The Games We Played
Hello everyone. Sorry about the delay. To be perfectly honest, I was waiting for my dear lincolnlog89 to post her next chapter of her story When Your Heart Rebels and review my story. She follows my story and I respect the fact that she is busy and couldn't review my story earlier.
MangoMagic: After the last chapter, I can only hope that this one will meet with your approval. That was totally meant as a compliment by the way. Seneca is a little evil in my opinion. Anyone who can create arenas where children fight to the death has to be evil, lol. The sexual tension will only last another chapter or two before our two love birds will get their chance to be together – maybe ;)
Rolyn: This chapter will show exactly what Seneca has planned lol. And you're right, Glimmer is sadly NOT the last tribute to die. As for calling shurikens ninja stars – it was honestly just to keep things as simple as possible. I hope that makes sense to you. And I find it awesome that you watch anime. I could never get into it myself.
Mhardman: I'm happy that you liked the last chapter. I hope you find this one as good.
lincolnlog89: Yes, my Cato is a dream guy! Peeta is a kick ass guy as well lol. I was hoping that Glimmer's death would be well received. I actually liked her in my story. She was a good friend to Peeta which you'll see more of later. As for Seneca, we'll find out why he was gunning for Peeta. I'm just not sure how soon lol.
Chapter 12 Arena Day 4, the Rescue
The day began like any other in the arena except for the silence. It's a little unnerving. The birds in this part of the jungle are being unusually quiet. In fact, it was like they were gone, flew the coop so to speak. It alarms Peeta, who snuggles closer to Cato. He hopes that by being closer to the older boy it will dispel the uneasy feeling in his gut.
Cato feels Peeta snuggle closer to him and smiles. He doesn't know or care why Peeta did it, but Cato tightens his hold on the younger boy. He was beginning to really enjoy the feeling of waking up to Peeta in his arms. Just being like this was the best feeling in the world, like his life is complete. He's startled out of his thoughts by the sound of Peeta's voice.
"Did I wake you?" he asks.
Cato tilts his head down to look at Peeta, "No, I was just lying here, enjoying the quiet," he responds voice quiet so as not to disturb the others still sleeping. "And having you in my arms. I could spend the rest of my life happy if I could wake up every morning with you in my arms," he admits truthfully.
Peeta blushes. "Aww, I didn't know you were such a romantic sap," he whispers teasingly.
"When this is all over, I will show you exactly how romantic I can be," Cato whispers back seriously.
"Ugh, you two are far too mushy this morning," Rie complains from his side of the bed. "Can't you two just wish each other a good morning like a normal couple?"
Cato leans up on his elbow to look at Rie on the other side of Peeta, "Sure, we could be boring like that. But we're not quite a normal couple are we." He winks at Rie who just shakes his head smiling.
Peeta rolls on his back to look at his brother muttering, "We're in an arena, fighting for our lives. Nothing about this situation is normal." Peeta turns his head to look up at Cato, "If Cato wants to sweet talk me, who am I to deny him that?"
"How's your leg, Rie?" asks Cato a little embarrassed and trying to change the subject. Peeta snickers as he turns back to Rie, curious as well.
Rie sits up and throws the blanket back to look at his leg, "It feels fine. I think I'll just wait for Foxface to check it when she gets up."
Peeta and Cato both sit up and look over to a sleeping Foxface. "I'm glad she's with us," Cato says sincerely. "I think our losses would've been greater without her."
"I'm glad too," Rie says. "Without her I'd have probably bled to death." Immediately Cato and Rie look at Peeta when they realize what they had just said. Peeta's reaction to Glimmer's death still fresh in their minds.
Peeta can feel both pair of eyes on him. "I'm fine guys. I know I lost it yesterday. But I am doing much better today, I promise." He gestures to Foxface, "She definitely has been an asset to the group. I could have lost both of you." He says laying his head on Cato's shoulder. He changes the subject from such morbid thoughts, "have you noticed how quiet it is today? I can hear Clove's snoring from here." Rie and Cato snicker at that.
"It is pretty quiet. No singing birds," Rie says.
"Maybe Clove's snoring chased them off," Cato adds. The three of them laugh loudly before covering their mouths. "We better stop. We don't want to wake her." Peeta and Rie nod in agreement.
"So, we're going to be able to get clean today?" Peeta asks.
Cato looks down at Peeta, kissing his nose, "Yes. The plan is to head up as soon as everyone is up and ready. You up for a swim?"
"More than you'll ever know. I just want to be able to put on clean clothes," Peeta says gesturing to his dirty clothes. "Even living in 12 with all that coal dust in the air I never felt this gross," he admits with a touch of sadness lacing his voice.
"You miss home too?" Rie asks sadness evident in his voice as well. "I really miss the smell of fresh baked bread."
"I miss Mrs. Everdeen's dandelion salad," Peeta admits shyly. "Mama Hazel's rabbit stew and Greasy Sae's mystery meat soup."
"Who are Mama Hazel and Greasy Sae?" Cato asks interestedly.
Peeta looks up at Cato, "Greasy Sae is a local cook and Mama Hazel is Gale's mother. She's the one who took me in and treated me like one of her own. She's the woman I call mom, my family." He looks over to Rie, "Not that it makes Rie any less of a family member to me."
Rie smiles at Peeta, "You've always been my baby brother and you always will be. No matter what that witch says." Both brothers are surprised when Cato doesn't react to the mention of the woman that gave them birth. Not even a twitch. Peeta leans up and kisses Cato's jaw whispering, "Just because."
The three boys notice that the others are beginning to wake up. They decide now would be a good time to get out of bed. Cato jumps up and rushes over to help Rie stand shocking both brothers yet again. They both stare at him, mouths agape.
"What?! My mother taught me manners," Cato says noticing their matching expressions. He smirks when Peeta sticks his tongue out at him. Cato goes to help Peeta off the bed once Rie is steady on his own two feet. He helps Peeta to stand. He then leans to whispers seductively in Peeta's ear, "Stick that tongue out again and I'll give you something to lick." Peeta blushes a bright red, thankful that no one else heard what Cato said.
Cato and Peeta clean up the bed as Rie gingerly walks over to the log to sit with Delly and Madge. Once everything is packed, the couple turns to look at their friends. Rie is talking with Delly and waiting for Foxface to wake up. Clove is sleeping next to Gale, using his arm as a pillow.
"Those two just need to admit that they're a couple," Cato whispers to Peeta nodding towards them.
Katniss is sleeping with her head on Marvel's chest, their legs tangled together and in their blanket.
"I never thought Katniss would ever find someone to care about after her father died. She had once told Gale and I that she never wanted to fall in love," Peeta whispers to Cato gesturing to the other sleeping couple. "I'm happy that she met Marvel. Maybe he can change her mind."
The final three sleeping figures are together as well. Rue slept in between Thresh and Foxface, her little face barely visible.
"Do you think anything is going on between Thresh and Foxface?" asks Cato still whispering.
"No, I think that they're just friends," Peeta answers. "But then again, I never paid that much attention to who Thresh has been spending all his time with."
Over the next 30 minutes the sleeping tributes of the large group begin to wake. They all sit in a circle and eat the bread from the parachute from the night before. When they were all done, the backpacks were double checked for supplies. Foxface remembered the soap she had seen in a bag they were going to leave behind and grabs it. They load up and head out for the pool.
The trek didn't take as long as it had the day before thanks to Clove's marking the way. Upon arrival, they all took a moment to enjoy the beauty of what lies before them. The small lake is surrounded by large pine trees, the clear water reflecting the image. Peeta is entranced by the scene and desperately wants to draw what he sees. Unfortunately, getting clean holds a higher priority. He can't help but wonder how Cato can stand being so close to him. It was then that the waterfall caught his eye, giving him the brilliant idea of how to let the others know the rescue plan for that day. "I say we go over to the waterfall," he suggests hoping the others will agree. They do and all head around.
When they reach a nice beach next to the waterfall, the guys quickly throw their packs on the ground. Before the girls could comment on their slothfulness, the boys had all stripped out of their clothes and ran to the water diving in. "At least they left their underwear on as there is a young girl here," Madge comments. But hearing the guys moan at how good the warm water felt causes the girls to quickly strip down themselves. Foxface remembers to grab the soap before the girls take their turn diving into the water. The twelve tributes take turns using the soap to wash their hair and bodies.
Cato can't help but notice Peeta's body. He remembers the last time he saw so much skin, back in the training center. It seems to have been a lifetime ago when in truth it has been a little over a week. As Cato watches Peeta scrubbing his hair, he notes that Peeta's muscles are, in a word, magnificent! No, they're more than that, just no words that come to his mind right now. He turns away before his thoughts take him somewhere that none of the others want to see.
Peeta wasn't as oblivious to Cato's perusal of his body as Cato had thought. In fact, he made sure to move in such a way that Cato would be affected. It wasn't that he wanted to tease him, more like showing him what he would soon be able to touch soon. But the downside was that Cato was affecting him as well. The water dripping down those perfectly sculpted pecs and abs makes Peeta want to run his hands over them, moving lower and lower. He forces himself to dunk under the water and rinse his hair when his thoughts become too much.
Once everyone had a chance to wash, they played around for a while splashing and dunking each other. It was a chance to just relax and have fun. A chance to forget the horror of yesterday, of losing Glimmer. Eventually though, they remembered where they were. Peeta made them follow him to the backside of the waterfall before they got out. It was the only chance to explain the escape plan.
When they were all gathered Clove asks, "What's up Bread Boy?"
"It's the clues we received," he states simply. He knew that Rue understood but the others hadn't said they had yet. "Other than Rue, have any of you figured them out?" he asks. When they all shake their heads he continues, "I know where and when it'll take place." Before the others can interrupt, he holds up a finger and continues, "We need to go back to the city ruins where Rie found Rue. We're to be rescued today, at 4 pm to be exact. Near a bus."
"I was on an overturned bus when Rie found me. I'm pretty sure that's where we need to be," Rue adds.
"That's great guys, but we don't know where that is," Delly points out.
"Yeah little brother, I don't remember where Rue and I came out," Rie says. "How do we find it?"
Peeta smiles widely, "The other day when we all split up to explore, we told you where we went. We found it, remember? On the way back to camp, as we were leaving the jungle I had Clove mark a tree." Clove's eyes light up when she remembers marking the tree. Peeta notices and continues, "Now, hopefully the game makers haven't messed around with it and we'll know exactly where to go to get to the city." Peeta can see the excitement and relief on the faces of his companions. And is that pride on Cato's? "We still need to be on our guard though. As fun as it was here, there are still some tributes out there after our blood, still hunting us." He says thinking of the district 2 boy Leonitus from yesterday. He already failed Glimmer so getting the others rescued safely was now his main priority.
"I say we get out now and get dressed. We can go back to where we first saw the lake, eat and refill our water bottles before we head out," Rue suggests.
They agree and head back to the beach where they left their stuff unguarded. The girls head into the trees to dress while the guys just dress on the beach. Katniss and Clove gather up all the dirty clothes they had come in and packed them into some of the less filled packs. They didn't need them but felt better having them just in case. They walk back to where Rue had suggested and began to eat.
Peeta, not very hungry, pulls his sketch book out and begins to draw while gnawing on a piece of dried meat. Cato quietly sits next to him and watches Peeta. In 30 minutes, Peeta has drawn what he could. All that was left was adding the color and some finer details. Cato is flabbergasted at what he witnessed, "Glimmer was right. You are an amazing artist." Peeta looks over to him smiling, "Thank you."
Thresh and Gale gather all the empty water bottles, refilling them before using the last of the drops to purify them. With a meal eaten, bottles refilled, and bags repacked; Clove and Gale lead the group back to the beach quickly. Peeta smiles as he notices the pair holding hands. He nudges Cato who was walking next to him, and points to them. Cato chuckles quietly at the sight before grabbing Peeta's smaller hand in his own. Everyone has their weapons ready. No one says it aloud, but they're all thankful they're about to be rescued.
Upon reaching the beach, Peeta and Clove team up to lead the group to their destination. Clove is the one to find the tree with the mark she made. They head into the jungle. The normally happy and talkative group was quiet and tense. They haven't seen another tribute since the day before. They also think that the game makers have a plan up their sleeves.
Little did they know how right they were.
The Game Makers Room
Seneca Crane was watching the large group of twelve tributes, waiting. He waited to see what their plan was for after the morning in the lake. He made sure the water was warm, hoping that one of them would let it slip what their next step was. He was unaware of the conversation behind the waterfall as he was watching the District 4 female teaming up with District 3 male and the District 8 male. They were digging up the landmines around the tube that the District 11 girl came up. He was curious as to what they were going to do with them.
When he returned his attention back to the large group, they were leaving the lake. He called up the footage from the night before when they sorted out the backpacks. It seemed to him that they were going to move their camp. While the group was moving, he had the 12 zone techs working on special mutts coinciding for each zone environment. His favorite was the Yeti like creature in the mountain zone.
He bides his time, curious to see where the 12 tributes decide to go. He had watched the tape of them repacking their bags the night before, noting that it seemed like they were going to move their camp. His patience pays out. He watches as they enter the jungle near zone 3, the ruined city. He goes over to the young female zone tech saying, "Let's see what you came up with." She taps the screen in front of her and a 3 dimensional creature appears.
"That doesn't look very, how do I put this, scary? Intimidating?" he asks patience waning. "It's just a dog."
"I know sir, just watch," she says before pushing a small red button on the console. The 3D image changes slightly. "I made the mutt to appear to be a harmless golden retriever – at first. It's to reel the tributes in. then when the tribute is close enough, the sharp, talon like claws come out. But the best part is when the dog bites," she closes the image in on the mouth. "Its fangs elongate and the poison is injected into the blood stream. The poison will paralyze all organ functions within minutes." She looks up to Seneca, an evil smile gracing her lips. "There is no antidote for this poison."
Seneca is pleased with this information. No matter how much money the tributes acquired from sponsors, the treatments won't work. "That's wonderful," Seneca says smiling widely. He checks on the progress of the large group. "How many can you have ready in the next 30 minutes?"
"I can have a pack of 6 in 30 minutes, 10 in 45 minutes," she tells him.
"You have 30 minutes, get it done," he says before heading back to his post to oversee the games. He can't wait to see the dogs in action.
The Mentor Room
Lyme looks up at the clock, its 2:45 pm. In an hour and 15 minutes the shield will be knocked out and the 12 remaining rebel tributes will be rescued. But in 15 minutes, the rebel mentors need to be getting into the escape tunnel. Earlier that morning, a disruption of the games flashed on just the rebel screens, 3 pm flashed before the games resumed. Lyme looks up at her screen. The tributes were almost to the city. There wasn't anything her or the other mentors could do now. She looks around and can see that many of them were getting antsy, particularly Haymitch and Finnick.
Haymitch felt like he was going to jump out of his skin. He was ready to go but also feeling a little guilty that he was going to be leaving his kids unsupervised for the next hour. Then there was the matter of the secrets he'd been keeping for the last 17 years. How he managed to never tell a soul during his drinking days was remarkable. He wasn't sure what was going to happen when it comes time to drop his little bombshell. There are three families that will be affected. His only hope is that someday all would be forgiven.
Finnick was having second thoughts about leaving with the other mentors. If he goes, he will see Peeta again in a couple of hours. And with his new boyfriend Cato. He wasn't quite ready for that. It nearly killed him to watch them the other night. The kiss was more than he could handle, but watching Cato's hands all over Peeta was worse. The only thing worse than the kissing and touches was the questions Cato was asking about him earlier that day. Oh sure, Cato never said his name specifically but Finnick knew. So did Johanna and Haymitch, if their looks of pity were any indication. Finnick admits to himself that what he did to Peeta was bad, very bad. He never meant to hurt him. Peeta even forgave him, letting them remain good friends. Finnick hoped that if he gave it enough time, they'd eventually get back together again. Now he watches as the one person he ever truly loves falling for someone else. It was a pain he never imagined. Was this how Peeta felt after that night?
It's now 2:59 pm, nearly time to go. There is a loud commotion out in the other room. As the peacekeepers rush out to inspect, Lyme opens the hidden trap door to the tunnel. All of those that are in on the plan are ready to go.
Or are they?
Back in the Arena
It's about 3 pm when the group reaches the edge of the city. They have an hour to get to the bus. As Rie and Rue were the only ones that had been inside the city, it is decided that they should lead the group. Gale and Clove were right behind them, ready to back them up.
The group gets about 3 blocks from their destination when Peeta's worst fears begin to come true. Rue has spotted a friendly looking dog ahead of them. She slowly walks up to it before anyone could think to stop her. She's less than a foot away when the seemingly nice dog changes and attacks her with its talon like claws. As she falls to the ground her stomach bleeding, Gale shoots an arrow and hits the mutt between the eyes. Thresh takes off running and scoops Rue up in his arms. As he turns to rejoin the group, a trident flies out of nowhere and hits him in the back. As he slumps to the ground, 3 more dog mutts appear and attack the fallen pair. Rue gets a claw to her neck as Thresh is bitten on his shoulder. Gale, Katniss, Delly and Madge all fire off arrows managing to kill the mutts. The rest of group, keeping an eye out for the tribute that threw the trident, quickly make their way to the injured pair. Foxface works on stopping the bleeding of Rue's neck as the cannon for Thresh goes off.
Fearful of a repeat of yesterday, Cato pulls Peeta into his arms holding him close. "As much as I love being in your arms Cato, now is probably not the time." Peeta says smiling up at him. Cato leans down and gives Peeta a quick kiss before letting him go. A second cannon goes off. Both boys look down at Rue and see that she is still breathing. Cato catches Foxface's eye and she sadly shakes her head. She stands up and walks over to Cato and Peeta.
"She's lost too much blood, there's nothing more I can do," she tells him quietly. "She's going to bleed out. And soon."
Peeta looks from Cato to Foxface to Rue and back to Cato before saying, "We have about 30 minutes to get to our destination." He turns to Foxface, "Do you think she could last that long?"
"She might make it, but I'm not a doctor Peeta," Foxface says looking down at Rue. "We can only try."
Cato, understanding what Peeta wants, puts his sword away and goes to pick up Rue. The others gather around him, Rie leading the way with Clove by his side. To Cato's right is Katniss and Delly, to his left was Gale and Madge. Behind Cato is Foxface. Bringing up the rear, behind Foxface, is Marvel and Peeta.
As they near the bus, Clove spots 2 tributes running into a nearby building. Against her better judgment, and before anyone could stop her, she takes off after them. Once she enters the building, there is a loud explosion.
"Clove!" Gale screams before running towards the building. He doesn't notice the 2 dog mutts that are following him, but Katniss does. She fires off 2 arrows, one right after the other. She hits one, killing it instantly. The other arrow went wide, missing its target completely. That mutt swiped its paw at Gale leaving 4 long, bloody gashes in Gale's calf before it turns its attention back to the large group running for the bus.
Gale manages to close the door to the building behind him after getting his leg clawed. He focuses on trying to find Clove, not wanting to lose her now. As his eyes adjust to the dimness inside the building, he can see the rubble from the explosion. He runs to it, hoping that Clove isn't buried in it. As he inspects the damage, he realizes that it was an elevator shaft that had been destroyed. That's when he hears the clash of metal on metal from somewhere above him. He looks around for a way up before spotting a stair case. It doesn't look very safe, but he needs to see if Clove is okay. He carefully makes his way up the stairs, avoiding the obvious weak spots. It's a more difficult climb than he expected due to his injury. He stops just long enough to tie off the wound with his belt before continuing on. As he reaches the top of the stairs, he sees Clove battling with the girl from District 4 and a male from District 8. He loads an arrow and as he takes aim at the boy, he sees Clove throw her knife hitting the boy in his chest. The boy is killed instantly and his cannon goes off. The girl from four, who Gale noticed has a patch over her eye, runs for a door. She ducks in and barely misses getting hit by Gale's arrow. Clove turns to Gale and notices his bloody leg, as he finally gets a good look at her and sees a large gash on the side of her head. Totally forgetting about the District 4 girl, the two come together, holding each other close.
"You scared me half to death Clove," Gale says, his face buried in her hair. "When that explosion went off, all I could think was that I lost you for good."
"I'm so sorry Gale," she says looking up at him, her brown eyes meeting his gray ones. "I was nicked by flying debris but I'm fine. What happened to your leg?"
"One of those damn dog mutts got me," he says pissed that it got him while his attention was elsewhere. "There were two of them and I think that one of the others killed one." He reaches up and brushes a strand of hair from Clove's face. "I was too busy trying to get to you," he whispers before leaning down and kissing her. It was their first kiss, filled with a tenderness Clove never experienced before. Or knew existed. She reluctantly pulls away first. "As much as I enjoyed that, we really should get back to the others," she says with a wink.
Gale nods in agreement. "Before we head out, we should probably wrap that head wound of yours. It's still bleeding." He takes off his backpack and digs out the first aid kit. He grabs some bandages and wraps her head. He repacks the kit, throws his bag over his shoulders, and grabs Clove's hand. They carefully make their way down the stairs and head to the door. As soon as they reached the door, another blast comes from the back of the building.
Meanwhile the group outside was making their way to the bus. They were ignoring the dog mutt for the moment, hoping to get Rue and Foxface safely on the bus first. It wasn't a very good plan as the mutt jumped on Marvel, pinning him down on his stomach, its talon-like claws digging into his shoulders. Peeta, who was still right next to Marvel, reacted immediately and cut the dog's head off before it had a chance to bite. Unfortunately for Peeta, his blade also nicked Marvel's neck drawing blood.
"Oh shit Marv, I'm sorry!" Peeta cries out as he shoves the Mutt off him.
"It's okay buddy," Marvel says standing up. "Compared to my shoulders, it barely hurts.
Peeta looks over at Katniss to see how she was taking all this. She was holding up remarkably well. She gives Peeta a weak smile as she joins the two boys. Foxface walks over as well, getting supplies ready to clean the wounds. Peeta looks over to the rest of the group. They had continued on with the plan to get on the bus, seeing that Marvel was getting taken care of. Peeta watches as Rie climbs on the bus before reaching down to grab Rue from Cato. Once little Rue was on, Cato and Rie work together to get Delly and Madge on the overturned bus. As that was going on, Foxface cleaned and bandaged Marvel's wounds.
"Peeta, can you help us get Marvel up here? Katniss asks bringing Peeta's attention back to where he was.
"What? Oh yeah, sure," he answers as he reaches down to help Marvel stand up. He had knelt down to make it easier on Foxface. As Marvel got to his feet, cannon goes off. All eyes on the ground go to the top of the bus.
"She's fine," Madge calls down. "Her breathing is a little more raspy, pulse is weak, but she's still with us."
Getting Marvel on the bus was a little trickier but they did it. Marvel only screamed like a girl once, which of course Cato has to tease him about. "I didn't know you were such a whiny little girl. Maybe Katniss needs to find herself a real man." That comment got him 2 slaps upside the back of his head, one from Katniss, and the other from Peeta.
"Oww! Sorry Kat, sorry Peet," Cato apologizes before helping Foxface up. She was followed by Katniss. Before Cato has the chance to ask Peeta if he wanted help, 2 things happen. One, the building Clove and Gale disappeared in shook from a second explosion causing the girls to gasp in shock. The second was a voice that calls Cato's name. Peeta and Cato whip around at the same time, blades drawn and ready. Who they see shocks them all.
"Leonitus!" Cato exclaims.
"Long time, no see Cato." Leonitus replies. "Have you missed me since yesterday?" he teases.
"No. I haven't given you a second thought since you ran off," Cato replies.
Leonitus turns his attention to Peeta. "How about you Loverboy? Have you given me another thought since then? Because I've been thinking of you. A lot. You're pretty cute. I bet you're a much better kisser than Cato there." He adds nodding his head in Cato's direction.
Cato's blood begins to boil, "I have never kissed you! What do you really want?" Cato asks barely keeping his temper in check.
"First, I'd like your little watch dogs to put their weapons down. I'm not here to fight, only talk – for now. To that hot, little blonde right there," Leonitus says gesturing to Peeta. "Look, I'm not even armed," he states raising his arms over his head, spinning around to show he wasn't hiding a weapon behind him.
"What if he doesn't want to talk to you?" Cato asks contemptuously.
"Oh, I think Peeta will definitely want to talk to me. I bet you haven't told him about us, have you?" Leonitus asks watching for a reaction from Peeta, who's eyes widen slightly. "Ah, I see you haven't. Oh Cato, this is going to be so much fun." He adds gleefully.
"As nothing ever happened between us, there really isn't much for you to tell," Cato says calmly belittling the anger he was suppressing.
"Oh my dear Cato, how could you forget us so easily? I remember every detail as though it happened yesterday." Leonitus says smiling deviously.
A new voice joins the conversation.
"Oh Leonitus, still trying to make Cato one of your conquests? You struck out after two measly dates. Muscles here has found someone far better than you'll ever be," Clove says walking around him with Gale in tow. "Why don't you run along now? You are most definitely not wanted here."
"Ah little Clover-field, I'm not here for Cato at all, I'm after a much better prize, I want Peeta here," he tells her. "You and I both know that I am a much better man for him."
Clove scoffs, "Better man? Please, don't make me laugh. I know all about you. Who do you think convinced Cato not to date you anymore? You're nothing more than a whore that uses people before destroying them."
"You know nothing about me!" Leonitus screams, losing his temper. "I never used anyone. It's not my fault if so many out there want me. Even sweet little Peeta here wants me." He points to Peeta. "Look at him looking at me. He can see I can offer him way more than Cato ever could!"
"Actually, that's a look of disgust on his face right now," Gale says entering into the conversation. "I'm pretty sure if he was truly interested in the likes of you, he would've said something by now. But I haven't heard him say one word yet," he says before turning to look at Cato. "Have you heard him speak yet Cato?"
"No, he's actually been pretty quiet. I normally can't get him to shut up," Cato plays along looking at Peeta, eyes pleading with him to play along as well.
Peeta looks at Gale and Cato a little confused as to what they were cooking up, but decides to play along and keeps his mouth closed. At least for a little while longer. Besides, he's still trying to decipher what Clove had said. It seemed like she knew a hell of a lot more than she said. He hoped she'd spill it.
And she does.
"I'll kill you myself before I let you anywhere near to Peeta! Do I need to remind you of Gaius? Or the rape charges that you miraculously managed to get dropped because of his death? He killed himself because of you!" Clove spits at Leonitus.
"Gaius was a liar and a fool. And just terrible in the sack," Leonitus dismissively shrugs. "Who really cares what that crybaby did?"
"I care! I care because Gaius was my family. He was my step-brother. After what you did to him, I had to protect Cato! I got him away from you. And I'll sure as hell keep you from getting your nasty hands on Peeta as well," she screams at him.
"Temper, temper little girl," he mocks at Clove before turning his attention back to Peeta. "Peeta honey, everything she just said is a blatant lie to confuse you. To keep you from choosing me over Cato. I'm going to go for now," he says. "But I will definitely be back for you sweet Peeta." He turns and runs off before anyone could respond.
Cato looks over at Peeta, worry in his eyes. Worry for Peeta believing Leonitus and worry that he might lose him. "Peeta?" he asks nervously.
Peeta looks at Cato, sees the worry, misreading it, "I'm fine. Just a lot to process today."
Cato nods before turning to Clove, "You didn't have to do that, or say anything. I remember how hard you took Gaius's death. Thank you for helping though."
"The guy is a predator Cato. He couldn't get you back so now he's trying to take Peeta. He can't get away with it," she says protective of her friends. "I hate to imagine what would've happened to you if you had gone on that third date," she adds reflectively.
"Well, as my best friend saved me from doing something regrettable, she doesn't have to worry about it anymore. I still owe her for that," Cato says appreciatively.
"She'll collect at a later date. Right now she and her boyfriend have wounds that need to be looked at," she smiles sweetly. "Would you be a dear and help us up to Foxface please?"
Before anyone could move or even say another word, loud booms echo throughout the city. As the buildings around them begin to shake and crumble the shield of arena above them shatters into billions of pieces and begins to rain down. Cato grabs Peeta and wraps his larger body around the smaller boy. From the corner of his eye, Peeta can see Gale protecting Clove in the same way.
Up on the bus, Madge, Delly, Katniss and Foxface use their bodies as a shield to protect the still barely breathing Rue. Rie tries to cover Madge and Delly with his body as much as he can as Marvel uses his to Protect Katniss and Foxface. The debris hits the kids hard and fast.
A hovercraft comes down and lands next to the bus. Rebels from District 13 come pouring out with stretchers to carry the injured tributes. A figure steps out to oversee the rescue.
"Hurry up. Get those trackers out and load them up. We've got company coming," says Mitchell. "I want to be out of here in the next 60 seconds."
They were out in 45 seconds.
Back in District 12
Fennel and Wheet were at the Hawthorne house again to watch the games. Lily and Prim were there as well. They were all talking quietly, thankful today wasn't the blood-fest it had been the day before. Even Wheet had a nightmare about Peeta attacking him with that Katana of his. No, today was a quiet day in comparison. On screen, the group had just gone swimming and were now heading to go somewhere else.
Prim was teasing Rory about Gale and Clove holding hands a lot when they had heard him screaming out her name from the TV. The two watch quietly as Gale finds Clove and the kiss they shared. Rory teases Prim back.
"So, Katniss is the only one of the three couples that hasn't kissed on live TV," he teases.
"She's such a prude," Prim agrees.
"Primrose Everdeen and Rory Hawthorne! Why would the two of you say such a thing about Katniss?" Lily asked shocked.
"Sorry Mrs. Everdeen," Rory says contritely.
"Sorry mom," Prim says sincerely. "But look, watch her with that Marvel boy. It's obvious they both like each other a lot. She's just repressing her feelings."
While Lily thinks that Prim has a point, she just shakes her head and watches as Peeta is being discussed by Cato, Clove, Gale, and the Leonitus boy from District 2.
"Oh that poor, dear boy," Hazel says when she hears the story of Clove's brother. "Such tragedy at a young age."
Not 5 minutes after that nasty Leonitus boy from 2 leaves the group, the screen turns to snow.
"What happened to brother Gale and brother Peeta mommy?" Posy asks. "Did you see?"
"I don't know Posy," Hazel replies looking to Lily and Fennel for answers.
"It sounded like there was a loud bang before the screen went all snowy," Fennel says a little confused. "But I'm not really certain if what I heard was real."
"I heard it too, Mr. Mellark," Rory says from the floor. "It even looked like the buildings were shaking but I can't be certain. The screen changed so quickly."
Everyone jumped when they heard Caesar Flickerman's voice.
"I'm so sorry folks. It looks like there is some technical difficulties with the cameras right now. The problem is being worked on as I speak. The games should resume shortly. In the meantime, let's enjoy a recap of today's events." He says in his ever present happy tone.
The screen changes to show the kids from District 12 waking up earlier that morning.
"Mrs. Hawthorne, why don't we cut into that delicious apple pie my father and I brought over while we wait for the Capitol to fix this problem?" Wheet suggests.
"Excellent idea Wheet," Hazel says getting up. "I'm sure everyone could use a small snack while we wait."
"Would it be okay if I help you?" Wheet asks standing up as well.
"That would be lovely Wheet," Hazel replies happily shocked at the question.
Rory and Wheet were busy washing the dishes from the pie everyone shared when there was a knock at the door. Hazel goes to the door to answer it finding Thom standing there, a very serious look on his face.
"Good afternoon Thom," Hazel greets. "What can I do for you today?"
"I need you to gather everyone here and head over to the fence. All of our lives are in serious danger," Thom says before turning on his heel to leave.
"Thom, please wait," Hazel calls out to him. "I don't understand what you mean. What's going on?"
Thom turns around and walks back to Hazel. ""The kids have been rescued from the arena by District 13. They are on their way to a safe place to meet up with their mentors. Then they will head to District 13 where they'll be safe," he tells her. "There are Capitol hovercrafts on their way here. We expect them in about 10 minutes or less. I need you and the others to meet me by the fence to the forest. When we reach a safe distance, I will explain everything else that I haven't told you." He turns back around and runs to the next house.
Hazel turns around and is shocked to find everyone else standing behind her. "Did you all hear that?" she asks. They all nod and say yes. "Rory, we'll be going into the forest. I'm not sure how long we'll be there. I want you to go and grab a couple warm blankets."
Rory turns to go and grab the blankets with Prim and Wheet following him. They go room to room grabbing enough blankets for everyone that is there.
"I will go into the kitchen and pack a bag full of food," Lily volunteers. Fennel goes to help her. They find several loaves of bread, some meat, as well as some cheeses. "I guess I did well bringing you all as much bread as I did. It sure has come in handy now." Fennel says thoughtfully.
Hazel gathers the jackets that were on the coat rack by the door. This morning had been cooler than normal and everyone wore a jacket of some sort.
Everyone gathers again by the door, ready to go. Blankets, food, and jackets gathered and accounted for.
"Dad, should we go and say something to mother?" Wheet asks, thinking of her sitting home alone. He is a little conflicted because of the last few days of fighting with her about Peeta, Rie, and the way she felt the family should be acting. Sure his mother was a major bitch, but she was still his mother. He didn't want the Capitol to get her and harm her. He hands his bundle of blankets and jackets to his father, "I'll meet you all at the fence soon. I have to try to save my mother," he says sadly. He runs out the door and heads into town towards the bakery.
"Fennel, if you want to go after him we'll understand and won't try to stop you," Lily tells him. She knows how important his sons are to him. "We can always meet up at the fence," she suggests.
Fennel smiles at the two women in front of him, knowing in his heart that what Lily said was the truth. "Thank you but no. I'm going to make sure you two and your children make it to the fence and out into the forest safely. Wheet is a fast runner and he'll meet us either near the fence or just outside of it," Fennel says confidently. "Now let's get out of here. The kids here need to get to safety and our other children are on their way to being safe."
The group gets to the fence and see that part of it has been torn down by other citizens seeking refuge in the forest. There were three strangers dressed in strange uniforms directing the District 12 citizens to a safe area. The group of two women, a man, and 4 children go through the fence apprehensively. They hear a voice from behind calling out to them.
"Please wait up! I'm coming!"
They turn around and see Wheet running towards them. Just then a large fireball explodes behind Wheet, lighting the sky and throwing the young man towards the fence. They all scream his name…
Well, there you have it, Chapter 12. I hope it was worth the wait despite the fact that it is a little shorter than I had hoped. I do like this chapter as the tributes are finally rescued. I hope to have the next chapter out before Christmas but I can't make any promises. At any rate, I hope the holiday finds you all safe, sound, and happy!