CHAPTER SEVEN: Cato

What the hell am I suppose to do? Katniss and I both nod at and Haymitch and Brutus respectively and go our separate ways without exchanging a word to each other. I head to the locker room to gather my things and change, ready to head out and pick Ryan up at Clove's. As I'm reaching to unlock my truck door, Luke calls my attention.

"Hey, Cato, wait up!" I open my car door just to throw my belongings in and turn to wait for him to catch up with me. "What are you gonna do, man?"

"What do you mean, what am I going to do? I thought it was closed for discussion," I say to him, obviously still peeved about the whole situation. I don't even know the girl!

"Cato, it's your home. You still have a say no matter what anyone tells you to do and if you were to tell the girl to find somewhere else, I think she'd obey your wishes. She doesn't like this any more than you do," he tells me.

"I just don't get it. If Haymitch wants to make sure she's protected so badly, why don't they both just move into a two bedroom and save money on rent, she is his sweetheart, after all," I sneer at him. He knows I have nothing against him. He seems to support what ever I choose. Unfortunately for him, he ended up in my line of fire.

"Hey, man. I got your back, like I always do, but you know the chief's right about this. You would get to see Ryan more, and even if you hated the girl, you're a cop. It's in your nature to protect and I'm sure you wouldn't want her as these guy's next vic. All I'm sayin' is, give it a try. No one said this is a permanent thing. Hell, talk to Clove and Mike about it and get their input. They work with the girl, so they might be a little more help. When all's said and done, you hold the right to boot her out if you want," Luke finishes with a flourish, his signature smile gracing his face.

He's right, on all accounts, I suppose. Damn, this is frustrating. I do my best to give Ryan everything I can and keep his life as uncomplicated as possible, after growing up the way I had. It's bad enough that he has no parents, but now being a part of this circus, I just don't know what to do.

"You're right, and I am going to talk to Mike and Clove, when I get Ry, to see what they can tell me about this girl. I'll try to get as much of a background as I can before I let her step foot into our house and Ryan's life. Might even see what Mitch knows about the girl," I tell him.

"Alright, I'll let you get to it then. Just let me know the outcome, because you're going to need help making room for her and she'll need help moving in if that's the what you decide on." He pats my back while tossing a good-bye and a good luck over his shoulder to me and I hop into my truck hoping Clove will sort this all out for me. I know Mike will just say suck it up and hope for the best. I shake my head, trying to clear it, at least until I get to Clove's and we can figure this out together.


"Hey guys!" I call over to Ry and Mikey playing in the front yard, as I climb out of my truck.

"Cato!" They both yell in unison while running over to greet me. I pick both boys up, one under each arm and spin them around, successfully receiving giggles.

"Well look who it is, the human jungle gym!" Clove calls to me from their front porch. I hadn't even noticed her sitting there. I put the boys down and walk to say hello to her.

"Clove, you got a minute to talk?" I ask her, thinking if I don't figure this out now, I will only have Mike's usual advice to go by with no time for Clove's planning.

"Yeah, sure, and you just missed Mike, he ran to help his mother with something" she says. "Hey, boys! Why don't y'all head out back to play, Cato's going to come inside to talk for a minute and we won't be able to keep an eye on you out front!" She hollers to both her son and my brother. For such a small woman, she's got one big mouth. I think the whole neighborhood could have heard her loud and clear.

"Want a cup of coffee or tea? Hell, want a beer?" She asks me as we enter their kitchen.

"I'd love a beer, but I think coffee sounds great. I need to stay alert for this conversation," alluding to the fact that this will be one of those important conversations.

"Oh, boy. Got ya. Coffee coming right up!" She eyes me while preparing the coffee, probably trying to figure out what has me so on edge. "Alright, spit it out. I can't wait for this slow thing to finish to hear what's got you all riled up," she starts at me.

"You work with Katniss Everdeen, correct?" She nods and I continue, "did she tell you anything today at work?" I ask.

"Oh, you mean about the sick idiots that jacked her place and left some nice threatening art work on her fridge?" I nod. "What about it?" Clove questions me, not seeing where this is going.

"Well, I got pulled into your father's office today by Brutus and Luke to find Haymitch and Katniss already in there with your father. Katniss and I were ganged up on. They schemed to have Katniss move in with me for protection, saying that with her there to help pay bills, I can cut back on my hours to be with Ry. Thing is, I don't know this girl and she doesn't know a damn thing about me either. What am I suppose to do, Clove?" I think I look as hopeless as I feel because she's giving me a pitiful look. I hate pity. "You work with her, what can you tell me about her?" I ask, hoping to get some insight.

"Hmm," she hums out, getting up to serve us each a cup of coffee. "Well, I gotta say that the old farts, my father, and Luke might be on something, in theory. As for what I know about Katniss," she taps her chin, overly dramatizing her thinking. "She kicks ass at archery, don't know where she picked that up. She can throw and handle knives like me…" She drifts off and I cut in.

"Clove, these all sound like reasons why I shouldn't need to protect her."

"Don't butt in. You sound like Mikey," Clove admonishes me as if I were her son. "You didn't let me finish. She isn't the best with hand-to-hand combat. She can disarm an opponent, but her other close combat skills are lacking, not that she doesn't practice, though. I'll give her that."

"But, she got the upper hand on Bryan and I heard how she took down the drunk the first night Haymitch met her," I tell her, disagreeing with Katniss' supposed weakness.

"Yes, she manhandled Bryan and a drunk. Doesn't say much. Mike can take her down, with half of his effort, and when she goes up against Thresh, ouch, is all I can say. I remember being stupid enough to go against him when I started at SSDA." She winces at her memory.

Damn.

"Alright, so she needs protecting, but why should it be me?" I ask, hoping she finds me a loophole out of this.

"You know I always have your best interest at heart, especially Ryan's as well. Well let me tell you what else I know about Everdeen. She loves Ry. Simple as that, and I believe the feeling is mutual for him, also. What I've seen of their interactions is that they get along really well. Her first day, I had brought the boys back to work with me after I picked them both up from school. Once he saw her, he raced over to say hello and she gave him a motherly greeting that caught me off guard." With this, she smirks, "I warned her to let him be because I didn't know or trust her and told her that if she is going to be around him, then she better not hurt him or turn her back on him. Hearing so much about her fiery attitude, I expected her to get in my face about it. She didn't. Told me she respected and admired me for looking out for him and said she would do and has done the same for her litter sister. Said she raised the girl." She eyes me carefully after that last piece of information and I'm reminded even more of how little I know Katniss.

"So you're saying…" I lead her to continue.

"I'm saying… that what I know of her and what I know of you, that I think you should at least give this an honest go. She needs to be protected and you want to spend more time with Ry. Would you rather someone move in to help you pay your bills that wouldn't love your brother? Remember, none of this has to be permanent, but I can't seem to see a down side other than you two communicating. Unfortunately, I think you two are too alike in that department. Kinda closed off." She gives me a knowingly smile.

"Alright. So she moves in. Where is she gonna stay?" I ask, annoyed that this will definitely be happening.

"Um, dude, you have a third bedroom. You just gotta clear it out for her. I'm sure Mike will help, if you need it."

"The third bedroom doesn't have a closet and she's a girl. Don't see how that would work and I'm not going to make Ryan change bedrooms." I can tell I'm irritating her with being so closed-minded.

"I would never think to move him, but also, Katniss isn't the normal girl. I doubt she needs much closet space to begin with," she explains.

"Fine. She moves in, but only if Ryan agrees with this. I don't want him uncomfortable in his own home since there have never been any females in the house that weren't considered family before. He gets the final say," I tell her, secretly hoping he says no.

"You do realize, Cato, that he'll probably be ecstatic over this? I think you're going to be the one that will be uncomfortable with a girl living in the house, not him. Oh, this will be interesting," she says the last part mostly to herself, but I still hear it and it irks the living shit out of me. "By the way, do you know how Katniss feels about all of this?" she questions.

"As far as I could tell, we were pretty much on the same page, though she barely said two words to me, not that I tried to talk to her either," I voice, being honest.


After my conversation with Clove, Ryan and I headed home. He finished his homework with some of my help while I cooked us dinner.

Sitting down to eat, I figure it's time to ask him about Katniss moving in.

"Hey, Bud?" I say to get his attention.

"Yeah, Cato?"

"I hear you've gotten close with Katniss when you go with Miss Clove and Mikey to the academy."

"Yes! She's so nice! She plays with me on her breaks, chasing me around the obstacle course and everything!" he excitedly tells me then stops to remember something. I realize that he probably won't be against her moving in, like Clove said. "She even bandaged my knee when she saw from her station that I banged it on the ropes course. Then, she even kissed it all better," Ry finishes with a shy smile. Shit, he sounds more attached than I thought. 'Motherly,' Clove had told me.

"So you like her?" I ask him, obviously already knowing his response.

"Yeah… Cato, why?" Ryan questions me.

Here's the moment of truth. "How would you feel about her moving in?" I inquire, inwardly wincing, preparing myself for his delight while I want to smack my head against the wall because of this mess.

"Really?! Why? I mean, I'd love it, but I didn't think you knew her much." I don't, I think to myself.

Hmm. How can I word this for him to understand? "Well, Uncle Haymitch doesn't like her living by herself, and she offered to help us out so I would get to cut my hours at work back which means more time with you, bud."

"See, I told you she's nice!" Yeah, she didn't offer, but she never objected. He doesn't need to know the whole story; he's only seven years old, anyways. "I'd love it if you were around more as long as we can afford it."

Man, he doesn't need to worry about our money situation. "I'd love to spend more time with you, too," I earnestly tell him. "I miss spending more time with you, Ry."

We both smile at each other, liking the idea of me being around more. "When will she move in?"

"Not quite sure yet, possibly as soon as this weekend, but we have to make room for her, by cleaning out our third bedroom," I tell him, now wondering when I'll find the time to make this happen.

"I'll help!" Ry readily offers.

Problem solved, I suppose. Clove was right. This should be interesting. Damn her.


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