Hello everyone! Thank you for the amazing amount of reviews I got. I really appreciate every single one of them. I look at my inbox in the morning before I go to school, and reading each and every one of them makes me smile before going to hell.
Also, yay for early update! I managed to finish this at school today since I had no important classes. XD I personally loved this chapter and I think you'll like it too. It has some of Damien's history so you can understand him better. Speaking of him, some of you like him, and some of you don't. Some of you actually ship him with Katniss more than Cato and Katniss!:D
Anyway, let's get to reading.
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games series. It belongs to Suzanne Collins.
I'm floating in and out of consciousness, on the brink of waking up, but what brings me back is the gentle touch of a hand on my forehead. I lazily open my eyes. Damien is sitting next to my laying form, sweeping the air off of my face, while looking on to where Clove and Marvel are arguing. He looks so tranquilize and I don't want to disturb him, so I close my eyes and pretend to be unconscious again.
His lips press against my forehead for a bit before saying, "I know you're awake. No need to pretend." I open my eyes and look up at him. His face is a little blackened because of the smoke and flakes of ash are stuck in his curls. "You've been unconscious for a while now, are you still hurting?"
I reach my hand out and touch my flaming thigh, and at the contact, pain shoots through my leg. I curse under my breath and try to sit up to see my injuries. "I wouldn't if I were you." He says at the same time I let out an agonized cry, gaining the attention of the Careers. Marvel hurries to my side while Clove and Glimmer slowly walk over.
"God, that fucking hurts!" I exclaim, tears welling up in my eyes. "Can you guys help me sit up?" I ask and they both nod.
After a lot of grunts, screams and tears later, I'm propped up in front of the Cornucopia. I look down on my side to find my wait, thigh and calf poorly wrapped up with gauze.
"That's the best I could do. We don't have the right medicine we need to help in the Cornucopia." He says. "I don't know why your mentor hasn't sent it to you yet."
"He's probably drunk." I say, and he cracks a smile. There's a little part of my brain reminding me that I still shouldn't get close to him, that maybe he's pretending to be nice, but there's something about him that makes me want to believe him, that he's truthful. Even though I want to stay away from him, supposed to stay away from him, I am still drawn to him. I should stop hanging out with him, maybe have Marvel keep me company.
Speaking of which… "Why were Marvel and Clove arguing?"
"When we got back, Clove and Glimmer both wanted to get rid of you, saying that you're a weakling, that you'll only slow us down, but he fought with them. He said that you are one of us, and we don't kill one of us so early in the Games." He says, and I feel a little disappointed. Didn't he defend me?!
"And what did you say?" I ask.
He looks over at me, his green eyes holding my gray ones. "I told them if anyone touched you they're dead." He says, his head leaning forward. I close the gap between us and kiss him.
"What are you doing to me?" He breathes.
"Making you human." I whisper. We're about to kiss again when something beeping above catches our attention. It's a parachute with the number 12 on it.
I guess Haymitch thinks I am doing a good job.
"Looks like your mentor isn't drunk after all." He says when he retrieves the parachute, handing it to me. I stare at it for a while, does it have a secret message behind it? "Well open it already!" He says impatiently. I do, and inside awaits me a small metal container with a note on it.
Apply generously, sweetheart.
And I would stay away from those girls. Find an escape soon, the crowd is getting bored and wants you with Cato.
Good job, sweetheart.
-H
I smile a bit before putting the note in my good pocket.
"Thank you, Haymitch." I say, directing it towards the fake sky that the Gamemakers have made. "Can you help me put this?" I ask Damien, handing him the container full of ointment. I clench my fists hard, reading for the pain that is about to come, but there's none. I sigh in delight when the ointment meets my skin. Instant relief.
Thank you Haymitch!
As soon as Damien finished spreading it, he takes a new cloth of gauze and wraps it tightly around the burn.
"There you go." He says once finishing.
"Thanks." I say.
"No problem." He replies leaning over and kissing my forehead. "But you'll have to rest for the day."
Marvel approaches us saying, "We're going hunting, are you in?"
Damien looks at me, and I can see the wheels in his mind working, deciding.
"No, you can go on without me." Marvel only shrugs, turns around and joins the girls.
"You don't have to stay with me." I say.
"I know, but I want to."
We sit in comfortable silence for a bit, my head propped up on his shoulder, his arms around me. I decide to break the silence and ask him about himself. "How come you know about me and my family when I don't know about yours?"
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that."
"Why not?"
He sighs, slightly bumping his forehead to mine. "Because my family… Well, it's mine. No know should know about them." He says.
"Even me?"
"Especially you."
"Come on. What are you afraid of? I'm not going to, I am in no place to anyway." I say.
"Fine. Well, as you know, I'm from District 2. My family is one of the wealthiest in the district. My grandfather is a weapon inventor and my dad is the Head Peacekeeper there. The men of the family are tough, violent, and my mom was sweet, caring, and extremely beautiful. All in all, she was one of a kind. She raised me and my older brother and young sister right, she didn't want any of any of her children to be part of the Games, but my dad wanted and still wants, pride, glory and honor – even though he has plenty of that. Even though my parents had their differences, we were a happy family. I have a lot of memories of us having picnics together when it would be warm enough. I was a happy kid.
"When dad wanted to enroll Ky, my older brother, in the academy and mom refused, he started hitting her. She put up with it though. She was brave. She was dauntless. My brother was picked to volunteer in his final year, but jealous opponents ambushed him and beat him so he wouldn't be able to volunteer.
"It was my turn then to start training, but again, mom put her foot down. But she didn't do it the right way, she threatened him to walk away with us, and he lost his mind. They were fighting on top of the stairs and she tripped. She snapped her neck falling down. She was three months pregnant at the time."
He stops, getting a forlorn look in his eyes, just like mom did whenever she thought or talked about dad. I know there's nothing I can do or say right now that will make him feel better. He needs time. I learned from experience. I grab his hand and start playing with his fingers.
"I was nine when she died, and my little sister Dora was two. So after her death, I became this bitter child that hated everyone and everything, and it didn't help that my father remarried a year after her death. What was worse was that Veronica, my step mother, wanted me to go to the academy and train, so my dad sent me there. I didn't object, because if I did he'd send Veronica there as soon as she turned five. I didn't want her to be put in this situation.
"At the academy, I was picked on a lot because I was scrawny, and because I was motherless. When I've had enough of the bullying, I crammed up all my emotions in a box, ignored them and focused on one feeling, hate. It was all I needed, all I wanted, to get by. I worked long and hard to get here and I am not going to blow it up." He closes his eyes and tilts his head back. "At least, I used to think that, until I met you." He whispers and never says anything again. After a while of silence, I think that he's sleeping.
"She would've liked you." He says. "You remind me of her."
"How so?"
"You're pure, feisty, you hold on to what you believe in, and you always protect your loved ones." He turns his gaze on me. "And you're beautiful like her."
We're leaning again to kiss, both eager, but the sound of a canon pulls us away from each other. We look up to the sky to see the face of the little boy from 3. I shudder at the thought of who killed him and how.
"Let's sleep. You must be tired." He says setting up a big sleeping back next to me. I don't argue, stifling a yawn. I limp my way to it, lying down again. He takes his place next to me, zipping us up, with me lying on my right side so my left is in the air.
"Shouldn't one of us keep watch?" I ask.
"No, no one is stupid enough to rob us." He answers, pulling me closer and putting his arm above my waist, careful not to touch it.
"Thank you for telling me about yourself." I murmur.
"It's only fair." He says, kissing my head. I rest my head on his chest, clutching his shirt, the even sound of his beating heart lulling me to sleep.
…
"Wake up lovebirds."
We're woken up by Marvel glumly shaking Damien, therefore shaking me as well.
"What's wrong with you?" Damien sleepily mumbles, tightening his grip around me.
"We only got one tribute." Clove says tightly, approaching us.
"Maybe that's because you killed all the tributes at the bloodbath." I say, sitting up.
She scowls at me. "Don't forget you killed three with us, fire girl." She says, voice clipped. I find nothing to throw at her, both verbally and physically, so I only glare at her. She meets it with one of her own, challenging me.
"Chill Clove," says Damien rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He gets up, helping me stand up. "Can you walk?" I nod, pulling the sheath of arrows across my back, holding my bow tightly in my hands.
Glimmer is exceptionally quiet when we all go and sit outside the Cornucopia, munching on food, and I find some unnecessary satisfaction in knowing it's because of seeing Damien and I tangled in each other's arms.
The sound of static makes us all stand up, dropping the food and readying our weapons. We don't relax even when the trumpets sound and Claudius Templesmith's voice booms across the arena.
"Tributes, the previous rule of one victor have been revoked. Two victors can be crowned if one is a girl and the other is a boy." He pauses, letting it sink in. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
We're all standing still, mulling this over and over again.
There can be two victors. Immediately, Cato's face pops into my mind, and I instantly make my decision. I need to find Cato. I look over at Damien and he stares back. He knows what's coming next.
He looks at me, like he can see into my soul, different emotions crossing his face. Anger, betrayal, worry, hurt. Pain. He shakes his head at me, reaching his hand out as I slowly back away from them. I grab the little backpack I always keep next to me, eyeing the others. I see Clove reaching for her belt and I ready my bow in return.
This is it.
But instead of throwing it at me, she sends it in Glimmer's way, planting itself in her stomach, and I take this as my cue to leave. I see Clove's blood lustful eyes turn on me and I turn my back to her, raising my back pack to protect my head and start running off.
The force of the knife's impact hitting the pack almost sends me tumbling down, but I hold my grounds.
"Thank you for the knife." I yell over my shoulder.
"You little bitch! I'll show you!" she screams frustrated.
"Clove no! Katniss! Please wait!" Damien screams and I hear him coming after me. I start running faster until I'm winded up, but his thundering footsteps never cease.
I stop fully, swinging my head from side to side, until I find a sturdy-looking tree, and start climbing it. It's hard with my not fully healed leg, but I manage. I sit on a strong branch, waiting until my labored breath slows down.
Damien stops by my tree, looking around, no weapon on him.
"Katniss!" he yells, probably attracting the attention of other tributes. When he hears no reply, he kicks the tree next to me and it swings back and forth from the forceful attack. Something about seeing him this way, because of me, brings a whole new level of uneasiness and guilt to my stomach. He takes off, sprinting in the opposite direction.
I quickly climb down and start searching for the lake, a grin plastered on my face.
Cato and I can go home together! This way, I'll be keeping every promise I ever made!
Cato, I'm coming.
YAY! Early Catoniss reunion! How about that?!:D I actually had a plot twist planned but this just came out. I wanted Katniss to realize that Clove loves Damien, which would end up in her kissing him and Katniss running away. Which one do you think is better?
By the way, I actually hit 100 reviews, but the reviewer was a guest, so I am picking the one after. It's Janebra. Thank you for reviewing, and if you have any ideas, or something that you want to see happening, leave it in your review or PM me so we can talk. J
And if you guys have anything that you want to see happening, please do not be afraid of telling me so, okay?:)
Review please.
Love.
Line.