Disclaimer: I only own my OCs
Chapter 25: Morning pains
"Watch and learn 2," Sapphire snarked with a spark in her emerald eyes before she turned and sauntered away from Cato. The extra sway in her hips had a sly expression etching itself on his face. His azure gaze followed each movement she made. Cato didn't miss the mischievous glance she shot over her shoulder at him as moved away from him.
The male felt his mouth go dry as Sapphire shimmied up a tree after shedding her outer jacket. Cato shook his head in frustration, the little minx knew exactly what she was doing to him.
When she returned to the ground with a victorious expression on her face, he was unable to control his actions or thoughts. Emerald eyes met his azure gaze with a superior glimmer in them, "Looks like I-what are-!" She was unable to finish her statement as Cato's lips captured hers.
Cato skillfully took control of the startled female and soon had her struggles ceasing, all the while with his mouth never leaving hers. He knew what he was doing because soon Sapphire was returning the favor.
When Cato pulled his mouth away from Sapphire's he hooked his fingers through her hair tie and released its braid. Her golden-brown tresses spilled around her face like a halo as she took in the much needed oxygen.
"What the hell was that?" She gasped out breathlessly before a tingle went down her spine as her back hit the tree. His eyes locked on hers as he caressed her face, "Stop talking" Cato quickly cut off her retort by melding their lips together again.
Sapphire sighed into his mouth as she ran her hands up into Cato's hair. She surrendered completely to his ministrations and returned them just as eagerly...
Cato's eyes shot open as his training kicked in. He quickly scanned his surroundings before his azure eyes landed upon the female in his arms. He took his time examining her features as he slightly shifted their position.
As Sapphire slept under his watchful gaze, she was the picturesque of a broken angel. Not even her battered state could diminish her appearance. Although Cato didn't know much about the Greek mythology, he could most definitely see how and why the female in his arms got her namesake; Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.
The Career watched his former alliance member in speculation as he decided his next course of action. He absently trailed his gaze along her athletic form as his mind replayed his dream.
Meanwhile Sapphire slept completely unaware of his stare as her mind was also occupied in a dream.
"What do you mean?" Sapphire complained as she followed her older brother across the beach, her green eyes inquisitive if not slightly wary of whatever it was that he was implying.
"Don't play dumb Saps, you know exactly what I meant," Jasper drawled as his aqua eyes peered back at her. Sapphire narrowed her eyes at his condescending tone, "Of course I understood you, dummy! Your meaning behind it is what's evading me."
Her response earned an amused chuckle from her elder brother as he stopped at the docks. Sapphire walked up and stood before him with an expectant expression on her face.
Jasper rolled his eyes at his youngest sister's persistent attitude before shaking his head, "You really are an idiot," he paused at her scowl of indignation. "How am I the idiot?! You're the one with the stupid cryptic statements."
He laughed at this before catching his sister's hands as she made to shove him. Sapphire quickly found herself struggling in her stronger brother's arms as he effectively thwarted her escape attempts.
"You're an idiot, my naive little sister, because you don't see the obvious. You're too absorbed in your sexual tension to notice anything else," Jasper paused before continuing with a less lighthearted tone, "Think of where you are and what you're involved in. Do you think it's a coincidence that our entire family has gone through the Hunger Games and only three of us, excluding you, have come back? Sure mom, dad, and Amy are Victors, but what good did that prove to be in the end? Amy's lost herself and both of our parents are dead because of 'natural' disasters. Finnick is only living because he's profitable to the Capital, but he's practically a slave. And now Finn's forced to watch the last two, who he considers family, go through the exact same living nightmare, with the knowledge of whoever comes out will be doomed to the same fate. Even now Liam has succumbed to our family legacy. You wanna know why Sapphire, because death always smiles upon the 'night'. In the end, one way or another, everyone dies. You may win the Hunger Games, but the actual Game is never over." As he finished speaking he held her at arm's length before letting go and walking down the length of the dock.
Sapphire took a moment to process his words before running after her deceased brother, "Wait! Jasper! What am I supposed to do?" Jasper peered at his youngest sister with a forlorn expression before uttering, "I'm sorry Sapphire," and stepping off the edge, disappearing into the dusky water.
"No! Jasper?! Jasper please come back!" She called as she lost all sight of her beloved brother in the eerily calm ocean surface.
Emerald eyes gazed into the mirrored watery depths, catching sight of her wide-eyed appearance in its surface. Her hair hung in its natural wavy state, framing her face and tumbling past her shoulders to dangle just below her breast.
Sapphire watched as, before her eyes, the gold of her hair darkened to a burnished auburn and her golden tan lightened to a creamy peach. She now was a carbon copy of her beautiful mother, Holly. Suddenly it was as if she was detached from her own body as she watched life play out through her mother's eyes.
With startling realization, she came to the unfortunate understanding that this must have been her mother's last day of life.
Sapphire felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge as she made her rounds through the forest. She knew she was being watched but made no indication of her knowing. Smiling at a few of the lumberjacks as she passed, she made her way towards her son's favorite spot of the woods.
A remorseful smile tugged at her lips as she sat in Ashton's special place. Opening her satchel, she pulled out a picture of Jasper. She placed his portrait beside Ashton's, caressing both their faces with her fingers before softly she began to sing,
'I follow the night
Can't stand the light
When will I begin
To live again
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
What more could your life do for me?
When will death be through with me?
Why live life from dream to dream?
And dread the day when dreaming ends
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
Why live life from dream to dream
And dread the day when dreaming ends?
One day I'll fly away
Fly fly away'
As the final notes ended from her song tears fell from her emerald eyes, "I'm so sorry Jasper. You and Ashton didn't deserve this ending." With that said she broke into heartbreaking silent sobs and hugged the two photographs to her chest.
Sapphire couldn't quite figure out how long she spent in this manner before she got up and made her way back towards the town. The forest was quiet, too quiet. There was not a sign of life around the usually bustling forest, and it made her blood run cold.
With a cry of alarm she yelled out the one word that all of District 7 dreaded, "FIRE!" Her auburn locks rippled like liquid flames as she sprinted through the woods. She made for the stream and was just in sight of it before everything went black. Sapphire watched as she lay there unconscious with a Peacekeeper standing over her.
Returning to her own body, Sapphire was helpless as her mother died in the forest fire, before the reflection shifted to that of her father, Jared.
Once again she found herself watching her other parent's last day of life. It continued like this until she had replayed all of her family's deaths through their perspectives.
Cato startled as Sapphire began to shake in his arms and a soft whimper escaped her slightly parted lips. Reflexively he tightened his arms and pulled her closer as her shaking became even more erratic.
The frosted blonde slowly began to stroke his charge's hair in, what he hoped to be, a soothing motion. He was almost caught off guard when Sapphire buried her face in his neck, in response to his ministrations, before her shaking and breathing began to level out.
Sapphire fluttered her eyes, eyelashes sending tickling sensations across the Career's throat. She absently nuzzled further into his neck, breathing in, only to still before her eyes shot open in alarm. With a cross between and yelp and a growl, Sapphire threw herself into attack mode.
Cato let out a grunt as her elbow connected with his face, causing his head to turn with the impact. He barely managed to deflect her next hit before letting out a curse as the air was knocked out of his lungs by a well-aimed kick to his stomach. The force of the hit knocked him onto his back, whereupon Sapphire set upon him with vengeance.
Caught off guard by her sudden furiosity, Cato scrambled to dodge another hit to his face before swiftly switching their positions and landing a solid slap across her face, stunning her.
Sapphire blinked before shaking her head with a grimace as her body caught up to its strain. Emerald eyes locked onto Cato's bloodied face in a baleful stare, but other than that she showed no further sign of attacking again, and remained on her back.
Cato watched Sapphire with hawk-like scrutiny as she took shallow breaths to ease her tortured body. She had caught him off guard and would've killed him, despite her injuries, had he not have reacted quickly enough.
His azure gaze analyzed her face as he formed a new-found respect for the ex Career. He could see how she got her 12 and nearly pitied the four tributes who found themselves on the wrong side of her wrath.
The Victors' lounge was silent as they witnessed the near death of Cato at the hands of a very injured Sapphire.
Enobaria and Brutus turned to face the Mentor from 4, only to find Finnick watching them with an unreadable expression on his face but a knowing glint in his sea-green eyes.
"Your plan nearly went out the window Odair," Brutus sneered, but it was obvious that Sapphire had earned a glimmer of respect in his eyes. Finnick steepled his fingers in front of him, "Could've been worse. She's broken Liam's ribs and nose before." His reply brought quizzical looks from the two other Mentors. "Sapphire is not a morning person and has a nasty habit of attacking her rousers."
Enobaria's lips twitched in an exasperated smile. Cato had almost lost his life due to an injured cranky female. The irony was not lost on the female Victor. If anything this would only drive her tribute to be even more engaged with Finnick's.
I'm really really sorry about the horrible wait. I've hardly had time for anything between all my schooling and family stuff. I made this chapter longer and a little more complex as some sort of penance for my terrible updating skills.. I'm pretty proud of this chapter as a whole, I've spent the better part of three weeks fine-toothing and perfecting it, making this chapter come up to about 5 pages in length. All rights to 'Someday I'll Fly Away' belong to Mulin Rouge (except for my minor changes).
Thank you for baring with me and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Please feel free to let me know what you think in a review!
Stay tuned for the next chapter! :)
~ShadowStalker182