Song Suggestion: Mumford & Sons, Baaba Maal – "There will be Time" (Live in South Africa)
Thank You: Ariwolff14, Isabellnecessary, HopelesslyEmotional, Cat Beats, Mistress-Cinder, Milleniumdevil, Figsy, Obscure-Reference-Girl, 3vlee, AnonymousRedhead, Guest, and StrawberryPeaches.
Hush Little Baby
The pressure between her legs increased. Cato laid her down on a bed, the sheets soft as winter grass, but she barely noticed with the intense pain. The room was spartan in decoration.
"Where are I?" Prim groaned.
"My room in the bunker."
"Don't you have a medical bay?"
"We do, but it's filled with wounded soldiers, and it's no place for birthing babies."
"The bed will be ruined."
"I don't care."
Cato leaned over and brushed some hair off her face and kissed her forehead. The contact felt like oxygen.
The pain ripped through her now, slicing her in two. She arched forward, taking Cato's hand and squeezing until she was sure she hurt him.
"This is all your fault," she cried. "You did this to me."
"Fuck, I know. Just focus on breathing. At least I think that's how it goes. What do you want me to do?"
Something in her wanted to be a bitch and scream to get the fuck away, but it was foolish, and she wouldn't really mean it. So instead, when she caught her breath, she asked him to massage her lower back where most of the pain originated. His tousled blond hair glowed under the muted lights as he leaned over and pressed on her lower back, his eyes flashed like quicksilver as he poured his concentration into the action.
"It hurts," she moaned. "Where's my mother?"
"She should be here soon," he said. "I sent for a doctor too."
They went through a circular routine: intense pain, hand squeezing, pain subsiding, lower back massage. The waves made her want to drown, but she kept swimming.
"Don't we have pain killers?"
Prim wanted an unmedicated birth before labor, but now she'd scalp and quarter someone for relief.
"We can't use them, I'm sorry. We don't have much, and it needs to go to life and death emergency."
Prim's sanity came loose with the pain. She was no longer in control of herself. Her hand went out and gripped Cato around the throat. He looked surprised, but she doubted she hurt him.
Prim growled in his face.
"This is an emergency. Find me some right now."
His face blanched, and he stood up straight.
"Wait," Prim called out as he made a step away from her, "Don't—" a wave of pain zapped her nerves, electrocuting her. The pain in her pelvis was nearly unbearable. "Don't you dare leave me alone."
Cato wavered for a moment, unsure of which demand to give into, before returning to her side. Her subconscious told her she was being unfair and hard on him, but her conscious thoughts didn't give a fuck. She remembered the way she scrambled away from him, the way he held her down and went inside her.
"You're my fucking Manato, little bird, I'm going to cum in you. I'm going to cum in you over and over again. I'm going to fill you until your belly grows, until everyone can see your mine, until you realize you're mine. It's my right, and I'm going to use it. And you're not going to stop me."
He caused this pain, and she would make sure he heard every scream, every groan of agony. If it equaled his distress, then so be it.
The pain continued, a vice on her body, squeezing down with each contraction.
"Cato?" She whimpered, unable to keep focus anymore.
"Yes."
"I'm scared."
He leaned his head down and touched it to the top of her hand. He breathed in and out hard several times.
"Me too," he admitted. "You're right. I was a selfish bastard. I did this to you, and I'm not sure I can forgive myself if something goes wrong."
Even though she was angry with him, even though she wanted to strangle him, she was grateful for the strength and warmth of his hand.
Her mother arrived with Brutus at the same time as the doctor. She rushed in, already in her healer mode, a reassuring presence that everything would work out in the end even if it wouldn't.
The doctor tried to barge in front of her, but Brutus grabbed him by his overcoat and tugged him backwards.
"You're here for decoration. If you try and talk over this woman, I'll be sure to find a way to make you quiet. Don't move or breath, unless she wishes it."
"Brutus," her mother chastised, "Quit living up to your name. Let the poor doctor go."
Brutus did what her mother said but gave the doctor a pointed look, and the doctor did what the giant asked and stood in the corner.
Her mother checked Prim after a contraction.
"Am I close?"
Her mother's eyebrows scrunched.
"You're at a three. You need to get to a ten. It could be in a few hours, but I'm afraid you're farther out than that. I thought for sure since your water broke, you'd be farther along, but I'm afraid you're going to have to grit your teeth through this for longer than you want."
Everything in her crumpled at the news, at the thought of hours and hours, maybe the whole day of this pain. How would she ever live through it? Not only that, but she had to get two out, and it seemed an insurmountable task.
Hours Later
Prim did not understand anything but pain. She ate it and drank it. It came in waves, filling her lungs until she couldn't even scream anymore.
Her mother thought the first baby was in position and that they were both faced down. She trusted her mother. While not a doctor, she helped many women birth their babies, and her hands felt sure and comfortable on her body.
"You're ready to push," her mother whispered at last.
"I can't."
"You must."
Her energy drained long ago.
Cato gripped her hand and placed his head next to her ear. The sweat stuck her hair to her face, and he brushed the wet strands away as she was slammed with another contraction. This one felt like fire, as if her skin peeled away.
"You can do this, Prim," he said. "It's almost over."
She felt the contraction beginning.
"Now push," her mother said.
Prim screamed, and Cato's grip tightened. He whispered things in her ear. He painted the picture of what it would be like to hold her babies in her arms, hear their cries, count their toes.
It gave her just enough energy to bear down over and over, contraction after contraction.
"I see the head," her mother said.
The next push was the worst pain she ever felt, and then a feeling of great relief, so light she felt the heavens enter her body. The baby gave a vigorous cry, and her body shivered as she began to laugh and cry at the same time.
"It's a boy!" Her mother said.
"A boy," Cato whispered. It sounded like a breath being pushed out of him. "I have a son."
Her mother placed the pink, squalling body into her arms. She clutched at him in surprise. She knew it was coming, but the birth still left her in shock.
The baby's cries quieted as Prim placed his warm little body against her chest, cradling him tight. She stared at him in a trance. The baby's face was squished and wrinkled like an old man, and he was covered in goop, but he was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on.
"Hello, little one. I'm your mama."
The baby cracked a grey eye. He was completely bald besides a few matted down wisps. Cato cupped the baby's head with one hand and put his other on her arm near his tiny feet. Her mother tied off the cord and cut it as they stared at the person they created from scratch.
"He has all his fingers and toes," Cato said.
The relief didn't last long. The pains began again, maybe thirty minutes later. In her sudden agony, she almost dropped the baby. Brutus walked over and held out his hands, clutching a white towel.
"Allow me."
Prim had forgotten he was in the room. Despite wanting to hold onto the baby, she knew she'd have to let go to birth the next one.
She released the baby into Brutus' giant hands. The baby began to cry, and Brutus leaned over and shushed him, wrapping him up at the same time.
"Come now, little one, it's only uncle BruBru. There's no need to cry."
The baby obeyed him, and Prim could once again concentrate on her body, on the ebb and tide. The spike of adrenaline at birthing the first twin stayed with her, giving her energy to complete the pushing stage.
Prim finally sucked in a breath and bore down long and hard, harder than she ever had before, screaming and arching into Cato. She welcomed the pain, allowed to consume her, and baptize her, and at the end she felt the body slip from her, and a pleasant energy grew in her veins as she heard a second warbling cry.
"Another boy!" Her mother shouted in joy.
"Two sons!" Cato whooped behind her. Her reached around and kissed her hard on the lips.
It had been a long time since she'd seen such pure joy on his face, if ever. The last time had been his afternoon with Coral, throwing her in and out of the river. She sunk into his embrace as her mother placed the second baby in her arms.
The pleasant feeling continued as she examined her son, counting his fingers and toes. She was in a trance and very sleepy. The exhaustion crept up on her. Five minutes passed and then ten minutes then thirty minutes. Her mother stayed below her, doing something but she was too tired to care what.
Her mother turned frantic, moving fast, and her face went pale again. Her hands dripped in blood, and Prim realized it was everywhere, a lot more blood than normal.
Cato straightened, noticing her expression. Prim assumed she should feel afraid, but her limbs felt heavy and awkward. Her brain felt short-circuited.
"What's happening?"
"Her bleeding won't stop." She looked towards the doctor. "I think I'll need you now."
Chaos consumed the room. Prim was too exhausted to understand much of what happened. It came in bright flashes. In an out.
The doctor hovered over her with a worried expression that matched her mother's.
"She'll need surgery." They spoke, but she was too tired to understand.
"If she dies, then you'll die too." She heard Cato say to the doctor, and he scooped her up. She pressed her face into his scent, snuggling against the hard expanse of his chest, so familiar it felt like a dream.
The bright light of a room blinded her. She still understood enough to realize she was in a make-shift operating room.
They began prepping her for surgery. She had seen births like this. In District 2, they died. Having multiples increased the chances of complications. The women continued to bleed and wouldn't stop. Sometimes her mother could fix it. Most of the time she couldn't. Even with all the capitol-made equipment around her, she might die.
"My babies," Prim said. She thought no one heard her, until she heard a voice from her past.
"I've got them." Prim turned to find Katla. She stood with a baby in each arm wrapped in white towels in the corner as women and men and in starch-white coats bustled around her like busy honey bees.
"Are you real?"
Katla attempted to smile, but it didn't quite make it.
"They told me I have to leave," Katla said, "I'll take good care of them for you."
Prim wanted to scream at her to come back, but it was too late. Katla exited the room, her babies going with her.
A commotion drew her attention to her side.
"I'm not leaving her," Cato growled at a nurse.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but—"
"I said—"
Brutus grabbed a hold of him and flung him around.
"Come on, son. Don't be like this."
"But she needs me."
"She needs the doctors and nurses not to be terrified of being sliced into bits. That means you need to leave."
Cato tried to struggle away, but Brutus hugged him in a brutal grip. When he finally released him, Cato dove away, panting as if he ran several miles. He looked on the edge of sanity, eyes and hair wild. He took one last glance at Prim.
"Be with the babies," she whispered to calm him.
His whole face crumpled.
"Don't leave me again… Not when I just found you."
Cato twisted and took thundering steps away, flinging the door opening and slamming it closed.
A nurse brought something to her mouth. A white cloth, dripping with liquid.
"Chloroform," Prim said.
The nurse nodded in confirmation.
"It's all we have to knock you out quickly."
Ah, well, she thought, at least this is familiar. The sarcastic thought was the last thing she remembered as she breathed in and met the darkness.
Some Time Later
She awoke in Cato's bed, feeling as if she was struck by a hovercar. It sported different sheets and most likely a new mattress, but everything else about the room was the same. It held no decorations, no pictures, the wall a muted beige as if he tried to purge himself from anything sentimental. In this room, he was a general without a weakness.
Cato sat in the corner in a rocking chair, and beside him were two little bassinets—the only thing new in the landscape.
He held one of their sons, wrapped tight in a white blanket with a little blue hat, rocking back and forth. A little mewl sounded from one of the bassinets. Cato stood up, put one baby down and picked up the second, making shushing sounds. The second baby quieted, but the one he put down in the bassinet began to fuss again.
Cato looked frustrated.
"Fine," he said, and he leaned down and scooped up the baby in his other arm, so he held both. "Happy?"
Both the babies cried in answer, and Cato looked ready to cry with them. He did not look good, with errant hair and dark circles under his eyes. The scars pulled his face in intimidating formations. But despite that, Prim never saw such a pure sight. Brutal, cruel Cato, the man many thought a monster, cradling both babies like glass, doing everything possible to soothe them. The love wasn't an explosion. It built and cascaded over the top of her heart, slowly filling her entire body.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the babies started crying harder and Cato's sanity looked ready to snap. Instead, she tipped back her head and began laughing.
Cato's head shot up to look at her.
"You're awake."
"I promised you forever, didn't I?"
He smiled, soft and private, showing her more things than words.
They stared at each other, a bubble all their own. The babies kept crying, but it was background noise to the connection flowing between them, a look of love and longing and a dangerous peace.
"Do you want to see them?"
She nodded, and he walked forward. Prim inched up the bed. The action almost took everything out of her. She felt like she was ninety years old, an old woman wobbling around.
"Which one do you want to see first?"
"How can you tell them apart?"
"This one has a birthmark on his leg," he explained, holding up the baby in his left arm. "He was born first and weighs more than his brother. Over seven pounds. The doctor said it was a good weight for twins. They're fraternal, so they won't look alike as they grow and will be easier to tell apart."
He placed the baby in her arms. She took a moment to memorize his face. The baby soothed.
"Have you named him?" Prim asked
"I was hoping you'd help me with that."
The baby opened his mouth and gave an adorable yawn, turning his mouth into an O. Prim leaned down and kissed his soft cheek. Once clean, the hairs on his head turned white blond. He already looked like his father.
"What's your middle name?" She asked Cato.
She was surprised she had never asked before, but she had always tried to keep a distance between them before now.
"Maximus."
"Maximus then," Prim said. "In our district, the first son always takes a name from his father."
Cato looked surprised, eyes blinking quickly.
"Thank you," he said finally. After a moment, he held up the second born twin. "What about him?"
Prim gave Max a kiss on the cheek and handed him to Cato, while he handed the other baby to her.
The second twin had a surprising touch of red to his hair and felt lighter on contact.
"He was just barely six pounds. The doctor said Maximus stole most of the nutrients towards the end, greedy little thing," he bounced the baby in affection. "And I already think he looks like you."
The baby in her arms cracked his grey eyes and the side of his mouth pulled up into a reflexive smile. It wasn't on purpose, she knew that much. They didn't have the ability yet to control their expressions, but the sight reminded her of someone, and she suddenly knew what she'd name him.
"Rory," she whispered.
Cato looked as if he wanted to protest, but he smartly kept his mouth shut.
"Rory," he said finally, agreeing.
They sat in silence for a long while, only interrupting it when the twins grew hungry. Cato moved to pull out a bottle and a box of Capitol formula. Prim stopped him.
"I want to try to feed them myself."
Cato again looked surprised. Most rich District 2 women either found a wet nurse or used a bottle. District 12 women had no choice but to feed the natural way.
It was awkward and hard getting them into position to feed, and it hurt more than she wanted to admit. The women in District 12 always made it seem so easy, but she had been a healer long enough to have seen the darker side of breastfeeding: bleeding, infections, and chapped skin. It could be agony instead of sustenance.
Luckily, after some time, Prim got both the twins into position. Once the babies fed and relaxed, Cato cleared his throat.
"I can't believe you're here. I keep shaking myself convinced it's a dream."
He looked uncomfortable.
"What are you not telling me?" She asked.
He sighed and took one of the babies and began to burp him, propping the little body on his expansive shoulder.
"You probably can't have any more children."
Prim already knew that. She knew it before her surgery. She waited for the grief, but it never came. She had two beautiful babies. Besides, she hated pregnancy, and the thought of it happening again made her want to hurl. She assumed that was a sign that she was done.
"It's okay."
"No, it's not."
She startled. She had forgotten his pledge about a large family. Prim hiked little Max over her shoulder and began to pat faster than she needed. He burped quickly and was already in a content sleep. She put him towards the middle of the large bed and scooted close to him.
"Well, I can't give you anymore, so if you want more, I guess you can find someone else."
"You don't understand," he said, angry again. Prim wasn't sure what his problem was. Shouldn't she be the one upset? She was the one who just survived a traumatic labor and delivery.
He sighed. It sounded strangled. Prim glanced over and realized in shock that he was crying silently. The tears slid down his cheeks.
"They're my last chance," he said, "If I lose them, I wouldn't have any left."
"This is about Coral, isn't it?"
He bent at the waist, still holding a sleeping Rory. His shoulders shook, but he made no sounds of grief. He let himself shiver for several minutes before sitting up. Tears left wet tracks down his cheeks, but otherwise his face became stone.
"I'm going to burn them, tear the city a part brick by brick. I'll walk through their ashes and smile."
"She's alive and unharmed," Prim said, "I can feel it, in here." She patted her heart. "I loathe Persephone, but I don't think she'd let anything happen to Coral."
Cato stood up and walked over to the bed, lying on the other side. He placed Rory next to Max, and they curled up together as if still in the womb. Cato reached across the babies and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers.
"If she's not," he said, voice lethal, "I will destroy them. By the end, there won't even be a memory of the Capitol left."
Prim tightened her hand, and it seemed to soothe him.
"Cato?" she asked, once the world seemed at peace again. Only now did she bring up her questions, knowing he only answered when caught off guard or when relaxed.
"Hmm?"
"I think you have a story to tell me."
His eyes snapped to hers and hardened, but after a long moment he let out a long, heavy sigh.
"What do you want to know?"
"Everything. Start at the beginning."
One eyebrow rose.
"I knew of The Circle long before the rebellion." He began, his eyes unfocused as if in a dream. "They once tried to have my father assassinated. I was a shitty kid at the time, not understanding why the quarry workers hated us. I went with him to interrogate the suspects and kill them. My father severed the leader's head, and later I found this in a pool of blood." He pulled out a steel circle from under his shirt, a replica of the one she slammed into the pyramid. "I never told my father about it, but I kept it, wearing it under my clothes, admiring the way the man spit at my father right before the sword came down."
Cato dropped the necklace and reached across the babies, running his fingers down the skin of her arm as if in afterthought, as if it was a compulsion to touch her.
"When did you find out?"
"The night Hannibal brought Katla to the house. I saw it on her neck as he laid her on the floor of our foyer. It was only then that I suspected they were still active. I wanted to interrogate her later that night, but, well…" he narrowed his eyes. "You know what happened next."
"But you did interrogate her after the fact?"
"I did. Hannibal wasn't happy about it because it upset her. I said I'd track down her old boyfriend and finish the job Hannibal started. She believed me."
Prim pulled back in surprise.
"So…she really did know about it?"
Cato gave a sly grin.
"More than that, she's a key figure, given that her father was one of the leaders."
Katla only mentioned her father once, when they were on the run from Cato's house right before the blizzard hit.
"My father expected many dangers. And he prepared me for as many as possible."
"I convinced her to get me in contact with him. She didn't want to at first, still not trusting my motives. But I explained what Snow threatened. I told her that I didn't want to kill the uprising… I wanted to join them."
"So, when did that happen?"
"Not until several meetings later," Cato said, not meeting her eyes. "I had to prove myself first, by turning the elite families, which wouldn't be an easy thing to do. Many of them had grown rich, indulgent, and lazy. The comforted themselves with the bones the capitol threw them."
Things slipped into place in her mind. The first time she heard of the 'terrorist organization' was at Tea Time, sitting next to Persephone as she tricked information out of a dunce of a man.
Prim's eyes grew wide.
"You're the one that bombed the club," Prim said, and Cato tilted his head in response.
"How in the fuck did you hear about that?"
"You made me drink tea with vipers. I kept my ears open."
Cato looked at her with mirth.
"You always manage to surprise me." He said. "I don't know why I ever thought you couldn't survive in my world. You're craftier than I give you credit. And yes, I bombed the club."
"But why," Prim gasped. "You killed the boys you trained. Lorcan said—"
"I made the mistake of asking Brick and some others too early to turn traitor. They were capitol creatures, and if I didn't kill them, Snow would have taken my head as an example and yours too. From then on, I rooted out capitol sympathizers in our midst. I was so good at it that the Circle began looking to me as its leader. After Katla's father was killed during the rebellion, I fully took on the role."
Prim was just now understanding the scope of the rebellion, and it had transpired right under her nose the whole time. Prim leaned back, a little stunned by all the information, but Cato wasn't finished.
"By the time, Snow pulled me away for the games, I already prepped my district for a takeover, though the revolt didn't happen until you destroyed the cornucopia, on my orders."
There were still several things unanswered, and now that Cato was in a tell-all mood, she was going to continue until he closed up again.
"But why did you give me those notes, and Quintus—who was he anyway?"
"I've known Quintus a long time," Cato said, and his jaw tightened, as if he really didn't like him. "Used to be the gold standard for everything wrong with the Capitol, until Snow felt threatened and killed his son as warning. Let's just say it was the wrong move. Once I found out what happened, I knew I had him on our side, even without asking."
Snow underestimated Cato and his ability to strategize a battle plan. To be honest, so had Prim. She thought Cato was a pawn in the game, but all along he'd been a player, glaring at Snow across the board.
"So what happened to him?"
"He's dead."
Prim sucked in a gasp. She wasn't sure why it affected her either. She hated him for what he put her through: the trials, the gongs, the suffering.
"Don't be upset. Quintus knew it was suicide from the beginning. He built a weapon into the cornucopia, and nothing in the arena could be made without his approval. Before Snow could come for him, he blew his brains out."
Prim imagined the scene: the cornucopia destroyed, the sky cracked, Quintus leaning back with quiet satisfaction. Capitol soldiers burst through the doors, guns aimed, but it was too late. He put his gun in his mouth, making sure to aim for the brain stem and pulled the trigger. Still, the scene shocked Prim, mainly because she thought he was a bigger part of the story. Instead, it was always Cato behind the scenes, slowly pulling the puppet strings.
"Wait," Prim said, remembering something important. "This still doesn't make any sense. Snow told me The Circle hacked the system and published things about you, the elite families, and the training center.. It's how Snow was able to force you into the arena… But it was really you who released information smearing your own name?"
Cato nodded.
"Why… why would you do that to yourself? It made Panem hate you."
"I had to throw Snow off my trail and goad him into putting me in the games." He shrugged as if public contempt was no big deal. "He was going to try and eliminate me anyway. I'd rather he not surprise me, so instead I slid him the ammunition, knowing I was already wearing a bullet-proof vest."
Prim reached out and traced each scar on his face tenderly. Cato shivered under her touch.
"You shouldn't have placed yourself in danger, especially for me."
He reached up and cupped her hand to his face and kissed her wrist.
"When Snow took you from me, he declared war."
"But so many things could have gone wrong… did go wrong."
His jaw clenched.
"Thea wasn't supposed to go. It was the only thing I didn't plan. I was so fucking furious when she volunteered to save Katla, I thought I'd go ahead and strangle her. Cassius—" he cut himself off suddenly and sucked in a tight breath. He had loved Theodora like a sister. Prim tried to stamp down the guilt wanting to suck at any happiness she felt. "Cassius made a plan to get all three of us out. There were two keys, one on my neck and one on yours, though I wasn't supposed to give you one. I slipped one to Katla to give you at Tea Time so Quintus could find you and give you a warning of its importance."
Katla gave her the necklace before the hacked messages, before Snow ripped them a part. That means Cato was planning to survive the games before either one of them were forced into them. The scope of the subterfuge shocked her. It all made sense now. The way Quintus flashed her the necklace; the way he tucked it into her shirt; the way he pushed her into the best light in front of the other Gamemakers. It was all part of a long, elaborate plan.
"We didn't give a key to Theodora, thinking Snow might catch on," Cato continued. "And we decided not to tell either of you. The more people know of a plan, the more that can go wrong. If it worked out correct, you'd never have to know in the first place. Cassius wanted Thea at the Cornucopia with me, but I knew Snow would end that alliance quick, so I told her to stay away from me until the end. I didn't think—I should have let her stay."
"No," Prim said, "Don't think like that. She—"
"I don't want to talk about her," he said sharply.
"Okay." Prim sucked in a shaky breath. "Why did you leave me those notes, if you didn't want me to know?"
"I wasn't supposed to. It was a risk, but I disagreed with Cassius. I couldn't risk not having a back-up plan. I hoped you'd catch on. I thought I made it clear."
Prim rolled her eyes. "Those were the most cryptic notes I'd ever read."
"Regardless," Cato brushed off her irritation, "It worked. My little bird not only killed the big bad wolf, she brought down the world with it. Though, in my original plan, it was me saying fuck you to snow before destruction."
Something in Prim vibrated with rage as she realized what he was saying.
"You could have ended it the whole time," Prim whispered, but it came out lethal. "The nightmares, the doppelgangers, the fires, the desert—you could have ended it the whole fucking time. You had the key around your fucking neck and you let me… You let Jace… Did you watch it?"
"Yes," he answered with a voice of iron. He reached out a hand to her cheek, but she flinched away, drawing into herself. The trauma still felt fresh.
Cato fingers threaded behind her hair and wrenched her head up to force her to look at him. It didn't hurt, but he made it impossible to ignore him. His lips curled, white teeth flashing, reminding her he was still a predator, despite his love.
"We couldn't end it until three things happened." His voice turned low like a growl. "First, Jace needed to be eliminated. There was no way I was going to let him live another second. Second, we needed to gain capitol sympathy for our cause. I wanted a revolution not a rebellion. And third, we all needed to be at the same spot. If you stayed with me like I asked maybe those things could have occurred without tragedy, but you had to go and choose your fucking slum rat over me, ruining everything. If anybody should be in a rage, it should be me. The things I imagined doing to you in revenge while lying her night after night, remembering all the times you lied to me, betrayed me, seeing you cuddling up to the rat on TV… it would make you shiver in dread. I suggest you don't blame me."
Prim did not like being threatened. She bared her own teeth, remembering their newborn children slept between them.
"I'm not your Manato anymore," Prim spat. "I'm the Mockingjay. You don't intimidate me anymore. I'll say what I want to you, especially if it's true. If you want forever, then that's what you'll get."
He glanced down at her lips, watching as bit her bottom one to keep it from trembling.
"Is that right?" His finger left her neck and popped her bottom lip free from her teeth. He licked his own lips in response, as if starving, as if he hadn't eaten anything in a long time. "I missed that sharp tongue more than anything, always able to see through me… I'm still angry at you, and I'll give you time to heal from birth, but soon I'm going to show you how fucking proud of you I am. My little bird set her traps and watched on as the wolf trembled with his demise. It was the most satisfying thing I've ever watched." He leaned forward and brushed their lips together. "I'm going to worship you for that."
Hours Later
Several hours later, after Prim woke back up and fed the twins again, Cato rubbed the back of his neck.
"Are you ready for visitors?"
"I don't know," Prim said. She looked a mess, hadn't showered since giving birth, and generally felt like a walking blob.
The door opened before she decided, and Hannibal and Katla walked in, hand and hand.
"Sorry Prim, I've tried to teach him manners, but he's like an untrained puppy," Katla said. It was an apt description for Hannibal with his unruly curly hair and wide brown eyes.
"Aw, come on, I'm just excited to meet the little nuggets."
He tiptoed over to the bed where they slept side by side. His whole face seemed to melt. He leaned over and picked up one of each of their hands.
"Hello, little nephews, I'm your favorite uncle," he said and shook their hands up and down. "I promise to teach you all of my best pranks. You'll drive your parents crazy in no time. And I promise to buy you the loudest toys with the most pieces, just so your dad can step on them in the middle of the night, and cross my heart, I'll give you everything you want just like your sis-" he stopped and sucked in a breath. There was no mistaking the flash of pain behind his eyes. Prim remembered the way Coral used to cling to him. It must gut him, just like it did them all, that she resided in the belly of the beast with no way to protect her.
Katla walked forward and placed a hand on the middle of his back.
"They're so little and perfect." She leaned halfway on Hannibal's back to get a good view and ran her finger down the leg of Max's footie pajamas. "I don't want to disturb them. They look so peaceful, and—oh, look at that little yawn!"
"Kat, I want one," Hannibal said, giving his puppy look.
"Not likely." Katla snorted and flicked her auburn hair. "Not for a long time, or ever."
"You're a shitty Manato. Having children is your whole purpose."
Katla rolled her eyes.
"Get me pregnant on purpose and I'll maim you with a blunt-object."
"Fine," Hannibal pouted, "But only because I forgot that I don't want to change diapers."
Katla glanced up at Prim and smiled.
"Really he's just scared I'll stop fucking him, which is what will happen if he gets me pregnant."
Hannibal stood up straight and gave Katla a mock bow. "Yes, master." He leaned over and gave both the boys a kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye for now, my future protégé."
Next, he went over and clasped Cato on the shoulder.
"Congrats, big bro," he said. "They're handsome, which means they got most of their looks from me. Lucky, indeed."
"Let's just hope they didn't also inherit your buck teeth which mom paid capitol-doctors to fix." Cato pushed his shoulder in a good-natured manner.
"Oh," Katla said with a giggle, "I forgot about those. What did I use to call you?"
"Chompers," Cato answered. "He hated it so much, he used to come home in tears."
"That's right," Katla shook with mirth, "I might have to start using it again."
Hannibal scowled. "Prim, you and the babies are the only people I like in this room right now."
Katla walked over, kissed the babies, and then walked back to the door, calling out over her shoulder.
"Come on, Chompers, let's leave the new parents to rest."
Hannibal grumbled but followed her out, leaving them alone.
The Next Morning
Cato's mother and father came next, but Prim acted asleep not really wanting to confront either one of them. Cato's father grunted at each of the babies in disinterest. He held himself back with his arms across his chest, face set in stern lines.
Cato did not have a warm relationship with his father. It was obvious the first time he met him, and it was even more obvious now. Prim wondered if it was because he tried not to love his children, like Cato tried with Coral, because there was a good chance one of them would be dead before adulthood.
Mrs. Carthage went to the bassinets and cooed at the boys.
"This one looks just like you, there's no doubting the paternity, and oh," she brushed Rory's hair, "This one has a touch of red just like Coral. That's a sign of good luck, you know."
Cato's face twisted at Coral's name.
She stared at them for a while longer before reaching down and picking up Max, cuddling him close.
"How come you never told us?"
Cato shrugged and didn't answer. Prim knew it was because he didn't know if he'd ever get to hold them in the first place.
"I didn't know there was two," he whispered, "I actually wasn't sure if there was one."
Mrs. Carthage gave a hard look to Cato.
"She lied to you, didn't she? I knew I couldn't trust her, that manipulative—"
"Silence," Cato's father said. The first thing she had ever heard him say. It came out like a boom. "She outsmarted that beast Jace and Snow himself, defying him until the end. She's a Carthage now, and I won't hear another word against her."
If Prim wasn't acting asleep, her mouth would have fallen to the floor in shock. Cato and Mrs. Carthage looked similarly stunned.
"You're right," Mrs. Carthage said after a beat of silence, "I didn't like her at first, but she displayed a surprising amount of courage. She even attempted to save dear Theodora, may her soul rest. I see she's exhausted. Poor thing hasn't woken up this whole time." She kissed the babies, then laid down little Max. Cato's father once again had a scowl with his arms crossed, while they walked out the door.
"You can open your eyes now," Cato said, "They're gone."
Prim opened her eyes to see Cato looking amused.
"I'm not sure how you did it," Cato said, "but you achieved the impossible—my father's approval. Something even I find elusive.
"I thought it was your mother that was hard to please."
"You've given her twin grandsons. They're considered a good omen in my district. You could go on a murder spree and she'd still forgive you." Cato smiled. "But my father… I'm not sure it's ever been done."
Hours Later
The next time she woke up to a dim-lit room. A blond man hovered over the bassinets.
"Cato?" Prim asked.
The man glanced around to reveal Cassius. Now that she was fully awake, she could see the differences: taller, slimmer, glasses, hair slicked back. He still looked at her with a haughty air of disdain. Cato was out of the room, leaving her alone.
Adrenaline spiked through her body, but she tried to push it down. This was Cato's brother, his family, there was no reason to be afraid. Logic tried to persuade her fear, but it did not work. Something felt off.
He looked at the babies again, and his face twisted in a snarl. He reached down and brushed a finger against their plump cheeks and both the boys turned towards the stimulation.
"They're precious," he said, "So tiny and delicate. I fear if my fingers moved too hard, it would hurt them."
Prim pushed her legs over the bed and ignored the groans and aches of her body as she stood. Every step proved a new type of agony, but something in her instructed her to put her body between the babies and their uncle.
"Theodora was barren," he said, voice warped with bitterness, "It was no secret we tried for years. There was nothing she wanted more, and she never gave up hope. Always expected a miracle. I admit I never shared her positive outlook." He looked Prim up and down. "I see the rotting core of things first, the weakness. If you understand the weakness, then you can become it until it cannot hurt you."
He reached down and picked up Rory. The baby gave a little squeak.
"Shh, little thing, it's your uncle Cass. There's no need to be scared." It was said in a cold, hard voice, and Prim wasn't so sure.
Did he blame her for Theodora's death? Did he blame Cato? She wanted to tell him sorry, but he might just take it as an admission of guilt.
He placed the baby down again, brushing both the boys' wisps of hair with an air of fondness, though his lips stayed twisted.
"Cato somehow has everything I wanted. He is uncommonly lucky."
"We have different versions of luck."
"You have to be lucky to survive the games three times," he answered back. "Most people assume I was jealous of his proclivity for violence, of how he surpassed me in training by the time he was seven. But, on the contrary, I was happy for him to take my place. But this…" He looked down at the babies. "Jealousy is a strange creature."
"Get away from them," Prim demanded, the monster inside her taking out its claws, just in case.
He raised his hands and took a step back, obeying her, allowing her to stumble past him.
Prim picked up the babies, taking several steps away from Cassius in the process, bunching the boys to her chest. The air around them turned tense, weighed down with grief and blame.
"I knew you'd get our family in trouble from the moment I met you." Cassius said, lost in thought. "My brother's love has always been reckless and dangerous, even as a child. It never mattered until you came along. Snow trapped you in a web, and it would only be a matter of time before you drew us all into his plans. From the moment he decided to take you, I knew Cato would destroy the world to keep you his. I despised you for it. However, Theodora did not share my reservations. She loved you from the start, though you did not love her in return."
"I did—"
"Don't lie to me!" He screamed, hands shaking in a brief show of rage. "For her, and only for her, I feel it's necessary to warn you that appearances can be deceiving. Things are never what they seem."
"They are quite clear from where I'm standing," Prim warned right back
"People look at my brothers and understand their strength, but they often overlook mine. Just like they overlooked yours."
"Cato will be back soon."
Prim hoped Cato would return soon.
"The rotting core, the poison, is the truth," he said. "It will reveal its hand at the end. Snow thinks that to understand a man you need to know their fears, but I believe it's more important to know what they love. That is their true motivation, their true weakness. You need to remember this Prim—love is the strongest emotion we possess. Even fear bows to it."
Prim began to shake. Something about him seemed broken in the wrong way, as if his intelligence came alive and devoured the soul beneath.
"I want you to leave."
Cassius tipped his head to the side and smiled.
"You don't trust me?"
"Should I?"
He walked to the door and placed one hand on the doorknob. Before turning, he looked back over his shoulder.
"You can answer that question when you solve the riddle: What do I love, Prim?"
He turned away from her. But she couldn't let him leave just yet.
"Theodora let you win." She choked on a sudden sob. "She wanted to be here, with you. If it had been up to her, she'd always have been with you. I promised I'd tell you, though I'm sure you heard and already knew."
Cassius stilled, his spine snapping straight. He didn't turn around.
"She's wrong," he answered. "All this time, I only let her think she won. Even the little victories… Because it wasn't a game I was going to lose. It was important to keep up the illusion to keep her spirit intact. I could have crushed her if I wanted to. I didn't need to be stronger than her to do it either."
He walked out, leaving the room cold.