Hey, sorry this is sooooo late but you have no idea how much work I have to do. I hate homework and exams but, hey, what you gonna do?
Anyway, I was meant to explain the nickname in the previous chapter. Cato calls Katniss Ash because he still struggles to say Katniss' name. So instead of him always referring to her as fire girl I gave her the nickname Ash because ash comes after the fire and in Cato's eyes the games had finished and so he thought that Katniss would no longer need her fire.
I am not sure how long I spent sitting in the living room but by the time I have come out of my trance only Ash is left in the room with me. "Where did the other three go?" I say in a steady voice, or at least the steadiest I can get it after finding out my little sister will more than likely be going back into the games.
"I asked them to leave." Ash says in a voice that must sound similar to my own.
"Why?"
"Because I need to talk to you about the…Games. Cato, I'm the only female victor from District twelve which means that me and Prim will both be going in. And I just…just want to say that….say that I'll…that I'll miss you when I'm…gone." Ash says as tears spring to her eyes, "And that I…I…"
But I cut her off before she can finish the sentence, "Ash, you are not going to die. You've been through the games before you can go through them again. I'll make sure you make it out, don't worry I won't let you die. I will be dead, because I'm the one they want to punish. I'm the one who defied the Capitol. But I swear before I die I will find a way to get you, Prim and Lucy out of the games alive."
"No, Cato. I won't let…"
But I cut her off again, "Won't let me what? Die on my own terms? Ash, the games have been rigged. There is no way that that is what the creators of the games 75 years ago wrote down. It's just too perfect for Snow if it was, I mean the year someone defies the Capitol just happens to be the quell where a victor and they're loved ones have to go back in? No, it's too perfect."
"But Cato, I don't won't you to die." Ash says with fresh tears in her eyes.
"And I don't want to die either. But if that's the only way to get you, Prim and Lucy out, and if that's want Snow wants then so be it. But don't worry, I won't leave until I know everyone is safe; once I know that then I can die a happy man."
"Fine. But I have one thing I want you to know before that happens." She says with determination in her voice.
"What?" I say, and she moves up to sit beside me on the couch.
"This…" She says, slowly reaching a hand up to cup my cheek. And then are heads start to get closer and closer together until our noses are just a few centimetres apart, then our lips meet and what feels like electricity shoots through me. My hands quickly tangle into her hair; pulling her even closer to me, while her hands join at the back of my neck; preventing me from moving away.
She pulls away after a few seconds and I let out a low moan, missing the feel of her lips against mine already. "I'll just be going then." She says quietly making to stand up, but I grab her hand and pull her back down. I then lean in and touch my lips to hers quickly before pulling her into a hug.
She wraps her hands around my neck and I wrap my around her waist, setting my lips against her head. "If you thought that was going to make me rethink my inevitable death then you're wrong Ash. It's just made me more willing to die." I say against her hair.
She just sighs and says, "I know. But I can try, can't I?"
"No, you can't. Trying will just get you killed." She pulls away from me and looks at me, her face etched with pain.
Her face suddenly turns expressionless and she spits, "Fine. I'll go then. Goodbye." And she gets up from the seat. But again I stop her by pulling her onto my lap.
"You're not going anywhere. You're mine now Ash, whether I like it or not." Then her face lights up with a massive grin and she pulls my head down to kiss me again, but it's cut short by someone clearing they're throat in the doorway.
"Katniss, Prim wants you. Cato, we need to talk." Tors says from where she's leaning against the door frame.
"Ok." Ash says, leaping from my lap and running away to see what Prim wants. Once she's out the room Tors slams the door shut.
"What do you think you are doing?" she yells.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you play innocent with me Cato. What do you think Clove would say if she saw you kissing someone? I thought you were meant to love her!"
"I do love Clove. More than you can imagine. But she's dead. Dead! Gone! She died in the Hunger Games. And no matter how much I wish it was me in that grave where she lies; and her here, in this house doesn't change that. She's gone. And even though I still love her I need to move on. And I thought you; her best friend would know that more than anyone else!" I shout back. How dare she say I don't love Clove? I love her more than anything else. But she died eight months ago and even though she would throw a knife at me first, after thinking about it she would agree that I need to move on. Living in the past isn't going to help me or anyone else; it will just cause me more pain, "Tors, I'm going to die soon. It was no coincidence that this is the year, the year after I defied the Capitol, that past victors and their loved ones go back in the arena. It's Snows way of punishing me. First he kidnaps and tortures Lucy, then he makes me sell my body to Capitol men and women and then he makes me go back into the arena where I have to watch my little sister, Ash's little sister and Ash herself take part in the games. Finally, if that weren't enough, I have to try and get all three of them out of the arena safe and sound while I'm being shipped back here in a coffin. So, don't make me feel guilty about having feelings for someone else. Yes, I love Clove with all my heart, but I won't be able to for much longer. So…Shut up before I stick a sword down your throat."
We're silent for a minute, thinking about everything bad that has happened in our lives so far and everything else that is to come, then Tors says, "I'm sorry Cato. I had no idea about…well, this whole situation. And, if I'm not chosen for the quell, I will do everything in my power to get you, Lucy, Prim and Katniss out of the Games alive." She turns and heads out of the door. However, she stops, looks back round and gives me one of her evil smirks, "Oh, and if you ever threaten me again I will make sure that there is a knife in your heart before you have even finished the threat. Got it? Ok. Goodbye Cato." And she walks out the room closing the door behind her. But before it can slam shut a knife whizzes through the small space and lands right next to my head.
"Love you too, Tors." I shout, taking the knife out of the wall.
I wake up the next day to loud knocking coming from down stairs. I groan, drag myself out of bed and put some clothes on before making my way to the front door. I place my hand on the door handle and swiftly pull it open expecting to see Tors or the drunken victor from District twelve who seems to have made it his personal goal to show up, drink all the alcohol in the house, annoy me until I physically throw him out the house and then get Ash to shout at me for not treating her mentor with respect. But it's neither of them at the door. Instead, standing there with a bottle of beer in his hand is my Dad. The man I hate most in the world –apart from Snow.
"Cato, how lovely to see you." He hiccups.
"What do you want?"
"What can't a father visit his own children?"
"No. You're not allowed here or anywhere near Lucy. She's had to put up with you for long enough. And I'm not going to let you hurt her again." I tell him in a surprisingly calm voice.
He takes a swig of his beer then stumbles into the house, "You'll regret saying that." And he swings his arm trying to get his fist to collide with my head but I duck out of the way and start backing up towards the stairs. Just then I hear Ash's voice from the level above, "Cato, who's at the door?"
"No one Ash." I call back up to her.
"Oh, you have a lady friend over?"
"No." I growl.
"Your lady friend seems like a touchy spot. I want to meet her." And with that he takes of up the stairs leaving a trail of alcohol behind him.
"No you don't." And I race off up the stairs, over taking my Dad and running to Ash's room. I barge into her room and slam the door shut behind me. Ash gives out a little shriek at my sudden entrance but once she sees me properly she seems to understand that something's wrong.
"Cato? What's going on?" She asks, but I ignore her question. Instead I run over to the window and open it.
"Get out Ash. Please. Walk along the ledge until you get to Lucy and Prim's room. Once you're there lock the door and don't let anyone in. Got it?"
"Got it. But why do I-"
"No time to explain, just do it. Oh, and tell Lucy it won't let him hurt her."
"Who's wants to hurt her?"
"Not important. Now please, go!"
"Alright, alright. God, keep your hair on." She mutters to herself while she climbs out the window. I watch her crawl along the ledge on and go into Lucy's room. Once the window is shut the door to Ash's room flies open and my Dad stands in the doorway.
"It's not nice to hide things from Daddy, Cato. Where is she?" he demands.
"Who?" I ask in a fake innocent voice.
"Your bloody sister. That's who."
"Oh so you don't want to meet my 'lady friend'?"
"What…? Oh, your lady friend. Well let's see her you useless piece of-"
But before he can finish his insult I punch him in the face and grab a knife off of Ash's bedside table. If it was any other person I would be wondering why there was a knife on the table, but once you've been through the games waking up defenceless is probably one of the worst things imaginable. "What were you going to say?"
"Ha, so you can throw a punch. But I bet you can't use-" But he's cut off by a knife impaled in the wall two centimetres from his head.
"Training teaches you stuff Dad. It teaches you how to fight, how to use swords, how to throw knives and how to defend yourself. So, while you were off living your useless life I went to training so I could be part of the Hunger games and win the Hunger games. And guess what, I did. When I was little it was always a dream of mine to win the Hunger games so you would be proud of me and stop thinking of me as weak, but that was before you started hurting Lucy. Once you stated trying to harm my little sister my wish changed. Yes, it was still my wish to win the Hunger games but not so you would be proud of me. It was so that I could keep Lucy safe from you and so that the next time you threatened her and I stood in between you both you wouldn't be the one making me bleed, I would be the one making you bleed." I walk up to him, take the knife out of the wall and hold it to his throat.
"Go on then. But you won't be able to. You haven't got the guts and that makes you weak. Try it. I don't mind, because I know you won't be able to." He laughs.
"You're right. I'm not going to. But that's not because I haven't the guts, it's because I'm not like you. I've taken innocent lives, the lives of children. And even though you are not innocent I'm not going to be responsible for taking any more lives; not until I have to anyway. So get out of here before I change my mind and decide to run you through." I say, pressing the knife a bit harder into his neck, letting a few drops of blood seep between skin and blade before removing it and pushing him out the door, down stairs and taking him to the front of the house. I open the door and tell him one last thing, "If you ever come here again or if you ever harm or upset Lucy in any way again I will make sure someone comes and kills you."
"Can't wait." He says before I punch him one last time causing his nose to bleed and with any luck break it, and push him out of the house slamming the door behind him.
"Ash, Prim, Lucy! You can come down now." I yell up the stairs. Within seconds I hear the sound of a lock being turned, a door flung open and feet pounding along the hallway. Then Lucy is running down the stairs with tears streaming down her face. Once she's at the second step she jumps onto me and starts strangling me with a hug.
"Cato, are you ok? Did he hurt you? Is he gone?" Lucy hurriedly says.
"I'm fine, Lucy. And yes, he's gone." I say while wrapping my arms around her and hugging her back.
"I was scared Cato. I don't want him to come back here."
"Shh. Don't worry, everything's fine. He won't come back here again Lucy. And even if he does I promise I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. Ok?"
"No." She says. I pull away from her so I am looking into her eyes. They show all the worry, pain and fear she has been feeling but they also show…guilt? "You've stopped him too many times and each time you have he's hurt you. You're lucky he didn't do anything to you today. So no, not ok. I don't want you risking yourself for me anymore. It's not fair."
"I'm your big brother, Lucy. It's my job to protect you and make sure that no one hurts you. So don't feel bad, I want to make sure that no one hurts you even if it means being beaten. Lucy, I would rather die a hundred times and more before seeing you hurt. You may not like it but I don't care. You see, I made a promise a few years ago to a little girl that I would never let anything or anyone ever hurt them. I have already broken that promise once and it almost killed me, I am not going to break that promise again." I tell her.
"But-"
"No buts."
"But, what if-"
"No what ifs"
"But, what if you die? What if protecting me kills you?" She asks with fresh tears in her eyes. And I reply with one simple sentence. One sentence that to anyone else would not mean anything, but to me and Lucy mean everything. One sentence that will stay true until the day I die.
"Then I will die a happy man."
Heyo! I know I've already apologised but…I'M SOOOOO SORRY THIS IS LATE. I have been trying to write this chapter for ages but life and stupid school work got in the way.
Oooooo, what is this I see. Are Cato and Katniss starting to fall for eachother? It seems like it. But then Tors has to go and bring up Cato's dead girlfriend! Stupid mentor.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it (because I didn't). If you did enjoy it then please review. I know say this every time, but it's true, every time I see a review or that someone else has added this to their favourites or has followed it I become happier and happier. So please try and make me the happiest person alive. Now, do you think we could get to 15 – 20 reviews by the next chapter? (I don't mind if you want to try and get over that by the way). And please don't follow or favourite this story without reviewing!
LegacyofBlood: I know, but Snow is an evil and twisted man that seems to be set on making everyone hate him.
SafeEyesOpen: I'm glad you liked it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Thank you for the review.
sundragons9: I'm sorry, I was meant to explain why Cato gave Katniss the nickname Ash but I completely forgot. Cato calls Katniss Ash because he still struggles to say Katniss' name. So instead of him always referring to her as fire girl I gave her the nickname Ash because ash comes after the fire and in Cato's eyes the games had finished and so he thought that Katniss would no longer need her fire. I hope this has made things clearer for you and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
bookwormfever: Thank you. The song is called 'she's always a woman to me' and it's by Billy Joel. My Dad played it in the car one day and for some reason I immediately thought of Cato and Clove.
Thank you to all the reviewers and everyone who read My story.
Now, I'm gonna love ya and leave ya. But hopefully more will be up soon. So bye bye and…REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!