Thank you for reading my story! I am very excited to be sharing Peeta's point of view. I never share my work and it is nice to hear that a few of you like to read it. I really am not wanting to change the story, but I always wondered what Catching Fire would be from Peeta's point of view. Please keep reading and posting comments/feedback!

"You should not have gone after Katniss like that," Haymitch says to me from the other side of the shower door. Suddenly hearing his voice makes me pour too much soap into my hand, but otherwise doesn't scare me as much as I would have thought. I consider for a moment about not answering, but I just sigh.

"Why not?" I ask. I am still very, very angry at both of them. But of course, I forgive them too. It's just not in my nature to hold on to things. "She had plenty of opportunity to tell me what was going on, even after the visit from Snow. You could have said something too, you know." I quickly wash off my body and grab my towel that is hanging from the shower door. Haymitch doesn't say anything until I have already stepped out, towel firmly in place on my hips.

"She wanted to tell you. She wanted to grab you out of bed last night and spill it all, but I told her not to. I told her to keep it between the two of us. I didn't think you would do something as crazy as give away a portion of your winnings. You could have told me about that little stunt also." I look down, a bit ashamed, but I don't tell him it wasn't something I planned. I have already decided that I acted too harshly to Katniss and Haymitch, but it wasn't something I wanted to admit to yet. I guess I wanted them to feel a little bad for not including me, because it still stings when I think about them keeping secrets from me.

"Peeta?" There's a small knock on the door and Caesar is there waiting for me to finish with the shower. When he stops Haymitch he starts apologizing for interrupting.

"No, it's fine. We are done here," I say quickly and walk past Haymitch without another glance.

My prep team is talking their heads off while getting me ready. I don't listen, I really never do. Most of the time they are talking so fast I wouldn't be able to follow if I wanted to. Tonight I am thinking of how I can possibly save this tour. How I can make the people of Panem believe that Katniss is really in love with me. All different kinds of ideas are coming through my head.

Funny, with the threat of losing my life, the lives of my family, friends, Katniss, everyone who is anything to me and what I keep coming back to is the kiss she mentioned with Gale. I have always wondering what they have shared in the woods beyond out district. If they are really together or just really close because both of them being the oldest in the family and losing their fathers so young.

I am so lost in thought I do not even remember what Portia put me in and I really do not come back to my surroundings until I see Katniss, looking breathtaking in a long strapless pink dress with a silver throw around her shoulders. Her hair is gathered in the back, but there are curls cascading down her back. Breathtaking. I can see her nerves are getting the best of her as well. Cinna is standing in front of her and whispers something to her. I see her give a small smile and Cinna nods and walks away.

Effie gathers us together to run through the night's agenda. She seems upset about something, even though I know she wouldn't know about what happened on the square this afternoon. Cinna asks her what is wrong and she sniffs and answers, "I don't like the way we are being treated. Being stuffed into trucks and barred from the platform." She shakes her head. This morning I really wasn't sure if this is how they treated the victor's during the tour, but now I know that we must be getting treated this way because of the berries and the possible uprisings from the Districts. "And then, about an hour ago, I decided to look around the Justice Building. I'm something of an expert in architectural design, you know" I am very surprised, Effie, an expert on architectural? There is a small pause, then Portia quickly says, "Oh, yes, I've heard that." Thank you for that quick thinking Portia! I think to myself. We don't want to hurt Effie's feeling worse than they already are.

"So," continues Effie, "I was just having a peek around because district ruins are going to be all the rage this year, when two Peacekeepers showed up and ordered me back to our quarters! One of them actually poked me with her gun!" Clearly this is very upsetting and confusing to Effie. She has no idea about any kind of unrest or problems. I am about to say something nice or maybe give her a hug when Katniss gives her a rare hug.

"That's awful, Effie. Maybe we shouldn't go to the dinner at all. At least until they've apologized," I hear Katniss say, but I am still having trouble with this exchange. Katniss is normally not one for words or hugs or anything like that. Of course, Effie would never agree to skip the dinner. We have to keep up our appearances. She looks very happy that someone is agreeing her, but says quickly,

"No, I'll manage. It's part of my job to weather the ups and downs. And we can't let you two miss your dinner." She manages a small smile and says, very sincerely, "But thank you for the offer, Katniss."

Then Effie goes back to her business as usual smile and arranges us to enter the room. Our prep teams go first, the Effie, our stylists, Haymitch and then us. "Make sure you let Haymitch go down fifteen steps before you follow," Effie says right before she leaves.

I take Katniss by the hand and realize that this is as good as a time as any to tell her I'm sorry for my actions earlier.

"Haymitch says I was wrong to yell at you. You were only operating under his instructions." Haymitch starts his way down the stairs and I start counting, one, two, three…"And it isn't as if I haven't kept things from you in the past." That I was madly in love with her, Haymitch told me to keep that to myself before the Games and my plan to join the Career's to try to protect her. Six, seven, eight…..

"I think I broke a few things myself after that interview," Katniss says, looking down.

"Just an urn," I say, smiling a bit at the memory. Ten, Eleven, Twelve…..

"And your hands. There's no point to it anymore, though, is there? Not being straight with each other?" she asks, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. Thirteen….."No point," I agree. Almost out of time. I have to ask her.

"Was that really the only time you kissed Gale?" I say quickly. She is so surprised by the turn of the conversation that she quickly says, "Yes," and I know she is telling the truth. Time's up.

"That's fifteen. Let's do it." The light hits us and I put on the smile I reserve for only the Capitol. We go down the stairs and we keep smiling until it feels like my face will fall off. The food is great, by the way people are eating and the party must be a good one too by the way people are talking and laughing. The night seems to go on forever. At exactly eleven o'clock pm we are all back on the train and are pulling out of District 11. I tell everyone good night after a cup of hot chocolate and excuse myself to my room. I know there is no way I will be able to sleep anytime soon, but I really just needed to be alone.

While smiling and talking with people I will probably never see again in my life I got to thinking about the future. Such an inappropriate time to think of such things, but I was just hoping that we could get through this tour and go home and get back to normal. Then it hit me. It will never be over…..never. In a few months is the Quarter Quell, the next games. Katniss, Haymitch and I are victors and we will be mentoring the poor kids who have the unfortunate to get reaped this year. That will so be difficult in itself, but then I realized that we are stuck, Katniss and I, are stuck being the star-crossed lovers until one of us dies….what will we be expected to do? Keep up the appearances, surely. One day the Capitol audience will grow tired of it and expect more….marriage? Kids? Although I secretly wish I would marry Katniss, I want it to be because she is in love with me too, not because it is expected. Not because a sword is over her head. But also, I have to admit, I long for it. Of course I do. I cannot shake this girl.

I shake my head to rid it of the thoughts. My mind will not let go of Katniss is a beautiful dress, maybe a deep forest green, for us to get married, or maybe they will make her wear white, like in Capitol weddings. Of course, for us both, it wouldn't be complete, not feeling right, if you will, unless we did the ritual that is common in our District. I imagine each district has something special they do when two people fall in love and commit to each other for life. Ug! I have to stop thinking about this. I will not ask her to marry me because of this! Would I?

I'm not sure how long I sat on my bed, still clothed in my evening attire, imagining the future I want to have with Katniss, something I know will never be true. I finally make myself move and look at the clock. It is almost one am. I might as well try to get some kind of sleep. I change into a pair of soft pajamas and climb into bed. I lay my head on the pillow and suddenly realize that I am very tired. I fall asleep almost immediately.

It feels like seconds later I am frozen stiff in my bed, the nightmare of the mutton dogs from the arena slowly fading back into my subconscious. Even though I know, now, it was a dream, it still takes me a few minutes before I am able to move. I glance at the clock. Four am. The train is so quiet, you can barely tell you are moving. Suddenly I feel trapped. I quickly get out of bed, run to the door and pull the door open. It is so dark outside I cannot even see what is passing outside. I wish I could open it. I must have missed the regular stop for fuel.

As I am longing for a cool breeze and slowly walking down the corridor in the train, I hear a small whimper. Curious, I keep walking slowly toward the door the noise came out of. Katniss's room. Suddenly a blood curdling scream fills the corridor, runs a chill right down my spine. No matter how scared I am of anything, the most fearful thing is losing this girl! I throw the door open, so scared of what I might find. Did Snow send someone to torture her?

She is sitting straight up in bed, eyes open, but seeing things only she can see. The nightmares. Of course. I slowly walk over to her bed. She doesn't notice me, she is still seeing the horrors in her head. I carefully sit on the bed and take her left hand in both of mine. She instantly moves her right hand around to hit me in the face, defending herself. I am too quick and grab her other hand and hold them both in one of mine.

"Katniss?" I say in a soothing voice. I take my other hand and gently shake her shoulder. "Katniss, wake up." She is no longer screaming, but is still breathing heavy and trying to flail her arms. Luckily she is not kicking. I am not sure I could stop that kind of assault. Her eyes are wide open, but glossed over and I know she is still stuck in her mind. "Katniss!" I say louder. "It's me, Peeta. It's just a dream." I shake her shoulder a little harder and she finally blinks and shakes her head.

"Peeta?" she asks thickly. Her eyes focus on my face. I put my hand on the side of her face and say, "You were having a nightmare." She leans into my hand and nods. I feel wetness against my hand and see a few tears fall out under her eyelids. I take both of my hands and wipe the tears off her cheeks.

"Sorry," she whispers, clearly still shaken from the dream.

"It's okay. I understand." She nods. She knows that all three of us have reasons for some of the worse dreams. She stretches and shakes her head. I let my hands drop and just wait. I want to make sure she is ok before I leave. She looks at me again, in better control of herself and asks, "Did I wake you?"

"No. I was walking around and heard you," I answer. She nods and looks around. "I think the train makes the nightmares worse. It's like I am trapped again." I nod, completely understanding how she feels. I get up and smile.

"Well, goodnight, Katniss."

"Goodnight Peeta," she says quietly. I can tell she is afraid to go back to sleep and I want to just hold her until she is happy again, but it is not right for me to stay. I wave and walk out the door, closing the door behind me. I stand on the other side of the door just wishing things were different. I decide to walk around the train. There's no one up and it is so quiet you can almost hear the wind as the train speeds down the tracks. I go to the end of the train and sit next to the windows, but do not retract them to look outside. I sit on one of the comfortable chairs and settle in, visions of the horrible deaths I witnessed in the games, visions of things that could happen if Katniss and I do not pull this off. While sitting there thinking and seeing things that could happen to my family, friends and myself, I drift off into an uneasy sleep.

"There you are!" I here from above my head. I open my eyes to see Effie standing over me with a disapproving look on her face. "You can't sleep in your room? Are the blankets not comfortable enough? We can change the mattress…" I stand up and stretch, my body is stiff from sleeping in the chair.

"No, Effie. The bed and covers are just fine. I just couldn't sleep and ended up falling asleep in here. Nothing to be done about it, I just do not sleep well lately," I say thickly. "What time is it?"

This question snaps Effie back into her business like attitude. "Nearly eleven. Your team came to wake you and couldn't find you. We were beginning to think you got left at our nighttime fuel stop."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you guys worry." I walk back to my room with Effie behind me muttering about time and her endless schedule.

District 10 is almost all farmland. There are fields and fields of cows. Milking cows and the beef cows. There is a certain stench in the air that I guess comes along with the cows, something like what we hear about when new people come to our little coal mining town.

The day goes without any kind of incident, like what happened in District 11. We give the Capitol prepared speech, receive our plaques and eat our dinner. The food is amazing, of course, everyone is polite, Katinss and I even sneak in a few kisses and caught looking at each other like we are deliriously in love with each other. When we are finally back on the train I go to my room without sitting with everyone like we did the night before. Knowing that the love I feel from Katniss is just an act is so exhausting to me. I find myself not having to act when it comes to this. Most of the time I even forget that it is an act on her part and let myself be happy in the moment. Then we get into the train and it all comes back to me. The way she acts though I know she cares about me on some level. She has to keep me alive and protect me while we were arena.

I find myself just setting on my bed again, not moving, just letting the sadness take over every part of my mind, my body.

I finally get up and make myself pull on pajama pants and climb into bed. I really want to get up and walk around the train again, but I don't want to fall asleep some place other than my room again. After about an hour of laying and looking at the same spot on the ceiling I give up and go out of my room. I just cannot rest my mind. It is like it is running on overdrive. I find myself walking up and down the hallway, back and forth, back and forth. Sometimes I hear talking from Haymitch's room, whimpering from Katniss's and snoring from the room that holds either Cinna or Portia, I cannot remember which.

It must have been hours later when I hear a scream coming from Katniss's room. I know it is the dreams again and I hesitate at the door. Am I crossing a line by going into her room again? She seemed relieved when I was in there last night. I quickly look around to make sure no one sees me and I open the door and step inside. Tonight she is trashing around in her bed, trying to hit and kick at the nightmares. I walk the few steps to her bed and look at her for a moment. The features on her face are twisted in terror and I just cannot take her being so scared.

I sit on the side of the bed and reach out for her shoulder. Suddenly she jumps up and I am knocked off the bed. "No! Rue!" she screams. I crawl on my knees right up to her and put my hands on each shoulder. I shake her gently at first, but her eyes are glossed over and I shake harder.

"Katniss! It's alright," I say gently. "Wake up, you are dreaming. Come on. Come back to me," I almost beg. In that moment I realize that I need her so much. Even if it is mostly just for show on her part.

She blinks her eyes and shakes her head. "Peeta?" she asks, her voice hoarse from screaming, just like she did last night. She looks up into my eyes and I realize that I have tears in them. She gets confused, almost like she doesn't realize she is awake. "Peeta?" she says again, reaching her hand up and putting it on the side of my face.

"Katniss. I'm so sorry. You were having a nightmare and I tried to wake you. You sounded so desperate. It took me by surprise," I explain quickly.

"It's fine. I am glad you are here. Your presence makes the dreams go away faster. When I hear your voice….when I hear it, it's like you are pulling me away from the darkness." I push the hair away from her face and she leans into my hand. "I feel so much safer when I wake up to your face, your voice." I can tell it is hard for her to admit this, especially to me. She is not used to leaning on people for support.

"I'm more than happy to help." I smile and go to get off the bed.

"No, Peeta. Please…..." Katniss begins, almost afraid. "Stay with me." I am taking back at the request. What is she asking me? I look into her eyes and see past the small amount of embarrassment into the fear that is just laying beneath, something she tries so hard to hide every day.

"Of course I will." She scoots over so I can lay down next to her. I lay my arm out for her to lay against me. I guess I should have thought about putting on a shirt. Oh well, too late now. I find a strand of Katniss's hair and start twirling it through my fingers. We haven't been this close since the last day in the arena, laying in our little cave waiting for the rain to quit, unsure if we would live through the next day. I cannot see her face, but my mind in so calm that I know I will be able to finally sleep, at least for a little while and I hope that she feels the same way. Not much later I feel Katniss's breathing become deep and steady and I know I can finally let go and get some rest. I think about sneaking out so we are not caught in the same bed in the morning, but I decide I just really do not care who finds us. After a months of dreading sleep, I finally find myself smiling as I drift off to sleep.