The next morning after the festival, I woke to the noise of my mother stomping around downstairs and the usual sounds of the bakery as the morning bread was fired in the ovens. Yawning, I rolled out of bed and opened the shutters from my room to the outside. It was beginning to get chilly, so I almost stepped back to get a sweater before I saw her walking across the dusty road in her usual route to the woods. It was the first time I had seen her on her way out there for months, but usually I was already working by this time. Today, it was my turn to have Sunday off, so I had slept in. She looked beautiful as always in her oversized leather jacket and long braid thrown over her right shoulder and snaking down her curvy chest.

I desperately hoped for her that she would bring back a full bag of game today. I wanted to have an excuse to see her again and she always came to trade her squirrels with my dad whenever she was able to kill any. My thoughts on the subject were interrupted, however, when my dad came to knock softly on my door.

"Peeta? Are you awake, son?" His voice held an unusual tone of urgency and I wondered why.

"Yeah" I answered as I finished buckling my belt and began lacing my shoes. He cracked the door open with a solemn face. "I just saw Katniss Everdeen heading towards the woods."

"I know." I stated, wondering what he was getting at. Dad cleared his throat uncomfortably and then went to scratch his neck. "You might want to go stop her. I spoke with Mr. Undersee yesterday and he told me, in confidence, that there would be a surprise inspection today."

My head immediately snapped up to look him in the eye at the word "inspection". That meant that they would turn the fence back on...she could get electrocuted or trapped outside the boundary alone. Before there was time for another word I shot out the door towards the woods with one shoe still unlaced and no jacket. The air was cold and I hadn't taken the time to tuck in my shirt or comb my hair, so I knew I looked odd as I ran. Luckily for me there weren't really a lot of people out yet. It took me several minutes to get to the fence and, by then, she had already headed out into the woods.

I listened closely to the fence just in case, though I knew Katniss had just gone through it minutes ago, before picking a good place to cross. Just as I was about to pull up the wire to step through, I heard the hum of the wires coming alive. Damn it!

"Katniss! Katniss!" I called over and over into the woods as I mentally prayed that she could hear me. She didn't. I sat down near where I knew she came in and out and took in a big breath at the thought of waiting here for her all day. I couldn't leave...what if she didn't realize the fence was on and got electrocuted? Damn damn damn. How would she get back on this side? What if the inspectors caught her? They would execute anyone caught leaving the district and lash poachers- not that she was really hunting anything exotic. Damn.

Three hours into waiting there and she still hadn't returned. My mind began to wonder how Katniss managed shouldering the burden she did everyday...what would Katniss do when her sister grew up and no longer needed Katniss to take care of her? Would she get married? Would it be to Gale? Would he be able to take care of her right on his coal miner's salary? I didn't like the idea, even though I knew it was the most likely scenario. Finally, she reappeared through the trees...just as a peacekeeper I didn't recognize spotted me sitting near the fence and probably looking suspicious. Okay...don't panic... I immediately begin to start calling into the forest towards Katniss.

"Here girl! Come here!" I whistled a few times for good effect and then turned to the peacekeeper as if just now realizing his presence and painted a relieved look on my face. "Oh thank goodness Mr. Peacekeeper! I'm so glad to see you here! My dog...she's dug a hole under the wiring and ran into the woods!" I holler the words over to him, acting like a stupid child on purpose rather than walking closer and just praying that I had hollered everything loud enough for Katniss to hear and know to hide.

The peacekeeper came over as I continued to call out and whistle for my pretend dog, a pathetic childish expression forced onto my face for good measure. "How did the dog get through the fence? It is kept electrified, correct?" His tone left no doubt about the consequences to the entire district if he found out otherwise.

I vigorously nodded, knowing that if any capital inspector found out it was basically never kept on Gale and Katniss's hunting would be over and a lot of people would starve. "Yes, but she dug a hole, see?" I point to the small hole I had started to dig a little earlier before realizing the futility of it. I start hollering all over again loudly and close to the man's ear. He quickly backed away.

"Good luck with your dog kid. Make sure that hole is fixed before you leave, understand?" He added sharply as an afterthought before walking away. I waited until he was far away and out of sight before going back to where Katniss usually crossed. She wasn't there, so she must have got my warning. I let out a breath of relief I hadn't realized I had been holding.

"Katniss?" I called softly, still not wanting to take any chances. After a few moments, I saw her peek out just barely from behind a tree. "It's okay." I said and she came on and ran up to the wire. "Careful!" I called to her as she got closer. I didn't want to take any chances of her misunderstanding and electrocuting herself. "The fence is on. They're inspecting today."

She nodded and looked around, clearly trying to figure out how to get back over. "Pass your bag through really carefully." I say, wanting to get rid of as much incriminating evidence as possible as quickly as possible in case the peacekeeper came back.

"Peeta..." She started and then seemed to change her mind as she passed the bag to me very carefully between the live wires.

"Go hide...I'll be back." I said, taking the game bag and running back to the bakery. My dad was at the open kitchen window before I approached and reached out to take the bag from me before I even had a chance to ask or say anything to him. I knew he understood the predicament and wanted to help or else I would have never known to try to warn her. As soon as he had it, he walked away for a moment and then came back with a long old rope we used with the livestock.

"Be careful, son. They will lash you if they see...and her too..." I love my dad.

I nodded. "I will. Thanks dad." There was no time to say anything before I ran back through the meadow to the fence where Katniss was still trapped.

I looked around for a while before I risked calling out for her quietly. Nothing. I walked down the fence and continued to look. She had be here somewhere...unless she had already figured out how to cross...but surely she would have found me to let me know, right? "Katniss?" I called softly again and again until I heard the rustle of some leaves up high in one of the trees to my right. I looked up to her staring down at me from her precariously balanced position on a branch about twenty feet up.

Wordlessly, I tossed one side of the rope up to her...almost. I tried again and this time she caught it. "Be careful!" I called up, after looking around one more time.

"I will." She tells me as she crouches down on the branch and grips the rope tightly before leaning down and literally putting her life in my hands. I held onto the rope as tightly as I could as she struggled to climb down, fighting the rope's will to slip and embracing the burning sensation I felt in my fingers and palm. She was still about ten feet up when I spotted the peacekeeper walking across the field again. He hadn't seen us yet from what I could tell, but I figured I had about a second and a half- tops- before it was inevitable. Immediately, I let go of the rope and took a quick step forward. She wasn't even in my arms for a second before I pried the rope from her hands, plopped down with her in my lap, and threw my arms around her just as the peacekeeper looked our way.

"She's never coming back, is she?" I fake wailed as loudly as I could, waving around the rope as if it were a leash. Katniss pulled me in closer and rubbed my back consolingly...she must have caught on already. I tried to muster up fake tears unsuccessfully for a moment before I began to hear the peacekeeper's boots crunch the leaves as he approached us. "What if she gets electrified? Who will sleep at the foot of my bed at night?" I wail even louder. Katniss moves her hand to the back of my head and continues to rub the skin, running her fingers through my short hair soothingly. Her calloused fingers raised goosebumps on my skin and I committed the feeling of them to memory. She had no idea how much I wished for an excuse to do the same to her.

"You still haven't found your dog, huh?" The man bends down to ask sympathetically in a voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand... there was still no delusioning myself out of knowing what he would do to me...or worse, do to Katniss if he had any inclination of our real purpose for being here. The picture in my head of him dragging her away to the square...of her getting whipped...it just wasn't something I could stand to comprehend. My grasp on her grew tighter. "Don't forget to fill that hole in, kid. Wouldn't want anyone getting the idea that they can cross the fence through it. I'm sure I don't have to tell you the punishment for that." He leered.

I began to wonder if he had seen us and was simply trying to scare us into a confession before the whippings began. I stood up and pulled Katniss with me to immediately fill the shallow hole in. If he had looked at it closely at all, it would have been obvious that no dog could have fit through it, so I moved slowly in hopes he wouldn't bother staying to watch. By the time we had stood up and began to move that way, I noticed the reason he hadn't seen the hole...he was too busy watching Katniss. As she turned and unintentionally gave him a good look at her figure, his eyes were glued to her body. As she bent over to help cover the shallow hole my "dog" had dug I made sure to stay directly behind her to block any view of her backside he would have and I then stayed very, very close. I had heard stories of peacekeepers and their deals with district women and I didn't want him to get any ideas about throwing charges onto Katniss for anything he thought he could make her "work off". Finally, after the hole had been covered and I had helped Katniss back up, I realized that he wasn't going to leave first. Rather than stand there and let whatever thoughts that were going through his head happen undisturbed, I simply took Katniss's had and nodded him goodbye before leading her back towards town.

Whatever she was thinking, she allowed me to keep hold of her hand as we walked back and made no attempt to move away, even though I kept very, very close to her as we walked...mostly because I wanted to make it clear to the peacekeeper that she was taken, but also because it was hard to move away from her now that I had gotten the chance to have her so close. She smelled like the woods...fresh air and dirt and pine needles. We walked back that way silently for a quarter of a mile before either one of us dared to say anything.

"Thank you for saving my neck back there. Prim really loved those cookies you sent last night." She commented, trying to sound casual about it even though the strain in her voice was obvious. It was hard for her to need anyone's help and I was well aware of it. I wanted her to keep her pride.

"Good. I'm glad." I answer in an equally fake casual tone, feeling a little embarrassed at my fake crying over my fake dog. I still haven't let go of her hand yet and we walk in the direction of the bakery.

"Why were you at the fence though?" She asks, stopping to turn and look at me in a serious manner.

I can feel my face beginning to blush. "Honestly, when I found out there was an inspection today my first thought was to make sure you weren't in the woods." She abruptly lets go of my hand and I let it drop to my side noncommittally.

"Why? What about the bakery?"

I grin at her cluelessness. At what point was she going to figure out that all of my thoughts centered around her? If she ever does, she'd probably go running the other way. Still, I had to at least make sure she was safe. "The bakery is fine. Besides, I'm off work today. My dad has your game bag back home. Come on." I motion with my newly freed hand to the bakery in hopes she will follow me there.

She does, and we walk the rest of the way back to the bakery silently until I see my dad standing at the door, holding it open to us. I smile at him as I walk up onto the porch and he pats me on the shoulder and winks as I pass him.

"Katniss." He nods to her and she gives him a sweet, genuine smile. "I'm glad to see you're alright. Your bag is up in Peeta's room."

"Thank you sir." She replied sweetly to him as she walked through as well. I knew she was comfortable with my father. They traded a lot and he made sure to always be kind to her. Wordlessly, we walked up to my room and I sat down on my bed, looking at her in wonder and trying to remind myself that the only reason she is in my room is to get her things. I watch her as she walks around though, looking at my bed and desk and...oh no...the drawing of her I made years ago pinned to the wall over my books. Great. I didn't know what to say as she went over and inspected it.

"You drew this?" She asked.

I nod dumbly.

"It's really good. Who is it of?" She asks. I huge sense of relief floods my body and I finally relax before tensing up all over again.

"It's just this girl..." I say vaguely.

"She's pretty." She comments and I have to hold back a laugh.

"Yes, she's very pretty...the drawing doesn't really do her justice, honestly." I tell her truthfully, looking strait into her eyes.

Her gaze drops down to her feet and when she looks up at me again her expression was almost shy...it looked so foreign on her usually confident face, but it was also the cutest look I had ever seen. I couldn't tell whether she was about to say anything...it looked as though she herself hadn't made up her mind yet. Finally, she let out in a soft, low, desperate tone "why do you keep doing that?" without meeting my eyes.

"Doing what?" I ask, bewildered and relieved that she hadn't managed to find a reason to be angry with me for helping her back over the fence.

"You keep...saving me. Why?" She started off with a small, timid voice, but by the time she got to asking me why it was back to her usual forceful, confident anger. I don't know what to tell her and just stare into her grey blue eyes, willing her to understand without me having to mess up an explanation. That doesn't happen, but she does push me down until I fall backwards onto my bed. I simply watch as she grabs up her gamebag and slings it over her right shoulder.

"Katniss! Don't go. They might see you out there with that bag! The inspectors already came by here earlier while we were out. They won't come back again. Stay." I implore her. Please, please stay.

"Katniss!" I stand up as she ignores me and makes a turn to leave.

"I'll be careful." She says flippantly as she tosses back a squirrel and walks out the door.