Author's Note: So a the first part of this chapter is why the rating his now been moved to M. It also makes me a little nervous to post this because I don't normally write scenes like this. If you don't want to read it you can go down to the break line and read that part instead. Thanks to RoseMaple (Hope your internet is working in Heaven, lol), jng1 (Hopefully I'll be back to posting consistently for a while), and EmmaCrane (Glad to be back again!) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of the Hunger Games you recognize. Also dress pictures are on my profile if you want to take a look.

Eight

In the end we went to my family's apartment, Cato and I. My bedroom was shadowed, lit only by the golden lights of the garden below and across the street and the lights of the building across. He was kissing me then, his arms wrapped around me. "We don't have to do this," he whispered when we pulled apart for air. "I'll come out of the Games. This can wait."

"Can it?" I replied, clinging to him. "I've seen too many people who should have come out of the Games die to be sure." Then I pulled his face down to kiss him. "I want this," I told him. His hands slid down my back to unzip the dress then and I stepped back to let it pool at the ground around my feet. His fingers unfasten my strapless bra as I undo the buttons on his shirt, removing it. We half stumble on to my bed, limbs intertwined.

We were kissing again with a sense of urgency. My stomach twisted with butterflies as his hands brushed my bare skin. Our tongues twisted and twined, making me wish I didn't have to come up for air. My hands brushed across his stomach, feeling the defined muscles shiver underneath my touch. His hands brushed down to cup my breasts and I gasped into his mouth at the touch. His hands snaked down to my hips then, pulling me closer to him. My arms snapped up around his neck, trying to keep the closeness.

One hand cupped the back of my head so he could keep kissing me and the other slipped down to caress my thighs. I gasped and then moaned as his hand slid between my legs. He rubbed against me through my panties and I moaned again, back arching. My hands drifted down his back and then around the waistband to unfastened his pants. We slid apart so he could undress and I could finish undressing.

My body was flushed with warmth and I was struggling to catch enough breath as he kissed me again, carefully laying me back on the bed. The first thrust hurt enough to make me whimper in pain and he leaned down, kissing me gently until the ache faded away in a wave of pure need. The next movements were a frenzy of lust and need until we were both exhausted, lying naked and sweating tangled in the sheets. Just before I drifted off to sleep I heard him whisper, "I love you Theresa Marie."

When I woke in the morning Cato was gone. I pushed down my disappointment, reminding myself that he was being taken to the arena today. He could not afford to be missed. I showered, relaxing under the warm spray of water, and then searched my closet for a proper dress for today. Sick as I was of dresses I needed to look elegant for today's bloodbath. Finally I settled on a strapless blue number with a flared skirt and plenty of silver sparkles on the bodice. My mother couldn't fail to be pleased by this one. She had all but gushed over it when Macy insisted I buy it.

I dressed and stripped the sheets from the bed to be washed before digging out a pair of black sandals. I had just sunk down on my bare bed to slip them on when I saw a flash of silver. I turned and noticed Cato's district token lying on top of a folded sheet of white paper. It was a charm, the Chinese symbol for courage in a time when Chinese was still spoken, hanging on a black cord, a gift from his mother before he left.

I picked it up with trembling fingers and then opened the note;

Theresa Marie,

When I left this morning you were still sleeping and I thought it best to leave you be. I didn't want to leave you without some part of me though so I left my token. Keep it with you and a part of me will be with you always.

Love from Cato

I blinked back sudden tears. So Cato had a sentimental spot after all. I slipped on the necklace and sandals, folding the note and slipping it into my box of treasures that I kept safely hidden in the back of my closet by the pair of combat boots that mother refused to even look at.

I ate a late breakfast and then allowed Zuzanna to usher me out of the house and into the Games building where my mother and the other escorts, mentors, and escorts' children would be during the course of the Games. I stepped into the busy room, searching for any sign of Macy and hoping not to see my mother. No such luck.

"Darling," my mother cooed, taking a hold of my arm. "You just must come and meet Raina. She's going to be the new escort for District 1 and she's simply fabulous." Mother towed my about the room, forcing me to make nice with as many people as possible before the anthem played, signalling that the Games were about to begin. I made my escape then, slipping toward the back of the room and Macy.

"I though I'd never get free," I told her, smoothing out my dress. I looked flashy compared to Macy who was dressed in neat brown slacks and a pale pink polo shirt. "By the way I envy your outfit."

"And I envy yours," Macy replied. "I wanted to wear a dress but my shrieked on and on about how I looked like a slut last night and wouldn't let me out in anything besides this."

"Poor you," I said, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Want to trade mothers?"

"And have yours dumping her duties off on me at every turn?" Macy shuddered and looked disgusted. "No thank you." Then she studied me. "You don't look like you got much sleeps last night."

"That's because I didn't," I replied, cheeks flushing suddenly.

"You went through with it?" Macy asked incredulously and I nodded. "Wow," she breathed. "I hope this boy of yours makes it through then." Having nothing to say to that I turned back toward one of the many screens about the room and tried to control the redness in my cheeks. By the time the bloodbath began I was calm. I watched as the Careers brought down person after person until everyone else had fled, died, or in Peeta Mellark's case joined the Career pack. Only then did talking resume as some mentors left, done for the year, and I crept out before Macy turned around, unwilling to talk about the events of the previous night.

Inside my families apartment my room suddenly seemed too small. I paced about it before finally wandering aimlessly around different rooms. I didn't feel like eating or training or going out to dinner with Macy. I didn't feel like doing anything at all. Life without Cato felt empty. Finally night came and I drifted off to sleep, one hand clutching Cato's token.