I do realize how awful I've been, and for that I am sorry! A serious bout of writer's block has hit, and just this one chapter threatened to kill me. Unfortunately, I can't promise that the next update will be coming in a timely manner. It might, it might not. I apologize for leaving you guys hanging for like three weeks, but I've been pretty down about this story lately. Hopefully this chapter isn't awful.

Looking in the mirror, Azalea barely recognized the girl staring back at her. Where she had once been merely toned or a little curvy, there was now solid muscle. Her face was thinner, cheekbones a little more prominent, and she could see a new hardness in her expressions. Everything about her had changed in under a year. Her time with Cato had been well spent, but she couldn't help but feel like she had lost the person she had been before.

Despite her sour feelings toward being a tribute and all that entailed, Azalea found herself fighting harder for the top spot in the year. According to a recent ranking, she had surpassed Octavia and was only ten points behind Natalie. She had been so elated at the news that she hadn't ignored early morning sessions for nearly a month. Cato, on the other hand, just took it as a sign that she needed to work harder. He, of course, was still on top and planning to keep it that way.

The vast improvement on her part had not gone unnoticed by the Academy staff. Thaddeus, their age division's main instructor, had taken to forcing her to go first in drills and pairing her up with the more difficult male trainees. It helped her develop strategies for different fighting styles, but sometimes Azalea wished she could go back to the comfortable anonymity of the previous year. The slight drowning sensation brought on by too many people knowing her name and crowding around her threatened to take over on some occasions.

Such as the Friday on which Azalea was studying her slim figure in the mirror.

It was Challenge Day, the day she had been dreading for weeks. Cato had finally convinced her to challenge someone, using the threat of Natalie against her over and over. She had decided to challenge Laine, Jacob's usual partner. Her fighting style was simple and easy to counter, though she was the strongest of the eighteen-year-old girls that year. Azalea might not have been able to beat the older male trainees, but she was confident that she could take Laine. It was a bold move that could make or break her reputation. A match against Laine might get her the points she needed to surpass Natalie.

Instead of eating breakfast, Azalea decided to drink a glass of water and then head to the Academy early. The chances of her being able to challenge Laine before Natalie struck were slim, so she wanted to be at the front of the queue. She met up with Cato at the crest of the hill, giving him a quick hug before returning to her previous jittery state. Her hands shook with nerves and excitement, and she was forced to clench them into fists to prevent herself from breaking into a cold sweat.

The minutes that led up to the beginning of the challenges were torturous, consisting of long speeches by the instructors and the anxious pacing of the fifty or more trainees. Clove was off among the fifteen-year-olds, her dark head bobbing among them as they gossiped feverishly about the day's matches. Azalea hadn't been able to tempt her into staying close by for moral support.

As she waited in the crowd, Azalea chewed nervously on her thumbnail and tried to listen to Romulus as he laid out the instructions for the day's sparring matches. Cato stood by her side, his grip on her hand more restrictive than reassuring. He had his own fight lined up that day, so she knew she would be on her own. They had gone over strategy and possible outcomes for days, sparring with Marcus and Clove that weekend after a lesson with the sickles. Azalea knew she was ready, but she still could not rid herself of the gnawing feeling in her stomach.

"Relax, Az," Cato said quietly, looking down at her. "Stop biting your nails."

"I'm not," she mumbled, speaking around the thumbnail that was permanently inserted between her teeth. "Everything is fine."

He shrugged, dropping her hand, and squeezed her shoulder once for support. She appreciated his faith, but he had always been confident. She, on the other hand, was just gaining a bit of self-esteem and wanted to keep it that way.

As soon as the instructors scattered themselves around the room, the floor was open for challenges. They would only be open for two hours before lunch and three hours after, which was a misleading amount of time. Bouts could last for up to forty-five minutes and weapons were chosen by the challenge recipient. Azalea had attended several challenge days that consisted of fewer than eight matches, which often proved to be trying for the trainees who weren't able to fight.

Azalea leaned over to say something to Cato, noticing as she looked up that he was no longer by her side. It didn't take her long to find him, as he was standing in the middle of the mats with a smug smirk on his face. She sighed and shook her head, knowing what he was about to do, and cast around for her sister. Once she found Clove, Azalea went over to stand with her and wait for the grudge match to begin.

Cato had decided to challenge Elias, a tall, lean boy with dirty blond hair and a wicked scar across his chest. He had recently taken to needling Cato about everything from Azalea to his older brother. Though most people knew about the strained relationship between Marcus and Lucius, it had become a taboo topic in both the quarries and the Academy. Cato was going to take this opportunity to beat Elias to a pulp while simultaneously sending a warning to the other trainees.

"Your boyfriend is about to start a pissing match," Clove commented, arching a thin eyebrow.

"What can I say?" Azalea laughed, unable to hide her amusement at Cato's deadly expression as he stated his challenge and waited for Elias to choose a weapon.

Elias chose the spear, obviously hoping to stay as far away from Cato as possible. The trainees pressed in closer to the mats as the instructors handed out the spears and gave quick instructions to each boy. Azalea pushed to the front of the queue, Clove following close behind, and felt a heady rush of adrenaline crash through her. In spite of her disdain for tribute life, Azalea had found herself becoming more invested in the fights and the mob mentality of it all.

As the instructors faded into the crowd, the two boys circled each other, spears held at the ready. Romulus gave the command to begin from somewhere in the back of the room, his voice echoing throughout the quiet gym. The moment Elias made his first move, the trainees erupted in a wild roar of encouragement, eager for blood. Azalea held her breath and waited to see what Cato would do.

Cato hung back, letting Elias take the first jab, and tilted his head to the left to avoid the sharp spear point. The metal whooshed past his ear, ruffling his hair as he knocked his spear shaft into that of Elias. They were now facing off, spears crossed, and Cato narrowed his eyes on the exact spot he planned to cut first. The space between Elias' eyebrow and hairline was perfect, just visible enough that everyone could see the blood. In mere seconds, Cato had pushed Elias' spear down and slashed at his face in a quick motion. The skin opened and let loose a thin drip of blood, eliciting a cheer from the crowd and a grimace from his opponent.

Elias let out a disgruntled scoff, bringing his spear back up and advancing on Cato like a Roman solider trying to hold the line. He jabbed at Cato's stomach, barely making a small hole in his training uniform, and deflected an attack with his forearm. The wood of the spear shafts clacked hollowly amid the clamor of voices that rose to a fever pitch as Cato made another mark on Elias' pale face.

Cato was toying with Elias. Everyone knew he could have bested the boy in under a minute, but he obviously had a point to prove. Azalea could see the determined glint in his eye, a fire fed by years of suppressed anger, and was surprised to find a bit of mania there. Cato was half insane, deriving pleasure from the blood that dripped down his opponent's cheek, and showed no signs of ending the fight early.

Elias, trying valiantly to rally himself, wiped some blood from his face and rubbed it on the thigh of his pants. Spear at the ready, he dodged into the safety of Cato's left side, prepared to attack. Just as he began to thrust the spear, Cato brought up a large, booted foot and slammed it into Elias' chest. The boy was propelled backward onto the mats, head landing just shy of the trainees who stood in a close queue. Before he could pick himself up, Cato had grabbed him by the collar and hammered a fist into his jaw. This was repeated again and again, past the point of unconsciousness, and when he was finished the gym was silent.

Azalea watched as Cato stood and threw his spear down onto the mat and shook out his hand. The knuckles were red with bloody cuts, dripping down his fingers and splattering the floor with patterns of crimson. She wanted to go to him, but everyone around her seemed to be leery of the brutal monster before them. Instead, her eyes followed him as he shouldered his way through the crowd and headed for the exit. Obviously he would observe her fight from elsewhere.

After the blood had been cleaned and Elias had been transported to the infirmary, the floor was reopened for challenges. Azalea took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come, and stepped out onto the mats. Everyone's eyes were upon her, looking on in judgment and asking who she thought she was. In answer, she held her head high and set her jaw.

"Laine," she called clearly, staring directly at the girl in question.

Laine was standing with Jason and Natalie, obviously not expecting to be challenged, and snapped her head around when she heard her name called. Her careful brown eyes looked Azalea up and down, trying to determine what sort of competition she would be. Behind her, Natalie was murderous, her angel's features drawn together as if she had sucked on a lemon.

"Maces," Laine replied, as if the entire situation was utterly normal.

The instructors moved off to get the weapons, leaving the girls to stare at each other intently. Laine joined Azalea in the center, accepting her melee weapon from Thaddeus, who gave her a small grin before walking away. Azalea got her weapon from Chalia, who looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and doubt. The heads of the maces were blunt, as they were used solely for training purposes, and Azalea was a little saddened by the lack of embellishment. She had trained with spiked maces at Marcus' house, striking at a dummy in his backyard until it had fallen apart. The sensation had been strangely satisfying.

"Why me?" Laine asked, circling Azalea slowly after Romulus had given the signal to begin. "Just out of curiosity."

"Nothing personal," Azalea responded, shrugging. In a fast move, she darted within range and struck. The blow glanced off the side of Laine's mace. "It was either challenge you or wait for Natalie to challenge me."

Laine swung her mace above her head, only to be blocked. Azalea grunted, using her own weapon to deflect Laine's long enough to land a solid right hook on the girl's jaw. Laine stumbled backward, holding her face gingerly, and shot a glare at Azalea. She regained her footing quickly, making a predictable dodge to the right and trying to strike. Azalea ducked, narrowly avoiding a blow to the head, and winced as the hard head of the mace connected with her upper arm.

She was forced to change hands, holding her left arm at an odd angle, and took a moment to collect herself. As Laine was coming in for another attack, Azalea slid to the side and swung her mace around until it connected with Laine's back.

The girl screamed, falling forward to the roar of sixty people, and writhed while clutching her side. Azalea wasted no time, kicking Laine's weapon away from her twisted form, and dropped her own mace in favor of her fists. Tangling her fingers in Laine's hair, Azalea lifted the other girl's head and looked her in the eye. The hatred there was striking, unusual for Laine's easygoing personality, but it only strengthened Azalea's determination. She drew back and backhanded her opponent, letting her head drop back to the mat.

Laine, to her credit, suppressed a moan and rolled over to fight back. She shrieked, kicking out with both legs and managing to connect with Azalea's knee. Azalea cried out, stumbling sideways and lashing out with another slap. Laine's head snapped to the side, blood and spit flying from her mouth.

"Natalie is coming for blood," Laine snarled, glaring at Azalea. "You might beat me, but you won't beat her."

"I look forward," Azalea growled, punctuating her sentence with a punch, "to facing Natalie."

"Cato was ours." Laine grabbed Azalea by the neck, flinging her to the ground with her last ounces of strength. "I don't know what you did, but he barely even talks to us anymore."

Laine shifted, fingers grasping at the nearest mace, and tried to regain the upper hand. Azalea rolled, grabbing the weapon first, and heaved it angrily at Laine's outstretched arm. The metal head connected with bone, making a shocking cracking noise, and sunk a half-inch into the skin.

"Fuck you," Azalea spat. She pulled herself back to her feet and kicked at Laine's ribs. The girl convulsed, curling in on herself, and screamed as Azalea's foot connected with her side over and over again. When she was sure Laine would not fight back any longer, Azalea backed off with a gasp and stared down at her beaten opponent.

The screams of the trainees did little to drown out the rush of blood in her ears, coupled with the erratic beat of her heart. What did break through the haze was Cato's hand, brought down on her shoulder and pushing her toward the doors. Looking back over her shoulder, all Azalea could see was Natalie's furious face and Laine's crumpled body being lifted from the floor by the instructors.

Cato and Azalea sat in their usual copse of trees three hours later. Azalea rested the side of her face against Cato's back, letting him massage her sore hands as they talked. His strong fingers pressed into her palms, relaxing the tendons and separating the bones gently. She reveled in the attention, knowing it was a reward for her defeat of Laine, and smiled softly to herself.

"You were good today," Cato commented, looking at her over his shoulder. "The fight could have been cleaner, but that's my only complaint."

"I was nervous, okay?" Azalea rubbed her cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt, letting a small sigh escape her lips. "She said Natalie is gunning for me."

"We knew that already," Cato replied, squeezing her fingers reassuringly. "You're ready. All you have to do is keep a level head and not let her screw with your mind."

"That's her specialty," Azalea grumbled. "She's vicious."

"Which means you have to be brutal," he said matter-of-factly, letting go of her hands.

"Speaking of which, way to ruin Elias' face," Azalea said, wrapping her arms around his torso. "He needed some surgery, I heard."

"Good. Now he won't cross me again." Cato flexed the muscles in his back, causing Azalea to flinch away, and let out a low growl. "Today felt good, Az."

"I could tell." She ran a finger along the contours of his stomach, tracing the muscle groups and making invisible patterns. "We both forgot ourselves a little bit."

"I guess."

"I feel like I'm starting to become you," Azalea said quietly, fingers stilling. "What if I can't pull back next time? What if I start wanting things that I didn't want before?"

"Don't blame me for doing what you asked," Cato said warningly, turning in her grasp. She loosened her arms, staring up into his face, and grimaced apologetically. "I'm just helping you out, okay? I'm not turning you into anyone."

"Sorry," she said lamely, leaning up to run her nose along the underside of his jaw. "I just don't like being that out of control. It felt like a grudge or something."

"Sometimes fights feel like that." Cato reached up, stilling her face with a hand on her cheek, and moved so they were eye to eye again. "Maybe we should scale back on the training."

"No!" She frowned, shaking her head against his palm, and laced her fingers with his. "I like training with you, Marcus, and Clove. I feel like I'm finally doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Besides, it's getting me ready for exams."

Cato eyed her skeptically, realizing it was useless to disagree, and nodded. "Okay, but don't come around blaming me for your bad days."

"I won't," she promised. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad," he replied, shaking his head slowly. "I just know that you're in a different place than you were a year ago. I don't want to make you feel like you have to like this whole training thing for me."

"I'm starting to like it for myself," she said uneasily. "That's what's so weird. I can handle it, though. I want to handle it."

"Good." Cato leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. She smiled, hands grasping at the back of his neck, and pressed herself closer to him. His arms came around her and pulled her against his chest, wrapped like strong steel bands around her back.

"Don't worry about me," she whispered, pulling back a little to look into his face. "I'm fine."

There you have it, an actual update. Again, sorry for the wait. Please, PLEASE review for me! Constructive criticism is very welcome!

Review replies:

StardustIsMagic: Ahh, sorry for not reviewing your last two chapters! I promise I'll review the next. This took a while and might not live up to the rest, but it's here! Thanks for your compliments, they're great! Can't really say about Jacob and Talia, but there is a bit of strain there. We'll have to wait and see about anything serious...

DraggonflyMaiden: I hope you're still reading! Thanks so much, and I always look forward to your reviews!

hazu23: You'll have to be satisfied with Laine, but a Natalie battle is definitely coming!

PeppermintAmortentia: Thanks so much! Hope you like this one.

anon: Sorry this took so long! Really I am. To answer your Clove question, she thinks of Marcus as more of a role model. She looked up to Titus but sort of sees his refusal to enter the Games as weakness. Azalea has never really been what Clove wanted, so Marcus fills that role. No statutory situations here!

AwaitingHogwartsLetter: That's totally fine! I'm just glad you're reviewing at all. Sorry I left you hanging for so long, but I really appreciate you reading! Hope you continue to do so :)

IamCharliedaughterofPoseidon: Thank you so much! I appreciate you reviewing, and I really like your story! Hope to see more soon.

Valia: Sorry! Here's the update, for better or worse!

Well, there you go, folks. Please review and leave me some feedback! If you're still out there, that is...