"What are we going to do?" She asked as they stopped kissing, as soon as his lips were off hers the fire erupting in her stomach died down just as the rain outside was starting to ease off.

"I'll protect you Lil," He grumbled not meeting her eye as he sat down looking at his wounds.

"And what if we make it to the final two?" She pushed.

"I don't know we will cross that bridge when we get to it," He shrugged, "We need to go find Clove and Marvel." He said standing back up gathering her things.

"I don't want to team up, can't we just stay here?"

"No," He snapped.

"Cato I won't join your hunting pack," She told him, he glared at her. It was always one step forward two steps back with him.

"This isn't up for discussion Lily, its either you are with us or against us." He said standing in front of her with a frown on his face.

"You can't kiss me and tell me you love me and then give me an ultimatum in the same five minutes Cato," She seethed, he knew just how to get under her skin.

"You never said it back Lily," He roared her stomach dropped and she felt awful of course he was upset at the fact that he had opened up and told her how he felt and she hadn't said anything back.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to sort out how I was feeling before I said something that important."

"Because there's someone else?" He mumbled, she knew he meant Finnick.

"No," She said after a while, "I'm going to go get some water and we can talk when I get back okay?"

"Be careful," He told her seriously she just smiled and grabbed the water bottles before heading out of the cave.

Lily bent down and started feeling the bottle with water from the river, her head was all over the place. Cato had told her he loved her and in the next five minutes demanded she come with him and join the Careers but she knew how dangerous that could be how quickly they would turn on her when the time came but mostly she couldn't hunt down the other tributes with them.

"Princess," Lily jumped and spun around her stomach sinking when she saw Nile standing a few meters behind her, he had a wild look in his eyes.

"Nile, are you okay?" She asked wary as she glanced around trying to think of an escape/ He smiled at her not his usual goofy smile but a deranged and dangerous smile. He had blood all over his shirt and she couldn't be sure if he was injured or it was someone else's.

"Okay? No I am not okay Lily. I'm hungry and I am tired and I can bet your precious Finnick has sent you sponsor gifts and I am yet to receive anything." He shouted at her, stepping closer, she instinctively took a step back and entered the water her shoes seeping through with water.

"Come back with me to my camp, we can get some supplies and fish?" She hurriedly suggested, reaching down to her belt for a knife, her hand hit her shirt on her hip and she frantically glanced down to find her belt wasn't on her waist.

"Uh oh Lil have you forgotten something?" He laughed menacingly, he lunged forward tackling her into the water, she tried to scramble away but he overpowered her easily, punching her in the stomach, doubling over in pain Lily screamed as he grabbed the back of her neck and held her under the surface of the water.

Fighting against him panicking without weapons Lily knew Nile would win this fight. He lifted up her head and she gasped for air trying to break free. "Your brute boyfriend isn't here to save you now Lily and your poor Finn is going to watch as I drown you." Lily sucked in breath before he dunked her under again, she wasn't sure how long he had held her under before she couldn't hold her breath any more. Just as she felt herself fading his grip loosened and he fell down into the water beside her. She jumped up and started coughing and glanced to see a spear sticking out of Nile's body through his back. She was pulled into an embrace and relaxed instantly at its familiarity.

"I heard you scream," he whispered into her neck, "I thought I was too late,"

"I love you too," She sobbed, "I'm sorry." She had been so selfish and stupid to just not tell him how she felt. She was scared of admitting how she really felt and she almost died and he didn't know.

"We need to get out of her," He said pulling her away from the water, she pulled out his grip and knelt down next to Nile and cried.

"Lily we need to leave other Tributes could've heard you," Cato pulled to her.

"He wasn't in his right mind, he didn't deserve this," She cried.

"No one does Lil but in a choice between you and anyone, it will always be you. Can we please get out of here now?" he said and this time she let him pull her along, as tears continued to fall.

Cato gathered there things as Lily sat on a rock staring absentmindedly out at the water fall, she didn't even move when a sponsor gift came down.

"It's for you," Cato said handing her the parachute.

"I don't want it," She shook her head, he sighed and opened it up. Inside he found a small seashell.

"There's a note," He said, pulling it out handing her the note and shell.

I am so sorry Princess, he didn't deserve this. Please be strong.

"What does it say? What is with the Shell?" Cato asked after she didn't say anything.

"It's from Finnick, in four sea shells represent resurrection. He is just reminding me that Nile has gone to a better place. And to keep going."

Cato nodded, "I am so sorry about Nile but can we go now?" She looked up at him and sighed she knew he wouldn't let her out of his sight now and he wouldn't abandon Clove.

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