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holidaywishes · 11 days ago

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not all monsters do monstrous things...

Part 8: The Reaping

Summary of Series: Delly Cartwright lost her best friend, Peeta, to the games. Now, the one that took him seems to have a soft spot for her.

Summary of Chapter: As the districts finally accept what the Reading of the Card means, Delly watches as her family fears for the reaping; Cato’s anger for Snow rises while his guilt nearly overtakes him.

Warning: Some angst, maybe some fluff

Author’s Note: As always, I’m crediting Ophelia Tate’s story, They Caught Fire, that I read years ago over on Fanfiction.net. I don’t believe they ever finished it and I loved the story so much that I wanted to try to complete it. I haven’t worked on this story in a minute but I’m happy to finally get back to it a little bit. I was going to combine the Reaping and The start of the Quell but it just started to get too long, so I hope you enjoy this new chapter and that you’ll want to come back for more!

P.S I had ChatGPT make me a picture of a dress for Delly and I tried my best to describe it without making it a big deal because it’s just a simple yellow dress but if you want to see it, let me know and maybe I’ll post it on its own! For the record, I don’t like using ChatGPT for creative purposes (I’ve literally only ever used it to write cover letters lol) but Google just kept coming up with stuff that just wasn’t it.

masterlist

masterlist part ii

the other masterlist

Delly’s P.O.V

Wandering around 12 after the Reading of the Card felt hopeless. Everyone knew what was coming and everyone knew it couldn’t be stopped but you had to go on with your daily lives and it felt like you lost Peeta all over again; having to continue doing mundane things with a dark cloud over your head. You found yourself meandering across your district with no intention of going anywhere in particular and before you knew it, you were standing outside of the Victors’ Village

“How did I get here?” you whispered to yourself as you stared at the long row of concrete buildings meant to house the ones lucky enough to return that sat vacant and grey amongst dying shrubbery

“You shouldn’t be here,” a voice slurred from being you, “at least not yet.” You turned around slowly to find Haymitch Abernathy leaning against the steel railing near his house

“Not yet?” you questioned with your eyebrows furrowed, “what does that mean?”

“It means you shouldn’t be here” he repeated, more forcefully this time, before taking a drink from his flask. “The reaping will be starting soon,” he said, “better take your place, Ms. Cartwright…”

“How–”

“DELLY!” Gale called, interrupting your thought, “what are you doing here? I saw you roaming and tried to catch up but you couldn’t hear me…” he stole your attention from Haymitch, only glancing at him once to gauge his state, before taking you back to town. Haymitch’s words echoed in your mind as you made the slow trek back to your house to change into something… more appropriate for the reaping, looking up at Gale as he led the way

“Why did you follow me?” you finally asked

“I wanted to make sure you were safe” he admitted, eyes straight ahead as if he didn’t want to catch your reaction

“Safe?” you continued with a scoff, “there is no safe anymore, Gale, we’re all… it’s –” you stopped abruptly, forcing Gale to finally look at you. “I’m about to get reaped Gale,” you said plainly, “that’s practically written and there’s a very real chance that my brother will too”

“Delly..” he tried to speak but you wouldn’t let him

“Gale,” you nearly whispered, “I don’t know how to survive in there. I can’t imagine having to do what Katniss did or Peeta or…” you hesitated for a minute as you thought about Cato, something that Gale seemed to take notice of, “but if Asher gets reaped, I have to make sure he survives”

“You don’t know what’s going to happen” Gale said stiffly, trying again not to show too much emotion

“No,” you admitted, “you’re right.” You left it there, if for no other reason than to keep these last moments normal. The two of you parted ways once he got you back to your house and you watched as his posture changed, his back curving and shoulders slouching as if his body had started to succumb to his fear.

“Delly!” your mom called

“I’m here” you yelled back before stepping inside and closing the door

“Oh there you are,” she sighed, thankfully, “put this on.” She held up a bright yellow dress adorned with pretty delicate lace on the slightly puffy sleeves and along the bottom of the dress, the bodice the centrepiece with its crisscross design. The dress was by far the nicest thing your mom had ever gotten you and you worried that somehow it would get taken away after the reaping

“Shouldn’t I wear something a bit more… grey?” you said, scrunching your nose and gesturing vaguely to the air around you

“No, no,” she insisted, “this is who you are, this is how we want the world to know you if…”

“When I get reaped” you finished the thought she didn’t want to

“IF you get reaped” she concluded, wiping away the small tears that had brimmed her eyes, and you nodded in accord. You stood by the door in your yellow dress, flattening the fabric nervously and remembering one similar you had worn when you first met Peeta, Asher’s hand grabbing yours brought you out of your memories

“I’m scared” he whispered to you and you squeezed his hand gently in reassurance

“I am too” you smiled at him through closed lips before taking a deep breath and heading to the Square, hand in hand the entire way through. You’d protect him with your life if you had to but the thought of only one of you coming home to your parents left you more heartbroken than you could bear.

Cato’s P.O.V

You weren’t supposed to be here again. Standing in the Town Square, waiting for the district escort to pick a name out of that stupid glass bowl. No, you weren’t supposed to be here, you were supposed to be on the other side of it all, a Mentor, but this was just another way for Snow to control his Victors. You imagined Delly getting ready to take her place on the stage in District 12, biting the inside of her cheek nervously as she watched the other Tribute contenders stand nearby. You wanted to protect her, to get to her before she set foot in front of everyone, to ease her nerves somehow, let her know she wasn’t alone, but you could only hope that the Hawthorne boy could do that for her.

“Cato,” your father said firmly and you reluctantly turned around, “you need to get going. Everything will be ready soon.” There were hours until District 2’s reaping ceremony, but the others were just about to start; District 12 would be first…

“I’ll be there in a minute” you replied, letting out a soft sigh before you caught your reflection on the curved TV screen. You quickly looked to the doorway where your father had just been and hurriedly rushed to close the door, turning on the TV as the grim state of District 12 flashed on screen

“Cato?” your mother called from the other side of the door, “Cato, we don’t have time for this”

“Welcome, Welcome, as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary and 3rd Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games, as always, ladies first…” Effie Trinket’s usual pep had changed this year and you couldn’t quite place it. Her connection to the Tributes was through Katniss and Peeta, of course, but she was just the escort, she could distance herself from that loss - after all, it was all part of the honour of representing District 12. You watched as she walked over to the bowl and glanced at the female Tributes, Prim, Delly, Madge and another girl who you didn’t know. Maybe she has a better chance than she thought she did, you thought to yourself. The male Tributes were on the other side of the stage, Haymitch looking as drunk as ever while Peeta’s brothers looked meek, small and scared. Delly’s brother had balled up his hands in fists as he waited for the moment to pass. Watching the reaping after knowing Delly had given you more insight into how terrible the waiting was - just start already Effie…

“CATO!” your mother yelled again, this time her frustration spilling through as she had no choice but to listen to the sound of the names being drawn. You watched as the camera’s zoomed in on each female Tribute - tears falling the eyes of most, and resistance in the eyes of others, while Delly looked pale as a ghost, her bright yellow dress standing out against the bleakness of her District. Effie’s hand shuffled through the few pieces of paper in the oversized glass bowl before her long nails eventually took hold of one, bringing it out slowly as if to draw out the ceremony more. She definitely knew her role and she would play it up as much as she could. You held your breath as Effie scuffled back to the microphone to announce the female name

“Delilah Cartwright,” Effie read and you felt your blood turn cold, your eyes now searching for Delly on the screen. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she made her way forward and you watched her try to keep her composure before you turned off the TV. That’s it, you thought to yourself not wanting to know who else was reaped from 12, she’s not safe anymore. You burst through the door and made your way to the Town Square stage, angry and sad and unsure of the right move. If I volunteer, you thought, I could protect her while she’s in there but I could fail again, just like with Clove. If I don’t volunteer and my name isn’t called, she’s on her own and I won’t ever see her again. If my name is called, they’ll make me kill her, I know they will.

Delly’s P.O.V

Stepping up on the temporary stage felt like you were getting ready for a public hanging, only it was a mystery to everything who the marked ones were. Yours and Asher’s fingers stayed interlocked until two peacekeepers ripped you apart, bringing each of you to opposite sides of the stage, separated by a rigid rope, two plinths and Effie Trinket’s microphone stand. As people filtered into the Square, the female and male Tributes were positioned exactly how they wanted you, seemingly by height as Prim was the shortest and she was first, followed by you, Madge and Leevy; Rory first, followed by Asher, then Peeta’s brothers, Rye and Graham, and finally Haymitch last in line on the males side. Effie walked in front of all the male Tributes first, placing her hands gently on each of their shoulders, sympathetic eyes to Rye and Graham, and an almost disinterested look to Haymitch. When she got to the female Tributes, she did the same; gentle hands on the shoulders, taking in each of the girls' appearances, and it was all almost routine until she stood in front of you. Her head tilted slightly and her eyes softened as she placed a hand to her heart and you glanced at Prim in confusion, leading Effie to make her way in front of Prim, to whom she nearly bowed, remembering Katniss’ sacrifice no doubt. You knew that her reaction to you being on this stage was likely because she had so much time with you over the past months, maybe she had grown fond of you, but you couldn’t give too much away to anyone in the District who might not know.

“We must begin,” she whispered, “we have a schedule to keep.” Prim looked back to you and let out the first smirk either of you had had all day. Effie’s silver outfit crinkled as she made her way to the microphone stand to begin the Ceremony, clearing her throat before plastering a smile to her face and facing the people of District 12. “Welcome, Welcome, as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary and Third Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games, as always, ladies first…” she finally said, in her signature cheerful tone, though slightly softly this year. Effie slowly made her way to the large glass bowl on the plinth beside Prim and swirled her hand around the four slips of paper, you tried to keep your eyes forward, that’ll stop me from crying, you thought to yourself, but you caught sight of Gale’s eyes and you froze; not knowing where to look or how to act now. Should I show how scared I really am, you thought, or be unfazed? Effie continued to draw out the dramatics, picking up different names and dropping them back into the bowl - at this point you couldn’t tell if it amused her or if she just didn’t want to pick a name. You finally looked and quickly met her gaze, forcing you to make a quick inhale out of surprise. Once again, the sound of Effie’s outfit filled the outdoor space as she made her way to the microphone, and you closed your eyes as you waited for the name to escape her lips. A small tear falling from your eye as she finally let it slip

“Delilah Cartwright” your name had never felt so foreign to you before, you were frozen for a moment before you were encouraged to move forward. Was this really happening?, you thought, eyes unable to keep the tears at bay, what happens now? You stood where you’d been directed to go as Effie made her way to the bowl on the male Tributes side

“And now, the gentlemen who will be representing District 12,” she said when she was back in front of the crowd. None of the options were good. Haymitch had been through so much already, both being a Tribute, a Victor and now a Mentor, it had taken its toll, but the rest were all immediate connections to you and no one else could volunteer. Gale hadn’t been selected because he was over the age limit, and his brother, Vick, and sister, Posy, were under the age limit, though you wouldn’t have wanted them to be an option either. “Asher Cartwright,” Effie exclaimed, a slight tremor in her voice as she spoke, knowing what this meant, and you nearly fell to the floor. Asher took his place at the front beside you, his hand still in a fist from earlier and you reached out your hand to take his, doing the only thing you could to comfort your brother; leaving Effie’s last move of asking you two to shake hands pointless. Effie directed you and Asher to the family rooms where the Tributes say their last goodbyes to their families, realizing quickly that you didn’t need separate rooms, “your family will be in shortly” she said, her face falling knowing what this meant.

“I’m so sorry,” you wept, wrapping your arms tightly around your brother’s neck, before beginning to ramble, “I will make sure you’re okay in there, I promise. I don’t know how just yet, but I promise, I won’t let anybody hurt you”

“Delly, Delly,” he said through heavy breaths, “what about you? I can’t let anything happen to you… Mom and Dad would… I mean, I don’t know what to do, Del”

“It’s okay,” you tried to comfort him, “we’re gonna be okay.” Just then, your parents burst through the door and each traded a hug with you, your mom hugging you first, your dad hugging Asher before they switched

“You both have to be brave,” your mom started, “look out for each other but be brave”

“Whatever happens,” your dad continued, “because something will happen, you have to keep going. Look out for each other as long as you can but keep going if...” he started to choke on his words a little, “if one of you doesn’t make it”

“We want you both to fight” your mom said, holding one of each of your hands

“We know that’s not really your style, Delilah,” your dad teased lightly, “but you need to try. You could be going against a lot of Victors in there”

“What am I supposed to do to impress the Gamemakers in the training centre?” you asked shakily, “I’m scared” your tears fell uncontrollably now and you tried to keep your sobs quiet to not let anyone on the other side of the doors hear

“It’s okay to be scared, Delly,” your mom said softly, removing her hand from Asher’s briefly to clutch yours, “we’re all scared right now. But we believe in you. In both of you,” she said, taking Asher’s hand back in hers, “no matter what happens, we will always believe in you.” Neither you nor Asher could say anything in return as the Peacekeepers stormed into the room and took you to the train. Once you and your brother boarded the train, the two of you were guided through by Effie and Haymitch, and your fingers grazed the meticulously kept wood, - shiny, clean, ornate, - while your eyes took in the chandeliers and the stained glass windows. It really was beautiful. You must not have been able to take in the beauty of the train that dragged you to District 2 those months ago.

“Cato…” you whispered to yourself but not so quietly that Asher didn’t hear

“What was that dear?” Effie asked and your brother shook his head, telling you to dismiss her question

“Nothing,” you smiled awkwardly, trying to come up with something that might sound similar to his name. “I just said ‘whoa,’” you finally said, “I’ve never imagined something so... majestic”

“You better work on that,” Haymitch mumbled as he sat down in the plush, velvet chair in the cabin, “lying is always a good strategy in the arena”

“What do you mean?” you asked, “I’m not lying”

“You think I don’t know that you’ve been on this train before?” he countered, tilting his flask to you before taking a drink

“I…” you hesitated, “I didn’t really have a choice”

“That’s a common theme now, isn’t it?” he scoffed. You did, you thought to yourself, referring to his decision not to volunteer for Asher at the Reaping ceremony but you dare not speak those harsh words, you had no right to ask him to do that, nor the right to judge him for choosing safety over death

“Can we go in there?” Asher asked, pointing toward another section of the train

“Of course, dear,” Effie smiled, “just try not to break anything.” Asher smiled in return, grabbing your hand and rushing into the next room. Effie’s words made you wonder if she had had to say the same things to Katniss and Peeta; all of this felt too surreal

“What are you doing?” Asher whispered harshly, pushing down your shoulders to get you to sit down, he did the same shortly after.

“What do you mean?” you replied

“I heard you say ‘Cato’” he said, tilting his head

“I was just thinking about him,” you said, “the train… I was just reminded.” Asher seemed to take that at face value and let it go, but the emotion of it still hung in the air until the train pulled up to the Capitol. Citizens lined up, cheering on your arrival with great vigor in a way that almost felt taunting. You began to wave but stopped just as quickly when you realized that Peeta had done the same thing

“He was a natural,” Haymitch smirked, taking another drink when you looked back at him, “Peeta Mellark.”

“Did you… like him?” you asked earnestly, really wanting an answer. Effie turned her head to Haymitch quickly, anticipating his response

“He was a good kid” was his only response. The train stopped suddenly and Haymitch was the first to exit, Effie guiding you and Asher off gently, doing her best to protect you from the crowd and lead you to your apartment.

“Whoa!” Asher exclaimed, his childhood innocence incredibly apparent with every expression of excitement, “Delly, look at this place!” You hoped he’d be able to keep this enthusiasm, that he’d be able to succeed in the games and keep this joy long after the Quarter Quell was over, long after he’d left this extravagant place. He continued to wander the giant apartment and, for the first time all day, you were left alone with Effie

“Effie,” you asked quietly, “who are all the Tributes?”

“You can watch the broadcast,” she answered as she walked toward a black leather couch that stretched nearly the entire length of the room, “just in here”

“I don’t need to watch,” you said, “I don’t want to watch. I just want to know if…”

“If he’s here,” she said, finishing your thought, and you nodded, “I really think you should watch the broadcast.” You furrowed your brow, not knowing what to make of her guidance at this moment. You found the sleek remote but couldn’t find the screen. You pressed the top button on the remote to turn on the TV, hoping that something would pop up, when the windows were suddenly filled with images of the Capitol. This is how people watched the games here? you thought to yourself, engulfed in the images? It made you think that what Cato had must have been seen as a novelty. You found the broadcast of the Reapings and settled into the couch while the processional music rang loud, forcing you to try and lower the music quickly. Caesar Flickerman finally popped on the screen and began the introduction

“It’s an exciting Quarter Quell, 75 years of Hunger Games,” he exclaimed with his signature laugh and overexaggerated smile, “how many of our Victors will return to the arena? Have we had any volunteers like Katniss Everdeen this year?” His punctuation on Katniss’s name, like a hiss, was felt through the screen, “well, let’s get into the Reaping Ceremonies, starting, of course, with District 1.” District 1 felt so routine, names were called that weren’t the Victors’ and Cashmere and Gloss volunteered promptly. All you cared about was District 2, all you cared about was whether or not you would see Cato tomorrow at the Opening Ceremonies, so admittedly you had all but checked out even as Caesar Flickerman popped up on the screen. This was it, you said to yourself as you took a deep breath, don’t call his name, please, don’t call his name. “Our latest Victor, Cato Berenger, is from District 2 and with the rules of this year's Quarter Quell, his name is once again in the bowl. This reaping has everyone on its toes,” Caesar said simply, “let’s see what happens…”

“Ladies first,” the District 2 escort smiled, “Enobaria Golding!” The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, the reapings seemed to be going exactly how President Snow had hoped, so far only Victors were in the games, “and now for the Male Tribute…” You scanned the wrap around screen until you found Cato on the stage. He looked resolute, like he’d come to terms with what was going to happen, yet not as pompous as he did during the Reaping Ceremony last year. You unintentionally stood up and walked closer to the screen, standing in front of the Tributes as they awaited the drawn name to be called - you could see why the Capitol citizens might like watching the Games like this; all the excitement, none of the danger. You held your breath as the slip of paper was pulled from the bowl, “Wade Rankine!” The ceremony was not quite over for District 2, “do we have any volunteers?” the escort asked, and you suddenly felt a presence behind you, but you kept your eyes trained on Cato, noticing him contemplating it and you’d hope he wouldn’t say anything.

“Sit down,” Haymitch finally spoke, groaning as he sat down on the couch, “you’re gonna ruin your eyes.” You didn’t listen, you just waited to see what would happen and that’s when it happened. The camera panned to him as he raised his head gradually, a smirk playing on his lips quickly before his face fell and he shook his head

“I volunteer as Tribute” he said in fake pride, a strained smile on his face as the crowd cheered loudly - they’d get to see their numerous Victors’ face off against each other and they were ecstatic. As Cato took a step forward on the stage, you took a step back towards the couch, like a painful dance you hadn’t intended on taking part in and you were silent as you curled your legs up in front of you, unable to find the words to express how you felt. The rest of the Reaping Ceremonies played in the background as you sat next to Haymitch in shocked silence, the only sound to fill the room was the clink of the ice in his glass.

“Don’t worry,” he finally said, “he’ll be fine”

“Gee, thanks” you quipped before sighing faintly

“Welcome, Welcome…” Effie’s voice rang out through the screen, signalling District 12’s Reaping was now playing and you weren’t sure you wanted to see yourself on screen

“Look at yourself,” Haymitch said as the camera zoomed in on you, your eyes glistening with tears, “you look frail, weak, scared”

“I was scared,” you countered, “we were all scared…”

“The other Tributes will see how scared you were and take advantage of it,” he added, inching forward on the couch to put his elbows on his legs, “especially since they’re all Victors”

“Is this how you talked to Katniss? To Peeta?” you asked

“I’m the Mentor,” he chided, “this is how I talk to all of the Tributes.” Effie finally called your name and you watched yourself take a step forward, disconnected from everything and dreading what was about to happen next. Asher’s name being called once again tore your heart in two and you couldn’t help what escaped your lips

“Why didn’t you volunteer for him?” you asked in a slight whisper

“Peeta wouldn’t have wanted it” he said in disregard, forcing you to finally turn your body to him and he smiled as if to say ‘there she is’ before continuing. “Because of that,” he pointed at the screen where you and Asher held hands, “that kind of sympathy will get you… somewhere.” You shook your head and gathered your thoughts

“I don’t get how you can be so callous” you said

“If I had volunteered,” he sighed, “I couldn’t help you. Yes, this sucks,” he added, attempting to comfort you but the smell of alcohol on his breath was overpowering the effort, “but now I can tell you what you need to do to make it as far as possible. Both of you.” You knew he was probably right but you didn’t want to think about what happened next. You and Asher were up against a sea of Victors and there would be nowhere to hide. Not even with Haymitch’s help.

Cato’s P.O.V

You searched for Delly and Asher when you arrived at the Capitol but they must have already settled into the Penthouse apartment

“Did you just not want to give Wade the opportunity to look better than you?” Enobaria mocked you as you both entered the small second floor apartment

“What?” you scoffed

“Why volunteer?” she asked, seemingly genuinely curious, “were you really that desperate to get back into the arena or did you feel entitled to keep your crown?”

“It’s an honour to participate in the Games,” you lied, “I gladly took the honour of volunteering. That’s it, sorry to disappoint you”

“Sure” she smirked, exposing her sharpened teeth before sauntering away. You took a deep breath as you found a bedroom that would suffice and fell onto the bed. You contemplated what the arena might be like this year and how the other Victors would react to Delly being there; so many of them would recognize her from that party you brought her to in the Capitol all that time ago. Maybe it was a mistake, you shook your head, trying to clear the thought from your mind, maybe I shouldn’t have volunteered.

“Well well well…” Wade smirked from the doorway, snapping you out of your racing mind and urging you to sit up straight, “the Victor of the 74th Hunger Games eager to become the Victor of the 75th Hunger Games?”

“Did you actually want to go back in the Arena?” you joked, groaning as you stood up

“No,” he replied, a small smirk staying quietly on his lips, “but now I have to be your Mentor again. Why did you volunteer?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” you sneered

“I could’ve handled myself,” he said, the smirk falling as he stood next to you in the kitchen, “and I could’ve helped her.” He spoke about Delly quietly to not raise attention to the rest of the team that might be lingering nearby and you tilted your head before clenching your jaw, “it doesn’t have to all fall on you”

“If she dies,” you hesitated, “I don’t know how I'll forgive myself”

“But now it’s her or her brother,” he said, “I know you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for her but I know she’d do anything for her brother - even if that meant sacrificing both of you.”

“She needs someone who knows what’s in store,” you said sternly, “Snow has done all of this just for me, for the two of us, and maybe I can bring Peeta and Katniss’ story back”

“The Star Crossed Lovers?” he questioned and you nodded, “and if it doesn’t work?”

“Then I’ll do everything I can to make sure she lives.”

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