The Reawakening

By Oriondruid

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Summary: The 'other' Star Crossed Lovers are reunited, but perhaps not in the way you think.

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Disclaimer: As should be self-evident from my site profile I am not Suzanne Collins. Therefore I hold no claim to The Hunger Games, these characters or their situation. They are all inspired by the brilliant work of the author herself and I thank her for the opportunity to 'play' in her world for a while. This is an amateur work, not intended for profit.

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A.N: I'm still a little 'blocked' on my longer story Grand Alliance, indecisive as to which way it should go. So here's a little thing that just came to me, little more than a 'drabble' really and written in a half hour. It's just to keep my hand in and let everyone know I'm still alive. :o)

Have a great Christmas everyone! Many Blessings All. Oriondruid.

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"Clove, wake up Clove, please love, come back to me Clover I need you!"

I heard it faintly, a distant ghost of a voice calling me from somewhere outside the soft, comfortable, warm blackness that held me fast. The sound of the voice although distant and faint broke through into my blank isolation and triggered memories in what had been my dormant mind.

I remembered I had been trying to kill Katniss, my jealousy of her infuriated me and she and Lover Boy stood between Cato and myself going home as Victors. I had her helpless beneath me and was just about to commence my work on her with my knives, to put on a good show for the Capitol audience and break the hearts of her family back home, when suddenly I was yanked off of her by Thresh. I was pinned against the side of the Cornucopia as he yelled questions at me. It seemed he mistakenly blamed me for his District partner Rue's death.

Now I may be known as a heartless killer but I do have some pride and standards. What bravery would have been needed to kill such an easy target? What honor could it possibly bring? It would have been shameful for me to kill that little girl! I felt that it would have been almost indecent for me to have done so and beneath my skills, which is why I left her for that scavenger Marvel to deal with. Even then he made a mess of it and Katniss killed him in return, I guess stupidity always gets it's own just reward.

Sadly though Thresh was incandescent with fury and would not listen to the truth. I screamed out for Cato to help me but the next thing I knew Thresh lifted a rock and hit me on the side of my head, causing me blinding pain.

I tried to stand I found I couldn't, my legs were not working. I raised a hand to the spot where I had been hit and felt a large depressed fracture to my skull. I was dead, or rather I would be in minutes. Nothing short of massive surgery could save my life, no sponsor's medicine sent into the Arena could ever cure the damage. Knowing I had only minutes at best I looked around. My vision was blurred and my hearing muffled, but I saw Thresh talking with Katniss. Remarkably he left the Fire Girl uninjured and walked away, as did she in another direction carrying the District 12 pack with the medicine which she'd come to collect, to cure the injured Peeta.

Then, as I felt myself begin to fade my Cato finally arrived. He saw my injuries and looked so tragically sad. He held me and wept, saying I had to try and hang on and that we'd be going home together. I was barely able to reply, with just enough breath to tell him the one thing I'd never had the courage to before. I simply said "I love you Cato", as the darkness claimed me.

As the memories came to an end I once again heard the sound of a distant voice, and this time I felt some sensation returning in my right hand. There was warmth and the feeling of another hand in mine and I squeezed it as hard as I could. I heard an intake of breath and a joyous cry. "That's it Clover, come back, that's the way darling, open your eyes, please sweetheart."

I made a stupendous effort to raise my eyelids, which felt as heavy as lead and at the third attempt did so, seeing little but a blur at first. Then colours and images began to resolve themselves and I saw my darling Cato sat by the side of my bed, joy on his face. My head felt terrible, muzzy and with a stabbing headache, but at least I was alive. Somehow it seemed Cato had got me out of the Arena and they must have operated to save me. But how, why?

I asked. "Cato my darling, how did you save me? I was dying and they don't save Tributes. That's the whole point, we are sent into the Arena to kill or be killed."

"Clover my darling, what are you talking about, I pulled you out of the wreck, the car was totaled and you nearly were too, you've been in an induced coma for three weeks and the doctors weren't sure if you'd come out of it when they tailed off the drugs. The brain swelling was so severe they had to keep you sedated to give the tissue time to heal itself. Repairing the skull fracture and putting in a fluid drain to relieve the pressure that was all they could do. I was so afraid I'd lose you Clover, I've hardly slept and been here every day you've been unconscious."

"Cato darling, I don't understand." I replied. "I was in the Arena, Thresh hit me with a rock, I wasn't in a car wreck. I nearly died in The Hunger Games."

"You must have dreamt it whilst you were 'out' Clover. Brace yourself my darling. There are no Hunger Games. They are just a trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins. They've been your favourite stories for ages and I kinda like 'em too since you lent 'em to me. We were on our way home from seeing a late night showing of the movie version when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit us. He died as his car caught fire on impact and I had to drag you out of my driver's door as mine caught light too. Your side of the car took the worst of the impact and your head hit the door pillar, causing a serious skull fracture. I got lucky and walked away with just bruises and a sprained wrist I got whilst pulling you out". He smiled ruefully.

"But if it was all a dream how come my name's Clove and you're Cato, our names are the same. That's so strange."

Your name is Clover Williams darling, you just took to using Clove as your nickname after you read the first book and fell in love with the character, 'cos she's small and feisty just like you. As for me, well Cato's a pet name you gave me to go with your newly adopted one, I thought it was cool and went with it, my real name's Carl Johnson though."

"So it was all a dream? I asked. "The Hunger Games aren't real? But it all felt so real whilst I was asleep."

Cato/Carl replied. "The doctors told me brain injuries can often produce very vivid and realistic hallucinations, it seems your brain just decided to fit the injury to the story you know so well." He smiled and gently kissed me.

I smiled at him even though doing so hurt a little and still scarcely able to believe it replied. "It was all a dream, but it all felt so real, everything the sights, the sounds, the excitement I felt at catching Katniss and the terror when Thresh got hold of me, that was so terrribly real and frightning.

Then finally accepting the truth I said. "But still, you dragged me out of the burning wreck, you saved my life and you stuck by me all the while I was out of it, you're my brave hero and defender, my real life Cato darling."

He smiled proudly and happily, leaned in and gently kissed me again. Then I suddenly felt very tired and slipped back into sleep. This time though I knew that I was safe, my 'Cato' was looking after me and keeping guard over me whilst I recovered. Nothing more could harm me. One further odd silly thought entered my mind as I lapsed back into slumber. Happily I thought, "I wonder what the film was like? I can't remember a damn thing, oh goody, that means I can go and see it again and it'll all be brand new."