A/N: Hi everyone! I'm kinda new to this whole fanfcition thing so kinda bear with me on this story. It's probably gonna start off a little slow, but I know where I want to go with it, so it will pick up speed in the next couple chapters. So i hope you can stick with me and hopefully enjoy the story!

I don't own the hunger games or any of it's characters, even though I wished I did :)

So with out further ado

Chapter 1- Safe and Sound

Katniss POV

*BOOM*

The canon roars throughout the arena signaling Cato's death and my victory.

I stand in disbelief finally registering that both, Peeta and I will be returning to District 12.

"Peeta we're going home, Back to my mom, Prim, and your family!"

No sooner had I spoken, when Claudius Templesmith's voice rang out in the arena, " attention tributes the earlier rule change has been revoked, only one tribute may win. Good lukc and may the odds be ever in your favor." The static from the speaker fizzles out and we are left in a deathly silence.

Peeta and I stand staring at each other in shock, this can't be happening! Then again the rule change sounded too good to be true, and when something sounds to perfect, then it normally isn't. I can't believe I could be this stupid not to see this coming. The Capitol was never going to change the rules, they've been the same for 73 years, and I was naïve to believe two lovers, from district 12 of all places, would change that! This move was just the Capitol's sick, twisted way of making the games more entertaining, giving us hope, then tearing right out of our grasps!

Well I'm tired of it, and in Peeta's words,I refuse to be just another piece in their games! I come up with a brilliant plan that hopefully will put the odds in our favor. I grapple around for the nightlock berries in pocket that I picked up after Foxface's death. I knew these would come in handy. I separate the berries equally and hand half to Peeta and the other half to me.

"Katniss, what are you doing?!"Peeta whispers in a pained voice

Why should they have a victor after the stunt they pulled! Let's see how President Snow will react to this one!

"Peeta just trust me, please!"

" Katniss, they have to have their victor!"

"No they don't! You just have to trust me." I say giving him a pleading look.

Peeta just nods his head solemnly, so I begin my countdown…

"One"

Peeta grabs my spare hand and begins rubbing his thumb in circles on the top of my hand.

"Two"

I bring my eyes up to meet Peeta's beautiful, comforting, azure eyes. I see tears spilling out from his eyes, and soon feel wet drops rolling down my face. He grabs the end of my braid, and right before I say three, Peeta knocks the berries out of my hand.

I gape at him in horror, "Katniss they have to have a victor and it's going to be you! I love you so much!" he says calmly right before he stuffs his share of the nightlock down his throat.

"NO PEETA, NO!" I screech in a voice that cannot possibly be my own.

I see Peeta drop to the ground , and the cannon once again booms throughout the desolate arena. I throw my anguished body over Peeta's limp form. "Oh Peeta, I'm sorry that I didn't save you!" My body begins the wrack with sobs as I hold Peeta's lifeless body in my arms. I am filled with despair at the fact that I never truly got to work out my feelings for Peeta. I don't think I loved him just yet, but I was beginning to! All I know is that I did have strong feelings towards him. I'm just sorry I never got to tell him that.

I barely here the trumpets blare in the arena because I'm too busy thinking about my boy with the bread. The boy who saved my life so many times and I couldn't even manage to save him once. My hope, my dandelion was blown away helplessly into the wind taking my soul with it.

I'm drawn out of my thoughts when I hear Claudius Templesmith's voice announce that I am the victor of the 74th hunger games. The capitol must be going crazy right now! The treasured Girl On Fire is victorious, but the only thing is I don't feel like I'm on fire anymore. It seems that when Peeta died all my fire was extinguished with him.

I'm still on the ground holding Peeta's spiritless form when the hovercrafts come to pick us up, in the process separating us forever. I refuse to let Peeta go until I am forced to. Well that moment comes sooner than expected when I am frozen in a current and lifted up to the hovercraft.

I am pulled into the hovercraft by a pair of strong muscular arms. I look up into a pair of beautiful sea green eyes, and just for a moment, but only a moment, I am drawn out of my misery. That moment was as fleeting, as all good things are, as I remember my situation. I draw my gaze away from the man and direct my eyes directly at Haymitch.

He looks at me with his fiery grey Seam eyes. I notice they are puffy and bloodshot, so I assume he had the same reaction to Peeta as I did. I sprint over and latch on to him, holding on for dear life because I cannot deal with anyone else I care about being taken away from me.

I look up over Haymitch's shoulder to see the man with with green eyes looking at me with pity and a woman with short black hair scowling at me. This immediately rubs me the wrong way, and I can't help but wonder why they're even here.

Through my tears I manage to scowl back and snap at Haymitch, "who are these people? Why are they even here right now?"

"Sweetheart this is Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason victors of the 65th and 71th hunger games."

"I don't even care they shouldn't be here."

Then Johanna spits out, "You're luck he's even here, Finnick and I practically had to drag him out of the victors lounge!"

I shoot a glare at her through my tears, which probably doesn't look very intimidating, but I don't really care at this point. I start to sob uncontrollably again, but then my sadness turns to anger. I'm not angry at the Haymitch or Finnick, or even Johanna for that matter. I'm furious at the Capitol for putting us all through this!

I begin to lash out and start screaming, "We we're supposed to go home! We're supposed to be happy and be together!" I feel a sharp pinch in my back and everything starts to go fuzzy. I feel myself slipping into darkness, but I am caught my Haymitch right before I hit the ground. I manage to stutter out I'm…Sorry…Peeta..before falling into unconsciousness.

thank you for reading, Finnick POV tomorrow

~forever the girl on fire