Disclaimer:
I do not own anything. Suzanne Collins owns the characters and the Hunger Games trilogy.
Author's Note:
This Chapter has more background information that is much-needed for the story. There will be more action soon I promise. Give us at least two more chapters.
Thank you to my Co-Writer, 3vlee, for using you wonderful talent to help me with this story.
Please review and as always
ENJOY!
Chapter 7
Taking it back
District 13 Planning
Cato POV
As they plan to take Districts 3 and 5 Cato pulls His Brother, the 4th Commander Christopher Briggs aside to talk about their sister.
"How's Clara? I sorry that I can't be the one that has custody of her, but you are the best one. She only trust you and Mom."
"Clara is not fine Chris. She having night terrors. Chris she saw the whole thing."
"Oh my god, no. Damn it I wish I was there more. Now she's paying for it. I failed her Cato. I failed both of you, my kid brother and baby sister."
"Chris you didn't fail, at least not yet. There's time with Clara, but you will fail her if we don't get her the help she needs now. Katniss said with dad gone, we're the heads of the family now. NOW we have to act it. As for getting Clara's trust, start spending more time with her. Start training her to defend herself. You're going to have to replace Dad. I know you'll be better than the one who fathered us."
"Okay after the meeting we plan for Clara. How are the babies?"
"Fine, Katniss is now Samuels' legal mother. We changed his name to Samuel Gabriel Briggs. Marvel and Foxy are going to be his godparents."
"HOT DAMN! You know after Katniss heals, you're working under me right?"
"Yeah and..."
"I made the request for a reason Cato. After what Camille did... (Chris pauses) the others will have to earn my trust before I let them near you. Besides I trained you in flying and Brutus added to it. If anybody can find a weakness on land, sea or air, its' you. I also wanted to tell you they're placing Marvel and Katniss in weapon development. Her father Mac taught her more than just how to hunt Cato. You landed one of the best jewels in the districts there kid. Also this way she'll be here with the kids, protected which I know is what you want."
"Good. Thank god. Chris I've been thinking instead of just taking over District 3 we should take District 5 with it. We then will have control over the Capitol's power source & their programing on all levels. Have we cracked the nut in 2?"
"No not yet. Why?"
"Its' the Capitol's back up. It's also partly the reason they won the last time. You can thank Brutus for making me study history on the Capitol's battles for this. We crack the nut, we got them where we want them. Crack the nut Chris then go for 3 and 5. the rest falls into place to the point that even 1 will break from the capitol."
"Okay Cato how do we crack the nut?"
"Back door big brother. Cut all the power in the next black out to the nut so we can get in take over get all the capitols plans, reprogram it for the rebellion then move forward with the next step. I got to get back to Katniss and the kids. Clara starts school soon. How's mom doing? How is she coping?"
"She's coping but not bouncing back has she should. Its why Marcus and Brutus are caring for her. She knows that they are her brothers, Cato. She also would like to know when is she going to see "all" of her grandchildren and meet Katniss?"
I remember the day we all found out that Brutus and Marcus were our family.
I am walking into the conference room due to the fact that I was summoned by none other than the head commander of the rebellion himself, Marcus Malone, who is already present. I look around and see that my brother (Christopher), my mother (Cathrine), and my Mentor (Brutus Malone).
"Hello guys?! What are you all doing here?"
"I have called you here today because my brother and I have information that needs to be shared with you immediately. You see Brutus and my parents were wonderful people and they loved each other since they were children, and when they were teenagers they found out that their parents had followed tradition and betrothed our father to our mother who was a young woman who came from a very wealthy family. this family loved this young man as much as if he were their son."
"They were married and had the first of three children, Brutus. They were so happy. My father learned how to run the family business and two years later they had another child, a boy, me. my father thought that he could never be happier. The boys went into the academy as all District 2 children. When they came home every evening the boys would be taught how to run the family business and how to lead people for the success of the company. Fave years after the boys had entered the academy, our mother became pregnant with yet another child but this time they were having a little girl."
"Our mother was so very happy to finally have a little girl, but the pregnancy was so rough on her. She almost lost the baby girl two times before she had given birth. When she did finally give birth there were major complications. Our mother had told her doctor that if there was ever the chance that a decision were to be made that they would have to pick the baby girl inside of her. Always."
"There were definitely some complications. Our mother had started to push on a contraction when one of her major arteries that carried blood to the uterus erupted. She was bleeding so bad inside out that they had no choice but to save the baby girl. Our mother was able to stay alive enough to hold her baby girl and name her.."
"She named her Cathrine Joanne Malone. then our mother told her that she loved her and passed away. Our father was so distraught over our mother's passing that he could not even look at his beautiful baby girl. He then took her to an orphanage and told us to never talk about it again."
"A year later, a month before Brutus's birthday and his last reaping, our father killed himself because he missed the love of his life so much. Brutus received custody of me because he was so close to being of age, and the business was passed down to our mother's sister's husband. A month later Brutus went into the Hunger Games and won."
"He put up the money to search for our lost sister. When we went to the orphanage where our father took her, we were told that she had been adopted by a nice family and that it was a closed adoption. We waited 16 more years to start looking for her again. We did finally find her three years after she had turned 18. She was married to Charles Briggs and had a son who was a year old. Brutus went to the house she was just living in and asked to speak to her. Charles had said that she was his property and that no one was to see her at all."
Chris looked at me and said:
"Sounds like dad."
"My I finish Please? As I was saying. We kept tabs on Cathrine throughout the years. When Chris and Cato came to the academy, we kept up by taking care of her boys. Then current events happened and now we are sitting here."
"Cathrine, we are your brothers."
Our mother has not been the same since, and Katniss and I have had custody of Clara since.
"As soon as the Commanders clear it. This way she can see Clara too. Maybe seeing mom will help Clara with her night terrors."
"She hasn't asked about Clara, Cato. That's what has got the commanders worried. I'll see you later."
"Later."
As Cato walks back to his quarters, he wonders why his mother is not asking about Clara.
Back At The Living Quarters
Katniss is sitting with Clara, Rue, Sage, and Samuel when I walk into the living room. I love the way she looks when she is around our children and my little sister.
"Hello Fire Girl. I need to talk to you. Can you ask Prim to watch the kids."
"Prim has to train the new recruits for out on the battle field and my mom is helping."
"What about Clove and Peeta."
"Peeta has a meeting with intelligence. I will see if Clove can do it."
She walks out to the quarters next door. She comes back with Clove and our godson Alex. Clara lights up when she sees my best friend.
"Clovie!"
"Hello Small Fry! What are you doing?"
"I was helping Kit play with the babies. Do you want to help?"
"Yeah. I missed you so very much! Kat go ahead and go."
"See you guys in an hour."
We walk out to the cafeteria. We grab something to drink and sit down.
"So I was just given our assignments. I am to be Christopher's second in command and you are to work with Beetee and Marvel in weapons. Chris told me that he doesn't trust anyone around me because of what your mom did to me and I am the only one that he trusted with his life. You are a weapons specialist because the weapons you made were the best we all have ever seen. Plus, you will be able to be here with the kids. Marcus is now doing per-interviews and background checks on anyone who will be working in the daycare. We as the parents are the last line of interviews."
"Okay, so when are we supposed to start our assignments?"
"As soon as you are healed. They told me to stay and take care of you. Plus, I would like for us to be married before we start our assignments."
"I would like that too. I was talking to Clove and she said that her and Peeta want to get married in a small ceremony and Peeta asked me to be his best-chick. They decided to get married in two weeks. I would like to get married in three if that is ok with you?"
"Yeah, that sounds great! Clove asked me to be her Man-of-Honor. I saw the design of the wedding cake that Peeta is going to make."
"Really. He always decorated the cakes in District 12. I am so happy that he gets to bake again."
"We should get back. If we leave Clove with Clara too long it won't be pretty."
We walk into the quarters and see that Clove has all of the kids in bed for a nap. I am in shock. How did she do that? She picks up Alex and walks out the door with a smile.
"I guess she learned Peeta's secret about kids."
Clove POV
Two weeks ago Katniss and Peeta had called for a Star Squad meeting. This meeting was to help us all catch up with everyone and find out what traditions they have and want to keep so that we all can use them if we should choose to. Katniss, Peeta, and Gale stood up together to speak first.
"In district 12, there were three traditions that were the most important for a family."
Katniss then pulls out this beautiful head peace and places it proudly on her head. It is a tiara that lays flat on her forehead that has plant leaves wrapped around antlers met in the middle on the forehead by a Katniss plant leaf.
"This is one of the traditions that I would love to bring into our new world that is being built as we speak. All of us who used to reside in District 12 either has or had a set of godparents to help them throughout our lives. Gale and I are lucky we each have one of our godparents still alive. Gale's sole surviving godparents is my mother. when he married his wife he took his godchild symbol and had it made into a necklace that he presented to his wife the day before his marriage. My sole surviving godparent is Gale's mother, Hazel."
"My aunt and her husband were supposed to pick the symbols that represented themselves but decided to merge our family in the most powerful way, through me. This tiara has the symbols of both my mother and father, which are herbal plant leaves representing the healer, and they are wrapped around a set of antlers that representing the hunt which is the symbol that my aunt and uncle picked to represent them. My mother and aunt are the healers and my father and uncle hunted to help us survive. They all picked the Katniss plant leaf to represent me that joined our family. All of Gale's brothers and his and my sister has the same symbol except the element that holds it in place. Gale has a bow and arrow, Rory has the word laughter, Vic has a mockingjay, Posy has a posy flower, and my sister has a Primrose flower."
"Mine is what you see. We dedicate our children to their chosen godparents when they are between the time they are born and the time they turn a year. Cato and I have decided that we would like to follow this tradition and have already asked Clove and Peeta to be the Godparents to our Rue and Sage, but we have to ask another set of people to please come up to the front."
As Cato walks over to Foxy and Marvel to escort them to the front of the room.
"We humbly ask you if you would do us the honor of being our sons, Samuel Gabriel, God Parents?"
They look at each other and give each other a thoughtful look then looks at me and Cato and says:
"Only if you will be our Freddie's godparents."
Both Cato and I answer without looking at each other:
"We would be honored to!"
Then it was Peeta's turn to speak.
"Another tradition that the people of District 12 simply do not feel whole unless it is done is the toasting of the bread. When a couple want to be married, they simply go to the Justice building and purchase the rights to be married. They sign a paper and on document the are already married. It is not official until they have toasted their first loaf of bread, usually given to them for free by my family who was the town bakery. They go to their home which is assigned by the Justice building staff and light the hearth with their family and friends around, toast the bread until it is golden brown, and feed their piece to each other."
Then Gale steps up and gives Peeta a bro-hug and starts to speak:
"Our last tradition that we would like to have inserted into this new world and country is that when the oldest male in a family has passed on or left the family that the next oldest is in charge of the family. When mine and Katniss's fathers died in a mine explosion a few years ago, with us being cousins and godsiblings as well, I became the man of the family and with the help of my mother and Katniss at that time and now, I make all decisions regarding the family. When Katniss asked both Hymitch and Brutus to officially be surrogate fathers to us and our siblings and accepted, they became head of the family along with me."
She steps up again and give her older cousin a tight hug and turned to address the Star squad again:
"We tell you our most prized traditions because we want you all to see that we are willing to SHARE traditions with you and adapt your traditions into ours. You all have to just tell us. WE ALL DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE LIVING DIVIDED BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT SNOW WANTS US TO DO."
I then step up and grab my best friends hand and walk to the front of the room. Cato begins to speak:
"Katniss is right. Snow wants us to stay divided and All I see in front of me is the fact that we all are closer than that of when we were reaped. There are only two traditions that Clove and I want to have inserted into the new country and world. In District 2, our children go into the Academy to start training for the games at age six. Now, we know that there will be no games after the rebellion, but after talking to our soon-to-be-spouses, we still want our children to be trained just in case they should need to protect themselves and/or a family member or friend. We are going to have our children start training at age 9 though because we want them to have fun before they are to train."
I stand up now and begin to speak:
"Another tradition is a big wedding ceremony where the whole District has to attend. Peeta and I are combining all of our traditions that we want to keep. Peeta and I will be getting married in two weeks and our son Alexander Bran will be dedicated to Cato and Katniss next week. Both Ceremonies will be small with only closest friends and family. This means you all have to attend or I will personally put a knife in your foot (I say with a smile)."
Cato steps in and says:
"Katniss and I have decided that our children will be dedicated to their godparents that same night Alex is dedicated to us."
"Why not do All of the godparents ceremonies the same night."
"Clovie that is a wonderful idea."
As the meeting progresses, we begin to adapt all of the traditions into ones we already have established into our lives.
