A/N: well, I'd say the first chapter has done alright, but due to the fact that the Hunger Games section of this site updates faster that Superman I have to write faster…I think.

Thanks to ficlover08 and nappy happy sappy for adding an alert to this story. Hopefully that'll lead to some reviews, just like BreatheMe22. And thanks for the suggestion. It should be edited by the time this is uploaded.

Chapter 2

We were led to a room inside of the Justice Building so that we can have some final farewells with loved ones before leaving. The first person who comes in is Gale, to my surprise. He sits down in the chair between us, his face betraying the fact he's thinking of something stupid. Like usual.

"What are you planning Gale?" Peeta is first to voice his suspicions.

"To accompany you two to the Capitol." I silently thank him for not mentioning the Games themselves. "I'm requesting to go as Haymitch's assistant, given I know the most about you two in town." He stands up and starts towards the door.

"You'll know if I'm successful in this. See ya, Catnip…Bread-boy." I look over to see Peeta scowling at are retreating friend.

"'Bread-boy?' He has some nerve…trying to breaking our pact." He looks over to me.

"Why'd you think he'd do that?" Good question, I ask myself. Gale's reasoning behind some things has always been confusing me for years. Soon my family walks in. Prim runs over and climbs onto me, just like how she did when she was just a toddler. My mother remains standing, but doesn't look at me.

"Mr. Mellark has told me that he'll assist us while you two are away." A few tears roll down her face before she looks up to me. "I just wish neither of you had to go. I can't believe this will probably be the last time I see either of you alive." Prim walks to mother, attempting to comfort her.

"Mother," I start, "please don't disappear like how you did when dad died. I'm not going to be there to help care for Prim…so you'll need to be strong." She nods her head understandingly.

My mother looks to Peeta. "Protect my daughter, please. I don't want to see her die." He smiles slightly.

"With my life." We watch them walk away before Peeta taps me on my shoulder. "What happened when your father died?" As a few tears roll down my face, he pulls back slightly.

"When my father died in the mines, my mother just…stopped doing things. She'd just stay in her room, crying or just staring out into space. It seemed as if her life had just been…sucked away." Tears continue to fall as I feel Peeta's arm slide around me. "We were about seven weeks from my 12th birthday and I could get a tressare when the whole bread incident happened." I feel his hand stroke my hair. "I was trying to sell Prim's baby clothes when I wandered back there." I turn to him. "And of course you know what happened from there."

He looked to the doorway then as his father walked in. The beefy man stopped in front of us. "When I saw what my son had done, I felt the greatest sense of pride swell through me." His eyes lay upon his son. "Your stepmother just started to complain about how foolish she thought you were and how you," he's now looking at me, "has the best chance to win for District 12 in years." He hands me a box before leaving. I swear as he left I could hear him cry.

Once he was gone, I looked over to Peeta. "Looks like it's time for the Peacekeepers to take us away…towards the Stockyard. And the butcher shop." He gives a brief laugh as the footfalls echo through the small room. The mayor's daughter, Madge, walks up to us. Due to the fact both of us were the un-gossipy type of girls, we became sort of like friends.

"I'm sad to see you two shipped off to those horrible Games." I can't tell if she's lying. "As I way to say thanks to you, Katniss, for your friendship, I'm giving you my mockingjay pin." She pulls out a circular pin. The mockingjay is within the circle, but the wings slip out. Smiling, she continues. "I hope you wear it in the arena. It would mean much to me, and hopefully most of District 12." She hugs me and gives Peeta a quick kiss before leaving. I can't help but scowl at her as she leaves, but I don't know why. She had rarely talked to Peeta and she only ever talked about Gale at lunch…when she'd talk about a boy.

Once she's gone, two Peacekeepers come into the room and lead us to the train. A number of photographers are lined around, their cameras flashing. I quickly whisper in his ear, "I really hope we get some privacy somewhere." He gives a hardy laugh as Effie and Haymitch come up to us.

"I think that Gale friend of yours is a fool. A good-natured one, but still a fool." We both step a little from our mentor, the reek of alcohol pushing us back. I was surprised he could say such things when drunk, but I guess that's what happens.

"He's just trying to get us both home…alive." Responded Peeta. The four of us climb onto the train, ready to get away from the Capitol's paparazzi for at least a second. I gasp quietly, strangely surprised by the wealth of the Capitol's provided transport. I feel the drapes over the windows, recognizing them as velvet from one of my mother's older dresses.

Effie hurries us to the dinning room as Peeta and myself watch the only world we've ever known slip away quickly. She starts talking about tomorrow being a "big, big, big day!" but I just ignore her, given the food on the table. I had never seen such food except for in a couple of Capitol videos trying to get more Peacekeepers from the outlying districts. Soon, Effie makes a couple of rather annoying comments.

"It's nice to see such well mannered tributes. Last year they both ate like savages, not even using a spoon or fork!" I look over to Peeta, grinning. I place down my fork and start to eat the remainder of my chicken using my hands while he goes even further and licks his plate clean. We laugh at Effie's face as she continues on.

"And then there's the problem with your mentor. They can keep you alive or doom you to die. With this Haymitch fool," she points to the passed out man next to her, "you'll need to either get lucky or just plain out surprise people. If you knew how he won, I don't think you'd trust him! What a scandal that caused…" The Capitol lady starts to calm down before she excuses herself form the table.

Soon both Peeta and myself have eaten our share of the rich food and depart the table. Right before we leave the compartment, someone starts to talk behind us. We turn to see Haymitch talking to a portrait of which I guess to be him from the time he had won the Hunger Games. I look at Peeta, grinning.

"Do you think we should help him?" I ask. As much as he disgusts me, he's still useful.

"We probably should, but lets just let Effie deal with it." He raises his hands up as he yawns. "I'm gonna go sleep now. See you in the morning, Katniss." He walks away and enters his private room, leaving me standing there. 'Maybe it's a good thing I told Peeta to substitute himself for Gale', I think. Soon I find myself in my bed and then sleep takes me away.

A/N: I'm sure this isn't as good as the first chapter, but it's a decent start.

Chapter 2 edited: 9:25 AM PST on 30 DEC 2010.