"District 13?" I gasp. "He's never going to make it all the way out there! How did he even know about it in the first place?"

"Brutus," Cato answers. "He has a series of rebels planning to accompany him all the way to the base. He left right before the Reaping, and if all goes according to plan he should be there within the next week." I rub my hands over my temples as I try to grasp this information.

"It's so risky, Cato. There are a million different ways he could get caught or killed," I tell him, and he scoffs.

"You think I don't know that? Hell, I don't even know if he is alive or dead right now. The odds are awful, but he's got a better chance of making it out there than in the Games."

"I guess you're right. What are the Gamemakers planning to do? What if they don't find him? Their entire schedule would be thrown off," I mention as I begin to pace back and forth.

"That is all a part of Brutus's plan. There is no way Snow will reap another tribute, for that would show a kink in his armor. All of the attention and all of the resources will be used to find Bryson as quickly as possible, so we should be able to slip out of the district and get you to 13 without too much trouble." Wait. I would get to go to 13? I would finally be able to see my sister, join the right side of the rebellion, and give up on this whole act that I've been keeping up ever since I left the arena. But what about Cato?

"Are you not coming with me?" I look to Cato for any signs of emotion, but his face remains stone cold.

"District 2 is my home. I have to stay here and help my people. Also, it would be a good thing for the rebels to have an ally on the inside. Think of all of the names, dates, launch codes, and plans that I could intercept," he explains, but I don't want to hear it.

"I can't leave you behind after everything we've been through! Snow would catch on to your plan instantly. He would know that you wouldn't betray me, right?"

"Our entire relationship started because Snow wanted me to betray you and you people, Prim! He wouldn't think anything of it." Cato looks at me with a look of hurt in his eyes, and I wonder why he really wants to stay, and why he feels the need to lie to me. I can't help but feel a bit angry; what have I done to deserve his deceit?

"Snow will torture you, Cato!"

"It would be worth it in the end, and you know it." His lack of desire for his own self-preservation pisses me off, and I stop pacing and look at him directly in the eyes.

"I don't know why you have some sort of martyr complex all of the sudden, but you should know that we are in this together. If you stay, I am staying too." I cross my arms over my chest and refuse to break the eye contact I have with him. Unfortunately, my little defiance only makes him more upset.

"Everdeen," he seethes, and I almost take a step back in fear. "You will go to District 13, and you will stop this nonsensical arguing." Instead of backing down, I move closer so that I am almost eye-to-eye with him.

"No."

And with that, Cato storms out of the room. Valerie, who I had forgotten even existed in the midst of my argument, looks at me in fear. I ignore her and walk over to the bar, where I pour myself a random blue drink and down it in one gulp. It does nothing to help my mood, and the burning liquid only irritates my throat. I set it down and sit myself in one of the bar stools. A few minutes later, Valerie approaches me.

"There's a District 13? How come I didn't know?" she asks meekly. I give a sharp laugh and look at her.

"There's a lot about this place that you don't know. Hell, there are a lot of secrets that even I have no clue about. It's what has kept this country together for 75 long years. With every secret that gets revealed, one more thread from the fabric of Panem becomes unraveled, and Snow is doing everything in his power to keep it all from going to shit." I explain, and she goes quiet for a moment.

"But why doesn't Snow just change things? If he could just make things better for the lower districts, wouldn't that solve the problem?" Valerie finally questions.

"He oppresses his people for the same reason people all throughout history have oppressed others. He wants the power, the superiority that comes from knowing that others are worthless compared to him. If everyone was equal in the eyes of the law, he would have no real power over them. But since he has people of all sorts of social class, he can keep them in line by threatening to make them live on a social rung lower than what they already are on. That's why Districts 11, 12, and 13 are all rebelling. Those people are already barely surviving, they've got nothing to lose."

With that final comment, I leave the train car to go find Cato. I search through his room, my room, the dining car, and even the conductor's car. Eventually, I give up on my search and settle for Brutus instead.

"How are you holding up, Rose?" Brutus asks, giving me a small hug.

"I guess I'm okay. I am not sure about Cato, though, and that worries me," I reply, letting Brutus guide me down to a sofa where he sits me down next to him.

"Cato is just like you, Rosie. He's scared shitless. He's scared that Bryson is going to get found, he's scared that he won't be able to save you, and he's scared that he is going to single-handedly screw up the rebellion. He's got a lot on his shoulders right now."

"But why won't he let me help him? We've been stuck together for five years now, and I had hoped that he had more trust in me," I lament, staring at my feet.

"He trusts you just fine. It's himself he doesn't trust. Snow has had the boy turning his back on his own morals ever since the Games, and he is scared that he's gonna do it again. He has too much to lose, now."

"I guess I can see what you mean," I murmur, finally able to see things through Cato's eyes. "Do you think Bryson will be okay, Brutus?" I ask, unsure of whether or not I really want to know the answer.

"I wish I could tell ya, kid. But I want you to know that this is what the kid wants. He came to me in tears last night, begging me for a way out. I called up some of my old contacts, pulled in some favors, and got some of the best fighters I know to guide him to 13."

"It sounds like he has the best shot possible. Thank you, Brutus," I say genuinely, grabbing a hold of his hand and giving it a squeeze. He squeezes back, but he also lets out a discontented sigh.

"There is one thing I think you should know, Prim," he says grudgingly.

"What's that?"

"Bryson asked that if any Peacekeeper or official comes to take him away…"

"What? Tell me, Brutus, please!"

"He asked for whoever is with him to shoot him before they can take him. That kid is either getting to 13, or he is going to die trying."

After my talk with Brutus, I resume my search for Cato. Finally, I find him sitting in what would have been Bryson's room had he not escaped.

"Hey," I say softly, taking a seat on the bed next to Cato. He has his head in his hands, and he offers no acknowledgement of my presence.

"I talked to Brutus," I offer. "He seems to think that Bryson has a real chance of getting to 13." Still, Cato remains motionless.

"I think some real progress can come from this. A delay in the Games will catch the Capitol's attention, which is just what we need. They will be already in a state of discontent, so they will be ready for the news of a rebellion. Hell, they may even sympathize," I tell him, and he finally lifts his head out of his hands.

"Even if we get the sympathy of every single Capitolite, we won't have the support we need. People in the Capitol have no passion, no sense of morality or ethics. We need support from the upper Districts. They'll be the ones who will care," he says gruffly. I remain unfazed by his tone, and I continue with my plan.

"Exactly, Cato. And there is no way we are going to get the support from those Districts if you, the poster boy for every Career man and woman out there, are seen to be supporting the Capitol. People will rally around you and whatever side you choose to be on. If you stick with the Capitol, even if you do so as a spy, they will go all in and help the President. If you follow me, come back with me to District 13, everyone in Districts 1 through 5 will have no choice but to notice. Snow won't have the extra troops if they refuse to fight for him, and he won't have the power to take on the rebellion."

"Rose, you don't want me to come with you," he breathes, and I am shocked. How, after all of these years, after our kiss and all of our hardships, could he possibly believe that I wouldn't want him?

"That's nonsense. Have you not heard everything I've just said? Of course I want you to come with me!"

"But what if I betray you, huh? Snow has too many things to hold over my head, and I'm not strong enough to deny him. I can't lose anything else."

"And I can't lose you, Cato! What is he going to have over your head if you, me, and Bryson are all together with the rebels in 13? He can't throw us into the Games, he can't force us into some bullshit anti-war promos, and if he kills one of us, well we wouldn't even have to worry because he would kill all of us instantaneously!"

"What a reassuring thought," Cato replies with sarcasm.

"But you see what I mean, don't you? Whether you like it or not, we are in this together. We've come too far and lost too much to lose each other now." And with that, I kiss him, passionately. I let out all of my frustrations and all of my fears and allow myself to melt into the kiss. Cato does the same, and he grabs me by the waist and pulls me closer. When we are both out of breath, he pulls away and brings his forehead to mine.

"I can't lose you, Rosie," he breathes.

"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

The train station pulls into the Capitol, and immediately I notice all of the commotion. Peacekeepers are everywhere, holding the raging citizens back away from us. One grabs Valerie by the arm, and two more forcefully grab me and Cato and pull us away.

"Hey, that's our tribute you're taking away!" I yell, only to be instantly muffled by the guard's hand. I kick and scream, but it's no use. Cato's anger is apparent in his eyes as we are dragged into a car. Before we can protest, the vehicle sets into motion. The black partition that blocked us from seeing the driver fades into a transparent glass, and I gasp as I see the figure that sits in the front passenger seat.

"Ah, Cato, Primrose," President Snow gleams. "Welcome to your wedding day!"

Thank you to everyone who has stayed with this story, and to any new readers. You all are angels. I can't promise that this story will ever be finished, but I have not forgotten about it. I started this book four years ago, when I was a lonely 13 year old, and I cringe so much when I read most of the chapters. I hope my writing has gotten better, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!