Hey guys! Azalea's Wind here! Just want to thank all who reviewed to this story! Also wanted to say that if you have questions or suggestions about the story, write them in your review and I will answer everything on my site page! Also there's a poll up too so vote! Thanks Love you all! ~A.W.

Chapter Three

I had spent the whole night crying, wondering how I was going to get through all of this and still save Peeta and Prim. Another thought that came into my mind was why I was crying all the time. It was so unlike me. So I forced myself to hold it together, wallowing in your own self pity never helps you, it just opens the door to your own self destruction. Saving Peeta and Prim had to become my number one priority, which pushed everything else at a stand still. I was scheduled to leave tomorrow, and I had yet to see Beetee. I wonder what he has for me, I thought. I was not going to fight with anybody, I was going to succumb to Snow and free everyone I loved.

Haymitch better not try to save me, I thought bitterly, as much as I wanted someone to save me, I knew what Snow would do if I got out…he would KILL everything and everyone. And I didn't want all of that to happen just because of me. It can't happen…it won't…it wouldn't, I told myself with determination. Just then, there was a knock at my door.

I looked up, wondering who it could be. Nurse Lydelle. Her chocolate eyes gleamed, her face lit up with a warm smile. I was not used to the sweetness and tenderness radiating off of her; she didn't look like she blended in here in thirteen. Everyone was sad, gloomy, and depressed recently. We were all like one thick, gray storm cloud, ready to rain at a moment's notice. But Nurse Lydelle, she was like the sun, and she is one of the people I will truly miss when I go to the Capitol.

"How are you doing, honey?" she asked me kindly. I smiled at her.

"If this is going to help them, then I have to do it," I murmured, looking at the white wall beside me.

"You shouldn't do anything you don't want to do," she started, "Coin and Plutarch can find a way to get them out that does not put you in harms way." I started to say something but she waved me off, "You know as well as I do that Snow just has this hanging over your head, because he knows you will do whatever possible to help anyone you care for, "she finished.

"I have to do it though, if I don't everyone will die, you didn't see the note he sent me," I said. "I have to do it, they didn't make the decision, I did," I said, my old defiance rising up in me.

"Well, Good Luck to you, Girl on Fire," she replied as she hugged me, and left the room.

I was left alone again, and unlike whom I used to be, I hated it. The Games changed me, I was now battling two people, and I was two people. There was the District Twelve Katniss, the one I used to be, and the Girl on Fire, the fierce destroyer. I couldn't object to it, I hated both of them, in essence hating myself, but what I was doing tomorrow would pay off all of my debts, and it would save the people I loved. Yes, I love Peeta; I thought to myself, I love him. That was the first time I had admitted it to anyone, even myself.

I am asleep. At least I think I am. I am in a dark place, a scrim is in front of me, I cannot see much; everything is blurry. But something dressed in black is watching me, from every angle. It frightens and confuses me, but I try to look past it. Then the scrim lifts, and reveals the white devil himself, Snow. He smiles evilly and holds out a white rose, I scream in horror. And then I jerk awake.

Breathing heavily, I don't know what to do. I run to the bathroom, and start throwing up. When I finish, I gasp harshly and collapse on the hard, cold floor. When I finally force myself up, I have to grab the edge of the counter for support. But I cannot hold on and am sent crashing to the floor. I pick myself up again, but can only get to my hands and knees, and somehow I am able to make my way over to my bed again. I look to my right and see a clock which reads, 5am. I lock my jaw, and grit my teeth, wondering what will become of me today.

'Katniss, it will be fine,' I tell myself, although no comfort comes from the words. 'Katniss, your acting weak and idiotic,' I say reprimanding myself, 'if you back out of this, you may as well kill everyone yourself, because that is exactly what you will be doing, COMMITING MURDER!' Screaming to myself, did not exactly help, in fact it made me look even crazier than I already was.

I lay still for a while, wondering when I should get up, waiting to see if anyone would come in, no one did. Finally, after about half an hour, I got up. I sat up slowly, waiting to see if I would fall over, but no dizziness came, and then just as slowly I got up and walked. I smiled slightly, thankful that I wouldn't look so pathetic when I confronted Snow. 'Well there's one thing I don't have to worry about,' I thought to myself. I stripped my night clothes off, and climbed in the shower, putting the setting on 'Hot' so that my muscles would relax.

Of course, even after an hour in the shower, I wasn't relaxed and neither were my muscles. But, at this rate, nothing would help, I just had to stand up and take it. As I thought about it, I realized that as soon as I got to Snow, he would kill me. Unless he is really just so narcissistic that he would like to see me tortured, which could be very plausible. But, you would think he would want me dead so that he could get Panem under control. You never know with Snow, you just never know.

It was now 8am, and I was getting extremely anxious, why won't someone just come in and take me to Command, so I can depart already? Do they have to make this harder than it already is? Of course they do, they just want to see me suffer before Snow even has his blood reeking hands on me.

"Katniss," a somewhat familiar voice said, "Katniss, it's time to go to Command now," the voice finished. I finally realized who was talking to me about five minutes later, Gale.

I looked to Gale and smiled meekly, sighing at the same time. This was it, in one hour; I would be saving my loved ones, in return sacrificing myself. I pushed myself from the bed, standing up and walking out before Gale had the time to respond.

"Are you ready?" Gale asked me, after a few minutes of walking. "You know you don't have to do this," he said.

"Gale," I began, "let me stop you right there," I paused, "I am doing this for the people I love, and you know I will do whatever possible to do it," I finished.

"I knew there was no stopping you, but you know I had to try," he told me, slightly amused.

"What are best friends for?" I whispered with a bittersweet smile.

"They're for everything," he whispered back. And I smiled internally knowing I would never smile again. Playtime was over now, welcome to the real world. Where the universe is cruel and grants you no do- over's, and where evil haunts your dreams, and stalks your path. I grimaced as I thought the last part, knowing that even though it sounded harsh, it was very true, in all honesty.

Gale and I had finally reached Command ten minutes ago, and we were listening to what the plan was. "Miss Everdeen will reach the Capitol at approximately 10 am," Coin said, "there we will send our team of trained specialists to get Mr. Mellark and the little Everdeen girl out," she finished.

I was really getting nervous now; I just wanted to get this over with so everyone could live. I mean, what if something went wrong? Or messed up? Or I messed up? Oh we couldn't have that… in the midst of my silent panic, a large hang grabbed my shoulder, "Sweetheart," it said, "We have to get going now." In a sudden movement, I embraced Haymitch and let go.

"Yeah, yeah," he said smirking, "let's just keep our hands to ourselves now, shall we?" he asked me. I nodded and turned briskly away, careful not to let a smile out, for I knew I had had my last.

I was walking briskly to the transportation device that would take me to the Capitol, to Snow. Then on a last second decision, I turned around, realizing I had never gone to see Beetee. Why would I think on going there now, when the situation was so dire? I don't know why I turned around but my instinct told me to.

I went up two flights of stairs and turned right and left numerous times. Finally I found a passage way that had a single iron door at the end of it. I walked slowly up to the door and knocked on it, it opened immediately. When I was inside, I found a media room filled with all types of technology, even things that were not related to television. I found a black, sleek desk, and sitting behind it was a man in a chair. I just couldn't see who it was.

"Beetee?" I asked to the silhouette in the chair, "is that you?"

"Definitely, not my dear, definitely not," it responded, and when I heard the voice, I nearly hunched over, gasping for air, it took all my strength not to cry.

"Don't look so distraught, Girl on Fire," it said, "Your President is here."