A/N: Thank you all so so much for the kindness and motivation and support that you've given me throughout this story. Knowing that people look forward to reading and enjoy my writing makes me so happy. I never thought that anyone would even glance at this fanfic, and I have so many lovely people being wonderfully kind.

I want to thank everyone that has ever left a review to this story. You guys make me smile and I'm grateful that you take time out of your day to read and leave feedback, especially my anonymous reviewers.

Over the last two months I feel like I've improved my writing while working on this project, and although there's still so much that I need to work on, I hope that you feel that way as well. :)

*BTW, if you wanna follow me on twitter, find me at RisaLovesCato. Alexander Ludwig tweeted me yesterday. Now I just have to get his autograph and make him marry me. Cx

Chapter 19: Hold On

Katniss:

"Lover Boy said that you had quite a few admirers in District 12." Cato says after a few minutes, sounding tired. He lets go of me and walks into a patch of flowers and sits down, blue eyes reflecting the dawn light. He beckons me with a small jerk of his head, and I move and sit down besides him.

"So, is it true?" The statement lacks the usual cockiness that it would usually have. He leans back on his elbows and stares at me, waiting for an answer.

"No. Well, I don't know. Probably not…I'm not exactly the most likable person, you know that." I counter.

"It seems like I should know several things that I don't." He laughs quietly. "You're alright, for a girl."

"Apparently so, or you wouldn't deem me worthy to receive your attention." I pick several blooms and try to braid them together. Cato watches my hands with an amused smile, tired, but amused. After a few minutes I abandon the task, apparently flower stems are harder to braid than hair.

"Let me see that." Cato doesn't wait for an answer and plucks the mangled mess off my lap, and starts fiddling with it, and surprisingly the flowers start to retain a crown-like shape as he weaves more stems in. Finally he tucks in the last flower and there is a flower crown similar to the ones that Prim used to make for me, in his hands.

Cato stares down at the crown with uninterested eyes, but when he looks up at me again, a small spark lights in those blue depths.

"Untie your hair." He orders, and I can tell that some of his old obnoxiousness is returning. Again, before I can even lift my hands to my head, Cato is already leaning forward and undoing the elastic that Cinna had considerately braided my hair with before I entered the arena.

"Anything for you, Cato." I mutter as he runs his fingers through the braid, undoing it and leaving my hair wavy and free, ending a little past my shoulders.

He sits back again and scrutinizes me with his eyes, tilting his head and blinking every few seconds while I stay still, wondering what he might be looking for. If it's beauty, he's out of luck, because even though I am not ugly, I am not overly attractive either, unlike Glimmer or certain victors from past Hunger Games.

"You're kind of pretty in that innocent and oblivious way." He says softly. Then he quickly falls silent, but his face breaks into a smirk a moment later. "You did not just hear that, alright?"

"Cato Greene just said that I was pretty…that's as good as it gets." I reply with a smirk of my own.

"I'm sure that you can get better from someone else." He says in that same tired, slightly sad tone. I wonder what he means, but then he smiles and lifts the crown onto my head, nestling it the dark hair. "Now you're nearly as attractive as me," he teases, adjusting a flower.

"Which isn't saying a lot." I reply in a light voice reserved for times like this. He rolls his eyes but doesn't answer, which is odd, considering that he usually would have an insanely good comeback prepared.

"Ok. I can't help it." He finally says, chuckling. I snort softly, of course he did have a remark ready.

"No, it's not 'a lot'. It's more than you deserve." He rolls his eyes again. Then he says slowly, yet with a tone that implies that he knew it all along yet at the same time carrying an edge of realization to it, "Sorry, that was obnoxious of me."

"What are you talking about? You?" I reply sarcastically. We both snicker at the same time, and I can tell why he is always smirking with Clove, there's a sense of unity and superiority over everything in the area, which happens to be flowers and birds; when we are in agreement. That, or it just feels good to have him on my side.

"I wonder where Clove is..." Cato says it more like a declaration than a question, and I can tell that he's back in his ready-for-action mode. What did I expect? That he would spend the whole day just talking to me?

"Cato…you've barely recovered. We can't go after Thresh again today." I reason, knowing that he probably won't listen.

"I want to be out of the arena as soon as possible." Cato says. "And do you really think that I care about how bad my wounds are?"

"Well, I would hope that you do."

He pauses and seems to be thinking. Then he relents. "Tomorrow then. Definitely tomorrow."

Cato:

Just then Clove comes running back into the meadow, one hand holding something as far from her body as possible.

"Cato! Cato! Cato…" She pants urgently, walking towards us with the object still in her hand. She has a fear-filled expression on her face.

"What! What! What?" I reply in the same tone. But I know that something is seriously wrong from the way that she doesn't even acknowledge my reply. Apparently she hasn't found the armor.

"Don't die. Please don't die. Don't." She is still breathing heavily and hands a small bottle of something and a slip of paper to me.

"Lover Boy's knives were poisoned. I found this in the bushes." Clove explains, and Katniss and I start to read the note.

Apply on knives. If you don't kill Cato, this will take effect on the second day. He'll be dead by the third. Good luck. –Haymitch

"Thanks Haymitch. A lot." Katniss yells into the sky, she is frowning.

"How wonderful. Alright then." I say, smirking. Two days is plenty of time, more than enough for me to kill District 11 and for this entire damn game to end.

"Is there an antidote?" Clove asks, calming down when she hears my light tone.

"There probably is, but not something that Enobaria can send in. It's fine." I must admit that the poison tactic is quite genius, if Lover Boy had somehow managed to kill me, it wouldn't be needed, and if I killed him, my time to live is limited anyways.

"This is serious. It's not something that you can heal from. If you don't get the antidote before time's up, you'll die." Katniss snaps, unlike Clove, she is flustered at my indifference. Because she doesn't know what Clove does- that I'm actually quite annoyed at the problem that Lover Boy has caused.

"If I die, you both can still win anyways. With District 11, by yourselves…either way you don't need me." I say almost smugly.

"And you want to be known as the tribute who almost became victor? The one who was killed by a mere bottle of poison?" Katniss is scowling, spitting out the words.

"What do you think, Fire Girl? I'm not planning on dying anytime soon."

She visibly bristles; I haven't called her by her old nickname in several days.

"Whatever. I'm going hunting." She sniffs, leaving with her bow. Clove and I exchange looks, and I shrug.

A few minutes later I get up and walk towards a large tree on the edge of the meadow. The sun has risen, and the tall stalks of grass cast tiny shadows over the ground.

"Clove, come here." I say, cracking my neck and ignoring the pain that comes with the sound. Clove runs over to me and I draw my sword.

"You're not going to run me through with that, right?" She grins wickedly.

"Someday, yes." I smirk and pull out another silver sword, which is considerably lighter. Still, when I hand it to Clove, she acts as if it weighs a ton.

"I'm no good with swords, you know that…" She whines, although after a few moments Clove is adjusting her fingers on the hilt, and I know that she's ready.

"You do realize that the giant isn't going to be nice and considerate like I am with you?"

As she says the words, she lunges forwards, and I block the attack with the flat of my weapon.

"Who's being considerate here, Clove?" I smirk, putting extra weight into a blow, but not enough to hurt her.

We continue parrying, her fumbling with the sword, and my arm aching as I increase the force behind each thrust.

Finally Clove steps back, panting. "You've got the sword down. Because I was helping you, of course," she adds.

"Of course." I throw the sword into the grass behind me and start moving back from the tree ten feet, holding half a dozen knives. I must practice with knives again, as pathetic as it seems, I know that something in my arm is messed up.

"Ha. Good luck throwing with those injuries. Watch the master, Cato. Just watch her." Clove snorts. She follows me pulls out her knives as well and throws one at the trunk. It lands in the middle, setting a target for me.

I grin, this is just like old times in training.

"'Him', you mean?" I smirk.

The first one misses by a few inches, landing to the right of Clove's knife, and I hear her snicker. The second one lodges in nearly the same spot as hers. After several more knives the accuracy returns, and I send a smug look towards Clove, who doesn't seem surprised.

"Ok, ok. Stop. You're going to ruin my knife." Clove scurries to the trunk and retrieves her marred knife and my weapons.

I think of using a spear but decide that it would be easier to finish District 11 with knives. Spears are for long range targets, and I plan to make his death painful, afflicted in close proximity.

"Those wounds still not bothering you? Poisoned and all?" She pokes at my chest, her nail digging into my skin.

There is a burning sensation throughout my body, as if the blood were on fire. But if I were to admit that, she would laugh. Laugh and then start worrying.

"Are there any extra shirts in the backpacks?" I slip into another subject, waving her hand away. "I'd rather not be half-naked."

"Fire Girl and I aren't complainin'. And neither are the females of Panem." Clove lets her eyes travel pointedly to my stomach, and I shove her roughly.

"Shut up and go find a shirt." I roll my eyes as she laughs.

Katniss:

After an hour or two I return to camp, enough meat to last several days in my arms. Several days if it were me alone, or even Cato and me, but Clove will most likely speed up the process…she eats like a cow. I try not to think that in a few hours the poison will kick in and Cato will be in too much pain to do anything, let alone eat.

I'm guessing that the poison will spread through his bloodstream and eventually reach his heart…and then it will be too late to do anything. I keep on walking and push the thought of my head, and instead try to fill my mind with images of home. Prim and flowers, Lady the goat, Buttercup even appears. Gale. My mother. The woods.

When I step over a log to enter the meadow, Cato and Clove are talking. Their voices carry and I hear them from across the expanse.

"...and what if there could only be one victor and we were the last ones?" Clove is asking.

"God, what do you expect me to say?"

"That you'd kill me, of course. Otherwise all this would go to waste." She gestures at him and the spear that he is polishing in a bored manner.

"I'm not meant to win, Cato. You are. Everybody knows that you've been trained for this, and that you have what it takes." She continues. "All the mentors love you. Not to mention all of District 2."

"Don't be jealous." He replies in a tired tone. But then he nudges her softly, and I smile at his quiet gratitude.

There is short silence, in which I adjust my stance. Perhaps I can learn something more from eavesdropping. Clove wastes no time posing her next question.

"Oh, and who'd you want to win if it were us three left and I had to fight Fire Girl?"

I can feel my fingers tighten around the legs of a rabbit. Who would he want to come of the arena with? Before I knew him, I would immediately say it is Clove, but he must have some type of bond with me as well, it's impossible not to after staying with the same person for over ten days. Then again, he's known Clove for over ten years.

"I don't know. Stop asking pointless questions," he says, and I envy his ability to always say just the right things. Always the perfect response is there, be it witty or serious, nothing he says seems wrong.

"It's like having someone pinch you and never let go, and every few seconds they add more force." Cato suddenly says. To me it is sudden but Clove is not surprised.

"Finally you answer. I was going to ask you until you did."

"I know."

"It's going to get worse tonight, that poison spreads like wildfire." Clove is almost somber when she speaks.

For some reason Cato bursts out laughing. "You don't even know how true that metaphor is." He is still chuckling, and I see that one of his hands has traveled to his shoulder and is clutching it lightly.

I step out of the bushes and pretend that I had just returned from hunting instead of crouching in the leaves for the past few minutes.

I love how Cato immediately drops his hand and sends me a smug smile. Typical.

"Oh good…" Clove says, rushing forward to help me unload the feathery and furry bodies. There is even a creature that is covered with dull white spikes, and has red eyes that are filmed over. I think that I shot it by accident.

"We just ate a few hours ago. Don't be fat, we need to move tonight." Cato drops the spear and picks up a small axe, examining the blade before setting it down again.

"But won't you be…"

"No, I won't be hungry." He interrupts, although all three of us know what I really mean. "Actually, sorry…thanks for hunting."

He sighs tiredly, although it is barely noon, and turns away to sharpen another spear before Clove and I can even utter a word. That's when I first know that the poison is slowly taking effect.

…

It gets steadily worse as the day wears on. Cato's wounds have attained a sickly color and every time I dab them with water or with more of the burn medicine he visibly flinches. By mid-afternoon he is pale and seems so tired. But he refuses to sleep or eat and instead insists on making plans and preparing. By evening we have forced him to drink water and eat, but the deadly substance has evidently started spreading. We are all quietly preparing, Clove cleaning her knives, me making new arrows with sticks and pointed stones, Cato laying down and thinking.

It's his eyes that give it away. He is staring at the darkening sky with such pain and helplessness that I can only imagine how miserable he must feel.

I try to distract him with conversation.

"So does District 2 get shows from the Capitol on television?" I ask, although I know that they do. Districts 1 and 2 are the wealthiest, and I have heard that the Capitol broadcasts to them since they are so close.

"Yes."

Clove elaborates for him. "There are bunches of fashion shows and modeling. That's all we really watch though, other than the news and the Games. Since we can actually get the clothes if we want."

"Doesn't Rosalie Darling model for the Capitol?" Cato doesn't sit up but he seems more interested.

"Of course she does, she's up here half the year looking pretty."

I really cannot relate to anything they are saying, although I know too well of the beautiful victor from five years ago.

"Don't worry, Cato. It's perfectly normal for you to be attracted." Clove continues, snickering.

I raise an eyebrow. Cato doesn't defend himself but just smirks. I decide to move the conversation along before I hear something that I don't want to.

"Well apparently you can't be feeling too bad." I mutter.

"And apparently somebody's envious." Clove retorts for Cato, and he makes a sound of annoyance.

"I can talk for myself, Clove." He forces himself up onto his elbows and I can tell that it is painful. Then he looks at me, face giving nothing away. "Things are not always what they appear."

I can't argue with that so I just scowl while he lies down again and closes his eyes.

…

There's no way to stop the poison without a high-tech Capitol medicine. Something that would be expensive beyond any sponsors' willingness to fund. And it is so near to the end of the Games that prices must be extremely high. Even if all of Cato's sponsors, which are a majority of the Capitol's wealthiest, pooled all their resources, would it be enough?

It's funny to think that such a small bottle of poison that could not have been too expensive would have such an impact, enough to weaken and potentially kill the deadliest of us.

The sun is starting to dip below the horizon when the parachute floats down. Inside is a syringe of painkiller, and Clove approaches Cato warily, ready to push the needle down. He has been lying in the same spot, unmoving, for several hours, and I can see that his breathing is faster than normal.

"Cato, do you want this right now?"

He opens his eyes and they flick to her hand, which is inches away from his arm. He is still shirtless.

"No, save it for later," he says. His voice is considerably quieter. "We're leaving at midnight."

I give him a questioning look and step forward, ready to talk some sense into him, but Clove slaps me in the arm, pushing me back.

"Ok. You have a plan, right?" She asks sweetly, shouldering me when I try to object.

"More or less. Go put that in my backpack." Cato orders. I give up and just roll my eyes, he's obviously not going to back out of tonight's excursion no matter what.

"Do you want anything? Food, for instance?" I ask. If he's set on trekking through the arena in a few hours, he has to get some nourishment.

"Water would be nice." He replies absentmindedly, and by the way that he tenses up slightly I know that another bout of discomfort must be gripping him.

"Food, you say? Alright, I'll roast up some rabbit." If it's the last thing I do I'm going to make him eat something. I prepare the meat with mock cheerfulness while Clove gets Cato his water.

"I feel so useless right now," he says. "You two actually have to take care of me, it's pathetic."

"Completely pathetic." I mumble sarcastically.

"Am I the only one that's hurt between us?" He continues as I hand him a leg wrapped in a cloth. He pushes himself up and winces before taking it.

"Sorry to break it to you, buddy." Clove holds out her hand for her share of meat and I hand her half of the remaining rabbit, knowing that she'll want more after.

"How ironic..."

"Did you expect us to be the ones injured instead?" I ask indignantly. Truth be told, none of this from the first wound on his arm to the poisoning would have happened if I'd let that arrow fly into Peeta's heart that day and ended it all before it began.

"No, of course not. I was just thinking about something."

We eat as the sun disappears completely, marking sundown, also marking the second day since Peeta stabbed Cato. I can almost feel Cato's life ticking away, measured in mere hours now.

"Time's running out. This is our last chance." Cato says an hour later. I have changed his bandages again and we've eaten. Cato seems to be suffering even more than before, but when Clove offers him the syringe again, he refuses flatly. Currently he is sitting, leaning against the backpacks and looking out over the meadow past the stream.

"If we don't get him tonight you two are on your own."

Clove lightly whacks him in the head. "Don't talk like that. You're not going to die, you idiot."

"Be realistic, Clove. There are four tributes left. Will two of them really be terminated by the end of tomorrow?"

Clove and I remain silent, pondering over what that means. We both want Cato to be one of the victors, he deserves it. But then only one of us can win with him.

"If I'm gone it'll be so much easier. Just make sure that District 11 doesn't come out alive." He continues, smirking in a sad way.

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." I say, and Clove whacks him again, harder in his uninjured shoulder.

"If you die I'll kill your dog." Clove threatens, and I find her statement strange. I shoot her a confused glance but she ignores me and stands there with a triumphant grin on her face.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh yes I would." She continues, grin growing as Cato frowns.

"Stupid blackmailer. Damn dog-killer…" Cato starts muttering under his breath.

"It's a dog." I clarify, confused and amused at the same time. What in the world is going on?

"Not any dog. He promised someone that he would take care of it." Clove explains while Cato shoots her an annoyed look.

"Go ahead. It's not like it'll matter to me anyways. Because I'll be dead, apparently."

"Good point." She looks thoughtful. "Then…I'll kill Fire Girl if you die. And I'll make it slow and painful."

"I'm standing right here, you know…" I say.

Cato's answer comes after a few seconds of hesitation. "It…still wouldn't matter." He looks up at the sky, the moon has risen and a veil of darkness is over everything. It is almost time to leave. I bite my lip and stare at him with as much willpower as I can muster.

"Oh, so if I kill her now it won't matter to you?" Clove has a playful glint to her eyes and stands up, her ponytail bobbing. She seems so full of energy, so different from Cato, who meets my gaze calmly with eyes that barely conceal the physical pain he is experiencing.

"Touch her and I'll haunt you forever." He says finally, placing an arm over my shoulders. I feel my face starting to go red, Cato's never shown any type of affection towards me in front of Clove. Her eyes widen.

"So that's how it is...I didn't think that you'd forget so quickly, Cato." She muses, and her eyes flick over the two of us like she's trying to consume the moment with her eyes before it ends.

"I haven't forgotten." Cato answers quietly. "I've just moved on."

Cato:

It feels like liquid fire is coursing through my veins. But still I am able to stand. Katniss and Clove are staring at me like they want so badly to help, but I know that they are refraining.

"Check everything. We're leaving in five." I order, unzipping my own backpack to check for the syringe, the weapons, the bottle of poison. I am aware that one of my hands is shaking and clench it tightly to stop the tremor.

I wonder what type of poison it is, this one is strange because it seems to affect the whole body instead of targeting particular regions. There is a fierce ache in my stomach as well, and I decide to blame it on Katniss and Clove for making me eat, although I know very well that it is just another symptom.

As I turn towards the two of them, who are still checking their backpacks, the sound of trumpets blares through the arena. We all look up with a start, and Clove lets out a squeak of surprise at the sudden noise.

It is Claudius Templesmith, the bearer of good and bad news. Fortunately it is good this time. He is inviting us to a feast. I should have expected it, they want to bring us together and finish this as soon as possible. But I seriously doubt that District 11 will show up. It's not like either of us need food, with his field of grain and our little huntress.

Katniss shakes her head and Clove goes back to her backpack with an annoyed sigh, and then the legendary announcer continues.

"Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately."

They both snap their heads towards me, and I realize what Claudius has possibly implied. We listen intently for the rest of his message.

"Each of you will find something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance."

There is no more, but his words hang in the air. Then Clove and Katniss are both jumping up and start talking quickly.

"We have to go…it must be the medicine for you."

"And Thresh is bound to show up."

"You might die if you don't get the antidote soon. This is our last chance."

"And we can try to get him while we're there."

"Relax. We'll leave in a few minutes."

I remember dreaming of my victory when I was young, glorious and unforgettable. I smile ironically, instead of being in perfect shape I am fighting a poison and covered with freaking bandages.

"It would be nice to actually look decent for our final fight." I declare loudly. Katniss' hair is tangled and Clove is covered with mud. And I can feel the blood slipping underneath my bandages.

"Enobaria?" I send all sponsors that might be watching a charming smile.

The parachute is a large parcel this time, and jerkily drops into my lap. Inside is a black jacket, a hairbrush, several towels…and I laugh when I find the final gift. It is cologne, the same kind that my stylist downed me in right before launch.

Katniss brushes her hair before braiding it, and Cloves wets a towel and scrubs her face and arms. After she's done, Katniss offers to help me clean up a little and I accept her help with a smirk.

She ends up removing all the bandages again, cleaning the wounds with the towel, and then letting me wash my face and arms while she wrapped fresh gauze around them.

"How does it feel?" Clove asks. She is jerking the brush through a tangle and winces as a clump of hair comes out. "Cato doesn't let many people touch him, even though half the girls in school dream about it. Probably half the female population in Panem by now."

"I think that you've got me mixed with Finnick Odair." I mutter under my breath. Louder, for them to hear, I say, "And that doesn't include you two, I hope."

"I don't know." Clove says, walking over. Before I can stop her she is running the brush through my hair.

"You look good with your hair flat too." She snickers, quickly smoothing it with her hand before stopping. Then she starts giggling as if she's accomplished something enormous. Guess that after forbidding her to touch my hair for several years built up some quite interesting goals.

"Ok. Stop touching me. This is getting increasingly weird." I shake Clove off my back and push Katniss' hand off my chest.

"Dammit. I've always wanted to..." Clove trails off as I send her a withering look.

I quickly shrug the jacket on and zip it when both Katniss and Clove keep on staring at my lower body. Usually I would enjoy the experience, but now is not the time for them to be running their filthy little hands over my skin.

"You two done now?" I arch and eyebrow and end off coughing to near death when Clove picks up the bottle of cologne and starts spraying me like crazy. I wave the particles away while coughing more, and snatch the small glass bottle from Clove before things get out of hand.

"Let's go. District 11'll probably smell us before he sees us." I stuff everything into Katniss' backpack since it holds nothing but the burn medicine and other tidbits, and hoist my own rucksack over my shoulders.

"I like it." Clove states simply, and Katniss laughs.

"You had to state it because it wasn't obvious already..." I give up trying to argue and start towards the forest, making the bursts of pain that shoot across my chest and down into my stomach a reminder of how near the end is. At this point that can be interpreted in two ways.

...

"Once we get the package drop back. We'll get him after." I say. We are standing on the edge of the huge center meadow, hidden behind a wall of bushes. The Cornucopia is silver in the moonlight, and everything is still. It should be one or two hours before dawn.

"We're all going?" Katniss asks.

"Maybe. Or one of us can distract District 11 while the other two get him from the back." She has a good point, it would be more efficient for all of us to go at once, but then our opponent might hurt Katniss or Clove. It doesn't matter if he kills me, at least they'd still have a chance to win that way.

"Clove, you'll get the package, you're fast enough to outrun him."

"I'm not going to run, I'm fighting. My knives haven't seen blood in too long." Clove hisses, and I know that she is more than excited for this.

"Katniss, you'll have her back and shoot 11 if things get out of hand. In the heart if possible." I order, and Katniss nods.

"And you'll be here waiting for the antidote." She turns her grey eyes to me, and squints at me with a determined expression. "You can't go out there, he's going to target you first."

"Don't give me that look, you know that I'm not going to be watching while you two have all the fun."

She snorts and mouths the word fun to herself as she scowls.

"How're you feeling?" Katniss nods at my body, and then gives me a smug look, and I know that the paleness of my face has given me away.

"I look terrible, don't I."

"So-so." She replies.

"Like I'm about to pass out." I continue flatly as another barrage of pain rushes through my stomach.

"Ha." Clove snickers and Katniss confirms my statements with a small smirk.

"Do you want the painkiller now? Drink some water first." She shoves her water bottle into my hands.

"No, the syringe will make me fall asleep. And I have my own water." I toss the bottle back to her and take a small gulp from my own.

"Even you can't deny your discomfort now, Cato. We all know that you're freakin' dying inside. Literally and metaphorically." Clove says, and she is actually serious for once.

"Thanks for reminding me." I say.

"Is it almost time?"

I look up at the sky, it has lightened but the moon and stars are still clearly visible. Only an hour or so left. I bet that District 11 is somewhere on the other side of the plain, also waiting. If only he weren't part of this brawl, it would be deathly easy. Then again, I always love a challenge. I can feel my lips curling up into a smile at the thought of ending his life. Damn coward, all he's done is run. A real man would stand and fight.

Then again, this shouldn't be too hard. He hasn't trained at all before being reaped, after all. And in training his aim was always off, although close enough to be considered mediocre. Those two that he threw at me proved nothing, after all, a body is so much easier to throw at than a target.

"I seriously thought that you were going to kill Fire Girl before this long. You only wanted her in the alliance so it would be easier to in the first place." Clove suddenly exclaims.

"That's nice to know." Katniss interjects, eyebrows arched. She is using one of my knives to sharpen the points of the makeshift stone arrows.

"Well, I changed my mind." I chuckle, putting my hand over hers and guiding it to help her file the stone to a fatal point.

Katniss:

The arena has lightened enough for us to see the Cornucopia clearly. I can hear the morning birds singing, it must be time. Here we are, and Cato is alert and Clove is on her feet and ready, but where's our feast?

Just as the first ray of sun flints off the gold Cornucopia, there is a disturbance upon the meadow. The ground at the mouth of the horn splits in two and a round table with a blinding white cloth rises up from the earth, into the arena. On the table sits two backpacks, one with the number 2 and one with 11.

The table has just clicked into place when Clove dashes out of our bush and sprints towards the Cornucopia, a small quick figure in the large plain.

She snags the backpack with the number 2 and then also grabs the remaining backpack, sending us a grin. What is she doing?

Cato seems to know, because he tenses, quivering with anticipation.

Then Thresh comes, lumbering out of the wheat hills, his footsteps and shouts echoing through the clearing. I always remembered him as massive, but he seems so so immense compared to Clove that I feel afraid for her.

"Come and get it if you want it! Come and get it!" Clove shrieks joyfully, moving towards the lake. Thresh is running faster now, gaining speed and momentum. He seems to really want whatever is in his backpack.

"What is she doing?" Cato snarls, and he lunges forwards, out of the bushes. He starts dashing towards Clove, but he is too far away to be of any help. Thresh is steadily closing in. I quickly scramble up and start running after him.

It all seems to happen in a minute. Thresh is roaring threats, Cato is still dashing to reach Clove before Thresh does, and Clove is sprinting faster now, panicking and trying to get to the forest. And I am running too, bow strung and pointed at the dark giant, trying to move into range.

Then things go horribly wrong. Clove stumbles over a stone and then Thresh is upon her and she is screaming. For Cato, for mercy, swearing and screaming as he throws her to the ground and towers over her. Cato is a moving blur now, and I let my arrow fly as I race towards Clove. It lodges in Thresh's back, I'm not close enough.

But he just roars in pain and then picks up the very stone that caused Clove to stumble.

"Cato! Cat-" She falls silent as Thresh slams the rock into her chest.

...

She crumples to the ground, and the massive figure runs back to his fields with both the backpacks, not looking back as a barrage of knives sink into his wide back, and even when one of my arrows goes through the side of his neck he keeps running, blood paving a trail behind him.

"Clove!" Cato's desperate cry echoes across the plain as Thresh disappears out of sight. I join him beside Clove, he is kneeling over her.

It's horrible. There is no blood but she is breathing too fast to be normal, and I try to ignore the part where the stone smashed into, a dent in her chest, as if the bones have collapsed into themselves.

"No...Clove, why didn't you run?" Cato whispers.

"It was fun. You know how much I love fun." Clove stares into our faces, his mostly, and her voice is raspy and weak.

"You two have to win. Win for me." She continues, her breathing is even faster now. I can feel myself crying, we all know that this wound is irreparable. Cato is clutching her hand tightly, telling her how sorry he is, how much she meant to him.

"I'm never going to find anyone who could use knives like you did, Clove. Remember when I first met you and you tried to stab me? Remember?" His voice is shaking and his eyes pleading.

"Yes..." She answers faintly, and Cato gathers her up gently and holds her like a broken doll. "How could I ever forget? You made my life unforgettable. Every moment we spent together." Clove's eyes are closing slightly, and a tear traces down her cheek.

"Clove..." I manage to choke out, and as if in a trance she slowly turns her head towards me.

"I loved the meat. You're a good hunter..." she murmurs, and then another lone tear appears as she blinks slowly.

Cato is shaking, and places her down again gently, still holding her hand. There is such anguish in his eyes.

"Smile for me, one last time." He says.

"You were the best friend I could ever have..." she whispers, clinging to his hand. Her lips curl up in a small smile, and they stare at each other for a moment.

"I love you too, Clove." He murmurs, and her smile slips into a grin and I can see her fingers tightening in Cato's hand.

Then she is gone. The cannon sounds and Cato strokes her hair gently and squeezes the limp body once more before standing up.

"I'll never forget." He says, and his voice is shaking so badly.

.

I stand as well, tears blurring my vision. Cato puts his arm around my shoulders and we walk away from her still form together, towards the lake, and I can feel his body trembling.

"Be good and don't leave here." Cato whispers to me, pushing my chin up with one hand. He kisses me so hard and so intensely and for such a long moment that we are both gasping for breath when he lets my chin drop.

"If I don't come back, hold on to that one, ok?" His arm tightens for a moment and the scent of his cologne wreaths around me. Then Cato pushes me away, into the dark water of the lake with a splash.

When I am able to gain my footing again and wipe the tears and water out of my eyes, Cato is gone and so is Clove. She must have been taken away by a hovercraft. Cato knew that I would try to follow him so he did what he did to protect me. I sit onshore, tears still making their way out of my eyes and body numb with cold and shock. It is so unfair that Clove's vibrant laugh, lively eyes, cheerful voice...all be taken away with a single stroke of Thresh's arm. And now he might take Cato away from me as well.

I sit there, holding on to the kiss like Cato asked and trying not to cry when memories of Clove flash by.

And I know that while I sit here untouched, Cato and Thresh must be fighting. Fighting to the death, fighting for revenge and avenge.

...

It is an hour later when the cannon shakes me from my numb shell of grieving, and I jerk upwards, eyes wide.

Cato must be alright, he must be. Unless the poison reached his heart...but I refuse to believe that and stand on my toes, almost ready to fly away in anticipation. My greatest opponent or most trusted ally could be dead.

The few lingering moments before the trumpets sound are agonizing, and when Claudius finally speaks I am dreading the worst.

The announcer seems pleased.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our victors for the 74th annual Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen and..."

Templesmith drags the word out and I don't even care that I've been announced a Victor, I just need to know whether Cato is alive or not.

"and...Cato Greene."

A/N- The next chapter will be the last one. I want to thank you all again for sticking with me and supporting me. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. xx -Risa