Summary: Cato won the 73rd Hunger Games and on his Victory Tour meets Katniss. Introducing an OC- Malice- Cato's best friend. All other 74th Hunger Games tributes will stay the same.
A/N: Since the story that plagiarized mine was taken down, I decided to post stories again. Please excuse me if the characters are a little OOC as I am trying to work out my pregnancy brain so I can continue on my own original story. Thank you in advance to those of you who will follow, favorite and/or review. I have not read every Cato/ Katniss story out there so I hope I am not copying anyone's story line. I have had this idea in my head for a while and wanted to try it out.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games Trilogy or its characters.
Sacrifice
Chapter One
Written by: kmac13
8/14/2012
Sitting on the Tribute train to the Capitol is the most exciting thing I can think of. I am not nervous of losing. I have been trained for thirteen years to win. I will follow in my best friend and mentor's footsteps; the winner of the Seventy-Third Hunger Games, Cato Anvil. Since this is his first year he will be mentoring with both Brutus and Enobria as he still needs to learn the ropes, but I have no doubt in my mind he will do everything he can as a mentor to help bring more honor to our district.
Clove is the female tribute this year. She is petite, but a complete and utter psychopath. She hasn't wiped that sadistic smile off her face since she volunteered. We are sitting in the lounge car waiting to watch recaps and all she is doing is play with her precious little knives. I personally think she has a few screws loose and will crack under the pressure of the games, because when she is fixated on something she doesn't give in for anything. That fixation, especially if it is towards another tribute, most likely female, will cause her to lose sight of the goal which is to win. It's better for me though she won't be much competition and I have no qualms in killing her. It would be an act of kindness for the rest of the world.
The screen flickers to life and District One is being shown. Both tributes are volunteers and have ridiculous names, the boy is Marvel and the girl, who is mighty good looking, is called Glitter or Glimmer. I don't know. They aren't much competition, even if they are Careers too. Next they show District Two, our district and both Clove and I volunteer. Last year Cato volunteering at the age of seventeen was a rarity as most volunteers need to be eighteen, but he was just that good that the elders allowed it. Clove is an exception too, but I really think they just wanted to get her as far away from civilization as they could.
Districts Three through Ten fly by with no one standing out as any sort of threat to me becoming Victor. Eleven is an odd looking bunch. The girl is only just twelve and small as can be, it's almost a pity for someone so young to have to be in the games, but it just makes it easier for me. The boy on the other hand is monstrous. He is the same size as Cato and myself. He may be competition if he has the brains to also back up the brawn.
District Twelve finally flickers on and I sense Cato tense behind me as he nervously watches on. He has been calm and cool this whole time, but I know why he is so tense. His wife is in the reaping pool for District Twelve and he, and I, just pray she isn't called, because we both know I'm done for if she is a tribute as well. If she were any other girl who was married to my best friend, I would say 'Fuck them', but this girl is better than anyone I have ever met and she has the potential to win on her own, despite being from District Twelve. Not to mention she is gorgeous and sponsors will be throwing money at her just on looks alone. She has made sacrifice after sacrifice for her family and friends and I would sacrifice myself for her.
The Tribute Escort, Effie Trinket, stands on the makeshift stage and reaches into the girl's bowl. Brutus, Enobria, Cato and myself are all holding our breaths in anticipation.
"Primrose Everdeen"
"Fuck" Cato exclaims loudly. We all turn to see him, with his head turned down and his body rigid.
"No Prim, No!" We all turn back towards the screen to watch as Cato's wife stands in front of the small blonde girl. Throwing the girl behind her as if to shield her from the world. "I volunteer, I volunteer!" She screams out and a tall boy who I recognize collects her sister off of her as she makes her way to the stage.
"Oh how exciting! A volunteer! And what is your name dear?"
Bang. Crash. "Fucking hell" Cato exclaims again. We turn towards him to see him destroying everything in his path. A vase is smashed into a million pieces on the floor, there is a whole in the wall, and four chairs are broken.
"Katniss Everdeen Anvil." Katniss says in a strong voice her head raised, looking past all the crowd.
"Everdeen? Does that mean you are related to the young girl?" Katniss nods her head solemnly. "And Anvil? Any relation to last year's Hunger Games Victor?" Again she nods her head, continuing to stare out past everyone as if she is picturing herself anywhere but on that stage, my guess is the woods outside of her district. "Well let's give Katniss a round of applause." Effie chirps excitedly. No one does though, the whole of District Twelve stays silent and then they kiss three fingers and raise them towards Katniss. Her steely gray eyes slightly waver with emotion. The only living victor from Twelve, Haymitch, stumbles towards her on stage. He wraps his arm around her shoulders jostling her enough for her to snap out of her emotions.
"I like this one. She's got…..SPUNK." He steps forward and I'm not sure who he is pointing at. "More than you, More than any of you." He slurs as he falls off the stage.
While District Twelve recomposes itself. I turn to look at Cato and nod, telling him I will lay my life down. She will be protected and win. He has a strained look on his face but nods back grateful that his Kat will be protected.
"Now on to the boys" Effie says as she collects the slip from the boy's bowl. "Peeta Mellark" She calls out and a medium build, blonde hair, blue eyed boy that looks to be the same age as Katniss makes his way shakily on stage. His eyes never leaving Katniss. I hear another crash behind me and then duck quickly as Cato throws a decorative glass bowl at the screen. Shattering both the screen and the bowl.
"What the hell Cato? We were watching that! The commentators were just about to start talking about how they think the tributes will do?" Clove yells at him. Cato growls at her then throws a plate at her head. His icy blue eyes bore into her, but she returns the glare. "Just cause your skanky rat of a wife is in the games doesn't mean you can throw a tantrum. Get over it. She will be dead by this time next week." If I hadn't been so shocked that she just said that to him I may have jumped on her first, but Cato flew across the room and had her up against the wall with his arm across her throat cutting off the air flow.
Between her chokes and gasps he growls, "If anything happens to my wife or I hear that you have said anything to her, I won't wait for you to die in the games. I will kill you with my bare hands only after I have killed anyone you have ever considered family or a friend. Do I make myself clear?"
Brutus and Enobria are trying to pull him off of her as she is starting to become limp and blue in the face. He lets go and spits on her face and I can't believe what just happened. I know Brutus loves Katniss like a daughter, it's hard not to love her when you actually get to know her and Enobria puts up with her far better than she does most people, so I know they will help Cato bring her home.
An attendant carriers Clove off to the infirmary to check her out, make sure there isn't any permanent damage. Brutus and Enobria bring Cato to the couch and try to reason with him that he can't kill the tributes, even the other district tributes, but that they will help him bring her home. I excuse myself as I can't fathom to sit in this room anymore knowing I'm going to die soon.
Nobody went to dinner, but me that night and when I got back to my room Cato was sitting in the chair with an amber colored drink in his hand. "I'm sorry." Is all he can say as he looks into my eyes and I know that 'I'm sorry' is so much more than sorry I freaked out.
"I will protect her. Clove or anyone else won't touch her. Don't worry. You will get her back."
"But what about you? Shouldn't you hate us knowing we aren't going to back you and Clove? I would be fucking pissed if this was happening to me."
"If you had chosen any other girl I would be, but she deserves to win and live. You need her. I know that. She makes you better. To be honest, since she left last week to go back to her district for the reaping, you have been unbearable. Kinda like when you came home from your games. Not sleeping, angry all the time. Plus you are really the only person I have left other than my Nanna. And I know you will take care of her."
He nods his head. "I will, Malice. Don't worry. Thank you. Anything you want this week and I will try to make it happen." He stands and pats my back as he stumbles out of my room.
On a train also heading towards the Capitol, A young wife sits next to her mentor. He wraps his arm around the small girl and lets her cry, lets her have this one moment of weakness in her life. She didn't cry when she was forced from her home in Twelve seven months prior to live and marry the newest victor. She didn't cry when she was starving so many times, or when her mother checked out on her. The last time she cried was when she found out her father was gone. She cries because she doesn't want to kill anyone, especially not Malice, the small girl from Eleven that reminds her so much of Prim and Peeta, the boy with the bread who saved her life. Shouldn't she do the same and save his. But she knows the answer is no. She can hear Prim, Cato and Gale screaming at her to win and screw everyone else.
"You know District Two won't let you die. They will work with me to bring you back Sweetheart. Don't worry." Haymitch says to her. He's not nearly as drunk as he would like to be or normally is at this point in the journey to the Capitol, but he knows he has to do everything he can for this girl.
"Cato is going to be mad." She mumbles quietly into his chest as he rubs her back.
"He understands. He knows you wouldn't let her go into the games. He probably knew what you were going to do before you did. Despite his way of getting you, he truly does know you and love you."
"I hate myself sometimes for loving him too, but after a while there was just something so sad about him I had to care for him and that turned into love."
"I know Sweetheart. You are a far better person than you realize. Go to sleep." He kisses the top of her head and she wonders off to her room sniffling down the corridor.
A young blonde boy stands in the shadows and watches the interaction between the victor and the tribute, wishing he was the one the girl cried on, wishing he was the one the girl loved. "You are picking her then I assume." He says as he makes his way past the shadows and into view of Haymitch. Haymitch looks up at the boy and gives him a sad nod in confirmation. "Good. I'll help."
"Are you sure boy?"
"Never been more sure. I just wish she loved me instead of him, but I'm not the only one. Gale has been a mess since she left with Cato. Even Darius is a little less playful." Peeta says to the older man.
"I know. I'm her lifeline to her family and Gale. Cato sends me their money every month and she calls my phone once a week and talks to them. His best friend is also in the games." Haymitch lets Peeta know he is fully aware of the situation that is going on.
"Well, how will we do this then? Get her home." Peeta asks.
Haymitch guffaws a minute. "Well you, dear boy, need to steer clear of Cato after you went all goo-goo eyes on Katniss during the reaping you better duck and cover if you see him coming. He is a jealous man and a born killer."
"Okay. How do you know he is jealous?"
"Remember the day Katniss left?"
"Of course I cried and then went to her house and dropped off some cookies for Prim."
"Well remember what Gale looked like?" Peeta nods remembering Gales limp and black eye. "Cato thought that Katniss and Gale were an item. Gale wanted to be of course, but they weren't, just friends. Cato beat the shit out of him because he was near Katniss." Peeta nods in understanding looking sick that even being near Katniss would send Cato into a fury. Haymitch sees the green color of Peeta's skin and chuckles, "Don't worry too much. Gale didn't help himself by egging Cato on."
Peeta shakes his head imagining Gales temper rising as this guy from District Two is trying to claim what Gale thought was his. Hell, if any boys even looked at Katniss funny at school they were dead meat.
Only time will tell what would happen. As for now Peeta decided sleep would be his best option, because starting tomorrow he would be in the Capitol as a tribute for the Hunger Games getting ready to lay down his life for a girl who belonged to another and didn't know he existed.
***Please review. First Cato/ Katniss story. I just like messing around with Katniss and any other male character. Thanks for reading!***
