Please remember, I do not own either the characters/plots/words of either Suzanne Collins who wrote the Hunger Games Series. All rights belong to her. She owns and deserves all the credit for those. I am merely inspired by her amazing works.

He can see the little bit of spark beginning to return to her eyes. This statement has caught her off guard.

"I thought we came to an understanding on the beach on what our promises to each other were. Our promises began to counteract each other. Working so hard to save the other and yet failing to do so in the end. I did not hold up to my promise when I abandoned you in the last arena and so many times before and after that. Your renewal of your promise is well intentioned, but not needed. Others deserve your efforts and your promise not me. Others deserve so much more". Her tears subsiding a little bit as her frustration begins to percolate through her body. She is so tired of fighting this point with him.

"It's not just you I promised." He states clearly as he wipes the wetness from his face. He thought we both can't break down into tears now. He knew they needed all their strengths to get through this conversation.

"Who else did you promise?" she questions confused by this turn of events.

"Your sister" he declares. Again he caught her by surprise. Maybe she was distracted by her grief or something, but he was also thinking that maybe he was beginning to get under her armor just a bit.

"When?" jolted back to clarity by his confession. Katniss slowly felt her body returning to herself. Her mind was beginning to center again. She was staring at him now. Those deep blue eyes were threatening to swallow her whole. She would not drown again. She was going to need courage to fight off this attack. Her walls could not sustain their protection if he was able to get under them again.

"Prior to the Victory tour and just before we left for the quarter quell. Also that last time she visited me in District 13 in one of my clearer moments" Peeta states. He could see her mind turning away at this new information.

"But she never mentioned it. When could you have talked to her? Beyond wanting to kill me in District 13, how is it that she was able to get you to promise anything besides hurting me? When were you clear enough to make her these promises, and how are you able to remember them now? You seemed so far away from yourself for so long" Katniss mutters clearly exasperated by her ignorance.

"Just because we were not friends at times prior to the rebellion does not mean that I was not friendly with her. We shared some common interests and it was lonely in my new neighborhood with so many of my neighbors ignoring me. She was a kind and loving soul. I could understand why you volunteered to protect her in the hunger games. She was like the little sister that I never had. We became close. She encouraged me never to give up on you. In District 13, she tried so hard to help reverse the hijacking. I'd like to think it was out of friendship for me, but I know she was driven by some other need too. She was so desperate to return me back to me; I think it was her love for you that spurred her on. She seemed to think that successfully reversing the hijacking was not only necessary for my survival but also maybe for you. She was far more perceptive and caring than was good for her" he acknowledges. He was grateful now that she was facing him. She had to see this truth on his face. He wanted her to know, he loved Prim too.

"Why would she do that? Why would she jeopardize her safety to protect me?" her tone inquiring, her posture still a little defensive.

"Because she understood you Katniss, … probably better than yourself then and maybe even now. She was intuitive about people except her arrows pierced other people's souls not a squirrel's eye. Where your strength lied in the woods, her strength was with people. She could penetrate beyond the surface and truly get to their inner workings. It is also because at her core she loved you unconditionally and wanted you to be happy – I believe she still does" he asserts. Gradually Peeta could see that his words were having an effect. Slowly, he could see her body beginning to relax. Her stance was still stern but her features were beginning to soften. Her shoulders were returning to neutral.

"How can you be so sure of that now? She may no longer love me or want me to be happy after I took away her ability to experience that. Maybe she might have prior to me being responsible for her death, but not now." Her face painfully etched with grief as she speaks.

"Do you really think she would change her mind in death? You did not you send her to the frontlines. You did not drop those parachutes. It was Coin and her evil plans for revenge and retribution. It was not you. She volunteered because she wanted to make a difference, not because you sent her anywhere to die. Just like you volunteered to save her, she wanted to save others too. Katniss you have done so much over the years that protected her and with your work as the Mockingjay you saved so many others. It was not a matter of us failing to protect her… It was just randomness of life and evil. We did all we could to protect her. But sometimes fires cannot be stopped. Sometimes it destroys rather than just scars. We did all we could in that moment to try to rescue her. She would not want us to dwell on what we were not able to do. Her life was about loving and caring for others. That is how we honor her... by caring for others, by finding a way to love again…" earnestly hoping his conviction can convince her.

"You keep on mentioning we. How is it we? You were not there. I was the one that could not get to her in the square that day. I was not able to protect me sister from the flames. Not we" her shoulders turning in on itself essentially closing herself off again.

He knew his time was running out. He needed to convince her soon before she was lost again. This conversation was closest they had gotten to helping permanently break down those walls between them. Closest they were to being able to move forward and not stagnate here. "It was us. We both were unable to save her that day." He utters.

"What do you mean by that? How did you get all those scars Peeta? She demands.

"Which ones?" he laughs hoping a little humor will lighten the mood.

He sees it just for a brief moment as the corner of her lips peak up into an almost smile. "Your burns from the fire, don't try to distract me now". Her anger is beginning to dissipate. She knows her body is beginning to betray her. His warmth as usual is beginning to melt her reserve.

"I got them trying to pull her and then you out". He states bluntly. No need to hide it now.