Welcome, Welcome!
Gosh guys, thanks so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming! Hope you are all picking up on the tongue-in-cheek references I make in the story to the differences between this reality and the original.
There is so much Cato/Katniss to come! It's been absolutely delicious to write them (and coming from a Peeta lover, that says a lot!)! This chapter has a lot of tension and hopes to flesh a little more of Cato and his life. Next Chapter we're going to swing more into Katniss' world and her reactions to all the things that have happened/are about to happen to her. Also, we get their first real meeting next chapter! So much drama!
Please remember to review and let me know if there is still interest in this story! I write based on your interest :D
The Darkness Within
Chapter Two
Setting the Stage
"Well, isn't that highly unorthodox." The arcus senilis around the President's eyes gave him a milky stare that made Cato feel unnerved. "Are you serious about this?"
"Yes." Cato's strong hands gestured in front of him while he spoke, "Mother has expressed a desire for me to marry, and I have been looking … Didn't think I would find it in a games, but," His teeth glinted with a feral grin, "A girl on fire should be suitable for me. I appreciate a challenge."
"Fifteen million." President Snow said flatly.
Cato's ears perked up. Once he had heard the cost of a night, he had figured he would be ballparking around that amount. The fact that the President had offered that as a starting bid did him well.
"Five."
"Don't waste my time, Cato."
"With all due respect, after the first night her worth will spiral down, and I'm offering you the cash lump sum." Cato spoke quickly, always a smooth talker, "Furthur, think of the revenue from a publicized Capitol wedding – maybe a few months before the next Games? That alone would be worth triple the price."
President Snow smiled then, "So much like your father, I see. Tell me, would you take a bullet for me as well?"
"President Snow, I would take a bullet for anyone if the bullet came from Rebel scum." Cato was used to preaching this doctrine. In the Capitol, with the President, it was words like these which would get you places.
"Nine."
"Deal. It's been good doing business with you, Sir."
"Pity that you were District-born. Otherwise I might have been giving you the money as dowry for my Granddaughter."
Cato's bit the inside of his cheek to keep his temper from rising. "Ah, President Snow. I'm too much of a brute for your Granddaughter."
The President sniffed, unamused, "Obedience is the only thing I look for in members of my family, Cato. Other than that I could care less. Now, shall we get some paperwork drafted?"
"Must you keep tugging at your hair like that?" Narcissa Crawley, Cato's mother, snapped, nudging him in the side. Cato's hand stilled, having been pulling at the blue streak in his hair. It was a habit he had picked up ever since he had given into his Mother's pressure to conform and gotten the blue stripe. Cato wasn't sure exactly why his hair felt different in that place, but it did…it just didn't feel like it was him, and so he constantly fought with it in an endless struggle.
"Honestly, what if the cameras train on you at that moment, Cato?"
"Mother, enough. I really doubt the cameras will be on us at any point tonight."
"Well, you never know." Narcissa folded her hands into her lap with a prim sniff.
When they had moved to the Capitol, Narcissa had done everything in her power to help them fit in seamlessly. Obviously it had helped that Cato's father had been clever and with his increased wealth and status had invested intelligently, pushing the family to upper echelon of Capitol Society. Yet, it had been Narcissa who had gotten them (almost) complete acceptance by using her own skills to create beautiful headpieces (Fascinators, they called them) which had pushed her into the spotlight. Somehow, a district birth meant less and less when one had numerous magazine covers and commercial spots.
A wave of affection for his mother had Cato turning blue eyes on her, squeezing her hand fondly. "You're right, Mother. Sorry I'm such a difficult boy." He gave her a quirky smile.
"Hm. Yes. Too much like your father." She grumbled, but he caught her smile before the audience began cheering like maniacs as the wrap up show for the Games began.
"Ladies and Gentleman! I present to you the victor of the 74th Annual Hunger Games! From Distict 12, the girl on FIRE: Katniss Everdeen!"
Katniss was walking on Caesar's stage, still looking confused and as overcome as she had during initial interviews. Her frame was thinner than the slim hourglass shape she had had before the Games, but there were no other signs of the ravages of the arena on her body. The doctors had done well as always. The dress she wore was stunning. It was an ethnic dress from the East, with a figure hugging blouse and skirt, draped with a beautiful red and gold fabric that shimmered between the two colors. It was in contrast to her previous outfits. The girl on Fire's flames were no longer destructive, but instead warming and content. She looked beautiful. Cato was pleased about this before he realised that she was soon to be his wife and the absurdity of the whole situation almost made him laugh.
"Well Miss Everdeen, can I tell you what a pleasure it is to have you back on stage?"
"Trust me, Caesar, it's not just a pleasure for me, it's a real relief!" The audience laughed at her dark humor.
"Well, what do you say we watch the events that led you to being here, then?"
"Yes, I'd like that very much." She returned, smiling politely as the three hour recap show began.
The audience watched the screens as they detailed the entire games from the bloodbath to the moment when Katniss dropped a nest of Tracker Jackers on the Career alliance that was hunting her, earning her only (indirect) kill of Glimmer. Cato supposed that was the turning point in the Games as it led her to her alliance with Rue, and then with her district mate, Androo. As the games progressed to Vars' brutal death by mutations, Cato turned his attention to Katniss. She looked stricken as the audience watch her turn hysterically onto Androo for trying to poison Rue. Katniss, with her bow and arrow trained at him, sent him out of their camp only to have him die mere hours later. Cato knew that breaking an alliance must have been hard, but in the Academy that was one of the first things they trained into you: You are the only one to matter. Others are just pieces in your game.
At Rue's death scene, Katniss looked to be fighting tears, an odd sight lost amongst the audience's amused laughter at Clove's shock at being confronted by a Muttation before it tore her throat out.
President Snow appeared and crowned Katniss at which time she looked, still stunned, into the audience. For a moment as she swept the audience, their eyes met for a fragile second before the gaze broke. Cato allowed himself a smile.
The next day was the live broadcast of her final interviews and Cato had the pleasure of watching from his own home.
As always, Caesar gave a good show, managing to pull a somewhat shining personality from the still slack jawed Katniss.
"I do so wish we could tell people."
"Mother, the girl herself doesn't know. You cannot."
"But the Victory tour is so far away!"
"Let her live her life for a little while. She needs to recover. It's not that far off. And besides, it has to be realistic. The Victory Tour is the only time conceiveable that we could meet during."
"Yes, but everyone is talking about the games and I feel this sense of wanting to brag. Not that there's too much to brag about…She's not very elegant, really." Narcissa noted. "But she will do. I suppose a Victor was the only way you could marry a district girl. Too bad that Glimmer didn't live. She was pretty."
"You mean she looked like you, Mother." Cato laughed, amused. Yet, as his attention turned back to the viewing screen, the amusement quickly died.
"And now you get to get back to that sister of yours, hm?" Caesar spoke warmly, placing a gentle hand on Katniss' shoulder. "Tell me, is there a young man also waiting for you?"
"What?" She blinked, started, giving an odd giggle, "Um, no. Not like that." Her voice pitched slightly higher and Cato's eyes narrowed.
"Ha. Well that's about to change! You're a Victor now! They'll be lining up around the block. Who knows, maybe you'll even find a gentleman in the Capitol. If only I was twenty years younger-"
Cato's hand tightened around the glass in his hand. Caesar had done his part, plant the comment so that in a few short months when the marriage became public it would all seem a delightful moment of foreshadowing of fate. Yet … that odd tone to her voice had a strange feeling boiling his throat. Suspicion was not a good look on Cato Crawley.
He sent the glass hurtling into the wall across the room.
"Cato!" His mother yelped, having caught onto what had angered him "She said no!"
Cato felt the familiar choking pressure of anger in chest, tearing and ripping at his sense. "Oh yeah, she was really bloody convincing." He was rising to his feet, wanting to break something else. If there was one thing Cato couldn't stand it was being made a fool of.
"She was embarrassed. Women giggle like that. She doesn't even know about the marriage yet- you just said that yourself - You must calm down."
Cato's eyes were almost glowing as he glared at his mother, fists clenched. "Whatever." He stormed out of the house. He had to train, find a way to channel that frantic energy into something productive. Afterall, yes suspicion was never a good thing on Cato, but it often proved to be even worse for those who made him suspicious in the first place.
It was a few days later that found Cato at work, trying to figure out why exactly production on the latest armoury developments was down at the Nut. He had only stepped into his role as the head of his Father's company last year and since then he had struggled with keeping such a tight hand on it. The board of directors were always willing to help, but first and foremost, Cato had issues with letting others be in charge. He had taken a second place to his father for his entire life and that complex had driven quite deeply into him a need to be a leader.
"Cato, did you watch your girl this morning?" Filius, Cato's one and only close friend, strode into his office with a gleaming smile.
"New veneers, huh?"
"Well, I assume I'll be standing as best man at your wedding so I wanted to make sure the cameras have something to look at."
"Like they'd notice you standing next to me."
"Yes, you're right, people do often notice a beast first. Fear for their lives and all that."
"Fil, did you come here to push me into making you fear for yours, or was there a point?"
"To watch the recaps, Cato. Follow along." He flipped on the television screen in the office. "I'm thinking you might have some competition and I need this wedding to happen so that my handsome face can be broadcasted to the rest of Panem. I'm the next Caesar Flickerman, don't you know-"
He blathered on, but Cato knew it was an attempt to deliver potentially damning news with a smile. Filius, though much smaller than Cato in stature, had always been protective of the blonde since they had met in school. None of the other capitol children had played with Cato, instead choosing to tease him until he finally snapped and bloodied the meanest bully's nose. Cato had dissolved into sobs, knowing a caning at school would be imminent, followed by something equal or much worse at home, when Filius had, with a straight face, vouched that the other boy had thrown a punch first. Years later, Cato asked Filius why he had been so nice to him. Filius had just rolled his eyes.
He was the only person outside his mother that Cato trusted. The only person outside of Haymitch and the President to know the deal that had been made, and it was clear that Filius took this vaulted position seriously.
The broadcast showed Katniss returning to cheering crowds at her own district. She looked flushed and relieved as her sister and mother embraced her. A few others ran up to her as well: A crying blonde girl with the Mayor's family, then another family with a tall, handsome boy who looked absolutely ecstatic as he embraced Katniss. Their colouring was similar, almost as if they were relations. Cousins perhaps?
"Yeah, not him." Filius pointed at the screen, "Him."
A little bit away, a family was cheering. The boy in the centre was blonde, handsome and kind looking. The look on his face was something different than the tall one: Something more serious. And as Katniss' eyes fell on him she smiled a tentative smile that made Cato's blood run cold.
"I'm just saying if you want to make sure your wife is intact when you marry her I think you should probably make yourself known before he does." Filius noted smartly. "You know, cause the kid would have blonde hair and you'd never be able to tell the difference."
"Shut up, I get it." Cato laughed. Filius was good at diffusing any potentially rage inducing situations with his humor.
The memory of her answers a few days ago came back to him and Cato felt possessive energy start to overtake the beat of his heart. There would be no more waiting until the victory tour was over: He'd have to make a visit to District 12 and let Katniss Everdeen know exactly who she belonged to.
To be Continued….
How will Katniss react to the news of her marriage? Just how possessive is Cato? Will Peeta tell Katniss his feelings for her? When will Cato and Katniss finally get married? And what will happen afterward? All this and more: Next Chapter!
Please review and let me know if you are interested in reading more! Your words are so very important to me and I do always reply to every signed review!