The train glided along at unimaginable speeds, carrying me towards the capitol, and towards the future. I had completed the Peacekeeper training back home in District 2 and been selected to work as a guard in the capitol. For most people, being a peacekeeper is a prestigious job despite the loneliness that comes with it. But for me, being a peacekeeper was a last resort.
It seemed to be perfect for me. I had nothing left to keep me in District 2. Once it became clear that I wouldn't be the female tribute from our District, I just became a nuisance to them. They'd trained me to do nothing but fight and kill. With no games in my future, I was kicked out of my family home and forced to care for myself.
All would have been well if Cato had won. I'd be set for life. The wife of a victor. It was a giant fuck you to my parents when Cato's family took me in. Really I should say Cato forced them to take me in. They weren't much when it came to being parents. They were more his live in trainers.
Cato and I had been close for so very long, that eventually we became eachother's reason for living. We had our futures planned out. He'd win the games and come home to me. We'd marry and then we'd live happily ever after. We were so foolish!
He didn't win, he didn't come home to me and we'll never get to live happily ever after. Never will I hear his voice again or feel his touch. He is gone. My world, my future, my heart is dead. Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, murdered my soul.
So, here I am. Alone. Mourning and heartbroken, trying to fulfill the last promise I made to him.
We were sitting in the plush room of the Justice Building saying our goodbyes. His parents had already made their appearances, told him how proud they were. Not once did they tell him they loved him. I guess that's because they didn't. Once he'd told me that he was pretty sure I was the only person in the world that loved him. He was the only person that ever loved me. That's the only reason I made him that promise.
"Juney, I need you to do something for me." he whispered as he pressed his warm lips to my temple. There was a strangled tone in his voice, but I figured he was just anxious. I nodded to tell him I'd do anything for him. "Juno, if I don't co-"
"Don't say that Cato!" I spun to face him. Deep in his cool blue eyes was something I'd never seen there before. I locked a determined look on my face. "You're coming back to me."
"Yes, but if I don't." I opened my voice to talk, but he pressed a callused finger to my lips and silenced me. "Juno, I want you to promise me to go on. If I don't win, I want you to keep living. Find a way."
"But you will win silly." I smiled and pressed my lips into his. He was just anxious, I kept telling myself. No one could beat Cato.
"Juney, please!" he pulled away from me and held my petite hands in his. I finally realized what the something in his eyes was. It was something I'd never seen on him before. Fear. Strong, powerful fearless Cato, was afraid.
"Cato, you will win. You will come home to me. And we will be happy." I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince him or me. Maybe I was even trying to convince the powers that be, willing my statements to come true.
"Of course I will." he tried to smirk at me, but it was a poor attempt at his normal heart stopping smirk. "Just promise me, Juney. You won't stop living."
"I promise Cato." There was no harm in making the promise. He'd come home to me and we'd forget all about it. He would.
I hadn't thought about the chance of him not coming back to me. Before that moment, I was confident that he would return. I was so naive.
Now here I was, almost a year later, trying to live a life. It wasn't my life though. My life was the life of luxury. Living in the newly built Victor's Villiage. A life of chasing my children around our spacious yard. A life where Cato would teach our children to swim, the same way he'd taught me. My life ended when the girl on fire burried an arrow in his head. The life I was going to live now was a life of working for the Capitol. A life of solidarity. I'd made a promise not to stop living. So here I am, a new Peacekeeper, fresh from training and speeding towards someone's future. Not mine.
I've got alot more stuff, I'm just nervous about posting it. Let me know what you think of this and hopefully there will be more to come.
Also, a friend suggested I flesh this out...would ya'll like to read more of my Cato/Juno story?
PLEASE REVIEW! I'd really like your opinions...
-VJ
