Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games.
Any minute now the train from the Capitol of Panem, bringing back the victors of the 74th Hunger Games, would arrive at the train station in District 12. Family and friends were gathered all around the station to welcome their victors, their two victors. Two victors were unheard of in the history of the Hunger Games, nobody ever tricked the Capitol in changing the rules till those two teenagers from District 12 set foot in the arena. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark had done the impossible, they survived the Hunger Games, together. They gambled with their lives and they won, they came out alive, both of them.
One could ask, what had driven them to take such a great risk and why did they risk both of their lives? The answer is pretty simple. Love. These two tributes loved each other with such a passion and fire that they could not stand the thought of losing each other, so they chose not to. It was never on their mind that the gamemaker would reverse his decision and allow two victors if they were from the same district, they were ready to die. Together. The girl on fire and the boy with the bread, fell in love a long time ago, to be exact they fell in love the first time he prevented her and her family's starvation. Since then they were inseparable.
The lovers spent the night before the Reaping together at the meadow, looking at the night sky and dreaming of a bright future. They knew their life together could be over the next day, or the next year or the year after that. Even though their families did not accept their romance, all of District 12 knew that they were always sneaking of together in the middle of the night and of course this night was no exception. He loved her and she loved him, it was easy like that.
But unfortunately the night did end too soon and they had to separate their ways and had to get in line for the reaping. Effie Trinket, the escort sent by the Capitol, stepped out of the Justice Building in 12 and headed to the bowls with the female tribute's names in it. The moment she chose a slip of paper, Katniss took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Primrose Everdeen. Come up here sweetie", Effie's sickening sweet voice could be heard all over the streets of 12, nobody dared to move and the only sound one could hear was the sobbing of two girls, two sisters. They could not do this they could not send a 12 year old girl to compete in the games, it had been her first reaping, that could not be happening. Katniss Everdeen was shattered, she could not bear to lose her sister to the sickening game the capitol had held every year since the dark days.
Katniss tried to get to her sister but the Peacekeepers held her back, there was only one way left to protect her little sister. "I volunteer. I volunteer in her place!", the crowd fell silent again, a volunteer in District 12 was unheard of, nobody was crazy enough to join the games willingly. Nobody but Katniss Everdeen.
Katniss was ushered to the stage and stood at the left side of Effie Trinket, she could not breath and her eyes immediately searched for him, for her Peeta. It took her only seconds to find him, but after she did she wished she had not. He was crying so hard that his whole body was shaking. I love you, she mouthed to him and she hoped he understood. Before the Escort had the change to draw the male tribute's name, the whole audience saluted to Katniss with District 12 familiar sign. The three finger salute.
As if nothing had happened Effie chose the male tribute. "Peeta Mellark." , her voice once again bleared through the speakers. Katniss let out a horrible sounding sob, no, this could not happen to her, not Peeta. She knew that she would have a change at surviving the game, she was a skilled hunter, but how could she think about surviving with the boy she loved right by her side. There was no way to win the games, either way someone would lose. She would lose Peeta or her life. She would never see her sister again, or she would never see her lover again after the games. Katniss Everdeen did not know how to breath anymore, only when Peeta stepped on the stage she took a shaking breath.
One last time Effie Trinket took the microphone. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor." But how could the odds be ever in their favor? Children and young men and women would die, only would could come back home. And everyone was sure, that the one that would come back would be utterly destroyed.
Katniss can't remember what she said to Prim and Gale when they came to say goodbye, the only thing she could concentrate on was his face, his eyes, his lips, his voice. She knew that the games would not start immediately, but how should she look him in the eyes knowing that one of them would die? She heard voices coming out of the room next door and it was not hard to make out the exact words the person said.
"Don't even think about ending your life willingly for that worthless seam slut, she is NOT worth it Peeta. Can't you think about your own family for once and not about her, she chose this Peeta. She volunteered, it is not your fault if she dies and I hope she does, so I will never have to see that slut's face again. Do you understand me Peeta, you will come back to your family, this girl is nothing, you don't even love her and I am sure as hell that she does not love you either. You are just a foolish boy thinking that she is the love of your life. Merchants do not fall in love with people from the seam, remember that, you are better than her, she is beneath you."
Mrs. Mellark always hated Katniss for now reason, Katniss had always been nothing but polite to Peeta's mother, but her hate for her boy's lover went deep. It was not really her she hated, just the idea of her son loving the daughter of the women her own man would have chosen instead of her if Mrs. Everdeen had let him. Mrs. Mellark herself was just the second choice for her husband, the second choice to a seam woman.
Katniss learnt a long time ago to not listen to the harsh words of Peeta's mother, but this time she could not help but think about how right she was. She was not worth Peeta's life, she was not worth dying for. Mrs. Mellark was right, she chose for herself when she volunteered in Prim's place at this moment she now that she would not be able to fulfill the promise she made to Prim, she would not come back to her. But she would make sure that he would return to District 12 safe and sound. Katniss was determined to protect the boy she loved and to show his mother what true love really did look like. And maybe one day the two lovers could reunite in heaven.
"Now listen to me MOTHER, I don't care what you have to say. She is worth everything and so much more. How can I think about my own family when she is the only real family I have had for a long time now. Stop acting, I know you always hated me for not being the daughter you had desired. But I am not sorry, you are my mother you should have loved me anyway. But listen closely I am not going to come back, I am going to protect her with my life, till we are the only two left and then when that time comes I am going to take my own life. And she will be able to return to her family. A family that loves and could not survive without her skills. You can scream at me as much as you want, but never call her worthless again. Are we clear?"
To say Katniss was shocked was an understatement, she never had Peeta speak that way to her mother before. Even though he spoke about ending his life she could not help the smile that crept on her face. He defended her, for once in his life he stood up to his mother and was not afraid of her. Peeta had now voiced his plan to save her life and it was the same one she had. She would do everything in her power to save his life. Even drug him when the time came, so she could end her own life.
Only seconds after the voices stopped some Peacekeepers entered the Justice Building to collect both Peeta and Katniss, the two lovers were reunited on the train to the Capitol soon after. It was the first time they saw each other after the reaping, but they both had no words left so they just stood in front of each other and just silently tried to memorize each other's faces.
Minutes later both Effie Trinket, the escort, and Haymitch Abernathy, the only victor of District 12 and therefore their mentor, stepped onto the train. The bubbly personality of Ms. Trinket could not be ignored for long.
"What are those faces for? Are you not happy the Capitol chose you two to represent your District. Don't you know what an honor it is to compete in the games?", Katniss could not believe her ears, was she serious?
"How can we be happy, if you send us there to kill other innocent people, young children like my own sister. How do you think we can live with the thought of being a murderer? And how can we be honored if we both know that we will have to watch the one we love die just to return to our family?", Katniss was nearly screaming at that point, tears were streaming down her cheeks and sobs were wracking her body.
"Come on Katniss, let's go sit over there.", Peeta whispered soothingly and took his girlfriend by the hand to try and calm her down a bit. He could totally understand her outburst, but that was not the right time for that.
Effie Trinket did not dare to speak to either Katniss or Peeta for the whole week of training and Peeta and Katniss did not talk to each other much either. They were scared for each other, scared that they might not see each other ever again. Soon the day that marked the beginning of the games came and there was no going back now, there never really was an escape.
Once the countdown was down to zero Peeta run into the woods, but Katniss could not take her eyes of that bow laying in the middle of the arena. She needed that, to protect herself, to protect Peeta. So she tried to make a run for it, but she was to slow, all she managed to reach was a backpack with two bottles of water and a rope in it.
Katniss secured the backpack on her back and sprinted into the woods, to try and find Peeta. 5 canons were shoot. Five of them were already dead, but all she could think about was Peeta. And all he thought about was her. Soon after they found each other, and more canons were fired. They managed to stay hidden from most of the other tributes but one night, the careers found them and the lovers weren't fast enough. Peeta was deeply injured and Katniss had a nasty looking cut on her forehead.
They needed medicine fast, the feast came just at the right time, Katniss sneaked of at night trying to save his life, he could not die. She would not let him. Katniss succeeded in getting the medicine for him and soon he got better. The whole of Panem could see how much those two meant to each other, they could see their love shining in their eyes. So the gamemaker changed the rules, now two victors were allowed, but only if they came from the same district. Katniss and Peeta could not be happier. They could return home, together. They could have a life after this nightmare.
But as cruel as the capitol was, they changed the rule again, when it was down to just the two of them. Only one victor could survive the games, not two as previously promised. Katniss and Peeta were shattered and that's how they chose to end their life together. Fortunately it did not come down to that.