XxYesterdayTodayTomorrowxX: Here's the Cato chapter! I hope the wait wasn't entirely unbearable.

adela's lament: MarvelxFoxface... I considered it, but I went with another pairing.

Paylor

"Who's next?" I ask, even though I practically know.

"Cato. Tribute from District 2. Male. 74th Hunger Games." Beete announces.

"Age?" I ask again, my hand on the Age line.

"21." I set the age line, and press revitalizing line before anyone can protest.

Cato

Grrrr. I didn't win. Those stupid star-crossed lovers were left. They were going to win.

That should have been me and Clove. My cousin, so fierce and strong, lying dead, with a dent in her skull. Thresh would pay. And he did, I mercilessly killed him, screaming about Clove all the way.

I sound insane. Maybe I am. But does it matter? I'm... dead, right?

Wrong. My eyes fly open. What?

I feel my pulse. It's beating normally. I can breathe. I can move my body.

I'm also in a white capsule. Really? I pound on the walls. Can I talk? Let's find out.

"Hey! Let me out of here! Where am I!" I yell. I know I didn't win.

Suddenly, the doors slide open and I stare at the people in front of me. Normal hair. Normal skin. Normal clothes-well, besides the weird labcoats. These aren't Capitolites or government workers. Do not attack.

I stare at them. They stare at me. This lasts for good five minutes. Finally, I ask, "Why am I alive?"

"We brought you back," An authoritative-looking woman answers. President Snow must have a reason.

"What does President Snow want with me?" I ask quietly.

"Nothing," a scientist, probably the head, says quietly, "he's dead."

"Dead?" I stammered. "R-Really?"

"I'm President Paylor," the authoritative woman extends a hand. "Pleasure meeting you, Cato. This is Beetee," she gestures to the head scientist, "and his team. They built the machine that revitalized you."

I shake it quietly. "Pleasure meeting you too, President," I say politely. Then I look at the scientists. "Thank you."

"I'm sure you're anxious to go home," President Paylor says warmly. "Your hovercraft is upstairs."

"Thank you all again," I repeat as I head towards the stairs. "For more than you know."

After a short trip, the hovercraft lands in District 2. I'm nervous. Before, I couldn't wait to get back to District 2, my home. But I had wanted to go back as a Victor. Even if it meant I would come back without Clove? No, that's not right. I wouldn't have. I've been deluding myself. I couldn't go home without my cousin. I wouldn't. So I guess I was rooting for District 12. My lips twitched upwards into a smirk. It stays as I walk out...

To nothing. There's no one waiting for the hovercraft. No one's looking. No one cares. I begin to walk to the fields outside of District 2, my head down, my walk brisk. I try to block out the memories, but passing by the school brings back the torture: The pain, the training, the diet, the strictness. I keep walking, and suddenly, I'm surrounded by grass shining in a circle-a clearing in the forest. It's not trampled by training students, or anyone for that matter. It's wild, and I like it. If you look hard enough, there's food. And I guess this is where I'll be staying. I'm definitely not a Victor, and I don't want to bring shame to my family, so I'll build my house here. It doesn't have to be extravagant. It can just have a single floor, with a curtain around my bed, and a bathroom in the corner.

I'm just laying here, thinking about the floorplan, when I hear footsteps. Quickly, I hide in the shadow of the trees. This isn't the Hunger Games, but old habits die hard. I watch as a dark-haired girl came in the clearing. She was dressed like every teen in the district, but there were no weapons I could see. Her hair was in a high ponytail, with what seemed like balls of hair, like Clove's hair was in the Games.

Clove. That was Clove! She would naturally wear something as a reminder of the Games. But maybe... It was possible that that girl wasn't Clove. I need to check.

But before I even move, the girl begins to talk. Even from where I was, I could still hear her. "I miss you. I know you're supposed to be here. No, you should be here. Every other Victor came back. Every other one! But where are you?" There were a few sniffles. "Cato, where are you? I don't care about the other Victors. They should die. If I can't have you back..." The girl collapses into tears, burying her head in her hands. I slide out of the shadows and approach her. I know it's Clove. There's no way it'd be anyone else. I kneel beside her and rub her back comfortingly.

"Clove, stop worrying." her head snaps up, and I lean back to avoid her head clashing with mine. "I'm right here."

"Cato!" Clove tackles me, and we land in the grass. "You're back. You're back. You're alive," she sobs in my shirt.

"Clove, I only have one shirt on," I chuckled. Still, she continued to cry in my shirt. "Clove you should have known I was coming. Everyone else in the 74th Hunger Games was coming back. I was coming back."

"I missed you," was Clove's only answer. "And you're coming home with me."

I pause at the door. Should I...? I don't want to bring shame to them... Thoughts ran through my head. Unfortunately, Clove didn't have any of those doubts. She marches up to the door and knocks.

A few seconds later, my parents answer the door. "Hello, Clove-Cato?" Mom stands there, taking me in.

"Hello Mom, Dad," I say softly. "I'm back."

Silence. I can hear my own heartbeat. Clove keeps looking at both my parents and me. Suddenly, my mouth opens and words just fall out. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't win. I tried, I really did, but Clove was dead and I lost all ambition after I killed Thresh, and-" I am cut off as arms wrap around me and my mom cries on my shoulder.

"That's the worst part," mom sobs. "Seeing you realize how truly heartbreaking those Games were."

I don't look at my dad. I knew I was a failure. Suddenly, a hand lands on my shoulder. "Welcome home," my dad says finally. "You played your part in the rebellion."

A month later, I pick up the phone. My fingers trembling, I dial a number I thought I wouldn't use.

A woman on the other end begins to say the name of the candy shop, but I interrupt her politely. "I'm sorry, but I'm looking for Glimmer."

"Oh, Glimmer? I'll get her." The line goes quiet until a feminine voice says softly, "Hello? Who is this?

"Glimmer, it's me." Glimmer's breath hitches in her throat. "I'm just calling to see if... you're up to me and Clove visiting tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Glimmer asks. "Really?"

"Really," I confirm. "I need to see you. I missed you."

"And Marvel too," Glimmer adds.

"Marvel too," I agree. But mostly you. Clove can hang with Marvel all she wants."

"Okay," Glimmer says. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She hangs up.

I'm sorry. Four whole months of me being MIA, AWOL, etc. I just... school and sports have been putting a strain on my creative writing.

See you later, maybe?

~squirmyorchid~