A/N: Hey everybody! I hope you all had a great holiday. I wanted to update yesterday as a Christmas present you all of you but something was wrong with the server and I couldn't get on my account. Thankfully it's fixed and I'm able to give you this chapter as a late present. I hope you all enjoy!

The Hungry Mockingjay

~Brutus~

It's the day before the Reaping and I was standing the in training center with Cato, who wanted to practice with a sword again but needed someone to let him in. As usual there were still Peacekeepers roaming around just to make sure that nobody broke into the Academy. I watched carefully as Cato swung his sword and dismembered yet another training dummy when a Peacekeeper walked through the door urgently.

"Brutus, there's a phone call for you." he said handing me a telephone.

"Who is it?" I asked him suspiciously.

"Haymitch Abernathy." he confirmed before walking a distance away but not yet leaving the room. I immediately answer the call, I asked Haymitch to keep an eye on Spitfire while she was home, there better not be anything wrong.

"What is it Haymitch?" I asked.

"Your girl is in a bit of trouble. She may not be in the best condition to train if or when she comes back." he informed and I gave the floor a quizzical look, I could feel Cato's eyes on me, giving me the same look.

"What are you talking about?" I said, not wanting to give anything away.

"She got caught hunting, most Peacekeepers here would look past it because they buy her game, but we got a new Peacekeeper here and he's the one that caught her." he explained and I hope that Cato can't hear what is being said in this conversation.

"Total?" I asked him, I know that they get whipped for hunting illegally, but I don't know how many lashes they get.

"Twenty." he said reluctantly.

"What?" I shouted making Cato look at me concerned.

"Ten for being outside the District boundaries and ten for hunting illegally." he said with an angry tone. I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"Okay um, see to it that everything is taken care of in the best way possible." I said before hanging up the phone before he could even reply. I handed he telephone back to the Peacekeeper before turning back to a confused but concerned Cato.

"What was that about? Why did Haymitch call you?" he questioned and I thought up a quick lie.

"He and I have a business arrangement and there were some complications. Now either get back to practicing or go home." I said before leaning against a table covered with knives. He glared at my lack of a non-vague answer and continued to swing the large sword at the dummies.

~Katniss~

One moment I was feeling nothing but pain, tears were streaming down my face, and it was one of the few times that I ever show weakness. But in the next moment I was in the meadow wearing a long white dress, it looked fancy, like something out of the Capitol. I turned in a circle to survey my surroundings when I saw a lake with a man standing near it. His legs shoulder width apart and his arms crossed over his chest. He was tall, almost like Gale with dark hair like him too. Maybe it is Gale.

"Gale!" I called out but the man didn't move. Hesitantly I moved toward him, and that's when I notice I'm not wearing any shoes. I gingerly step across the meadow until I'm four feet behind him. "Who are you?" I asked the man and when he turned, I saw a Crone smiling evilly as he held a long jagged knife in his hands, carefully running a finger along the blade as to not prick his fingers.

"Time to die Katniss." he sneered, his smile still present on his face.

"How do you-" but I was cut off by him lunging at me, I screamed as I dodged out of the way. The world around me grew dark, the grass and flowers in the meadow were dead, dark storm clouds littered the sky, even my dress went from a blinding white to a heartbreaking black. Crone turned and lunged at me again but was knocked away by another figure, but this one was blonde.

At first I thought it was Peeta, but as this man fought with Crone, I knew immediately that it wasn't. Peeta didn't know how to fight like this man, Peeta didn't really know how to fight with a weapon in general. And this man's weapon of choice as a sword. The blonde man stood and swung his long blade around at Crone who easily dodged it every time. There were punches and kicks thrown, cuts earned on each of them, but it wasn't until one fatal blow by the sword through the stomach of Crone that left him crumpling on the ground. Blood seeped onto the ground, creating a pool around him, staining his clothes, hair, the grass, seeping into the dirt around him. The blonde man turned to face me and just as I thought it wasn't Peeta, but Cato. He took deep breaths as he dropped his sword and took small steps in my direction. I still sat on the ground, looking at him in shock.

"Katniss." he said taking a bigger step towards me with his hands raised to me. I moved away from him in fear that he'll try to kill me too. But he shook his head."I won't hurt you." He said almost pleading but I still wouldn't move from my spot. Suddenly the clouds were gone and the sun was shining down once again, my dress had faded from it's dark black to a beautiful light pink color, like the blush of a peony flower, the grass was alive again and I stared at all of it in disbelief. Cato took another step forward again and spoke one word.

"Please." he begged and with no other thought, I lunged myself into his arms, they wrapped around me protectively as mine threw themselves around his neck and shoulder. That is when I started to cry, it had just dawned on me that I could have died if he wasn't there.

"You saved me." I said with a shaky breath.

"I'll always keep you safe. I'll always be there for you." he said his hand caressing my hair. He sounded so sincere, so truthful. This wasn't the Cato I know, it's not one that I've ever met before. After standing there for what seemed like an eternity I pulled away from him and looked into his icy cool blue eyes. They seemed calm, happy, and again sincere.

"How do you know my name?" I asked him.

"I know it because I love you Katniss. I always have," he said placing a soft kiss to my forehead. "and I always will." he said truthfully looking me in the eye. He started leaning down and as if my body craved what I knew was about to happen, moved up to meet him. But before our lips could touch, only a breath away, he disappeared from my sight.

"Cato?" I called out but nobody was there. The grass was dead again and the clouds were dark as well. I started to walk and search for him but I fell, down into a deep whole. I landed on my back and stared up at a laughing man above me. It wasn't Crone or Cato, it was President Snow, with a shovel, laughing wickedly. Before I could even tell what was going on he was shoveling dirt and soil into the hole on top of me, burying me alive.

I woke with a start and tears falling from my eyes. It took me a moment to recognize where I was. Laying on my stomach on the table on my house. I remembered what had happened, that I was whipped for hunting in the woods. Before I could do or say anything an alarmed voice sounded near me.

"Guy she's awake!" it said and it sounded like Peeta. Everyone rushed over all at once, saying things that I couldn't comprehend at the moment. I shut my eyes tight ad turned away from them.

"How are you feeling honey?" my mother asked me after everyone had gotten quiet.

"Hurt." I managed to mutter. Soon Prim was in front of my face with a glass of water, and judging by the smell, contained herbs to help me. As soon as I gulped it down and felt like I was able to speak I turned back to them. "How long was I out?" I asked them.

"Eleven hours, the Reaping is in three." Gale informed me.

"When can I move?" I asked mother and she sighed.

"I wouldn't want you to but since it's Reaping day I guess you're going to have to." she said sadly.

"Can you stand?" Peeta asked sounding concerned.

"I don't know. Can somebody help?" I asked and Madge came from Gale's side and helped me sit up. I was still in the garment that the Peacekeeper had dressed me in for the whipping. When I had managed to sit up with moderate pain, I tried to stand. The pain was mild but not much worse. Madge stepped away from me for a brief moment to see if I could stand on my own, I was a little shaky at that.

"How are you going to stand and walk at the Reaping?" Prim asked worriedly and I shook my head.

"I don't know." I said to her and she gripped my hand gently.

"We'll help you walk there and at check in." Peeta said, with Gale agreeing.

"And I'll help you stand when she and I are in our age groups." Madge offered and I smiled at them.

"Thank you guys, you really are great friends." I said smiling at them.

"Well we better start getting you ready, I'll have to re-wrap your bandages after we get you cleaned up."

my mom said and that was the boys' cue to leave. They bid me a goodbye and walked out the door.

"And I'll help you get dressed, it'll be tough with your stitches." Madge said and I nodded to her a thank you. I laid back down on the table for mom and Prim to remove my gauze and clean my wounds while Madge went up stairs to find something for me to wear. Cleaning my wounds and getting dressed took a long time, but once I was able to sit down so my mother could do my hair, I could finally relax. My mom did an intricate braid so one, simple, long braid wouldn't hit my back to much and bother me.

"You look really pretty with your hair up like that." Madge complimented and I smiled at her.

"Madge shouldn't you be getting home to get ready as well?" my mother and asked and Madge nodded.

"I'll see you all there then, Bye!" she said trying to be cheerful but couldn't, and I couldn't blame her, it was Reaping Day and she was worried about her friend. Madge is a very caring person by nature, just like Prim. We still had an half an hour until we had to be there but Peeta managed to get away from his psycho mother to come see me.

"I passed Gale and he wants to be here but he couldn't get away from his brothers." he said sympathetically.

"It's okay." I said and he smiled softly.

"Peeta can you take one side of her while I take the other?" my mother asked him and he nodded. He came over to my side and awkwardly slipped an arm around my back, careful not to bother it. My mom slipped her arm through mine and Prim held her other hand. Now slowly and carefully we walked out of the house and towards the Town Square. As we walked I couldn't help but compare District Twelve to District Two. They were the Capitol's lapdogs, their city was so much bigger and better than ours. Their buildings and gardens are well kept whereas ours are run down and dead looking. The paths and roads in Two were made of stone, here they are just dirt. Eventually I was standing in check-in with Madge by my side and Peeta in front of me. After we checked in, with Peacekeepers giving me an odd look, I took my spot next to Madge in our age group.

I was scared. But I was always scared on this day. My name was in there more times than I would like and more than most kids in the District, putting my name in the Tessera is one of the only ways my family can survive. I wasn't paying attention for most of the Reaping until I saw Effie up on the stage, picking a name from the bowl of girls names. I was happy that it wasn't me, but I was sad for the pour thirteen year old girl that had been picked. She was small and didn't have a chance. After the girl took her place on the stage, crying silently to herself, Effie drew a name from the pool of boys. This boy was eighteen years old and from the Seam, I recognize him from school and around the Seam, his dad is a miner, one of the few that made it out of the explosion alive. I felt bad for him, he started to work in the mines at a young age, younger than was allowed but he lied just to provide for his mother and sister. Nobody told, because they respected his will to stay alive and not give up. He stepped upon stage and took his place next to the crying girl, he too had tears lightly falling down his cheeks. I looked around at the Peacekeepers and saw one next to every cameraman here, I guess Brutus came through with making them not be able to film me, because all around Madge and I were girls who were inches taller than me, making it easier to conceal me from the eye of the camera.

~Cato~

All throughout the Reaping I couldn't help but wonder what Haymitch and Brutus really talked about on the phone. I didn't buy that it was a business deal, I knew he was lying, but what was he lying about. But now as I stood in the mix of fifteen year old boys I watched as a seventeen year old girl volunteered for a thirteen year old, I don't know either of them that well but I just know that she is really good with a spear. Then when the escort for Two picked a boy, Crone, a fifteen year old boy volunteered for him. And again, I didn't know his name or anything about him. I just wanted this day to be over, as soon as the Reapings are over a train is being sent back to the Districts to get the Scholarship Student to bring them back to training. Finally we are dismissed and I go and find Clove and she has a face of worry.

"What's wrong?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"These Tributes better win, I wanna go on he Victory Tour." she said and I chuckled darkly.

"Whatever, hey when does the train for the Scholarship Students leave today?" I asked her expectantly and she looked at me with confusion written on her face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked and now it was my turn to give her a confused look.

"The Train? To go get them? What time does it leave today?"

"Cato the train doesn't leave until there's only five left in the Arena. It doesn't leave today."

"You're kidding me right?" I asked her in disbelief but she shook her head no. "Why not?"

"They are letting the students be home for a while to see their families." she explained and I gaped at her.

"But we have to go back to the Academy to train, why do they get a vacation?" I nearly shouted.

"Because we live here." she said to me sounding like it was common knowledge.

"That's not fair!" I complained.

"That's life!" she countered glaring at me. "And why are you so curious about this now? Are you that desperate to talk to Spitfire?" she asked accusingly and I looked down. "Please tell me what it is about her that you like so much. I mean she's a good friend of mine but you two hardly talk at all. So what is it?"

"I don't know! It's almost like she's just like me but she's not. She's a hard worker and dedicated like me but she isn't cocky or thinks she better than everybody else. And she values herself unlike most of the girls at the Academy, they all throw themselves at me and she doesn't! I like that about her, that she sees right through me and sees me for who I really am!"

"Which is what? A jerk who flirts with all the girl and is only training to kill people just for honor? Cause I can tell you right now that that isn't the guy for Spitfire. She keeps herself locked inside and hardly trusts anybody with anything. She hides her identity from us, from her roommate! The only things I know about her deeply is that she only trains to protect her family! She needs a guy she can trust and she probably has them back home." she said turning to walk away but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"I'm better than them." I said to her in a deep voice, trying to convince her. She cackled a disbelieving laugh and looked up at me.

"And what makes you say that?" she questioned.

"I can give her a better life than they can. I'm waiting for her to tell me about her life, I'm done trying to force it out. If she hides like this back home then there are guys there who try to get it out of her. I can give her a better life than any guy can where ever she lives." I said.

"How do you know she doesn't live in District One?"

"They have their own Academy to train at so why would she come here?"

"What about Three or Four, they are too bad off. And Five, Six, and Seven can survive enough." she said trying to kill my confidence.

"But what if she's from Eight or down? They aren't as well off as us." I countered.

"Maybe not in money, but they sure are rich when it comes to love. They do everything they can for one another to make sure that things are going to be okay." she yelled.

"And how do you know so much about the Lower Districts. It's not like you've ever been there. And how would you know if she's from a Lower District." I challenged and she just rolled her eyes.

"I don't but if you actually talk to the people you train with Cato you might actually learn something. And from what I can see, there is nothing in you that tells me that you can give Spitfire the love and caring that she deserves." Clove said before storming off towards her home. I stood there watching her leave for a few seconds before storming home myself a glare was formed on my face and set in stone, angry tears fell from my eyes and I roughly wiped them away. I slammed the door to my house when I walked inside and stalked to my room. I paced my room trying to calm myself before jumping onto my bed and slamming my head into the pillows, screaming loudly. After I had ran out of breath I heard a faint knock on my door.

"What?" I called harshly and Selima walked through the door with Sessa on her hip chewing on a toy.

"Are you okay Cato?" she asked concerned.

"No." I said flatly, she shut the door behind her and sat by me on the bed. I just laid there on my back staring up at the ceiling while she sat at the edge of the bed with Sessa on her lap.

"What's wrong?" she asked me and I sighed.

"Am I heartless?" I asked bluntly.

"What?" she said with a chuckle looking at me.

"Am I heartless? Clove says that I don't care about anybody else and that's why I'm not good for Spitfire." I said, keeping my eyes on the ceiling above me.

"I see." she said, setting Sessa down near me. My niece giggled and climbed on top of me, setting herself on my abs. I smiled, looking at her and shifting her so she straddled me. She took my hands and started playing with my fingers, giggling to herself and playing in her own little world. "You aren't completely heartless Cato."

"That's not a yes."

"But it's not a no either."

"So what do you mean?" I asked her.

"When it comes to your family, you care a lot about them, look at yourself. You're laying here playing with Sessa and she's having fun and you're smiling. That doesn't seem heartless to me." she said encouragingly.

"Yeah but what about the people at the Academy? I'm not close to them." I suggested.

"Have you tried to get to know them?" she asked and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"No." I said my voice faltering at her being right.

"And why not?" she asked honestly.

"Because I could face any of them in the Arena and it would be hard to kill them in the end. Plus it could make me weak and ruin my chances of coming home." I said realizing that I am in my own way of letting my feelings for someone ever show and acting on them.

"Do you understand? Or do I need to explain things more?" Selima asked with a small smile.

"That I need to stop seeing people as my competition?" I asked and she nodded her head. "But Spitfire is Brutus's top Trainee besides me. If she impresses at the Feasts then they make her go into the games." I pointed out.

"They can only do that in District Two, because Brutus and Enobaria are watching and expecting the chosen ones to volunteer. Where ever Spitfire lives, she doesn't have to. They can't control her there and they aren't watching her. They could think that she's going to volunteer but when they get to the Capitol they'll see that she didn't."

"So what do I do?" I asked her finally after many moments of silence.

"Show her the you you are when you're with your family, like when you're playing with Sessa." she offered with a soft smile.

"But I don't want her to think I'm weak." I complained.

"She won't, she'll still see strong Cato at training, but otherwise show her the softer caring side of you."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked her.

"I'm a girl, it's in our DNA to understand other girls." she said with a chuckle, standing up and sighing. "Do you want me to take Sessa or are you doing to play with her for a while?" I looked at the smiling girl still sitting on me then back at my sister-in-law.

"I think I'll play with her for a while." I answered and she smiled before walking out of the room, shutting the door softly but tightly behind her. I sighed looking back at the little girl smiling down at me. "I'm not too mean am I Sessa?" I asked her.

"No!" she shouted and I laughed.

"Do you think Spitfire and I could be friends?"

"Yeth!" she said, still not able to say yes completely. I smiled at her confidence.

"I sure hope so." I said to her and she tiny mouth formed a small O in a yawn. I pulled her close and laid her down next to me, turning myself on my side, propping up on my elbow, and started to hum the tune that Selima and Citch learned from Spitfire. Eventually, she fell asleep and I just kept humming, it was a nice soft tune, very different than the girl who helped create it. I must have fallen asleep as well because I was no longer humming with a sleeping Sessa laying next to me, but with a sleeping Spitfire and an older version of us in a house of our own.

~Citch~

I had just gotten home from work to find Selima and mother in the kitchen cooking some dinner. I was happy to be home, I wanted to talk to Cato about an argument that another worker's son overheard after the Reaping involving Cato and Clove. It didn't sound good and I wanted to know if he was okay.

"Hey honey." I said walking into the kitchen, kissing Selima on the cheek. "Hi mom." I said to her.

"Hey Citch." mom replied with a smile.

"Have any of you talked to Cato today?" I asked them.

"I did, he had a lot on his mind but I think we cleared it up." she said with a confident smile.

"Okay, hey where is Sessa?" I asked her curiously.

"Oh she's up with Cato playing. But we need to go get her ready for her nap." she said and we walked up the stairs to his room, Selima walked passed me to Sessa's room to get her bed ready. I quietly opened the door and smiled at the sight before me.

"Hey Sel, come here and check this out." I whispered to her and opened the door a little more for her to see. And just like me she smiled at the sight of Cato laying on his side asleep with Sessa asleep next to him, cuddled up to his chest. Selima walked through the door and carefully picked our daughter up from the bed and took her to the bedroom to her crib. Cato started to wake up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey when did you get home, where's Sessa?" he asked.

"Selima took her to bed and I just got home. You seemed quite peaceful asleep, what did you dream about?" I asked with a suspicious smile and I saw him blush slightly. "You just blushed." I pointed out.

"You'll think I've gone soft or something."

"That's not always a bad thing." I said expecting him to tell me what he dreamed about.

"Okay, well when Sessa fell asleep I was humming the tune you got from Spitfire, and when I fell asleep all I could remember was doing the same thing but instead of Sessa it was an older version of Spitfire and I in the same position. We seemed happy." he said blushing.

"When you see her again just tell her how you feel." I said to him.

"Easier said than done brother."