I was a little afraid that I'd be attacked by a certain somebody *cough, Lana, cough* if I don't update in approximately three days, so here we go :) This one goes out to TheSoggyBug & PeetaMellark'sKatniss, and all of my other 'super cool, super hot' reviewers! (Sorry, just got a lame Disney song stuck in my head).

...

Finnick and I don't waste any time. He tells me to wait there for a couple of minutes while he leaves to go get Plutarch, and I'm glad. I need some time to collect my thoughts, because these past few days have been leaving a weight so heavy on my shoulders that it feels as if it will collapse at any second.

I try not to look at any of the dead bodies while I'm stuck here alone. I carefully maneuver my way across the room to sit down, trying not to step in any blood with my white socks. It's different seeing blood in the forest, because it isn't as eye catching when it's mixed into the dirt and leaves. Seeing all of this on tiled floors, though... it's easily the most nauseating I've seen, even after both of my Games.

Once I sit down, I let the tears fall. I suddenly wish -again- that I had a certain someone to comfort me right now. But the Capitol has torn every good thing from my life, leaving only darkness, and things only seem to be getting worse.

It's clear to me now how I lost Peeta: these Capitol spies have been in here longer than I'd originally thought. At first, I'd assumed they'd just arrived, having gotten here for a surprise attack. But that must not be right, because it's just too ironic. Plus, the odds have never been in my favor.

I almost laugh bitterly as I remember when Effie Trinket had said that to me, right before everything was thrown upside-down. "May the odds be ever in your favor!" she'd squeaked cheerfully. But as lucky as I'd been to have survived this long, the odds are never in my favor. I'm losing everything and everyone I love slowly, one by one.

But Peeta I refuse to lose. And the more my memories come back from the drugs, the more I realize that it may have been a trick. It has to have been. Because that dream, or hallucination, or whatever it was, seemed much to real. It was almost like Peeta was sending me a message, telling me not to give up on him just yet.

"You know I'd never really leave you, Katniss. I love you."

And I immediately believed hiim, because I know that Peeta wouldn't leave me.

Not unless he was forced.

...

When Finnick returns with Plutarch, it takes me almost ten minutes of arguing for him to let me stay for the questioning. But I'm obviously not leaving; I'm the Mockingjay, after all. When I'd pointed this out, Plutarch had narrowed his eyes at me and said, "You're going to have to start acting like it."

He was right. I've been breaking down and running around like a madwoman for the past twenty-four hours, when I should be helping with the Rebellion. So I'd agreed, and I was finally allowed to stay.

"Well, now that we've wasted a good ten minutes, I think we should get to the finding-out-who-broke-into-our-headquarters-and-tried-to-murder-Katniss part. Any objections?" Plutarch raises his eyebrows at Finnick and I.

Finnick grins at me wickedly, as if we'd just stolen candy from a baby. "Nope!" he says.

"Good." Plutarch goes over to the two captives and removes their masks. Just as we'd seen before, they had all of the Capitol features. The man had shining silver hair and eyebrows, and his skin was tainted an ugly orange color. His face drooped to one side, as if he'd had plastic surgery that had gone horribly wrong. The woman, on the other hand, wasn't as discusting as most that I've seen. Her skin was a very light purple, and she wore makeup that actually went quite nicely with it, considering it wasn't her natural skin tone. Her hair was light brown with specks of purple in it, and her features were delicate. She obviously hasn't tried to change her face through surgery, because I can still tell that she has some natural beauty.

Plutarch raises his fist as if he's about to punch one of them awake, but before he can snap it forward, the woman's eyes flutter open. They're also purple, weirdly enough.

"Gah!" she yelps. She starts to squirm around in her bindings, trying to free herself.

"Not gonna happen," I say.

Her eyes turn to slits when she sees me standing over her, completely unharmed. I really hope that I still look as intimidating in a hospital gown, but I kind of doubt it. I glare at her to keep my face harsh, at least.

It must work a little, because she shrinks back a bit. Or she could just be figuring out that she won't be getting back home any time soon.

Plutarch takes another step closer. "So, start talking."

She stares at him icily, then laughs. "Right. Over my dead body."

"It will be if you don't," he shoots back, pulling out a gun and pointing at her to prove his point.

"You don't scare me," she tells us.

I roll my eyes. This woman is seriously stupid. "We should, considering we have you tied up with a gun pointed at your head. Just tell us how you got into District 13, and what for."

"I thought you were smarter than that, Katniss Everdeen. We obviously came for you. Getting a hold of Mellark was just a bonus," she sneers.

My face pales. She notices, and laughs even more. "Yes, I suppose that it was a real bonus. He's what holds you together, isn't he? Oh, what a shame it would be if the Mockingjay lost her sanity."

Finnick doesn't hesitate before snapping his arm forward and punching her right in the side of the face. There's a satisfying crack, and she winces. Hard.

"Where did they take Peeta?" he demands.

Her eyes watering a bit from the pain, she snaps, "How should I know? Last I saw, he was being dragged away by some of my co-workers. But looks like you won't be getting any answers from them either, considering you've wasted your time being here instead of running after them."

I want to close my eyes in frustration, but I don't. I need to stay composed so that she doesn't see how much pain this is causing me. My protectiveness over the people I love is definitely my fatal flaw, but I can't let her know that any more than she already does. It would definitely cost me later, even though she'll most likely die here.

An alarm starts going off in the hallway, indicating that somebody has pressed an emergency button somewhere. I have no idea what exactly the alarm trigurs, but I'm hoping that it will somehow save Peeta, keep him here in District 13 instead of back in President Snow's discusting, blood-thirsty hold.

Plutarch pays absolutely no attention to the blaring lights or the alarm buzzing. "Dragged away?" he growls. "What'd they do to him before taking him away?"

She smiles, as if reminiscing the better times. "Hmm... I'm sure Katniss will love to hear about this."

I clench my jaw and cross my arms over my chest. "I will, eh?"

"Oh, definitely. It was quite fun, actually. You should have seen how scared he was. I guess he had drugs or medication of some sort that were just starting to wear off, so he had absolutely no chance of fighting us off. We held him down while we taunted him, telling him about how we'd kill Katniss. And I've got to say, it was pretty impressive how quickly you guys made the tracker venom leave him. He looked absolutely horrified!"

Finnick and Plutarch don't bother holding me back as I spring forward and punch the grin straight off her face. She's asked for it, telling us all of that.

I yell profanities at her as I strike her over and over again, watching as blood starts trickling down from her nose. When I see that she's had enough for now, I step back from her. She turns her face back around to look at me, and I just can't take it anymore. I spin around so that she can't see my face, and try to calm myself down.

I take deep breaths, trying to control my breathing, but it doesn't seem to be working. I can hear Plutarch trying to get more answers from her as Finnick pulls me away for a second.

"Katniss," he whispers. "It's okay. She's probably lying, trying to break you."

I close my eyes. "I've already been broken, Finnick."

He wraps an arm around my shoulders comfortingly and wipes my tears away. I'm so grateful that Finnick has found his way into our lives. He's like the older brother that I never had, always making sure I'm okay.

After a few moments of silence, I whisper, "I need him so badly."

"I know. Which is why I just pressed the button for the alarm."

I gape at him. "That was you? What does it do?"

His mouth twitches at the corners as he tries not to smile. "It puts the entire District into lockdown and closes all exits. Those filthy Capitol spies aren't taking Peeta anywhere. They're probably running around the hallways at this very moment like terrified mice. That is, if they haven't already been captured by our guards. Which I'm guessing they have."

I almost collapse in relief at his words. "They haven't taken him away? You're sure?"

"Absolutely positive."

"Then why did his files in the hospital say he was dead?"

His eyes widen. "Those bastards changed his papers?"

I nod, my eyes filling up again at the memory.

But Finnick's expression surprises me. He doesn't at all look sad, as if Peeta really could have been killed. He just looks exasperated, like he can't believe Snow's spies would swoop that low. "They must have done it to send you off the edge, make it easier to get to you. Don't worry, Katniss. He is very much alive."

Very much alive. Peeta's alive. Peeta is really alive.

I throw my hands over my mouth as I start to make embarassing choking noises. I'm so relieved to hear this that I can barely stop myself from dancing around in joy. But we have a situation at hand. There are dead bodies of Capitol spies lying around us as we speak, and Plutarch is still trying to get answers out of the only one of them who is conscious. In fact, I'm starting to think that the man is dead after all.

But in this moment, knowing that I haven't lost the boy with the bread, it's like the scary things are non-existent. All I can get through my head is that I haven't lost hope.

"Katniss?"

I look up to find Finnick watching me, smiling.

And this time, I don't have to strain to return it. It comes naturally.

...

I've gotta say, the ending is kind of suckish. Oh well! I hope I got at least a couple of sighs of relief from you guys. Yes, Peeta is very, very alive. Of course I wouldn't kill off such an amazing character! :O

Review, please! They make my day!