I am so terribly sorry for the long wait. I haven't really been writing lately, or at all. Just haven't been myself, I guess. This chapter is filled with all the Catoniss goodness I'm sure guys have all craved. I am sorry i deprived you. This, will hopefully make up for it.

Let me know, otherwise! Thanks for everything, as always.

By the way, if any of you have seen Anastasia (which I'm sure some of you have) I want to let you know that there will be a change of events. I am keeping the general story, but there is more romance in this. More Catoniss moments.

Chapter 7:

Katniss POV:

"Here, come with me." A man that looks similar grabs my hand and drags me through a meadow, the bright flowers blooming in the morning sunrise. A distant sound of children's laughter fills my thoughts.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask the strange man, his steely grey eyes capturing mine.

"It's a secret." He puts his index finger to his lips and smiles, continuing to pull me through this magical dreamland. Cotton candy pinks and blues fill the sky, while birds swirl past us, singing to their beautiful tunes. Robins and Cardinals, basking in their wonderful freedom.

We walk through the woods, stepping over the large fallen down trees and brush. His tight grasp stops me from running away. It's not like I would anyways, it was too beautiful of a landscape to deny any sort of action he would thrust upon me.

He eventually stops walking when we get to a small lake. Children swimming in the water, laughing and splashing at each other. A teenage girl, with bright blond hair stares at me with her captivating blue eyes and begins to scream my name. "Come in Katniss!" Her voice heavy with fatigue. The sun is beaming down on me heavily and the effects of sweat begins to take its toll on me.

The dark haired man winks at me before jumping into the lake. The cool water splashing my face is more than welcome and I want nothing more than to follow him.

"Jump in Catnip, the water's great!" The man exclaims, only seconds before one of the children sprays him with an enormous amount of water. I giggle softly at his expression, his face is priceless.

A chorus of people beg me to jump into the crystal clear heaven.

"I can't! I don't have a bathing suit." I laugh as they groan, but they don't let up. It seems they want nothing more than for me to go into this… lake. I sigh, gathering my bearings, and stand on the edge. The breeze blowing freely through my dark hair.

"That's it! Jump!" They yell. I am just about to dive into the water, when something churns my stomach. A vile mixture of blood and roses fill my senses, and I glance around me. The others don't seem to notice, but I do. I stand straight up, only to be stopped by a solid figure. The scent is almost too much for me to handle.

"Aren't you going to jump my Princess?" A raspy voice spits in my ear from behind. I don't dare turn around, out of fear. "The water is quite lovely," he finishes. I keep my stance, and close my eyes. Trying to block the aroma from my mind, the children's amusement seems almost non-existent now, as I can't hear them anymore.

"Or do you need some help?" I know it's not a question though. My fear rises and my stomach churns. When I feel a pair of strong hands ghost my shoulders, i flinch. The disgusting aroma burning a hole into my skull.

"Katniss." They hiss, their happy demeanor has vanished. Like vipers taunting their prey.

"Katniss…"They continue, but I only shut my eyes tighter. Cool tears running down my cheeks as I wish this horrible nightmare away.

"Katniss!"

I am jolted when someone grabs onto my legs, cradling my back. I thrash around. "No." I whimper. I don't want to die yet.

"No!" The sound comes more as a guttural scream, as I try to shake my way out of this strangers grasp.

"Katniss!" My eyes open, and I find I am not surrounded by the small lake anymore, but by the long stretch of the ocean. Small golden candles light the night sky. I'm not in the meadow anymore but back on the elegant boat. It was all a dream... or a nightmare.

"Katniss…" The voice is familiar to me, his beautiful cerulean eyes staring back at me, etched with worry and defeat. Before I stop myself, I let the tears run down and I stuff my face into his nightshirt. I breathe in his comforting scent of salt and spice, relieved the vile odour is no longer in the air.

I let myself cry, for who knows how long as he whispers soothing flatteries into my ear.

"It was all a nightmare. You're safe as long as you are with me."

I cling to his shirt as he carries me down the stairs. I have finally stopped shaking, and my face is uncomfortably itchy from my sobs.

"You want to go back to bed?" He asks in my ear, his voice sending shivers down my neck. I shake my head, I'm too afraid to amble my way back into that hell. He nods and sets me down on the plush cushions before opening the small fridge. Pulling out two water bottles, he plops down beside me offering me one. I take it willingly, giving him as big of a smile as I can manage. He seems to understand and nods to the bottle, urging me to drink some. Twisting the cap off, I put it to my lips. The glorious taste of water running down my parched mouth, I didn't realize I was that thirsty, I guess.

"Would you be willing to talk about it?" He asks. I shake my head again, twisting the cap back on to the almost empty bottle. He nods his head, understanding me and silence fills the room. That's when I get a good look at him; I notice he doesn't look much better than I do. Dark circles start to show underneath his eyes, and his light blond hair disheveled. Has he not been getting much sleep?

"Cato? What happened to you?" I move closer to him, lightly touching his cheek. Freezing under my contact, he relaxes after a minute. What on earth was I doing? I shouldn't be touching him. Why do I care this much? I shouldn't care this much about someone I just met not even a week ago.

"Nothing…" He trails off, his eyes capturing mine. I don't look away though, I hold his gaze until he abruptly looks away, clearing his throat.

"How did you know I was having a nightmare?" I ask weakly, as if it's not completely audible. My eyes look down and I focus all my attention on the loose thread of the pajamas they bought me. The yellow luxurious cotton material hangs off my almost non-existent curves. Feeling a burst of self-consciousness, I wrap my arms around my stomach tightly. I know I shouldn't feel this way. The first day he met me, I was wearing old, tattered and dirty clothing… so why do I care now?

"I heard mumbling and footsteps. That damn dog was barking, so I went to go let him out. Finnick left him in his room, I guess. But your room door was open and you weren't there. That was when I heard you screaming."

I keep my eyes down, a pang of guilt coursing through me. "I'm so sorry I woke you-"

"Katniss, No. You could have died. I'm-sorry I wasn't there sooner to protect you." He runs a hand through his blond hair, and rubs his eyes. "That's my job, and I almost failed. I should be the one to apologize."

He seems so sincere and not at all like himself. The person I met at the Justice Building is nothing like the man that sits before me, running his hand through his hair nervously. It was almost… endearing. I want to chastise myself, I shouldn't be thinking this way. I can't be thinking this way. But I can't bring myself to stop.

"I saw this man… his looked like me," I begin, his blue eyes focusing their attention on me. "Grey eyes, raven hair, olive skin. He was urging me to come with him, pulling me by my wrist. When I heard children's laughter, we came upon a lake. They begged me to jump in. I was about to, until I smelt something." The aroma was still embedded in my nose. The sickly metallic scent of blood masked with sweet floral. I honestly don't think I would ever be able to look at another flower the same again.

"I can't recall the exact scent, but it was horrible." The man's words run through my mind. Filled with hated, and something else I couldn't put my finger on.

My Princess.

"It was a nightmare… you're okay, now." He smiles lightly before wrapping his arms around me again. My body relaxes in his arms immediately, it's an odd sensation. The sense of security overwhelms me I don't have enough will power to deny his body warmth.

I don't know how long I've been wrapped up in his arms. I'm afraid to see his expression. I tell myself he's doing this because he pities me. Simple as that.

"There was this girl…" I hear him whisper, unsure if he is talking directly to me. Does he want me to hear him? Or is this a spur of the moment thing?

I pull away gently, making sure to hold his gaze. His eyes hold the expression I saw that night in the woods. Sadness, confusion, anger maybe?

"Stop… you don't have to say anything. I'm not expecting you to-" He brings his finger up to my lips, causing a spark to run through my body.

"Kat, I want to…" He lets out a heavy breath, "Tell you something, I mean…I don't have to, if you don't want to hear my sad life story." I feel excited at the thought that Cato trusts me enough to tell me something about him. Considering, I don't even really know anything about him.

"Of course. I am here for you, as much as you are for me. We are friends, after all." We were friends… right? He looks at me a brief moment, before nodding his head and a small smile breaks over his features.

"My family, has always been… well poor. So, ever since I was a young teenager I worked all the time. You name the job… and I was there. I finally found a job that I loved, the pay was amazing, the people were sincere and I was happy. It didn't help that there was this girl…" A deep red blush comes upon his cheeks as he continues his story. "She was different than anyone else I've ever met, but I hadn't really spoken to her. I don't even think she knew I existed." He finishes.

I place a hand on his, moving closer to him, which is almost impossible. He looks at me, a whirlwind of emotions show though those blue eyes that I love so much.

"How could she not know you existed?" I give him a small smile, but he doesn't return it. Instead, his intense stare frightens me a bit. He chuckles nervously, looking away eventually.

"Let's just say that she had the power to have anyone she wanted. I'm pretty sure a lowly peasant like me wasn't on her list. Besides, she always had other guys chase after her, of her status. I remember there was this one in particular. They were best friends and I thought they were going to get married…eventually."

I swallow thickly. I feel a sense of jealously towards this girl who he obviously still thinks about. Who spends so much time running through his mind? It felt silly, but I wanted to be that girl.

"What happened to her?" I ask meekly, unsure if he is going to answer my question. It seems quite forward of me, now that I think about it. He eventually breaks the long moment of silence, and inhales a shaky breath.

"To be honest…I'm not sure. No one knows where she is."

The room is filled with silence, with uncomfortable glances at each other every few seconds. I don't really know what to say right now, and I don't think he does either.

"What's your favourite colour?" His hushed voice seems booming in the small living space. Why does he want to know my favourite colour?

"What? Why?" I say, a little too quickly. He just chuckles and brings his hand to his hair, tousling his blond hair. I think it's a nervous habit of his.

"I'm just curious. We know little to nothing about each other…Why don't we start now? Neither of us can sleep, right?" He gives me a smirk. "Almost like twenty questions!"

I can't help but laugh at his change of character. "Okay…it's green." I tell him.

"Green?" He asks crinkling his nose in disgust. "But that is such a boring colour…"

"What? No, it's not! What's your favourite colour then?"

"Blue." I eye him carefully, before I burst out laughing. His features hold a certain seriousness to them, which only makes our situation more hilarious.

"Blue? Honestly?" I ask, he shakes his head eagerly.

He shrugs his shoulders. "What?"

"Wait, so you think green is boring… when blue is probably one of the most common 'favourite' colours known to man." He sticks his tongue out playfully, and I can't stop myself from laughing. He is… acting differently. A good different. I like this Cato.

"That's not what I meant. Blue is the colour of a beautiful clear sky in the middle of a summer afternoon. Every different shade of blue can stimulate a different mood; the calming, dependable shade of light baby-blue, the vibrant fun shade of Celeste, the colour of your eyes, a beautiful, adventurous shade of bluish-grey." I snap my eyes to him, a light blush masking my cheeks. I quickly look away though, afraid to look into his penetrating gaze.

"The deep navy depths of the sea, surrounding us. It's beautiful." He trails off, as if he wanted to say something more. "Have I convinced you?" A small smirk flashes across his lips and I can't help but return it. I nod my head, an airy laugh escaping my lips.

My stomach twists and turns in an unfamiliar feeling, one I haven't felt. Not as if I were to be sick, it's a nice feeling, an excited sensation.

Before I know it, I feel his warm hand on my cheek, bringing my eyes to his. I don't realize how close he actually is, and my heart quickens immediately. He eyes glance down to my lips every so often. He brings my face closer to his, until we are only mere inches away from each other. His warm breathe hitting my skin brings goose bumps to my arms.

"What are we doing?" he asks, his fingertips lightly dancing over my cheek.

"Is that your question?" He lets out a nervous laugh, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

"Yes…"

"I don't know." I answer seriously. He moves closer, his hands holding my cheeks.

"Should I stop?" He asks, but I can't bring myself to say yes. I shake my head quickly. My heartbeat rapidly speeding up, my breathe, shallow and short.

"Good." He is moving unbearably closer, feeling his lips hover over mine.

"Take this damn dog, Cato! It's annoying the shit out of me, and I need my-" I break myself away from his grip when Finnick's voice echoes in the space. "Beauty sleep." He finishes, trailing off.

"Did I interrupt something?" He asks a hint of amusement in his voice, while I sit there opening and closing my mouth wordlessly. Like a fish out of water. I don't really know how to respond to this situation. I stand up abruptly, fixing my pajama pants.

"I'm going to go to bed. Night Finn." I nod my head at him, I feel the strong urge to wipe the smirk right off his face.

"Aw, Kitty… Do I get a hug, or something?" I laugh, shaking my head.

"Come on Finnick. I'm worth more than that. Haven't you heard? I'm of Royalty. You're going to have to offer a lot more than that." Cato and Finnick both share the same shocked expression and I can't hold in my laughter any longer. "Night guys." I chuckle, waving back at them, leaving them to their stunned faces.

"I'm sorry my duchess, you will have to forgive me. What about Cato? I'm he would be more than happy-" Finnick groans in pain, which I assume is Cato's doing. I pretend I don't hear him though, I would rather not. Blush rose over my cheeks, as I shut the door behind me. Letting the breath I've been holding in, out. Carrying myself over to the bed, I sit down, sinking further into the mattress.

"What the hell was that?" Through the thin panel of the door, I hear Finnick's hushed voice. I don't hear Cato's response, instead Finn scoffs and laughs lightly.

"Bullshit. I am all for this and everything, I mean I want you to be happy… you are my best friend. But I know where this is heading. You can't hurt her, she doesn't deserve that."

I move tiptoe to the door, pressing my ear to the cool wood.

"It's different… she's different. I don't know how to explain it. She just, reminds me of her. What if she is my next chance? My only chance?" Cato sounds out of breath, like it took everything inside him just to say those few words. My heart clenches in my chest. Were they talking about me?

Of course they were… who else could they be talking about?

"Whatever the cost, you have to be there for her, respect her choices. You understand me? You're right though. She's different, she's special. She's the princess." Finnick whispers.

I pull my face away almost immediately and stumble back to my bed. I guess the words spoken aloud, sound very strange to me. They sound sincere. I have spent these last few days, hesitant and unsure of what was going to come out of this. Months ago, I would have laughed at the thought of even having a family let alone being a princess. But I can feel it, I could be the princess.

What would happen to my relationship with the guys? This is what he wanted from the starting, though. They have lives after this. Why do I feel so… unconvinced, then?

I freeze in my bed as I hear footsteps grow closer to the door; a loud knock, breaking the silence.

After a few moments, I hesitantly stand from the bed. A loud creak of the mattress gives out as my weight is lifted. Fixing my clothing, I rip the door open, not at all surprised by the look of a very disheveled Cato standing in the doorway.

"Hi," I breathe out, unsure of what he's actually doing here.

"Hi." He smiles before stepping closer to me, his hands in the pockets of his pajamas. "I just wanted to say… goodnight."

"Goodnight Cato." I return his smile, but I don't move to close the door. I don't want him to leave just yet.

"We-We are arriving in the Capitol tomorrow… so make sure to get up early. We have an interesting day ahead of us." He chuckles awkwardly.

"Okay, I think I'm ready for it… do you?" I ask him.

"Do I? Think you're ready? For the-? Yeah, of course! You are more ready than I am."

"More ready then you are?" I raise an eyebrow to him, unsure of his reasoning. But when his eyes widen, I know he didn't mean anything bad by it. Is he being… nervous?

"Oh…no what I meant to say was- That it's going to suck when there isn't anybody to show up Finn." He coughs in his hand, "he's really going to miss you." I meet his eyes that are a darker shade than normal. His speech on the colour blue brought heat to my cheeks. I just hope the lack of light will prevent him from seeing it. I decide not to bring up the fact that he didn't mention himself. It's too soon.

"Well, I better get to bed. Big day tomorrow…" I say, grabbing the doorknob. He catches it before I have the chance to close it fully.

His hand catches my wrist lightly, pulling it up to his lips. He gives my knuckles a light kiss before dropping it, never taking his eyes off mine. My heart hammers in my chest, almost like when he did it the first time. The effect he has on me…

"Thank you, for listening to me. For listening to my story. Goodnight Katniss." Before I can say anything else, he leaves me to consume in my thoughts. When I fall asleep tonight, I know they will no doubt be filled with thoughts of him.

Thanks again for reading! Send me a PM or review if you have any questions or comments. I am happy to answer them for you!

I have never done this before and to be honest, I don't know how to go about it but I really need to a beta. Message me if your interested!