A/N: getting intense in this chapter lol.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar Last Airbender

P.S.: review? :D

Mai had given birth to a girl. Mai and Zuko named her Izumi together. She was now only a week old. Mai was insanely tired, so she slept most of the day and night. Zuko woke her up occasionally to make sure that she had enough to eat or went to the bathroom. Other than that, Zuko insisted on taking care of the baby while he held meetings regarding the Fire Nation. Zuko fell in love with his daughter pretty quickly. She had Mai's eyes, lips and nose but she had his jawline and ears.

"Hey, Mai... You should get up." Zuko sat down on their bed where Mai had been since she gave birth.

"Hmmm..." Mai mumbled then turned over slowly.

"You should get something to eat, come on. I'm worried about you." Zuko leaned over and kissed her ear. Mai slowly woke up into reality.

"I'm not... Hungry." Mai growled into her pillow.

"Your mommy is being difficult." Zuko looked down with a frown at Izumi who was being held in his arms. Izumi simply looked up at her father with confusion.

"Go away, Zuko. I don't feel well." Mai sat up and crossed her arms. She glared at Zuko who was smiling down at Izumi happily.

"You haven't been feeling well all week. I get that you gave birth to Izumi but you need to get back into a normal routine. You also need to spend some quality time with our daughter, she misses you." Zuko told her with a hopeful smile.

"That's the last thing I need! What I need is to be alone!" Mai yelled at him then she got out of bed and walked out of their master bedroom.

"Don't take it personally, Izumi. Mommy is just cranky." Zuko leaned over her crib and put Izumi down into it. Zuko looked at the bed that Mai had been laying in and he sighed heavily.

"Mai...!" Zuko yelled for her. He knew exactly where she would be. The bathroom.

"Mai, please come out!" Zuko banged on the door.

"Why? So you can ignore me!" Mai yelled at Zuko then she angrily opened the door. Within seconds, Zuko saw Mai's face. She looked hurt and sad.

"Is that why you've been sleeping all day for the past week?" Zuko couldn't believe this! But then again, it was Mai.

"It's not like you've noticed. You've been busy taking care of your child to pay any attention to your wife." Mai crossed her arms and glared at Zuko. Zuko just stared at her.

"What do you want me to do? Leave her alone and stay with you? I'd love to do that, Mai but I can't! Izumi is only a week old! She can't do anything herself." Zuko didn't get why Mai was being so selfish.

"I thought you promised me that you would love me more than her, Zuko... Guess you're just a liar." Mai rolled her eyes then walked passed him. Zuko was so confused that he blinked. He didn't know what to do.

"That's not fair, Mai!" Zuko yelled after her but he didn't follow her. He should have, but he didn't. Mai left the palace without him and Zuko was left alone with Izumi. Which wasn't a bad thing. But he wasn't sure how this would end. He wanted to do everything he could to keep Mai.

"Hey there, baby niece. You're coming with aunt Azula soon." Azula leaned over the fancy red crib that had the Fire Nation symbol painted on it in gold. Izumi smiled up at Azula innocently. Not knowing that Azula was planning on taking her. Azula looked down at the week old baby and she smirked widely. This plan was going to be the best she's ever had in years.

"Not yet..." Ozai's voice rang throughout her mind. Azula bit her lip then she backed away from the crib.

"Guards! Go into town and bring Mai home!" Zuko's loud voice ordered as it got closer to the room. Azula ran swiftly to the open window.

"Your precious baby is not safe, Zuzu." Azula spoke softly as she crawled out of the window and shut it. She jumped down to the ground then walked off casually.

A day later, Mai was sleeping in bed. Zuko walked in.

"I know you're upset... But I need to meet with my Uncle Iroh regarding Azula's escape. You'll have to watch Izumi. Please, Mai? You don't have to do much just make sure she's safe..." Zuko told her. Mai stirred awake. She rolled over just to glare at him. "I love you, Mai. We're parents now. We have to do this together."

"I didn't want to be a parent, Zuko! I didn't want her. I just wanted you to be happy but now I'm not and you don't even care!" Mai shouted at him. Maybe she was right. Initially, she didn't want to be pregnant but Zuko had convinced her to have the baby.

"Please, just watch her for me? It's not that I don't love you, Mai. I do love you! But I can't just neglect Izumi. Neither can you. I'll be back in a few hours." Zuko leaned over the bed and kissed her forehead before leaving the room before Mai had a chance to yell at him anymore. Mai glanced at the red crib, she grimaced.

"You ruined my life." Mai growled lowly then she rolled onto her side and pulled the blankets over herself.

Half an hour later, she woke up in a daze. She sat upward and saw Azula standing over Izumi's crib. Mai didn't move.

"Azula?" Mai rubbed her eyes. Her vision was blurry but she saw her former best friend clearly. Azula looked up at Mai with a crooked smile, she bent down and picked up Izumi in her arms.

"Look at that, baby. Your mommy is awake. How is motherhood, Mai?" Azula cooed to her niece. Izumi just smiled up at her happily. Mai thought this was just a dream because she still felt foggy.

"I don't want to be a mother." Mai told her as she rubbed her eyes.

"Is that so? You know, Ursa wasn't that much of a good mother either. She always scolded me and told me I was a heartless monster. I have a feeling you'd be much worse. Why don't we just end this now, Mai?" Azula grinned at her while she started to rock Izumi in her arms.

"What about Zuko? He loves her." Mai didn't know what this dream meant. But she kind of liked it. As bad as it sounded.

"Oh, Zuzu? He'll get over it once he sees you happy again. well, not totally miserable in your case. Trust me, Mai! When have I ever failed you? Do we have a deal?" Azula asked as she showed Mai Izumi. Izumi looked at Mai and smiled instantly.

"Why do you want her? She's a baby. You hate babies." Mai held onto her head as she got a headache.

"That's for me to know. Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of everything. Go back to sleep, Mai. When you wake up everything will be back to normal." Azula's soft voice entered her thoughts as Mai closed her eyes. She shoved her face into the pillow and fell back asleep without a second thought. What a weird dream.

"MAI! MAI, WAKE UP!" Zuko's frantic voice woke her up. Mai sat up instantly and opened her eyes. Zuko was standing over Izumi's crib.

"What is it?" Mai yawned and stretched.

"WHERE IS IZUMI?!" Zuko yelled anxiously. Mai frowned.

"In her crib? I didn't touch her." Mai answered in a dull, uninterested voice.

"She's not here! She's gone! What happened to her?" Zuko seemed very upset. Mai didn't quite grasp why. The way she saw it, she didn't do anything wrong.

"How should I know?" Mai rose an eyebrow.

"You were supposed to watch her, Mai!" Zuko yelled at her.

"I was sleeping the whole time. You know, what I've been doing since last week. You knew that would happen when you put me in charge. Don't pin this on me!" Mai responded in an angry hiss.

"I wanted you to spend time with her! I was hoping you'd actually bond with the child you gave birth to! Sorry if I wanted us to be an actual family!" Zuko shouted at her.

"You can't pretend changing how I feel about Izumi is going to fix how Ozai feels about you, Zuko." Mai told him harshly. Zuko always loved how honest Mai was. But now he realized she wasn't just honest, she was right.

"I know that! But that doesn't mean I don't want you to love Izumi... I want you to care for her. Because she's a part of you and me. She loves you, Mai. I love you." Zuko walked over and sat down beside her. Mai frowned suddenly remembering her dream of Azula. She remembered Izumi's smile when she saw Mai. It was so sweet and innocent. But it reminded her of Zuko.

"Azula has her." Mai informed in a low voice.

"What? How do you know that? She's been gone for months! She could be anywhere!" Zuko rose an eyebrow.

"She's in the Fire Nation. She was just here, actually... While I was asleep, she came into the room. I woke up and saw her standing over the crib..." Mai told Zuko everything. How she thought she was dreaming but she wasn't.

"I'm going to get her back, Mai. If it's the last thing I do. This isn't your fault. Okay? It isn't." Zuko gave her a small hug. After that he stood up and left the room. Mai felt guilty. How could she have let this happen? How could she just let Azula take her daughter? Even if it was just a dream that was horrible! What will she do with Izumi? Ransom? Worse? Mai had no idea but all she could think of was Izumi's smile.