Five years.

It had been five years since the first day of the quarter quell, five years since Katniss' last moments of freedom from the capital. Five years since she's seen him.

Katniss took a deep breath. Feeling safe and in her element, she sat on her favorite hillside outside of the electric limits of district 12, and stared at the forests. She studied the trees, reminding herself of the first hunger games, and how she hid in the cave with him for hours on end while he trembled in her arms from poison. She remembered kissing him for the first time; how he made her cheeks blush. Silently touching her fingers to her face, Katniss sighed as the light breeze tossled through her dark brown hair. She could almost smell the bread he used to make at the bakery.

Snapping back to reality, Katniss stood up and ran into the forest to find food for her family. She had lost all of her privileges in victors village, and the Everdeen family was poorer than ever. As she hunted, she remembered the conversation she had with President Snow after the second games.

"Where is Peeta?!" Katniss demanded, tears welling up in her eyes. Don't cry, she told herself. He'll think you're weak.

"Peeta has a new life ahead of him, Ms. Everdeen," President Snow whispered bitterly. "His memories have been wiped, and he is to become the next President of the Capitol."

"What?! Why would you take away his memories? You think you can just delete people like they're nothing! How can you be so heartless?!" Katniss angrily yelled at him.

President Snow sneered at her. "Peeta Mellark becoming President will put our society back into place. He was close enough to you to be a minor symbol of the rebellion, Thus the people of the districts must see who's side he now chooses to be on, which is ours."

"You know that's not true. You know that's not-" Katniss started.

"Katniss, hush," President Snow silenced her. "Peeta will not be harmed. He has simply had a change in attitude. You must have a change in attitude as well."

"I will never let you take me, I'll die first," Katniss defied him.

"You are going to leave Victor's Village and return to district 12. You are forever sentenced to be in custody of the capitol, and when we call upon you, you will be asked to serve capitol members," President Snow explained.

Katniss laughed bitterly. "What makes you think that I will be a servant to those materialistic shells that you call citizens of the capitol?!"

President Snow laughed at her. "Katniss, for you there is no worse punishment than to be a servant. You're serving of the capitol citizens will show the districts that chose to rebel who is in charge of our society. To ensure that you will continue to serve, we have taken your sister into the custody of the capital. You will be allowed to visit her 4 times a week, and she will be monitored for health issues constantly. We intend to keep her alive as long as you continue to serve."

Remembering the horror at President Snow's cold words, Katniss shot a squirrel right in the eye to bring to Primrose at her next visit.

When she was called upon to serve the capitol members, she visited the elite members of capitol government, bringing them fresh coal and lighting their fires as they chuckled at her. "Some girl on fire you are," The citizens cursed at her. She had burn marks on her hands and arms from her job. As she continued to run through the forests, her mind continued to flashback.

"'I'll tell Peeta!" Katniss exclaimed, tears free falling silently down her cheeks. "He loves me. He won't forget me."

"Mr. Mellark has been wiped of all his memories, he does not know who you are. To him, you are merely a servant girl. The dirt beneath his feet," Snow said slowly, enunciating his words. "If you attempt to tell Mr. Mellark of his past life, your sister will be sentenced to death."

Feeling as though she could run no more, she stopped and placed her hands on her knees. Head pounding, Katniss reminded herself that she had no way out. I have to protect Prim, she thought.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Leaping swiftly and turning around, arrow drawn, she laughed as she saw her best friend Gale walking towards her.

"I see you caught another squirrel today, Katnip," Gale said, his blue eyes sparkling at her. Katniss always knew he was in love with her, but she never felt the same way. Not since the games. Not since Peeta.

"Tomorrow's visiting day. I have to bring Prim something to eat in case they don't feed her. She isn't allowed to tell me how they treat her there," Katniss explained sorrowfully.

"You said Snow told you they had to keep her alive in order to lock you to your agreement. They aren't starving her," Gale whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You're the one that's starving. You should split that with your mother."

"Prim is more important than me," Katniss contradicted. "Besides I had some bread crust last night, I'm fine. My hunting skills are more important to keep up."

"Katniss, you're never going back to the games. You don't have to keep strengthening your skills…You are never going back to the games!" Gale reminded her, yelling the second time.

"You never know when you'll have to fight," Katniss muttered darkly. "Besides, I need to have tough skin. The harder I work, the stronger I feel."

"You're the strongest person I know, and you're so brave for doing what you're doing. Maybe Peeta-" Gale started.

"Don't say his name Gale. We talked about this. You know that it hurts me," Katniss said quietly.

"I'm just saying, maybe he remembers you. Maybe that's why you haven't had to deliver him coal since the quarter quell. Maybe that's why you haven't seen him."

"Maybe," Katniss muttered. "C'mon, lets go back. I have to check on mom."

The two friends wandered through the woods until they reached the electrical wire that no longer hummed with current. They ducked underneath the fence, walking back towards the ruin of civilization known as home. Gale walked Katniss to her door, before they both saw a white rose with a letter attached to it.

You are to serve coal to 200 citizens tomorrow.

One of them will be the President of Panem, Mr. Peeta Mellark. You must dress your best.

Katniss gasped. "I'm serving coal to Peeta tomorrow," She said quietly. "I'm serving coal to Peeta tomorrow!" She looked up at Gale. His expression was horrified.

"Why now?" Gale asked her. "It's been five years."

Katniss' emotions flipped from excited, to nervous, to lustful, to frightened. "Maybe they had to make sure he really didn't remember me before they brought me back. They must be televising it to humiliate me, I'm sure the capitol citizens will love that. Me serving my star crossed lover who doesn't even remember who I am. No wonder why they asked me to 'look my best'."

Gale cursed under his breath. "You don't need to dress up for him Katniss. He isn't going to treat you any differently from any other capitolists. This is sick."

"Gale," She stopped him, simply saying his name. "I have to do this. I have to do this… for Prim." With that, she stepped inside and closed the door, clutching the letter between her hands. I'm seeing Peeta tomorrow.

She didn't sleep all that night, wondering what he would look like. Wondering if he would smell the same. Wondering if, just maybe...

he might remember her.

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