The Day Has Come Ch1

         A couple months had passed since Mai and Zukos romantic night. They hadn't seen each other since then, but they definitely thought about each other a lot. Mai especially thought of Zuko.
Mai sat in her brothers room, holding her knees to her chest. Her parents had gone out and forced her to babysit Tom-Tom.
At least they didn't drag me with them, Mai thought, This place is so boring!
Her thoughts were interrupted when one of Tom-Toms toys hit her in the side of her head. She looked at the toy, then at her brother.
"See this toy you just threw at my head?", Mai asked, holding it up, "It's mine now."
Tom-Toms lip quivered, and then he started to cry. Mai quickly grew tired of it.
"Ok, ok. Here.", Mai said, handing him his toy.
Tom-Tom stopped crying and took his toy back from his sister. He continued to play as if nothing had happened.
Mai suddenly felt ill. She buried her face in her knees, hoping it would pass quickly.
Her illness wasn't much of a surprise. For the last month at the most random times, Mai would be hit with a wave of nausea that usually ended with her vomiting. After her stomach would be empty, she would soon become very hungry for very specific things (usually fire flakes or fruit tarts). She also found herself sensitive to certain smells. Even the slightest hint of cow-hippo stew would make her gag.
It was obvious what was going on here. Mai knew she was pregnant. Try as she might to deny it, she knew she was. She also knew that she was going to throw up.
"Don't move!", Mai quickly said to Tom-Tom.
She sprinted out of the room with her hand covering her mouth. There was no way she was going to make it to a bathroom. Before she could even think about it, Mai leaned over a nearby vase and threw up in that.
Once her stomach was empty, Mai went to go wash her mouth out, then went back into Tom-Toms room.
"'I don't need any protection, Zuko'. What in the world was I thinking!?", Mai mumbled to herself, sliding into the position she was in before.
Time past and her parents finally returned home. Almost immediately, Mai took a large bowl of fire flakes and isolated herself into her room. A little while later, there was a knock at her door.
"It's open.", Mai said right after swallowing a fistful of fire flakes.
Her mother came in.
"Mai, I need a word with you.", her mom said.
"Whatever.", Mai said, not at all interested in talking to her mom.
"Did you get sick while your father and I were out?", her mom asked, "The vase near your brothers room has some sort of chunks in it."
Mai didn't respond right way.
"Maybe.", she said.
"There are three and a half bathrooms in this house, and you choose to throw up in a vase?", her mom scold.
"I wasn't going to make it to a bathroom. It was either in the vase or on the floor.", Mai said.
She tossed half a fistful of fire flakes into her mouth. Her mother's expression revealed suspicion.
"You've been eating an awful lot lately.", her mom stated.
"Yeah. So?", Mai asked.
"You've also been very distant lately.", her mom said.
"I'm always distant.", Mai said.
"That's true, but now it's just… different.", her mom said.
"I don't think it is.", Mai said.
"Mai, when was the last time you had your period?", her mom asked.
Mai froze. How was she going to explain this? She coughed into her fist, then mumbled something illegible.
"What did you say?", her mom asked, growing frustrated.
"Two months ago.", Mai mumbled.
"Two months ago!?", her mom asked, enraged, "You haven't had your period in two months, and didn't tell anyone!?"
She grabbed Mai by the wrist and rushed her to her father.
"What's this about?", the governor asked.
"Have you noticed any changes in your daughters behavior lately?", Mais mom asked him, still very angry, "Like how she's been excessively eating and getting sick?"
"If she's eating so much, it's no wonder she's been getting sick.", the governor said.
"Let's see if this adds things up.", his wife said, "She hasn't had her period in two months!"
The governors eyes widened as he started at his teenage daughter.
"Mai… are you… pregnant?", he asked.
Mai bit her lip and her heart pounded.
"Um… Well, you see, I… Mostly likely, yeah.", Mai stuttered.
Her father quickly became just as angry as her mother. Angrier, even.
"Do you think this is funny?", he asked, "DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY!?"
"Honestly, Mai. I'm always telling you to stay out of trouble! To think about your fathers career!", her mom fumed, "And what do you do? You go and get yourself pregnant! How do you think people will react to this!?"
"You're fifteen years old and unmarried! You're far too young to be having sex!", her father raged, "Do you have the slightest clue what others will say about me!? They'll ask how could I be governor if I can't even control my own daughter!"
"Come on now.", Mais mother demanded, pulling her by the wrist again.
"Where are you taking me?", Mai asked as steady as she could.
"To a doctor. We're going to get a second opinion on this.", her mom said, angrily.
About an hour later, Mai and her parents returned home. Mai held in her hand a few different pamphlets on pregnancies. She awaited for her parents to do more yelling.
"Ten weeks.", Mais father said through his teeth, "My fifteen year old daughter is ten weeks pregnant."
"Mai, you're going to tell us right now who the father is.", her mom ordered.
Mai kept her mouth shut.
"Do you not know who the father is?", her dad asked.
"Oh no, I know who the father is.", Mai said, "I just feel it's best if you two don't."
"Mai, if you have any intention at all on keeping that baby, you'll tell us right now who that father is.", her dad firmly started.
Mai hesitated a moment. Her parents were going to hit the roof over this one.
"It's Zuko.", she admitted, looking at the ground, "The father of my child is Zuko."
Her parents were dumbfounded.
"Zuko?", her dad asked, "As in banished Prince Zuko?"
"When on earth did you see him!?", her mom asked.
"Well… remember a few months ago when I said I was going to visit Ty Lee?", Mai asked.
Her parents eyes widened.
"Agni!", her dad said, smacking himself on his forehead.
"Mai… go wait in your room. Your father and I need to talk.", her mom said.
Mai nodded, then headed for her room. Once inside, she closed the door behind her and slid down it. It was going to be an agonizing wait for her parents.
I wish Zuko was here, Mai thought, He wouldn't react like THAT.
Suddenly it dawned on her. How was she going to tell Zuko? He already had enough on his plate with hunting down the Avatar, and now he was going to be a father. Her attempt to relieve Zukos stress had only added more to both of their lives.
After a few hours of waiting for her parents, Mai grew extremely tired and decided it was time to go to bed. She awoke early the next morning to her mother shaking her.
"What?", Mai groaned, wanting to go back to sleep.
She wasn't exactly a morning person.
"Get up, Mai. We have to talk to you.", her mom said, sternly.
"I'm up, I'm up.", Mai yawned, sitting up, "Are you going to yell at me again?"
"Oh no, we're WAY past yelling.", her dad said, "Your mother and I have come to a decision about this child of yours."
"I'm not getting rid of it. You can't make me.", Mai stated.
"We're not going to make you have an abortion.", her mom said, "We are, however, going to make you never see Zuko again."
Mai was stunned.
"What!?", she asked.
"It's for the best, Mai. He's done enough already.", her dad said.
"So how is he going to know about his baby?", Mai asked, furious.
"He's not.", her mom said, "As far as anyone will know, you were persuaded by a soldier into having a one night stand. There's more dignity in that than the truth."
"Zuko has every right to know about his child!", Mai protested.
"He lost all his rights when he refused to fight his father in the agni kai!", her dad shouted, "He's a traitor to this nation, and you should be ashamed to carry his child!"
"He's NOT a traitor, and I'm NOT ashamed to carry his child!", Mai stated.
"Either way, you are never to see him again!", her dad fumed, "Your mother and I will be watching you like a hawk to be sure that you don't try to contact him."
"This is not fair!", Mai objected.
"This is very fair, Mai.", her mom said, "We can't trust you anymore. You've really proven yourself irresponsible."
Mai was too angry to respond.
"There's still a few hours until the sun rises.", her father said, "Get some rest, Mai. We'll see you at breakfast."
Without saying another word, her parents walked out of her room.
Mai was beyond furious. Who were they to say that she should be ashamed to be pregnant with Zukos baby? No one knew or understood him like she did, and vice versa. Rage boiled over inside of her, and she hurled three of her daggers at the wall on the other side of the room.
Mai considered her options. She could either stay here and live under her parents rules, which included having no contact with the father of the child she carried, or she could leave this life of day to day torment and finally be with the man she loved.
I'm going to be a mom in six and a half months. I'm going to be the one making the decisions now, Mai thought, My decision is to find Zuko. I'll tell him about the baby, and whatever happens happens.
She hurried out of bed and got dressed. She packed some cloths, all the money she had, and as many knives as she could fit into a bag meant for travel. How long it would take to track down Zuko again, she didn't know or care. All she knew was that she had to get out of here.
As Mai was about to leave, she thought of something. Was it wroth giving up this life to be with a man that everyone considered a traitor? It didn't take long to decide.
Yes, it is, Mai thought.
She snuck out her window, and began her journey to find Zuko.