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Sacrifice

Chapter Twelve

Written by: kmac13

10/17/2012

Cato is in the midst of a tantrum over Malice's none answer answer to the question of if he is in love with Katniss. He can't believe his best friend, more like a brother, would have feelings still for his wife. He thought he had gotten over the feeling he had on the victory tour. Brutus comes over to Cato to calm him down. "Do you really think he would have laid down his life her if he wasn't in love with her?"

Cato looks up at Brutus and for the first time in all of the time Brutus has known Cato he sees true fear. "If she had options she wouldn't choose me." He whispers.

"I think she would. She has never looked at Malice like she looks at you. Be happy she has someone in there that is willingly giving their life because they love her and you." Brutus says as he claps Cato on the shoulder.

As the sun rises Katniss checks her snare and has actual luck in finding a squirrel hanging from it. It is the perfect lightness out for a fire and she makes a small and snuffs it out as soon as the meat has cooked. She eats the squirrel still thinking about the unsaid things Malice said last night. Why would he love her, he couldn't. She just couldn't get it. As soon as she has covered her tracts she heads out in search of water. After traveling all day she finally stumbles upon a stream much to her rejoicing. She had figured she was close since Haymitch didn't send her any water when she begged, sure Cato was probably arguing with the older man over it still. She fills her water container and adds the iodine and waits. She drinks the whole container then fills it again adding iodine before sitting it aside.

She decides since she is near the water and is dirty from, well, living outside; she should take a bath of sorts. Cato watches, both furious and turned on, as his wife takes off her outer layer of clothes and washes them in the stream. Her small underclothes not leaving much to the imagination once she is clean and her clothes not soaking, she dresses again.

"I can see why you bought her. She is one mighty fine piece of ass. I'm sure Snow could make some money off of her." Gloss says to Cato after watching Katniss's show. To which Cato responds by jumping on Gloss tackling the District One mentor to the ground before beating him senseless. All Cato knows in this moment is he needs to let out his rage against everything. Why do other people have to love Katniss? Why does she have to be in the Hunger Games? Why is someone pulling him off the asshole he is punching? He looks around at the arms pulling him off as Gloss rolls over heaving. Finnick and Brutus are holding Cato up and they can see that the boy is completely lost, like he is turning back into the brute he was before Katniss.

Malice and Peeta separate from the rest of the Career group to go hunting under the assumption of covering more ground. Malice chose Peeta to go with as he isn't as likely to kill Peeta for being annoying, whereas he is close to killing both Glimmer and Cora. "Where do you think she is?" He asks Peeta once they are far enough away from the others.

"Up in a tree shooting down squirrels for food. Living off the land like she used to with Gale before…" Peeta trails off not sure how much he should say about Cato pretty much buying Katniss against her will.

Malice laughs. "Hell she could probably just outlive the rest of us never having to kill anyone, just letting us die of natural causes that she would be smart enough to avoid."

"Yeah. What will you do when it's just the two of you left?" Peeta asks.

"Kill myself." Malice deadpans. As they continue to walk in silence Malice and Peeta both think about Katniss: how she's doing, where she is, how pretty her hair is.

Cato had heard their conversation and he knows what that dreamy look in their eyes mean. He has seen that look plenty when people look at Katniss. He keeps telling himself at least two people in the arena are looking out for her, to make sure she gets home to him.

Katniss is resting in a tree keeping watch. She hasn't seen any other tributes, but knows there are ten others out there including herself. Suddenly she smells smoke and then notices the animals running. She quickly untangles her rope and grabs her belongings as she sees a magnificent forest fire raging her way. She takes off running in the directions of the animals. Fireballs are being shot at her and she knows this is payback for her private training session with the gamemakers. Haymitch and Cato know it too and are sitting with bated breath waiting for her to get in the clear.

She trips behind a rock and starts heaving from smoke inhalation and just as she looks up a fireball is coming straight at her. She moves before it hits her and is off running. The next fireball gets her upper thigh and she stumbles as she covers up the fire on her leg to snuff it out, burning her hands in the process. She continues to run off in the same direction when she suddenly falls into the stream, thankful for the cooling effects it is having on her burning skin.

"She has enough money send her the burn cream now!" Cato roars at Haymitch.

"If you look at the map Hulk, you will see that Marvel, Glimmer and Cora are only about one hundred feet away from her. She needs to get a move on and get someplace safe before I can send her medicine." Haymitch growls.

Katniss hears the Careers heading her way and she is out of the water and heading up a large tree by the time they catch up to her. Her poor blistering hands hurt as she sets her bow and pulls back the string firing an arrow at Cora and hitting her in the neck. She takes out Glimmer too before Marvel runs off.

Once Haymitch is certain she is out of immediate danger he sends her the burn cream. She says thank you as soon as she feels the relief and drifts into a light sleep.

The next morning she notices Rue in a nearby tree and signals her to meet her. "I promise I won't hurt you. Are you hungry?" Katniss asks Rue. Rue nods her head and the two girls go about hunting and gathering a meal together, deciding to be allies for the time being. The girls get to know each other and devise a plan to take down the supplies to even up the game some.

When Marvel makes it back to the cornucopia meeting Malice and Peeta and retells how Katniss killed Cora and Glimmer a ghost of a smile flits across each boy's mouths. They are both proud she took those two girls down so easily.

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