The Games We Played
Hello my lovey readers. Here is chapter 9! I have to tell my reviewers just how much your words really inspire me to want to quickly get these chapters posted! Unfortunately, family and work have to come first, especially when you work from home. (I care for 2 developmentally challenged people.) December is a very busy month for us all. It doesn't help when you lose your notes for the chapter either.
Mhardman: 'awesome fanfiction'? Your flattery is giving me a big ego boost lol! And I promise to not stop writing until the end of the story.
lincolnlog89: I absolutely love Peeta and Cato as a couple and also think they are adorable, especially when Cato becomes protective of Peeta! Poor Finnick is definitely a screw up as far as Peeta is concerned. Haymitch can't really spill his guts until the kids get out, but who makes it out is still unknown…
Rolyn: If chapter 8 was your favorite, I need to step up my game ;) Finnick has moved on, but will he stay out of the picture for long? We'll have to wait and see. As for Katniss and Marvel, I researched and not a lot of stories about the two of them. You actually influenced me about them, so I'm going to see where they go. As for Gale not being with her, I never liked him with her, not even in Suzanne's original story.
MangoMagic: 'awesome chapter'? I'm touched you think so. I've always felt a good story shows characters growing and adapting to the things happening around them. Does that make any sense? I knew when I originally conceived this story with so many characters that I wanted them all to have a part, as well as a voice, in this story. Haymitch stopped drinking for the kids, seemed like being a good mentor would be the next logical step. Finnick's character is, in my mind, an antagonist for Peeta and now Cato too. Foxface is going to have an important role soon. Clove with a sense of humor is fun to write about. Cato and Peeta. I don't know why there aren't more fans of these two. I adore them! As for Cato "playing" with Peeta, shall we read on to see? ;)
Insanitywriter: Message? Oh, well I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out lol. The story is still rather young but for now I'm exploring Marvel and Katniss. Haymitch's secrets - He can't even tell what he knows until the kids get out. I can guarantee its big and not going to be expected!
Chapter 9: Day 2: Tribute Hunting
When Cato and Peeta catch up to the rest of the group and they reach the beach, the decision is made to split up into two groups to hunt for tributes. The first group would go into the jungle and search through an area for tributes while the second group would stay behind and hide in the jungle to watch for tributes looking for the cornucopia. The two groups would meet again around sunset to await anymore parachutes with more 'clues'. The first group consisted of Marvel, Clove, Thresh, Katniss, Peeta, and Madge. The second group consisted of Glimmer, Cato, Foxface, Rue, Rie, Delly, and Gale.
The plan was separating Cato and Peeta for the first time since they made up. Cato wasn't very happy about being separated from Peeta, wanting to spend more time with the younger boy.
"Peeta, why don't you switch with Gale? We can be together, talking, and getting to know each other. I have a lot I want to ask you," his voice pleading. "Please?"
"As much as your idea appeals to me, and believe me I would love to stay with you, I want, no I need to learn more about the arena. You're needed here. Besides, if I stayed we'd be too 'distracted' and let tributes get past us," Peeta replies flirtingly.
"Okay, fine. But you if you come back with even one scratch on you, I will not let you out of my sight again." Cato leans down to whisper in Peeta's ear, "I plan on doing a very thorough search when you get back too."
Peeta shivers before looking at Cato with a flirty smile before leaning up to give him a quick kiss. Cato wanted more, to taste his lips again. But after the teasing earlier he wasn't going to push his luck. Instead he decided he was going to figure out a way to get Peeta alone tonight. Maybe they could take a watch together as he feels much better after yesterday.
Group 1
The group heads out, past the crater and the section of jungle where Gale and Cato had emerged from the day before. They finally enter the jungle and begin their trek into a hopefully unknown territory. They fan out to cover more ground staying within eyesight of each other, keeping an eye out for other tributes.
About half an hour later, they come across two tributes. Clove and Marvel take out one together while; shocking the others, Madge takes out the other. Clove throws two of her knives, one hitting the hand of the tribute that held a knife. Her other knife hitting in the leg at the same time as Marvel's spear hits the tribute in the chest. As they go to gather their weapons, Madge spots a tribute trying to sneak past the group. She pulls out her bow and an arrow and hits the tribute in the neck. He falls near Thresh, who was ready to attack with his scimitar. Two cannons go off. Thresh retrieves Madge's arrow and the group forges ahead.
An hour later, they find themselves walking out of the jungle and looking at a wondrous sight – the African savannah, not that they know what that is. All they see is that it's a beautiful vista that appears before them.
"I wish Camille, uh Foxface, was here. She'd probably know what we're looking at," Katniss says wistfully.
"I wish I had my sketch book to draw this. It's absolutely breathtaking," Peeta says a gleam in his eye. What he doesn't add, but the others knew, is that he wishes that Cato was there to see it too. As they stand there taking in the sights, a parachute lands in front of Peeta. Everyone watches as he opens it to find a sketch book, two pencils, a box of colored pencils, and a note. Peeta reads the note aloud.
It's an ancient land called the African Savannah. Make your drawing one to remember.
~E
Peeta looks up at the sky. "Effie, you are an angel. Thank you." He blows her a kiss before he removes his backpack to put the items away, planning on drawing from memory.
"Hey Bread Boy, why don't you go climb one of those upside down tree looking thingies and wait for us. The rest of us will go in farther and see if we can find any more tributes." Clove suggests. She is intrigued to see if he's as good as their escort makes him sound.
"I agree with Clove, Peeta," adds Katniss. "I've seen your work and I bet this will be a nice challenge for you."
Madge pipes in. "I think you should stay as well. You are really talented; I've seen your work too. Plus, I bet the others left behind would have loved to have been here to see this, including your brothers."
"Marvel, Thresh I'll only stay if you agree as well," Peeta says looking at the other two members of the group that haven't spoken yet. "I have no problem sticking with the group and drawing this from memory."
"I say if you're as good as Katniss and Madge say you are, I have no problem with you staying," Marvel says. "I admit that I'd like to see your work."
"Stay Peeta, this may be an opportunity that you may never get again. Take it while you can," says Thresh. Peeta catches the hidden message – there may not be another chance for him to draw again for a while, especially if and when they get rescued.
"Thanks guys, but I'll only agree to this if we set a time to meet back here, say two hours?" he asks. "There are still a lot more tributes out there." They all agree to the two hour meet up time and as soon as Peeta is situated in the tree, they leave.
"See you in two hours Peet," Katniss calls back to him. He doesn't answer back as he's already begun to draw.
The heat of the savannah may have been the only saving grace for the group. Had it been cooler, the pride of lions they saw on a rocky outcrop not too far away could have killed them. They did find a watering hole that contained what they thought looked like floating logs. But when a pack of wild dogs approached for a drink, one of the 'logs' moved in to attack. Needless to say, the group moved away quickly and quietly, keeping a sharp eye out for more of the wildlife.
After an hour of walking and not finding any tributes, it was decided to head back to Peeta and possibly head to another part of the arena before regrouping with the rest of their friends for the night. Clove is leading the group back, flipping a knife in her hand as she walks. She sees something moving in the grass in front of her and throws the knife. When she goes to investigate what she hit, she finds an 8 foot long dead snake. She retrieves her knife. Thresh walks over and picks the snake up, wrapping it in a piece of plastic that was in his backpack. When asked why he was did it, he simply replied, "Foxface can tell us what it is." They continue on. They find Peeta still in his tree, his tongue sticking out over his bottom lip, as he is entirely focused on what he's doing.
"Hey Bread Boy! You might want to put your tongue away. If Cato finds out you were 'flashing' it at us, it could cause problems." She yells up at him laughing at her own joke.
Peeta is startled at Clove's voice, nearly falling out of the tree, so involved in getting the blending of colors in his drawing just right. He closes the book and puts everything in his backpack before climbing down. "I was able to get three drawings done. I can't wait to show everyone! You guys don't mind waiting do you?" He takes off his backpack to take a drink of water.
"We can wait Peeta. We want to try –"
Before Katniss can finish her sentence, Peeta has pulled out his ninja stars and, flicking his wrist, shoots them past the group in a blur of silver. The cannon goes off, startling them. It happened so fast even Clove was standing there with her mouth agape. As Peeta walks by her, he places two fingers under her chin to gently close her mouth.
"You might want to close your mouth Clover. You'll attract flies," he says teasingly. She pouts back, folding her arms across her chest. "Flies know better than to mess with me," she mutters causing Peeta to chuckle.
Peeta walks over to the body noticing that three of the stars hit the male tribute in the chest while the fourth star hit him in the neck. Sadly they were too deeply imbedded in the body to remove. He goes back to the group empty handed.
"Peeta, that was amazing! You're almost as good as Clove and her knives," Marvel exclaims. "Sorry you lost your stars though." Peeta gives him a shrug before turning to Katniss.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you a moment ago. What were you saying?" he asks.
"J-just that we th-thought we should try g-going to another part of the arena," she replies still in shock at how fast Peeta moved, at how fast everything had happened.
"Sounds good to me. Shall we?" he asks gesturing towards the jungle as he puts his backpack back on.
As they walk along, Peeta begins asking questions about what they saw. They tell him about the pride of lions on the rocks, the pack of wild dogs, and the 'floating logs'. While the descriptions were less than ideal, he still tried to imagine what they saw. He was kind of regretting staying behind to draw. Madge could see that he was a little disappointed and promised that they would sit down and give him better descriptions for him to draw. He smiled and thanked her.
Clove walks up to Peeta a short time later, bumping him with her hip, "Hey Peeta, Marvel was right when he said that you were amazing with those stars. Sorry you lost them. I was hoping that you'd give me lessons if you get anymore."
Peeta looks over at her, "Thanks Clove. I would love to teach you."
There was something in his voice that made her look up at him and sees he is upset. "What's wrong?"
He shakes his head, "I was just thinking about that boy I killed. I can't figure out why he was trying to sneak up on us. He wasn't even armed. Maybe I should have waited a minute to see what he wanted," Peeta says, the guilt seeping into his voice.
"You did the right thing Peeta. These are the Hunger Games," Thresh says from behind him. "It's kill or be killed. Besides, we don't need another person to worry about." Peeta just nods, knowing Thresh is right. There were 13 of them already in the group as it was.
The six group members quickly go through the jungle and once the reach the beach, continue down the beach to their right heading away from the seven others in their team. They jog along the edge of the jungle, aware of the threat of landmines along the beach keeping an eye out for hidden tributes. They pick a point in which to re-enter the jungle and jog to a small clearing. They stop long enough to eat something quickly and drink some water.
"We're going to have to find some water and soon. I'm getting low," Madge comments. The others nod in agreement. "Maybe we'll get lucky and this new area we're headed into will have water."
As they pack up their stuff and get ready to move on, they hear two cannon blasts. They share a look of hope for their friends before jogging deeper into the forest. When they reach the edge of the jungle, they are shocked to see what lies before them.
"This is where Rie found Rue," Thresh says quietly.
"Should we stay and explore or try again in another area?" asks Madge, a little shocked that they were in an area that one of them had already been.
"We could just go back to the group," Katniss suggests. The two blasts rattled her more than she cared to admit aloud. She was most worried about little Rue. Marvel could see the worry flash across her face and takes her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Peeta is conflicted. On the one hand they really did need to find water, on the other was the knowledge that this was where the rescue was to take place. He couldn't tell the others and tip off the game makers to their imminent rescue. He really wanted to explore the place to see if he could find where the rescue was to take place. He mentally made a note to mark a tree at the edge of the jungle by the beach to remind him where to go.
"Let's check a couple of buildings close by to see if we can find water," Clove suggests. "We can rejoin the others after that." She will never admit it, but she actually misses the others. She and Gale had spent their watch talking and she found him to be rather amusing.
"I agree with Clove. Water, then head back." Thresh says.
They head to the closest building, entering slowly and carefully. It looks like it's supposed to be a restaurant, tables and chairs scattered around, some tipped over or broken. There's dust and cobwebs everywhere. They realize this could be a good place to find water and split off into two groups; Peeta leads Thresh and Clove to the kitchen, while Marvel leads Katniss and Madge to the bathrooms.
In the kitchen, Thresh makes his way over to the sinks and checks the faucets but nothing comes out. Peeta decides to check the walk-in pantry for any extra food but just finds empty shelves. Clove notices a strange spot by the ovens and goes over. As she inspects the spot, a large piece of the roof comes crashing down on top of her. Thresh and Peeta carefully rush over to her and unbury her from the rubble. She appears to have just some scrapes and bruises forming. But when she tries to stand, she can't put any weight on her left ankle. Thresh offers to carry the two backpacks so that Peeta could carry Clove. He squats down so she can get up on his back. They head towards the bathrooms to get the others. Their trip now over.
In the bathrooms, Madge checks the sinks in the ladies room while Marvel checks the men's. Katniss stood between the doors to let one of them know if the other found water. The last faucet that Marvel check has a trickle of water. He calls out to Katniss as he pulls his empty water bottle out of his bag to fill it. The two girls rush in and get their empty bottles ready. As they fill up the last empty bottle, they hear a thumping noise but don't think much of it.
"I wonder if the others found water," Madge says zipping her bag.
"Let's go find out," Marvel replies heading to the door. As the three reach the main room, they are shocked to see Peeta carrying Clove and Thresh holding three backpacks.
"Oh my god!" Katniss exclaims. "What happened?"
"A chunk of roof fell on Clove. She hurt her ankle and can't walk." Thresh replies. "Did you find any water?"
Marvel takes one of the backpacks from Thresh, "We found some water in the men's room. We filled all the empties we had. We should fill yours while we're at it." They walk towards the bathroom to fill the other water bottles while the others wait.
"We may want to treat the water just in case." Clove says from Peeta's back when they come back. "Just to be on the safe side."
"Good idea Clove. We can do that when we get back to the others." Madge agrees leading the way to the door. They made their way to the jungle, moving slower for Peeta and Clove. As they near the beach, Peeta pulls a knife out of Cloves boot. "When we get closer, I want you to mark a tree so we can find our way back here," he whispers back to her, handing her the knife.
Group 2
Cato watches as Peeta leaves with the others before taking his post under the tree in which Rue had climbed to get a more panoramic view of the beach. To his left was Delly and Rie; to his right was Glimmer and Gale. Foxface was behind him somewhere, patrolling for tributes that could possibly sneak up from behind.
After a few minutes Rue quietly calls down to Cato, "They've entered the jungle. No sight of any other tributes yet."
"Okay. Thanks Rue." Cato says.
Time seems to be dragging. The group was feeling restless, wanting to see some action. Cato and Rue both jump when they hear two cannon blasts. Rue looks down at Cato smiling, "I'm sure Peeta's fine. He knows how to take care of himself and the others."
Cato smiles back, "I know. I'm just a little jealous of whoever is seeing some action," He sees her smile falter. "Sorry Rue. It's just that I've trained for these games for a long time and just sitting here is torture for me."
"It's okay Cato. I understand. I'll admit when I first saw you, you scared me. But now, well, I think of you like my big brother." She looks out towards the lake. "I, uh, never did thank you or Peeta for sharing your mattress last night. It was very comfortable."
"It was actually Peeta's idea. He has a very big heart." Cato tells her, his eyes sparkling at the thought of him. He's pulled from his thoughts by Rue's next question.
"When did you know you liked boys?" he can hear the curiosity in her voice. He looks up at her shocked but not totally surprised.
"I've known for quite a while. Does my liking Peeta bother you?" he asks nervously, not really sure this is a conversation he should be having with the young girl.
"Nah, not at all. I think you and Peeta are really cute together," she replies reassuringly. "He's good for you."
"I think so too."
They continue talking quietly about things from home, sharing what they miss most. Soon they stop talking altogether. He sees Rie and decides to talk to him. He switches places with Delly.
"Hey Rie, can I ask you something?"
"You just did Cato, but feel free to ask me something else if you'd like," Rie teases.
"Ha-ha Joke Boy, very funny," Cato says frowning. "I was wondering what Peeta was like when he was younger. You know, before he went to live with Gale's family?"
Rie looks over to Cato who can see the sadness behind the other boy's smile. "Peeta was a sweet little boy, always wanting to help our dad in the bakery. He was 5 when dad first let him decorate a cookie. By the time he was 7, he was doing simple cakes. By the time he was 10, not only was he doing all the decorating, he was helping dad with picking up our supply deliveries from the train station. Before being kicked out, he could lift 100 lb. bags of flour by himself." Rie looks down at his feet, "But if he ever made even the slightest mistake, our mother was right there to punish him with a wooden spoon to the hands or a rolling pin to the head. Sometimes it would be whatever she could get her hands on, hitting him wherever."
"So, your dad, why didn't he ever try to help Peeta?" Cato asks trying desperately to keep the anger out of his voice.
"He did in the beginning. But then mother would just turn her weapon on dad. After the first couple black eyes, he stopped trying." Rie looks over at Cato, a pained smile on his face, "Not good for business, being covered in bruises."
"Did your mother ever hit you?" Cato asks quietly curious.
"Yes." Rie says quietly. "Especially when I tried to stick up for Peet. Of course he'd always beg me not to, never wanting me to be hurt, trying to protect me." Rie's voice was sad. "So, like dad, I stopped. But Peeta, he took his beatings and still tried to make mother happy. He had, no, has an inner strength that is amazing. She couldn't break him ever."
"But he did break. Once." Cato says remembering the conversation he had overheard on the rooftop between Peeta and Finnick.
"Yes, he did," Rie says studying Cato. "He can't suffer like that again Cato. If you'd had seen him back then… It was bad."
Cato lets the subject drop. Just then he notices two tributes walking out onto the beach. He signals to Rie who looks over and sees them as well. Sticking to the trees, the two boys sneak up behind the other two tributes. Cato quietly pulls his sword from his back as Rie pulls out his hunting knife. As Rie throws the knife at one tribute, Cato thrusts his sword into the back of the other. Two cannons go off as they quickly sneak back to their hiding spots.
Cato looks over to Rie as they sit back down. He can see that Rie is a little upset. "It's a dirty trick, backstabbing them like that but they could have been armed." Cato tells him. "But always remember, it's them or us."
Rie nods. They sit in quiet contemplation, Rie thinking about their talk before the two tributes showed up and Cato wondering what Peeta was doing at that moment. Was he safe? Was he thinking about Cato too?
"I have a question for you." Rie says suddenly, breaking Cato from his thoughts.
"Since you answered mine, I'll answer yours," he says looking at the other boy.
"If it came down to you, Clove, and Peeta here, what would you do?" asks Rie. Cato gives Rie a strange look. It's an odd question considering that they're supposed to be rescued from the arena soon. Before he can respond Rie continues, "Peeta has a lot of people that rely on him back home – the Hawthorne's, the Everdeen's, and others. The boy that Peeta volunteered for, Rory is more of a brother to Peeta than I ever was." Rie stands up. "I wasn't really looking for an answer Cato. Just giving you more to think about. I'm going to go switch with Gale. Change of scenery. You understand." And with that, Rie walks away.
Cato tries to figure out exactly what Rie was trying to say. It felt like a warning of some sort, but what? They were all expecting to be rescued and taken to the rebel base in 13 so they could fight against the Capitol. If they win, the games will end and Peeta won't have to worry about the younger kids being reaped anymore. He goes back over the conversation he and Rie just had. He wonders if the warning had to do with breaking Peeta. Finnick had hurt him, badly according to Rie. What exactly had happened when Finnick broke Peeta's heart? What does it have to do with the other families needing Peeta? Would he kill Clove and himself to save Peeta?
"Cato!"
Cato jumps at the sound of Gale's voice. His face must have shown how confused he was when he hears Gale ask, "What's the matter?" When Cato doesn't immediately answer Gale continues, "I've been calling your name for about 5 minutes. What's troubling you?"
Cato can see the concern on Gale's face as he sits down. "I was thinking about the talk Rie and I had about Peeta when he was younger, his abuse from his mother." Cato pauses to study Gale's face. He wasn't expecting him to say anything.
"I remember Peeta coming to school with new bruises on a weekly basis, saying how he fell or what not. Everyone knew that his mother was hitting him. But no one ever reported it. I don't know why." Gale looks down in shame. "I thought about saying something once, reporting it to our Head Peacekeeper Cray. But I chickened out, thinking no one would believe a child." Gale looks up at Cato, "In a way I'm glad I chickened out. Because ever since he moved in with my family, it feels complete again. Like before my dad died."
"Peeta has a way of making you feel things you never thought you would." Cato says thinking about how before Peeta came into his life he still wanted to come into these games to bring honor to his district.
"Peeta's abuse wasn't the only thing you were thinking about." Gale says knowingly.
"No. I was also thinking about how his mother beating him never broke him but he did," admits Cato not saying Finnick's name on purpose.
"And you have questions about that too, don't you?" Gale asks not sure how much to reveal if Cato asks.
"Yes. But they're questions I should ask Peeta about. Even though you're here and he's not. I don't want to make that mistake." He replies.
"He might not want to share that information with you. Are you prepared to just let it drop if that's what he wants?" asks Gale.
"I realize that and if he wants me to drop it, I will. It's just that I don't want him to hurt like that ever again. I think if I know what happened, I'll know what not to do." Cato admits honestly.
"What he did to Peeta, you can't say for certainty that you won't do yourself. You can't predict the future Cato. You just need to make every day that you're with him as good as the last one."
"You love him, don't you?" Cato asks already knowing the answer but curious all the same.
"Yes. But only as a brother," Gale smiles. "I'm definitely into girls," They share a laugh before Gale gets serious. "I'm the one he came out to first. I'd had a crush on Katniss and thought he did too. One day the jealousy took over and I ordered him to stay away from her. He looked at me like I was crazy before telling me, and I quote, 'I don't like Katniss other than as a sister. I'm gay Gale. And before you freak out, I only think of you as a brother'. That was three years ago. I've since gotten over my crush on Katniss."
"And you mention that because…" asks Cato intrigued.
Gale blushes slightly before asking, "What can you tell me about Clove?"
"You like Clover? That's kind of crazy man. She's lethal."
"I know. It's just, we talked last night and she's not like any girl from my district." Gale admits.
Cato laughs, "These have got to be the strangest games in history. I mean no one ever falls for someone during the games. Sure there's usually sex but this is different. First it's Peeta and I, then you and Clove, and I suspect Marvel and Katniss too. Who's next? Thresh and Foxface? Rie and Glimmer?"
Gale laughs too. "It is crazy. But you still haven't answered my question." Gale points out.
"Ah, Clover. How to describe her? She's sarcastic, snide, and deadly with knives. But she's also my best friend. She can be sweet when it suits her. I've seen her cut down another student with her wit, cuddle with a kitten, and threaten an instructor with a knife to the throat all in the same day. I personally like her best when she's flipping somebody shit." Cato tells him.
"Thanks." Gale says giving Cato a strange look. "When I first came over, I was trying to get your attention to tell you that before you and Rie went after those tributes, Rue saw Peeta and the rest of the group. They came out of the jungle and walked further down the beach before re-entering." Cato nods in acknowledgement. Gale figures since Cato shared about Clove he could share a little about Peeta.
"Hey Cato," Gale says trying to get Cato's attention.
"Yeah Gale," Cato gives his full attention to Gale.
"Peeta's a painter. He's a baker. He likes to sleep with the window open. He doesn't like sugar in his tea. And he always double knots his shoes."
Cato smiles at the new information. The more he learns, the more he wants to know. Both boys get lost in their own thoughts.
Back together again
Cato and Gale both jump sometime later when Rue jumps out of a tree between them.
"They're back," is all she says before running to greet the returning group. Cato and Gale share a knowing smile before jumping up and following Rue. They see a tired looking Peeta giving Clove a piggyback ride and are a bit confounded at the sight.
They hear Thresh say, "Let's go back to where we camped last night and we'll share the whole story and answer questions."
When they all reach the clearing, all eyes are on Peeta as he gently sets Clove down next to a fallen tree and helps her to sit. He's looking down at her still holding her hands, silently communicating with her. Gale and Cato feel slightly jealous as he says, "Foxface, can you get your first aid kit and come look at Clove's left ankle? She can't put any weight on it."
Foxface gets her kit and sits in front of Clove when Peeta steps to the side. She gently removes the other girl's shoe and sock as Peeta turns to the rest of the group who have stacked the backpacks off to the side. He grabs his backpack and takes it with him. "If you'll all sit down, we'll all be glad to tell you what happened after Clove is taken care of." Peeta says as he walks over to Cato. Cato leans down and gives Peeta a quick kiss before running his eyes up and down Peeta's body, scanning for any injuries. "I'm fine Cato. Not even a scratch. Sit," he hears Peeta whisper. "You can check later." He adds with a wink remembering what Cato had said earlier that day.
Gale walks over to the log and sits next to Clove. He wants to hold her hand and offer her some comfort but knows that it will only make her look even more weak to her sponsors. He's pleasantly surprised when she lays her head on his shoulder. He can't stop the smile that forms. Cato winks at him knowingly before looking down into Peeta's eyes, glad he's back and safe.
Foxface finishes her examination of Clove's ankle. "It doesn't appear to be broken but I honestly don't know for sure. I'm going to wrap your ankle at any rate. You should stay off it tonight and I'll check it again in the morning." She takes an ace bandage out of her kit and wraps Clove's ankle before turning to Peeta to ask, "What happened?"
Peeta stops staring into Cato's eyes and waits as he sits before responding. "I'll start from when we left, giving you the full story."
As he sits down, he begins with his group entering the jungle, telling how Clove, Marvel, and Madge took out two tributes. He talks about seeing the African savannah, showing the parachute gift from Effie, and sitting in the upside down looking tree, that Foxface calls a baobab tree, and getting to draw. Marvel takes over telling about the lions, dogs, and floating logs that Foxface again interjects calling them Nile crocodiles. Thresh takes over showing the snake Clove killed, that was identified as a Black Mambo. Katniss tells the story of meeting Peeta back at the tree (Cato catching Clove winking at Peeta, wondering what that was about), how Peeta lost his ninja stars killing a tribute, and how they decided to move to another area of the arena. Madge continues with their lunch, hearing two cannons, finding the ruined city, and how they split up to find water. Thresh finishes with the roof falling on Clove, Marvel finding water, and returning back to everyone.
Rie explains that the cannons they heard were probably from Cato and himself killing two tributes on the beach. Peeta sees that his brother is distraught at what he did. He gives him a reassuring smile. Rie smiles back weakly. Peeta decides that he will talk to him tomorrow when Rie has time to deal with what he had to do.
"Peeta, you said you stayed behind in the savannah to draw. Can we see what you drew?" Rue asks excitement in her voice.
Peeta passes the sketch book to her and lets her look at his three drawings. It works its way around the group, including those that had been with Peeta but didn't get to see them.
"You did these in two hours? They're amazing Peeta," says Glimmer when it reaches her. She wasn't the only one to think so. He can see the others nod in agreement.
"They almost look real. I feel like I'm back there again." Marvel says.
Although proud of his work, Peeta was a little embarrassed by all the attention of those who'd never seen any of his drawings before.
When Cato was looking at the drawings, he turned to look at Peeta to say how wonderful they were. He noticed the blush on Peeta's face and closing the book, changed the subject handing it back to him.
"So, you carried Clove all the way back from the city?" he asks. Neither one expect Peeta to become more embarrassed by the question.
"Yeah, she was no heavier than the backpack I had carried." He replied running his hand behind his neck.
Marvel and Katniss had treated the waters they brought back during the showing of Peeta's drawings and began to hand out some food and water to everyone. It was silent while they ate. Everyone was thinking about the events of the day. When they finished eating, parachutes began to land. The first one lands in front of Clove. She opens it to find 2 little purple and pink pills and a note.
Take these soon. Your ankle will be healed in 12 hours.
~E
The next one landed in front of Rie who opened it to find a new hunting knife to match the one he used earlier. But there was no note. Cato jumped when the next one landed in front of him. He opens it to find a kit to clean and sharpen his sword. There was a note from Brutus.
Take better care of your weapon Cato
~B
The next parachute lands in front of Madge. It was a small basket of fresh strawberries and a note.
Good job today. Enjoy.
~H & E
The last parachute landed in the middle of the group. They knew it was from District 13 without looking. Delly gets up and opens it. Inside were 52 rolls – exactly like the ones from the night before, a plastic toy bus, 6 ninja stars wrapped in soft leather, and a strange note.
They were close to where they needed to be. Give the girl her lessons. Lay low tomorrow, don't take many chances.
~P
Peeta was happy that he would be able to teach Clove to throw some stars. He looked over at her to see her smiling back at him. He thought about the last line of the note. Why did they need to stay where they were? And who was the note from? His thoughts were interrupted by the anthem. All eyes looked up to watch.
District 1 male – killed by Rie with a chunk of cement
District 3 male – killed by Peeta with ninja stars
District 4 male – killed by Rie with knife to the back
District 5 female – killed by a rock slide
District 6 female – killed by a rock slide
District 8 male – killed by Madge with an arrow
District 9 male – killed by Clove and Marvel with knives and spear
District 11 female – killed by Cato with sword
The anthem played again ending the show. Rie was shocked that he was credited with two deaths. Especially considering one of them was a career. Peeta stood up and got the air mattress out and set it up. He walks over to Clove and squats down to look her in the eye. "Tonight I want you to use the bed."
Clove's eyes widen, "Oh no Peeta, I can't. That was sent to you and Cato. I'll be fine on the ground."
Cato comes over and stands next to Peeta. "Clover, that mattress is large enough for you, Rue, Peeta, and me. Don't argue with us, you'll lose."
"Do it Clove. Be comfortable for one night." Gale encourages.
Clove gives in but not happily. Peeta stands, picks up Clove bridal style, carries her over and lays her down on the mattress. Rue crawls in next to her. Thresh handed them their blankets. Gale grabs his blanket and lies down on the ground next to the bed, next to Clove. Peeta isn't surprised and smiles to himself as he walks over to where Cato had just sat down.
"You want to do the first watch with me tonight?" Cato asks.
"Sounds good. Who's taking the second watch?" Peeta asks.
"Foxface and I will take the second watch." Madge volunteers.
"Kat and I will take the third watch." Marvel says.
With that taken care of, everyone gets ready for bed except Peeta and Cato. As he watches his friends falling to sleep, Peeta lays his head on Cato's shoulder while reach over to hold his hand. Cato kisses the top of Peeta's head and hears him say, "I missed you today. I wished that you were with us to see that savannah. It was really amazing."
"I missed you too. I spent my day thinking about you too." Cato says softly. "I had a nice talk with Rie and Gale about you as well." He admits, not wanting to keep any secrets from the younger boy.
"What did they tell you?"
"I asked Rie to tell me about what you were like when you were younger." Cato says. Peeta sits up, curious as to what Cato learned. "He told me about you frosting cookies and cakes." Cato looks at Peeta before continuing, "And we briefly discussed your dad and mother." He waits for Peeta to get upset. But when he didn't say anything Cato continued, "I know that your dad and Rie tried to stand up for you against your mother and what happened when they did."
Peeta reaches up with his hand and places it against Cato's cheek, looking into his eyes. "It wasn't pretty. I got punished more when they tried to protect me." Cato didn't know how to respond to that so he just wrapped his arm around Peeta's waist. "So, what did Gale tell you?" Peeta asks.
"We discussed how I need to talk to you about things from your past, such as him." He feels Peeta stiffen. "No, not like that. Like how no matter what your mother did, you were the same person - caring, giving, loving, no matter what you went through. But when he broke your heart, you were different – sad." Cato turns Peeta's face to him. "I don't want to make that mistake. I don't want to hurt you like that." He leans to kiss Peeta on the nose before looking at his shoes, "Double knots, just like Gale said."
"What else did Gale tell you? Besides how I tie my shoes, I mean," Peeta asks quietly.
Cato shrugs. "Not much just that you're a baker, a painter, you prefer to sleep with a window open, and you don't take sugar in your tea." Peeta starts to turn his head in embarrassment.
"Please don't," Cato says making Peeta look at him again. "Don't be embarrassed. I want to know these things. I want to know who you are and what makes you who you are."
Peeta looks into Cato's eyes, searching, but only sees the truth of what Cato is saying. "Why?" he questions Cato. "Why me? I'm nobody special." He whispers trying to pull away.
"Don't!" Cato growls. He pulls Peeta closer gently. "Please don't ever say things like that to me." He says gently. "You mean something to me." And with that said, he kisses Peeta gently, showing him exactly how he feels.
The kiss starts out gentle, kind, and sweet. But when Cato runs his tongue over Peeta's soft lips, silently asking for and being granted entrance, it becomes hot, fiery, and passionate. It's something neither of them has ever felt before. Without breaking the kiss, Peeta finds himself sitting on Cato's lap. Neither of them aware or caring if the cameras are on them. Peeta's hands run slowly up and down Cato's chest, feeling the firm muscles that lie under his shirt as Cato's hands grab Peeta's waist pulling him closer. Then one hand slides slowly up Peeta's back and entangles itself in Peeta's hair while the other works itself under the hem of Peeta's shirt, feeling the soft skin of his back, causing Peeta to moan. Hearing Peeta moan, Cato bucks his hips against Peeta, who could feel just how much the kiss was affecting Cato.
The sound of a cannon blast breaks their lips apart. Peeta rests his forehead against Cato's, both breathing heavily, struggling to catch their breath. Both knowing that had the cannon not gone off, things would have gone much further than they should have.
"You have no idea. The effect you can have." Cato whispers against Peeta's lips.
Somewhere in the Capitol
They meet in a darkened alley. Both aware of the danger of meeting but willing to take the risk to save the children in the arena, remove President Snow from leadership of the country, and end the barbaric games once and for all.
"Did you send the message?" the one asks.
"Yes, just like you asked. Can you tell me why they have to stay where they are?" the other one asks.
"It will be safer for them. They're in a safe zone for now. They'll be able to take out other tributes as well," the one replies. "Is the rescue team ready?"
"They know exactly where to hit the shield. The hovercraft will fly low so as to stay off the radar. We have some of our best members ready to rescue the kids," the other one says. "If everything goes as planned, those 13 kids will be safely aboard and gone before the Capitol hovercrafts arrive. Provided the Intel we received is accurate."
"Good. Is the second hovercraft to take the Capitol rebels ready as well?" asks the one.
"It will be hidden in the forest just outside the city as planned. Do the Capitol rebels know the signal to head out?" asks the other.
"Yes, the morning of the rescue during the live feed of the games an 'interruption' of the program will let them know to head out." Replies the one. "They are to go to their designated hidden tunnel and head out of the city."
"And the mentors?" asks the other. "How will they reach safety?"
"When the new room was built, there was a trap door placed inside their room. It leads to an underground passage way that leads outside the city." The one says.
"Tunnels? Are they safe?" asks the other.
"There are no pods in the secret tunnels. When you started training those children, we began work on the tunnels secretly. Only the Capitol rebels know of their existence as they built them."
"What about the peacekeepers stationed at the mentor building?" asks the other. "How will they be dealt with?"
"They will be called outside to an emergency, a car bomb will go off about a block away near an unfinished building that will require them to check out." Replies the one.
"And the rendezvous spot? Is it still in District 5?" asks the other.
"Yes. When both crafts land in 5, the mentors and Capitol rebels will board the craft with the kids and immediately head for District 13 while the other craft will be used as a decoy for any Capitol crafts that may be following," says the one. "Do we have a plan if President Snow decides to retaliate against the families of the kids?"
"The trainers for the kids have been instructed to go to the districts and get the families to a safe place outside their districts for pick up once the kids are rescued. If President Snow decides to go after any district, we have rebels there to lead as many citizens to safety as possible. District 13 will be ready to pick them up as soon as its deemed safe to do so." Says the other.
"And if the families refuse to leave?" asks the one. "Do we force them to leave?"
"No, we aren't forcing them. The decision to leave will be theirs to decide. We are giving them enough time to gather whatever items they can fit into a small bag before they are to leave." Replies the other.
"And the peacekeepers in the districts where the families are? How are we dealing with them?" asks the one.
"As they are out patrolling to make sure the citizens are watching the games, our rebels have been timing the intervals and will move accordingly." Says the other.
"And what of the fences?" asks the one.
"The fences will be short circuited or shut off from inside each district." Responds the other.
"Sounds like we got our bases covered," says the one. "I better get going. I said I had a family emergency and am expected back. Until we meet again, stay safe."
"You too." Replies the other.
The two figures leave in opposite directions, checking to make sure no one is following them as they head off. This meeting would be the last one between the two figures until they saw each other again in District 13.
So there you have it. Some parts I'm very happy with and others I don't think came out the way I pictured in my mind. Chapter 10 will be up soon.