Hey guys, I'm loving the reviews! I promise I'll update again soon, but we've only got two chapters left after this one (sob) Enjoy xx
15
Haymitch
Shit. They are having a huge row. We're listening to them screaming at each other and I don't know if they're gonna make it through this one. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING SO HET UP ABOUT! YOU'RE OVERREACTING, YOU HEARTLESS COW! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO DO THIS TO YOUR KIDS? YOU'RE JUST BEING UNREASONABLE," Cato screams, and Clove, Madge, Rue, Prim and Steph are all crying. Then Katniss softens dangerously but then screams something back which puts the whole argument in perspective, bearing in mind we entered about halfway through. "Ohhhh. I'm being unreasonable. I'm sorry baby, you've done nothing wrong. Oh wait…YOU SLEPT WITH GLIMMER, YOU SMUG BASTARD, AND YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE HER, SHE'S PRACTICALLY A PROSTITUTE! HOW DARE YOU TRY AND GUILT ME INTO FORGIVING YOU? HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!" Everyone gasped, Clove putting her head in her hands. I know how much she loves Katniss and Cato and this is so hard for her. Everyone else's gazes are fixed on Glimmer who is blushing. I manage to choke out one word, "When?" She begins to shake her head, and she whispers, "I don't remember really. I think it was the night of Cato's bachelor party." Clove jumped up and screamed, "YOU SLUT! YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING WHORE! WHAT, YOU JUST SLEEP WITH PEOPLE, JUST WRECK RELATIONSHIPS AND DON'T EVEN REMEMBER DOING IT?" With those words, she falls back onto the sofa, practically sobbing with exhaustion. Everyone falls silent as Rue comforts Clove but we suddenly notice that Cato and Kat are quiet as well. Cato emerges, shamefaced and sits down next to Peeta, who punches him on the arm. He nods, and asks, "I guess you guys know, huh?" Then he turns to Glimmer and orders her to go, "Leave. Now." Everyone else murmurs in agreement and Thresh opens the door for her. Suddenly Katniss emerges and shouts, "Was she here? What, are you having an affair with her? We are not finished here. What does everyone else think? Seriously? Do any of you think he's right? And as for you Peeta – keep your girlfriend under control!" Everyone looks around so I take action, grabbing Rue, Prim and Steph and taking them to bed, blowing a kiss to Katniss as I walk out. She nods gratefully and Peeta and Madge both hug her before following me out.
Katniss
He's a dirty rotten cheater. So why can't I hate him and move on? We were in our bedroom when he told me. I screamed at him for hours, not even thinking about anyone else, until we heard Clove screaming at Glimmer. We both froze and I groaned, collapsing on the bed. Cato left, slamming the door behind him. I listened carefully to their conversation, until I heard him order someone to leave. Shit. It was her. She was there. What if it wasn't a one-off? These were the thoughts that were running through my head as I burst into the living room screaming again. Then I saw everyone else and I decided to turn this to them. "Do any of you think he's right?" Haymitch takes Rue, Steph and Prim away, Peeta, who I offended, and Madge following behind him. That just leaves Clove, Thresh, Cato and me. Thresh takes my hand and sits me down beside him. "Babe, breathe. I know. I know what he did was very wrong. SO wrong. And I'm just as pissed at him as you are. But bear in mind he was drunk. Bear in mind how out of it he must have been to even consider cheating. And bear in mind how sorry he is. I love you. Clove loves you. And he loves you. So much. Please don't let this be the thing that breaks you up. Not when you've been through such a lot of crap." I look at him and nod, until Cato butts in. "Princess. Please know that no-one will ever love you as much as I do and all I want to do, for the rest of my life, is make this up to you. It was a massive fucking mistake. But I promise that nothing like this will ever happen again. I love our family more than anything. You know that every day I thank my lucky stars I was chosen to volunteer? You know that I am so grateful for everything that's happened these last few months? If these games had never happened… I think I would have found you anyway. We are soul mates. Made for each other. Nothing can break the bonds we share, not even my stupid idiotic mistakes. Please Katniss. I love you." I'm crying now, full on sobbing and I slide off the couch, onto my knees. Cato takes my hands and kisses my neck, moving up to my mouth but I gag. "NO! You can't just kiss me. No. If it had been the other way round? If I had slept with Peeta? Would you be ok with that, baby?" Cato coughs and shakes his head, speaking through his tears, "No. Ok, I wouldn't. But I wouldn't leave you. I wouldn't want this to be the end. Not now babe, not now." I sigh, and turn to Clove. She nods tearfully and leans into Thresh, who cradles her. "Do you remember when we had that?" he whispered, "We still can. Please." I nod, crying as I say, "Ok. Yes, Cato. I'm not going to tell you it will be instant forgiveness. It will be fucking hard. But I love you more than life itself, and I love our family. But you have to promise me that you will never, ever hurt me like that again. Ever. Please." He sinks to his knees next to me, kissing me passionately and whispering, "Never. Never. Never."
Clove
She forgave him, of course. He doesn't deserve it – he's going to wreck her so much that the fire inside her will go out one day, and he won't even notice. I hate him for doing this to her, but Thresh has convinced me to let it go, for Kat's sake, and for her kids. That's another thing I'm angry about – Katniss might lose the baby. The baby that's almost 5 months now. That would wreck her relationship forever, because I know how much she wants to have kids. I completely understand that need, I feel it too. And it doesn't matter how much I want it. Because it can never happen. I can't have kids. It's just not fair.
