"It's only just my heart—
it's only just my veins
you've been swimming in so long;
slowly killing all this pain.
But it's only just the sun
that takes away the rain.
Suddenly I'm not as sad as yesterday."
"Just My Heart" - Quietdrive

(This song alone helped me write this entire chapter.)

Katniss' POV

Just as I let out the breath I've been holding, I hear the clang of bullets bouncing off the sewer walls. Instantly, I throw my body in front of Peeta's, with my bow loaded and ready to fire. I'm silently scolding myself for being stupid enough to think we would have a couple moments of peace to deal with Messalla's demise. I really need to stop being so naïve; Snow will never let us rest.

Everyone is shouting and shooting, but above all the noise I can still hear the hissing. The mutts must be below us because the hissing is loudest whenever I crouch down to seek cover. I have no way of truly determining where they are; and as we are currently stuck between a seemingly endless wall of peacekeepers and some ominous death trap they call the Meat Grinder, there's not much room to try to find them. However, I do know they are close—eerily close.

Suddenly the peace keepers start dropping like flies; left and right, all falling into streams of blood and gore. The entire horde seems to lie covered in blood. I feel a sliver of pride at our feat. The ten of us somehow managed to kill at least two-hundred peacekeepers. When I think we can finally try to make a plan, more peacekeepers are coming; they seem to come from the floor. Wait. Something is not right about this.

Then I realize it. Those aren't peacekeepers and we didn't kill the peacekeepers lying in a heap some fifty yards ahead of us. No. The mutts had arrived. These mutts were nothing like the mutts that ravaged Cato's body in my first Games. They may not have had the eyes of dead tributes, but they were definitely more sinister.

They're scaly, lanky human-like lizards. They crawl, reaching about three-feet tall, and have the musculature of people, which makes me almost certain they can walk/run on their hind legs. They almost look like people in freakish costumes—I could almost see this being a Capitol trend in the next few weeks if these mutts succeed in killing us all—but no human could whip around a 2-foot long, razor sharp tail to take down a dozen peacekeepers in one sweep. If that wasn't bad enough, I see one of the mutts come across an unlucky group of surviving peacekeepers from their first assault. Without taking a second thought, the mutt grasps onto a peacekeeper's head, pulls it back, and decapitates them with a single slice of it tongue; as if showing off its brutality.

We try to shoot them, but it seems that no matter how many bullets we sink into their flesh, they keep coming. The hundred-yard stretch between us is quickly getting smaller and smaller.

"Where's the pod, exactly?" asks Finnick, whom I can barely hear above the hissing and bullets.

"Right on the corner of that wall," I point to the only corridor on our left, that leads away from the mutts, "The inside corner. "

"All right. We'll just have to wing it," he says solemnly; knowing there's almost no way we'll get through without setting it off.

"Formation!" I yell, orderly, "We've got to move, NOW!" With Messalla gone, Finnick moves to keeping up the front to protect Castor and Pollux. Peeta stays in front of me, and Gale is directly behind me. Homes, Cressida, Jackson, and Leeg 1 all follow. "Hug the right side as much as possible," I sternly say.

Finnick crosses tentatively, making sure it's safe. After he makes it about 20 yards down the corridor, I let Castor and Pollux follow. I then urge Peeta and Gale to go without me as I shoot a couple of my explosive arrows at the ever-growing horde of mutts; now only seventy-yards away from us. I then cross with Cressida right on my heels. Homes scurries after and just as he gets with the rest of us, far enough away from the pod to be safe, Jackson and Leeg 1 run right into the pod.

"NO!" I scream, but it's too late. The ground beneath them drops away and they fall into the unknown depths of what must be the Meat Grinder. It takes a few seconds before we can hear a faint splat as they hit the bottoms of the pit. The mutts are rushing across, trying to follow us, but it seems to be no use. They can't just the gorge, and just fall helplessly into the trap. Hundreds of them must be in that pit before suddenly, the ceiling—covered in spikes—falls down and crashes into the pit. Again and again it chomps, like child chewing gum—only in a much more deadly fashion.

We continue down the corridor. Finnick leads with Castor and Pollux guiding him. Peeta, I, and Gale follow them, and Cressida and Homes follow us. For now, the hissing has stopped. I hold tightly onto Peeta's hand and grips mine back, just as tight.

We take advantage of this slight reprieve to stop for a little break. The eight of us hold ourselves up in a small alcove, keeping guard on all exposed sides. The second we stop moving, I rush to Peeta, wrapping my arms around him.

"I'm so sorry," I say, wanting to explain everything and tell him how I feel, but not even knowing where to begin. He shoots me a puzzled look in reply, but returns my hug.

"Katniss," he kisses the top of my head, and I practically melt. It's been months since I've gotten to really be around him—the real him— without cameras. I kiss his cheek and hold his face in my hands, my thumbs smoothing across his brow. He's got such a beautiful face; so full of love, kindness, and overall goodness, but also so masculine. I've never paid so much attention to it, until now. And now, that hunger for him, his kisses, his touch, him to hold me; it's all back.

I restrain myself and turn to Gale. I give him a quick embrace and thank him.

"For what?" He asks sincerely.

I look down and whisper, "I heard you two talking last night..." I pause, not sure how to tell him he's right. Will it break his heart even more?

"Y-you-You were right," I look at him. He won't meet my gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Gale. I never ever meant to hurt you," I say strongly and sincerely.

He finally looks at me. "I know," he says grimly. "It still hurts getting whipped even when you know the whip is coming down." He half-way chuckles, half-way cringes at the casual way he referenced his whipping and now his unrequited love.

I pat his shoulder and stand on my toes to whisper in his ear, "Do you think he's really coming back to me?" Maybe I shouldn't be asking him this, of all people, but Gale is and will always be my best friend.

"I don't know if he can, but I do know he'll try like hell. He really loves you, Catnip. Remember that." He spins me around and shoos me back to Peeta; I walk away smiling.

I cross the circle of us, back to Peeta and he welcomes me into his arms.

"I wish I could remember more..." he says disappointedly.

"What do you want to know?" I say, "I can try to help you." I smile and he nods.

"We slept together on the Victory Tour. Real or not real?"

"Real," I answer. "You'd hold me till we fell asleep and neither of us would have nightmares."

He looks both pleased and saddened by my answer.

I frown. You need to tell him how you feel.

"Peeta," I try to start my explanation, but the words won't come out. I sigh and think real hard. He laughs at the look on my face, and I can't help but smile.

"Gale was right… Everything he said was true. I-I-I do love you, Peeta. Real. Really real. I'm so sorry it took me this long to sa-"

He lips lock onto mine and I can't even finish my sentence. It's a short, but loving kiss; filled to the brim with longing, passion, and love. I can feel the love coming from both of us. And it's beautiful.

I can't wipe the smile off my face as I gaze into the endless blue oceans of his kind, gentle eyes; until the hissing begins again.

A/N: Please review! I want to hear from those of you that have been reading this. Whether it's good or bad, please. Suggestions, questions, concerns? Review and let me know! Thanks for reading,
-Sami