Hello readers and readresses! Welcome to Marcus and I's newest collaboration! This was honestly really fun for us to write so I hope you guys have just as much fun reading it. Nothing else to say so let's just start the shock!

It started off as a pretty average night back at the Special Academy in District 2 for the Yetter family. If you are not yet aquatinted with this 'lovely' family… well, I say lovely in quotes for a reason. At least for fifteen-year-old Kawino Yetter, it was nothing short of hell. Well, how about we just show you guys. Try to keep up. "Faster!" Kawino's father shouted throwing a spear at him.

He barely managed to dodge the spear and sped up out of fear. He continued to sprint throwing knives with precision as he went. Literally, not a single throw was even a little off. I guess that's what happens when you're never not training. Which was the case.

"Stop!" His mother called. He did stop in his tracks successfully resisting the most basic need to catch his breath. "You have improved; you may sleep and shower now."

"Thank you, Ma'am." He said relieved having not slept in almost a week.

"Dismissed." She said. He nodded and head to the bathroom. When they were alone his mother sighed. "Are you okay, Mantear?" The father asked her worriedly. You new people see, though clearly not Kawino they do really care about and love each other.

"Yes fine it's just...do you think what we are doing is right?"

"Of course, we're just trying to stop him from dying if he goes into the arena."

"I know but do you ever think that maybe we are taking it too far?"

He snorted slightly and said, "No, what has gotten into you? We agreed shortly after they were born that this was the best way."

"We seem to be pushing him too far; I mean what if we were to kill him?"

"This won't. You're just talking crazy."

"Look at him. He barely walks out of here." She said.

"Exactly what we need to fix."

"I am not so sure it will work." She said.

"We have to at least try." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What if we kill him?" She asked.

"We won't." He just repeated getting seriously annoyed.

"Fine." She sighed.

"Good, just go get some sleep. It's making you delirious."

"Right, I'll do that." She said.

She headed to their bedroom but couldn't stop thinking about it.

'Is this the right thing to do?' She thought. Not bothering to change into anything different she flopped down on the bed with a sigh her mind still reeling. 'Maybe this is wrong.' She closed her eyes and tried to sleep hoping it might help in one way or the other. It did not in fact she had nightmares.


She found herself back on the training floor with her husband but outside of herself unable to move or talk. Nothing but watch really. Kawino was running but clutching his chest as he threw knives.

'No, no, no, no, this isn't what we wanted!' Her mind begged fighting to break this grip and do SOMETHING.

Then he stopped painting and fell to his knee's crying.

'How are you not doing anything?!' Her thoughts screamed at her husband, Drusus but still could not be form into actual words. He very soon hit the ground not moving or even breathing. She had no way to check if his heart was even still beating all but she knew at this point it was exceedingly unlikely. 'You said we wouldn't!' Her thoughts screamed.


She shot up in the real world actual tears falling down her checks. She looked around, her husband was asleep beside her all was quite.

She was honestly relieved to see he was and got to her feet making her way towards the bedroom Kawino shares with his sister which anyone here would recognize as Clove from the first book. He was there, but unlike Clove he was not breathing steadily yet was still sound asleep.

She frowned and being careful not to wake either of them made her way over and kneeled down next to his ratty old bare mattress. Now that she really gets a good look it's really a miracle he's still alive at all as you can just sit there and cut his ribs but also assess how many of them are broken, eight by the way. 'What am I doing?I can't let this continue, it's gone on too long.' She thought gently running a hand through his hair and then she saw the cuts on his wrist.

She knew she didn't do that and was pretty sure her husband didn't so that could only leave… 'He's been cutting himself?' She looked closer they were clearly old most of them, yet there was two fresh ones. Seeing that of course only further confirmed her earlier conclusion. 'No more.' She thought simply.

She then did something she had never done before and bent down place a gentle kiss on his forehead. He was still in a deep sleep but she whispered lightly, "I promise." He rolled over in his sleep and slept on.

She sighed and got up leaving the room wondering how exactly she could achieve this new goal. It would be easy enough to just stop doing it herself but there's still her husband who made it clear he is not moving on his stance. She could report him but that could mean he would report her too. Not to mention being executed. She couldn't. District 2's Peacekeeping force is extremely strict so execution would be inevitable. She had to find a different way. 'Maybe I could just try talking to him again. Make him sense.' She decided to try when he woke up. She honestly felt like she'd be able to get through to him. So she waited for him to wake.


Eventually he did and smiled slightly, "That help? You finally see sense again?"

"I did see sense, just not what you wanted."

His smile disappeared and he simply said, "Then you didn't see sense."

"Yes I did please listen he is so thin I can count his ribs and eight of them are broken. Not only that, but he has been cutting himself."

"The arena, Mantear. You just have to remember that it would only get worse in the arena. It's not my issue if he can't handle it."

"We are supposed to care for our kids not do this. What if he kills himself?"

"You're overreacting. If he was going to he would have by now."

"How can you not care!?"

"I never said I didn't care! I'm just trying to save his life but suddenly you're making me the bad guy here!"

"I want to save his life and for him to enjoy it, please!" He growled and to her extreme surprise he punched her right in the jaw as hard as he would Kawino. She stumbled back surprised. "You hit me!"

"You deserved it!" She punched him back. "Why you little…" He growled and tackled her.

She rolled onto her back and pushed him off and over her head with her feet. He hit the wall hard but got back to his feet and swung a kick at the side of her head.

She rolled to dodge it still being on the ground but fixed that getting to her own feet as well. "I really don't want to hurt you, Drusus." She said her voice cracking.

"Then come back to your senses."

"No, I don't want to hurt Kawino anymore. This has already gone on for too long." He shrugged and lunged at her again. She sidestepped and kicked him down the stairs.

As he stumbled down the stairs hitting the bottom, technically out of their home now since they're housed right above the academy the rent just taken out of their wage as trainers but no one but they're family was there yet, she stayed at the top of the stares tears seeing if her was going to get up. Which he did. "Please, just think about what you're doing." She said tears starting to fill her eyes.

"I am; you clearly are not thinking clearly." He said.

"I'm just trying to save our son." She said making her way down the stairs.

"This is saving him." He said.

"I mean from us! What if he never goes into the arena?! He only has three years left and there's tens of thousands of people it could be instead!"

"What if he does go into the arena!?"

"Then at this point he might just give up and not even try to fight!"

"You can't mean that!"

"I sure as heck wouldn't blame him considering the 'life' we've forced him into for as long as he could possibly remember!"

"You are being over dramatic."

"You can't be serious. You'd have to be blind not to see it!" She said trying to ignore that she just said that she was blind herself until recently, which she honestly was.

"No, I see that I am preparing him to live."

"Let's say he does then. We continue things your way and he goes into the arena and wins and passes, now what? Literally all he's ever known is training."

"He..." The man trailed not knowing really. "He'd find something." He said sure of that.

"You are lying to yourself." She said.

"No, he would. You just don't have enough faith in him."

"He has known nothing but training and we keep telling him no one will ever love him! What could he do if he won if that is all he has ever known!?" She said.

"The problem will fix itself. He'd learn. He'll find someone, realize we were lying, and move on with his life."

"Or he won't and kill himself."

"Again with the killing himself. You keep worrying about something that's never going to happen!"

"Then why does he cut his wrists!?"

"He's just trying to find a way to handle it. That's completely different."

"It's not." She said.

"How not?"

"That is a sign of being suicidal."

"No, they're completely separate things. If he was suicidal he would have used that same knife in that way."

"You do not know that!"

"He's fifteen and nothing has really changed in years beside you suddenly talking crazy. If he's going to kill himself then why hasn't he even tried yet?"

"So, you are basically saying you are surprised he has not done it yet."

"I never said that."

"You implied it!"

"It is kind of surprising." He said his voice clearly not caring if he did.

"You are a monster and so was I, but now I see the truth I will not keep hurting our son!" Tears filled her eyes as she descended the last step. "All those things you've ever told me about trying to save his life THEY WERE LIES! You never cared one damn bit about him! You're just some deranged sadist who somehow gets some twisted joy from practically torturing the poor boy! The only reason he's never even knew he had the choice!"

"I will give you one more chance stand down."

"I won't." She said though her voice was cracking. He sighed and charged her again. He did take her down this time but she quickly used his weight against him and turned that around so she had him pinned, "That wasn't the only lie was it?! Did you ever even love ME?!"

"Of course I did."

"Then why are you doing this?!"

"He needs to survive!"

"He's already more than ready to survive physically the only thing he'd have trouble with will only be made worse by continuing this!"

"You are a fool!" He said before head-butting her.

She was sent back by that letting him go, "Do you not even see him in training?!"

"So, what? Are we supposed to let him get lazy?"

"He wouldn't get lazy! He just at least needs a break every once in a while and not to be beaten or almost starved to death or called useless! Don't you even realize he believes us?!"

"What!?" Said a third voice and they both turned to see Clove at the edge of the stairs. She was extremely shocked having never really known what they had been doing to Kawino. "What did you say?"

Mantear looked down guiltily clutching the spot on her head but said nothing. "Clove, what are you doing up so early?" Drusus asked avoiding the subject.

"I heard all the screaming." She said. "You're avoiding my question though." Clove said dangerously. "What. Did. You. Say?" Neither of them knew how to answer her. "Is what you said true?" She asked her face getting red. They each nodded. "You monsters!" She shouted absolutely livid. "I have half the mind to report both of you!"

"Clove, please I have learned my lesson. I want this to stop!" Mantear said.

"And why should I trust you?!"

"That is what I am fighting him for."

Clove looked at her for a while then up towards her and Kawino's bedroom where he was still asleep, then back at her mother and said, "I don't believe you."

"Please, Clove I swear I want him safe and happy." She said.

"Then you would have never done any of that stuff in the first place!"

"I thought I was doing what was best to help him survive."

"Well, you should have thought about that earlier!"

"You're right I should have, but I am trying to fix things now, and he does not want them fixed."

Clove growled and said simply, "I'll deal with you later," before turning to her father almost hostile, "YOU!"

"What about me?" He asked.

"You are a complete monster! How could you even think about doing stuff to your own son?!"

"He needs to survive!"

"He would survive without you having to do that stuff to him!"

"I am bettering his odds this way!"

Clove growled then thought for a second then tried another rather stupid but brave way after all she'd rather it be her than Kawino, "Then why not me? Do I not deserve better odds?"

"You are a girl statistically you have better odds people target the boys from our district."

"They target our district in general, Drusus." Clove hissed disrespectfully since he deserved none. "So why not? It's only fair."

"Well, if you insist." He smirked and punched her in the gut. She fell to the ground but stood back up. "Fast learner," He said and aimed a kick at her side.

She attempted to block but the kick was too hard and it knocked her to the side. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO KAWINO!?" she shouted.


Meanwhile, back upstairs the battered boy shoot up at his sister's cry. Most was anger but he could hear the pain in her voice and that was more than enough. They could do whatever they want to him but Clove meant the world to him. He was instantly on his feet and flew down the stairs and to his sister's aid. "DON'T EVEN TOUCH HER!" They all spun to see him as he observed the situation. "I'm begging you. That was always the deal. You can do whatever you want to me as long as you leave Clover out of it."

Clove seemed surprised by that. "She asked for this."

"I didn't want them hurting you anymore, Kawino." Clove said clutching her side.

"Step away from her." Kawino warned.

"Or what?"

"Or I will kill you."

"Even if you could, then the Peacekeepers would kill you."

"Not if I tell them what you have done to me. After all, I have all the proof I need right here." Kawino reminded lifting up his shirt. Clove stared sadly at his broken ribs. Not only that and how skinny he was given that she could tell but so many not even bruises but wounds and scars that clearly indicate the use of actual weapons not just fists, feet, and other body parts as she had thought… hoped at least. She couldn't look away though feeling as though she had completely failed him as a sister. "Then it would be self-defense." Kawino said.

"The scars would get you shot for withholding legal information."

"Under threat of my death, I withheld information."

"Oh please you think they will take the word of a boy? Reality check, you'd be dead before you could even try to make your self-defense claim… or maybe not. After all the Peacekeepers aren't always right on who did it. They might pull it on Clove instead."

"I have a solution." His wife said. Kawino paused for a second then turned to his mother now more confused than anything which considering how angry he was. After all, both his parents were always in the same boat. Neither stepping back an inch of any aspect of the abuse. Neither regarded as any crueler than the other. So what could she possibly mean? He took a step back figuring it couldn't possibly be anything good. She turned to his father, "I am leaving you and I am taking them with me." She said.

"You can't do that, Mantear!"

"You are not exactly leaving me much choice things need to change and you will not let them."

"I told you things are fine the way they are. There's no reason to just throw everything out over it."

"He is not happy and we have been torturing him! And now I know why he has not killed himself it was for Clove! He deserves to live his life!" She looked at Kawino who was pretty much frozen in place at the moment for a second then back at him and said, "So for that reason, I will and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"Fine! If that is what you want!"

Mantear gulped and said forcing her voice to be steady, "It is."

"Fine, then it's settled."

"Just like that?" She asked.

"You do not seem to listen to reason. It does seem to be the only option and you three will soon see that I was right all along." The father said arrogantly.

"I doubt it." Clove said.

"We'll see." He said simply.

"Guess we will."

"Clove, go get your stuff." Mantear told her daughter knowing Kawino doesn't really have any besides his Reaping outfit. "And Kawino's reaping outfit." She added.

Clove hesitated but figuring it's either take a chance with their mother or guarantee it with their father so she headed up taking Kawino with her certainly not trusting them alone with him again. "I'm sorry it came to this." She said turning to her soon to be ex-husband. "I do love you, Drusus but I have to do this, I want to do this for their sakes."

"If you loved me you would stand with me."

"I love them, too though."

"I do, too. I want him to live."

"There's more to living than just not dying." He sighed and headed out toward the rest of the school. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"I doubt you will let me be alone with them, so I will leave until you are gone."

"Right, goodbye, Drusus."

"Goodbye, Mantear." He said and he just left simple as that.

She held back tears this had all happened so fast. Everything she said was true though; she did still love him. Her children however mattered more. At least now they finally did. She sighed and headed upstairs realizing she has her own stuff to get.


She opened the door and they were both there. There was a long moment of silence where none of the three of them really had any idea what to say.

"So, what now?" Kawino asked breaking the silence.

"We get out of here first of all."

"Yes, Ma'am." He said.

"Please, don't call me Ma'am anymore, Kawino." She said only confusing him worse.

"Okay...what do I call you?" He asked.

"Just… never mind." She said and headed to her room still trying to sort all of this out.

"Okay, Ma'am." He said bowing. "None of this makes any sense." He muttered once she was gone.

"It's complicated." Clove said. "Why did you never tell me what was going on?" She asked him.

"I wanted you safe and out of it."

"I guess. I'm a terrible sister though." She sighed taking a seat on the step.

"No, you are not. You are a wonderful sister."

"I should have been there for you. I should have opened my eyes to what was right in front of me."

"I made sure you didn't." Kawino said.

"It was so obvious in retrospect though."

"Stop beating yourself up, please?"

"Why should I?"

"Because this is part of the reason I never wanted you to know." He sat down next to her on the step and pulled her into a hug, "None of this is your fault. You're pretty much the only thing that gave me the will to keep fighting." She leaned against him still feeling guilty. "Clove, please stop blaming yourself. You're the perfect sister."

"I failed you though."

"No you didn't. There's really nothing you could have done without them hurting you, too. By the way, where did he hit you?"

"He caught me in the gut and the ribs."

Without even asking he pulled back and lifted her shirt slightly to assess the damage. "Bruising and a cracked rib." He sighed.

"How can you tell if a rib's cracked?" She asked confused.

"You have a bit of a wheeze to your breathing."

"Oh, I guess you know a lot about those."

"Yeah I do." He said. "Pretty much everything but what to do about them."

"You should rest." She said.

"Wait, are we talking about the actual me now?"

"Yes you need rest more than me." She said.

He shook his head, "I'm fine."

"Kawino, that can't be true."

"It is. I'm used to it anyways."

"Does not make it okay."

"No it doesn't but I'm still fine."

"Fine, but I am not resting either."

"Okay, one question."

"Sure what?"

"What does rest mean?"

"I will not sleep either." She said.

"Now?" He asked now honestly very confused that she was suggesting that in the first place.

"It seemed you were going to say I should."

"Well, as I said I don't know what to do about the rib."

"It will let it heal." She said. She looked at his eyes for a while then concluded, "You didn't get much sleep did you?"

"No not really." He said.

"About how much?"

"I am not sure."

"How can you not be sure?"

"I do not know what time I fell asleep."

"Would you usually at least get some every night?" Clove asked.

"Not every night."

"How often would you get any?"

"Every couple days?" He shrugged.

"Kawino, that's not good at all."

"Why not? I feel fine."

"Because your body's gotten used to it."

"That's good then."

"No it's not. It means your body is running on almost nothing and what about food. She mentioned something about that."

"Well, I do eat." He said.

"Clearly not enough." She said from when he lifted his shirt.

"What do you mean?"

"I can easily count your ribs. How often would you eat?"

"I am really not sure. I never really kept track of it. I was just grateful for when I did have it."

"Not a good sign." She sighed.

He shrugged not seeing the problem and said, "Food and sleep were just kept as rewards if you did what they asked perfectly."

"Kawino, you know that is bad right?

He misunderstood what she meant by that and looked down, "Sorry."

"It's not your fault." She said.

"It isn't?… but… you just said…"

"I meant that they had you on that schedule."

"Oh, what's wrong with it?"

"You should eat three times a day."

"Really?" He asked honestly surprised by that.

"Yeah, really."

"Oh, usually I'd only see that much food in… I don't know a month or so."

"Okay, you need to eat." She said. Not leaving him room to try and argue she got him up and took him straight to the kitchen.

"Okay let's try fruit. What would they give you when they did?" She asked looking over at him.

"Bread, water, and sometimes cheese."

Clove clutched the edge of the counter trying to calm herself down for his sake. "Okay, so it wouldn't be very smart to start with something to strong." She mumbled looking around and spotted some bananas being quite a mild but still filling and nutrient rich fruit. "Here try this." She said. She handed it to him and having never really seen a banana before he tried to eat it without being peeled. "Kawino you have to peel it." She chuckled.

"Oh," He said looking down embarrassed now feeling stupid.

"It's okay you have never had one I assume?" She asked.

"Never," He said trying to figure out how to do what he said to.

"Here, I will show you." She said holding out her hand. He sighed and handed it to her. She took it and peeled it easily. "Here, try just the white inside there." She said handing it to him. He shrugged and bit into it. He liked it and ate faster.

It was gone in seconds. Soon his hand covered his mouth, "Step back!" She did and he threw up in the trash can knowing not to all over the floor. "Sorry." He said.

"It's not your fault." She sighed sadly.

"Yeah, I am the one who threw up."

"That's still their fault though." Clove said carefully. "Your body just doesn't see food as something normal."

"Well I suppose."

"That is bad though." Clove sighed.

"It is?" He asked.

"Yeah, again not your fault but that's really bad."

"So, what do I do?"

"Really all you can do is eat slowly and work your way up over time." Clove sighed.

"Okay, that is not too bad."

"No, it's still bad that it is though."

"Oh sorry." He said.

"Again, it's not your fault."

"Right, I will try to stop that."

"It would be best to try but I wouldn't be mad if you do."

"You wouldn't?" He asked.

"No I wouldn't. I promise."

"How odd." He said.

"It isn't to me."

"Is to me. I was told you do or you fail."

"Well, that isn't true."

"It always seemed true." He pointed out.

"Well, you never really knew anything different." Clove said with a sigh.

"I suppose not." He said.

"When that's the case anyone's going to believe it."

"Even you?"

"Yes, even me. Kind of like how in the Capitol everyone's taught how amazing and wonderful the Hunger Games are their whole lives so they all believe it. You could make anyone believe anything if you isolate them from anything else."

"Yeah, that makes sense." He said.

"You trust me then?"

"Why would I not?"

"Because it must be very difficult for you to trust anyone."

"I trust you." He said. "You, Cato, Cady, and Enobaria; those are who I trust. Cady was the only one that knew about what Mom and Dad were doing. She tried to tell people but knowing believed her and after a while I asked her not to."

"She knew and you asked her not to tell anyone?"

"I didn't want to burden anyone else with my own problems."

"Kawino, you could have told me."

"Look what happened when you did find out though."

"I know but you are my brother I worry."

"I don't want you to worry though."

"I know but siblings worry about each other."

"You shouldn't have to. You deserved to just be happy." He said to her.

"No one is happy all the time."

"You deserved to be as much as you could though."

"Well, most times I am."

"Not now that you know the truth though." He pointed out.

"I will be happy when you get better."

"What if I don't though? What if I'm just too far gone?"

"You're not. Do not talk like that."

"It will certainly take time, Clover. Lots of time."

"I know, but you have me and mom now," She said.

"Is having Mom supposed to somehow make me feel better?" He asked looking at her.

"Not sure, but she seems to really care about you now."

He snorted slightly and said, "It's obviously just a trap."

"Kawino, they are about to get divorced over this. I can understand your thoughts but I think this time it's not."

"There must be some other reason. That woman does not by any means deserve one bit of my trust."

"I know she does not, but I think she is going to."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we don't need to trust her yet but in this instance I do not think she is lying."

"Well, I guess we don't really have any other choices."

"No, we really don't." Clove said.

"Well, I guess that's nothing new." He sighed.

"You have me now."

"I've always had you. If I didn't I would have killed myself years ago."

"You would have?" She asked.

"Probably, I'd have to have something worth living for."

"Well then, we need to get you friends." She said hugging him.

"What are those?" He asked returning the hug.

"People you like to hang out with that are not family."

"Hang out?" He asked even more confused and now a little scared obvious knowing what hang means just not the idiomatic phrase.

"It means spend time doing fun things with." She said.

"Oh, well, there's Cato, Cady, and Enobaria."

"Yeah, that's a good." Clove said. "It would still help to have more though." She added.

"Okay, I guess."

"Trust me, it really will help. You just of course still have to be careful."

"Why?"

"Since, as you clearly already know, there are bad people out there."

"Yeah, I do." He said.

"Well, that's why you still have to be careful. Not all bad people are adults and as you've seen with Enobaria, not all adults are bad people."

"Okay, so don't trust anyone?"

"No, just not everyone and not right away. I can help you with that."

"You can?" He asked.

"Yes and I'd be glad to."

"Deal," he said as their mother returned.

As you'd imagine neither of them even wanted to look at her. "We need to go." She said awkwardly.

"Where?" Clove asked.

"We'll have to figure that out but for now just out." Mantear said looking at the bag of coins rightfully hers from her pay as a trainer.

"Okay?" They said confused.

"Won't we still have to come back soon for training though?" Kawino asked based off of when the other students would arrive.

"I can call you both in or you can go up to you both."

"I'm going." Kawino said simply.

"Are you sure?" She asked worried.

"Yes, I'm sure." He said still not looking at her.

"Well, if you insist."

"Kawino, I don't think you should." Clove said carefully.

"What? Why not?"

"Clearly your body desperately needs a break from training. At least for the day."

"I don't want a break."

"Kawino please, it will really help you get better."

"But if I do not go I won't see Cady."

"You could surprise her when she comes out." Clove offered.

"I suppose..." He said.

"So you will then?" She asked hopefully.

"Okay, if you say so." He said. "Only if you do too though." He bargained give her cracked rib.

"Fine deal." She said.

See? Very shocking. I honestly hope you guys liked it but it's okay if you didn't. Please review and let us know. My co-author has been having so problems recently so he can really use your support. Because of that same reason please refrain from flaming from now on. If you don't like don't read.