I Swear I Won't Forget You - 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤

The End

Snow now stands in front of me in the doorway.

"I want Cato." I demand.

His facial expression grows intense, the wrinkles around his eyes almost double.

"You, my dear, are failing to uphold your end of the deal. You and Cato will live in the Capitol, fully cooperating with our camera crews." He scowls.

"I'll do it, I don't care anymore, just give me Cato." I demand. I have fully come to my senses and have come to the conclusion that this is my life now, always in the eye of the Capitol. Snow won, he won this battle, I can't do anything besides to what he says now, he's proved his power to me and I will surrender to him. He turns and speaks into the depths of his mansion.

"Cato, come forth." He speaks.

Footsteps grow louder from behind him and I see a tuff of blond hair. I push my way past Snow, barging into his house un-welcomed. My arms wrap around the tall, meaty man. Cato.

"Clove, I'm so sorry I tried to take advantage of you, I-I didn't know what I was doing." Cato whispers into my shoulder.

"Shh, they drugged you, I know now. I'm okay, it's all okay." I reassure him, quiet enough for Snow not to hear me. Cato's grip tightens around my waist before letting me go. I step back and take a look at him, he looks sick and tired, something I'm not used to seeing, he's always been so healthy. I wonder what the Capitol did to him.

"Since you have proved your disobedience, you will be under surveillance full time, cameras have been installed in your townhouse and camera crews may come and go as they please. If you fail to obey these terms, you will be executed. I will have you make a mockery of the Capitol no more. Do you understand?" Snow explains to us. I look at him, feeling defeated and nod my head.

"Yes, sir." I agree.

"Good, you will be transported to your townhouse and picked up at 8 a.m for an interview with Caesar Flickerman. This is your last chance, you can't afford to mess it up." His cold, gray eyes pierce into mine like a knife."

"Thank you." Cato praises him, clearly feeling just as defeated as I am.

We are escorted out by a handful of Peacekeepers and driven back to our townhouse. As we walk in, Peacekeepers guard every door that exits the building. This is just like prison, I feel like a caged animal again. To my surprise, Peeta stands in our living room, waiting for us. When his eyes meet mine, he quickly makes his way over and embraces me.

"You've really tried it this time, I didn't think Snow would let you come back." He whispers, aware of the security cameras that bombard the room.

"I know, it isn't worth losing you guys over. I'm done rebelling now." I whisper back.

"No, you're not." His response shoots a cold shiver down my spine. What does he have planned?

~

Peeta sleeps in our guest bedroom that night, Cato and I are in our king sized bed. It's about 2:45 a.m when I'm abruptly awoken by the sound of explosions. Glows of fires flicker through the windows and distant sounds of screaming fills my ears. Cato and I basically jump out of bed and Peeta busts through the door.

"We have to go, now!" He says, his shoes are already on and tied, he looks prepared. How did he foresee this?

"What's going on?" Cato demands as we jump into our shoes.

"The Capitol is being bombed, we have to go now, it's our only chance." Bombed? Who would even dare bombing the Capitol? None of the districts even have those supplies that it takes to build a bomb. He grabs a couple of jackets from our closet and tosses them to us. I slip mine on and throw the hood over my head, Cato does the same. Peeta runs to the window and slides it open, motioning for us to jump out. Without further questioning, we do as he says. Cato jumps first, landing rather hard on the ground from our second story room. After regaining his footing, he holds his arms open and I jump into them, Peeta following on his own. The sky is being lit up by explosions, the sound almost has my ears bleeding.

We follow Peeta through the backstreets of the Capitol, tip-toeing every corner as crazed Capitol citizens roam the streets in panic. Peeta leads us for two miles out of the suburbs of the Capitol, we are all very clearly out of breath but we know this is our only chance to get out. Suddenly, a huge gust of air blows the hood off of my head, I look up and see a hovercraft with the sequence 'D-13' painted on the sides. District 13? A rope ladder falls down and Peeta grabs it, holding it for me.

"Climb, I'll answer everything soon you just gotta go!" He yells over the sounds of bombs. I reluctantly grab the rope and begin to climb, Cato following me, then Peeta after him. I climb all the way up into the open hatch of the hovercraft and throw myself onto the floor, exhausted. Cato and Peeta find their way up and the hatch closes, the hovercraft then begins ascending upwards and into the night.

~

"They came to see me while you were gone, disguised as Capitol people. They saw you in the Games, after the Games too, they saw how the Capitol was treating you. They've been waiting for the right time to strike, to take the Capitol down for good, and they saw it in you." Peeta explains as we sit in the hovercraft.

"I thought District 13 was obliterated, how are they still here?" I ask.

"They had an under-the-table deal with Snow, they hid underground while the Capitol made us believe they took them out for rebelling against them." He says.

"So, what's going to happen from here?" Cato asks, his expression is hard to read; uneasy, maybe?

"Far away where no one will find us, it's outside of all of the districts, filled with runaways. We'll be safe there." Peeta reassures us.

It's been impossible to comprehend anything that has gone on in the last several weeks, but all I know is that I have Cato, he has been my anchor my entire life, since the day I met him in the training center in District 2. He has protected me through it all. I love him more than anything I've ever loved, I don't know why it took so many years to realize that but I have him right here, right now, and I never intend on leaving him ever again.

~

It's been several months since the Capitol has fallen. Cato, Peeta and I live in a small community in the woods outside of 12, well, what was 12. We don't have districts anymore, no absolute authority over the nation, no segregation, everything is finally how it's supposed to be. Cato and I live in a cabin, established in the beginning, before the war, before the games. It's old but it's safe, it's our little home. We grow a garden out back and raise chickens, of course we have day jobs that help support our community, but we also like to grow our own food and help provide for others. We were married on an old bridge over a river, flowers wrapped around the railing, even an arch of flowers and vines were made by our community. I didn't have the wedding dress that I picked out in the Capitol, but I helped some other women make one for me here in the woods, it was beautiful. I'm 12 weeks pregnant now, Cato and I are ecstatic for our little child, to start a family. This is all I've ever wanted, and now it's finally in reach. Peeta has been really helpful with my pregnancy, bringing me flowers and little homemade gifts and toys for our soon to be bundle of joy. Cato and I have plans to go back to District 2 and see our parents after the baby is born, I can't imagine how surprised they'll be. Things are perfect, not a thing is out of place in my life. I didn't know life could be like this, free, free from the Capitol, free from the games, free from Snow. I had no idea, but now I know. Things were never supposed to be like they were, all of the horrible events and pain I've endured were leading up to this moment, to this life that I was destined to have. I am forever grateful for the people who I've met on the way, for the people I've gotten to know and love, for Cato. I am grateful for everything I have right now in this moment, and I will always remember the things I've lost to get me here. But all that matters now, is now, and I will cherish every moment like it could be my last. Here's to live a long, beautiful life with Cato, with our baby, with our friends, and to never forget how we got here.

Thank you.

The End.