*****I do not own the Hunger Games nor its characters*****

***WARNING due to content recommended that you are over 18 before reading it. For VERY Mature audiences only***

75th BATTLE CRY

A KATNISS STORY

Chapter 1

3 to go

Arena 75th Hunger Games-Airing

Katniss sits on the beach at night looking out onto the water. Her gray eyes still lifeless & hollow wondering if Cato has figured it out. By withholding training from me those first few months before the quarter quell announcement will cost him in the long run. I doubt he even cares at this point she thought. Knowing him, he probably went to Snow & cook up this idea making sure that there was no bow in this one for me to use. Joanna comes up to Katniss "Deep in thought 12? You haven't told him yet. No you weren't never going to tell Cato that he is going to be a father."

Katniss: "No, I couldn't. What good would it do? I left him a message with the DVD in his room before going to 12 along with the doctors report & test results. He'll get the hint probably after I'm replaced. Not that he cares. If he bothers that is. Either way I look at it I'm stuck Jo. I am so stuck."

Joanna "He loves you. Deep down somewhere he really does love you Katniss."

Katniss (chuckles then goes to a cold voice) "Jo do you really want to know what Cato's love is like? Are you so sure that you want to hear this? It's not pretty not this 'fairy tale' ending. Jo let me tell you exactly what 'Cato's love is really, REALLY like. (as she looks deep in thought out on the water with a very vacant dark look on her face)On a night that he's not out drinking with his friends & fans. Which is few & far between, he human. Over powering selfish but human none the less. The norm as I call it, 3 to go."

Joanna "3 to go?"

Katniss "Yes Jo, 3 to go. (Her voice in calm dark frigid icy coldness) You see Cato's comes home calls or bellows for me, drunk after being with his friends & fans for I don't or I should say I'm not allowed to have any friends. God forbid if I say no. In his words 'You don't say no to me. Now come over here & roll over like a good bitch. Cause I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk for a week.' And he means it Jo. Then it begins. Cato throws me over his shoulder takes me into the bedroom. He rips off my clothes literally, throws me on the bed & starts in with the fondling to 'accommodate' him later on. One good thing about him, he's packing enough to fit his enormous ego but packing big time none the less. After that I get to clean the mess. Then I'm stuck as I put it, to accommodate him on my knees. Then he says 'one down two to go'. Then its actual intercourse. He's not gentle is putting it very, & I do mean very mildly. No caring on his part. When he done he says 'two down, one to go. Then he goes on to say "This is going to hurt a lot honey." Then I get flipped over for the rest or, other door. Like I said Jo he's packin' & it hurts, a lot. Most would describe this as 'rough sex'. I have another word for it. After he's done, he usually says 'Jesus Katniss, you're a tight ...' then, he goes to sleep. I know it's safe to move then. There's no love, passion, caring or, even a hint of compassion from him. Nope, it's always about him.

I went to him once for help during the Victory Tour. I made the mistake of mentioning Rue my ally during the last games. I was told that I was suppose to mention the Tributes in my speech. So I did. I told them, how she brought out the best in me as a tribute. Of Thresh's decision to go on his own was honorable. Rue's Grandfather did her tune in thanks & the Peace Keepers shot him in the head for it. I was then taken to my room where I got a message that one being, stick to the script or it's my family next time. I am supposed to mention the other tributes but only as good adversaries nothing more. I didn't know that at the time, nobody told me. I was uniting the country the best way I knew how from rebelling per the orders of the President & they killed Rue's family over it. I have to live with that for the rest of my life. However short it is because I even know why the Victor's are here. I figured it out on my own. No fucking briefing required. No appointment necessary. Joanna, it's me. They both wants me dead. Anyway I went to Cato. (chuckles)I should have known better. Even the one time I reached out to him for help his reply was "YOU want to strategize NOW? YOU signed our death warrants, get out. That is what Cato's love is exactly like, Jo. It's what I've lived with for over a year now even, pregnant. Jo Why do you think I didn't sing at my wedding?"

Joanna "I don't know Katniss. I do know it's a family tradition for you. Your mom was not happy about it. Katniss, Jeez you may want to think on this maybe at least let him know about the baby."

Katniss "Okay Jo. I'll do it as he's treated me for the past year to year & a half. I'll put as much thought has he cares about me." Katniss then looks up at the fake night sky "Hi honey! Yo! Cato! Sugar, we're having a GIRL. That's right you forgot to put the stem on the apple on this one, honey bunch. She's due, if we that is your daughter & I survive this time around in about 5 1/2 to 6 months. Have a nice time with your flock of mistresses friends & fans at the bars while having the Roman orgy in OUR bed, Sweetheart. Hugs, Sugar." Looks back at Joann "That should about do it." The guys in the background cringed outwardly crept forward hoping that getting this off her chest & out in the open would help. Later they'll be grateful that it did.

Joanna "Jeez Katniss, just a little tact here. Man. I thought I was bad, damn girl. How do you know he's screwing around on you? And what about the song you never told me about that one."

Katniss "Jo the song was an Everdeen tradition that went back at least 15 generations until now. Over 250 years of FAMILY tradition down the drain thanks to my darling husband, Cato Alexander Lungren. The Bride or, Groom which ever applied, in my case, bride would pick a song to sing to their spouse on their wedding day. My mother gave her 'personal blessing' because it was my favorite that Dad sung to her. Jo, I was going to sing "You belong to me" by Pasty Cline. The reason I didn't sing it to him Jo & I quote Cato, 'I hope I won't be subjected to any of your slum 12 traditions.' I broke a family tradition that was over 250 years old because of him. I told Mom there will be no song at this wedding. That's how much he cares about me Jo even on our wedding day. So, you could have imagined what the wedding night was like. (What Katniss didn't know that the guys were in the back listening & feeling the urge to beat the shit out of Cato for mistreating her. Nor did she know that in the 'Mentor's Room' Cato was hearing this now.) You know I bet he doesn't even know that he missed my birthday. He got drunk with his friends, didn't come home until around 4 in the morning. Probably the best gift I'll ever receive from him. Jo a dog gets more love & attention in an hour than I have in a year from MY HUSBAND. Now Jo if he cares so damn much how come, he hasn't bothered to even try to help? Hmmm. I can tell you but not yet. To answer your next question, I do I know he's screwing around on me. Cause I saw her the next day, coming out of our room. When he was going to training. I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie on my birthday when Brutus & Enobaria took me to the Doctors. It was the night I found out that I was going back in. Next thing I know its morning, I see them coming out of our room & both were smiling as they left. Need I have to say more. By then I suspected that's when the morning sickness was kicking in. I figured he just didn't even give a rats ass about me anymore."

Joanna "Man, I'm sorry. What are you going to do?"

Katniss "Peeta told me once you can either get busy living or get busy dying but, you can't do both at the same time. Hence that's the question here: If I live I have to return because of my penance for not realizing the Cato would've flipped Peeta over at the last second to use Peeta as a human shield when I fired my arrow. Have my daughter & become the hollow shell again. Or, I die and in doing so hopefully get these games stopped for a few of you to get back home to live on. In turn I kill myself & our daughter to get you guys home. I wonder, what Cato thinks of this now? Knowing him probably nothing. I never mattered to him Jo. To him I'm less than nothing. Just property, a play thing. Why should our daughter matter? She is after all a part of me. There's only two things I regret Jo."

Joanna "What's that?"

Katniss "Being cold to Caesar during the interview. I really had nothing left in me at that point & for once people needed to see what being a wife, his wife had turn me into. When you marry, you have children. Children get reaped & they don't come home in my district. Pardon me Jo, correction, they don't come back alive. It's usually a death sentence for us. We don't have the fancy academies. Not like one & two do. Caesar at least shows genuine concern, he's not fake. He deserved better from me. (after a long pause) My second not making my decision sooner. It would've avoided the blood shed of the other Victors. You all have paid your dues. You all don't deserve this. Everybody already won once now because of me the Victors got reaped again. Because of me screwing up the job description & not getting it right out of thin air coming out the freaking' gate. Jo in my district divorce isn't an option. When we say until death us do part unlike some others we mean it. Yet according to my spouse he'll think that's another slum 12 way too. So I have to make a decision unless the game makers or , the President does it for me. I have to, quick. Because Jo I don't know how much more I can take either way. Either his drinking, partying, whores or, the fact that I have to go against everything I believe to send you guys home by killing my baby when I die myself. I just know I can't take much more either way." Katniss returns to that vacant look while looking out at the ocean. She mutters "Why didn't I just swallow the damn berries after I shot the fucking arrow? Better yet shot myself with the damn thing. You all would've been safe at home where you belong. Yeap I should have swallowed the damn berries." Joanna seeing that she's shutting down on everyone gets up to get the rest of the crew.

Joanna " YOU stay here. Don't even think about moving period." Goes over to the rest of them. The guys being Finnick, Bee Dee & Haymitch didn't realize how bad it gotten for her in a short time.

The guys go "Holy Shit, I didn't realize... Man oh man." This effected one person more than the other two. Haymitch Aberthany thought to himself, what he would give to see his girl & our child again. Haymitch closed his eyes to blink back the tears. For him Katniss was the closest thing to having a daughter he's ever had.

Joanna "I think we're going to lose her. One of two things will happen, she either kills herself or, goes on a suicide mission. We all need to keep an eye on her. When was the last time she's actually ate & held it down?"

Nobody answers & that's when they start worrying. Haymitch gets some water, crackers brings them to her. Katniss still looking out into the blue water, vacant look as in deep thought.

Haymitch "Eat sweetheart. It's the only time you can hold anything down is at night. It's not your fault we're here." Looks into the sky and saids "Anytime Princess(his name for Effie), she needs to know now!"
Just then a parachute falls in front of Katniss. Katniss opens it to find a can of ginger ale, peppermint & a message, "You have a BIG surprise coming tomorrow from HOME. Stay alive & don't give up.-Effie"
Haymitch "That's why you need to eat. Now eat." He watches her pop the top off the soda drink it & eat a few crackers along with some of the candy before giving it over to the rest to share. Then he watched her drink the water down. He wishing now that he had his old friends notes on making the pain worse for Cato.

Yet the small group weren't the only ones that over heard Katniss & Jo's conversation. On the other side of the beach in some bushes sat Brutus & Enobaria both pissed at their mentor & sorry for the girl he's married to.
Brutus "I swear If I get my hands on him, I'll make the pain she suffered 50 times worse on him. That's it he goes to AA or else."
Enobaria "Only if I get to help."
Brutus "Always Barry. Always"

And still there are more who heard the conversation. The ones that Katniss was trying to get to make her point in the first place. They went to the President.

Mentor's room-Capitol (10 minutes prior to the parachute drop)

Cato sat with his head in his hands he as realized as she described her home life from "her" point of view. On National Television, not caring if she lost sponsors or, just not caring at all when it comes to herself. He feels even worse now, wrecked their wedding, didn't bother for her birthday (shit, double shit), missed the doctor's appointment. If he bothered to take her instead of Brutus to the doctors, he would have found out about the baby...oh shit he thought. If Brutus gets ahold of him correction when Brutus gets ahold of him. Knowing Brutus he'll bring in Haymitch & Enobaria for kicks. Jesus he doesn't even remember half the things he's done this year & she calls it 'the norm.' Wait a minute there was his old girlfriend who had gotten into trouble at the bar he was at after training & she slept in the guest room that night. He has never brought anybody home nor has he been to any motels either. I know I never cheated on Katniss. Not with those three & her mother around, oh hell no. Just then Effie came into the room. He got up to talk to her.
Cato "Can we talk?"

Effie "Of course, do you need to send a message to your wife or, Haymitch?"

Cato "Both. Effie I didn't cheat on Katniss. I need to talk to her ASAP. Here add these to the message." Cato had Effie send ginger ale, peppermint the very same things he seen Katniss eating back at the apartment before she was reaped for this years games.

Effie "We thought you would. Why don't you watch this here. I think it would cheer everybody up, instead of wanting to take you outside." Effie hands him the DVD from his room.

Cato "Okay." On a all in one unit T.V., Cato slides the dvd in. It shows the ultra sound of the baby. The remaining mentors look at the screen too but don't say anything to him cause, they're mad at him. And there not the only ones. Sitting in his box the President looks on with the Game Makers who confirm the reports on the pregnancies.