Forbearance • A Cato Hadley Story

2.15

Livia and Cato weren't exactly happy being back on the train. It wasn't only because they had only gotten off of the train a matter of a few months ago, but because being on the train had simply become a mere reminder of the games and how much they had been put through. They didn't want to be on the train and they certainly both didn't want to go to the Capitol. It was like it had only been yesterday that they survived their first games and they were already going back.

Even though the transportation itself was quite comfortable, both teens were very much uncomfortable. That whole night the blonde didn't speak once. It had been hours since the reaping, nightfall already passing, and she stayed quiet as a mouse. On multiple occasions Cato tried to speak to her and grab her attention. But she never bothered replying. She didn't want to reply. She was sad. She was angry.

The deal after winning the games had been that her and Cato could live in peace. They could live in their District without having to worry about being sent into the games for the rest of their lives. They could sleep at night and not worry about not having enough money for food or clothes. That was the deal. Or maybe it wasn't. And now she was angry. She never got to say goodbye to Chloe. She never got to say goodbye to her father. She was being sent to her death.

For real this time. Last time was a group of inexperienced teenagers. Now Livia and Cato were against people that have been studying the games as mentors for years. They knew what they were doing. The couple on the other hand, didn't. Even as the blonde sat next to Cato, her small hand in his, she couldn't let herself speak. There had been around thirty minutes of silence between the couple, Enobaria and Brutus before Augusta walked in.

The Capitolian woman walked urgently toward the four before stopping by the seat occupied by Livia, leaving an awkward silence lingering for a moment. "Alright. Before we begin I've had a thought." the woman said with a clap of her hands. Enobaria rolled her eyes annoyingly. Meanwhile, Livia tucked her legs into her chest and wrapped her free arm around her knees to keep herself in that position as she tried to tune out Augusta.

She wasn't exactly in the mood for some sort of speech and neither was anyone else in all honesty. "You don't say." Enobaria said sarcastically. Augusta looked at the dark haired woman with a look of annoyance but tried to ignore the comment nonetheless. The woman sighed and glanced at each person with a soft smile. But Livia didn't bother looking up from the floor to acknowledge Augusta. The muscular boy even attempted squeezing her hand to get her attention but nothing came out of it.

"Livia has her dresses and her mothers necklace, I have my ring. I'm going to get you two boys and Enobaria something gold." she offered, gesturing to the teens piece of jewelry and her own as she explained her idea. Cato looked at her curiously as he didn't understand why matching and each having a gold item was so important. It wasn't like having one truly made any difference but he could tell everyone was in a bad mood so he wouldn't comment. But, of course, Brutus was the one to speak up rather than Cato.

"Uh...why is that?" he asked. Finally after an hour Livia gathered the courage to remove her gaze from the floor and looked at Augusta, who smiled back down at her. "A token. Show them we are a team. Well, I can't just..." Augusta trailed off as her eyes began to tear up and her cheeks became a light shade of pink. The blonde reached out her hand that wasn't holding Cato's and grabbed the Capitolian woman's hand comfortingly. The woman held her hand softly in return and grabbed Enobaria's as well who grabbed Brutus'.

"Thank you." Livia whispered, speaking for the first time in hours. After a moment of comforting silence, everyone, other than Livia and Cato, released each other's hands and put their game faces on. "Alright. Now, everything will be different because it's a Quarter Quell. The Capitol has spared no expense. A new training center, new tribute living quarters and of course a very special arena." the woman started.

"But this year you'll be facing other victors, Capitol favorites. Smart, cunning, skilled. And they all know one another, you two are the outsiders." she continued, pacing back and forth in front of them. The rest of that night was spent explaining what the two tributes needed to focus on and who to look for when it came to ally's. They arrived at the tribute center compound near midnight that night.

Augusta decided that while Livia, Cato, Enobaria and Brutus went up to their penthouse to talk about the tributes for that year she would stay downstairs. As the group of four stepped into the elevator Enobaria began to explain to the teens how they needed to go about the games this year. "I want you guys to forget everything you think you know about the games. Last year was child's play. This year you're dealing with all experienced killers." she started to explain as they took the short ride up to the second floor.

Cato, who was leaning on the railing connected to the glass part of the elevator, was the first to respond to the victor. "What does that mean for us?" he asked tiredly, both him and Livia simply just ready to head to bed. They were both on the verge of asking if they could go to sleep for the night and talk about it in the morning but they knew that they needed as much advice as they could get if they were going against more experienced tributes.

"That means you're gonna have to have some allies." she told them with a shrug of her shoulders. Just after she finished her sentence the doors to the elevator opened and the group stepped out. They then turned to their right and started walking along the hallway to the second floor to get to their room. "Okay. I think that if..." Cato started only for Brutus to raise his hand, signaling for the teen to stop talking, as if he had said something wrong.

"Woah. You're not the problem." Brutus corrected the boy. The man shifted his gaze to the blonde beside the muscular boy, pointing at her seriously. The girl looked at him in an angry way, raising both of her arms as if to say 'really?' Brutus wasn't trying to insinuate that she was an unlikeable person. She was actually quite friendly once you got to know her.

It was more so that she wasn't too keen on meeting new people. "Sorry my antisocial ass isn't too fond of making friends." she snapped, earning an eye roll from the man. Finally the group reached the penthouse and walked into the large space. Livia was unsure whether she was happy to be in the space or if it gave her an uneasy feeling. While it was a beautiful temporary home, the memories that came along with it weren't the most pleasant.

It was simply a reminder of the pain and suffering she had gone through the year prior. Her gaze moved to the dinner table she remembered sitting at next to Glimmer while the group discussed strategies. But it was where she had realized she had feelings for Cato. So coming back was bittersweet for both Livia and her boyfriend.

"Look, you're starting at a disadvantage. Most of these people have been friends for years." Brutus told the teens as they shifted to the couch area. The couple sat down beside each other, the boy's arm around the girl's shoulders while the two mentors stood in front of them. "That just put us higher in their kill list." the blonde pointed out in an obvious tone.

Both mentors shrugged their shoulders, their focus shifting between each tribute. "Do it your own way, but I know these people. You go in alone, their first move is gonna be to hunt you down. Both of you." Enobaria explained. Livia didn't respond, only staring at Enobaria and Brutus intently. She didn't want to make ally's. She needed Cato and that was it.

These people wanted to kill her anyway so she wasn't going to try and make ally's with them. To her it wouldn't make much of a difference. "Liv, come on." Cato pleaded, whispering soothingly into her ear. And when he spoke to her it was almost as if a switch flipped and she finally gave into the pressure. Not for herself but for her lover.

If making a few ally's here and there made him feel better then so be it. "How could any of us even trust each other?" she asked, directing her attention to Enobaria. The woman shook her head disapprovingly as he paced back and forth. "It's not about trust, it's about staying alive."