A/N: As requested by mousegoesrawr...jealous Cato! (There might be nother version of a jealous Cato coming too) -Lu

"He wants an alliance," said Clove solemnly, not looking at Cato. He frowned and pulled himself from his thoughts, scanning the room for who she could mean. His eyes fell on the giant from Eleven and he cocked his head to the side, considering.

"Well, Eleven certainly has strength. It would be unusual but-"

"No!" Clove snapped at him contemptuously. "Twelve. He wants an alliance."

Cato's eyes snapped automatically to where Peeta was studying a table of leaves. His face turned up in a smirk. "Why would he even bother seeking an alliance with us?" he said, practically laughing. He turned to Clove who was giving him a scornful look, her arms crossed.

"He wants an alliance because he wants to live his pathetic little life as long as possible." She tossed her head showing her annoyance and glanced across at Peeta. "He approached me at lunch."

Surprise and anger coursed through Cato simultaneously and his smirk changed to a vicious glare which he shot in Peeta's direction. "And why would he approach you?" he said in a dangerously quiet voice.

Clove rolled her eyes and gave him a tight, disdainful smile before turning and walking away without giving him an answer. He stared after her, confused at the anger that was beating in his pulse. His fist was smashing into the practice dummy before he even thought about it and he glared at the terrified tributes standing behind it. They scattered under his furious gaze and he turned back to his weapon, breathing heavily. His eyes fell on Peeta who was still by the nature table, but he was gazing across the room. Cato followed his gaze to where Clove and the annoying Girl from Twelve stood in line at the spear throwing. He looked back at Peeta, taking in his dreamy expression, and suddenly Cato's fist was slamming into the mannequin again, only this time he was very deliberately picturing the Boy from Twelve's face at the heart of his punches.

...

"I said NO!" Cato shouted, slamming his fist down on the table. All the cutlery on the long dining table jumped and their terrified escort let out a squeak. Clove didn't move in her seat but was glaring at him with open hostility. "We will not make an alliance with him!" Cato shouted again.

"We make alliance with the strongest tributes Cato," Clove said calmly, buttering a piece of bread. "And Peeta-"

"Oh so we know his name now?" spat Cato furiously. She lifted coolly contemptuous eyes to him, her butterknife hovering over the bread.

"As I was saying, Peeta is one of the strongest this year, literally," she continued, unnervingly calm.

Cato glared at her, furious that he couldn't make her see the idiocy of accepting a boy from Twelve- that boy- into the Career alliance. At that minute if he'd been in the room he probably would have ripped his jugular out with his bare hands. It made no sense that Clove was pressing so hard for the alliance, and hell would freeze over before he asked her. He could just imagine the amused, scornful look she would give him if he let his confusion show through. Cato turned in exasperation to Enobaria, who had been watching them with a serious, thoughtful expression.

"Tell her!" he exploded, pointing an accusing finger at Clove.

Enobaria stared at Cato for a few silent long moments, her finger tapping her chin. "No. I think Clove is right," she said eventually. "He would make a useful addition. The girl is your biggest threat and he can help you get her early."

Cato stared at her speechlessly. Throwing his hands up in exasperation he stood up violently, his chair crashing to the ground and evoking another squeak from the escort.
"Yeah well don't expect me to save you when he turns against us," Cato spat viciously at Clove before storming away, leaving her with the sound of the slamming door to ponder.

...

Cato used the jacket of a dead tribute to wipe the blood from his sword. When he could see the jagged edges of the Cornucopia in its metallic surface he looked up, scanning the scattered bodies and bloody remains around him. A few of them still moaned, but it wouldn't be for long.

Quickly he began stalking towards the weapon supplies, where he could see Glimmer furiously delving through a box. She pulled out a quiver of arrows and held it up triumphantly, meeting his eyes with a manic grin. There was blood spattered across her flawless, bronzed skin. She jumped to her feet as he marched up beside her, and slung a bow across her back.

"Ready?" she said breathlessly, her eyes gleaming with excitement. He looked at her studiously, his eyes roaming over her bouncing golden curls and her emerald eyes. She really was quite pretty, not his type- all that showiness and glamour -but pretty nonetheless.

"Let's go," he said tersely, turning away. His eyes fell on several figures roaming through the bloodied bodies. Marvel was stabbing one with a spear, drawing it out again with a satisfied smile. Cato's eyes though were on Clove, who was crouched over another. She plucked something small and glinting from the hand of the dead tribute; a knife. She already had dozens in her vest and tied to her arms and legs. As he watched she stood up and passed the knife to the figure behind her. Cato's eyes narrowed and he hissed involuntarily as he saw Peeta accept the blade from her, looking at it hesitantly for a second before slipping it into his jacket.

All three of them began to walk towards him. Cato felt Glimmer's hair tickle his arm as she bounced up next to him, too close. Impulsively Cato turned to her and leaned in close, so close he could smell the blood drying on her clothes.

"You got blood in your pretty blonde curls," he said in a low voice. Her eyes flicked up to his and she smiled in what he suspected she thought a seductive manner. She giggled breathlessly and he forced a smile back. He could feel the eyes' of the others on them and it only urged him on. "Here," he said gently, reaching out a hand and bushing one of her curls over her shoulder, pretending to wipe non-existent blood from her hair. She held his gaze and leant in closer. They stayed that way for a long moment, just long enough that he could be sure he had her, and that the others had seen. Suddenly, he pulled away and looked up. The others were standing in a tense circle around them, joined by the girl from District 4.

"Let's go hunting," he said grimly, sliding his sword with a clang into the scabbard. Marvel grinned and marched off, the others following him gradually. Cato adjusted the sword in his belt and looked up, meeting Clove's eyes. She stared at him, her arms crossed defensively, and an amused smirk on her lips. He felt strangely exposed under her look.

"What?" he growled at her. She raised her eyebrows indifferently and uncrossed her arms.

"Nothing," she said simply, turning and following the others. He growled low in his throat with uncontrolled annoyance and stomped after her.

...

He was woken by screams and a thrashing body next to him. Cato's eyes flew open and his vision was instantly blurred by hundreds of buzzing black bodies which were swarming around him. With a shout he sprang to his feet, only pausing to grab his sword, before he took off through the trees. He felt a searing pain in his arm as he crashed out of the clearing, and his heart was pounding so loudly in his ears it almost drowned out Glimmer's screams behind him. He didn't give her a second thought as he belted through the trees. In front of him he could see Clove's small figure darting through the trees, her dark ponytail whipping furiously from side to side. He had no idea what had happened but another burning pain jabbed at his lower back and he yelped, only just managing to avoid a tree.

As he raced through the forest, following Clove's distant figure, his mind began to piece together the sounds and sensations of the last few minutes and he realised they had been attacked by tracker jackers. That explained the pain screaming through his limbs at that moment. He blocked it out as years of merciless training had taught him to and concentrated on his legs pounding the ground beneath him.

At last they broke through the last line of trees near the lake and without stopping he crashed into the water. Clove was already ducking her head below the surface and he felt the cold rush of water around him as he joined her. As he disappeared below the surface he could see the swarm of angry insects hot on their tail. Below, only silence pressed in on his eardrums. He opened his eyes and looked through the gloomy water. He could see Clove's pale face shining at him through the rippling shadows. She was looking at him, the occasional bubble escaping her lips. They stared at each other, propelling their arms to keep them underwater, until his lungs felt like they were going to burst and he pushed himself towards the surface. He broke through, gasping for air, and heard Clove splash up next to him, coughing and spluttering. He couldn't hear or see the insect anywhere now so he paddled tiredly towards the shore and hauled himself out of the water, flopping down on the sun warmed ground. Clove collapsed next to him with a sigh.

"Twelve," she muttered furiously, eyes on the tree line.

Cato hauled himself into a sitting position and followed her gaze. "I'll enjoy killing her," he growled, feeling the stinging in his arm and back.

"No. Peeta. He went back for her," Clove hissed. Cato turned to look at her, his anger hesitating.

"What...your little boyfriend betrayed you?" he said, unable to keep the open venom from his voice. She turned seething eyes on him.

"What about you...awful quick to abandon your blonde bimbo weren't you?"

The accusation made him halt. He didn't think she had noticed his attempts at liking Glimmer, and her attempts at seducing him. But she was glaring at him with such anger that something flickered in him. She had noticed and she had cared. And he wasn't quite sure why but that made him feel happy.

"I'm surprised you had time to notice anyone else," he said carefully, keeping his voice even. "I would have thought you'd be too busy with your little friend from Twelve."

Clove rolled her eyes and sighed with utter exasperation. "Cato!" she said in frustration. "It was an alliance! Stop being jealous!"

An angry retort died on his tongue as he processed her words. "I'm not jealous!" he exploded, affronted. She looked at him like she thought him stupid and sighed again.

"Can you please just go and kill him?" she said, pointing towards the woods. "He's getting away."

He followed where she pointed and paused only a moment before leaping to his feet, the pain from his stings and the weight of his soaking clothes suddenly nothing in his furious brain. As he stood poised, his sword already in his hand, he glanced back down at Clove. "I wasn't jealous," he clarified, though his voice lacked its previous conviction.

"Okay Cato," she said with a small, amused smile as he took off into the trees.