A/N: I almost just cried because I was watching the interviews Peeta did in Mockingjay Part 1 while he was in the Capitol and it was SO sad. He looked different... :( It's sad what they did to him, and it's going to be hard to make Katniss go through that as I write this FanFiction. :(

But I have to get through it... just, because.

I have no idea what I am talking about. Once again. I tend to ramble about random things sometimes.

ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Hunger Games. All rights go to Suzanne Collins.

Chapter 3

The rubble and ash that was once District 12 surround my feet. Reminding me of the terrors of this world. Reminding me that not even the strongest can overthrow the Capitol. But can they?

Their using this as a propo, basically to show Katniss and everyone in Panem what the Capitol did.

It crosses my mind that I may have been responsible for all the deaths caused by this bombing. There is plenty of blame to go around. Coin, the Capitol... some say Katniss but I don't. I blame everyone but her.

Even as I pass the rubble and debris of what used to be my home, my bakery, I don't feel a single inch of blame or hatred towards Katniss in anyway.

My family... they didn't make it out. They didn't survive. I don't know who to blame anymore.

Before I know it tears have sprung to my eyes. My brothers, father, mother. All dead. I, honestly, wish I could say that I would miss my mother, but not after all those years of abuse. But I can't help but feel a tinge of guilt over her dead body.

That's where the stove was. I look over and barely make out a pile of bricks. The bricks that made up a stove, which was where I had pretty much learned to bake. I turn around from my spot in the middle of the bakery and see right where the stairs were, leading to the front door. The 'Mellark Family Bakery' sign is on the ground. If I hadn't grown up here then I wouldn't know that it was a sign or that it said 'Mellark Family Bakery', I would just think it was a piece of wood that has been hit, burned, and ripped apart.

With the memories still evident in my mind, I try to move on. I glance over to where the coal mines used to stand and see that the fire is still sparking there. As if to taunt me about how I couldn't save anybody.

I make my way towards the Victors Village, which had been surprisingly untouched. I'm not sure why, maybe so if someone from the Capitol comes here on business they have somewhere decent to stay.

Instead of going into my house, I pass it and go straight into Katniss'. The inside looks the same as it always have, big and completely furnished, but still empty. Just like the rest of the houses here. I barely even noticed the cameras following me this whole time. I could care less if the world saw me as emotional as I am now. I have to admit, I do feel invaded with them following my every move, but I give them a silent thanks for leaving me alone while I enter Katniss' house.

I go up the stairs, her stairs. It makes a wave of sadness go over me as I think that she's been around this whole house so many times, but she may never come back to it. It's a stupid reason to make me sad, but it's my reason.

Upstairs I go into the first door I see, which is Prim's room. I leave, so I don't feel like I'm invading. I decide to visit Katniss' room next. Inside is her hunting bag, which I grab and fill with things her mom and Prim might want and for when Katniss gets back. I take their family planting book, Katniss' hunting jacket, a hair bow for Prim. I am just about to leave when I hear a purr. I look in the direction it came and find Prim's cat, Buttercup.

"Hey." I say. "How did you manage to survive the bombs?" I go over and pick him up. He let's out a growl, but I ignore it and put him in Katniss' bag. I then leave.

"Are you ready to go?" Cressida, the head filmmaker, asks as I leave the house.

"Shouldn't I say a few things to the camera first?" I ask.

"No," she says. "They just needed to see you and the destruction of the district."

"Okay." I say. Buttercup starts moving around and lets out a loud growl.

"You should probably keep him hidden." Cressida tells me. "I don't think 13 is very fond of cats."

"They won't know." I say. "It's not for me anyways. It's for Prim and her mom."

"Okay, well we need to get going." She says as we all board the hovercraft. As it is lifting off, I look out the window to see my home for what may be the last time.

Once we get back to District 13 I give Prim and her mom all the things I brought, except I keep her hunting jacket so I have something to remember her with. I am then called to Command.

"Mr. Mellark," Coin greets me when I enter Command room. "Please, have a seat."

"What is it?" I ask, taking a seat.

"We saw your footage from District 12, and we thought it was good." She says. "But we need more, so we would like you to do another propo, here in 13."

"Another one?" I ask.

"You agreed to be the face of our rebellion, did you not?"

"Yes, I did." I huff. "I'll do it, I'm sorry about my outburst."

"It's quite alright, now let's begin." She leads me to a room that was made for film production. In there we find Plutarch, along with a green screen and a machine for sound effects and showing what will be on the screen.

"Peeta," Plutarch says. "How nice to see you again. How have you been holding up?"

"I'm getting better." I say politely.

"Good," He says. "Now, I'm going to give you some lines and you will repeat them when we start recording, okay?" I nod.

He hands me a piece of paper and after a few minutes of studying it I start repeating the line on camera.

"People of Panem," I start. "We need to fight for what we..." I trail off.

"Do you know the line?" Plutarch asks.

"Yeah, I know it, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Plutarch says. "Just start again."

"People of Panem, we need to fight for our justice!" I say. "Join us as we win our peace and freedom!"

I feel like I pretty much nailed it until I see Haymitch clapping slowly and sarcastically.

"And that is how a rebellion dies." Haymitch says gruffly.

"What do you suggest we do?" Plutarch asks. "That seemed fine to me, but if you have another idea, by all means tell me."

"You can't feed the boy lines. That's not how he will cooperate. He's known for his way with words."

"Hmm... you say he should speak on his own?"

"Yes."

"It's not half bad. I have heard his way with words."

"Send him in combat." Haymitch says. "Then let him speak on his own."

"I'm not sure Coin will approve."

"She'll have to if she wants this rebellion to work."

"Okay, I'll talk to her about it." Plutarch says. "Your done for the day, Peeta."

Katniss' POV

I am lead by the peacekeepers to an unknown area one morning. They have surprisingly not harmed me while I've been here, they just forced me to do that interview, and I had to agree since I am a prisoner here. They have Johanna her too, along with Finnick's lover, Annie. They've been being tortured around the clock. The only company I get is their screams.

The peacekeepers open a door and I enter, surprised to see Snow there.

"Come in, Ms. Everdeen!" Snow says cheerfully. "I was just fending off some of your fans, now. Sit down." I obey and take a seat on the couch across from him. "I called you here to thank you."

"Sir?" I ask quietly, confused at to what he could be thanking me for.

"For the success of your interview." He says. "You surpassed my wildest expectations."

"I was just saying what I felt." I lie. Sure, I never wanted this war and neither did Peeta, but if I didn't say those things they would probably kill me. Not to mention what might happen to Peeta, if he is still alive that is.

"So, what you are saying is that you never wanted this war, correct?" I nod. "So, the berries, those were no act of defiance, am I correct? Was it an act of love?"

"I just wanted to keep Peeta alive." I said. "I knew he wouldn't survive back home without me, so I pulled the berries out for both of us."

"What about the arrow?" He asks. "The one you purposely shot at the dome of the arena. What were you thinking as you did that?"

"It was a – again an act of love." I say. "I figured Peeta could get out of the arena if I destroyed it."

"Hmm... and what about Peeta? Did he want this war? Was he part of the rebel plan?"

"He never wanted a war." I tell him. "I know that for a fact. Neither did I."

"And there won't be one if you still have anything to say about it." He tells me.

"I don't know what else there is for me to say." It's always been hard to think up fake love stuff about Peeta and I, but making up fake things about war, about things I don't know about and haven't witnessed are two completely different things. "I'm sick of the blood, and from what I've seen it's more in the hands of the peacekeepers."

"Katniss, there might be a hundred things in a home that need to be fixed. But that doesn't justify burning it to the ground. We agree a war might end humanity." He pauses for a second. "Ms. Everdeen, sometimes in this world, whether we intend it or not, we become symbols and since I am a symbol of power, like the seal on the door, I can control what other people do, but sometimes they just go too far. The sooner these uprisings are put to rest, the sooner you see your home again."

"So your asking me to be what?" I ask. "Your voice of reason?"

"You understood everything but one small little detail." He says. "I'm not asking."

Every word I said that day was a lie. Because I know if I don't lie, I'd be dead before I could say "sorry."