I don't think I remember much of last night, and I'm also not sure if that's a good thing. We returned to the apartments, watched a movie, and went wild with booze that I'm pretty sure we stole from a supply cart in the tunnels? I'm not sure. All I know for certain is that I'm hungover.

Every jolt of the train sends my head into a new spiral of dizziness. For the first time ever, I'm thankful for having done a sponsorship with Capitolians, because the gifted sunglasses I'm wearing are the only thing keeping me from burying myself under my covers to hide from the bright lights. That train ride home feels like it takes weeks instead of hours. I refuse to talk to anyone on the way home, especially Otto because I can't take his jabbering about how great the Capitol is today.

When I step off the train with my bags, to my surprise, I see my father waiting there for me. I have to rub my eyes to make sure that I'm not hallucinating him, and I'm honestly more shocked that he isn't a figment of my imagination.

He stands there with a solemn look on his face. Could it be that he feels bad about me being stabbed? Is this where he finally starts being a real dad to me?

"Avia, I—"

"Don't call me that," I snap. The hangover mixed with the negative emotions the of name drudge up and turn into a cocktail of bitterness.

He nods. "Okay. Yeah. Hear me out though. I at least owe you a lot of explanations and excuses."

I take a moment to consider what he's saying, and as terrible as I feel right now, those are words I feel like I've been waiting a lifetime to hear. "Okay."

So for the first time in a long time, I walk with my dad home. When I enter my house, I see him take a look around—and to be honest, so do I. I haven't had a real chance to live in the house yet because I'd stayed with Gran. They'd had people move everything for me while in the hospital and that includes a few unique pieces from Gran's. I see his eyes linger on her chair as he takes a seat on the couch.

"Dad, where have you been this whole time?"

And to my surprise, my father breaks down in tears. I'm not really sure what to do with him, so I sit there awkwardly as he cries. "I'm so sorry. For everything. For the training, for the Games, for your grandmother, for the things I've said to you, and for not realizing that I needed to apologize until you were almost gone."

Somehow hearing him apologize, the thing I thought I wanted him to do for years, only makes me angrier.  "You couldn't have realized that the times I came back from the Academy black and blue?"

"I know, I know you think I'm terrible, but I'm not. I'm a good guy. I promise. When I became a trainee at the Academy everything changed for me. I met your mother and her mother and they were such fans of the Games that I just got...sucked in. I was swept into the mindset that a Victor could do whatever they please and that we needed to create a whole academy of winners, so I went along with it. But when the time came along for your mom and I to have a child, your Grandma Sadie didn't want you anywhere near a training centre and we...we wanted you to be a victor."

I knew it. They never wanted a child. They never wanted me.

"So we decide to completely cut off Grandma Sadie. I told myself that I was the best for you because I knew that the Capitol was going to pick you either way so it was better to have you trained. When you were at the minimum age for the Academy I told myself another lie and enrolled you so I could be around you more. But we both know that wasn't the case and I saw my little girl raised by other people. I'm sorry. I never told anyone this but when you left for the Games I cried and asked myself what I had let my little girl go off to do."

"So then why did you ice me out after? Don't you remember calling me a murderer? Or were you too drunk?"

He hangs his head a bit. "No, that I remember. Wish I didn't. It's just...I thought you were one of them. I thought you were gone and you were a carbon copy of your mom—"

I roll my eyes. "—Bullshit. You know that I've never gotten along with her. You could've saved me from her whenever you wanted if you disagreed so much, but you didn't! You left me! You left me there!"

"I tried to leave her, I really did. I met someone and I was going to leave to be with her. But then your mom found out about us and told the Capitol—"

"—I don't want to hear about your affairs."

"No, no, you don't understand. I had been...stepping out of line and not attending my Capitol duties like I was supposed to. Next thing I know..." he can't get it out, whatever he's trying to say. "She was vengeful, she was jealous that I'd found someone else so she told the Capitol about my secret relationship and the woman I love was gone."

The gears in my mind turn slowly. "They...killed her?"

"Do you remember the woman who hung herself at the city square clock tower?"

I practically gasp. Everyone remembers "Holy shit, dad, are you were with the Bell Girl?" The nickname we at the Academy had come out with for her just slips out; we were always a vulgar group.

He shoots me a look as if to say I'm being insensitive. Oops. "She had a name. Seraphine."

I rake through my mind and try to remember the details of the case—it feels like I'm missing a glaring detail. I let out a nervous laugh. "Wait, but dad, I thought she was one of those well-to-do types who had a kid out of wedlock and died from family shame or something."

He stares at me, waiting for me to get it.

"Hold on, wait, wait, wait. No way. I have a sibling. A half-sibling and you never told me?"

"I didn't think you could be trusted—"

"—Fuck you, Magnus! I had a sibling this whole time and you never bothered to tell me? Someone who had my face and my blood and you never thought to tell me? Is it a sister? A brother?"

"Brother."

"Where is he?" My father is silent for a moment and I stand up to loom over him. "I swear on my life, tell me where he is right now or I'll beat you into a pulp."

He stands up from his seat. "Violence, really?"

"Stop avoiding the question, where is he? Hm? Where is he?"

"He was put into the orphanage so he'd be safer away from me—"

"—No, no way. Don't you dare say what I think you're going to—"

"—and the orphanage enrolled him into one of the outer city academies. From there he wound up in the Academy."

"How did you let this happen?" I scream.

"I didn't let anything happen. He was a stocky boy, they enrolled him and I didn't know until Lyme tipped me off that someone who looked like a younger version of me was walking around."

"Great so now you have two children you've abandoned."

Silence. He looks defeated and deflated as he walks towards the door, clearly not wanting to take any more of the grief I have to give him. "Do what you want. But if you want to visit him, you know where to find him now. 'Names Cato." He throws a "you're welcome" over his shoulder as he leaves, as if he's doing something for me and not the reason I've only found out now that I have an entire brother walking around.

He slams the door behind him "Asshole," I say to myself.

I sit there waiting for a moment before grabbing my coat and taking off out the door, hangover be damned.

I feel a sure of anxiety that tries to stop my legs from entering the threshold of the Academy, but I will myself forward by replaying a mantra in my head. It's okay. Get in, get him, get out.

I jump over the turnstiles and go towards the offices where I know the records are kept; I may have been responsible for altering a girl's once when I saw her as a threat, which led to her getting expelled, but that's neither here nor there.

To my dismay, Enobaria is manning the office desk. "Hey, can I see the enrollment lists?" Enobaria looks at me like I have three heads.

"When have you ever been interested in training?"

"Since today."

She thinks on it for a moment. "If I show them to you will you stop moping and start teaching?"

I ignore the obvious attempt to rile me up. "I'll consider it." Enobaria stares at me for a long and hard moment, trying to discern if I'm telling the truth.

"I know you're a liar, Octavia. But I haven't seen you this desperate since you were vying for your spot in the Games." She pauses, and to my surprise she hands over the records which I immediately start reading through. "What exactly are you looking for, maybe I can help?"

I shake my head. "I've got it from here, thanks." I can still feel her hovering over my shoulder, so I look up at her and say, "I mean it. Thank you."

She nods. "I'll be here doing my work if you need me."

I do some math from the bell girl incident to figure out Cato's approximate age and then start digging. I look through the records of the class for the 76th Games, which should in theory be the right age as that's when Cato would be 18, but I don't find any Cato's there. I look through the extra large class file for the 75th Games—something that's been done to ensure we're ready if the twist for the Quarter Quell is once again an increased number of Tributes—and yet, there's a Cato Locke there, but he's born in the wrong year. Surely he can't be training two years above him?

But there he is, Cato Smith, born in November of 57, class of 74; it's unmistakable, as all orphans of unknown origin are given the name Smith here in 2, a rather on-the-nose title if I do say so myself. I look beside his name to see his schedule and since I've got the whole place memorized—even if I wish I could forget it—I take off like a Capitol rocket down the halls.

I burst in the room to see a group of children ranging from 13-14 years old, with one exception. A little boy who looks no older than 12 sitting at the front of the class with unmistakable blonde hair and blue eyes.

I'm pulled out of my stare by Lyme, "A rare guest indeed, a fellow Victor! Everyone say hello to Octavia!"

"Hi Octavia," I hear a chorus of kids say.

"Please give us a moment." She tells the class before she turns and ushers me towards the hall. "What do you need?"

"I need to speak to one of your students: Cato."

Lyme side-eyes me warily for a moment, but then shrugs. "Cato? Miss Octavia would like to have a word with you."

He stands up and makes his way over to me and Lyme gives me a warning look before entering the classroom again and closing the door.

I immediately crouch down to get on his level since he's about half a foot shorter than me, and my eyes start to well up at the sight of his big beautiful blue eyes, the same ones I'd see in Grandma Sadie.

"Uh, are you okay?" He asks, concern and confusion in his voice.

I put my hands on his shoulders. My voice shakes, "Yes, more than fine."

"Uh, why did you need to talk to me?"

"Right," I say, wiping the tears from my face. I can't be a mess while talking to him. I have to be stronger than that. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"I think everyone knows who you are. You're our most recent Victor. 68th Games, record holder for most kills."

"Well yes, but you know who your father is right?"

He puffs out his chest. "I'm an orphan. I have no father. I raised myself."

"Cato I mean..." I pause, trying to think of how to explain this. "Your blood father."

He hides his face. "I'm not supposed to say."

"That's okay, you don't have to say it, because I know. I know because he's my father too."

I'm waiting for Cato to launch himself into my arms and cry with me at this family reunion, but instead, he scoffs. "You think I didn't know that you're my sister? Everyone from 12 to the Capitol knows that Magnus is your dad." I'm stunned in silence. "Yeah, that's right. I did the math."

The child's sass is not something I accounted for, but something I should've expected. Of course he'd know I'm his sister if he knew who his father was.

Cato continues, "But the question is why are you only reaching out now? Is it because I made it here?" he gestures around to the Academy.

"Cato...I only found about you a few minutes ago, if I'd have known you were alive before, I would've come to find you."

He stares at me for a long, hard moment, as if trying to evaluate me. "You're a lot different than you are on TV."

"I get that a lot."

He crosses his arms and continues to scan me over until his body relaxes. "I used to wish for this moment all the time," he says, as he launches himself into my arms. I have to brace myself for the impact but luckily my reflexes aren't that worn out, and I catch him in the nick of time. I put my arms around him, and the tears start to come back.

A brother. A little baby brother. A chance to have someone of my own flesh and blood who doesn't despise me. And more importantly, my chance to finally break the cycle. My chance to do things right.

I break the hug, but keep my hands on his shoulders. "Okay, um, I'll have to do some paperwork, but I'll get started on it right away. I have enough money to grease the wheel at the courthouse so, start packing, I'll be back by the end of the week. You can have your own big bedroom in my house, and you'll never have to step foot in this place again. I promise."

Cato's face is one of pure shock. "I—I don't know what to say."

I sigh. "It's okay, Cato. We're family. I'll look out for you from now on. No hungry bellies, no training until you're sick, no going to bed covered in black and blue marks."

Cato breaks away from my arms and takes a small step back. "That's a nice offer. I...appreciate it. And I'd like to come live with you during the breaks. But, my friends are here, and I'm not ready to give up on my dream."

I feel my veins run cold as ice. "Your...dream?" I hardly even want to ask, I think I know, but the thought of that answer makes me feel sick.

He smiles. "I want to be like you. Like father. I want to be a Victor." I already feel the nausea swelling, but then he adds, "Will you train me?"

No explanation. Only chapterly memes:

Bonus: