A/N: Hey guys! So, it's been a long, long, long while since I've written anything and I discovered that I sorely miss it. I've just recently discovered The Hunger Games trilogy and just had to write a story about it! The idea for this oneshot came to me right after I finished reading Catching Fire and I immediately started writing. I know there are a ton of grammar mistakes so please bear with me. It's never been my strong suit. So please, R&R and I hope you enjoy!

Summary: It's been a while since Peeta has been captured by the Capitol and by now, he is used to their forms of torture. But what happens when President Snow has a new trick up his sleeve? Is it finally time for Peeta to give up hope?

Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins has bragging rights.

The Power of Words

The groan escapes my mouth before I can even open my eyes. The throbbing in my head had started immediately after I regained consciousness. There's also a foul taste in my mouth and I am about to gag before I muster up some control so as not to throw up. All the bones in my body ache and my muscles feel too sore to make any type of movement possible. The pain is everywhere. But of course, that's the way it has always been. And I fear that that's the way it will have to be for the rest of my life. Which won't be very long, anyways. I'm betting on it.

How many weeks has it been since I've been captured by the Capitol? Four? Five? I've lost count. Here, I can't even tell the difference between night and day. There are no windows in the room that I'm being kept in and I've drifted off into unconsciousness far too many times to make it possible for me to keep an accurate guess at the time. Not that it mattered. The Capitol didn't capture and torture me for information on the time. No, all those whips and needles that they've made me take mercilessly in front of a camera are for Katniss. Who else? My dear, sweet Katniss. The girl who's taken my heart since day one. Did they actually think that the endless amounts of pain would get me to tell them where she was?

No, of course not. President Snow was smarter than that. He knew that I hadn't said all those things in front of the whole nation just to get the audience on my side. He knew that I wasn't the one who spoke lies and pretended to be in love. He knows that I would never give her up. But he also knows that she would never let me die. He is sure that even though she doesn't love me the way I love her, she would still do everything in her power to rescue me. And he is counting on it. That's what the camera is for. To get a message through to her. To show her that I'm alive. To show her that the pain they inflict upon me is because of her.

A muffled sound comes from my throat and it isn't brought on by the physical pain. It is the emotional pain that is successfully ripping me apart. How did I ever let it come to this? I promised myself that I wouldn't let anything hurt her. That any pain is worth knowing that she's alright. But that's just it. I don't know if she's alright. I don't know where she is or who she's with. The only thing I know for sure is that she's alive. Because if she wasn't, they'd have killed me by now. And even if she was alright, I know that she soon won't be. Because of me. Because she will do anything to make sure that I keep my life.

Tears threaten to spill out of my eyes but I keep them firmly shut. Oh, Katniss. If only we had some chance to build a normal relationship. If only I had the courage to talk to you way before the reaping that sealed our fates took place. If only there were no Hunger Games to begin with. Then where would we be? Would we have become friends? Something more? If I had let you get to know me more before I confessed my undying love for you in front of the whole nation, would you have found it in you to feel the same way? If you weren't forced to pretend to be in love with me, would you have grown to find that you actually were? No. You would have just gone running back to Gale. Because why would you want me when you can have him?

So then why would you give anything you could to keep me alive, Katniss? Why are you trying so hard for me? Why would you kiss me so passionately that one night in the Games when I practically told you that you could be with Gale? Because all it's done is make me want you more. Make me ache for you more. So much more that I can barely stand it. And now, if I ever did lose you, whether it be because of your death or because you ultimately choose Gale over me, I don't think I could ever live with myself. The thought of either is just too unbearable.

The sound of someone in close proximity to me causes me to open my eyes for the first time in days. At first the light is blinding but I force myself not to blink. Finally, my eyes adjust and I look around to find that I'm being kept in the same bare room that they dragged me into the day they captured me. Or perhaps it's a different room that just looks precisely the same. I can't see any blood anywhere around me. That must be hard to scrub off pristine white walls and floors. Then I see the Avox boy standing beside me with a tray full of delicacies. This is the only kindness the Capitol has given me and even then I am wary to accept the food. They might have poisoned it this time around.

The boy, who can't be more than two years older than me, gives me a look of sympathy. Yeah, I feel bad for you too. I feel rather childish when I open my mouth to let the Avox feed me. Obviously I would have liked to feed myself but what with various contraptions holding me in an upright position with my hands and feet clasped to the make-shift bed, I don't think that would have worked out quite well. The boy knows not to give me too much food at one time which I'm grateful for because I really didn't feel like throwing up all over myself. Instead I take my sweet time slurping up the creamy soup and nibbling on some bread and cheese, happy to be able to rinse some of the foul taste out of my mouth.

All too soon, however, the food is gone and the only person that I would have liked to share some company with in this prison gets up to leave because his job is done. Staying longer would only mean harsh punishment. As he leaves, I notice that the door he goes through (which is the only door that leads into the room) is heavily guarded. This isn't a surprise. They've obviously taken every precaution to make sure that I stay locked up. They probably even have some traps hidden in this room just in case I somehow manage to free myself from the devices that keep me bound to this bed. Which I can't.

It takes hours before the doors open once again. After the Avox boy leaves, I try going back to sleep but it is no use. My mind is filled with Katniss. It was as if I could hear her voice and laughter and I imagined her to be right beside me. I wanted to feel her hands laced with mine once again and I wanted to give them a gentle, reassuring squeeze, telling her that everything would be alright. She would crawl gingerly into the bed beside me. It didn't matter that I was tied up, almost every inch of the bed covered by either my body or metal. I would make room. Then, when she falls asleep and the nightmares begin, I would wrap my arms around her and shelter her from the big bad monster lurking in her mind. I wanted to be there to comfort her again, to feel her warm lips against mine for a brief, fleeting second. Was that too much to ask? Well, of course.

When the girl enters, it is not Katniss. She looks to be about the same age as us, though, and she would probably come up to about my chin. Her hair goes down to the middle of her back in dark waves and her brown eyes pierce into my blue ones. She is wearing a simple yet appealing purple dress that shows off her slim figure. Resting her hands on her hips, her red lips twitch to form a smirk and a shiver runs down my spine.

"Peeta Mellark," she says with a melodious voice. Her eyes travel down from my face, appraising me. Sizing me up. The urge to put on more than just a t-shirt and boxers hits me as her eyes take in every inch that is uncovered. "Nice to finally meet you."

"I don't think I could say that the same goes for me," I say with a raspy voice. My throat burns when I talk but the pain is very much tolerable.

Her smirk grows larger with my comment and she walks closer to me so that her hands are just inches away from mine. "They did a good job restoring you. As always."

I grimace. She's not just talking about the artificial leg that I had received after the first Hunger Games. She's talking about the numerous surgeries that the doctors here in the Capitol have performed on me in an effort to keep me alive after days and days of endless torturing. The end result is a body as good as new. Almost.

"Well, I don't think the audience gets a lot of entertainment from watching an unconscious body being whipped endlessly," I reply bitterly.

She gives me a look that I can't quite place. "No, I suppose not."

Her fingers find the back of my hand and when she starts to stroke my fingers, I curl it into a fist. What is she doing? Trying to seduce me? Trying to tempt me into giving her information? She has to know that it won't work. I've never wanted anything from any girl except for Katniss. No matter how beautiful they may be.

"Do you know how many girls have fallen for you, Peeta?" she asks softly. Her smile is sympathetic, her eyes ablaze.

I give her an incredulous look. Why did that matter? Especially now? Why should I be thinking about girls when the only one that truly mattered was taken away from me?

"Because there are tons. Ready to throw themselves at you the moment you decide that you no longer want to wait for her. We all know how much you're capable of loving. How willing you are to be there for that special someone. And there's many girls out there willing to be that special someone. If only…" Her voice trails of and the smile is gone.

The exact meaning of her words hit me like a brick and suddenly I am utterly repulsed by this woman. No, this girl. What is she even doing here? Why is she mixed in with the Capitol government at such a young age?

"Are you telling me to give up Katniss for some other girl?" I could barely contain the rage in my voice.

She merely shrugs. "Just a suggestion. Filling you in on what your options are."

"I don't think I'd agree with any of your options," I retort.

The girl lets go of my hand and laughs. "No, I didn't think you would. But then again, you aren't the only one who's good with words and persuading people."

I catch just the faintest glint in her eyes but it goes by too fast for me to think anything of it.

"I'm Harmony, by the way," she says as she takes a seat beside me on the bed.

All I do is nod. She knows my name already, and probably everything else about me. There's no need for introductions on my part.

Her hand runs through her hair and she surveys me with a questioning look. "You know, most guys would be all over me by now."

I give her a rueful look and she gives another laugh. "But then again, most guys aren't madly in love with someone else."

I don't want to listen to her anymore. What was the Capitol doing? So far, the only people that have been sent in here are the people who torture me for information and the Avoxes who feed me. Was this their new strategy? Send in a beautiful girl to tear me down emotionally? Because I can do that just fine by myself.

Her hand is on my thigh now. I can feel her fingers barely grazing my skin as she moves them upwards. There is only a slight tingling sensation where her body and mine meet so that if I close my eyes, I can pretend it isn't really happening. But it is. And I've never been all that good at pretending. I can't look at her anymore. Each stroke up and down my leg brings more and more sadness. More anger. This is the Capitol's new trick. New form of torture. New wound that may never heal.

"Tell me about her."

The kindness in her voice is unsettling. The request catches me off guard and I find myself looking at her again even though I had resolved not to. Her eyes no longer pierce me. Instead, the emotion that conveys through them deeply resembles sadness. But that couldn't be. She is one of the Capitol's many puppets after all.

I don't know what makes me respond, but I do. Perhaps it's just the longing to finally be able to talk to someone about how I feel. Even if that someone is playing mind games with me.

"She's the love of my life," I breathe out. The sadness is more prominent now.

"Yes, well, we all know that," she whispers, tilting her head towards the camera which is always pointed towards me.

Oh. I should have figured. Peeta Mellark: The Hopelessly In Love Idiot. Catch it live at 7 p.m.! The whole country is probably watching. Watching this girl taunt me. Watching my pain. Watching my humiliation. Waiting for this moment. Waiting for me to finally open up about my feelings. All of it. Uncensored. Uncut. Is that what they wanted? Well, they might as well get it.

But where to start? There were so many things I could say about her. So many amazing things. Things that I've never dared to say out loud before. Things that I hoped for. Things that I dreaded. Things that bring nightmares at night. Things that I planned. Like my future with her. Our future together…

"The first time I laid my eyes on her, the first time I heard her voice… there weren't any fireworks. No butterflies. No seeing stars," I started. "It was so much more than that. I can't even begin to describe it. Back then I obviously didn't know what my feelings meant. I was only a kid admiring another. And all I wanted was to talk to her. To get to know her. But I couldn't muster up enough courage to actually start a conversation. Because surely someone who has that kind of voice and has a face that beautiful would never want to talk to me."

I gaze towards my companion. She still has her hand on my thigh but it stopped moving minutes ago. "Have you ever been in love?"

Harmony shakes her head silently and smiles. "A lot of boys have been in love with me. Or so they claim, anyways. But I've never been able to return the favour. Apparently I have a heart made of ice."

"Love is… hard. It's like someone just reaches into your body and snatches away at your heart and takes it without ever asking you if they're allowed. And you just have to trust that person that they'll take good care of it. But sometimes, they don't. Sometimes it's just heartbreaking. But I think it's worth it."

She's worth it.

"What makes you say that?" she asks. There's something about her voice that alarms me but I can't fully grasp what it is.

"Well I can only tell you my experiences," I say this rather doubtfully but she nods her head and I have no choice but to continue.

"Katniss took my heart without ever meaning to. For a long time, she didn't even know that she had it. I admired from afar, never speaking a word to her. And she could have broken my heart and crumpled it up to a million tiny pieces so easily. All she had to do was find some other boy. And boy, did I ever pray that she didn't. Now I realize how selfish of me that was. I had no right to wish her no happiness with someone else. But my need to keep her to myself, even if she wasn't really mine, clouded my judgement."

Images of Katniss with Gale float around in my head as I explain all these feelings to Harmony. But of course, I couldn't mention him. Not when the whole country still thinks that they're cousins. Not when they still think that we're together.

"Some tribute I am," I spit out. All the emotions that I've tried so hard to keep at bay are now starting to engulf me. Consume me. "I couldn't even talk to the girl I like. What hope was there for me to survive the Games? Absolutely none. But she was there. She was with me. And somehow, that made up for all of it.

"I couldn't believe that I was finally talking to her. I was finally becoming her friend. She finally knew who I was. I was no longer some insignificant speck of dirt on the earth. There was finally some reason to live! Because Katniss Everdeen knew who I was. She laughed with me. She joked with me. She slept in my arms. We shared the same fears, the same hopes. What I didn't want us to share was the same fate. Because I never planned to live. Not when it meant that she'd have to die. So when it was just us two left… When all we had were those berries…"

I have to stop my speech to regain my composure. The tears building up in my eyes have made my vision blurry so I blink, making a few of them roll down my cheeks. The thought of looking pathetic in front of the whole nation doesn't even cross my mind. It barely even registers that I am crying. The only thing I can think of his how empty my life would be if Katniss was gone.

"That's why she has to let me die."

I can almost hear all the gasps coming from the audience. Big story twist there, Mellark. Even Harmony looks taken aback as she finally withdraws her hand from me. I wasn't sure what she thought she would get out of me but this certainly wasn't it. After all, wasn't the whole point of this little "interrogation" to get Katniss to come rescue me? To have her fall into their trap? Now what good use am I if I'm pleading for my own death?

"Like I said in the Games, my life would be meaningless without her," I choke out. "I'd find no reason to be happy again. And I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that she died to protect me. To save me. Her life is worth so much more than mine. So is our child's."

Our child. How easy the lie seemed to flow out of my mouth. How hard it was to imagine. How painful it was to long for.

"Finally being able to call Katniss mine is a dream come true. The months that followed the first Hunger Games were bliss for me. I don't think I've ever been that happy in my entire life. Just the fact that I got to keep her brought me to cloud nine. And perhaps being able to be happy with her, even for the briefest of moments, is enough. Maybe that's all I need."

Only that's not the truth. The months that followed the Games were absolute torture for me. Always being near her but never truly with her. The day when we travelled back to District 12 was the day that she broke my heart and it remained broken for the longest time. It was only when the Quell was announced that I began to find some hope again. Another dream that would be crushed.

"Peeta," Harmony barely whispers but her tone is urgent and commanding. "Peeta, I don't think asking for death is going to help either of you."

I glare and ask her, "Why not?" But already, I fear the answer.

She gives a sigh and her eyes are on fire again. The look she gives me is unsettling and I don't even have time to brace myself before she throws out the words.

"She's dead, Peeta."

And suddenly, there's no more air around me. I can't breathe. I can't see. I can't speak. Not that I want to. Because if Katniss is truly gone, I don't want to do anything. I don't want to be anything. I don't want to be.

"No," I manage to moan. My hands are balled up into fists, trying hopelessly to grip onto something that's not there. Trying to hold on to hope.

Was this what she came in here for? This must have been her plan all along. Have the whole country listen to what's inside my heart then watch me crumble right in front of them. They were tuned in to watch what little ray of light I clung helplessly to fade away.

But, no. I can't let them get the best of me. Not now.

"That's a lie," I growl.

Harmony inches closer towards me and raises her hand up to my face, gently stroking my cheek. The smile she wears on her lips makes me want to break free of these metal cuffs and hit her. I close my eyes in disgust instead.

"No, it's not, Peeta. President Snow himself ordered me to come break the news to you instead of telling you himself because he knew you'd never give him the time of day. He knew you would just block him out and never believe a word he said. He knew you would never open up to him about all the things you just told me. But you have to listen to me. Look at me, Peeta," she commands.

When I don't open my eyes, she slaps me.

"I said look at me."

The venom in her voice is icy and I force myself to look straight into her eyes. What did I see in them? I couldn't tell. It was too confusing.

"Now listen. You may refuse to believe me but it's the truth. You can go on pretending in your own little fantasy world but sooner or later, you're gonna have to face the facts. Katniss tried to save you."

What is that feeling? A hole being pierced into my heart?

"She tried to save you but she failed. The guards caught her, along with a bunch of her friends. At first, we tried to get her to give us some information about the rebellion. We said that we'd let you two be together if she gave us even the tiniest bit of a clue."

"Which is a lie," I say bitterly.

Harmony's smile widens. "Perhaps. But like I said, I can be very convincing. I made her believe things. But she wouldn't budge, love. Not even for you."

Well, she definitely knows the right things to say.

"We weren't going to kill her, though. Honest. What good is the mockingjay to us if she's dead? What kind of leverage would we have? No, Snow wasn't going to hear any of that. He didn't hear anything from the guy who accidentally fired his weapon at her either. Not a word of explanation before he was shot by the very same weapon that killed your precious love."

I grimace. I don't want to believe the things she's saying, but what if it's the truth? What if Katniss really is gone? No, I can't bear to think about it.

"So you still want to say no to all those girls ready to throw themselves at you?" she asks.

I nod. Why would I want anyone else? Even if Katniss is dead, that doesn't change the fact that I love her.

Dead.

It's amazing how one little word can make me feel so hollow inside. If she was dead, I might as well be, too.

"What about me?"

Her question catches me off guard. What does she mean?

"You wouldn't say no to me, would you?" she laughs. That perfect, melodious laugh. The laugh that I never want to hear again. "Well, I'm not about to give you that choice."

She climbs onto the bed. Suddenly, every part of my body screams with alarm. I'm sure that I actually do utter a scream but I can't be sure. She's much too close. There's not enough room for the both of us to be on the bed with having to touch in the most intimate of places. Her weight is above me and then right on me. I shut my eyes, trying to shut her out as well. But of course, that doesn't work.

"Snow didn't send me in here just to tell you about Katniss," she says in a hushed tone. "He wants a show. Who am I to deny the President what he wants?"

I make myself open my eyes and her face is right in front of me. Her lips are just inches away, the gloss she is wearing making them look shiny and delicious. But I know they are not.

"You would really do this while the whole country watches?" I ask, utterly disgusted.

"You don't know what I'm about to do." Her eyes are determined, her lips no longer smiling.

I feel her hand stroking my leg again. She's rubbing circles on my thighs and her other hand travels down to my chest. One swift movement and her lips are on mine. My lips part slightly in surprise at the attack and she takes this as her cue to shove her tongue in without permission. At first I try to block her way but I know I'm fighting a losing battle. Whatever she wants, she'll get it.

Yeah, I know exactly what she's about to do.

The only thing is, the next thing she does surprises me more than any of her other actions. Harmony breaks our kiss and her lips head straight for my left ear. At first I think that she's about to nibble it, have some kind of twisted foreplay before the real show begins. Instead, she whispers so low that I'm sure that only I can hear her words.

"When I told you to listen, I wasn't kidding."

For everyone else, it must look like she's engaging in some sort of inappropriate act. As for me, I'm still dumbfounded that she actually isn't.

"Act like you're revolted, like I'm trying to seduce you. Everyone is watching."

Yeah, no kidding. But it isn't hard to do as she says since I'm pretty sure what she just did before falls under the category of sexual harassment.

"I told you, I'm good at convincing people. It's taken me a long time to get Snow to trust me, but now he surely does. And I'm putting all of that on the line to save you."

What?! What is she talking about? Confusion sweeps my whole brain but I'm careful not to let it show.

"Not that I mind. I've always wanted to put a stop to his reign and now, thanks to you and Katniss, that just might happen."

She's on my side. She's part of the rebellion. At least, that's what she's saying.

"By the way, Katniss isn't really dead. I was hoping you wouldn't believe that pathetic excuse for a lie."

A sound escapes my throat but I can't tell what it is. There is simply too much going on in my head.

Harmony moves away from my ear and plants small kisses down my neck to my collarbone. When she reaches the right side of my neck, her mouth parts to suck on my delicate skin. Her hands are moving everywhere that I can't keep up with what she's doing. Not until one of them slips underneath and I feel something hard and metallic poking against my back.

Her lips are back to my ears.

"They're all coming for you. They won't be long now. We're doing everything we can on this side to make sure that they're not tracked and that they'll get to you safely. That's pretty much all you need to know for now. But whatever happens, whatever someone else does to you in here, don't lose what I just gave you. You'll need it very soon."

She pauses. Then --

"Don't ever give up hope, Peeta. You'll be with Katniss again. We're all counting on it."

And just like that, her body is no longer connected with mine. She is off the bed and is standing beside me, a huge smile on her face, eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Gotta leave some things to the imagination." This is her explanation for stopping so abruptly.

"How thoughtful of you," I reply, trying to sound venomous. That is far from how I really feel. There is still a lot of confusion and I know that I shouldn't really trust Harmony just yet. But her eyes…

There is a look in her eyes that just causes me to instantly believe her. Her eyes give me the strength to grasp onto the hope that was slipping away from me. So maybe I don't know how exactly I'll break free from these contraptions. Maybe I don't know when it will happen. But now, more than ever, I find myself thinking that maybe this isn't the end for me. Maybe this isn't the end of my relationship with Katniss. Maybe this is only the beginning.

"I'll see you around, Peeta Mellark."

And her laughter stays behind long after she's gone.