Hey there , guys. I know I said that this would be a co fic thing, but I'mm having writer's block for my other fic. This one just came easier to me. I would like to thank those that reviewed and hope that you continue to do so. Well here is Chap. 2.

P.S. I own Nothing.

Chapter 2: My Promise

I wake up from a blissful sleep to the sound of Effie rasping on my door and yelling big, big day again. Today is the first day of training and I am surprised that I actually want to go. I remember Cato asking me to join him and the other Careers at training today, but I'm still worried if Katniss will find this as an act of betrayal.

I groggily stand from the bed a slowly creep to the shower. I look at all of the confusing buttons and switches and press the ones without knowing which ones mean which. When I step out of the shower, I smell like cinnamon and am freezing cold. I wrap myself in a towel and shakily walk to my bed, where it is completely made and a set of clothes are waiting for me.

It seems to be a charcoal black with a fiery red trim and on the back and shoulders is my district number. I quickly put on the clothes and stroll out to the dining area to eat with the others before the training. I see that Katniss is no where in sight and only Haymitch is sitting at the table.

"Hey, Haymitch. May I ask you a question? It concerns training." I say a little too skittishly.

"Sure boy. What is it?" he asks while folding his arms in front of him.

"I was invited by one of the Careers to join them for training today. I was wondering if I should. If I don't, my chances of making it home will shrink, but if I do, then Katniss will probably find it as betrayal and hunt me down. What should I do?" I rub my temples because this stress is really getting to me.

He used one of his hands and started to rub his chin while in thought. "Well, boy, if you want my opinion. I would go with the Careers while trying to hide from Katniss. She already went down so you might want to hurry up." He then got up and went to the kitchen.

I stand up from the mahogany table and walk to the elevator, where I press the button with a "T" on it and descend down to the training area. I look out of the opened doors and see that everyone has already started their training. I see Katniss over at the fire station with that little girl from 11 hiding behind one of the stone columns close by.

I notice the Careers over at the weightlifting station, where they said they would be, and quickly walk over there before Katniss has a chance to see me. Cato is the first one to notice and slowly walks towards me with what looks like rage across his face. I give him a quizzical look since it was his idea for me to train with them.

"You're late, 12." He yells at me. Well there goes me trying to hide it from Katniss. "Where have you fucking been?" He grabs me by my arm and brings me closer to him. He almost inaudibly whispers in my ear. "Sorry for being rude. I have to give the charade that I'm in charge so just play along." I nod my head and act terrified.

"I-I accidentally overslept a little. I-I'm so sorry, Cato." I stuttered to give the effect of me being scared shitless.

"You better be." With that, he yanks me to the others and introduces me. "Here is that chump of a district partner to the 'Girl on Fire'."

"Why is he here, Cato?" says Clove. "He isn't part of the Careers is he?" She asks with a groan.

"Yea he is. He's going to help us track down that Katniss chick when we are in the arena. Aren't you fire boy?" He glares at me. I quickly nod as to not get on his bad side. "Good. Now tell us what skills you have and make it quick. I'm itching to use a sword."

"Um, I can toss weights and use camouflage but that is mostly it." I say while looking away from them.

"That won't be of use to us. You're coming with me to the sword station. The rest of you, go practice with your weapons. We will meet back at lunch." They all just stare at him to wait for more orders and it must irritate Cato because yells at them and they scatter like headless chickens.

We walk over to the sword station, where Cato picks one of the most menacing looking swords and tosses me one not as ferocious. He instructs me how to do various slashes and sweeps. We don't talk since he is supposed to be the fierce leader. After working at the sword station for a few hours we get tired and decide to take a break.

"Hey. How about you teach me how to camouflage myself?" He said in a sincere matter. I quickly turned to him to see if he was acting truly sincere and I saw no anger in his eyes. I looked for the camouflage center and saw that it was completely across the center so we would be alone.

"Sure." I say and we start walking to the camouflage area. They have artificially grown trees and shrubs to practice on and different shades of colors to help with shading. I grab some paints and start painting my arm in the shade of tree bark, and that's when he starts talking to me.

"Hey, Peeta. I'm sorry I've been yelling at you. If you come up to the roof tonight, I will explain everything ok?" He apologizes and asks.

"Ok, Cato. I will go up to the roof tonight." That brings a smile to his face that makes me blush. He is one the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. I go back to painting my arm and hear him get agitated. "What's wrong, Cato?"

I turn and see his sloppy painting and realize that he is agitated at himself. "I'm a horrible painter that's why. How did you get so good?" He asks with irritation plastered on his face.

"Well back in District 12, I used to live in my family's bakery, where I would help decorate the cakes with Cole." Just mentioning his name, started to bring tears to my eyes, but I fought them back into place. He must have seen my depression because he dropped the subject. Soon afterward, the bring! of a bell was heard which signified that lunch was being served.

"I have to put my mask back on so don't forget to act terrified." I nod in understanding and then he turns furious again. We enter the cafeteria and sit at the table with the other Careers, who are currently discussing the other tributes.

"That boy from Three looks to be a total wimp." Clove says.

"Yea he does." Glimmer agrees. "Hey, Cato," She says while clinging to his arm. "Do you want to train with me after lunch?" She says in a seductive tone. I don't know why but that unnerves me entirely and I start to hate the annoying bitch.

"Get off of me you skank." Cato says venomously while shoving her off. A sly smile creeps onto my face, and Cato seems to notice because he puts on a slight smirk before continuing. "I'm going to be training with Pee- I mean 12 again. Speaking of you, 12, what can you tell us about your district partner?" He says, putting all of the attention on me.

I swallow the lump that has built in my throat as I think of what to tell them. Do I tell them that she knows how to hunt or do I lie and say that she doesn't know how to do anything? "She is just like me." I begin. "She doesn't know how to use a weapon at all. I remember her being so distant while we were in 12." I blatantly lie. I was always told that I had a way with words.

"Oh. So she shouldn't be a problem then?" Marvel asks quizzically. He must not fully believe me.

"No, she is as weak as a leaf in the breeze." I say confidently. Everyone except for Cato starts to laugh at how weak I called her. Wow. I thought. These guys are really dense.

The bell rings again and everyone except for me and Cato get up to put up their trays. When everyone is out of earshot, Cato begins to speak. "You lied didn't you?" He asked in accusing tone. I turn to him shocked that he was able to see through my ruse. "I guess that answers my question. Why?" He asks.

"I will tell you on the roof. Ok?" I ask. I didn't want to talk about it here, where we could be overheard. He must understand because he doesn't pressure me to answer and gets up to deposit his tray. I follow shortly after.

When we enter the Training Center, I notice that he has his mask back on. I act skittish around him and hesitant to follow him. We approach the endurance area to test our, well endurance. The trainer tells us that this is a two person activity and that we have to have our arms latched together. Cato grunts in annoyance but agrees to do it with me none the less. I see a small smile appear on his face though.

We get our hands latched together and wait at the start line for the instructor to get his stopwatch. He counts down from three and then Cato and I sprint off. First there is straight way with little cannons along the sides of the path. The cannons shoot out rubber balls that are suppose to knock you off balance and fall to the ground. Cato and I dodge all of the projectiles that come our way and in less than a few seconds we are out of the straight way.

Next, there is a wall that you have to climb while dodging falling objects such as barrels, boxes, and also dummies. Cato slips on one of the stones but quickly recovers and we start back up the wall.

Once we get over the wall, there is a balance bridge that stretches across to another wall. On the sides of the balance bridge, there are more cannons and some Avoxes with huge rods to try and knock us off with. We slowly inch across with Cato leading, of course, and we get halfway across before he slips over the side. I quickly grab his arm and the look on his face showed surprise all over. I quickly pull him up while dodging one of the rods from an avox. Once he is back on the bridge, we run to the other end before one of us can get knocked off again.

We make it to the other wall and jump down to the ground and race off to the finish line. The instructor is there waiting for us and gives us our time. It took us around 12 minutes to finish the course. He said that it was a new record and that we would make a great team.

"Hey, Peeta. That was a great run." Cato complimented. "I knew that you would be a better partner than Marvel on this area." My cheeks turned peach with the compliments I was receiving from Cato.

Before too long, training day one is over and we are sent up to our rooms. Cato holds me back a minute and reminds me to go up to the roof after dinner. He goes up to the elevators and I follow him. He presses the buttons "2" and "12" and the elevator shoots up at blinding speed. He gives me a quick smile and then walks into the gorgeous room. From what I see, the walls are covered in waterfalls and the tables are made of clear glass.

There is another beautiful sight in the room and it is slowly walking away from me. He turns around and sees me staring at his ass. He gives me a smirk and a small wink before the doors close on us. The elevator then shoots up to my floor where Katniss is standing there waiting on me.

"What the hell was that about? Are you with those stuck up Careers?" She sneered at me. I was scared for my life and didn't know what to tell her. I ran through the possible explanations and only one could come to mind.

"I'm doing it to drive them away from you in the arena," I said quietly. It was actually true even though the real reason is to make it easier to get back to Cole.

"Why do I need your help? I can make it home perfectly fine without you. You are basically useless to me." She said harshly with venom.

"Katniss, why do you hate me so much? I didn't do anything to you, yet you treat me like trash. I don't understand." I am so confused about her harshness to me. She was sweet to me years ago when I needed help with Cole. That is when it hit me. "You were just being nice to me for Cole weren't you?"

"It took you long enough to figure it out. Yes, I did it all for Cole. He needed help and I felt sorry for him because of the incident, so I helped take you to my mother. If I wasn't sorry for him, then I would have left you there." She said all of this with a smug smirk on his face. Her words were like knives that repeatedly stabbed at my heart. I lost all respect for her at that point.

"You know what, Katniss. Fuck you. I thought that you were a sweet girl at first and wanted to help you get home, but now I couldn't give two shits about you. I will make sure that the Careers will find you in that arena." With that said, I stormed off to my room seething with rage. I can't believe that bitch. She only helped me because of Cole. I thought about Cole for a little bit. It wasn't his fault that I was pissed. It was because I thought that she actually cared for people

I sat on my bed for an hour or so just trying to calm down when Effie finally called me to dinner. I hesitantly got up and unlatched my door. I walked down the hallway to the dining area and to the mahogany table, where I made certain to stay as far away from Katniss as possible.

We eat in silence for a few minutes before Haymitch starts questioning us. "So how did your first day go you two?" He looks between us, waiting for a response.

"Well, I found out that bread boy over there is working with the Careers, that little prick." With that comment, I stand from the table and march out of there and to the elevator. Effie is shouting "Manners" behind me while I storm off and it gets muffled when the elevator doors close on her yells.

I scan the buttons and find one with an "R" on it and press it. The elevator then shoots up to the roof and I arrive in less than a few minutes. I gasp in awe at the beautiful sight in front of me. The walls are made completely out of glass so its easy to see the lights of the entire city in the glory of the radiant sunset.

Half of the roof is covered in a garden that has various plants and trees in it. There are gardenias, tulips, roses of a variety colors, oaks, evergreens, and other various trees and plants. I walk around the garden and see a small pond with beautiful shimmering koi fish. To the right of the little oasis, is an oak wood bench where I decide to sit and rest my thoughts. A slight breeze picks up and rustles through my hair and the leaves in the trees.

I hear someone clear there throat to my left and see Cato there smiling. "Hey, Peeta. You're here pretty early aren't you? Is everything ok?" He asks with total concern on his face.

I shake my head. "No. Katniss just snapped at me about me joining you and she even admitted to why she practically saved my life years ago." My face is downcast so that he doesn't see the sorrow expression across my face.

"What happened to you years ago?" I turned to look at him and I saw a quizzical look on his face. I am scared to tell him but take a deep breathe before explaining.

"Well, let me start at the beginning." I start off. "Four years ago, my friend Cole had lost everything. He lost his father, mother, and the trust in his brother."

"What happened with his brother?"

"His brother raped him the night after his mother's execution. They were staying at the community home, which is like the orphanage, and his brother Clay came back apparently drunk and raped him." I said while closing my eyes back on the memory.

"That son of a bitch!" He steamed. "What older sibling would do that to there own younger sibling!" I can understand his anger since that is how I felt at first. He takes deep breathes as he tries to calm down.

When I see that he is finally calm, I continue the story. "After Cole got raped by his brother, he came to my house where my family and I started to take care of him. The next day at school, as we were about to leave, I noticed that Cole was no where in sight. I ran back into the building and hear him shout my name. I open the janitor's closet and see Clay about to rape him again and Cole has a bruise on his face from where his brother punched him." I hear Cato give a low growl but continue my story. "I drag Clay out of the closet while screaming at him and then we start to fight. I think it lasted for around thirty minutes, but I can't remember because I blacked out. The next thing I knew was that I woke up at Katniss's house with a broken arm, black eye, and some bruising. Mrs. Everdeen, Katniss's mother if you couldn't guess, told me that Cole and Katniss brought me to her house, where she took care of my injuries. I thought at first that she did that because she also cared for me, but she did it all for Cole. I don't blame him. I mostly blame myself for being so stupid as to think that Katniss could care about me."

"That prick." He says seething, but then calms down when he sees my condition. Next, the most unimaginable thing happens. Cato scoots closer to me and gives me a warm embrace. I will admit that I am shocked but that quickly dissipates as I accept the caring gesture. I wrap my arms around him and return the comforting hug.

After a few minutes, we break from the embrace and I stare into his sapphire eyes. I quickly look away and feel a blush on my face. I hear him give a light chuckle and it sounds so sweet. I decide that since I told him about me it's his turn, so I ask him one of the biggest questions I have wanted to ask him. "Hey, Cato." I address him calmly.

"Yes, Peeta." He answers back.

"Why did you volunteer?" I hear him sigh as if he expected this.

"I volunteered because I was forced to by my father." I am taken back by this. What father would do that to their own son? He continues with his story. "Now you are probably thinking what father would do that to their own son," mind reader. "but remember that I am from a Career district so it is a huge honor to most. I actually didn't want to be in these games but my father threatened to kill me and my younger brothers if I didn't do it. I had no choice but to agree to him. I love my brothers, so I couldn't say no." I could see his eyes start to water up. I was a little shocked at first to see this huge boy cry, but that disappeared and I wrap my arms around him and comfort him. He cries quietly into my hair for a few minutes before he backs away. "Thank you, Peeta." I give him a smile as a welcome and he starts to ask me questions. I answer all of them from things about Cole to things about me. "Did your family visit you while you were waiting to leave?"

I immediately feel depressed at the memory of my parents. "Yeah they visited but it wasn't a good one. My father and brothers believed in me, but my mom did not. She said that maybe our district will have a victor this year."

"Well how is that bad?" He asked.

"She meant Katniss instead of me. She never truly liked me or Cole. She would always beat us with her rolling pin when we made a mistake. Oh no, Cato what if she hurts him while I'm gone? I told him I would be there to keep him safe."

"I'm sure he is fine, Peeta. Let's take your mind off of your mother. Did Cole visit you while you were there?" This question is the one that breaks me. I can't hold back the tears the flow down my face like raging rapids. I slowly nod at him. "What did he say?"

"He wanted me to make a promise. A promise to make it back to him and still be me." I feel his hand on my face now, and he is wiping away the tears that cover my face.

He speaks in a soothing tone. "There is no need for tears, Peeta. I made the same promise to my brothers when they visited me. I will make a promise to you." I turn to him and wait expectantly. "I promise you that I will protect you till the end and will not kill you, but you have to promise me the same. Deal?" He stretches out his hand.

I stare at the outstretched hand for a minute before finally reaching out and shaking his hand firmly. "Deal."

There you have it. We find out that Cato has two brothers and was forced to enter the games. I wonder how this will unfold. I hope that you loved it and please review this form me. Thanks for reading.