AN: Yep, another chapter. This time I'll be introducing thirteen year old Clove~ D'aw, cute little knife-happy psycho that she is. Haha. I do love Clove though… I think I like psychos… I dunno. X_x
Time to get to a few reviews and answer anything/respond/etc.

Teamgale143: There's nothing necessarily wrong about Katniss knowing Clove and Cato, but Katniss having any sort of bond with the two could possibly ruin what I have in mind for the future. ;)
Also, patience~ Haha. They'll get their mini-reunion soon enough. You've just got to be patient. xD

Now, LGI SON, LET'S GET IT, LET'S GO.

Disclaimer: This is getting really old, I'm sure, but I do not own THG.


First meetings

One year had passed since Katniss had met the boy from district two. It was that same year that her father met an untimely demise. In that horrid past year, the small girl from the seam who would smile every once in a while for someone other than family told herself from that day on that she would only focus on family and nothing else. She had to focus on survival of herself and her family. Her mother had become all but a vegetable and so she took it upon herself to keep them out of The Home; a place where kids went when the peacekeepers thought that their parents weren't able to take care of them properly.

Katniss Everdeen found herself trying to sell Prim's baby clothes but no one would buy them, as such she threw the cloth down and started to go to the nicer parts of town, near the square. It was against the law to steal, but maybe she could find something in the trash. Technically it wasn't stealing since the family threw the item away, right?

It was cold and dreary day and it became even gloomier as it began to rain. The dark haired girl found herself being chased away from the trashcan by the baker's wife. She was always difficult to deal with, even when her father was alive. Holding back a sob, she sat under a tree while looking at the bakery.


Katniss

This wasn't the way that I wanted to die, but if it meant going somewhere nicer and never being hungry… it was extremely tempting to just let go… but what about Prim? What about Cato? I couldn't leave my new friend behind without a word and I definitely couldn't leave Prim to fend for herself… but the thought was just so tempting. I'd be able to see Daddy again… be warm… be away from this place. I felt my eyes get heavier and heavier as the thoughts kept running through my head, the world then started to blur around me and the already bleak colours became even bleaker. All of a sudden, I heard a crash and yelling, maybe it was the baker's wife coming to chase me off so that I'd be further away from the shop? Maybe she didn't want a dying seam brat to be seen in front of her business. As that thought ran through my head, I saw a blonde with curly hair and blue eyes being shoved out the door way an angry red mark on his face. Even at their angriest, Daddy and Mother never hit us to teach us a lesson… said that we had enough to worry about without worrying about what would happen at home… though, that was before Daddy died and Mother stopped responding to anything around her.

I lifted my head, barely having the strength to, when I saw the boy turn and look at the door where his mother walked back in. Quickly, he began to tear pieces of bread off and throw it into the pig's trough before there was only half a loaf and then another full one. Once again, the blonde looked at the door before throwing the bread as hard as he could so that the loaf and a half landed in front of me. From my view point, they looked burnt; maybe that's what his mom was yelling about…


Katniss didn't bother to think anymore, all she could do was stare at the bread. A few seconds passed and she gathered up her strength to crawl to the burnt loaves. Thank god! Mother, Prim, and herself wouldn't go without food tonight! She took a small nibble out of the half of loaf left as her stomach settled; she then quickly ran back to the seam and didn't stop until she slammed the door shut behind her.

Prim's head shot up and she looked around, wondering what was going on. She had fallen asleep in front of a dying fire, trying to stave off the hunger that was consuming her very being.

"Prim, look, look! I've brought us food, Prim!"

The older girl whispered in excitement as she put the slightly nibbled on half loaf onto the table and took her hunting knife out and started to cut thin slices so that they could pace themselves and not overeat. Shakily, Katniss handed one slice to her sister and smiled when Prim pressed the still warm inside to her cheek. It was like a dream come true! Even at their best they couldn't afford this bread that contained a variety of nuts.

That was the beginning of a big turnaround for Katniss. The next day she went out to hunt only to run into another person, a boy who was the same age as Cato. They didn't get along at first (was she always doomed to make friends like this?) but then the two decided to help each other and split their bounty. It became a wonderful partnership that later led to friendship.


Katniss

It had been roughly a year and six months since that encounter with the boy with the bread, I didn't know who he was but for some reason… that didn't stop him from saving my life that cold, rainy, day. My hunting partner and friend, Gale, came up next to me and nudged me with his shoulder, grinning.

"So, Catnip, today's the day for the victors and their progeny to arrive… you think that pretty boy will be here?"

I shrugged before picking up a blade of grass. I hadn't really heard from Cato since the year before… after my Daddy had died… He understood that I was grieving and that there wasn't a lot that I would do the year he visited… the year everything went downhill. I wish Cato had been able to visit sooner… I knew he liked my Daddy, almost thought of him as his own. His own father had died while in this thing called "The Nut" in district two, apparently it was a huge citadel of sorts… a freak weather storm cause an avalanche and…

"Hey, Catnip, what are you thinking about so hard that your brows are pushed all the way in like that?"

"Nothing… just thinking."

We both heard the train whistle and we got up in unison. Being hunting partners for almost two years made us close enough to anticipate each other's moves so that we wouldn't go after the same kill or run into each other. At first, we'd had plenty of accidents. Sprained ankles, two shots on two totally different ends of the same kill… it was a mess, but then we started to hunt together more frequently. I would name Gale the brother that I never had, he might as well be anyways with our looks.

"C'mon, Catnip, stop zoning out, don't you want to see Cato is here this year?"

I nodded quickly, a small smile spreading onto my face as we rushed past the fence that separated the meadow and the seam.

Today was once again the day where victors came for their annual tour. The citizens of twelve could really care less, but they still held a festival because that meant that their own would be able to be full for at least one night. People crowded around the train and stared as a tall, muscular, male stepped out followed by a fit boy and a small girl who was twirling a knife as if it were child's play.

"Cato, I know you want to rush off to find Katniss, but we have to go see Haymitch first and see if he's willing to… put up with you and Clove for a week or two."

Clove rolled her eyes at Brutus' words as Cato nodded. They both grabbed their things and began to walk when all of a sudden Cato was tackled to the ground by a blur of black and green.

"Oof!"


Cato

I listened to Clove go on and on about district twelve, how she thought it would be a disgusting place. I had to refrain from pinning her to the wall. She didn't know the reason why I continued to talk Brutus into letting me go on these tours, didn't know that there was a hot-headed girl and her sweet tempered sister there… waiting to see me every year. Soon though she would realize why I kept going, and maybe she would want to do the same.

The trained came to a slow halt and we walked out with Brutus. I looked around for a minute and frowned when I didn't see the head of black and grey eyes filled with an inner fire that couldn't be doused. Where was she? I guess that Brutus saw my actions and said that we had to go visit Haymitch first. I didn't want to, but it would only be polite to ask the other victor if we could stay at his house in Victor's Village.

As I walked down the steps, luggage in hand, I suddenly felt on guard for some reason. I wasn't sure why, after all… who would be stupid enough to harm a career in training while they were with their mentor? My answer came soon enough in the form of the ground meeting my face.

"Oof!"

It felt as if I had just taken a punch to the stomach as all the breath I had in me rushed out of my lungs in one fell swoop. Turning, I stared into grey eyes before a grin made its way onto my face.

"Kitty cat."

I started chuckling as I saw those grey eyes, so full of fire, narrow at me.


"How many times have I told you that I hate that name?"

The tiny girl asked, irritation showing in her eyes as they narrowed down at the boy below her petite body. A deep chuckle and an irritated huff could be heard.

"Twelve rat, what do you think you're doing to Cato?"

A small girl holding a knife glared at the tanned girl on top of the blonde male. This was notwhat the knife wielding girl had been expecting. She'd expected very few things out of this, for lack of better wording, shit hole of a district. Sure, she expected the dirt, the half-starved citizens, and maybe even the coal dust, but she hadn't expected a tiny figure to tackle her friend.


Katniss

'Twelve rat? Who was this girl and who did she think she was?'

I quickly got off of Cato and turned around quickly, my braid swinging around and hitting Cato's chest as he got up from the ground.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

I could tell already that I wouldn't like this girl. Why was she here with Cato and why the hell was she caressing her knife like that? It was really creepy and I just wanted to tackle her and punch her face… almost like I had done with Gale and Cato.


Clove

I looked at the girl who'd tackled Cato effortlessly was now glaring at me. It was, dare I say it, intriguing. This girl clearly didn't know that I could take her out with a single flick of my wrist, a knife lodging itself in her scrawny throat. She had guts that impressed me, but at the same time… it really pissed me off. Shouldn't she be like all of the other insects in this district? Tiny, under-fed, and close to starvation? But no… she was lithe, as muscular as a girl her age could get, and she had a fire in her eyes that showed she would face any challenge head on. I think I know why Cato demands to visit this place every year… but I had to see for myself, not take the words of a guy going through a hormonal part of his life. I would test her over our stay and if she passed, I might just consider her my friend.


Cato groaned as he saw the two girls glaring at each other. Was it too much to ask that Katniss could make friends in a semi-normal manner? You know… introduce herself, talk… become friends? The blonde sighed and shook his head. Of course not, his friend had to be ill-mannered and short tempered… both of them.

Katniss turned away from the grinning, knife-wielding, psycho and looked at Cato. It wouldn't do to get into a fight with that girl. Her Daddy wasn't here to make her apologize and feel bad about picking a fight with a visitor… though Brutus was... if she did decide to get into a fight. He'd be there to break it up.

"How's your mother?"

"She's as fine as she can get, what about yours?"

The dark haired girl grimaced before the trio turned to where they heard someone running up to them, yelling out her name.

"Oh, look, it's Gale."

Katniss stated before grinning as her hunting partner made it over to where they were. It took him a few minutes to catch his breath and even after he stood from his bent position he was slightly winded.

"Jesus, Catnip… you run as if a wild dog was chasing you. Cato."

The two boys nodded at each other. They weren't on very good terms, Gale hated that he wasn't Katniss' only male companion, and Cato… well Cato felt the exact same way.

"How's everything, Gale?"

"Oh, you know… the usual. Hunting, school, trading, trying to survive. Yourself pretty boy?"

"Fine."

Clove looked between the two and blinked before smirking. So it was like that? And did the new guy just say something about hunting? Wasn't that illegal?

"Peacekeepers buy from us so they can't turn us in unless they want to be punished as well."

The freckled teen turned to the braided haired girl and blinked. Did she think that out loud or was it a common enough issue that was brought up?

"Well, guess you'll have to show me how good you really are."

Katniss turned to Clove, determination shown in her eyes and the girl from district two almost took a step back at the intensity of her eyes.

"Fine, after you guys get settled we'll go."

Cato repressed a chuckle at the two and rolled his eyes. Katniss would always make friends the difficult way it seemed. He found it endearing if anything though, she had the fire to prove herself and surprise others and so the friendships would be real.


AN: And, that's a wrap for this chapter… apparently they're slowly becoming longer and longer… next chapter is about… interviews and evaluations and stuff… yep. The after that… I'll throw in some actual Cato/Katniss and have Cato, Clove, and Katniss meet and talk and yadda yadda. Hope you enjoyed this chapter~
I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. X3
Love you guys. Less than 3 all around~!