OOOOOHHH
MYYYYYY
GOOOOOOD
ONE
HUNDRED
FIFTEEN
REVIEWS
*dies*
I repeat. 115 Reviews. :DDDDDD
Guys seriously! This is awesome! A thousand times: Thanks! Gosh, everyone loved the double chapter so much that I'm afraid I won't be able to top it :D I'll try my best though!
Let's see who's getting a chapter dedicated to them shall we?
101st reviewer: Lady Featherweight -Chapter 9
101th reviewer: thepinkmartini- Chapter 8
99th reviewer: PrixieAnneRiddle-This chapter (Chapter 7)
Woo! :D Congrats you guys. Thanks for reviewing!
Prixie, since you are in the same boat with Peeniss0314 and Kilani Heals, you may also ask a spoiler question. :) I will tell them the answer to said question if they wish me too, and you can choose to save your spoiler for later in the story if you wish to. :)
Lady Featherweight and thepinkmartini, you two may also each have a spoiler question with the same rules as I stated above to PrixieAnneRiddle if you choose to accept it. It is entirely your choice. I just need to be able to Private Message you if you ask me the question in a review so that the answer is kept between you three lucky readers and myself. :)
This chapter is dedicated to PrixieAnneRiddle! :D Congrats my dear! You have most certainly earned it, aside from being one of the lucky reviewers you are also a dear friend of mine and I should probably dedicate chapters to you more often in the future. :) I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Review Responses will be at the end again because I'm lazy and just want to get on with writing what will probably be one of my favorite chapters! Review at the end please! :D
Let's go!
Chapter 7
-With Cato-
He's restless, tossing and turning in his sleeping bag while nightmares plague his mind. Every time it's the same. She's always running from them, the monsters of the Capitol, and he can never reach her in time. Sometimes she's normal, sometimes she's his kitten. Sometimes Snow asks her questions he can't hear, and she screams in reply as she tries to convince them that she knows nothing. They never believe her. Sometimes Snow hits her, causing Cato's blood to boil, sometimes they drown her or stab her or torture Prim to get to her. But one thing stays the same: Cato is always stuck, unable to help her. Weather it is behind a wall of soundproof glass, or chained to a chair with duct tape over his mouth, but they can never hear him and Katniss can never see him. She screams and cries for him, but he can never go to her, and he can't figure out how to wake up.
Snow is talking to her again. She's crying, begging him to let her go. He never does, he never will. She's lain on a silver table and tied down. They put a paper sack over her head when she starts to scream. Snow has a pitcher full of water and he's smiling a sick, sadistic smile as he pours it over her head. Cato watches in horror as her body thrashes and twists violently against her restraints. The sounds of her choking, gurgling and gagging forever burned into his memory. Snow isn't sitting her up, he just watches her die and says, "Goodbye, little Mockingjay." Before he pulls out a gun and aims it at her head.
"NO!" Cato screams, "Not her! I'll do anything, please, please!"
Snow either can't hear him, or doesn't care. Cato begins to think it's the latter when Snow pulls back the hammer on the gun painfully slow and rests a finger on the trigger.
"No, no, no! Kitten wake up! Move, Kitten, please! Let her go! Don't hurt her she didn't do anything!"
The gun goes off with a bang and Cato bolts upright, finally out of the hell that is his dreams. He checks his surrounding frantically, and relaxes only slightly when he finds nothing out of order. It's still dark, the fire is down to brightly glowing embers and Marvel, who should have been on watch, was asleep in his sleeping bag. Cato would yell at him later. At some point in the last few hours, Glimmer had made her way to their camp with her sleeping bag and had set hers up a little farther away, closer to Katniss's tree. Clove must have thrown another tempter tantrum…
He finally looked up in the trees the check on Katniss. He found that she was awake and watching him with worried eyes, with little Rue on a branch beside her. He gave her a confused look when he noticed that her bow was in her hands. She pointed to something next to him and he saw that there was an arrow in the dirt, right next to where his head was minutes before. The gun shot in my dream…it must have been the sound of her arrow next to my ear, he realized.
Katniss made a motion with her arm for him to come over to her, and he happily complied. He'd never been so happy to climb 30 something feet in the air in his life. He quickly situated himself on a branch as close to Katniss as he could safely get and held one of her hands in his own tightly. She offered him a comforting smile, a silent promise to ask him about his dreams later, before returning her attention to Rue.
"Well since he's already awake I suppose we could try your plan." She said to the younger girl, "I guess it's a good thing that Marvel agreed to let me keep watch."
Cato frowned at her, wondering why she hadn't gone back to sleep after their "Moment" however many hours prior. For now, he waited to be informed of the plan Rue had come up with.
Rue was happy to oblige and quickly began explaining her idea to Cato. He was surprised that she was so smart at such a young age and couldn't help noticing that she was a lot like Katniss in that way. When Rue paused in her explanation, Cato looked at her curiously. She glanced at Katniss for confirmation before looking at Cato again.
"The most important part of this plan is…well…" She looked up and he followed her gaze.
"Oh shit…" Cato whispered. Almost every tree in sight had at least one trackerjacker nest, and Katniss's tree was no exception. It sat about another 20 feet up on a thinner branch than the ones the trio were sitting on, directly over Glimmer's sleeping bag. "Seriously? You have to be kidding me. I've been praying for this kind of an opportunity."
Katniss smiled gently, "I figured you'd be happy about that…" Rue looked confused and Katniss explained how Glimmer had been flirting with Cato constantly during the two weeks that they had training. Rue was polite enough to try not to laugh at him, but couldn't contain her grin. He sent her a mock glare.
"She's the antichrist, I'm sure of it." He teased
Rue burst into giggles, a sound Cato found very pleasing to the ear and he smiled at her. At home Cato had three younger brothers, Prim was the closest thing to a little sister he'd ever had, and now so was Rue. She just had a way of making you want to protect her, and Cato decided that he would protect her as long as he could. Not only for her sake, but he could clearly see how much Katniss adored her as well, he wouldn't hurt Katniss any sooner than he had too.
"The smoke from the fire is still trapped down under the canopy of trees, at the rate the wind is blowing it will reach here within the hour and that will subdue the jackers. We should be able to cut the branch down without getting stung before it wears off or the others wake up from the smoke." Rue said
"I'll head back to the cornucopia now then. Clove is probably going to be asleep. I'll get all the food, knives and anything else really in the other two duffle bags I know are back in the Misc section. Let's hurry up and get the hell out of this mentally unstable alliance, shall we?" He kissed Katniss's cheek lightly, tickled Rue, and stopped just before he was about to climb down.
"What's wrong?" Katniss asked
"Listen…" he replied
Beep, Beep, Beep…
"A parachute!" Rue whispered excitedly.
It came into view moments later and stuck itself in the tree next to them. Rue quickly made her way over to it and brought it back to the group. Cato unscrewed the lid to find a purple gel-like substance and two note cards with messages for himself and Katniss. He handed Katniss hers and began to read his own.
I would have sent this last night, but you know how Haymitch is so he made me promise to wait it out. You're doing great. The crowd is loving every thing about your relationship with Kit Kat, and the idea of you being in an alliance with the kid is really popular too. Just try not to get too attached to her or she'll become a weakness. Enobaria is kind of pissed about you "Putting Clove in her place", as I like to call it. So if you manage to get out alive, expect her to give you the silent treatment. I don't actually think you give a shit, but I thought the heads up would be nice. Use the burn medicine generously on both of you, not just her. Your arm looks pretty bad.
Stay alive.
-Brutus
Cato smiled and stuck his note in one of the inside pockets of his jacket. He found that Katniss was glaring at hers but sighed and placed hers in her inside pocket as well. He carefully removed the bandages from Katniss's leg and applied a hearty scoop of the burn medicine with his fingers as gently as he could. She sighed in relief and leaned her head back against the tree trunk.
"Ohh…that feels better already…" she sighed
Cato reapplied her bandaged before putting some medicine on his arm. She was right. The medicine does sooth the pain quickly.
"Were you able to avoid the fire, Rue?" He asked
"Yeah, I was near the north end of the river, it was focused on the south end." She replied, "I think Joan was near the south end, but I never heard a cannon so she must have gotten to safety."
"I wouldn't even waste the energy trying to find her. Let natural selection-
"You mean the game makers." Katniss interrupted
Cato smiled and corrected himself, "Let the game makers take care of her."
He packed up the medicine and made sure both girls were situated with water and a snack before he climbed down and headed back to the cornucopia. From the looks of it, dawn was still hours away, meaning he and Katniss had only gotten a few hours of sleep each, which if they had any issues with their plans that would be a huge disadvantage. They already had the issue with Katniss's injury, but by the looks of his arm maybe she would be healed enough to rise by the time they had to set their plan into action. Maybe.
He reached the meadow in record time and snuck his was up to the cornucopia. As he predicted, Clove was sound sleep. Dumb move, but it worked to his advantage. He quietly made his was around her and started packing backpacks for each of them. He got lucky and found a two more duffle bag on top of the two he already had to put food in. He filled the first with fruits and vegetables, which they would eat first. The second he filled with dried produce and meat, the third he filled half with more dried goods and the rest with containers of water. The fourth he filled with weapons. He found that if you pressed a small button of the side of the spears and twisted them they slid into themselves, making them half the length than when fully extended. They fit in the duffle bag this way, and he was able to fit more than he or Katniss would probably need, and did the same thing with the knives, daggers and the lone long sword he'd been itching to use. He grabbed two more machetes, some rope, the metal clips that they would need for climbing, and the entire assortment of arrows the game makers had given them, forcing it all into the duffle bag. He used some of the metal clips to attach all of the backpacks and duffle bags together by their straps, making it so he only had to swing one duffle bag strap over his shoulder to carry everything. He had a lot of weight to carry, but luckily, he only had to carry it for about a mile. Once again, he snuck past Clove and headed back into the woods towards Katniss and Rue.
Rue told him that the smoke was about a mile off when he returned, guessing that they had about another hour. He figured this would be plenty of time to send Rue with one bag at a time to hide them at her small camp, and sent her off with her first bag. While they waited for her to return he added more medicine to Katniss's wound as well as his own and refashioned her bandages. They shares a few chaste kisses before Rue returned to get another bag. She insisted that she could take more at a time and Cato let her try. She still made great time so she took the last backpack and one duffle bag on her third trip.
The smoke was slowly creeping it's was into their surroundings when Rue returned again for another duffle bag, Cato had stuffed them so full that she could only carry one at a time. Two more trips, a little more smoke and they would be ready to drop the trackerjacker nest right onto Glimmer's annoying little head. Katniss slowly began testing her leg and found that she could move it without much pain, and stand without causing more damage. As another hour passed and Rue finally came for the last duffle bag and they applied more medicine. Dawn was slowly bleeding into the sky when Katniss declared herself fit to run and climb. Cato gave her as serrated edge knife, which would be the quickest way to get through the branch with the nest on it. Cato would be going back down to camp, to pretend to be sleeping very far away from where the nest would fall, then he would run away with the rest of the careers for a while. He would fall back while they were running and back track to the river, where Rue would lead him to the camp where Katniss would be waiting for him. Then the three would move to the other side of the river together and lay low for a few days. Cato assumed he and Katniss would teach Rue how to use some of the weapons so she could help them take down their competition, but not make her enough of a threat that they would have to worry about her later. Somehow, Cato just couldn't see the girl stabbing them in the back, and figured that she would be more worried about them breaking her trust than the other way around.
"That was the last one, guys. It's just barely dawn now. Katniss, how's your leg?" Rue asked, sneaking up on the pair and almost making Cato fall off his branch.
Katniss recovered quickly and climbed up a few feet to show her regained agility. "Almost completely healed." She said happily, "Thank you Haymitch and Brutus."
Rue nodded happily and turned to Cato, "Ok Loverboy, go get in position."
Cato raised an irritated brow, "I'd appreciate it if you never called me that again."
Rue grinned, "It's fitting though. Don't you think so, Katniss?"
Katniss, who was trying very hard not to laugh managed to explain to Rue that "Loverboy" was Peeta's nickname within the career alliance and that a much more fitting nickname for Cato was "Mr. Loverboy" to add just a hint of manliness. Both girls had to stifle their laughter when they saw Cato's reaction to the suggestion. He chose to start climbing down the tree mumbling about how much fun it was going to be being in an alliance with two girls who thought they were the funniest things in the arena.
His irritation was only defused by the realization that he was about to watch Glimmer meet her premature death. His only worries were that they rest of the trackerjacker hives would decide to joint the party when they dropped this one. He hoped the smoke would prevail and keep the other swarms away long enough for Katniss and Rue to get away safely. He sat up slightly in his sleeping bag so he could clearly see the girls. Rue gave Katniss a thumbs up, signaling that she was ready and Cato repeated the action. Katniss carefully began her 20-foot climb up to the jacker nest.
"I would just like to request that when Katniss wins the games that she is given a copy of either the entire games, or at the very least this scene to remember me by. Because she has no idea how much I am enjoying this, and this is a prime example of my twisted sense of humor. I really hope Glimmer can stand up with the nest on her head and run around until she dies, just so that I can see a real life cartoon scene before I die." Cato whispered to the cameras.
(A/N: Sorry, I just had to say that this is actually MY sense of humor. Because I'm severely sarcastic and I was listening to Misery Business by Paramore when I wrote this. "I'm in the business of misery/let's take it from the top/she's got a body like an hourglass/it's ticking like a clock" That verse is just so fitting for this scene and I really wanted to make Glimmer die in a funny way…just saying..lol continue.)
Cato was all but bouncing in his sleeping bag when Katniss finally reached the branch with the nest and started sawing away. He hoped she didn't get stung. Brutus had told him about trackerjacker venom when he was younger and it could cause so serious side effects that would make it very hard for her to get away safely.
Please don't get stung and fall from that 50-foot tree Katniss, please, please, please…
He noticed that Katniss had slapped at her neck and hands a few times, which worried him, but when she held up a free hand and started ticking off fingers he decided to enjoy the moment while he could.
5
4
3
Cato kicked his sleeping back off his feet, realizing that the minute that nest fell he was going to have to outrun the trackerjackers, or get stung to death like Glimmer would. He tensed in anticipation.
2
1
Rue, being the genius little child that she is, decided to whistle from high to low, making sound effects for the falling nest with perfect timing. She didn't have to say "Boom" at the end because the sound of the nest bursting open and the swarm of jackers was loud enough to suffice. In the second it took for Cato to start running, her realized that the nest didn't land directly on Glimmer's head as he hoped, but most of the trackerjacker colony was on her face as she ran aimlessly trying to fight them off. Cato had just reached the edge of the clearing when she fell to the ground, clearly losing the battle. By the time Cato got halfway to the cornucopia meadow, he'd been stung twice, but was out of danger. He hid in the bushes and waited for Marvel and Amanda to run past him before he started to circle back to the abandoned campground. Luckily, the jackers had followed his previous allies, so the jog back was uneventful.
Katniss had just fallen the last 10-feet from the tree when he reached the clearing. He realized that she should have been gone by now, and the Marvel, Amanda and clove would be heading back soon. He tried talking to her, but her eyes weren't focusing right. Cato counted her trackerjacker stings and cursed, scooping her up into his arms.
"Ca…to…" Katniss mumbled
"Shh, we have to get out of here, Katniss. You'll be okay. It's just the jacker venom." Cato said soothingly
He realized after about a half hour of walking that he was getting lightheaded, and everything looked soft of shiny. He saw Rue in the trees looking at him strangely, but urging him to follow her. He tried his best to keep up but she was getting farther and farther away, and so were the trees. The only thing Cato seemed to be getting closer to was the ground. Katniss was mumbling in his arms when he realized that he wasn't walking anymore. He snuggled up behind her so that her back was against his chest and laid his head on her shoulder. He could faintly make out Rue's small form kneeling in front of him with an odd green object tin her hands. She was talking to him, he could tell, but he couldn't hear her.
He snaked him arms around Katniss, one just under her breasts, and the other around her waist, pulling her closer. He could hear Snow, laughing somewhere in the back of his mind. This time Cato was ready for the nightmares, this time he was determined to keep Katniss safe. Because somewhere, part of him knew that no matter what he saw, she was safe in his arms, and she would be until the time came for him to die in the arena. That's why when Snow started tying Katniss up to drown her, Cato broke his chains, shattered the glass wall, and stabbed the old bastard in the throat.
(A/N: I should end it here…but I don't want too :P)
-With Katniss- (Finally! She speaks to me! :D)
(Little bit of a back track through time.)
She was vaguely aware of Cato picking her up. She hurt everywhere from falling out of the tree, and decided to focus on Cato's face. Both of them. She wanted to ask him why he had to heads, four eyes, two noses and mouths but could only make out his name.
"Ca…to…"
"Shh…we have to get out of here, Katniss. You'll be okay. It's just the jacker venom." He said, sounding very far away.
She weaved in and out of consciousness, but was able to refocus when she felt Cato's arm securely around her and his breath on her cheek. When she decided that she was safe, she fell back into the darkness and into memories, the good and the bad.
Prim's 9th birthday, a year after their father died, when Katniss bought Prim's goat, Lady. The first time she'd met Cato. The day her father had taken her to the secret lake in the woods. The first time she killed a squirrel. The day she met Gale. The first time she'd traded by herself at the hob. The day her father died. The day Peeta saved her life with the bread.
Finally Katniss fell into what was probably one of the most depressing hallucinations she would have, second only to the day her father died.
(A/N: I know I know I've evil. But you may want to go get the tissues, this part is sad. I cried writing it)
She walked beside him on the gravel streets. She'd worn something nice today, so she wouldn't look too out of place. He was dressed similarly to how he'd been when he'd first arrived, very important and about two years older than he actually was. Luckily, there was a small crowd, mostly of Capitol workers heading in the same direction, so they managed to blend in. Brutus and Haymitch walked beside them, each with a hand on their respective ward. Haymitch was actually sober for the most part, seeing as he would probably need to pry a screaming fourteen year old away from the station when they were done. Said fourteen year old was beginning to shake as they neared the train station, and the boy beside her noticed immediately. His right hand had been in his left since they began their journey, and he gave his a tight squeeze.
"I won't be entering the games for two more years, Katniss…it's okay…" he said quietly
She nodded, but hung her head. He stopped walking and stood in front of her, gripping her shoulders. She looked up with her teary gray ones reluctantly, expecting to get scolded, but he surprised her.
"If you cry I'm gonna cry and Brutus will never let me live it down," he began, causing her lips to twitch into a smile for the briefest of seconds before returning to a frown, "I need you to be strong for me, Kitten, can you promise me that? Can you promise that you won't freeze up like your mom did when your dad died? Can you keep going, even if it's only for Prim's sake?"
She hesitated before nodding slowly. After a pointed look she said, "I promise…" in a small voice.
Cato smiled a sad smile. "That's my girl…" he said before he took her hand again, and the four of them resumed walking up to the boarding deck. It was only when they reached the deck that Katniss began to shake and choke up once again. However, Cato had been expecting it and took her shoulders in his hands much more gently this time.
"Kitten, look at me." He said. She shook her head, keeping her chin pressed firmly against her chest. "Why not?" he asked sadly
"B-because then we have t-t-to say g-goodbye…" she whimpered
"Well, eventually yes, but how do you know I won't surprise you and say something else first?"
He succeeded in tricking her to look up, if only to have her glare at him suspiciously and he pressed his forehead against hers.
"I promise you I will come back. I will be the victor of the74th Hunger Games, I swear, Katniss. Two years and I'll be back, and then you, me, Prim, your mom, Lady, and hell even that annoying ass cat Butterball-
"Buttercup…" Katniss whispered, trying not to smile
"Whatever, Buttercup, can come live with me and Haymitch in Victor's Village. Okay?"
She nodded slowly and her frowned deepened. "Time for the goodbye part isn't it?"
Now Cato hesitated. He knew Brutus and Haymitch were secretly watching them, and tried to ignore their stares drilling holes in the back of his head. He bit his bottom lip and looked away.
"What's wrong? Aside from the obvious…" Katniss asked
He could faintly hear Haymitch whisper, "Twenty bucks says the kid chickens out." And Brutus reply, "You're on." (A/N: One of my favorite parts of this chapter. XD)
Not that he wanted to make Brutus twenty dollars richer, but he was determined to fulfill his self set goal."We don't have to say goodbye just yet, Katniss…" he said quietly
"We don't?"
"No…there's something else I wanted to do first…"
She tilted her head slightly, confused and waited for him to continue. His eyes found hers again as he slowly leaned forward, hesitating just before he reached her lips. She blushed a bright crimson, but didn't push him away, so he continued until his lips found hers.
Katniss, who stiffened in surprise, slowly relaxed and returned his kiss with fervor. She was determined to delay his departure for as long as she could, and was happy with the excuse he'd given her. Cato seemed just as determined to make the moment last as long as possible as she was. He almost seemed timid when he licked her bottoms lip, and surprised when she returned the gesture and granted him access. War ensued, as they both desperately tried to memorize the taste of the other. Katniss was surprised that she could still taste the cherry pastry he'd eaten for breakfast, along with something else. A sweetness, but with something on top of it. Similar to chocolate, you taste the cocoa, and you taste the sugar. She could taste Cato, his rich and intoxicating essence and nectar like sweetness. She almost forgot that he was leaving when he wrapped his arm tightly around her and held her against him. She responded by gripping the fabric of his shirt and pressing her lips harder against his, hoping that time would stand still permanently, so she would never have to let him go.
(If they had been paying attention to their surrounding, they would have realized that Haymitch and Brutus were still watching them. Haymitch, pissed off that he was down twenty dollars, and Brutus, highly impressed with his young protégé.
"I wish I had that kind of game when I was his age." Brutus mumbled, "Seriously, He's like…three minutes away from getting laid."
Haymitch, who was taking a swig from a small canister of alcohol, doubled over and began a mixture of violent choking and hysterical laughter with tears in his eyes. Brutus just smiled and patted him on the back.
"Don't cry Haymitch, maybe if we take notes we can figure out how he does it."
This only caused Haymitch to laugh and choke harder, completely unnoticed by the couple only a few feet away.)
But happiness never lasts, and when the horns sounded for the final call to board the train, the young couple were brought back into reality. Cato slowly detached his lips from hers, but pulled her into a tight embrace with his head buried into her shoulder. Katniss mimicked him by resting her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes were glassy and far away while her lips had begun to tremble at the sound of the horns, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't make them stop. She clung to Cato for dear life, squeezing him like she'd never see him again, because in all honestly, there was a chance, however slim Cato claimed it to be, that he wouldn't win the games. This could be the last time she would ever see him, ever hold him in her arms. Katniss was 100% NOT okay with that.
"Cato, we have to go." Brutus said gently, regretting that his words had made Katniss tighten her grip even more.
Cato rubbed her back soothingly and managed to coax her into releasing him after several minutes. She was still reluctant, and clutching his hands in her smaller ones. She couldn't keep her entire frame from shaking, nor could she prevent the steady flow of tears spilling over her cheeks. Cato couldn't stand to leave her like this, and as hard as he tried not too, he ended up with tears in his eyes. He whispered "I'm sorry." as they began to fall, and squeezed her one last time. He reluctantly loosened his hands from hers and slowly turned to Brutus, who hugged Katniss before boarding the train. Cato, defeated, followed him, but found an open window seat and took it. Katniss quickly found him and made a miserable attempt at a smile. He blew her a kiss; she caught it and stuck it in her pocket before returning the gesture. He mimicked her. And they both managed to smile at each other's stupidity.
When the train started to move, Katniss walked with it so they could still see each other. When she got to the end of the deck, to Haymitch's astonishment, she jumped the railing and ran on the ground beside the tracks. Cato opened the window and stuck half his body out of it. He tried to convince her to go back to Haymitch but she ran along side the train for as long as she could.
"Katniss! Please, don't get yourself in trouble turn around!" Cato yelled over the wind
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because I have to tell you that I think I'm in love with you! Maybe...sort of..."
Cato laughed humorlessly, and let his tears run free. "I think I love you too, Kitten!"
"Really?"
"Really, really!"
Katniss wiped her eyes on her sleeves and ran all the way with the train until it reached a bridge between two mountains and she was stuck behind a fence. The severity of their situation finally fell on her and she completely broke down into animalistic sobs.
"I'll come back for you, Katniss! I Promise!"
"Cato!" She screamed as the train picked up speed and he disappeared from her sight, "CAAAATOOOOOOO!"
Brutus pulled Cato back inside the train when they reached the other side of the bridge and rounded a corner. Cato sat completely still with his fists clenched to tightly that his knuckles were as white as snow. He wouldn't break down, Katniss was doing enough crying for both of them, he decided. So he would be strong enough for both of them, no matter how bad it hurt.
Haymitch managed to catch up with Katniss, who had ran alongside the train for over two miles. He found her on her knees at the fence, whimpering "Cato, come back…please come back…" over and over again.
"Come on, Katniss, I gotcha. Everything's gonna be alright." He said softly, managing to pry her fingers off the fence before lifting her up and holding her like one would hold a toddler. She wrapped her arms around her neck and watched over his shoulder as they walked farther and farther away from Cato. She continued to cry softly the entire walk back to District 12. People were watching when they returned to the station, but Haymitch walked right past them, and Katniss didn't even notice.
Prim immediately threw herself at her sister when they finally reached the Everdeen residence, and Katniss was thankful for it. Prim cried with her sister and their mother thanked Haymitch for bringing her home.
"I don't know how much I can get away with without the peacekeepers noticing, but I should be able to provide you all with enough food too eat on top of the game Katniss gets so that you don't starve through the winter." Haymitch offered, eyeing Katniss carefully.
"Thank you Haymitch, we would appreciate that. Just don't get yourself in trouble doing it." Mrs. Everdeen said, also watching her daughter with worried eyes.
Prim was trying to convince Katniss that when these next two years ended and Cato returned to District 12, that Katniss would laugh at herself for getting so worked up and having so little faith in Cato's skills. Katniss always had a narcissistic reply, but Prim kept trying.
However, in the world of trackerjacker venom, there are no happy endings. So those two years ended, and Katniss found herself watching Cato's Hunger Games and it was down to Cato and Clove and Thresh. Thresh used a machete to take Clove's head right off her shoulders, and in the same beat he went after Cato. But in this world, Cato isn't fast enough. So Thresh succeeds in impaling his machete into Cato's torso. Cato is clever enough to use a hidden dagger to stab Thresh in the heart, so he wins. But he dies hours later in a Capitol hospital.
Cesar Flickerman gets on TV live two nights later and announces that Cato's last words were to give his winnings to a girl in District 12 named Katniss Everdeen, and that she would tell them their story. And she does somehow manage to stay composed long enough for her interview to tell their story. It isn't until she returns home that she ends up like her mother, cold and unresponsive, until she starves to death. But Cato isn't waiting for her on the other side. Instead he's with Clove, and she's still alone.
Don't you just hate TrackerJacker venom? I do. Although it's fun to work with when you're writing. This is another long chapter!. :D I know it was really sad at the end there. I cried really bad writing it. I started laughing a few times, realizing that I was causing my own pain, but whatever you don't get good stories without emotions right?
I listened to A LOT of music while writing this chapter. Just a wanted to post a few things I listened too incase anyone was curious.
"Misery Business" by Paramore
"Kung Fu Panda"/"Kung Fu Panda 2" Score(s) (Tracks- "Daddy Issues", "My Fist Hungers for Justice", and "Po Finds the Truth", "Dragon Warrior Rises" Probably more but I don't remember.)
"Hanna" Score (By the Chemical Brothers) (Tracks- "container park" and "Hanna's Theme")
"The Hunger Games" Score (Duh, I have to listen to this lol) (Tracks- "Healing Katniss", "Reaping Day", "Katniss Afoot", probably more but again I don't recall.)
"Hold You" by Gyptian
"Just Be" by Tiesto (Long version: 9minutes+ version)
"Marchin On" By OneRepublic
"I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by Death Cab For Cutie
"The Voice" Eimear Quinn
Very strange music mix but I'm a very strange person I suppose. :)
I just relalized tha ti forgot Joan/Foxface in the final betting statistics, but I'll just change it so that at the end, whoever comes out victor (Cato, Katniss, or both of them, I'm not telling :D) will ask Cesar in the final interviews. I'll make something up for it later. Too lazy to go back and change it :D that requires doing math. It's summer vacation. I'm. Not. Doing. Math.
Let's do the review responses real quick shall we?
~Review Response Corner
Snicbell1999/ASimpleObsession: No you didn't sound rude at all, haha. Thank you very much! :) I hoped you enjoyed this chapter as well!
PrixieAnneRiddle: I love you too, hun! Haha I was kidding! Please if I had a fanclub do you have idea idea how ridiculous my ego would get? But I would probably update a lot faster if there were a ton of people involved. It would be very humbling actually…lol I'm such a contradiction. xD Updative…I like that word. Lol I'm actually loads better. Finally I'm getting to the point where I'm only taking my meds once or twice a day! I have my follow up appointment on July 2nd, I'm just praying my doctor says I can start eating normal again, but it still painful to eat certain things. It's annoying. I can't drink ANYTHING sour, even if I can't tell it's sour. If it has any citrus in it is buuuuurrrnnns soooo baaaad for like…ever . Lots and lots of love, my dear. Always. 3
thepinkmartini: I had loads of fun writing the make out sessions in this chapter and the last one. Kilani heals begged me to write one from Katniss's point of view, and I figured that a) the majority of my readers a female and b) out of all of those females, how many would object to knowing what Cato tastes like? NONE! XD ( I hope..lol) So I hope you are fangirling about this make out session too, because I know I am :D and I'm the author for christ's sakes…
Lady Featherweight: Yes Rue did take the knapsack. :) sorry for the confusion :P
hutcherwife: I have to say the same thing about your Catoniss story, which I read not too long ago. Very well done, I might add. :) I'm pretty sure I added it to my favorites. If I didn't I most certainly will be doing so.
Kilani Heals: Ahh, I was looking forward to your review so much! :D And Peeniss0314's as well.
Of course I had to take your "Fireworks" thing to the next level, I mean come on. You can't give me fireworks, the Girl on Fire, and Mr. Superhotamazingsexypants (Cato, duh xD), without my adding my sarcasm somehow. :D I'm loving Marvel too. Lol I was actually thinking about their wedding when I first started this story, and worked with Marvel, Amanda, and Glimmer's personalities to specifically give that Best Man, Maid of honor, and Bride's maid feel to those characters. :D I'm very surprised and happy that you caught onto that. Don't worry, I've been off my Pixie Sticks since I got the idea for this story.
I love monologues…lol. And that was such a perfect moment for one that I just decided to give him the stage instead of the flashback I was going to do, and saved the flashback for this chapter instead. I can't wait to see what you say about this chapter, because I put the flashback you'd been begging me for in it. And I spent hours on this whole thing. Seriously, my friend Ashley and I did the math. I've been at my computer typing away for a little over 6 hours. :P Time well spent in my opinion.
I don't want you an Peeniss0314 to stop asking about Rue, I want you too be uber excited and pouncing in your seats for the next however many chapters until I reveal the big surprise! I'm love/hating that I'm keeping you two in such suspense. :D It makes me eager to see what you're going to say next! Thanks again for reviewing hun! :)
Paige Mellark: Yes Rue does know, she's one of the few who figured it out before everybody else, but she's also been secretly spying on the Careers most of the time they've been in the arena, so she had a bit of an advantage. Glad you liked it :) hope you liked this one too!
LuvQu: Don't be sad about Clove still being alive, she's gonna die eventually and get her just desserts. :D I promise.
Bloodredyfirefly: Thank you! I was really excited because I went to sleep that night with like…90 something reviews, woke up to 114. Hit 115 today. I about had a heart attack that morning. Haha. I got on the computer and choked on my chocolate protein shake (That's just about all I can eat right now….) My mom and little sister laughed at me but I didn't care because I finally have a story with 100+ reviews :) thank you for contributing to my overwhelming happiness.
H4CK3R: Thank you! It's funny you say that actually. I have started two novels, just barely. I wrote a few thousand words of one, went back and edited it, made it sound all ridiculously professional ( or at least tried too). Had friend read it and then they would ask me who the author was and make me get all embarrassed because I wrote it and thought it sounded mediocre, but apparently not according to a ton of people. So I am trying to write my own stuff. :) It's a slow, tedious process. Unlike fanfictions, where my reviewers are constantly urging me on. It's hard, but I'm working on it. :) Maybe one day I'll have a novel on the shelf besides the Hunger Games books, you never know.
Peeniss0314: Yay I finally get you your review! :D Hehe…yeah over 10,000 words :3 I was proud of myself, because I was still on my meds while I wrote most of that, but not so much that I was all loopy or it wouldn't have made a bit of sense.
I hope you enjoyed a more thorough telling of their story, or at least part of it, in the flashback/hallucination Katniss had at the end. :) It was fun/sad to write. As I said above I tortured myself and cried most of the time I was writing it. But it was worth it. Totally worth it.
You and Kilani may get close to figuring out what I'm going to do with Rue, but it's not possible for you to figure it out 100%. It's too out there. The Capitolites are going to be fainting from joy. And not just because I'm going to make them… ;)
p(Reviews for chapters 1, 2 and 3) : Lol if I do make her OOC anywhere I do try to bring her back into character. When I was reading the books I realized that Katniss and I are actually a lot alike. So It's usually pretty easy to write her actions, what she says and such. I'm glad you like it!
Moonlight beauty8: Thank you! wow 5 stars huh? Awesome. :D I'm feeling much better, thank you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter a lot too.
Ooookay, grand total of 8,194 words! :O why I keep writing uber long chapter? I don't know, I'm as obsessed with this story as the rest of you are, and writing it is a pleasure. My mother just scolded me a little while ago for staying in my room all day working, but you know what. I don't have anything else to do, so she can't really get on my case about it :) See you next time!
XOXOXO
~D.A.K-hime