Author's Note: I'm sorry if looked like as if I'm abandoning this story. Believe me, I don't. I swore to you and I will finish this. Hopefully this chapter can atone a bit for my mistakes to you, and don't worry, the next chapter will be publish in Christmas. Thank you for all of you who still keep your faith in me. I hope it can be a small Christmas or holiday gift that I can give to you. And to DragonDaemon, my beta, thank you for become very patient to me, I couldn't done this without you :)

Dislaimer: Hunger Games belongs to its respective author :)

BEYOND THE ENEMY LINES

She fell silent as soon as I touched her. Yeah, take that fire girl! If you can play with my feelings then I could too, just a bit, until you break down, I considered this as a break time after all, and in the morning, we could start to be professional again. "What do you mean?" she froze.

"We can't let enemies smell the blood," I pushed her in softly. "And, we are husband and wife," She doesn't fight me. I guess she's too shocked right now, or (I wish) she really wanted this too.

"But it doesn't work like that," her voice begins to crumble. It's shaky and gets smaller by minute.

"I just suggested we take a bath together, not have sex or anything. You don't even like me, do you fire girl?" I hugged her shoulder tightly and intimately, then whispered in her ear. She really feels like a statue, I guess she even stopped breathing. After that I swiftly pulled her jacket's zipper down, and when I tried to take it off, that's when she flipped on me.

"What kind of woman do you think I am?" she broke off from me, leaving her jacket in my arm, and stared at me intensely. She look angry at first, but now she looked terribly hurt, and that shocked me. "Are you always like this? So arrogant? You thought you can just… take a bath with some girl!" she yelled at me fiercely. "I thought you are…" then she observed me from head to toe with a disappointed look. "More than that…" and stormed out.

It took me a second to realize that, fuck, I really crossed the line! As I sighed heavily and dropped her jacket on the floor, I scrubbed my temple in frustration and finally letting it all out by punched the sink until it broke down and left my fist bleeding. I watched the blood flowing and the realization hit me that we were supposed to be working together and not drawing any attention towards us. The second thing I realized (again) was that I love her and knowing that I was hurting her hurt me more than anything.

QQQ

I heard something break as I left the room. I know that it was he's doing and regardless I don't know what kind of object became his poor victim, I don't care anymore! Furiously I put all the things I needed back at my back pack. I needed to get out of here! I needed to get out before I went crazy!

This morning, I'm tried to play nice and I thought it worked perfectly with him too. He didn't even know how I worried about him and tried to stop him every time he was about to get himself killed! He didn't even care that every time we touched, especially when he rescued me, that it made my heart ache and it hurt more than the wounds!

It touched me when he checked on me and became soft again, as if he really cared! As if he still cares! Several times today I almost lost my self-control and just cried-like now! I want to hold him really tight and yell what's wrong with me and my feelings for you!?-and hoped that he could give me an answer.

But all of these… Me… I was just a game for him, a challenge. Nothing more and nothing less…

Oh God, how could I'd be so stupid? Why do I always love bastards!?

I finished packing with frustration and turned around quickly. "Kat," He stood behind me and tried to grabs me.

"Don't touch me," I took some quick steps back, but he chased me. "No!" I growled and sobbed as he pulled me to his embrace.

"Hey, listen to me!" he ignored my kicks and punches and held me tighter. "Katniss, please," he whispered and secured me roughly. I noticed that his voice was changing, so I stopped slowly (and because I'm started to feel tired too) and decided that I want to give him a chance. Shit, my heart is my weakness, and anyone who able to reach it will have control over me. I hate it. "I'm sorry, okay?" he loosened his grip and hugged me softly. I don't respond, just let my tears flows down. It hurts so much when he start rubbing my back up and down to calm me. "I think that… I'm still so angry with you, and this place is starting to giving me my bad side, and I took that out on you," he admitted heavily and hugged me again. "I'm really sorry, I really am," he whispered. I don't know how, but I know he wasn't lying, and that he really was sorry.

"You said we'll work professionally," I finally said.

"I know, it's my fault," he pulled his head from the crook of my neck so we could see face to face. His blue eyes are teary and I have never seen them like that before. Maybe my eyes are the ones playing tricks.

"No," I shook my head. "Not really," I looked down. "I made you mad in the first place, so it's my fault since I'm the one who trigged the beast inside you," It's true though, and it's really sad and ironic because until few minutes ago I still thought that he's the same brutal, vicious, and lusty Cato that I always encountered before we married, while I'm the one who actually made him like that.

"Kind of," he chuckled and softly reached my cheek and lifted my head so we could see each others face. I blinked and tears rolled down my cheeks. He smiled sadly and wiped them away, but that action just multiplied the tears. "But we're still… friends, right?" he finally said as he leaned his forehead to mine.

My lips are draw into thin line. That sounded like a death sentence. "That sounds nice," I forced myself to smile at him and nodded quickly. So I thought that was the end of the problems, even though I have to hurt once again, but knowing that he's back to his old self makes me happy.

He nodded and smiled. "I'll wash up first, just until enough to clean all this mess. Then you can get all the water you want, okay?" He caressed my cheek again. I responded by kissing the inside of his palm.

And at that second I knew that it was not the appropriate response. But I did that, so…

Carefully I lift my eyes to meet his and found them looking at me longingly. He looked, sad and lonely.

Does he… love me too, by any chance? Or at least, like me?

He leaned and kissed my left cheek, or should I say the corner of my mouth. Well, which ever it is, he kissed me amorously and deeply. I closed my eyes and hugged him with all my might, fighting the tingling sensation in my mouth and fighting to not to turn my head to meet his lips. This was probably my only chance because after this I knew he have to draw a new line and give our best to not cross it. He, who never released his arms from my body since he started apologize, also pulled me closer to him again. Then he pulled away from my cheek and moved down to peck my neck, making me shiver. I don't care if that is just an action bonus like he always said. After that he broke off, took his back pack and walked into the bathroom without looking back.

Meanwhile, I'm left standing in the middle of the dark room.

He finally comes out after a long while, clean and wearing new clothes. When he passed me he patted my head without looking at me and just walked to the couch. He doesn't know that I had just stood there in silence, waiting for him. Without saying anything, I grabbed my back pack and headed in to clean myself. There, I found his previous clothes which were now clean and damp, hanging next to the ventilation by the rope he arranged himself. There's some space left, and I know that it's for me.

After wiping all the blood from my body, sprayed myself with some liquid that neutralized my smell, and washed my soaked clothes until they were clean (the detergent was fantastic) and hang it to dry, I changed into my new suit and headed out, only to find Cato already sleeping on the floor, inside his sleeping bag. I don't know if he was really sleeping or just pretending.

I don't mind him and arranged my sleeping bag on the couch. After that I lay in silence until I fell asleep.

NNN

I woke before dawn and found Cato already awake. He' was busily arranging our dry clothes, mine were ready and organised neatly next to my back pack. "Thanks," I said as I sat up and started to pack my sleeping bag. From his gesture I know that we already had enough rest and now it's time for us to get our ass back in the game.

Did I just say ass? Well, I guess Cato's behavior start to affects me, or I'm just in a bad mood.

"Take your supplement tablet and we'll head out," he said firmly and put the last of his things in. Now we have to start to be professional again.

"Sure," I nodded and focused on my activities. About five minutes later everything is settled. I took my tablet and check our position and the DNA chain I found before. We're almost there. I could see that there is a big hole in the map, and I bet all my fortune that the mini queen hides there. Or I must say, well hidden and guarded very strictly.

"You got her?" Cato asked as he stands before me.

"Hell yeah," I tilt my head and rechecked it.

"You get our route?" he asked again.

"Yep, I did. Let's roll," I finally closed the map and looked up at him. He grinned in excitement. Boys.

So we head out, I let head quarters knows that we're on the move and ordered them to get ready. Everything is going smoothly. I walked more carefully than yesterday since I don't want the trap incident happening all over again. I know that Catos bored to death behind me, but he just have to bear it. We sneak from the sewer, I read the DNA chain and the surrounding correctly, and… voila, that's the queen! Sleeping soundly like a baby while she's giving birth. Eww, that sounds wrong and disgusting. Meanwhile, her twenty guardians are patrolling the outer nest nonstop.

We pick the perfect spot to prepare our escape behind a huge stone on a hidden cliff, carefully moving so nothing will realize our presence. After my set up is ready, I glance at Cato and found him almost finished. Well, this is it, I may have the chance to kill her unnoticed, which is improbable. But this distance should buy us more time to run away, than to kill her up close.

Cautiously, I prepared my bow and my poisonous arrow, it should kill her in ten minutes, considering her size that almost as huge as five floor apartment in Capitol, as for the mob, maybe one minute, three to five-the longest. I raised them quickly and aim but suddenly, Cato pulled my hand, and due to the shock, I released the arrow.

It landed perfectly on the ground near the queen, the sound (because I released it really hard, so it bounce and releasing some soft string sound when it hit the ground) is awaking her and making the guardians on guard, they look at it confusedly, and then looked around carefully. I can sense that the queen start to notice a threat and started make a gurgling-like-sound, ordered the mob to find us.

I shot a glare at Cato. My mouth shut but my eyes scream what the hell!?

"No!" he looked back into my eyes. "I won't let you kill her and take the risk!"

My gaze softened. He cares about me… As a friend, of course. "But Cato, we would probably remain unnoticed and from this distance we can get off easier!" I tried to focus and keep my head professionally.

"Well, I failed your plan, and if that hits her, you don't expect her to just fall and die before she rummages this place because she's scared, right!?" Cato smirked and tilted his head. Just after he said that, the queen starts moving her tails and destroying the rock around her, looking for the intruder. "See what I mean?" Cato laughed between the explosive sounds.

"Crap!" while I covered my head and cursed.

"You know that the only way to kill her is to face her one on one, right?" he putted his hand on my shoulder.

"I could have finished her!" I yelled as I saw his eyes widen to something behind me. He grabbed my hand as fast as possible and pulled me to another pile of rock while our previous place was destroyed by the queen tail's swing.

"I'm still your husband, and I said no!" he whispered harshly and let my hand go.

"I have to disagree about husband being superior on their wife then!" I yelled back at him. Are we seriously going to talk about this while the mob start to notice our location!?

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

I honestly don't know right now. Suddenly I heard something below us and realized that the mobs start to climb to our place. "They're getting close," I whispered panicky. We needed to finish them before they called back up.

"Fire girl!" Cato's voice returned my sanity. I looked at him again. He put his hands on my shoulder. "Do you, trust me?" He repeat his question, slowly and dramatically.

I looked to his burning eyes. "I do,"

He smirked and unsheathed his sword. "Cover me!" after that he jumped down and yelled, drawing attention to himself.

The mobs, which didn't realize that there is more than one intruder, started snarling and chasing him. Swiftly and without any fear, Cato slashed through them and made his way to the core. Without wasting anytime, I raised my bow again and took my aim. I released the arrows to the heads, hearts, and inside their mouths, I did not give any of them a chance to call backup.

I was so focused in my task to bring down the mobs until I didn't realize that; since when did Cato already face one on one with the queen? Then, before I knew it, the twenty mobs were dead, and Cato had already beheaded the queen. Now it's time for us to escape! But shit, our previous way was blocked by the rocks. The only way outside up.

I jumped down and ran straightly to my husband. "Are you okay?" I asked worriedly as he took out his grappled gun.

"Definitely," he smirked confidently at me as he pointed it up and released it. After that I hugged his waist and both of us were pulled rapidly and swiftly to the ground. Unfortunately, the new mini queen was already on the move, and as we started moving I could see that the mutts were starting to run at us, to finish us.

"Cato!" I screamed to warn him.

He looked at the direction I am looking. "Run, run!" He pushed my back. "I'm right behind you!" and start running with me.

All we have to do is to cross the town all over again and reach the border land. I don't know how long passed since we started to run but I start to feel weary and out of breath, and in this situation is not good because in order to run as fast as we can we have to leave our luggage behind (except our weapons), including the map in my backpack. So I go and lead us by instinct, but when we found the right paths, those paths are already blocked by the mobs so we have to turned around and find another way.

Just when I thought I'll pass out due to lack of oxygen, the path near the meadow is still empty, and with my last strength I sprinted to the forest. "Aghhh!" I heard Cato's scream behind me.

I stopped automatically, turned on my heels, and watch in horror as he drowned and disappeared into the angry mobs. "NO!" I pulled my arrows and began shooting. Thank God he's still alive and still able to swing his sword. As the crowd fell apart from him, he forced himself to run to me. He's limping and covered in blood again, his own blood.

I thought he passed me but he's just collapsed beside me. Surprised, I glanced at him and realized that his wounds were really bad. I didn't realize when a mutt jumped at me until it bit my shoulder. I screamed in pain and fortunately I found my pocket knife. Yelling angrily, I stabbed its body over and over until his snarls turn into whimpers and it fell dead. After that I collect Cato's body and panicky checked if he was alive. If he's already dead then I must leave him here, that's the basic procedure. But I don't want to leave him, not in a place like this!

"Run…" he whispered weakly as he looked me, his eyes closed. I laughed and sobbed, glad that he's still alive but also very worried because I don't know until how long he could survive this. This is the first time I saw him like this, battered in blood and it's really horrible, I never thought that I will see him dying.

I looked back. The distance between the mutts and us is really close, they could get us anytime they want. They growl and snarl, ready to attack. There's no way I could get away from them, even if I was alone, and after they get us, there's no way we could live through that.

Suddenly, I heard a hissing sound, and before I knew it, a mutt fell to the ground with a knife in its head. Everything happened so fast, just right after that, gun shots mix with other sounds reached my ears and more mutts dropped dead. When I finally self-compose, I was able to look back and found that the troops of tributes were marching towards us, led by Clove.

The mutts started retreating. Everything feels like it was passing in slow motion, like I'm in a movie. When Clove walked passed me, she did nothing but coldly glance at Cato. I think she just wanted to check him before she proceeded, but since she's a part from melee attack team, she doesn't have time to kneel and check her team mate. From the reflection of the knife in her hands, I could see how awful my condition was.

"Hey, are you okay? Stay with me?" finally, I remembered that I held a dying person in my arms and looked down.

Cato swallowed hard and opened his eyes, observing the surroundings. His expression lightened after he realized our reinforcement is coming. "Well, I've been better," he finally looked at me and choked.

I forced a smile and looked around, I need to find a medic team. And coincidently, Rue with her white uniform is rushing in our direction. "Rue!" I called her name. She nodded at me as she kneeled and stared examining Cato. My fist tightened as I watch her checking up my husband.

I feel something grabbed my left palm. "Don't look so sad, we did it Fire girl," and found that Cato's palm is holding it. He tried to smile, assure me that he's alright.

"Yes," I almost sobbed again. I don't want to lose him. I can not lose him!

"This is bad, he could die if he stays here," Rue said finally, her facial expression dark.

"What!?" I yelped.

She realized her words effect on me. "Don't worry, with some patch up in Capitol he'll be fine," she patted my shoulder and smiled. "I need an evacuate team here!" after that she stands up and called for back up.

I watched the evacuation carefully, and as Cato crash cart was tied onto the jet, I couldn't help but want to go with him. I know that it's not his character, but he's probably scared. He doesn't even release my hand. But fuck, I need to stay here and help! And he would be fine anyway, wouldn't he?

"Kat! Are you okay?" someone bumped into me when the people on the jet started to pull Cato, and our clasped hands became loose.

"I guess," I turned and found Peeta Mellark, standing there, perfectly healthy. It didn't seem like he had recently been in a coma. Damn Capitol, they must have needed all the tributes they had, so they sent him in just after he got out. "Peeta, you're back?" I put my hands on his cheeks and observed him happily. If he's able to heal in one night then Cato's case is nothing!

Peeta grins back, his hands are still on my waist. "You need to rest," then he said after he realized my condition.

I looked up and found Cato is looking at me weakly. "No," I looked back to Peeta with determination in my eyes. "I got this." Those creatures need to pay back to what they did to my husband and other citizens.

"You do?" Peeta let go of me and reached something from his back.

"Why not?" I tilt my head to the side.

He smiled brightly, glad that I haven't lost my fighting spirit. "Here, I thought you'll need this," and giving me a bow and a quiver of arrows.

I looked at the items then at him, unbelievably as I took them from him. "Thank you Peeta."

He nodded and cocked his head to the battle. I answered by getting my bow and arrows ready and headed straight in.

-TBC-

The next chapter will be published tomorrow. I'll put it in your socks or under the Christmas tree :D