A letter came in the mail today. For me. Mail never comes for me.

The thick gray envelope indicated that it was only covering the message that needed to be protected on the inside. I walk back into the house slowly and shift through the two other letters in regular white envelopes. Both for Peeta.

Our home in the Victors Village is keeping the warm air trapped inside, reminding me that Autumn has come and gone, and that Winter is here. Peeta should be home in a few minutes, actually.

I jog up the stairs, with the gray envelope in my hands. It's tempting me to open it, right here, right now. Somehow, I make my curiosity subside and wait until I'm sitting on the edge of the bed to open it. There's no return address.

Inside, there's a peach colored envelope. When I see the words on the front, my heart stops beating. I know that it did. Where could this have come from?

The words address me. Girl on Fire is written in beautiful black script. And they're screaming at me to rip open the letter.

I stop when I've opened the two pages. The only questions that come to my mind are, how? And why?


Katniss,

Girl on Fire, you're flames are not ones that will die out anytime soon. From all I've seen, even without anyone knowing anything, they're growing stronger and stronger everyday.

Tomorrow, you'll be heading into the arena again, but I'm afraid that you won't be coming out as victor. I know you won't be coming out as victor.

For many reasons, my dear.

Mostly because -if I didn't know any better than I do now- you have already promised that Peeta will be the person coming out at the end. You haven't told me this, of course. But I know. I've always known.

You're something strange, and rare. You remind me of myself, when I was younger. Although, I knew how to make a dinner jacket in ten minutes, and you know how to skin a squirrel in three.

You've been different the past few days. I want to ask why, but I think I already know the answer. Things are changing, aren't they? Things that you can't or don't know how to control. The Quarter Quell has not helped in this matter has it?

I'm asking a lot of questions that I won't be hearing the answer to, I'm afraid. But I'll ask them, nonetheless, because I know that you need to find the answers.

Bigger questions are surfacing now in my mind, it seems. Why did you trust me so much? Sometimes, I noticed, you trusted me more than Peeta. At least in the first Games. You two are inseparable now. That's a big change from the last I saw you.

Remember? I came for the wedding dress shoot. And didn't even get to talk to you for more than five minutes. But I could tell. You try so very hard to hide, don't you love? It doesn't matter how much you hide, I'll always be able to read you like a book.

Something is eating you up. Slowly, and from the inside. I hate to think that it's guilt, or that you just can't take the emotional stress anymore, but I know that that's what it is. You mustn't get downhearted. You think everything is always your fault. It's not.

More questions. So many more. I suppose it's my Capitol side taking over my mind for the moment, but I can't help but wonder how you felt when Peeta announced that you were pregnant. You're face was very revealing. Blushing, even. If I hadn't known better, I would've believed it just like the rest of the country.

I sound like your Effie, don't I?

No matter. If it were true, you would be an excellent mother, if you don't mind my saying so.

I've known you for almost a year now, Katniss. I remember the first time I met you so clearly. I'll never forget it. You've trusted me for the past year to help you on television, through interviews, with your hobby. That hobby that I don't think you even care for. I was very happy to help, nonetheless. And you inspired so many dresses, and so many outfits.

I think I've gotten off track. Oh, yes, you're not going to be winning the Quarter Quell.

Neither will Peeta. I would tell you more, but I can't. I'm just going to trust that you'll see this letter later, or I'll tell you in person. The former is more probable.

I hate to bring this up, but I feel that I must tell you. But first, I have to start with a question. One that may be the most difficult for you to answer, love. Peeta, or Gale? Haymitch has been kind enough to explain things to me, because he thought that I might be able to help. I'm afraid that I haven't brought it up, though.

But the question still remains: Peeta or Gale? I don't know Gale, but he seems like a very nice boy. There is more there with Peeta, at least, what I see. Every kiss you gave the boy in that cave, I knew were felt risky to you. But there was one, and I might be a sap from the Capitol for saying it, but the one small kiss right after you came back with his medicine from the feast. There was something there.

I'm not trying to sway you're decision in any way. I don't even know if you have to make a decision anymore.

Not only are you the Girl on Fire. Peeta is my Boy on Fire. You both captured the crowd that night that you entered in the chariot. A team, an inseparable team that stole the hearts of the country. A boy and girl on fire, who didn't want to leave the arena without the other. You can't have one without the other. You could try, but it wouldn't be right, would it?

So, although everyone believes that the night lock berries were meant as an attack against the Capitol and its leaders, I know that it was more than just that.

Like I said before, you are extremely rare. You do things for more than one reason. Not only did the berries mean that you didn't like the Capitol, but they were a token. Like you're MockingJay pin. The berries show that you care about a boy who would've given anything to keep you safe.

And now, on the last night of your freedom from the Games, I write this letter. It may have gotten slightly off subject, but that's me. I pour myself into my work, that way I hurt no one but myself. And I'm afraid that I may pay for that soon.

Whatever happens to you my dear, always remember that I'm with you. Can you do me a favor? If you ever do get married, wear something that makes you think of me. It'll be like I'm there with you. I knew there wouldn't be a wedding in the Capitol, but I couldn't help but wish that there could've been. I would have liked to have seen that. How would've Mrs. Katniss Mellark held up? Wonderfully, I'm sure.

My beautiful Girl on Fire. Whatever shall they do with you?

I'm still betting on you, love.

Cinna


Breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe.

In and out. In and out. Count to ten. Don't focus on the blurriness of your vision. Or the salt water that is running into your mouth after your vision clears the tiniest bit.

No, you didn't hear the front door close. Or Peeta calling up the stairs. The only thing that you can see is the peach paper in front of you.

Can you do me a favor?

Cinna was with me on my wedding day. I wore a wedding dress that had been found in President Snow's mansion. Made by Cinna; Exclusively for me.

Words pop out from the page, highlighting themselves for me.

Why did you trust me so much?

Because you were the only one who didn't tell me that I was going to be fine; except at my interview. And even then, I could look to you to keep me from passing out. You didn't try to hinder me. You only helped me.

Things are changing aren't they?

Yes. More than you know. Now more than ever. Capitol's gone. Original Panem is pretty much non-existent.

Peeta or Gale?

If I had read this letter after he'd written it, I wouldn't have had an answer to that. Now I do. I think he knew the answer all along.

How would've Mrs. Katniss Mellark held up?

She's holding tightly to the reality that she sees around her everyday.

Whatever shall they do with you?

Too much. But now, I don't have to think about it. So I don't. I dwell on the good things. Like Peeta, who sees me crying, but isn't asking why. He just hugs me, while I cry. I know I'm soaking his shirt, but he doesn't seem to care.

"You okay?" He whispers.

"Yeah," I say back, "I just got a letter. That's all."

"Was it bad?"

"No," I say, sniffing, "It was a very nice surprise."


I'm thinking of doing one where Cinna had also written Peeta a letter. Tell me what you think, this is my first Hunger Games fanfic. :D Reviews are loved!