Short chapter to end it and finally reveal what the heck happened during the night, and the next two chapters will be behind the scenes and interviews. So...sappy ending, short ending. I must speak to the reviewers, as always!
vampirepanda12: Thank you! Clove did like him back! Here's the update!
CloveDiedForYourSins: You're welcome on the Clato kiss, and lol.
Y.O.L.O So do it right: Yeah, I sensed the irony the whole time I was writing it. In my head, Peeta was thanking me for not hijacking him, and then wringing my neck the next minute for making them all try to kill him. And I'll introduce you to Cato right now! Ha, ha. Here's the update!
The Knife Throwing Expert: Thank you! Thanks for pointing out that mistake for me. And thank you again! Here's the update!
Arianna: I know, it's sad coming to a close. But have no fear, I favor AU modern day stories! *Poses like Superman* But anyway, thanks for reviewing and here's the update!
The Mockingjays Flames: Nah, no Peacekeepers coming to shoot him now, and nobody escaping the hijacking. It'll be revealed here!
HogwartsDreamer113: Nope, nope, and nope. I don't think Peeta's the hero here, but instead...well, you didn't expect me to just tell you, did you? Here's the update!
QisaQ: Thank you and here's the update!
Okay guys...last chapter of the story. Next chapter will either be behind-the-scenes/out-takes or interviews, and then whichever does not occur in the next chapter occurs in the one after. Read on!
Night of No End
by SassySunshine
Closure
Peeta doesn't know how long he'd been staring at Cato, or how long it'd been since Katniss went into unconsciousness, or even how long the others who had been hijacked had also all watched Cato fall to the floor, and go back to chatting amongst themselves, but it was a while by his estimates. The blonde boy peers out of his cell, to see the boy from District 2 still hasn't awoken. Peeta reviews the day's events in his head, trying to conclude with something logical, but his answer doesn't come. He looks to Katniss this time, to see she is starting to stir. Her gray eyes lock on his blue ones, and the two of them don't say anything, but instead let their gazes wander to Cato.
"I'm bored," Hijacked Gale declares, interrupting the staring, "I say we all kill Mellark now instead of waiting for orders."
"No! Let's go find something to eat. We were supposed to have a proper pizza dinner, but we didn't. We can't kill on empty stomachs," Hijacked Johanna says, winning the favor of Hijacked Clove, Hijacked Madge, and Hijacked Marvel. Hijacked Gale gives in and they leave the room without another word, leaving Katniss and Peeta stunned and confused.
"Well, that was weird," Peeta finally announces.
"I don't feel hijacked, Peeta. Did he hijack me at all? Did he give me any of the tracker-jacker stuff?" Katniss asks.
"No, he was going to mix some new stuff, and then I started interrupting him and yelling at him. Then he just gasped and blacked out. He's been like that for a while now," Peeta replies, eying Cato. The District 2 boy begins to stir, grabbing the attention of the other two occupants of the room. His eyes slowly open and begin to widen.
"Someone explain to me what's going on here. I have no clue what just happened," Cato says.
"Cato? You murdered half the party," Katniss responds slowly as Cato walks over to undo her restraints.
"That…that wasn't me," Cato says.
"Yes, it was," Peeta calls from his cell.
"No…that's my dark side. My literal dark side. I have Multiple Personality Disorder. That was Rantinto, my evil half. He only responded to Cato, probably, because that half literally is evil. Guys…I swear that wasn't me. That other side of me has anger issues…bad anger issues that lead him to be violent and murderous. This is the second time it's happened," Cato explains.
"So you mean to tell me that you have a disorder nobody knew about, your evil side Rantinto killed Annie, Cashmere, Gloss, Finnick, Glimmer, Delly, and Farrah, hijacked everyone else that's alive, pushed me into an ocean off of a seven-story balcony in a thunderstorm with driving rain, and nearly hijacked Katniss so everyone could kill me?" Peeta asks. Cato nods slowly, taking in all of the information.
"Well, this is news to me," Peeta says.
"You mentioned this being the second time it's happened?" Katniss asks. Cato nods.
"Yeah…I was diagnosed with the disorder a few months before it happened. I was at the doctors' office getting my check-up and I hated the idea of having the disorder. Rantinto will get mad at any little thing and completely overtook me. I'll skip to the end: I had a knife, ready to slit my doctors' throat when the nurses came in. It wasn't until I was restrained and put under an anesthetic that he left me for a while. I wasn't put on any charges, since I was only twelve at the time and I was still coming to terms with everything, not to mention it was my other personality," Cato explains.
"I don't know if they're going to file charges this time. They might. Does anyone else even know of this disorder of yours?" Peeta asks.
"No. I never told anyone. I was afraid of letting out Rantinto's secret of living in me. I was scared he'd lash out, so I never told anyone," Cato responds.
"Well you know what? Now we've gotta get that venom out of Gale, Madge, Clove, Marvel, and Johanna," Katniss says.
"Leave that to us," a voice calls from the door. Katniss, Peeta, and Cato all turn to see Haymitch standing there.
"Haymitch! What are you doing here?" Katniss asks.
"Effie got worried. Plus she was talking to your mother, discussing Prim when she overheard Gale explaining that old game Clue and those murder movies before you guys left. She tried calling but apparently her calls never got through. We've managed to contain Madge, Gale, Johanna, Marvel, and Clove. Care to explain where the others are?" Haymitch replies, glaring at Cato.
"Haymitch…err, Mister Abernathy, I killed everyone else…kind of. I have Multiple Personality Disorder, and my other side is named Rantinto, but Rantinto…he doesn't like people telling the difference. He's smart enough to respond to Cato so he doesn't get caught. Please, sir. Ask my parents or my doctor. They're the only ones who are aware. I truly do have the disorder," Cato says.
"I'll buy your story for now, since I should really be sleeping. Just lead me to the bodies," Haymitch says.
Two tear-filled hours later, Gale and Madge are sitting in the Peacekeepers' headquarters, the police station of District 12, for questioning about the night. Katniss and Peeta sit by the side. Katniss shows signs of having been crying. The Mellarks are there, even Peeta's mom. The Hawthornes, Undersees, and Everdeens are also all there. Even the Cartwrights have come. Haymitch sits in a chair next to Effie while Darius questions Gale and Madge.
"Miss Undersee, I understand you were hijacked during the last hour or so of this mansion party by a Mister Cato Anderson, who claims to have Multiple Personality Disorder and that his aggressive other half, Rantinto, was actually the one who did it. Would you care to elaborate on the party before your hijacking?" Darius asks.
"Sure thing, Darius. Okay, so before the party, Gale, Delly, and I went to Katniss's house where Peeta was cooking and Katniss was packing up the last of their things. Gale explained to us this old board game Clue and old horror movies with murders in them. We all brought weapons in case someone should go crazy. We got there, and for a while we just watched TV. Then we played truth or dare. Peeta was going to make pizza after that when the lights went out and someone screamed. The light stayed off for an additionally long period of time before coming back on. Annie was dead," Madge says.
"And then what happened?" Darius presses.
"We went to go split up with our weapons when we realized they were scattered around the house so only the murderer could have access…"
It's a few hours later by the time Madge, Gale, Peeta, and Katniss all explain their sides of the story. Darius nods toward all of them to send them home. They all walk home in a group. Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright sob the entire way to the Undersees' house, where they'd be staying the night. Madge heads off to Gale's house. Peeta looks to his dad, who nods and sends him off to the Everdeens' for the night. Peeta places an arm around Katniss while Prim can only smile at his affection for her. Katniss leans her head on his shoulder.
"I'm gonna miss everyone who's gone, Peeta," she says quietly. Peeta nods.
"I know."
They, along with Prim and Mrs. Everdeen, walk the rest of the way to the Everdeen house in silence. When they get there, Peeta and Katniss head up to Katniss's bedroom to rest on Katniss's bed.
"Peeta…what if Gale's hijacking never wears off? What if every time we get too close to him, he wants to kill you again? And now what about Madge?" Katniss whispers.
"I don't know, Kat. His form of hijacking was pretty crude, putting poison with some tracker-jacker venom into them. Unlike the Capitol's testing labs, where they have to add a bunch of different chemicals and more venom for a better hijacking. I'd give it a few months to wear off, maybe even a year," Peeta replies.
"I'm scared," Katniss says.
"I'll protect you," Peeta responds.
"Stay with me?"
"Always."
Back in District 2, after Cato has explained everything to the Peacekeepers, he sits in a holding cell waiting for his parents to come and get him, and most likely punish him. No charges will be pressed against him due to his disorder. He twiddles his thumbs in his seat when the creak of a cell door sounds. Cato looks up to see a guard standing there.
"Mister Anderson, you're ready to be taken home by a family under the last name Neilson with instructions from your parents," the guard says. Cato peers around the guard to see Clove standing there.
"Cato," she says slowly.
"Clove…," Cato mumbles.
"Cato. I heard about your disorder. Why didn't you tell me?" Clove asks, sitting down next to him.
"I was scared to, Clove. Rantinto gets mad about every little thing, and I didn't want him to come out and hurt you. But I guess that backfired, because he did anyway," Cato says.
"Cato…alright. I just need to know…was it you or Rantinto that kissed me like that?" Clove asks. Cato hangs his head miserably.
"Rantinto…"
"Well, I say that Rantinto wasn't as good as the real Cato…the Cato I really do love," Clove whispers, brushing Cato's cheek. Her eyes linger on his before moving on to looking down at the floor. Cato brings his arms around her, engulfing the girl in a hug. Neither of them say anything as Cato tilts her chin up, so that they are staring at each other.
"Cato…"
"Don't say anything…"
They gently close the gap between their lips, and the kiss is more passionate than anything Rantinto could have done. Neither of them pull away for a long, long time, until Clove's parents come in and see them kissing.
"Um, Clove, I think it'd be best for us to get Cato home now," Clove's father interrupts.
Two months later, Clove sits on at the beach at the edge of District 12, looking out into the shimmering blue water. Her feet dip into the cool liquid, and momentarily she is lost among the waves. Her brown eyes scan the horizon with the seating sun as background, searching for something unknown. Peace? Closure?
No, she received that at the end of the night of the horror at the mansion.
"Clove? Aren't you coming back inside for the healing party?" a voice calls behind her.
Cato.
"Just a minute, Cato," Clove says in response.
A healing party is being held in remembrance of those who were killed by Rantinto at a beach house in District 12, hosted by Gale to make up for his actions during his hijacking before everyone else. Cato hadn't felt like going, had Clove not convinced him to. So what was the convincer herself doing out here by herself.
"Clove…you're scared the same thing is going to happen tonight, aren't you?" Cato asks.
"Yeah…I am, actually. I don't want you to die…and I don't want to die either. Nobody at this party deserves to die, Cato. Nobody," Clove whispers.
"Don't worry, Clove…that won't happen."
True to his word, the next morning, everyone is alive and well. Sticking to their promise, over the course of the next few years, the eight remaining friends from that disastrous night at the mansion get together every weekend. Not once has there been another death, not once has there been another injury inflicted by another. The murders at the mansion have scarred them, but they vow to overcome it as their lives progress.
They have ended their night of no end.
Don't hound me for the cruddy ending. I'll bring back Rantinto and unleash him on you! Okay, but yep. That's how it ends. In the next two chapters will be the interviews and behind the scenes on shooting this fanfic with the characters! So…I'll see you soon!