Their Highland Games

She was at home again on a Saturday night. Her roommate Johanna was out with Brue and Prim was working the night shift again. Katniss had the thought that she needed to talk to her about that. She was starting to get as bad as their mom. But she knew that this was the residency track that she had chosen to be a surgeon.

Katniss was bored. She would never admit it to anyone, especially Jo, who would laugh at her for not going out with her and Brue. But they had finally gotten together, after dancing around each other for almost a year, and she didn't want to feel like a third wheel. So she went in search of something to read and something sweet to eat.

Wandering into Prim's room, she walked over to her bookshelf. Looking past the 3 rows of medical and surgical books, she found the bottom shelf of Prim's paper backs. Checking the titles, she spied a new one that she hadn't seen before. 'Their Highland Games'. Picking it up and reading the back cover; clans fighting, boy helping a girl and then she later saves his life… happily ever after. Oh well. She didn't have much of a choice, after looking at a computer screen all week; she didn't feel like watching TV or even reading some of her favorite fanfiction. So she was going to do it the old fashioned way tonight, a book and cheese buns from Mellark's bakery.

She started off reading on the couch. Once she got to the part where the little girl got lost in the woods, she had moved to the bedroom. Then when she got to the part about the battle, she didn't think she was that tired, but before the battle ended, she was asleep.

Taking a deep breath she sat up in her bed. Looking around she realized that she wasn't in her modern apartment anymore. She wasn't in her favorite pj's anymore. She couldn't hear the local radio station playing anymore; in fact she wasn't a grown woman anymore. Looking at her hands, she was shocked at how small they looked.

With a gasp she jumped up. Looking down she saw the she was wearing a long white gown. Remembering a college class that she took a long time ago, she guessed that it was a chemise. Running her hands down her body, she was Surprised when she didn't feel her adult breasts anymore, she pulled the top of it open and looked down the front of her chemise. Seeing that her chest was one again the size that it was when she was 12 years old, she groaned. She knew this was a dream, but having to go through puberty again? That was a nightmare.

Feeling a chill in the cold cottage, she looked around for something that will be much warmer, since the fire in the place was out. As she turned she noticed the bed that she was just in. She notices a good sized lump under the tartan covering the bed. Seeing the tartan, she knows that it had belonged to her father. Even in a dream, and remembering the book, she felt the grief that she hoped she would never feel again. The grief she had felt when her own father died.

Easing back the covers, she sighs when she sees a familiar tuff of blonde hair. Well if she is going to be dreaming, Prim may as well be here too. Maybe she will finally get some rest. Spying what must be her dress on the end of the bed; she picked it up and is amazed that somehow she knows how to put it on correctly.

Thinking back to the book, she remembers that this story spoke to her cause it so closely mirrored her own life. Feeling the familiar hunger, she knew that this character was hungry as a child as she had been. And like her mother, this girl's mother was going through a deep grief after her husband was killed. Her father had been killed in a horrible wreck; this girl's had been in a fight with the neighboring clan. So she knew that this mother was still sitting in the rocking chair in the dark corner asleep, waiting for one of the girls to wake her up for breakfast. Looking around the cottage for something to start a fire with, she was grateful that she found some kindling and was once again amazed when she could start a fire with the flint that was lying beside the fireplace.

Before she even looked around, she knew that she wouldn't find anything for them to eat. Closing her eyes, she let the memories of the girl in the book come into her head. As if remembering, she knew that there were both goats and sheep outside. Taking care of them was Prim's job. Hers was to go into the woods and hunt and gather plants that they might be able to sell in the village. Since it was still dark, and it had been raining, she put her shoes on under her dress. Though compared to modern shoes, these were just pieces of leather tied on. It was cold outside, and she knew that if she was going to be hunting rabbits in the early morning dew, she wanted something on her feet. Spying her bow and the quiver of arrows beside the door, she gave a big smile. Now she knows she will be ok.

As she recognized the familiar path that was tucked away in her new memories, these woods she realized were familiar to her as her old woods back home. Creeping quietly so she could still hunt while she walked to her destination, she looked up to see that it was almost dawn. She knew that her companion was on his way. She stopped behind a tree so she could see if he was how she pictured him in the book, she is surprised when she sees that it is a younger version of Peeta Mellark. She hasn't seen this version of Peeta since they were in the 6th grade together so long ago. Chuckling to herself, of course it would be Peeta. She did fall asleep eating his cheese buns.

"My lady? Are you here? Katniss?"

Stepping out from behind the tree and startling him in the process, "Here I am. What are you doing?"

Blushing as he stepped closer to her, he reached for her hands. Letting him hold them as if he needed to check to see if she was real she looked into his eyes. 'Were Peeta's eyes really this blue in real life? I wish someone would look at me the way he is looking at this girl.' Then as she gazed back into his eyes, the girl's memories came back. Memories of how hungry they were after the battle. A lot of the fighting men from her clan had been killed or badly injured. There were many hungry in the village. Taking her father's bow, though she was too weak to actually pull it, she had gone into the woods to find anything they could eat. Too weak to go any further, she had sunk to sit under a pine tree. She heard steps coming towards her in the woods and not knowing if the enemy clan was coming to finish them off, she tried to hide herself. Seeing the enemy clan's plaid, she closed her eyes in fear, hoping that if they were going to run their sword through her, she didn't want to see it happening. But instead she smelled the most delicious smell she had ever smelled. Slowly opening her eyes, she was greeted by a blonde haired blue eyed boy. Yes he was dressed in the dreaded plaid, but the smell of the bread coming from him was more than enough to make up for it.

"Have you come to kill me?" she asks.

Looking around to make sure no one else can see them, he says, "On no my lady. We had some extra bread and I was told by my Mags to take it to your village and to leave it by the gates. She had heard that there were some hungry families. Are you one of them?"

Closing her eyes through the hunger, she gives a nod, "Aye. My Pa was killed a month ago in the fight."

Helping her up, he holds on to her arms until she can steady herself. "Are you alright?"

Looking into his eyes, is Peeta's eyes really that blue at home? She needs to go look tomorrow at the bakery. She nods. "Aye, I think I can make it home."

Pushing the basket into her arms, he turns to walk part of the way with her. "You can't come with me." She says in a panic, "They will kidnap you if they catch you."

"Are you sure? I can go a little further with you…"

Cutting him off, she knew that he would walk her all the way home if she permitted it. "You saved us with this bread. I would hate for harm to come you to if you come I with me. Do tell me your name so that I may ask for the Lord to bless you."

Blushing once again and looking down at their feet, "My name is Peeta of the clan Mellark. My father is the chief and I am learning weapons with his men. But my nurse maid Mags baked all this extra bread for your village. I was the only lad she asked to help her. So I came wondering in the woods to find someone. I am glad that I found you."

Swaying on her feet, she feels brave and throws her arms around him. "I am glad that you found me too." giving him a squeeze she pulls back to look at him.

Coming back to the present, he answers her, "Looking for you as usual my lady. I missed our meeting yesterday and I hurried to meet you today. Pa needed me early in the morn to go work with his men."

Turning her face so he wouldn't see the disappointment, as the memories came back to her from the day before; she remembered that she had waited until the sun was high in the sky before she ventured home. Saying in a small voice, "I waited for you. It was almost noon and you still hadn't come." turning back to him, she slaps his arm. "I was so worried about you!"

"I am sorry Katniss! I tried to sneak away without Pa knowing. He is starting to watch me more. I might have to only meet you on certain days from now on. I will of course still bring you bread…"

Throwing her arms around him, she said, "Oh Peeta. It's ok. I was just worried that's all. "Pulling back and looking into his eyes again, "Let's go find some rabbits for our stew tonight, ok?"

As Katniss dreamed it was like the dream it fast forwarded through the next couple of years. Or what would be the second or even third chapter in the book. She saw the girl grow up into a young woman who was the prettiest in the clan. And since she was approaching 18, it was time for a marriage to be arranged. Young men and their fathers were coming by and talking to her uncle Haymitch about a bride price. He of course knew about her stubbornness so he knew that ultimately she was going to choose her own husband. They just had to wait for her to tell them that she had chosen. Unknown to all of them, she had made her choice. It was her boy with the bread whom she was still meeting at least twice a week. His father was still the chief, but he had 3 sons who he had to decide to pass down the chieftain position to.

Peeta had grown into a wonderful young man. She could sit and listen to him all day while he told her the old stories that Mags had taught him. And he was always bringing her the things that Mags had made for him to give her. Everything from cheese buns to new fish hooks. For a long time ago, he had told Mags that he was meeting her. So since she considered him one of her own, his own ma died while she was giving birth to him, she did everything to help him. Including hiding Katniss from his father.

Peeta just that evening had heard his father's men talking about coming across men from the Abernathy clan. There was no blood shed, but heated words were exchanged. Peeta had asked a couple of people including Mags about why there was so much hatred between them. For he would love nothing better than to be able to pay the bride price for Katniss so she could truly be his for the rest of their lives and to settle this feud once and for all. Mags said that it was over a lass from the Mellark clan being killed by the Abernathy men when she was younger, she wasn't entirely sure that was the answer. It could have been the other way around, for it happened when she was very young herself.

But Peeta could hear the anger in their voices, but he had no idea on how to diffuse the mood. So he went in search of his dad. Finding him while he was going for a walk with his old dog, a terrier mix named Beau, he quickly caught up to him.

"Pa, can I have a word?"

Smiling at his youngest, "Anything for you my boy." Pulling him close, he hugs his son. This is a little ritual they do when no one else is around.

"Did you hear what happened with the men yesterday? They saw some of the Abernathy clan and had words."

Sighing his pa nods. "Aye I did hear it. I'll talk to them about it. After that last fight a couple of years ago, I don't want the men to cause any more trouble. I wish there was a way to negotiate peace."

After hearing that, Peeta knows what he must do. There has to be a way for them to negotiate a peace deal and have Katniss as his wife. Turning to his Pa, he says, "I'll have to be thinking about that one."

But alas Peeta didn't get a chance to talk to Katniss or anyone about a deal. For that night, after hearing the insults the Mellark men had said to the Abernathy men, the Abernathy men decided to attack the fighting men at dawn. Peeta was actually on his way to meet Katniss when he realized what was happening, he turned his horse around so he could warn his Pa. But as soon as he did, he said the red and green plaid of the Abernathy's and then a flash of a sword. The sword cut his thigh so deep, that he didn't even feel the pain. Pulling his own tartan down to hold it on his wound, and pulling his own sword from its sheath in his saddle, he turns towards the woods where he knows Katniss waits for him. Urging his horse to go faster, he leans down to put his head on its mane.

The horse followed the familiar path, for he comes this way to receive the sweet apples from his mistress a couple times a week. Feeling his master, go limp, he tries to avoid the smell of blood in his nostrils. Seeing his mistress waiting for them, he starts to trot a little faster. She steps forwards speaking to him with her calming voice that he knows too well, and feels himself start to calm down. Grabbing his bridle, he lets her lead him so she can tie his reigns to the tree.

Looking up to where Peeta sits in the saddle, she notices two things. One that he is asleep while riding and the smell of blood. That is when she looks down and sees his blood dripping onto the forest floor. Reaching out to steady him, and trying not to panic, she gently shakes him. "Peeta. Peeta. Can you wake up?"

Turning his head so that he is eye to eye with her, he says, "Have you come to finish me off sweetheart?"