star crossed lovers ➸ cato hadley

xx. the finale

Little Miss Perfect was still to make an appearance.

Natalie knew that Clove was waiting for her. It was a game of cat and mouse between them with the bait being the only move left to play. The Mellark female took a step into the open and slowly walked towards the pile of bags. When she had finally picked up the bag, she was surprised to find it so light. It felt like there was nothing in there.

Just as Natalie turned to leave, she was welcomed by a knife been thrown towards her. She barely had any time to move before Clove tackled her to the ground.

The two girls fought as they tried to kill each other. Natalie punched Clove in the nose, hoping to throw her off enough to grab her discarded knife. But Clove pressed her foot into her hand, pinning the district 12 female down.

     "I've waited a while for this happen. I knew that Cato would be too much of a wimp to kill you but me? I have no problem." Clove sneered, pressing the knife into Natalie's neck.

"I'm going to kill you like we killed that girl. What was her name again? Rue?" Natalie spat in her face, wanting nothing more than to wipe that smirk off her face.

Clove was thrown off her a second later and was held against the cornucopia by Thresh. "You killed Rue?" He spoke with anger in his eyes. The female tribute gasped for air and shook her head. Clove knee her time was limited but that didn't stop her from yelling out for Cato.

Thresh bashed Clove's head against the hovercraft and stepped away, leaving her for dead. "Just this time, 12. For Rue." He looked at Natalie for a moment before running back into the woods without a trace behind him.

     Natalie could feel her guilt clawing at her chest. She had done nothing to deserve Thresh's kindness, as she was the one who killed Rue.

It was another life debt that was added on the list she couldn't completely.

➳

     Despite the changing of the atmosphere, Natalie felt like time was going slower, like the gamemakers decided to prolong the day and leave her suffocating in the guilt that was manifesting. It was well into the night and there was only four tributes left. Foxface had died only a few hours before; either frok Thresh or survival, the trio didn't know. However, the trio did know that there impending doom was closer than ever.

She had received the silent treatment as soon as she returned from the feast. She deserved it, she knew that. She risked her life for nothing; just a simple letter from Haymitch. But that gift had saved her life in more ways then possible. The father figure had saw the darkness and reached out in the only way he could.

It was nothing useful to the guys but it was something that Natalie desperately needed. It was the one thing that stopped her from becoming insane.

     Cato sat down beside the silent female and took her hand into his. He hated her for risking her life yet again. But he hated himself more for not doing it himself. "I'm sorry for not telling you." Natalie looked up at him, a few heartbeats later.

"Don't do that. Don't ever apologise for doing what you think is right. You beat her and if that helps you in whatever way then I will support you. As long as you bring me with you next time."

Natalie chuckled and pecked him on the lips. She didn't know how much longer the pair had together, but she wanted to make sure she spent every last minute of it with him.

"I want you to have something." Cato whispered. He took off the charm bracelet he had kept hidden and put it on Natalie's wrist. "My mother had given it to me before the I left for good luck. Now I want you to have it."