DISCLAIMER: Yeah.. I own nothing.

Author's Note: Okay. So this is my first fan fiction. And I know, since I RP as Peeta on twitter most people are expecting a Peeta/Katniss franfic. But, This one is actually a Cato/Katniss story. So. Sorry for any disappointment. This is my first fan fic. So don't tear me to shreads. Okay. Have fun reading. Hope you enjoy it – Dex

=CHAPTER ONE=

One. Two. Three. Punch. Breathe. One. Two. Three.

'Cato! My grandmother can hit harder than that!' My coach roared in my ear. I sighed, opening my cool blue eyes, turning to face at him. I'll show you how hard I can hit, old man. My brain snarled.

'Yes coach' I said, pulling my fist back and slamming it into the bag as hard as I can. The bag shook on the rail, before splitting open, sending sand all over the floor. My coach looked furious. His face red and puffy. Not only was he my Coach. He was my Father. He was shorter than me, only by a little. I was bigger, more muscular. He was actually pretty scrawny. He had my dirty blonde hair, and pale skin. His eyes were the darkest shade of brown I'd ever seen. All in all. He was a very unpleasant man. He'd had me fighting since I could walk. He was obsessed with seeing me become the best mixed martial artist in all of Panem, North Carolina.

'Bench' he snarled. I gave a quick, cocky salute and moved to sit on the bench outside the entrance of the gym, massaging my burning knuckles

'You alright?'

I looked up to see a girl, around my age looking down on me with friendly olive eyes. She wore pink gloves and had a slightly bruised left cheek. She was a fighter too.

'Yeah.' I sighed. She sat down next to me on the bench, taking a long drink from her water bottle, water dripped down her chin as she drank. She gasped as she finished the bottle and turned to look at me.

'Are you new? I haven't seen you around the Cornucopia before' she said.

'Yeah. Just moved here. Literally a few hours ago'

'And you right into training?' she asked, surprised.

'Yep. My Dad's a maniac' I said, gesturing to my Father, who was cursing under his breath, taping the hole I made in the bag with duct tape.

'Holy shit. Your Dad is Marcus Tennant?' she asked, raising her eyebrows.

'The one and only' I groaned. She chuckled lightly, her cheeks flushed pink as I smiled in return.

'I'm Cato' I said, holding out my hand.

'Clove' she said, shaking my hand.

'Cato' my Dad's voice growled and I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

'I better go' I said.

'Yeah, that's probably for the best' she said. I picked myself up off the bench, slinging my backpack that I stored under it, over one shoulder.

'Are you going to Grizzly State High?' Clove asked. I bit my lip. I think my Dad did say something about some high school that sounded like that.

'Yeah'

'Cool. I'll see you there' she said, blushing again, she winked and practically danced away on the balls of her feet. That girl was all air. I walked up to my Father, and he laid his hand on my neck, squeezing hard as he directed me to the door. I cringed under his hand, the pressure on my neck making me bend my knees.

'You ever pull something like that again, and you're in deep shit boy' he snarled, slamming his fist in my stomach. I dropped to the floor, holding my stomach, coughing. He walked ahead of me, out the door.

'I'll meet you in the car' he shot at me, over his shoulder.

After about five minutes I managed to pull myself to my feet. I laid my hand over the swelling lump on my abdomen and slid into the passenger seat of my Father's mustang. Saying nothing I stared forwards at the road with resentment as he drove. Wishing I could hit him back. I slipped my earphones in to ignore him, and leant my head against the glass, closing my eyes. Blocking out the world. A sharp slap on the back of my head jolted me back to earth; we were parked in the driveway.

'Wake up, Dolly Daydream' he said, his lip curling into a sneer. My fists clenched. Don't. I climbed out of the car, walking quickly into the door. As soon as it was opened, two pairs of arms wrapped around my waist. I laughed lightly, picking up my little sister, Violet and her twin brother Hal in my arms, placing one on each shoulder. They were both five years old. I walked through the small house, into the kitchen where my Mom was struggling to reach the cupboards over the stove. I smiled softly at her, taking the pan she was holding in her hand, and giving it to Hal, who slipped it into the cupboard, beaming ear to ear.

'Cato' she said, smiling lovingly. I lifted the twins off my shoulders, putting them on the floor, they instantly began running after each other giggling.

'Hey Mom' I said, wrapping my arms around her in a soft hug. I was always so careful with her. She adjusted her bandana over her bald head.

'How was the chemo?' I asked, moving her to sit down. Her thin, fragile hand held mine and I kept my smile. Even though on the inside, the image of her was killing me. Gaunt and thin, without her long flowing blonde hair. She didn't look like herself.

'It's not too bad today. I think I'll feel it in the morning' she said, brushing her hand through my fringe, adjusting it on my forehead. Her attention was dragged off me, as her identical blue eyes moved from mine to the lounge.

'Hal, honey. Don't bite your sister' she said, rolling her eyes. I laughed lightly, picking myself up off the stool and moving over to the twins.

'Or, you'll have to deal with me!' I said, picking him up by his legs, holding him upside down. He laughed, his face turning pink. I held him up normally, tickling his exposed belly. He roared in laughter and when he was once again, bright pink I put him on the couch next to Violet. I sat down between them, and the cuddled up to me. The twins were pretty cute. I turned on SpongeBob for them, and they were instantly engulfed by the TV. Their little mouths hanging open ever so slightly.

'Have you eaten yet, sweetie?' my Mom asked, picking herself up. Her small frame was wracked with violent coughs that made me flinch. Fucking Cancer.

'Yeah. I think I'll just get a bowl of cereal and head for my room. I need to unpack' I said. She nodded, kissing my cheek.

'I think I'm going to lie down. Will you be able to put the twins to bed around seven?' she asked. I nodded.

'Sure, Mom'

I made myself a bowl of Cheerios and hopped up the stairs two at a time, into the small room that was mine. My Mom had stuck a pink post it on the door, on it was written:

CATO'S BEDROOM

I pulled off the sticky note and looked around the room. Single bed. Work desk. Bay window. It would do. I quickly ate my cereal, ravenous. I hadn't eaten all day. But I didn't want my Mom to fuss and make me dinner. I wanted her to rest and fight her Cancer. Too soon, the bowl was empty. I put it on my desk and pulled open boxes, arranging my clothes in the wardrobe, and my books on the shelves. I put up some posters, and chucked some weights next to my bed. All in all, it took around two hours. I checked the clock. 7:22pm. I walked downstairs, where the Twins were already fast asleep on the sofa. I turned off the TV and scooped both their small figures up in my arms, carrying them upstairs to the room beside mine. I laid them both down, then I tucked them in. I pulled Violet's butterfly bed sheets up to her chin and kissed her cheek, laying the toy Unicorn my mother had knitted her beside her. She shifted in her sleep, grabbing it and pulling it in under the sheets with her, before falling back into unconsciousness. I sat down on Hal's bed, laughing as I pulled a squeaky rubber dragon from under me. I pulled his dinosaur blankets over him and kissed his cheek too. He smiled in his sleep, hugging his toy dinosaur a little tighter. I turned on the Galaxy projector nightlight i'd gotten them and left the room. I locked their door behind me. Dad was out. He'd come back drunk. And I wouldn't let him hurt the twins like he hurt me. It was a agreement my Mother and I had made a long time ago. I locked her and the twins up at night. And then, if he was drunk, I stopped him hurting anyone. I protected my Family, even if it came to me getting hurt. I locked my Mom's door, and slipped both her key and the twin's key under the door. So when she woke up she could let herself and the twins out. My Father was always too drunk to notice we locked him out of the rooms. He'd try to get in. Curse a little. And then give up and move on. I sat on my bed, flicking through my schoolbooks, and watching TV. By the time I checked the clock, it was 11pm. I yawned, putting my bag on the window seat of the bay window. I went to pull closed my light blue curtains, but I was distracted by a girl, sitting in the window of the house opposite. She was sitting on the window sill, her silk pajama leg hung out the open window, and she was fiddling with a long, dark brown braid, and singing a soft melody to herself. She wore black checkered pj trousers, and a white shirt. I smiled softly to myself. She looked like she was a hundred miles away. In a different world. She turned her head, and noticed me. Her grey eyes crashed into mine, and my knees shook. I felt my cheeks go hot, and I quickly shut my window, drawing my curtains. I slammed my body into the wall to avoid her sight. I looked down at my shaking legs, and laid my hand on my pink, hot cheeks. What the hell is wrong with me?