A/N: I don't actually own copies of The Hunger Games or Catching Fire, so I unfortunately could not use exact quotes or actions from the book, so this is pretty general, not much specificity and maybe even some inaccuracies. I haven't written anything in a long time (probably about a year and half), so please give me some wiggle room here! Enjoy!

I knew the announcement would probably come, eventually. There's no way to get around what the Capitol truly wants. So when I do hear it, I immediately cast off my weapons, the surest sign I can think of that indicates my wishes. I am not going to live. Katniss will return to District 12, not me.

Even though I want nothing more than for Katniss to live, it still breaks my heart when I look up and she has immediately drawn her bow and arrow, pointing it at me. All this time…for what? For her to decide in a couple of seconds that she should kill me? Come on, Katniss, don't you feel anything for me? Anything at all that would make you second guess killing me?

I think back to what we've shared in the past months. Sure, most of the kisses were forced, and I know that. But what about the others? There were a couple of times when I felt like there had been something deeper hiding underneath.

Before we came to the Games, I had imagined scenarios of how I would sweep her off her feet. How I would one day work up the courage to talk to her and make her mine. We'd get married, live in a small house. I would teach Prim to decorate cakes and cookies, until we had our own children. Smiling and energetic, always up for a challenge, like their mother.

That will never happen now.

I tell her to do it. If she doesn't, I will. I refuse to let Katniss die. I refuse to watch as the light in those beautiful eyes goes out, as she falls to the ground, subject to the Capitol's wishes. I will not let them take her from her family, from Gale. I hope Gale is good to her, I hope they have a good life together. I can at least hope for that much.

She's dropped her bow and arrow. I'll apparently have to do this the hard way. I start to work up my protest to her, but she silently pulls out a handful of berries. Her plan unfolds in my mind. The images I've thought of a million times before come back to my mind in full force. I will see Katniss smile again, I will smell her hair another time. I will not have to give her up to Gale. She can be mine, if this works.

Please let it work.