Author's Note: This is my reimagining of Mockingjay from the end of Chapter 24, starting with a rewrite of Chapter 25 and onward. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the ending of Mockingjay and decided to write what I envisioned for the characters. I do not think Collins' ending was wrong and mine is right - I simply had to explore a different path for Katniss, Peeta and all of Panem. I hope I do them justice. I look forward to writing this story and hearing what all of you think.

Chapter 25: And the World Burned

And that's when the rest of the parachutes go off.

Prim.

I lunge forward blindly towards the ball of fire but unknown hands grab me violently to a halt, pulling me back from the inferno. I start kicking and screaming for her, my Prim, trying futilely to run towards the blasts of flames that erupted from the parachutes dropped over the barricades.

Rough hands are grasping at my sides, wrapping themselves around me and pinning my arms to my chest. I try to break free but it's pointless against the arms encasing me. My legs feel like they're full of lead, my skin feels like it's going to melt off from the heat and I can hear nothing but my screams and see nothing but red.

"Katniss! Katniss, you can't-" Peeta yells in my ear, his arms tightening around me. Heat. All I can feel is heat. And my heart starts aching so uncontrollably I feel like it's going to explode like the parachutes out of my chest.

Prim. My Prim. My beautiful, selfless little Prim. She's gone. She's gone from me forever and there is absolutely nothing I can do. I can't tear my eyes away from the smoke and ash and snow and flames enveloping the street ahead of me. The image of fire and her standing there with her untucked blouse - my little duck - is seared into my eyelids even when I blink.

Prim. Oh God, Prim! Prim is now the girl who was on fire; engulfed in the incineration blazing before me. She's no longer standing there, no child is. There are hundreds people on fire, screaming and diving into the snow, rolling on the ground in agony, a collision of bodies frantically scattering in all directions. I feel my legs give out but I don't fall - Peeta is holding me up.

"We have to keep moving, Katniss, we're almost there. Please! You have to move!" he shouts. I barely nod, he takes that as confirmation and half drags me towards the outline of Snow's mansion.

The fire in my eyes, the heat and the red. All the red. My retinas are filled with a never ending red that pulses throughout me. It's no longer flames. No. No, it's now blood. Snow's blood. That's all I want now. I can't stop to mourn Prim, not when her murderer is sitting in his house safely a hundred feet away. He cannot live any longer than today.

My vision blurs as water fills my eyes and I can barely see. Peeta pushes through the panic and the swarms of people, rushing towards the mansion on the other side of the Circle. The Rebel Army is pouring into the streets, a calamity of bodies, weapons and debris.

Peeta shields me protectively as I try my best not to stumble and get sucked into the chaos. I can hear screams of misery and pain; heartbreak and despair. My heart is crumbling with Panem's but I cannot lose sight of that mansion and the sickly, rose-scented man that resides in it.

My feet hit a hard, solid surface. We stumble into the frozen fountain in the front lawn to avoid some of the crowd pressing in on us. I start to slip on the slick ice coating the marble tile but Peeta stops me from falling, grabbing my legs and lifting me roughly into his arms. I would protest but my legs feel impossible.

I wrap my arms around his neck and his hands dig into my back and my knees as he presses towards our final destination. He slides to the other side of the fountain and leaps over the railing, tumbling us onto the snow-coated gravel in front of the stairs of the large entry way. I land roughly on my back and feel a sharp pain in my skull. It's nothing like the pain in my chest though. Nothing ever will compare to the pain gaping open my ribs.

Peeta stands up next me and takes my outstretched hand forcefully, yanking me up off the ground. I bring my hand behind my head and touch it tentatively and wince. I can feel the tepid blood trickling down into my hair. I look down at my fingers and see red. It makes my eyes burn.

"Katniss, come on. We have to do it now," Peeta implores. He touches my face and stares into my eyes for the briefest of moments. He looks lost. I can't imagine I look much different.

"We can't go through the front door," I say to him. He nods in agreement and grabs my hand, leading me along the front of the house, his boots crunching loudly in the snow. I clutch my bow under my cloak and then reach my hand not in his awkwardly into my quiver, counting my arrows. I still have them all, protected by the cloak wrapped firmly around my shoulders. I'll only need one, though. It will only take one.

We turn around the side of the house and find ourselves alone, away from the chaos of the streets. We head towards the back, searching for a way in. There are no windows on the bottom two floors, no doors or openings as far as we can see. There has to be another way in. We pass the red brick of a chimney chute. I look up.

"Through the chimney" I say, pointing up at the opening four stories up. Peeta's eyes follow my outstretched hand. He holds his stare there momentarily before he turns his gaze back to me and nods again in affirmation. My eyes follow along the branches hovering near the rooftop and I move quickly towards that tree's trunk. Peeta looks at me nervously.

"I'm really no good at this... Not like you."

"That's alright, just follow me up. I'll find us the safest path to take."

"Katniss, maybe I shouldn't go with you. What if I-"

"I can't do this without you, Peeta!" I snap back at him. He stares at me intensely, his pupils contracting and expanding quickly, obviously struggling with my request.

"Alright," he relents, "Let's go."

I take off my cloak, the burnt wig and some of my layers that would encumber my climb; goosebumps instantly raise all over my skin. I let out an audible shiver before checking my bow one last time. I start shimmying up the tree, glancing every major step to make sure that Peeta is replicating my movements. He moves awkwardly but manages to hoist himself along my path. I climb quickly to the largest branch that hangs over the roof and start sliding across it.

"Wait till I get to the roof before you follow me; I don't want the branch breaking under our weight."

Peeta grunts in response as I continue. I can feel the branch creaking under my weight but it feels secure, Peeta should be okay. I reach the overhang of the roof and start to lower myself slowly with my arms, hovering over the snow-covered shingles. It's about 10 feet, nothing I haven't fallen from before.

I tuck my legs up, tighten my stomach muscles and let go, bracing for the impact. I land awkwardly on my bottom and grind my teeth in pain. It's still nothing compared to the hole ripping open inside my chest.

"Come on now!" I shout to Peeta. He starts his awkward sliding on the tree and gets to the position over the roof, the branch bowing down under his weight. I crawl out of the way and gesture for him to drop. He rotates himself so he's hanging from the branch with his arms above his head. His height makes the drop only about 6 feet. Lucky.

He lets go and lands roughly on his feet before losing his balance and landing on his back. He sucks in a loaded breath but appears unhurt. I give him my hand and pull him up to a sitting position. My body gives another involuntary shiver. His hand leaves mine and moves up my arm, his other crossing over me and doing the same. His palms flatten against my flesh and begin to rub roughly, in an obvious effort to warm me. His fingers feel like fire on my skin. I feel the blood rush to my face and quickly look away.

But Peeta doesn't; his look is absolutely blazing. One of his hands moves up my side and stops at my throat. He touches where I had once had bruises from our reunion. His eyes soften and his eyebrows furrow slightly, tracing along his where his now faded fingerprints had marked my skin. My breath hitches in my throat and I shut my eyes, unable to look at him any longer. His hand on my arm moves down to entwine with mine while the one on my throat slides around to the back of my neck, his fingers threading into my hair. The hole in my chest stills in anticipation.

I open my eyes and jump slightly, startled by how close his face is. He cups the back of my head and slides his hand around my waist, pulling me closer. I can feel the heat of his body and the warmth of his breath tickles against my nose. Flakes of snow are speckled throughout his hair and his pupils are rapidly flickering as his eyes bore into mine. I couldn't look away now even if I wanted to.

"Katniss," he exhales against my cheek, his fingers around my head tightening further still. My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest, that it might burst. My head is swimming and I feel like I'm drowning in his touch. He brings his lips to my cheek and presses a chaste kiss there. He tugs at my hair and fists his hand on my waist into the fabric of my shirt.

I'm kneeling, completely frozen and unable to think. His lips trail across my jaw to my other cheek, placing light kisses the entire way. They reach the corner of my mouth when I realize I've stopped breathing altogether. He pulls away slightly, his hooded eyes never leaving mine, searing into me. His breath rolls unevenly out of his open lips. I can't take it anymore.

I throw my arms around his neck and grasp his hair, pulling his face to mine abruptly. His lips find mine and I melt into him completely. His grip tightens on me as he cups my jaw and grabs my side. The hole in my chest is searing again and tears burn a trail down the sides of my cheeks. Our lips are furious and he roughly parts my mouth with his own.

I feel positively ridiculous but I can't stop him. I won't stop him. This is what I've wanted for months and in this moment I can't think of anything else. I sigh into his mouth and bring my hands to hold the sides of his face. I can hear him mutter my name, and without my control, some low, almost primal sound escapes from me as I clutch to him for dear life.

The pain in my chest gives another lurch and I instantly pull away from him. This is ridiculous. This is the last thing I need to be doing right now. Peeta is here and he's holding me and wanting me and I can hardly bring myself to want anything else. But I have to. I have to finish this. For Prim. And for Finnick. For Cinna and Madge and Boggs. Peeta opens his eyes and gently tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"Not far now, Katniss," he says softly against my lips. I shake my head down once in agreement, touching my forehead to his. It's slick with sweat and his sweet breath blows unsteadily onto my face. His gaze turns away from me towards the chimney, his hands drop away from me and he starts to crawl towards the stack of red bricks. The hole in my chest gives a lurch at the loss of his touch. My eyes look at the red chimney, squinting involuntarily.

Prim, the children and people of Panem - all of them on fire - blazes into my vision and I can't see anything else. I will never see anything else. The red clouds my sight but I don't stop crawling towards it. The snow in the air begins to blow more forcefully and I can feel it melting immediately on my heated flesh. I know what I came here to do and I won't stop; I can't stop until it's finished. Not until I see Snow's blood staining my hands and my skin and my eyes. He will know the pain that aches inside my chest.

My arrow won't miss its target, not now, not this night.

Snow will see red tonight.