Chapter One

I stare out towards the Cornucopia, "I want to be the one to kill her."

Cato scoffs, "-and why should you get to do it? Let's just go together. Safety in numbers, y'know?"

"I'll make it a good show," I promise eagerly, and in the back of my mind, I acknowledge I sound both bloodthirsty and unhinged. Maybe I am. All I know is that Everdeen has survived using flashy dresses and Lover Boy's affections long enough. I have given my whole life to these Games, and some part of me resents her for not having as miserable a childhood as me. Cato and I can go home and be happy for once in our lives, and the prospect has me itching to end these games once and for all.

Cato sighs, "Please Clove? You're tired, and…." The change in his tone is the only thing that causes me to pause. I'm still getting used to the fact that maybe Cato and I can be together, and it makes me feel awkward- like I'm afraid that any wrong movements will break this fantasy.

Only Cato can get away with hinting that I'm weak. "Fine," I relent. I peck his cheek because I can't help it. "We'll go together. Let's get this show on the road." I am not looking forward to killing teenagers, but putting on a good face for the Capitol always comes in handy.

Sometimes I worry that the face I put on for the Capitol is the real me.

.

We walk to the Feast in a comfortable silence, but before we reach the clearing, Cato holds me back and turns me to face him. He brushes his lips against mine, and I immediately respond. He twines his fingers into my hair, and cradles my face with his other hand. I kiss back aggressively, but his lips are set on a slow, almost gentle pace. Then, when I'm almost melting into his arms, he pulls back. He trains his eyes on me, drinking me in while I gasp for air. "For luck," he says lightly, but his smile doesn't meet his eyes.

Before I have time to reply, I see Ginger burst from the Cornucopia, pick up her pack, and sprint into the forest. The next second, I see Everdeen run to the Cornucopia. It's time. I throw Cato one last grin and order him to go after Redhead before I take off after Everdeen. "Do this right, and we'll be victors tonight!"

I chuck one of my best knives at Everdeen, but she somehow deflects it with her bow. Huh. In the back of my mind, I'm impressed, but right now I'm more upset that she's not dead. She shoots an arrow at me in retaliation- and maybe Cato is right, I must be getting tired because I barely react in time to dodge it. The arrow hits me in the arm, and now I'm pissed.

I stop to rip out of my arm, and when I look up again, Everdeen already has her hand on the 12 pack. Dammit, she's fast. I launch another knife, but she must have a thick skull, because it only slices her forehead open. Still, it slows her down, and I take the opportunity to tackle her to the ground.

Now I've got her pinned down to the ground, and it should be an easy kill, but I'm inexplicably seized with panic. I've never killed someone at this close-range. I try to buy time so I can get the strength to kill her. I'm not proud- I say some pretty cruel things- I even punch her in the throat, which is a bitch move. I finally get the courage to kill her when she spits in my face. In an adrenaline-fueled frenzy for bloodlust, I push my knife to the edge of her mouth.

Suddenly, I feel dark arms grab me from behind. Thresh. I am lifted high off the ground by my neck, and I feel panic set in. I forgot about Thresh. He throws me to the ground like a pathetic rag doll, and my head smacks against the ground.

"What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?" I am genuinely confused for a second, disoriented from my fall, but then I remember his little district partner. Fuck. For all the things he could kill me for, for all the heartless acts I have committed, he picks one I am actually not responsible for. Irony's a bitch isn't it Clove?

I scramble backwards on all fours. "No! No, it wasn't me!"

"You said her name. I heard you. You kill her? You cut her up like you were going to cut this girl here?"

"No! No, I- Cato! Cato!" I am disgusted with how screechy my voice sounds, but where is he?

"Clove!" I hear his voice approaching, but it might not be close enough. I can feel my mind getting fuzzier.

My head is pounding from the fall, and my vision's blurry, but I can see Thresh approaching with a rock. I feel tears spring from my eyes, I've never felt so weak and helpless. My head is screaming in pain, I am getting groggier and groggier, and I squeeze my eyes shut in defeat.

Before I black out completely, I hear a thud and a cannon boom. For a second, I am paralyzed by the possibility that I am dead, but I realize the cannon is for Thresh. Cato has appeared out of nowhere, and has decapitated him.

I hear a scuffle, and my eyes focus enough to see Cato slit Everdeen's throat. One part of me is relieved that we are that much closer to victory and home. But another part, the part that the Capitol hasn't polluted, the part that I have tried to keep quiet my whole life, quietly mourns another two young lives lost.

I am suddenly covered by Cato's shadow as he squats next to me. "All right there, Clove?"

Damn him. I can practically hear his smirk. I rasp back, "I had that under control."- which is a complete lie, but he'll never know.

"Bull shit," he shoots back. However, he grows more serious and strokes my face with the back of his hand, "You really scared me there Clove. Don't ever run off like that again."

Cato only ever uses that voice around me. I think it means that he cares. This makes me smile a little as I push myself into a sitting position. But my splitting headache reappears, and makes me wince. Suddenly, Cato's arms cradle me against his chest. I want to roll my eyes at him, but the thudding in my head prevents me from doing anything other than moan.

He pushes back the hair from my face, and I simultaneously wince and lean into his hand. "Just rest for a bit Clove." I close my eyes, but a smile creeps onto my face at his gentle voice. Even in the face of brain damage, the fact that I am the only one who can turn Cato into a sappy sweetheart is not lost on me.

"Quit it," he orders, sensing my smugness. Nevertheless, he continues to stroke my hair with a careful hand, and I let myself fall asleep for a few minutes.

.

I wake up to another cannon boom, and I snap into a semi-defensive position. My head's still ringing, but it's better than before. "Cato?" I call out nervously. It's darker now, and I have to squint before I realize I am inside the Cornucopia. And Cato is nowhere to be found.

I scramble up, ignoring the pain in my head, and call out his name again, this time more urgently. I stumble out of the Cornucopia, calling his name, until I spot him emerging from the forest. Relief floods over me, and I struggle to keep my emotions in check.

He strides over to me with that smirk of his. "You miss me Princess?"

I roll my eyes, "Please. I just thought you were dead, that's all."

He just gives me a knowing look. "Sure. But I'm pretty sure that was Lover Boy. The Twelve pack had medicine for him, and he never got it."

I nod, and try to keep my face free of emotion. Sure Lover Boy was pathetic, but he didn't deserve to die. None of them did. "That just leaves Redhead then?" I reply with a business-like tone that I'm impressed I can manage.

Cato looks at me for a few seconds, studying me, and I squirm under his gaze. "Yeah. The Gamemakers will probably push us closer together though- no point in going to look for her."

We walk back to the Cornucopia, and he hands me some berries he's scavenged. "Hopefully, Enobaria will send us some more food. I'm not really good at finding food."

I awkwardly pat his hand in a reassuring way. "We weren't taught how to scavenge at the academies. You can't be good at everything."

"I'm not good at everything-the only thing I'm really good at is killing. The Games kept me from learning much else…sometimes I wonder if we'd be better without them."

I start. Saying things like that could be potentially dangerous. What really makes me uncomfortable though is that Cato has just voiced my own treacherous thoughts.

I look over at him, and he doesn't seem to even realize the gravity of what he just said. He just continues to stare out of the mouth of the Cornucopia. Something in his eyes speaks of a broken, scared boy. It makes me want to comfort him. Keep it together Clove.

I ignore my conscience, and inch myself closer to him.

Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for reposting, but I just reread this chapter, and there were some grammatical errors that really irked me. So sorry about that.

So this is obviously one of the many Clato fanfics dealing with an alternate universe where they survive. Hopefully I have kept it at least semi-realistic, and not too mushy. I have recently become addicted to the prospect of Clato. I blame Alexander Ludwig and the lovely Isabelle Fuhrman

This is hopefully the beginning of a multi-chapter fanfiction, where I explore a Panem brought to revolution through Clove and Cato's victory. (I am totally obsessed with the fact that they have a dark-Katniss and Peeta thing going on) Also, I try to explain a Career's perspective of the Games, because they can't all be crazy. So instead, I imagine that they are forced to develop the typical bloodthirsty Career persona as a survival tactic.

All ranting aside, please review! Some people have already favorite the story- which is great, but they haven't reviewed [sad face] I really want some feedback (this is my first fanfiction) so help me not make a fool of myself and review!