Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games

Chapter 8

Katniss didn't really know what happened. As she remained seated in the corner of the kitchen, she glared resentfully back and forth at Cato and then Gale.

She usually slept only a handful of hours before getting awakened by some nightmare or a weird sound. So there was no logical reason why she slept through the whole night!

Both Cato and Katniss were awakened by a shouting Gale who promptly blabbered about their so-called 'rendezvous' to the adults who were now reprimanding them.

Katniss' mother looked silently disappointed and embarrassed, the latter expression was likewise mirrored in Cinna's and Hazelle's expression, Haymitch was barely suppressing his laughter, and Madame Ven looked smug as if she was actually expecting the engaged couples' 'tryst in the woods.'

Obviously, Cato did something to Katniss to make her sleep that deeply. He could've slipped something in her drink or more likely than not, literally knocked her out when she started stirring.

Katniss knew that their hours of sleep were hardly the main problem. It seemed that Gale actually caught that two of them in a most compromising position.

"Why! If they weren't engaged in the first place, they should be now!" Was his non-helpful contribution.

"What exactly is bad about it? We were both wearing our clothes!" she uttered testily, giving her best friend the stink eye.

"You slept the whole night together! We don't even know what you did in the middle of it! Furthermore, your hair is a mess, what warranted that, huh?"

Cato raised a hand "Hers are, mine aren't" and then just to further rile Gale up "but then again she loved it when I rake my fingers through her hair... it's a particular turn on"

"Asshole!" Gale shouted and in Katniss' mind, she concurred.

"Why the hell are you so angry, huh? She's my fiance, I'll be doing a lot more than mess her hair in a few months time... in fact, I'd suggest not looking for her during mornings anymore less you get a more 'revealing' view... but maybe you like that"

The last statement had Gale roaring and charging Cato like a bull.

He got knocked out in three seconds flat.

Some people just never learn while Cato looked immensely satisfied with the violence. Belatedly, Katniss realized that he purposely goaded Gale into attacking him to get a spot of exercise in the morning. If you can even call it that.

Well, at least, their attention were now focused on the prone form sprawled on their living room.

...

"Girl on Fire, if you just wanted to snuggle, we could've done that anywhere and anytime, my bedroom in your house has always been open" Both of them were walking the town. Or in this case, the District 12 town, which was an entirely different experience.

"Shut up" though Katniss really couldn't deny that fact that maybe just maybe it was Cato's presence that was responsible for her deep sleep.

If so, she might actually seek it out again. She's never felt as refreshed as she did now.

Breathing deeply, Katniss coughed out the smoke.

Cato looked amused but started patting her back as she continued to cough out the smog that continuously surrounded this District.

"Where are we going anyway?" they were currently in the middle of the proper or 'legal' town market surveying items.

She picked up a blue ribbon before putting it down and shaking her head "Madame Ven told us to check if we could find any decorations from here"

"Seriously? She expects us to find something worthwhile in these dumps? better to just start scrounging out the garbage in the Capitol. Chances are, we'd find something more valuable" He sneered as he casually threw a handmade decoration back into the pile. The boy behind the counter was scowling fiercely and so instead of breaking up another fight, she pulled on Cato's arm and threw an apologetic look at the salesperson.

That was, until she got a closer look and realized that this was the same boy who taunted her all throughout her school years. Always sneering with disgust whenever she passed by and calling her a 'Seam rat.'

So she frowned back "What are you looking at? You gotta a problem?" Katniss could feel Cato start at her change of tone.

"Get outta here! no one wants Seam trash around this nice part o' town"

Katniss hated it but that same insecurity that she felt during her childhood started creeping up and she almost retreated when Cato suddenly came up from behind her and roughly grabbed the other boy's collar.

She was so surprised that she wasn't able to react at once. Cato has already dragged the boy from his position in the other part of the stall before she could try to grab the arm choking the other boy.

"Cato! stop it, stop it! Come on"

Katniss panicked when she saw that some of the boy's friends were already heading their way.

"What the hell did you say to her?" He snarled "You fucking asshole! don't you know that you're gonna be eating along with your other useless friends" glaring at the approaching four "three times a day or more because of her! so you'd better apologize and treat us with respect as befits a Victor"

"Why should I? it was just luck that the slut got out" Okay, Katniss was going to deck this kid now.

She pulled on his hair and hissed "What did you fucking call me?"

But before she could do much else, Cato's fist was already speeding towards his face. He uttered calmly "Let's see if luck can actually save you from this one" the punch was brutal but unlike Gale's that was specifically aimed at rendering his opponent unconscious, Cato's punch made sure that the other boy stayed aware for the next four punches.

Katniss briefly saw a tooth flying by and can't help the vindictive side of her from feeling happy.

"How's your luck in encountering a Career now, asshole?" punch.

By this time, the four friends have already reached their side and Katniss stayed beside Cato protectively.

It was really useless actually because several minutes later, Cato was already throwing the last of the battered four on the ground, glaring at the Peacekeepers that were on the edge of the crowd. "What?" he demanded "did you see anything?"

"Er- uh, none, sir, none, we ain't seen no one. Just a couple of rowdy kids tryin' to stir up trouble... thank you for taking care of it" one of them stuttered back at the furious Victor as the Peacekeeper dispersed the crowd who were now looking at them fearfully.

"Good, you better get these things out of here" he waved a hand over the sprawled forms "insulting a Victor, in their home District no less, is punishable by death... and helping that person also equates to treason" When all the Peacekeepers simply stared at him, he snarled irritatedly and took a threatening step forward "What are you waiting for? I said lock them up!"

"Of course, of course" Cray told the others to start cuffing the boys.

"Cato, are you seriously going to have them killed?" She asked in horror.

"Not killed, punished. They shouldn't have said that..." he stopped before glaring down at her "and on that subject" grabbing her arm, he pulled her towards one of the shaded buildings "what the hell was that?"

"I could be asking you the same thing, you know!" she fumed "you've already beaten them up, do they really need to get them jailed?"

"Yes! there wouldn't be enough of them left if they were in District 2, you know? these scums needs to know their place and start appreciating us... and what about you" he pointed an accusing finger to her face "you almost apologized to that asshole earlier! what's with that?"

"I just didn't want to fight, okay? what do you think will happen if they decide to retaliate?"

"That's different. Giving in to people like those aren't helping anyone from the Seam, instead its encouraging them to treat more people from your area like trash! so hurt them, Katniss" His use of her name startled her "you hurt them enough so that they won't ever think of crossing someone from your own anymore"

She kept silent, not acknowledging whether he was right or wrong and after a few seconds of staring, Cato whirled around and stalked out but not before throwing over his shoulder "don't want to? then watch me"

And she did.

Katniss watched as Cato belittled every other vendor in the place, he even chucked a few items on the wall to test their toughness before screaming at the salesperson on the poor quality.

And she let him.

Katniss let him terrify each and every person in the town square selling their goods and watched as each face showed extreme fear not just of Cato but of her as well.

She was slightly disturbed but more than that, she felt powerful.

He spitted some of the fruits from the local produce seller that previously didn't want to do business with Prim just because Little Duck was from the Seam.

Sweet, innocent Prim who looked like a towner with her blonde locks and baby blues who's never hurt a fly and always tidied up her clothes so people wouldn't turn away in disgust; denied because of her residence area.

Cato's scream interrupted her inner musings.

"This whole fucking town is shit! there's nothing worthwhile here. No wonder only those from the Seam are ever hailed Victors. These people are useless" he spat before turning his back and stalking towards her "Come on, Katniss" he grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers onto hers, dragging her back to the direction of the Seam.

In the other timeline, she tolerated the sneers and thinly-veiled insults because Peeta was there and he said to just let them be. They were jealous, he'd said but Katniss always thought that being jealous doesn't excuse cruel behavior. So every time she visited Peeta at their bakery, she would get this knot in the pit of her stomach because she knew that most of the town still saw her as the Seam trash even when they moved to District 13.

As if her birthplace was a humiliation that can never be lived down.

But the Seam wasn't like that. Sure, they had a lot of drunkards and miners who were generally dirty most of the time... but they were also real. Greasy Sae who had three missing teeth in front but could make the best squirrel stew in this side of Panem and gave her some for free during a rainy day, or Hazelle who cleaned town houses until her knuckles were bruised and scrubbed raw with the chemicals she's using but always had a welcoming smile for anyone who passed by... even if they ignored her. Or Haymitch who lent majority of the business owners some starting capital only to be insulted and laughed at when his back was turned. Or her mother and Prim who never discriminated on their patients regardless if they were from the Town or Seam only to be turned away by the apothecary when they tried to buy some ingredients for salves and medicines.

It was unfair that the Seam always did the giving.

Katniss knew that the towns people were waiting for her to defend them or reprimand Cato.

Instead, she tightened her hold on his hand and never looked back.

After all, these people weren't her own. They don't deserve to be.

...

"Heard about the commotion earlier, sweetheart" Haymitch was leaning back casually on their porch.

"Yeah..." she looked down at her hands, examining each finger. It looked dirty.

"What did you think of it?"

"... I thought it was a long time in coming" It was two timelines late but at least they've been dealt with now.

Her mentor snorted and patted her shoulder before walking off.

...

The next day, Katniss was talking to both her mother and Hazelle, discussing dinner placings when her sister came home.

"Mom!" Prim was skipping back from school. "Look, look, I got the highest grade in class" she showed her assignment excitedly with Rory bounding after her who was also waving his class assignment.

That never happened before. Kids from the Seam would always be on the bottom 10 percent of the class. No matter how much effort and time you put into it, the teachers always made you seem lower than the children from town.

"Wow, that's great, Prim!" her mother's eyes sparkled with merriment while Cato, no doubt awakened by the racket could be seen rubbing his eyes and yawning as he walked down the stairs.

"Cato, look!" Prim, always eager to please, showed her own assignment to him.

"You made this?" He asked pretended disbelievingly but Prim puffed up like a proud hen and nodded. "I think this calls for a celebration, how about I order us some food, huh?"

"Can I invite some of my friends?" she asked but hurried to clarify, "just a few"

"You can invite as many as you want"

Prim looked as if her birthday, christmas, and any other holiday came in early but she grinned from ear to ear.

Once Prim and Rory bounced back outside, Katniss' mother walked to Cato and placed a hand on his arm "Thank you" she whispered appreciatively.

"Well, I'm just ordering the food, you're crazy if you think that I'll set up... or clean up" he smirked at her.

Mrs. Everdeen shook her head and gently patted his arm, "I'm not talking about that, Cato" And Hazelle was also looking at him in gratitude.

It was then that Katniss knew her mother has heard about what Cato did and rightly connected the Seam kids sudden increase in aptitude to Cato's intervention yesterday.

It was weird that Cato never wanted to move in District 12 but it looked as if he was fitting in quite well with the rest of them. Better, in fact, than Peeta who always looked a little bit too pitying at the Seam people.

She couldn't help but feel a small ball of warmth at the pit of her stomach so unlike the ones she previously experienced.

This feeling wasn't dread, it was excitement.

...

End of Chapter 8

A/N Come on people! I like wrote two chapters in one day! I deserve some reviews! I was so sad to see that I only got 6, a measly 6 reviews in Chapter 6! I'm writing this as tears escape the corners of my eye joke! Hahahahhahahahahaha Enjoy reading