Clato: The Cost of a Broken Heart

Chapter 41

CATO

Clove is asleep on my lap, a book propped open against her chin. I stroke her hair and watch early evening light trickle through the window. Her chocolate hair spills across the arm of the couch. What did I do to deserve her? How can these bloody hands be allowed to touch something so beautiful?

I'm drawn from my thoughts by a throaty chuckle. "You finally got her then, good for you boy." My head whips around, jostling Clove onto my chest. Somehow she doesn't wake. Clove slips from my mind as I see who is standing in our entryway.

Brutus. He's here. He's home.

My throat closes up. In a daze, I slip out from under Clove. She stirs but I'm not watching her. Brutus grins lopsidedly, a few teeth missing from his smile. Blood mixes with the blue tattoos on his head. A gruesome black eye shimmer purple in the fading light. "C'mon then boy," he says.

I pitch myself towards him and wrap my arms around him tight. All concerns of looking tough or holding back disappear. Brutus is here and that is all that matters. "Thank God," I say, "thank God." I can feel sobs working their way up my chest.

Brutus pats my back in a fatherly manner and whispers, "It's okay, boy, I'm back. I'm back to take care of you two."

I draw back from Brutus, hands shaking. Clove, who must have woken up when I moved, comes rushing forward to give Brutus a hug of her own. She takes his hands and says, "I'm so glad you're home. It isn't home without you." Brutus starts to get a little teary-eyed then but pretends he isn't. Clove wipes the tears from my face and rubs soothing circles on my chest.

"What happened to you?" I croak.

"I'm gonna need a chair before I say anything else." Clove turns around one of the bar stools while I help Brutus to his seat. He hobbles with a limp now. What happened to him?

"I was part of the rebellion whose goal was to take down the president and thereby end the Games." Brutus says. "I made my decision to go through with it the night Cato nearly tackled me trying to save you from your nightmares."

"You didn't have to do it." I say.

"I wanted to. For you two, and Mirren, and all the forgotten children." He clears his throat. "After I killed the president, peacekeepers dragged me away. They kept me in a stronghold away from the Capitol and tortured me for information that would help them take the Capitol back. There's still Capitol supporters out there. It took weeks for them to find me and I wanted to see you in person so I didn't let them send word."

"What did they do to you?"

"I can't--I can't..."

"We understand," Clove says. And we do. Each of us is broken in too many ways to count, but maybe, together, we can pick up the pieces.

"I was afraid you had left me," I say so soft Brutus strains to hear it. "Not by entirely by choice, but still. You chose to do it. I would have lost you." I can't think about that now, the thought that has haunted me every waking hour of the past weeks.

"Cato," Brutus says, "I didn't want to leave you. I fought every day in that prison to come back to see you and Clove, my kiddos. No matter what happened or could have happened, I will always be your father." That's about when I give up trying to hold in my tears. Clove and Brutus understand. They sit with me while I cry. I finally have the family I've always dreamed of. I finally have a father who loves me unconditionally.

A/N Terribly, terribly sorry this took forever. I PROMISE the next one will be out much faster. Hope you enjoyed it! Please comment and vote!