Her mind was set. Katniss pushed Cato aiside, her whole mind was now clear on one thing. Her body was racing with adrenaline as she dived back into the water.

The murky depths cut into her skin as she made impact and her whole body felt the creatures try and grasp her. She found herself drawing her knife in rage and slashing at them cutting into arms, legs or whatever she could see. Then she found him. His eyes were rolled back, half of his face was streaked with blood and one of his arms seemed to be badly injured but it was still Finnick and he was worth saving.

It wasn't easy work grabbing onto his body as the mutations scrambled to get a piece of her, no longer interested in Finnick, she placed him to the side. Hands shaking she decided it was time to use her bow, she was bombarded and needed to do something drastic if she wanted to get out of this one. Mutated faces raced towards her, tiny sharp like teeth dragged along her skin, they would normally make her scream out in pain but her body was numb as she attacked one after the other.

It was no use. Her arms were tired and begging to ache uncontrollably, she needed a plan and fast. Grabbing onto finnicks unconcious body and fighting the endless amount of creatures, she pulled back her bow breathing out carefully as she brought the string back.

Her fingers felt numb against the hard wire and her mind wasn't thinking straight because whatever she was about to do she was sure she wouldn't survive.

CATOS POV

He told her not to go, it wasn't worth her life, he was dead anyway if they got out of there, that's what he told himself. As he watched her dive into the tunnel his whole body froze, his mind went blank, should he jump back in? Or should he leave her? A million thoughts cram his brain at once and he finds himself calculating them like a computer into true and false ones. Parts told him she's just a mutt, not worth your time, but another part that wasn't his brain telling him this told him she's the mother of your child and you need her here, she's more than just his fake lover now. The confusion within him was immense.

He finds himself looking down, he sees the accuracy in her throws the slightly off posture she uses but still gets it where she wants all the time, it annoyed him at first but now he sees himself amazed. He was never told fighting like that was acceptable. It was always one way and one way only but with Katniss it was a thousand ways.

But snapping back to reality he finds himself screaming her name as she kills most of them or injures them, more flood in, but she still continues and does her best, she's a fighter he tells himself. Taking deep breaths he looks down and finds himself slowly getting ready to jump when he hears a voice loud and clear, he can hear the others now, he's been blocking polluxs chocked cries and Cressidas voice husshing him.

"You know she would hate you for going in there. She needs you to protect her family" It was Gale, his voice had a coldness to it but spoke softly when mentioning Katniss.

He doesn't really know why he's trying to help him and turns around sharly whilst asking "How do you know? She needs my help. I've been through a lot more than y-"

But his voice is cut off as Gales over powers his and says "Belive me, I now what it's like, you think I haven't wanted to protect her in the past? I wanted to volunteer in the games to protect her but she wouldn't apreciate that. She needs you there for her family. Katniss knows what she's doing if she'd risk her own life for it, she follows her heart and sometimes doing that is the best way to know what to do next"

His words light up a space in his brain that had been darkened for so long his mind replaying everything but he still finds himself asking doubtfully it wasn't all just nonsense "But she has you? Aren't you there for her family?"

He looks almost annoyed but sighs instead and says "She does, but I don't think she wants me anymore"

something about the way he says 'wants' makes Cato think and he finds himself turning back around to see Katniss drawing her bow her eyes set and determind and he sees the fire in them for all of a second when they lock eyes and until the whole tunnel bursts into flames.

His heart sinks as he watches the spitting of the fire escalate upwards engulfing everything in the tunnel, he feels almost lost as the thought of Katniss not coming out alive comes to him. He finds himself rushing over his hands gripping onto the edges as the flash fire flames from the explosion burn out. She's used an explosive arrow.

His hearts beating at a million miles per hour and his voice sounds out like a shattered music box "Katniss? Katniss are you down there? Katniss..."

He wants to jump down and feels his body yearning to go down there and help but Cressida pulls him backwards. He feels limp as there's no reply, no Katniss...no reply. His breaths are ragged and he feels like he can't get enough air and he's fighting Cressidas grip as she urges him to go on. It does feel right, this feeling isn't right.

He looks at the others, gale stands there his face completely lost whilst polluxs cries are heavier for the loss of his brother, Cressida seems like the only one who's acting normal, some people deal with it differently though.

It's different for him. Katniss needs to be there for their son...and something inside of him tells himself for him to. He can't do this by himself, he's had to come to terms with that and with the desperation he's feeling now he believes it even more.

But she isn't. There's no call. Nothing.

He finally turns around fighting every urge his body is telling him to go back, just one last look. The others begin to follow, Cato looks at the floor as his feet hit the gravel heavier than they did before like a heavy weight is held upon him.

Suddenly though, a strangled and bearly audible voice is heard, there cries are distant and Cato instantly turns around. He runs straight back to the opening of the tunnel and sees Her. Katniss. Alive. Not dead.

His heart pounds harder as he sees her and he can't help the smile that lights up his face. She's not in a good state and half her body is bruised as she holds Finnick who looks even worse. He doesn't care though, she's alive, that's all that matters.

He jumps down to her and the others catch up instantly beginning to help lift them up. Cato reaches down taking her hand in his and lifting her up, his stomach turns as he sees her.

Theres blood in her forehead which is accompanied by a large gash, without knowing he pulls her closer, wiping the blood from her forehead with his thumb and smiling like he'd never smiled before at her.

She look's up at him with glassy eyes as he says "I thought I'd lost you"

Her features soften as he says this and he finds himself brightening inside as he sees how vunerable she is and the next thing he does he cannot control.

It's not like the ones he's given her before, not quick kisses just for show, no, instead it's slow like he means it and he doesn't even know why but something inside of him has been telling him to do this for so long. Just kissing her turns something in him, it's different, she's startled at first and panicks but soon kisses him back shocking him more. The most he normally gets back is a slap or bite to his lower lip.

He can't help but feel overwhelmed as he breaks away, because he just kissed Katniss Everdeen.

KATNISS POV

Nothing but blackness envelopes her first as she punged deep under the water with Finnick to avoid the explosion, sparks fly past her and fire clashes with water as the rustling of flames fill her ears. But it's all gone in just over a second and she finds herself unable to move, her whole body froze in shock. She clutches Finnick and slowly rises from the water once it's ended. But she can't help but stand there and look around in complete shock.

Theres a few minutes maybe even hours maybe even days it feels like before her cold and haunted voice speaks up croaking out of her achy body. Everything hurts, that's all she can think off as she feels Cato pull her upwards, he's smiling which confuses her and throughout the whole thing she feels heresf in a transfixed daze reality still hadn't hit yet. It was like being unconcious but yet concious at the same time.

Catos voice rings in her ears as he says "I thought I'd lost you" and pulls her close, she lets him because at the minute all she wants is for someone to be close to her and sooth her pain.

But what happens next almost snaps her out off her daze, before she knows it his lips are resting onto hers and she feels herself snapping into reality at the feel of his soft lips up against hers kissing her like he'd never done before. She's froze and doesn't know how to respond.

But what shocks her even more is that she kisses him back, she can taste spice upon his tounge just like she could that one night...she forgets it soon though getting lost in the kiss baffled by her actions. He releases and her body glows a warm feeling within her and she almost feels as radiant on the outside too if it want for the explosion. She gives him a smile she's never given him before, and he smiles back. All these emotions are confusing.

She still can't believe it though, Cato Embry kissed her and she kissed him back...and maybe, just maybe, she might have even liked it.

Ooohhh everything's getting heated! Katniss and Cato kissed! Thought I'd shock you with that one! But what about the letter? What dark secrets is he holding or is he holding them at all? Got a long way to go yet but all will be revealed! Haha not everything can be perfect for too long!

Hope you guys are enjoying it and Thankyouu for all your support, I just want to thank Nique-Mellark for the ideas for this! Pure genius, I didn't think of this and I think it's so good.

Always wanting to hear your ideas and thoughts so either drop a review or Pm on what should happen next, will Finnick be the same? What about Annie, will he ever meet his child yet to be born?

Happy holidays guys - Ella 😅