Under the Willow
When we find him by the riverbank, Peeta looks at me then at Rue, and his eyes are weary and sad. I know what he's thinking: even if we manage to beat all the others, there's no way this alliance can last forever.
I know what he's thinking because I'm thinking it too. But I don't let myself dwell on it, just tend Peeta's wound and play Haymitch's game and feel a weird tugging in my chest that gets stronger every time I kiss Peeta.
Rue sees it, I know she does from the way she smiles and looks away and covers her mouth with her hand. And that's a different sort of tugging, higher up, and it makes my throat go tight.
The next day, Rue whistles a birdcall that she assures us Thresh will hear and know to follow. I look at Peeta and bite my lip, because we can't really afford to let this alliance get any bigger, especially big enough to include an actual threat like Thresh.
But there's no way I can say no to Rue. And besides, Peeta can't even return my look, since he's leaned his head back on the rock and I can see the sweat glistening on his chest.
Turns out she's right about Thresh following, since about an hour later we hear a cannon and that night see his face in the sky, and I know Cato or someone else got him as soon as he left his hiding place. Running to Rue without question, because she's Rue, and how can I blame him? But there's another one I've killed, even if it was indirectly.
And I know he won't be the last.
After the endless Gamemaker-induced night begins to lighten and the wolves have left, I race to stand over Cato's body before they can take it away. I turn my face away from the mangled mess of his face and body, grasp the arrow, and yank it free.
It's the only one I've got.
I put my hand over my eyes, watch Peeta sliding down the steep sides of the Cornucopia and wincing as he lands on his bad leg. Rue puts out a hand and he leans his elbow into it but removes it and straightens up as soon as he sees me. I know he knows what I'm about to do. What I have to do.
A pained look crosses Peeta's face, and I know it has nothing to do with his leg. Still, he walks stiffly toward me to stand at my side.
I notch the arrow and position my bow.
I look at Rue and I see Prim in the light on her cheeks, her open mouth, her wide trusting eyes tilted up to look at me. I look at Rue and see Prim and that's why I know I have to kill her.
For Prim, sitting at home in District 12 with a patched skirt and an empty stomach and no one to fill it but me. Me. She might hate me after this, might never look at me again. But I'm doing it for her.
"Katniss?" Rue says, her voice high and scared and confused. I bite my lip and feel a pricking behind my eyes. I shake my head to clear it. If I let myself cry now, I might miss, and that's a thought I can't bear.
I pull back the string and let the arrow fly.
a/n: I am aware that there may be some errors vis a vis event order or factual information from the books, which I haven't read in a couple years. Sorry if this is the case, but please don't feel the need to tell me about it in reviews.