What if Snow had managed to quiet down the rebelling districts before there were any big revolts after the 74th Hunger Games? And if the victors never had to go back into the arena? This story is about the 75th Hunger Games, only this time Katniss never became a tribute again, and also never the Mockingjay, but a mentor to the tributes of 12.

That is, however, not the side we primarily focus on in this story. It follows Cato's little sister Valeria, from District 2.

This story will eventually have romance in it and quite some teenage angst so if you're into that, cool - this is for you! If you are not - read at your own risk. Since this is a Hunger Games story - prepare for character deaths and things of such nature throughout the story.

A new chapter will be posted to this story every Tuesday and Saturday!

I don't own the Hunger Games and am not making any money. The rating is this way because of the graphic nature of the topic and I use strong language.

One Year to go - The 74th Hunger Games

"Val... come on, go to sleep. You've been watching since early this morning." My mother is standing behind the couch. I look up briefly and worried eyes glance back at me.

Why would she not want me to see my brother win the Hunger Games? It has been hours now since he has killed the boy from 11, there are only the 12s left and the end is close for sure.

When I don't react she speaks up again, "Come on, please..."

Annoyed I respond without looking up again, "Why would you make me leave now?"

She hesitates, but then sits down next to me. She has her light blonde hair up in a bun, the shade Cato and I have inherited from her. She's in her mid-forties, thin and frail. There isn't much left of the glorious victor I have seen in the tapes from the 48th Hunger Games.

She doesn't look at me, but stares at the TV, "Maybe the outcome is not going to be what you desire. And you don't need to see that."

I sigh, "No no... Brutus told Cato he's a prodigy. He can deal with those kids from 12."

My mother's voice is soft, so soft that it makes me wonder how it is possible she was a victor, "I beg you, Val..."

I interrupt her before she can start up some speech, "If you are scared – leave! But I'm not going to sleep..."

Right at that moment the camera shown switches from the 12s back to my brother. He is back in the woods trying to take care of the wounds he has suffered in his fight against Thresh. But then there's a low growl.

I lean forward on the couch. It isn't a good point in time for the Gamemakers to weaken him more.

While still thinking about it, a horrible beast rips through the bushes, wolf-like, but different - muttations. Cato grabs his sword from the ground in an instant and starts running, leaving his supplies behind. The camera-perspective rapidly changes over and over so we wouldn't lose sight of him.

Finally, Cato reaches the clearing with the lake. He doesn't have time to catch his breath and runs straight towards the Cornucopia. My breath gets stuck in my throat when an arrow speeds towards him but it bounces right off his chest. - Right, he is wearing that armor.

Now he passes the 12s and keeps running. Confused they look after him until the mutts finally come into sight and they run after him.

That's why they sent them - to speed things up.

The fight on the Cornucopia is terrible. If Cato throws Peeta off the Fire-Bitch will kill him, if he tries attacking her, Peeta will free himself. And then everything happens way too fast. It takes me a second to see what that boy from 12 is doing, but Katniss notices and she shoots. And my brother stumbles backward, right off the Cornucopia.

He cuts the beasts' heads off, but they stand right back up, he tears their bodies open but they keep attacking. He just needs to get back up! But then the Girl on Fire is waiting for him. And in the very moment Cato drops his sword, I know it is over.

I know I would never see my brother again. He would never get the house next to ours in Victor's Village. He would never look at the stars with me again. Never show me new ways to fight, to survive. He would return in a box.

I hear a scream and I know it's my mother who has started crying, but I can't take care of her now. I am numb.

I can't take my eyes off the horrible scene shown on TV. Cato is still wearing the armor that was supposed to protect him from Katniss, now it tries its best to protect him from the mutts. It makes his suffering go on.

It's way past midnight and my brother's screams have finally died down. I can only hear him whimper silently, almost drowned out by the few mutts that are still there. By some point, they have dragged him into the mouth of the Cornucopia.

My mother has fallen asleep out of exhaustion at some point, her tears have left trails on her face, her nose is still red. With a movement that is almost robotic, I take a blanket from the stool and cover her with it before looking at the TV again.

I haven't seen the 12s for hours, they are still camping on top of the Cornucopia, waiting until all the mutts would leave.

A single mutt's still left, however, a smaller one, brown with playful green eyes - Clove. It isn't attacking anymore, it's just sitting next to my brother.

I feel a single tear making its way down my cheek when Cato slowly raises up the blooded piece of flesh that was once his hand and pets the beast for a second. His lips are moving as if he was talking to it, but I can't make out the words.

Clove... I cried when she died. I knew it was coming eventually, but at that moment it was too much. I told her to not go, to not volunteer, but she wouldn't have it, wouldn't let Cato go in alone.

The scene gets interrupted when the first rays of sunlight reflect from the shiny surface of the Cornucopia. The wolf-mutt whimpers and takes off, following the rest of the pack that has long been gone.

The 12s are seen talking on top and Fire-Girl's leaning down to see inside. I can't really read her expression. She reaches for her last arrow but waits and finally, she ends my brother's pain - she shoots.

What follows is all a blur to me, but the next thing I know is that both of the 12s win. Slowly I rise from the sofa, careful not to disturb my mother. Today the 74th Hunger Games have ended and the victor's name is not Cato Hadley.

I notice my hands are shaking while I'm fixing up my hair and putting new clothes on. I need to get to the train station and wait because since he hasn't won there would be no one welcoming my brother home.

As I slip out of the door and walk the almost empty streets of District 2 it is deadly silent. No one talks to me, no one even dares look at me. I sit down on a bench by the train station and slowly my hands stop shaking.

My brother is dead.

All of his dreams are shattered.

The Girl on Fire and Lover Boy did this.

And suddenly being numb is replaced by some feeling again. But it isn't sadness, isn't despair. Only anger is left. How dare this bitch watch Cato suffer and suffer for hours and not just end it then and there when she was going to do that anyway?

How dare she cut down the tracker jackers and not die on that tree where she should have!

I clench my hands into fists and stare at them. It might have been minutes, but also hours and finally, the train arrives at the station.

Brutus and Lyme leave the train first. They have been chosen as mentors that year. Passing by, Lyme gives me a sympathetic look and mumbles a sorry while Brutus just stares straight ahead and leaves as quickly as possible.

Then the peacekeepers leave the train and the first one in row immediately runs over to where I sit and crouches down, "Val... why are you here? Let me take care of it."

I look at him and shake my head slowly, "No dad... this is important to me. Let me help you."

In defeat, he takes off his helmet. He looks distressed, tired, and unkept, jumpy like a caged animal, but he hasn't been crying. I can see that.

He looks me up and down for a bit longer and something deep down tells me he has realized we both share the same emotion that bonds us - hate for the Girl on Fire, and he nods, "Good."

My father stands up and I rise with him as two simple wooden boxes are carried out of the train by a bunch of other peacekeepers. My father instructs them while they do that.

I only now spot Clove's father who has shown up to collect the body of his daughter. In silence, we all follow the peacekeepers who carry the two boxes over to the cemetery of this part of District 2. Every district has one or more, depending on the size, and in every district, it is located near the station for this exact reason.

Two graves are already dug up as we arrive and the peacekeepers softly place the boxes down next to the holes in the ground. My father is about to give the signal to lower them when I interrupt, "I need to see..."

Slowly my father shakes his head and says in a low voice, "Honey, you can't. They didn't change... I mean... you can see what happened to him."

I sigh and bite down on my lip, "I saw it on TV. Just let me look at him for one last time..." And I add a whispered 'please' which sounds all too similar to the one my brother has pressed out just seconds before his death.

There is a long pause in the air and my father says nothing. So I take it upon myself. I walk forward and kneel down next to my brother's box. I lift my hand up to open the lid. No one stops me, I don't hesitate.

I stare down at the body unblinking. People say that death has a distinct smell - now I know what they are talking about.

I can make out Cato's features, even in the bloody mess left by the mutts. The curve of his chin is torn apart, there is a huge scratch where his left eye once has been and bruises have started to form all over his face. Some of the blood is dry while some still seems wet. The indications of bitemarks are still present on his lower arms and legs, as well as his neck. Clumps of dirt and blood and leaves are stuck in what's left of my brother's hair.

I brush my fingers through it once, twice then I grab the lid and close the box. And without a second thought, I turn and I bolt.

Everything I should have felt, should have experienced last night hits me all at once. Hot tears run down my face, get caught in my long hair. I drop down onto the meadow, and even though I go to training every single day I'm out of breath.

It feels like there is a little monster sitting on my chest that presses down with all its weight and stops my lungs from inflating no matter how hard I try to breathe. In distress, I stare down at my hands. Cato's blood is still sticking to them and suddenly I need to get it off!

Sobbing I rub them against the grass until they are green and dirty and my nails break because anything is better than my brother's blood.

I should have never let him go in the first place but he has been so sure, he will win. He wanted to win a house for us - where we could live and have some fun, away from the overly protective eyes of our mother. She has always hated the idea of Cato volunteering, but there has been nothing she could have done to change his mind.

Now that would never happen. Slowly I calm down a bit. I can feel the air fill my lungs again, my cheeks cold and wet from the tears that are no longer falling.

I think I can hear screams in the distance, but I know they aren't real. It's Cato screaming as the mutts claw at him and try to pull him apart piece by piece. The screams are stuck in my head and I'm afraid they will never leave.