I'm uploading these a lot faster than I thought. Must be all the fabulous reviews. Anyway I have hit a bit of a snag so it may be a few days before I upload again.

So enjoy these two.

Aang,

How are you holding up?

I haven't been. I miss him, isn't that horrible after all I've had to endure. I love the fire jerk. Mai wasn't sure why she was talking to herself but she figured since there was no one else it wasn't totally crazy. This was the sixth letter she had written to Aang but only the first she was actually considering sending.

I'm fine, a little bored but since Sokka and Suki joined Toph and I, its been entertaining.

Truth be told she preferred to be alone but having been puttering around for the last five months in the Western Air temple by her lonesome had cured her of that. She didn't realize how much she'd been using Aang as her personal crutch since it had happened.

It. What had happened at the Fire Nation didn't deserve a name. It was too wrong to give it recognition.

How are things over there? I wish you were here.

She had never ever depended on anybody. Not her parents or Azula not even Zuko. She had always thought things out on her own. If she did something it was because she wanted to. That hadn't been the case when the airbender had run across her by the old turtle duck pond.

Sokka talks a lot and Suki is a very patient girl. Toph says she figured out a new way of reinforcing the temples. I figured you might want to know. Especially since the Eastern temple lost so much ground the last time we saw it.

Mai put down her brush suddenly lost in that horrible night.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know anybody was here. Excuse me." his voice had broken over her soothing like water to a burn. She laughed at the irony. Here she was still in shock about Katara and Zuko and she was joining their elements.

She giggled a little but laughed harder as the monk stepped back alarmed. "I've never heard you laugh." he said. She let out a peal of laughter at his freaked out expression. "Ok, I'll be leaving now."

He retreated but she saw how he stopped when her laugh turned to hysterical weeping. She buried her head into her robes trying to muffle the sounds. She threw several knives in his direction determined to make him leave. Never had she felt more vulnerable or open and the idea of being seen this way terrified her. He easily dodged them and she stood to her full height. A trail of tears at odds with the murderous expression on her face. She threw and he dodged. She ran at him and fruitlessly punched the empty air. He was too fast for her but she could see he too was getting angry. Good, she needed his anger.

They went at each other, he only used his air element and she secretly approved. He still had honor. Distracted she was knocked to the ground by a quick air twist. Enraged she jumped up and flung whatever she could find at arm's length.

Her last knife flew past his bicep leaving a small line where blood blossomed. He barely spared a glance at it as he continued to dodge her furious blows. With her last weapon gone she had closed in on him. She flicked her hand determined to hit him again.

He caught her arm and twisted it behind her back forcing her to her knees. He dropped behind her and it occurred to her that she knew nothing about him but she already felt safer. His head was above her and she had to look back and up. "Have you had enough," he was panting and his breath ghosted over her neck sending tingles through her entire body.

"You tired. I could give you a break." she smirked back at him. He let go of her arm but remained behind her, a grin split over his whole face. "Sure, why not."

Mai had never realized how charming he was. She was sad that what had brought him out here was probably what had brought her. His smile flickered and went out as Mai scooted away from him. "Mai, I just…"

"You just found out. Yeah. I wish I could say the same. I've seen the little looks and the stupid grins and I told myself it was nothing. Just them becoming better friends because of all the time spent together." She didn't want to relive the experience but her words continued to pour out of her.

"I began going to the meetings and everybody was like, 'what does Lady Katara and Lord Zuko think?' Like they were the engaged couple yet nobody bothered to see I was the one wearing the fire symbol. I was waiting up for him while he read the scrolls. I wrote responses and the whole time he was playing with his little water toy." Her voice sounded alarmingly water logged to her own ears.

"I've been there all his life. All this time I thought I was finally out of the cage and he closed the door on me. He told me he loved me. He asked me to be his Fire Lady but he wasn't kissing me every night. He was kissing her, that…that…" the ragged cries forced her to halt and she gasped for air.

She dashed her hand across her face. "I went to the war room. At first all I saw was these two people. I backed up embarrassed that I had caught---" Mai saw the color drain from his face and she ceased telling the story. He didn't need to imagine it just because she'd had the misfortune of seeing it.

"What did you see?" his voice was hushed and Mai understanding the need to be sure relayed the events. "She came out…her hair was everywhere…his crown was on the floor…his robe was and hers was---"

Sometime during her story telling he had walked off several feet away, the silence was heavy with her words. Aang had curled his fists and she could tell he was chanting. The blue glowed and went out but he opened his mouth and unleashed a gust of air that ripped the roof of one of the aviaries. Mai sat and curled her hands together.

She heard his booted steps, the tips of his shoes came into her field of vision but she refused to seek anything, their fight had been enough for her. She just wanted to wallow in her misery solitarily. He bent down onto his haunches. She didn't want to look at him. She didn't want to see her pain mirrored in his eyes. He had patience she had to give him that. She glared at the ground rebelliously and he squatted neither saying anything nor moving a muscle.

"What?" she said exasperated by his silent guard. His pale fingers caught the tear rolling down her cheek it mingled with ones still flowing down his. Shocked she let herself tumble into his embrace. He said nothing, he didn't try to console her. Mai rested her head onto his chest, his heart beat strong and steady.

"Is your heart broken? It doesn't sound like it." she said, her palm mimicked each beat.

He looked down at her and cautiously placed his palm over hers, "Yes. It is but it just doesn't know." He remarked. "Is yours broken too?"

The characters fell back into focus but the memory refused to let go. She read the words but that last night in her home were present all over the parchment.

Toph said she'll need your help. Will you be long?

She had helped him up. He walked her to her room pausing at the doorway. "Be ready by tomorrow. I'll take you away if you want. I have to be here you don't. You shouldn't."

Let me know, I'll make that dish you like.

Mai had not meant to blurt it out, "she doesn't deserve you." Life had shown her that friends were few and far between. Trustworthy ones were even harder to come by.

"If that's the case then he doesn't deserve you either." Aang replied. Mai kissed his cheek and retreated into her room. He closed the door behind her. She sat down pulling her possessions together. Tomorrow she would be at the Avatar's side. Like he had been at hers, she almost wished they could have fallen for each other, then maybe they might have had a chance to be happy.

How are the traitors?

Mai crumpled up the letter flinging it to the floor. This was not the time to dwell on what could have been. She paced up and down. She was restless and although the temple was starting to match its former glory she still had too much time on her hands.

'When Aang gets back, I'll ask him if he can take me to visit my parents.'

Her thoughts wouldn't be at peace until he returned. His last letter had been very worrisome and she had to have news. If what she dreaded was to come to pass, well she wanted to be prepared.

She pulled a fresh sheet of paper and began again.

"Aang,

How are you? (I'm terrified)

Did you have to talk to them? (Are they happy?)

What's the plan to rebuild the fire colonies? (Are they getting married?)

Are you being included? (Will you go? if you do can I go with you?)

The temple is really peaceful and quiet (It's lonely here.)

Looking forward to your news (Are you coming home soon?)

Toph and Sokka and Suki are here, they miss you. ( I do too)

Iroh sent a package of new teas (You'd love them)

He also found some papers recovered from the great library, they're about the air nation. (I guess our people now.)

Teo has a new airbending trick he wants to show you (You'll thinks it great)

Good luck,

Mai

She looked over the letter. Aang would read between the lines. He always did.

She signed and sealed it.