Cato's POV


Pick apart the pieces of your heart
And let me peer inside
Let me in
Where only your thoughts have been
Let me occupy your mind, as you do mine

You have lost
To fear, doubt and distrust
You just threw away the key
To your heart

You don't get burned
It makes it easier
But that much more difficult for me
To make you see…


I hardly blink an eye when Clove's knife whizzes past me and lodges itself into the chair next to my left ear. I've had more than my fair share of Clove's knives thrown at me to know that if she actually meant to hurt me, she would have done it a long time ago.

"Clove, stop. You're not thinking straight."

Clove laughs. It's a high pitched, demented sounding cackle. A laugh that has made me question if she might actually be criminally insane on more than one occasion. Not that it'd matter if she was. I'd just love her even more.

"You have the fucking nerve to tell me I'm not thinking straight? Are you crazy?"

No, but I'm questioning your sanity with every passing second, I think.

"Clove," I stand up carefully and move toward her.

"No! You stay the fuck away from me. How dare you tell me I'm not thinking straight when you're the one whose prepared to kill yourself for me?"

Clove is screaming now, and I can tell she's about two minutes away from having a full fledged meltdown. Seraphina looks desperate. Enobaria looks bored; she's seen this fight one too many times before. I'm sure when she won her games she had no idea she'd become the pseudo-mother for the orphaned Prescott girls.

"Cato, get your girl out of here. I doubt the Capitol looks highly upon mentors murdering their tributes before they get to the Capitol. It's never happened before but there's a first for everything."

I look up to find a very pissed off Audrina standing in front of me. There is blood dripping from three deep gashes on her cheek. One should never underestimate the deadliness of sharp fingernails. I grab Clove's wrist tightly and pull her closer to me. As much as Audrina loves her sister, I know better than to take her threat lightly. She may be our family, but she is a District Two victor, and no decent person has ever won the Games. I would kill or die for Audrina, but I have not forgotten the many scars Clove and I have from her knives. Audrina is a vicious killer. I would be stupid to forget that.

Clove is still fighting my grasp, and I have to credit her strength. She's not going down so easily.

"Clove. Clove, look at me." I grab her chin with my free hand and forcing her to look into my eyes, "You're coming with me. And if you fight it, I'll drag out out of here kicking and screaming if I have to. Try me."

"No!" Clove screams, spitting in my face. Anger boils in my gut and I grit my teeth to keep from lashing out. One thing that Clove has not yet learned is to control her rage. Thankfully, I have.

"No! No! You can't do this to me. I fucking hate you! I hate you, Cato! And I hate you more, Audrina. I wish you were going in the Arena with me, I'd kill you the second the gong rings."

Seraphina is in hysterics, and Audrina looks ready to kill someone. Rolling her eyes, Enobaria steps forward to help Seraphina to her feet and guides her back to her room.

"It's the same every year. Barbarians, every last one of them." Seraphina sobs.

"Tell me about it," Enobaria says, wrapping a protective arm around our escort. "At least you don't live with them."

"Cato, I'm serious. Get her out of my sight or I'll fucking kill her." Audrina hisses.

I pick Clove up and throw her over my shoulder with ease, "Let's go, little one."

She screams bloody murder in protest, but I tune her out and keep walking toward my room.


"Shut up." I yell, throwing a screaming Clove down on my bed, slamming and locking my door behind me.

I crawl onto the bed, holding her hips in place with my knees and pinning her arms to her sides so that she cannot move.

"Look at me, little girl. You need to remember where the fuck you are. There are peacekeepers watching our every move. Seraphina works for Snow. So does every other person on this train. There is only so much Enobaria can do to smooth things over. If word of your little incident gets to Snow, he might very well have you blown to bits within seconds of the gong. You know he can do it. You know he will. Then he'll kill me, and Audrina, and Enobaria, and everyone back home we care about. Just like he did to your parents and Orion."

I feel a sharp pang in my chest as the words leave my mouth. I know its harsh, and I know she doesn't deserve the cruelty I've just shown her, but it's all I know. I don't know how else to calm her down, or talk any sense into her.

Clove's screams turn into silent sobs and she finally lets go. All the pent up frustration, stress, and emotion pours out in her tears, racking her tiny body. Guilt courses through my veins as I pull her closer to me and hold her tightly. She fights back for a second, but gives in to my embrace. She doesn't have much fight left in her tonight.

"W-why would you say that to me?"

My heart aches. I hate that I have to say the things that will hurt her most in order to get her to listen to me.

"You know I had to, Clo. You never would have listened to me if I didn't."

"It's probably better if Snow just kills me right away in there."

"Don't say that, Clove."

"I've been saying a lot of things I don't mean since I got on this train. I just can't. I can't handle all of this stress. It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"You know it wasn't a coincidence, right?"

"Of course I know, Cato. I'm not an idiot. Snow's had it out for my sister for the last three years. All he needed was an opportunity to hurt her. He saw one and took it. He hurts his enemies by killing everyone they love, and then not allowing them the mercy of death."

"This runs deeper than Audrina, Clove. Why do you think he left you and your sister alive, when he slayed your entire family?"

"Because where's the fun in killing two little girls? Why not take away everyone they've ever loved, let them grow up without a family only to form new connections and new relationships, only to take those people away too. Audrina and I will suffer eternally for our father's crimes. And if we ever had children, so would they. It would go on for generations. He will never forgive the Prescotts."

"Snow is a sick, disturbed bastard," I whisper loud enough for only Clove to hear. "They're going to take you from me, no matter what happens. If I win, if you win. If another tribute wins. I'll still lose you."

"Nobody ever wins the Games, Cato."

Her words cut deep, but I know she's right. I'll never let her die for me, though. She has Audrina and Enobaria. They are her family. She has people who love her and need her. I don't. She has to leave the arena. I won't bring up my ulterior motives again. I already know how that will end, and I don't care to relive that particular fight. Instead, I lay down on the plush Capitol bed, pulling Clove into my arms and covering her with tiny kisses and bites.

"Cato, I-"

I silence her protests with my lips and pull her closer to me, slipping my hand underneath her thin black tank top. She moans into my mouth and I feel her body relax, giving in. I know I have won. For tonight at least, she is mine.


I jolt awake to the sharp knocks at the door and Seraphina's high pitched Capitol accent.

"Up, up! It's a big, big day, my tributes!"

I groan. We're here. Let the Games begin, I think bitterly.

"Clove, wake up. We're here."

"Mmm...are we home?" Clove mutters groggily. "Mom? Daddy?"

A wave of emotion crashes into me. In her sleep, Clove is innocent. She is a child. It's sometimes easy to forget with the black clothes and ever present scowl she wears. I softly shake her shoulders.

"No, Clo. We're in the Capitol. It's time to get off the train, everyone is waiting for us."

Clove's eyes fly open and she sits up straight, not bothering to cover herself with the sheets.

"We're here? Shit."

She grabs the sheet and wraps it around herself before darting out the door and across the hall to her own room. I stare at her clothes from the previous night, left on the floor, forgotten. I reluctantly roll out of bed and walk to the massive closet. I quickly get dressed, choosing dark pants, a tight, white v-neck t-shirt, a leather jacket, and leather combat boots. Menacing enough, I decide.

I gather Clove's clothes from the floor as well as my own and toss them into the closet, closing the door behind me. I take one last look at the room that was my temporary home, and my last safe place. I'm in the Capitol now, and that means there will be eyes on Clove and me at all times. The people there won't be as forgiving as the people on this train. Though I was here for less than twenty four hours, I can't help but feel sad leaving. It's silly, but I guess you'll never forget the last place you could truly be yourself. I'm walking into the jaws of death, and I have a reputation and a facade to keep up if I want to protect Clove and my district.

I close the door behind me before any more ridiculous thoughts cloud my mind. We're about to be seen by the Capitol citizens for the first time, and if we want them as our sponsors we need to deliver.

"Ready?" Clove asks, her voice flat and deadly.

I spin around and look at her, smirking at her appearance. Gone is the innocent little girl who was in my bed just moments ago, with her sleepy eyes, tangled hair, and tearstained cheeks. Clove is dressed head to toe in black: tight, shiny leather pants, black combat boots, and a tiny black tank top that shows both her stomach and a fair amount of cleavage. Her identification tags hang from her neck. Her long black hair is pulled into a high ponytail, and her eyes are rimmed with dark kohl, making her look lethal, sexy, and years older than she actually is. I have to hand it to her, she knows exactly what she's doing.

"Ah, there you are! Time to go, my tributes!" Seraphina squeals with delight, wrapping an arm around each of our shoulders and guiding us to the door.

"Now, you have a huge advantage over the other districts, because you're here first. They get to see you before they see anyone else, and you're the ones who set the bar for their standards. You need to make a first impression that they will not forget after the other tributes arrive. District One and Four have their beauty, but you have another kind of beauty. You are as attractive as you are deadly, and you need to show them that. They're going to want to kiss you, kill you, or be you. And that is exactly what you want."

I stare at Seraphina in shock, and I can see that Clove is doing the same. Her blood red lips parting slightly. I have always thought of Seraphina as the beautiful, yet completely stupid District Two escort. The fact that such intelligent advice just came out of her mouth blows me away.

"What?" Seraphina says with contempt, noting our bemusement. "I'm not just another Capitol airhead. I have learned a few things being an escort for your district."

"Where are Audrina and Enobaria?" Clove asks, quickly changing the subject.

We're not easily surprised, and it makes us uncomfortable. Knowledge is power, and having someone get the better of us, even someone as irrelevant as Seraphina, is a weakness.

"They're already inside. They wanted to go up and get a head start on strategy while you meet your fans. I apologize, it seems that you'll be stuck with me for a bit."

"Don't apologize, Seraphina. Contrary to popular belief, we don't hate you. We're thankful for everything you do for us. Just don't go telling everyone that, we do have a reputation to keep up."

This time, it's her turn to be shocked. Her eyes widen and she is at a loss for words. I see Clove smirk, stifling a laugh.

"Very well then. Better get a move on, the beast is hungry."


"I think you did well!" Seraphina gushes, as the doors close behind us and dozens of Peacekeepers escort us to the elevator.

It doesn't slip my mind that we are officially under the custody of the Capitol. We are never leaving this place until we are launched into the arena. The past hour was a complete nightmare. More so for Clove than for me. Clove has a thing about people touching her. There are exactly three people she allows to put their hands on her: Enobaria, Audrina, and myself. If anybody else does, she'll break their wrist. I've seen her do it before. Several times.

The amount of self control and restraint she had just now amazes me. The Capitol citizens are disgusting people. The females, with their sticky lipstick, powdery faces and outlandish wigs, fawned over me. They pulled me away from Seraphina and Clove the second I stepped off the train. That didn't bother me as much as the men did. They were old men, desperately trying to hide their age with makeup and their surgically altered plastic skin. I still can't get the images out of my head; their hands all over my Clove, shouting vulgar and inappropriate things at her. It made my blood boil. I'm still not sure how we survived it without killing anybody. We must have been excellent actors if Seraphina actually thinks it went well. Though, she could just be lying to make us feel better.

"Now, since the last district, Twelve, won't be here until tomorrow morning, the Opening Ceremonies won't be held until tomorrow night. Tomorrow morning, we'll take you to the Remake Center where you'll meet your prep teams and stylists. For today, feel free to relax. The entire floor is yours."

The elevator comes to and the doors open.

"Come, come. I'll show you around and then you'll be free to do as you please."

She leads us through the vast quarters. Everything in here looks too expensive to touch. She shows us the dining room, the living room, and the entertainment room. Like we'll even have time for "entertainment" while we're here.

"The avoxes will attend to any of your needs. They are our servants. They do not speak, and they are not to look you directly in the eye. They will follow whatever orders you give them. Ah, here are your rooms. Cato, yours is here, and Clove, you'll be across the hall. Any questions?"

"No. Actually, Seraphina, I think we're both just feeling a little exhausted. You did wake us up very early this morning. You wouldn't mind just leaving us, would you?"

I laugh at Clove's sugarcoated tone. However, Seraphina does not seem to catch on. She believes that Clove is actually being polite.

"Of course, my sweet girl," Seraphina coos, reaching out to stroke Clove's hair.

I see Clove's muscles tense and her jaw tighten, but she does not react. Instead, she gives Seraphina a forced smile.

"In fact, I'm feeling a bit worn down too. Remember, if you need anything at all, just ask an avox!"

With that, Seraphina is off, clacking away in her sky high black stilettos. Without another word, I swiftly pull Clove into my room. Gently, I lead her to my bed. She sits on the edge, and for the first time all morning, she relaxes. It's as if she can only truly be herself around me. With everyone else, she is on guard, muscles tensed and ready to fight. With me, she doesn't need to. I kneel down next to her and take her hands into my own.

"Are you okay?" I ask, looking into her deep brown eyes.

She stares back at me for a few moments before shaking her head. My heart sinks and I move to sit next to her, wrapping my arms around her.

"It's so awful, Cato. I can't shake the feeling of their hands on me. I don't know how I'm going to survive tomorrow morning."

My Clove, the fearless, deadly girl who fears almost nothing. She could go into the Arena right now and face all twenty three tributes on her own and kill them all, but the Remake Center is what terrifies her.

Audrina was 11 and Clove was 9 when Peacekeepers invaded their family's home in Victor's Village. They lived their with their parents and their brother, Orion. All three of them were past victors. Titan, Clove's father, had been accused of treason. There were allegations that he was working with other victors underground to start a second rebellion. When his alleged accomplices were tortured for information, all of them gave Titan up, claiming that he was the ringleader of it all. The Peacekeepers came into their house in the middle of the night. They pulled everyone from their beds, and shot and killed their mother, Cara, on the spot. Clove told me that her most vivid memory is tasting her mother's blood in her mouth when it splattered onto her face as she screamed out for her. Next, they cut out Orion's heart and threw it at Audrina's feet. Finally, two Peacekeepers held Titan back as the others beat and raped Clove and Audrina, forcing their father to watch as they screamed out for him and for their dead mother. Once every Peacekeeper had a turn, they decapitated Titan in front of his daughters. They took his body with them, but left his head behind with the girls. Enobaria was the one who found them and took them to the Training Center's Hospital. She's been fiercely protective over them ever since.

Clove developed a strong hatred for people. She trusts only Enobaria, Audrina, and myself, and rightly so. She overcame the trauma by pushing herself hard in training. She learned how to kill, so that she could avenge what happened to her family. By the time she was twelve, she was one of the deadliest trainees District Two had ever seen. She turned her fear into her strength, though there was still one thing that terrified her to her very core. She absolutely cannot stand being touched.

"I knew it was coming. I mean, obviously I know it's a part of being a tribute. I guess I just thought I had a couple more years to prepare myself for it."

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, Clo."

"It's not me I'm worried about. It's them. I know they won't hurt me. When I think about their hands all over my naked body, strange and cold, poking and prodding, all I can think about are those Peacekeepers and what they did to me and my sister. I can't control my anger, and my rage. All I want to do it kill everyone around me, like I did back in Two. Honestly, that terrifies me. What if I lose control again, Cato? What if I hurt them? Then what will Snow do to me? What will he do to you, and to Drina?"

"He'll make our lives a living hell in the arena, and he'll never let either of us win. Then he'll make sure to make the rest Audrina's life a living hell. He won't kill her. She'll be the only Prescott he's got left. He has to protect the bloodline so he has more Prescotts to torture and kill for years to come. He might kill Enobaria, but I doubt it. She's a Capitol favorite, and he wouldn't want to upset his people. Honestly, Clo, that's the worst that could possibly happen. And in all reality, hasn't he already promised to do all of that?"

Clove nods, "I just don't want to think about it anymore."

"Hmm... Well, I've been dying to try out these showers. I bet they're even bigger than the ones on the train."

She's already walking toward the bathroom. She peels off her shirt and throws it at me with a smirk.

"I'm way ahead of you, babe."


Love ain't fair
So there you are
My love

Your heart's a mess
You won't admit to it
It makes no sense
But I'm desperate to connect
And you, you can't live like this


Author's Note: A little insight into Clove and Audrina's past. Thank you so much to the two people that reviewed. You're the ones who inspire me to keep writing. Reviews are so greatly appreciated! Even if you absolutely hate it, constructive criticism makes me a better writer. I always reply to reviews! I like to talk to my readers, I promise I don't throw knives ;) Enjoy Chapter Three! x

For pictures, character descriptions and more please visit the Born To Die blog: borntodie74 . blogspot . com (without the spaces)

Lyrics: Hearts A Mess - Gotye