The Best Romances

Deserve Second Chances

Chapter 3

"The Jury"

Dedicated to D0omkitty.

"WHAT!" Toph and Sokka exclaimed in fright.

"Well. Not really. No one is trying to kill me, but really Mai. She's been suicidal for quite some time due to the threats. As of late, she has become more and more... adventurous... in her attempts." Zuko exclaimed.

"So is there anyone trying to kill Mai?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know. That is what scares me. I fear for her life more and more everyday."

A deathly shrill echoed throughout the palace, and it shook the life out of the building. Zuko grew a stark white, and he whispered his wife's name. He jumped off his throne, and vaulted over the fire wall, rolling for a landing. He rolled onto his feet and he sprinted towards the source of the scream, stripping his heavy garb to lighten his weight. Sokka and Toph stared at the acrobatic Fire Lord, and came back to the real world in time to catch up with Zuko. Zuko was only in his pants, his clothes scattered throughout the hallways, he pinned a maid to the wall with his arms.

"Where's Mai?"

"In her room." the maid shaking in her boots.

Zuko dropped the maid, letting her fall the two feet back to solid ground, and he turned the corner, to see the worst scene in his life. Mai, on the floor, blood pooling by her limp body. Zuko slid to her side, and picked her into his arms. Tears were falling down his scared face. Toph and Sokka skidded to a stop in front of the door frame. Sokka got down on a knee, and whispered into Toph's ear.

"Her heartbeat?"

"It's...it's...not th...the...there..."

"Zuko..." Sokka called out to his friend.

"I know she's dead. I can feel for a pulse to, Sokka."

"I'm so sorry." Toph cried, letting the tears freely fall down her porcelain face.

Sokka took in the scene. He saw that Mai's wrists were cut open, very deep. A knife littered with blood was by her side, swimming in a pool of red blood. Her skin was cold to Zuko's touch, completely devoid of her natural warmth. Zuko's tears splashed against her clothing, forming wet spots on her limp figure.

"Mai...why?" Zuko asked to his dead wife.

"Zuko, I found a note addressed to you." Sokka said as he held up the note in question.

"Give it to me." Zuko sniffed.

"Here."

"Thanks."

Zuko read the note, he could tell from the first line it was written by Mai.

Dear Zuko,

Hi, Honey... A lot of things must be going through your head.

Ever since I married you, I was so happy!

Last month I received a death threat. I never told anyone.

Please forgive me, Zuko.

My decision, was my own burden.

Even you couldn't stop me.

For as long as I could remember I've always loved you Zuko.

And as we grew older, that loved blossomed into marriage.

Kids seemed far off, well at least for you.

Ever since day 1 I wanted to bare our children.

Not everyone is as lucky as me.

Open my jewel box.

Take out my wedding ring, and wear it

Everyday.

My hand is shaking, from the anticipation of what I am going to do.

Usually I am never this nervous, and you know that Zuko.

Racing thoughts are going through my head.

Daggers, knives, and death join the race.

Every one of them screaming for me to end this.

Ready the heavens, here I come.

-Mai

Zuko finished reading the note, and he read it again, still confused as to why she ended her life. He handed the note to Sokka, who read it, and then read it to Toph. Zuko shuttered at hearing the note being read a loud. Everyone was quiet. Sokka set the note on the vanity, where he found it. He took Toph and they walked out of the room, to leave Zuko alone. Zuko's and Sokka's minds were still lingering on the note. For Sokka, something was off with the structure of the note. Zuko was going through her jewel box, and couldn't find her wedding ring. He searched her left hand, and saw that it wasn't there. He tore the room apart searching for the ring, and he re-read the note. It clearly said the jewel box, Zuko thought to himself. Zuko checked the box again, with no luck. The ring was a family heirloom, as it was given to each Fire Lady. After the war, Zuko had found it when he was cleaning out his mother's old room. Zuko took the ring, and proposed to Mai that same day. Mai knew of the tradition, of that if a Fire Lady would die before her husband, he would wear her wedding ring until the day of his death. Zuko was a sucker for traditions, but most importantly he knew the ring was very, very expensive, and irreplaceable. As Zuko read the note for the fifth time, he noticed something strange with the first letters of each line. He grabbed a writing brush, and put every first letter from each line in the paper. He stared at the paper and almost fainted. He dropped the paper, and he raced off to find Sokka.

Sokka was looking out the balcony, the same one from last night, and he heard footsteps approaching him. Sokka turned face, and saw the Fire Lord dashing at him, his eyes fixed with anger.

"Zuko?" Sokka asked to the Fire Lord who was quickly gaining ground.

"Sokka, I have to show you something." Zuko beckoned Sokka to follow.

Sokka joined Zuko, and they ran back to the bed room where Mai still laid. Sokka saw that the room was up turned, and was about to ask Zuko what he was looking for, when Zuko said,

"Sokka, take a look at the suicide note."

"All right." Sokka said with skepticism.

Sokka read the note again, and was still as sick to his stomach from the first time he read it.

"Did you see the message?" Zuko said, shaking Sokka by the shoulders.

"What message?"

"Here. Take the first letters of each new line." Zuko said.

Sokka mentally did this, and like Zuko he had to bring pen and paper into the equation, as he couldn't believe what he was reading. After rewriting the the letters out three more times, Sokka proclaimed,

"MAI WAS MURDERED!"

"But by who?" Zuko pondered out loud.

"Who would gain from killing Mai?" Sokka said.

"And from stealing her wedding ring."

"What?"

"Her wedding ring is gone, that is what lead me to figure out the hidden message. It's a family heirloom, and it's extremely expensive."

"Well, then who would gain from killing Mai and stealing a ring?"

"I think I know who, but I hate to think or even say who." Zuko said.

"Who! Spit it out man!" Sokka yelled.

"Will you two keep it down! I'm trying to take a nap!" Toph shouted from the door way.

"Sorry Toph, but Mai..." Sokka started.

"Was murdered, trust me everyone knows." Toph finished.

"Let's try and find that death threat note, Mai talked about in her note." Sokka said.

"Well, it's not in here." Zuko pointed throughout the room.

"Hand me the jewel box." Sokka said.

Zuko handed him the box, and Sokka removed a false top after playing with it for a moment, and it revealed a hidden area in the jewel box. Sokka pulled out a parchment, and Zuko swiped it out of Sokka's hand. Zuko read it to himself first, and then out loud.

"Dear Mai, That ring belongs to me, the one Zuko gave to you. It's mine, and I want it. I will do anything to get that ring. If it means to kill you, then so be it. Watch out Mai, not even all of your knives will stop me from getting that ring. Love, A Friend."

"Creepy." Toph said.

"Well, at first it sounded like, Ursa." Sokka said.

"It's not my mother, you dumb ass." Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Thanks Captain Obvious!" Sokka shouted.

"Welcome Lieutenant Sarcasm!" Zuko shouted back.

"Will you two ladies stop shouting." Toph said.

"It's signed by 'A Friend'." Sokka said.

"Mai didn't have a lot of friends." Zuko pointed out.

"Other than Ty Lee, her only other friend was..." Sokka said.

"Azula." all three of them finished.

Zuko ordered for guards, and Toph went to huddle against Sokka. Azula was a nightmare come to life. She was ordered to be in isolation at the Boiling Rock Prison. Azula was declared mentally unstable, and was stripped from her title, 'Princess'. Zuko ordered the guards to ask for a report on Azula from Boiling Rock. Sokka was comforting Toph, both of them remembering the horrors Azula did to them during the war. Her relentless pursuit of the Avatar, and her thirst for power and glory, which was only matched her beauty and deceitfulness. Sokka hoped to be finally rid of Azula at the war's end, but when did things ever go the way Sokka wanted, almost never. Toph could feel Sokka's heartbeat race, and she noticed Zuko's heartbeat was slightly elevated. The Palace was put under lock down, if Azula was still in the building, they would find her. Sokka tried to reason with Zuko that Azula would have been long gone by now. Toph left the 'boys' argue, while she went to the balcony where Sokka told her about the stars. It was one of the happiest memories in her life, other than Sokka kissing her, and she wasn't going to put it to waste. She grabbed a lock of her hair, and placed it over her hand making her 'stars'. She smiled at the 'stars', and she was completely lost in her own world. She stood there, content, and she didn't notice Zuko approaching her, until it was to late for her to escape.

"Toph..." Zuko started.

"Yes?" Toph said with a forced patience.

"Did you ever feel anything wrong with Mai yesterday?"

"Nope, nothing."

"..."

"Fine, I'll bite. Why?"

"I just thought that, what if Mai knew this was coming, like she knew what day."

"I wouldn't know, if she did or didn't."

"Right, sorry for bothering you."

Toph turned around and hugged Zuko. Her head barely touched his chin. He stumbled at her action, but he hugged her back. They stood there, Toph hugging Zuko, and Zuko letting his emotions free. He proclaimed how happy he was with Mai, and that he was so empty without her. Toph stood there like a rock, unmovable and resilient against the flow of tears. Zuko wasn't one for crying, let alone showing any emotions, but he was making an exception with Mai. Sokka turned onto the hallway that looked down to the balcony, and he froze in his place when he saw Toph and Zuko hugging. He then saw Zuko pull back and hold Toph by her shoulders. He could make out that Zuko thanked her, and he walked off. Toph was blushing, she felt all of Zuko's muscles, and she has never been around such attractive men in her life. She turned her face to feel Sokka walking towards her. She hid her blush, and brushed her skirt straight.

"It's lunch time. May I asked your hand in a date?" Sokka said.

"Ehh." but Toph outstretched her hand to where she thought Sokka was.

"Follow me."

"Wait, the Palace is under a lock down. How are we going to get out?" Toph asked.

"Do you really underestimate me that much?"

"I guess not."

Sokka lead her to his room, where he had tossed a rope out of his window. The rope was anchored by his bed, and he leaned out the window to make sure the rope reached all the way to the ground. Sokka took Toph and placed her on his back, saying that she will need to hang on for her life. She didn't need to have another reason to make stronger contact with her boyfriend. Sokka grabbed onto the rope, and scaled down the Palace side from the second story. He touched ground, and with Toph still on his back, he scaled the Palace's outer walls, and walked into town. They ate meat for lunch, and Toph asked how they were going to get back into the Palace.

"Well, like normal people, the front gate." Sokka said.

"Sokka, won't they question us on how we got out?"

"If they want to do their jobs right, yes."

"Seriously Sokka."

"Tell them the truth, that we snuck outside, and slinked past them."
"Will that work?"

"If it doesn't I'll say that Zuko said it was cool."

"Whatever, Sokka."

They walked to the front gate, and they were immediately stopped.

"The Palace is under..."

"Is under a lock down. Yes we know." Sokka said.

"Wait, you're that guy with Zuko this morning." a guard observed.

"Wow! You guys are really good at your jobs!" Sokka teased.

"Hey man, buzz off, we don't need you mocking us." the same guard said.

"Look, I need to back into the Palace."

"Well, I don't feel like letting you in." a bigger guard who was manning the gate winch said.

"Look, Hercules, I don't think you know who I am." Sokka threatened.

"You are the man from this morning." the guard said.

"True, but who am I really?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know, and don't care."

Sokka unsheathed his new sword from it's scabbard on his back. It had been a at least two days since the Rhino Riders asked for trouble, and Sokka was ablaze with excitement, as he was going to show off his new moves to Toph. It was three guards against Sokka. Two fire benders, and Hercules manned a massive mace, which was the size of Sokka's leg. Sokka charged the two fire benders, and hit them on the side the head on their temples with the broad side of his sword. Hercules took his chance and charged after Sokka, and Sokka nimbly dashed to the left, and swung his sword at the man's face, hitting him squarely on the nose, stunning him as he griped for his nose. Sokka opened the gate, and he rushed Toph through it, and he closed it from the other side. Sokka started laughing, and Toph was giving him an evil glare in his direction.

"What is wrong with you!" Toph shouted.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since Mai's death, you have been acting so weird!"

"Weird how?"

"Fighting people, sneaking out, cracking jokes! Seriously, what is wrong with you!"

"It's how I cope with death. Mainly jokes, but I guess over the years, the other two joined the party."

"Well, You're scaring me." Toph pouted.

"I'm sorry Toph, I'll try to be more like my normal self." and Sokka brought her in for a hug.

Toph sighed into his chest. Her warm breath sticking to his shirt, and it made his shirt damp. The stood there on the dirt path, that lead to the Palace's stair case, and the path was flanked by trees and bushes. The birds were chirping, and everything seemed to be ignorant to the morning's crime.

"Sokka?" Toph said into his chest.

"Yes?"

"Promise me that what happened to Mai, won't happen to me."

"I promise Toph, I would never let anything bad happen to you."

"Is that selfish of me to even ask that?"

"No, you don't want to die. No one wants that. You want reassurance that I will be there to protect you, unlike Zuko, who wasn't there for Mai."

"I just don't want to die, Sokka. I want to be with you."

"I know Toph. It will all work out."

"Okay..."

They stood there on the dirt path, together in each other's arms. Sokka lead her up the stairs to the entrance of the Palace, and he swung open the large doors. For the occasional patrol, they walked alone back to their rooms. It wasn't long until, the bell rang which signifyied that dinner was served. Toph went down at first call, and when she was walking back, she felt Sokka starting to walk down to the mess hall. Toph thought he was mad, but Sokka had a reason for his madness. He wanted to figure out what the servants knew, about what happened to Mai. He sat down quietly in a corner, his plate full of meat. The benches were filled with servants, as they were only allowed to eat after Zuko ate. Sokka suspected Toph ate with Zuko, but Sokka was more interested on what the servants had to say.

"I heard she died."

"No, no, she ran away!"

Was what Sokka mostly heard, but he heard one man say,

"I heard the whore cheated on him, and he killed her."

"WHORE!" Sokka yelled at the man.

"Huh?"

"Mai, was no whore! She was the best thing that ever happened to Zuko, and now she is DEAD!"

"Yeah, I know, Zuko killed her." the ignorant man said.

"Lookie here, Samson, Zuko never touched her. She was murdered."

"Yes, by Zuko. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that, Shrimp."

The two men stood puffed chest to puffed chest. Sokka was a good foot shorter, but Samson was about three times Sokka's weight. Samson was heavily obese, but he looked to be mostly muscle, which wasn't good news for Sokka. Sokka figured that he would have to beat Samson with wit.

"How do you know Zuko killed her?" Sokka asked.

"I've heard stories."

"So you weren't there?"

"Where is 'where'?"

"At the scene of the crime, where Mai was killed."

"Nope, never."

"Oh, wow, who told you this story?"

"She did." Samson pointed a fat finger at a beautiful temptress.

Her flowing black hair reached past her shoulders, and her hips swayed with every step she took.

"Excuse me miss!" Sokka shouted to her.

"Mimi!" Samson said.

"Yes?" Mimi said with a dramatic hair flip.

"Have you been telling people that Zuko killed Mai?"

"Yes, I saw him."

"When was this?"

"Oh, late last night."

"Really, that's strange."

"What is?" Mimi asked.

"Oh, just that I was with Zuko all of last night." Sokka lied, he was going to put done this horrible rumor by any means necessary.

"You were!" Mimi asked,

"Yes I was."

"So you were the other guy I saw with Zuko, when he killed Mai!"

"What?"

"Sammy! Get him!" Mimi said out.

Samson or 'Sammy', grabbed for Sokka, but Sokka rolled forward out of reach.

"That is ENOUGH!" a loud voice boomed throughout the mess hall.

"Toph?" Sokka asked the voice.

"Yes, it is I, Toph The Almighty, who was trying to sleep before all of this yelling!"

"Sammy! Get the man!" Mimi cried out.

Samson charged Sokka, but a massive earth wall sprouted from the floor, and Samson ran into it knocking him out cold. Sokka dashed for Mimi, and caught her by the wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, just around." Mimi said back.

"How about an interrogation room? I'm sure Zuko would love to hear your wonderful story about him and Mai." Sokka said, his voice dripping with venom.

"Oh, you think?"

"Yes. Guards!" Sokka shouted, to the lackadaisical guards, who didn't budge from the wall during the fight.

"Yes sir?" they asked.

"Take this woman to a jail cell, I'm sure you have them here in the Palace."

"Yes sir." and they walked off with Mimi in tow.

Toph approached Sokka, and grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him to his room. On the way there she gave him an ear full, but Sokka's mind was more worried about Mimi. He knew that she was hiding something, and that he had to get her to talk. Toph let him go outside his room, and she walked into her's to go to asleep. Sokka entered his room, and drifted asleep, leaving himself vulnerable to the dark.

To Be continued.

Ahh, poor Mai. BUT AZULA! OH NOES! And what about Mimi? And what about the darkness? Find out next chapter. Sorry for the delay, my laptop broke, and I just got it back to day!

Thank you for all the faves and story alert's Im sure a lot of people's inbox's will light up with this update!

EDIT: As this appears to be the most popular chapter, I made sure I did a real good grammar check. Does anyone get the Hercules and Samson jokes? I mean come on! I give you comedic gold, and nothing in return? Oh well. Thanks for reading!

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