In the honor of Avatar being put on Netflix, here is the pairing we all wanted and deserved. Things will be a lot more different (darker/mature) than the show. I'll probably be skipping around a bit also.

Droplets of rain trickle down the side of Katara's face as she stares directly into the eyes of the retired Southern Raiders captain. She can feel Zuko's presence behind her, warmth radiating from him in comforting waves. "You-You can have my mother! That will make us even!" Yon Rha pleads, has arms trembling as he kneels before Katara.

Rage surges through her veins. As the rain drops hit her skin, they evaporate into the air. "I came here because you murdered my mother, and you think offering up your own is a good idea?" Her voice is so intimidating that it has goosebumps spiraling up Zuko's arms. "Does family mean nothing to you?" She sends water surging into his side, knocking him to the ground. "Do you really think your life is worth more than theirs?"

"P-Please! I was just following orders to eliminate the last waterbender," the old man cries. Strands of stringy white hair fall into his face.

"She lied to you," Katara growls as he stares at her dumbstruck. "She was protecting the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe."

Yon Rha looks up at her, eyes wide. " W-Who?"

Saying nothing, Katara lifts her arms, willing the water to form a dome around them, stopping the rain in mid-air. Droplets trickle down Yon Rha's face as he gazes in both amazement and horror at the power before him. The rage burning through Katara and pulsing through her veins makes her feel as though she could completely level the area around them. A dark voice in the back of her mind wills her to try something that requires this type of power, this type of rage.

Katara lowers one hand, keeping the water dome with the other. "Stand, you coward," she demands. Agonizing seconds go by and when he shows no sign of moving, she focuses all of her power on the outstretched hand. "I said stand!" she bellows, power radiating from her fingertips as she feels the flow of the very blood coursing through Yon Rha's body. Katara uses the upwards flow of the de-oxygenated blood in his veins to help lift his body into a standing position.

Yon Rha's body seizes up, his eyes lulling the back of his head from the momentary halt of blood flow to his limbs from his arteries. Zuko watches quietly from behind her, too enthralled in her power to care about the morality of this situation, as Aang would put it. The dome of water above them begins to fail as Katara focuses all her attention onto controlling Yon Rha's body.

"Please," he begs, snot and tears streaming down his face.

His plea only spurs the boiling of her own blood. "Look at you," A chill runs up Zuko's spine, "I know my mother didn't beg for her life before you killed her." She begins taking steps towards him, manipulating his blood to make his body constrict on itself more and more. "I know she stood tall and looked you dead in the eye when you murdered her." Water rises from the ground into Katara's hand, forming into an icicle spear.

Her body moves on it's own, almost as if the dark voice in the back of her head were bending her blood, too. A low groan is pulled from Yon Rha's throat as Katara sinks the icicle spear through his chest. Fat rain droplets soak Katara's hair and clothing.

Yon Rha grunts quietly when she finally halts, her blue orbs blazing into his eyes. He cracks a smile, revealing broken and blood-stained teeth. "I-I enjoyed it," he wheezes, "watching the life l-leave that water t-tribe scum's eyes."

The ringing in Katara's ears makes it hard to hear the blood-curdling scream ripped from her very core as she pushes the spear completely through Yon Rha's body, letting him fall to the mud, dead.

Rain continues to fall in heavy waves around them, helping to spread Yon Rha's blood. The clattering of rain is deafening in the silence between Zuko and Katara. Her back sags from over exertion and it takes all her strength to keep her knees from buckling under her suddenly profound weight. Throbs erupt around her skull as she turns to Zuko.

He raises an eyebrow, "Your nose." Her arm is like lead when she lifts it to her face, swiping her upper lip to reveal a skid of bright blood. Zuko takes two strides and is suffocatingly close. He lifts her chin so she is forced to look him in the eyes. The discolored flesh of his scar glistens with water. He takes the damp cloth wrapped round his waist and holds it to her nose, waiting for the bleeding to stop. "I've never seen anything like that," he confesses, sure to keep his tone neutral as to not raise her defenses.

Her eyes study his every movement, waiting for the slightest bit of disapproval that she has come to expect from Aang. When he shows no signs, she speaks. "Bloodbending," her voice is hoarse. "I was told only the full moon would give me the power to do it, but..."

"I could see your rage. It's how I used to fuel my firebending. I understand." And Katara knows he does understand. He has felt the fury, the fire burning so hotly in his core that he nearly let it consume him. He pulls the cloth away from her nose, satisfied that the bleeding has stopped. "Don't forget who you are, Katara."

At first she believes he is being condescending, but then she sees the look in his eyes. Distant memories, pain, and isolation scream at her through amber irises. He isn't scolding her. He is telling her to remember how strong she is.

When her body leans in to his and she rests her head on his chest, she blames it on exhaustion. Lead arms come up to wrap around his middle and she blames it on the pounding migraine that's clouding her judgement. His arms caress her and she lets them, simply blaming it on the guilt of taking one's life.

"Can we go back?" she questions, finding comfort in the quickened pace of Zuko's heartbeat. He nods, pulling away only to wrap his arm around her waist and lead her to back to where they hid Appa.

She allows Zuko to take charge of guiding Appa back home, much to the bison's happiness having grown quite fond of the young prince. Katara folds in on herself in the back of the leather saddle. She cradles her pounding head and pulls her knees to her chest. The last thing she wants to think about is how Aang will react when he discovers that she killed Yon Rha. Not only did she kill him, she bloodbended. He had made her promise to never use it again, a promise she was happy to keep until she wasn't. An hour in the journey back to camp, she succumbs to the pain in her head and the guilt biting her insides.

Pleeeeease review if you enjoyed! It makes writing things so much more fun and makes me feel like I'm interacting with my readers. Much love -M