually says June, kissing Azula.

When June leaves, Azula watches her go.

[X]

The next day, Ty Lee skips school, leaving Azula and Mai alone. That should not be permissible under the rules of friendship, therefore Azula hopes for Ty Lee's sake that she has become violently ill. Unfortunately, Azula does not get that blessing when she gets out of her driver's car and sees Ty Lee sitting on her emerald lawn, eyes fixed on her phone.

"Hello, Ty Lee," Azula says as her friend jumps up and wraps her in a tight hug. She accepts the embrace, even if she hates how she enjoys her best friend's body against hers. "Why weren't you at school today? Also why are you on my lawn?"

"We got home a day late from Portland, and I've been waiting for you," Ty Lee says, grinning. Then her eyes light up. "I have news for you!"

Azula remembers Ty Lee abandoning her and crisply states, "I'm in a bad mood after enduring school today. I cannot handle your boring and petty excuse for news."

"Then I'll cheer you up." Ty Lee beams, missing the implication that she caused Azula's bad mood. "We could go tanning on the beach. Tanning gets me so high. It's a blast."

Azula rolls her eyes. "I work to maintain my ivory complexion, and work harder to make sure I will look young forever."

"But the beach!"

"I hate the beach. It smells weird and is always crowded."

"Okay, okay," Ty Lee says, screwing up her face in thought. "We could go get smoothies. You love smoothies and I love smoothies."

Azula relents. "Fine. I will go get smoothies with you."

[X]

An hour later, Ty Lee stands beside Azula at the smoothie shop by the beach. She turns to her friend after ordering her own acai-based concoction.

"You like strawberry-banana, right?" Ty Lee inquires, batting her eyelashes in hopes of lessening the transgression.

She has no such luck. Azula glares and sharply says, "I hate bananas. You should know that. I like strawberry-orange."

Ty Lee weakly smiles, nods, and corrects the order. They linger until the stoned teenage boy manages to give them their drinks, then they go and sit down by the shimmering window.

Despite to start conversation, "I was thinking," says Ty Lee, sipping her smoothie. "If we were Snooki and Jwoww, I'd be Snooki and you'd be Jwoww."

Azula rolls her eyes and does not dignify that with a response.

"You can tell me your news now," says Azula, waving her hand dismissively.

"Okay, okay, guess what," Ty Lee says, setting down her magazine. "I was waiting until you cheered up and stuff because I'm your bestie and that means I have to cheer you up before I can give you new gossip, but you'll never guess how awesome this is!"

"Go ahead."

"Me and Haru had sex!"

Azula blanches. She does not even notice the several people in the smoothie shop who turn to face the girl who just screamed that confession in a crowded store. "What makes you think it would be appropriate to tell me that?"

"Besties," Ty Lee says, brightly smiling. Azula grits her teeth and tries to control herself. "You'd tell me if you and June had sex, right?"

"No, because that is personal information."

Ty Lee leans in and stage whispers, "Have you had sex?"

"No." Azula glowers. She then leans back. "So when and where did you do that?"

"Well, we stopped at a motel since the drive is forever and ever going back from LA. Mai wasn't there and stuff because she stayed with Zuko, so it was just me and him in a motel. What else would happen, right?"

"You both get murdered by psychos and/or perverts," coldly says Azula, fantasizing about that very thing. How dare Ty Lee sleep with anyone. She cannot do that.

Ty Lee politely giggles. Azula's smoldering glare then makes her burst into a fit of nervous giggles, until her shoulders shake with painful cute laughter.

Azula pointedly turns her attention to her phone and ignores everything else Ty Lee says.

[X]

After suppressing her rage during their ride home, Azula loses it upon stepping out of the car. Ty Lee keeps grinning at her as if she cannot sense the tension.

"Ty Lee," coldly says Azula, glowering with the fire of a thousand angry suns, "you didn't know my smoothie order so I hate you and we are no longer friends. I do not want you to speak to me again and you will return to me all borrowed items, as Friend Code dictates."

"Uh, okay, I'll just have to go to my room." It shocks Ty Lee too much to make her cry. She weaves backwards towards her house but Azula's eyes stop her.

"Give me my sweatshirt back. The one you are wearing," snaps Azula, holding out her hand. Ty Lee pulls it off, flashing everyone in the vicinity without a thought, and hands it to Azula before she smooths down her camisole. "Good. That should be everything. Have a nice life."

Ty Lee stares after her, her lips parted, as Azula storms into her mansion.

[X]

On Tuesday morning in first period English, "Mai," says Azula, "we are not friends with Ty Lee anymore. If I see you talking to her or acknowledging her existence I will literally murder you."

As always, Mai knows this will pass in a day or two, and so she nods. When Azula turns to her meticulous notes, Mai texts Ty Lee that they are pretending to be off of speaking terms for the time being. Ty Lee replies, 'ok,' with about a thousand crying emojis. Mai rubs her temples; she needs new friends.

Moments later, Ty Lee adds the text, 'Haru's having party his house 2night.'

Mai suppresses a sigh and types back, 'I'm not speaking to you anymore but I'm not mad at you either. Stop texting me.'

Azula looks over and Mai shoves her phone back under her plaid skirt.

"Did Ty Lee just text you about a party at Haru's house?" Azula inquires, trying not to wonder why Haru decided to host a party out of the blue on a Tuesday night.

"Why would she text you?" Mai asks, setting her face on her palm and her elbow on her desk.

Azula replies, "Because she is loyal to a fault. We're going to it."

"Why do you want to go to a party at Haru's house? Actually, why do you want to go to a party at all?"

"I am going to use this party as the perfect excuse to break him and Ty Lee up."

"Then you two can be friends again."

"Oh, of course not." A wicked smirk spreads on Azula's face. "Then I can make her miserable."

Mai sighs and suggests, "Why don't you just start a vicious rumor about her and call it a day? Then I don't have to change my evening plans."

"One, I already told that girl whose mom runs a gossip column that Ty Lee recently had an abortion. Two, what are your evening plans? You never do anything fun," says Azula, ignoring her hypocrisy and her horrid actions.

Mai dryly lists, "Take off my uniform, put on pajamas, watch Netflix."

Azula briskly orders, "Take off your uniform, put on something sexy, watch me destroy a happy relationship. Report to my house at eight."

Mai sighs, but relents without a fight.

[X]

Under the pretense of going to the bowling alley on a group date to break up Ty Lee and Haru, Azula tries on at least twenty outfits. Her make-up takes even longer. At last, at eight-twenty, she walks down the stairs and finds Mai sitting at her counter with a Capri-Sun talking to Ozai.

"… which is why I wonder why I don't get new friends. I could get new friends who respect my wishes to just put on my pajamas and watch Netflix on evenings. New friends who don't make me participate in evil schemes or light me on fire to try to set me up with a boy I haven't had a crush on since I was seven—"

Azula interrupts, "Mai, until you get those new friends, we are going to the bowling alley."

Ozai regally orders, "Don't stay out too late breaking up Ty Lee's relationship with whatever the fuck his name is."

Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Azula chimes, "I won't, father. Goodnight."

[X]

Azula walks into the party as if she owns the place. Mai sullenly follows her and stands in the corner with the most closed-off posture she can manage. Meanwhile, Azula seeks the host and ignores the attempts of others to spark conversation with her.

She meanders through the party and finds her target. Unfortunately, her target is connected to Ty Lee's face. Azula wonders if it feels like this to try to shoot a man who has a hostage.

Slowly, Azula stalks him through the night. She would have to acknowledge Ty Lee's existence to pry them apart, which she does not want to do. Azula talks to a few people but does not listen much, and finally finds Mai.

She has a guy with her. He swings keys around his finger.

"This is my partner in crime tonight. Release her," Azula orders, staring him down. He does not even flinch, a first for Azula. Boys never stay that calm when she glares.

Mai answers instead of the intruder, "This is Jet. He has a motorcycle and we're leaving."

"You can't leave now!" Azula screams. Thankfully, no one hears her over the loud music.

"Bye," Mai replies. "Your dad really made me realize that I don't always have to listen to you."

"Yes, you do!" Azula exclaims, clenching her fists, her fake nails digging painfully into her palms.

Despite that display of rage, Mai just shrugs and leaves with whoever the Hell Jet is.

Azula hisses, stomps her foot once for good measure and goes to find Haru. She no longer has the patience to do this slowly and take genuine pleasure in it.

"Can you help me?" Azula asks him. He looks up at her. "Ty Lee is passed out upstairs."

He does not even glance around the party to check before saying, "Oh, okay."

Azula wonders why anyone trusts her. They have no reason to do so.

She escorts him up the staircase, withdrawing the lucky lighter with the blue dragon out of her coat pocket, and he opens the door to a bedroom. She steps inside and kicks the door shut.

"I wanted to spend more time on this, but my best friend thinks a motorcycle is more fun than getting my revenge. Can we make this quick?" Azula just lights him on fire in one swoop of her arm and flick of her thumb, tears off his shirt to put it out, steps out of one of her high heels that Ty Lee bought her, steps out of the room, and locks him inside before he can react.

She was going to more subtly light his shirt and make him take it off, but Azula's anger at Mai needs to be channeled somewhere.

"Thank you, decade of martial arts," she mutters to herself as she flees from the upper floor to locate Ty Lee.

She finds her ex-best friend drinking in the kitchen.

"Azula?" Ty Lee cheerily asks, her eyebrows shooting up hopefully. Azula finds it almost adorable.

"Ty Lee, as your former best friend, I need to tell you something," Azula says, setting both hands on Ty Lee's shoulders. "Have you seen your boyfriend tonight? Because I kept telling you he was not nice but you thought he was sweet because he sends you pictures of kittens, however, he cheated on you tonight."

Ty Lee's face falls, then contorts into an expression of agony. "With who? How do you know?"

"With me. And that's how I know. I locked him in the bedroom if you want to go confront him. Goodnight." Azula smirks, Ty Lee starts crying.

The former girl decides tonight has been a beautiful night.

[X]

The next morning, Mai sits down beside Azula on a glossy wooden pew. The students gather for morning meeting and Mai prepares for another boring day. "Ty Lee called me sobbing about eight times this weekend. You're really good at ruining lives."

"I know," Azula replies, winking.

Mai wants to point out how disgusting it is that Azula looks happier than she ever has and she saw Ty Lee wearing stained pink sweatpants in the hallway earlier, but she honestly does not care. The current student body president hands out prom invitations this morning.

Ty Lee starts crying again because she does not have a date. Which is a fact that she tries to remedy in the most baffling of all ways. Azula stands in the hall, talking with Mai, when Ty Lee, devoid of make-up and in pathetic clothes, walks up to them. Mai averts her eyes and Azula continues pretending her ex-best friend does not exist.

"Uh," Ty Lee begins, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Azula, I know that you're mad at me, but I just, you know, broke up with Haru and prom is only in a month and I was wondering if we could go to prom together. In a—as friends—in a friend way."

"I am going with June. I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else," Azula purrs. She turns away then pivots back. "However, I am in a fabulous mood and I do not have anyone to go dress shopping with since Mai is a sorry excuse for a friend, so why don't you come with me after school?"

Ty Lee grins.

"I'd love that!" she cheers.

She wraps her arms around Azula. In a friend way, of course.

And she never wants to let go. Of her friend, of course.

[X]

After school, Ty Lee walks into the boutique with a broad smile on her face. She put herself back together—flawless braid, fake eyelashes, cute designer clothes, pink pumps, light lipstick—and now she thinks she can conquer the world by Azula's side.

"Miss Shinohai, we're at your service," she says. Azula expects no less.

"Good. Bring us dresses that will look good and that no one else will have or be able to look away from during prom," orders Azula.

The shopkeeper pulls out a lineup as Azula and Ty Lee wait while on their phones. She holds out two separate racks of priceless gowns.

Ty Lee slides on a diamond studded form-fitting dress with a bottom of pink tulle. Azula slips into dress fit for an evil queen—dark red velvet, black lace and a slit up the side of her smooth leg.

"That is hideous," says Azula to Ty Lee.

"That is perfect!" says Ty Lee to Azula.

Ty Lee wriggles into a short pink dress studded with diamonds, with ribbon and tulle. Azula easily slips into a matching blue one.

"These are lovely," states Azula. The shopkeeper sets hangs them on the 'good' rack.

Ty Lee pulls on a glimmering pink dress with billowing pink satin. She looks like a sweet princess. Azula steps into a red dress with intense short sleeves and even more dark rouge satin than Ty Lee's pink. She looks like an evil princess.

"Keep," Azula orders.

Azula steps into a lavender and cerulean dress that hugs her form but falls smooth and long around her lower body. It glistens different colors as she twists and turns in the sunlight. Ty Lee jumps into a rainbow number that almost makes Azula hurl.

"Ty Lee, try on mine. That one should be burned," Azula demands. Ty Lee does as she is told.

Azula puts on the perfect dress. Nothing could be superior. The light cerulean looks like fire as it falls, draped around her like a scarf of flame. The cutouts on the front highlight a body that Ty Lee pretends she never has stared at.

Ty Lee embraces her. "Please wear this. This was made for you."

Azula sets her hands on her hips and looks in the mirror.

"Why not?" she purrs. "I think I agree with my lackey."

Ty Lee finds her flawless dress immediately afterwards. It has diamond cutouts like Azula's, but not nearly as sharp; she looks softer. Her dress has ruffles instead of smooth satin and is a light but bright pink. It is short in the front and long in the back. The low-neck dips beneath her chest.

"We're gonna be the belles of the ball," Ty Lee chirps, jumping up and down.

Azula does not mock her for once. "Yeah, I think so," she says.

It is the sweetest thing Ty Lee ever imagined hearing.

But then it gets crushed when Azula says, "Take a picture of me so I can send it to June."

Ty Lee blinks back tears when she obliges.


Chapter Fifteen: Wedding Planning


On the plane ride to Los Angeles, Ty Lee rests her head on Azula's shoulder.

"We should do a wedding shoot while we're in LA," Ty Lee dreamily suggests. "We could take the pictures back where we first met or where we had our first date or something. It would be very romantic."

"Well, we don't have dresses," Azula says, hoping to avoid that adventure.

Ty Lee says, "We don't need them! We can get cute sundresses or something. I wanna save my dress for the wedding anyway. It's going to be so sparkly that everybody will be blinded when I walk down the aisle."

"Wonderful," sarcastically says Azula before putting in headphones and turning her gaze to the sky.

Ty Lee pouts but Azula pays her no mind.

[X]

They check in with Ozai and Mai instead of a hotel. This lodging decision mostly is as punishment for them dropping in on Azula and Ty Lee in New York a few months ago. Azula has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to do so.

Ty Lee hugs Mai, and then hugs Ozai. Neither seems very enthused. Azula lights a cigarette and sits down on the sofa.

She will admit that returning to her childhood home makes her feel good. The sense of safety that washes over her and the flood of golden memories all soak her with vague happiness. Ty Lee, on the other hand, immediately feels uneasy, afraid to do the wrong thing and make Ozai disapprove of her relationship with Azula.

"I'll make drinks," Ty Lee quickly offers, racing to the bar, needing to be in her element.

She finds an odd solace in the memories of an old life she tries hard to forget. Ty Lee sees Mai and Azula walk in while she takes stock.

"So, did I ever tell you about me and Azula's second first date?" Ty Lee asks, beaming as she looks at the same brand of whiskey that was there. It broke on the floor that night and Ty Lee did not clean it up.

"No," Mai says, "but I have a feeling you're about to."

"She breathed fire. Literally," Ty Lee says. "I was bartending at this kinda gross place in New York and she went there with me because I had to work the whole night. She breathed fire for everybody there and it was so hot."

"I've never seen that trick."

Azula sits down and reaches into her pocket for that one lucky lighter.

Mai studies the worn dragon decal for a moment. "How long have you had that thing?"

"Since I was in middle school. If I lost it, I would die," Azula says, and once Ty Lee hands her a bottle, it takes what feels like a split second to pull off the most dangerous party trick in existence.

Mai finishes recoiling from the flame and Azula stuffs her lighter back in her jacket pocket.

Ty Lee brightly adds, "And I can sword swallow!"

"Which is why all the boys love you," Mai remarks.

Ty Lee sets down three glasses in three colors: blue, pink and black.

"Let's just drink or something," Ty Lee suggests with a cute grin.

[X]

Ty Lee's severely lowered inhibitions make her spit out her frustrations at being dragged to Los Angeles to buy a house because Azula missed her father.

She whines with slurred words, "Why can't we spend some time with my family? They agreed to let us stay with all my sisters and their cute families at their huge summer mansion home in Mississippi and it would be so fun to show off how amazing my celebrity wedding will be."

Azula has had two drinks and, mostly sober, comfortably replies, "Ty Lee, I hate your family. I don't know how I could be clearer about that."

Mai laughs. That draws both of their attention.

"I love Ty Lee's family for the entertainment value. It's actually better than locking Azula, Zuko and Ursa in a room with their baby books and seeing what happens. It's better than the inevitable moment in the coming months when Iroh offers to also walk Azula down the aisle. It's better than all the times Ursa shows me the pictures of my 7th Birthday Party in front of Ozai just to make him uncomfortable. It is better than any reality television show I've ever seen."

"Are you building up to something?" Ty Lee asks, trying not to look hurt.

Mai says, "Ty Lee, your family has more trailer trash women arguing than a Rock of Love reunion episode. It's beautiful. The screaming southern accents and tacky outfits, clawing each other with dollar store fake nails and getting wasted in a way more classless than Jersey Shore could ever aspire to be. Your family is Rock of Love."

Azula adds, "Yes, it is true. When all your sisters and cousins are gathered in one place, I kind of wonder where Brett Michaels is."

Mai concludes, "In short, I think that your wedding videographer should be MTV."

[X]

Azula leaves her two wasted best friends behind and goes to check on Bunny like a responsible parent. She finds Bunny in the movie theatre, the Xbox hooked up to the big screen and her eyes glued to a first person fight with a shark.

"I'M TRYING TO MAKE THIS SHARK INTO A WALLET! GO AWAY, MOM!" Bunny pauses the game. She looks over her shoulder with flushed cheeks. "I mean, Azula. Go away, Azula."

Azula blinks several times fast and pulls herself out of shock.

She says, "It's time for bed."

Bunny rebuts, "It's time to play Far Cry."

Azula does not bother putting up a fight. "Whatever. The guest rooms are up the grand staircase to the right. I will be to the left in my childhood room with your real mom if you need us. Your grandparents will be down the main hallway up the grand staircase in the master bedroom if you need them for some insane reason."

When Azula walks upstairs, she finds Ty Lee lying down in her childhood bedroom. The lack of lights makes the star and moon stickers glow. Outside, the streetlamps illuminate enough of Azula's pristine desk and well-stocked trophy cabinet to bring back a flood of memories.

"I know you're drunk, but Bunny just called me mom." Azula removes her pants and bra and lies down. "Many people have called me her mom, but she never has."

Ty Lee kisses Azula's cheek and whispers, "I think we should have more babies after we get married."

Azula laughs. "No. Absolutely not. Bunny is more than enough for us."

Ty Lee fiercely rolls her eyes and grins. "For now. I've always wanted three."

"I have always wanted one and only one."

"Oh," Ty Lee says, knowing Azula will change her mind.

They fall asleep intertwined in the nostalgic bedroom.

[X]

In the morning, Azula holds coffee and a cigarette while glaring directly at her fiancée. Ty Lee pours her orange juice, puzzled.

Azula coldly says, "Do you even remember what day it is, Ty Lee?"

"Uhm…" Ty Lee frantically looks around for a wall calendar and finds one. "Wednesday."

Azula sharply corrects, "It is the first day of my Birthday Month. You have done absolutely nothing to celebrate it."

Ty Lee tries to find a way to detract attention from messing up. "We could have your bridal shower on your birthday."

Far from swayed, Azula snaps, "You don't plan that. You're one of the brides. Make Mai plan it or something."

Ty Lee hums as she thinks and then says, "Yes, and you could spend bonding time with Mai for a month and I could spend bonding time with my family for a month since absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Azula looks her up and down, puzzled. Ty Lee never makes sense, but this truly confuses her. "Are you suggesting we separate before we even get married?"

Ty Lee explains, "I'm suggesting that the wedding makes us tense and maybe being apart for a bit would be a good thing. Then we can get back together and get all of the stuff for the wedding, because it's only in three months. Three months go by very quickly."

Azula licks her lips. She wants to be unhappy about that suggestion, but perhaps it would not kill them.

"That might be a good idea," Azula says, not caring if Ty Lee might be making the offer as a trap. "It would be very romantic when we reunite and then we can rush right into getting ready for the wedding. You can plan the wedding all you want while with your family in Louisiana—"

"Mississippi."

Azula's jaw drops. "But they don't even have oil in Mississippi. They literally have more oil in California than they have in Mississippi."

"Azula," Ty Lee sweetly says, setting her hands on her fiancée's shoulders, "we might have been nicknamed that by people, but we are not the literal Beverly Hillbillies. My dad started a pet resort chain, which is how we got super rich, and we moved to California because my mom got a job as a physics professor at UCLA."

Azula breaks free of Ty Lee's grasp and leans back on her chair. "I forgot that your mom is smart. How is she so trailer trash but so smart?"

Ty Lee replies, "Because trailer trash is cultural and being good at math isn't."

"Decent point." Pause. "What were we talking about?"

"We're both going to take a month and spend it with our families, then get back together to finalize the plans I'll make for the wedding. It'll be so romantic and the sex will be fabulous." Ty Lee hugs Azula tightly.

"No hugging. I am still pissed off at you. Thankfully for you, I've changed my mind about the house for now. I'm thinking we can look into that once we are actually married," Azula says, and Ty Lee smiles instead of complaining about being dragged here for no reason.

"But I promised Bunny I would take her to Hollywood," says Ty Lee.

Azula replies, "You can still do that."

Ty Lee whimpers. "But it's scary there and I need you to protect me."

"You used to go there alone when you were a teenager. You'll live." Azula kisses Ty Lee and steps back. "Then you can go to the airport and go to Louisiana."

"Mississippi." Azula stands and refills her coffee cup.

Ty Lee frowns and finds Mai's contact in her phone.

'send me a happy txt,' begs Ty Lee with her thumbs.

After a few anxious moments, Mai replies, 'I have decided to call my island Isle of It-when-you-call-me-big-poppa.'

Ty Lee scowls. 'Wut does tht mean?'

Mai replies, 'Show it to Azula and make her explain.'

'azula hates me. that's y i want happy txt.'

'I'm not a happy person. You have other friends.'

Ty Lee sighs. She does know that Mai must truly love her to even attempt to cheer her up in the first place.

She texts Mai, 'ok u need to plan azula's bridal shower becuz she wants it her birthday month.'

After a long pause, Mai types back, 'Ugh. Fine.'

[X]

Predictably, seconds after that text, Azula storms into Mai's room and slams the door three times. Mai almost wishes she were wrong to be awaiting the angry intrusion. She holds out a hand. "Azula, give me your phone."

"No," snaps the livid CEO. "Why?"

"I know you hate her right now, but Ty Lee told me to organize your bridal shower. I don't usually organize parties but nobody else is going to do it, since Ty Lee actually has more than one friend. Which is why I need your phone. I'm just going to mass text your contacts with feminine names and see what happens."

Azula earnestly says, "Everyone in my phone is from work."

"Good. That makes my job easier. I'll tell them that it's a mandatory party."

Azula shrugs and hands over her phone.

[X]

Ty Lee sits with Azula at their favorite childhood smoothie bar.

"Okay, so we break apart for six weeks, and we both do wedding stuff while we're apart. I'll make all the bookings for the caterers and stuff like that and deal with RSVPs and a DJ. You'll get our wedding bands and… uh, get our wedding bands. Oh! You can pick out our honeymoon."

"Fine."

Ty Lee adds, "And you're keeping Bunny. I think you two need to bond."

"Fine."

"I'm gonna miss you." Ty Lee reaches out and squeezes Azula's hand. "But we're gonna be so happy when we get back together. Then we'll get our dresses and order our cake. After that, we just breathe and relax together for a little bit, then it's off to Vegas for the week before!"

"Fine."

"I'm so happy," Ty Lee chirps. "And happy Birthday Month."

Azula smirks.

[X]

The next day, after a very needlessly emotional ride to the airport, Azula must pry Bunny from Ty Lee and kiss her goodbye. Ty Lee sneaks in one last hug to her daughter and a quick kiss on her fiancée's nose. Her heart feels like it might explode.

"Have fun, guys!" Ty Lee chirps, and she races off to the Deep South.

Once Azula makes it home from LAX, she pulls into the driveway, hops out, unstraps Bunny from her car seat and walks inside to find Mai waiting for her like she was earlier. This time, Mai has her laptop open.

Mai inquires, "What color scheme do you want at your bridal shower?"

"I don't know. Something blue. I like blue."

"Ugh." Mai rolls her eyes. "I hate blue. Does it need a theme?"

"It's a bridal shower, not prom. And I thought the point of you organizing it was that I don't have to deal with it," Azula coldly replies, sitting down regardless of her reluctance to participate.

"Me organizing it has to do with the fact that most people have friends who want to throw them parties." Pause. "I have to do your bachelorette party too, don't I?"

"Probably."

"It's happening at the Voodoo Lounge the night before the wedding."

"I feel it would be more appropriate to hold it at the club at the Brimstone."

"It's happening at the Voodoo Lounge the night before the wedding. I'm planning it and so it's my damned decision where we have it."

"Whatever."

"When does Ty Lee come home?"

"We're meeting in New York on April 11th. I honestly don't know how she will last six weeks without Bunny, but that was part of the deal."

"Well, that's why Facetime was invented. That and better cybersex, I guess," says Mai, not giving Azula enough time to clamp her hands over Bunny's sensitive young ears.

"Let the month begin," Azula says with a shrug.


WEEK ONE

In the late afternoon, once Mai wakes up she finds Azula in the kitchen and says, "Your bridal shower will have a mimosa bar and no cutesy little games."

Azula almost forgot about this stupid shower. "Can you put that I just want birthday gifts and not wedding gifts, but the birthday gifts can be pertinent to the wedding?"

Mai sighs. "Then I'd just be giving you a birthday party."

"You could just give me a birthday party. Ty Lee would never know the difference." Azula has a brilliant idea. "Okay, what if we don't invite anybody at all. Just the two of us. We set up a really Pinterest-y room and then have the mimosas all to ourselves and take many Instagram pictures so that Ty Lee thinks we had a bridal shower on my birthday."

"But nobody would be in the pictures but us," Mai points out.

Azula smirks at her own intellect. "We tell her that no one could make it."

"With you, that would actually be believable."

"You are lucky I am too happy about this idea to be offended."

[X]

Bunny sits down beside Azula on the sofa. They have a foot or so between them when Azula flashes a small smile at her adopted daughter and returns her attention to Are You the One?.

At the first commercial break, Azula feels heat near her. Bunny now has shifted onto the same cushion as Azula.

Right as a dramatic catfight begins, Azula feels a small body against her arm.

Halfway through the show, Bunny settles on Azula's lap.

WEEK TWO

One evening, after showing Bunny around the most important places of her youth, Azula opens her closet door and shows Bunny the entertainment set-up.

Azula catches sight of her old favorite game and asks of her daughter, "How much will you bet that I can beat you at a video game?"

"Anything," warbles the little girl, confident in her abilities.

"If I beat you at Mortal Kombat 3, you will give up your iPad for a week. If you beat me, I will pay you three-hundred dollars," says Azula and Bunny laughs. The sound of wind chimes from a young girl reminds Azula of her youth with Bunny's mother.

"Deal!" she chirps.

Azula sets up the Super Nintendo. Once Bunny stares at the controller like aliens made it, she knows she will win.

"Best three out of five," Azula purrs.

Bunny gives her a terrified glance.

[X]

The second day without it, at the breakfast table, "I want my iPad back!" cries Bunny.

"We made a deal. You have to honor that," Azula says, victoriously smirking.

"B-but why?" Bunny starts crying.

Azula shakes her head and wickedly laughs.

WEEK THREE

Azula's birthday party slash bridal shower sneaks up on her. She finds herself in a ballroom with Mai, sipping her energy drink and waiting for the day to end.

"Monster before mimosas. That's a rule," Azula says to Mai. They sit down at the bar of a rented out room in the classiest place they could find.

"I think it's hysterical that we paid thousands of dollars for this gigantic ballroom and it's just for two people," Mai states, sipping her light orange drink.

"Not just two people. We have the servants and people setting up the streamers," Azula corrects, gesturing around the cavernous room.

Mai remarks, "I don't think you're supposed to call them servants."

Crisply, Azula retorts, "I paid so much for this place that I can call them whatever I want."

"I paid for this place."

"No, my father paid for this place, since you do not have any money."

"It's half mine," Mai says, taking another drink from the quiet blonde bartender with judgmental blue eyes. "We're married."

"Speaking of married, I need to go ring shopping. I said I would get the wedding bands and surprise her with it." Azula sighs and picks up Mai's left hand. "And you need a new engagement ring and wedding band. They are outdated. Once you hit seven years, you have to upgrade your ring."

"I never thought we would shop for rings or talk about jewelry."

"We should take our pictures, finish my Monster and your mimosas and eat the brunch. Then we get wedding bands. Ty Lee will grovel for a few weeks while will help me tolerate the wedding planning for the next two months."

"You're truly romantic and sweet to your future wife," Mai sarcastically says.

[X]

Azula picks up Mai's hand. "Where did you even get this?"

"Las Vegas. We bought it while we were waiting for our turn at the wedding chapel."

"You are not a plain diamond person. You just aren't," says Azula, turning to the jeweler. "She needs rubies with diamonds and platinum. Emphasis on the rubies. My father likes platinum and rubies, so he would choose that for her if not making an insane impulse decision in Vegas. Oh, and it better be over three-thousand dollars."

Mai turns down countless rings with cruel comments, but then she shuts up at the sight of one. Azula takes that as an excellent sign.

"This one isn't bad," Mai admits, holding out her hand for the jeweler to slip it on. It fits perfectly, which must be a sign.

The ring swirls around a gigantic circular ruby, the entire platinum bland so studded with diamonds that it looks like it is made out of them. It could knock out an elephant.

"That is perfect. I am buying that for her with her money," Azula says, taking Mai's credit card from her. "Now, I need a wedding band that matches."

The jeweler finds a band of diamonds with a trace of rubies like blood in clear water.

Mai wears them both once Azula pays with Ozai's money.

"My fiancée wants pink sapphires," Azula says, clasping her hands on the glass case. "This is for a wedding band. I would prefer blue sapphires. They both need diamonds too, of course."

It takes the jeweler under a minute to find two matching bands, simple but sparkling. Pink among diamonds for Ty Lee; blue among diamonds for Azula.

Azula pays for that with her own fortune and declares, "My bridal shower is over."

"Thank God," Mai dryly comments.

[X]

When they get home, in the kitchen, "Azula bought me new wedding rings, so I think I'm married to her now," Mai says, holding out her hand. Ozai takes it.

"That means you've been engaged to everyone in my family."

"Not your ex-wife or your brother or father or mother."

"You should start trying harder then," he mocks, then examines the rings in the light. "These are much better than the ones we got in Vegas. I always thought you look good in rubies."

Mai kisses him. He kisses her back, fiercely.

Azula rolls her eyes, mimes retching and goes to find Bunny in the movie theatre.

WEEK FOUR

Azula sits with Mai as they watch the old black and white movie The Most Dangerous Game. "Can we borrow your island for our honeymoon?"

"Why not? Just watch out for the rogue dinosaurs and humans in cages for me to hunt."

"You have electric fences, right?"

"Yeah. I'm a pro at maintaining freaky horror islands."

"Thanks."

WEEK FIVE

On a Friday night, Mai finds Azula. She wears unusually flattering clothes, which arouses Azula's suspicions.

Mai confirms them by saying, "Me and your dad are going out to our favorite nightclub."

Azula scoffs. "You two do that? Are you twenty?"

"No. We are just badass and cooler than you. If you want to come, you can. The girl across the street probably could babysit Bunny. Her mom keeps asking when I'm going to have a baby and offering me fertility energy crystals."

"Ew," Azula says. "Ew to everything you just said."

"So, you're staying home with Bunny?"

"Obviously."

[X]

On Sunday during an Archer marathon that Azula pays little attention to, Mai asks, "Okay, I need to know. Who's Bunny's dad?"

Azula grimaces. It cannot hurt.

"Fine. He was Ty Lee's fiancée and he was a jerk and I hated him," she admits, feeling queasy just thinking about him.

"Yeah, I know that."

"Okay, his name was Vin, he was from the Jersey side of the river and owned a sleazy strip club called the Circus."

Mai faintly laughs. "That's the worst strip club name I've ever heard."

"Yeah, I know. He was a terrible person and I beat him up. I beat him almost to death; he needed to go to the hospital and get his jaw wired shut. I wasn't the one who killed him though. It probably was some Yakuza member who was hired by another extremely sexy and successful woman. Ty Lee then left him for me and I adopted Bunny to protect her."

"That's the nicest thing you've ever done."

"I hear that so often. Does that mean I am a nice person?"

"No. It means the opposite of that. When people are shocked every time you do something nice, it means you are a horrible person."

"At least I don't have a bad spray tan and own a sleazy strip club."

WEEK SIX

At the end of the week, Azula steps off of the airplane while holding Bunny's hand. They roll their suitcases through the crowded airport and find Ty Lee waiting in the lobby. Bunny runs, screaming, and jumps into her mom's arms. Azula hangs back and waits for that lengthy scene to end.

Ty Lee then runs to Azula and hugs her tightly. She fiercely kisses her, sending a jolt of lightning through Azula's body.

But Ty Lee quickly kills the mood by saying, "Tomorrow we're going wedding dress shopping."


A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I had fun writing it. Leave a review if you can and tell me what you think. :D