Chapter 8: The Reaping Part 2

Katniss was hugging her father. The smell of coal lingered on his overalls and his soft touch comforted her. He was going into the mines and she had just begged him not to go. He'd simply wrapped her in a hug and told her he had to in order to feed her. His hands were rubbing circles on her back and he was whispering in her ear.

"My beautiful girl." He was saying. "My Katniss."

He kissed her hair, then again and again. His hands roaming her body and, confused, she looked up and was startled. Her father's Seam gray eyes had been replaced by bright blue ones. His coal black hair now dirty blonde. The narrow face of her father suddenly transformed into Peeta's wide, strong jaw.

"Katniss," He admonished, still running his hands over her body. "I need to go…"

"No," She said. "I don't want you to go to the mines."

"I have to. I left the bakery so we could be together. Now I have to work in the mines like everyone else."

"No, Peeta, please…" She was begging, trying to hold him tighter, but he was pulling away.

"I did this for you." He said again. She felt ashamed. Why had Peeta left the bakery? For her? How could she do this to him?

He was pulling away and she held onto his hand, begging him not to go. He smiled at her and granted her one last hug. She wound her arms around him as tight as she could, wishing she never had to let go. She tilted her head up to look at him and the love shining in his eyes almost blinded her. He leaned in for a kiss and she let him, ravaging his mouth and taking everything he gave. Their lips slanted against each other in fiery caresses. Peeta's kisses were hungry and persistent. Katniss could feel herself reacting to them. Suddenly she felt like she couldn't get enough; that she needed more from him. But all too soon he pulled away and walked towards the elevator. Every few steps he would turn to look at her and give her a sad smile, until, eventually, the doors shut and he was gone.

She stood at the mine's entrance, crying softly. When she noticed the songbirds, far away, stop the song she didn't know they were singing, she panicked. A bad feeling rose up in her chest. She screamed Peeta's name just as an explosion ripped through the empty elevator shaft.

"Peeta!" Katniss said as she jerked awake, confused and heart racing. Prim stirred in her arms and looked up at her through half-lidded eyes.

"Katniss?" She whispered sleepily. "Did you have a nightmare?" A nightmare? So it was all a dream? Peeta wasn't dead, he was safe and sound- in his own house.

Katniss exhaled and nodded slowly, pressing her hand to her forehead and wiping the beads of sweat that had collected there. "Did you have one, too?" She asked quietly. Prim nodded and Katniss leaned down to kiss her hair. "Go back to sleep, okay?"

"Okay," She mumbled, burrowing into the softness of the bed.

Katniss lay awake, disturbed by her dream. She couldn't remember all of it. Just her father turning into Peeta and him going into the mines and then dying like her father. No. There was more. She touched her lips, feeling their softness as she recalled the way Dream Peeta had kissed her. She took a deep breath. So what? It didn't mean anything. People had crazy, weird dreams all the time. Just because she had kissed Peeta in her dream didn't mean she wanted to do it in real life, did it?

Unable to sleep, Katniss eased bed and got ready to go into the woods. Maybe the calming silence of the woods would set her mind at ease. After she dressed and grabbed her game bag, she slipped into the cool morning air and made her way through the fence and into the woods.

At their usual spot on the rock outcropping, Katniss waited for Gale. It was a little early, she knew, but being out nature was better than lying awake in bed. After the better half of an hour, she heard rustling in the bushes behind her and she nocked her bow with an arrow and aimed in the direction of the bush. She was certain it was Gale, but her father had taught her she could never be too careful. He appeared through the bushed, raising an eyebrow at her aimed bow. She lowered it and sat back down. He joined her and held something out to her.

"Look what I caught." He said, holding out a loaf of bread with an arrow sticking out of it.

She smiled softly and took it from him, wresting the arrow from the loaf and inhaling the scent. It instantly reminded her of Peeta and she handed back to him.

He frowned at her slightly before taking his hunting knife and cutting the bread in two. Katniss dug through her bag and pulled out the goat cheese Prim had left for her. She spread some on her half and handed the rest to Gale who did the same.

"What's up with you this morning?" He asked, picking berries from the bush behind them and placing them on his bread before taking a bite.

"Nothing." She said, copying him and placing berries on her own bread.

"Did you have nightmares again?" He asked. Damn him, she thought. She never should have told him all those years ago.

She nodded, tight lipped and took a bite of Peeta's bread. They sat quietly for awhile before Gale pushed the subject a little further.

"Is it because it's Prim's first year?" He asked.

She didn't want to tell him about the weird dream she'd had about Peeta. Not only was it embarrassing, but it also upset her more than it had a right to. Peeta was her friend, and so was Gale, but she never dreamed about him blowing up in the mines. And if she did, she didn't think she would be so affected by it. So she nodded instead, hoping he would drop it.

"Last night I dreamed that Rory was Reaped." He confessed. His voice was so soft; she had to look at him. He was never sentimental. There was the pact they'd made a couple years ago that they would take care of each other's families if the other was Reaped, but that was the most emotion she ever saw from him.

Katniss coughed to clear her throat. "I dreamt about my father, again." Which was partly true. She was certain the beginning of the dream it was her father hugging her.

"Really, that's it?" He asked skeptically. "You seem more upset about it than usual."

"Really?" She asked sarcastically, pinning him with a glare. "Because I think it's none of your business."

Gale stared at her, returning her glare with curiosity. "Geesh, Catnip. Sorry for trying to be a good friend."

She softened. Of course he was just looking out for her. That was what they did, wasn't it? "Sorry." She muttered. "It was… Really intense. My dream, I mean. I think it's just stress from the Reaping."

"Okay," He said softly, looking out over the valley. He was thinking deeply about something, she could tell. He turned to her, a light in his eyes. "We could do it, you know."

"Do what?" She asked quizzically.

"Run." He said. "Into the forest and never come back. We could make it."

Katniss stared at him, shocked. Where had this come from? The only thing she can think to say is, "I can't leave Prim."

"We can bring her. And Rory and Vick and Posy…" He adds.

"Our mothers?" She didn't want to admit it, but the past couple months she had been getting closer to her mother.

"Them too." He said, looking at her expectantly. "You know we could do it."

"I can't." She said, suddenly thinking of Peeta. Of him being alone to fend off his mother, of never seeing or talking to him again. "I can't leave my friends."

"What friends?" Gale laughed. Then stopped when she didn't join in. "You're serious."

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't."

"You mean the baker's kid?" He asked harshly.

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Peeta is my friend and I think I would be sad if I never saw him again."

"You think?"

"Okay, I know! I like spending time with him," She said, pausing to give him a meaningful look, "At least we don't spend our time bickering like you and I."

"We don't bicker!" He argued.

The tension broke and Katniss laughed. "Like an old married couple."

Gale's lips twitched up in response. "Still… We could get out of here and never have to deal with the Reaping again… Or the mines."

Katniss felt her smile fade and she looked down at the ground. "I don't think I could leave."

Gale stood up suddenly and Katniss followed, unsure what was happening. "You of all people should know better." He said.

Stunned, Katniss took a step back. "What?"

He looked mad, really mad. "You of all people should know not to get involved with someone right before the Reaping."

Katniss' jaw went slack and hung open in disbelief. "I'm not involved with anyone. I never will be. That's not what I want."

"Well, you sure seemed to be cozying up to Mellark!" He accused.

Katniss sighed and closed her eyes briefly. "His name is Peeta, and I haven't been cozying up to him. He doesn't see me that way."

"Please, Katniss, anyone with eyes could tell he's in love with you!"

What? That wasn't true. Peeta definitely was not in love with her. Even if he was, she's made it plenty clear she doesn't want to get married. So why did her heart flutter at the thought? "He does not." She said flatly. "Even if he did, he knows that that's not what I want."

"Doesn't keep him from ogling at you, or touching you. It's like he takes any excuse to give you a hug or pat you on the shoulder!" Gale was positively livid now. But what on earth could have made him so angry? He couldn't possibly be jealous, could he? She ignored that particular thought.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you better knock it off." She told him icily. "Peeta is just my friend. And even if he wasn't, you have no right to tell me what I can and can't do." She turned towards the bush and picked up her game bag. "I'm fishing at the lake. Join me if you want, but I'm done talking about this."

She made her way down the valley without looking back, resolving to keep both Peeta and Gale far from her thoughts. At the lake she located the poles, baited them, and set them up so she could gather surrounding plants. Gale joined her after a while and helped collect plants without speaking. They periodically checked the poles, placing caught fish in the underwater basket until they were ready to go back. Katniss saw a fat squirrel sitting on a branch and drew her bow to shoot it down without thinking. Gale gave her a look, but she ignored it and collected her prize. When they crossed the fence, Gale stopped her.

"I'm sorry, Katniss. About earlier. I guess I was just mad that you didn't agree with my plan." He said vaguely, no doubt wary of the Capitol listening in.

"Let's just forget about it." She suggested and was relieved when he nodded and said nothing further.


Katniss had no idea what had just happened. The moment Prim's name was called, she went into autopilot, moving towards her and shouting the only thing she knew that could save her. Now she was standing on the stage, speechless as the people of District 12 gave her the three fingered salute. They recognized her sacrifice. They mourned with her. It was overwhelming. She was still thinking about it when Effie's high, accented voice called out:

"Peeta Mellark!"

Katniss' stomach dropped. No, she thought. No, no, no! Not Peeta! She searched for him in the crowd and found him instantly, standing beside one of his friends from school and looking down at the ground. Look at me! She silently commanded. He refused, so she turned to the only one who could possibly save him. Her face twisted in anger as she saw Robbie Mellark glancing down at the ground and refusing to volunteer in his brother's place. How could he let Peeta go into the arena? Didn't he know how inherently good he was? He deserved to be loved as much as Prim was. But of course, family only went so far for some people.

He was mounting the steps now and Katniss ripped her eyes away from the coward and pinned them on her best friend. Was he her best friend? She supposed he was. He met her eyes and she could see the shock and hurt displayed in them. Her worst nightmares had come true. Not only had Prim been Reaped her first year, but so had someone else she cared about. And now she was going to have to battle her best friend to the death. She pushed the thought aside when Effie announced them and told them to shake hands. Numbly, she extended her hand towards him. He took it, then pulled her to his chest and wrapped her in a hug.

She fought back tears as he held her. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, the images of her nightmare coming back to her and she sniffled to keep the tears at bay. One of them was going to die, and she didn't want it to be him.

He tried to say something to her as they were pulled into the Justice building, but the Peacekeepers were adamant that they move quickly to their assigned rooms. Not long after arriving in the elegant room, her mother and sister came rushing in. Prim was already crying and ran to Katniss, hugging her tightly around the middle.

"Prim, you need to remember everything I'm about to tell you, okay?" She says then turns to her mother. "You too." Her mother nods and takes a seat beside her. Prim is pressed between them as Katniss tells them everything they need to know. She orders Prim not to take any tesserae. She tells them they can get by on selling milk and cheese from Prim's goat. She asks her mother to take in more patients and that Gale will help gather herbs as long as she tells him exactly what to pick. She tells them that Gale will bring them meat and keep an eye out for them.

Lastly, she addresses her mother. "You can't shut down on her."

"Katniss, I-" Her mother begins.

"Mom, listen to me." She says forcefully. "You can't leave her to fend for herself, do you understand?"

"I was sick then, if I'd had the herbs I do now-"

"Then take them!" She shouts and instantly regrets it. She softens. "I won't be there to take care of her anymore."

Her mother nodded, tight-lipped and Prim released a sob. "Katniss, promise me you'll come back! Promise me you'll win!"

"I promise." She says before she realizes what she has promised.

"What about Peeta?" Her mother asks quietly and Katniss stiffens. Peeta? How could she forget him? Prim sniffled and looked up at her.

"Don't kill him…" she pleads. Katniss is shocked. Of course she wouldn't kill Peeta. She turned over all the possibilities in her mind. They could work together and fight off as many of the other tributes as possible. But if they somehow ended up as the last two tributes, one would have to kill the other. Maybe they shouldn't team up. They could go on their own and hope that the other doesn't meet a horrific death. Yes, that sounded good.

"I won't." Katniss told her. She hugged Prim tightly until the Peacekeepers came and even gave her mother a quick hug before she was ushered out.

Madge came to see her next, wishing her luck and asking her to wear a pin. Katniss took it uncertainly, not knowing why Madge was so friendly all of the sudden. But maybe she had been the whole time, in her own way. Maybe Katniss wasn't alone when she thought the silence between them was an understanding. She had a feeling Madge had been her friend all along.

Mr. Mellark came in a few minutes later, which surprised her. It surprised her even more when he gave her a shoulder a squeeze and handed her a wrapped bundle. She thanked him and opened it, finding two cheese buns inside. Her favorite.

"Peeta?" She asked, knowing the answer.

"He once told me those were your favorite." He said sadly. He looked as if he had already lost his son.

"Peeta's not gone yet," She reminded him. "He might win, he's strong."

He smiled at her knowingly, like it was some inside joke. "No, I don't think he'll win…"

"Don't give up on him so easily!" She yelled angrily. Peeta had just as much chance making it out of the arena as she did, why was he acting as if there wasn't a choice?

"I'm not the one giving up." He said softly. What does that mean? Katniss didn't have time to ponder because he left and the Peacekeepers shoved another body through the door into the room. Gale.

"Two minutes." One of the Peacekeepers warned.

He ran up to her and hugged her tight and she hugged him back. "Take care of them!" She requested. He rested his head on top of hers and whispered his promise that he would. When she pulled back, there was a strange emotion in his eyes.

"Katniss-" He started.

"I'm sorry! I should have said yes this morning." She interrupted. And at the moment she meant it. If she had said yes, maybe they could have gotten their families out on time and she wouldn't have to face the impossible task before her.

Gale laid a hand against her cheek and she startled. But he was speaking before she could think on it. "No, it was too late by then. I should have suggested it sooner." She had to look away from the pain in his eyes. "Don't trust any of them, even Peeta."

She looked up sharply. "Why not?"

"Would you trust any other tribute?"

"No, but-"

"Why wouldn't you trust them?"

"Because they're probably only thinking about their own survival, they could betray you at any time." Why was he saying this? And why was he touching her so intimately?

"Exactly." He rubbed his thumb over her cheek bone. "Peeta's no different. He's only thinking about himself now. Don't fall for his charm."

"But Peeta-"

"Katniss, please!" He said desperately, eyes slightly wild. "Please, you can't trust him, not anymore."

"And if it was you in the arena?" She challenged.

"You couldn't trust me either."

She paused. Did he really mean that? She couldn't imagine a world where she couldn't trust Gale. They had helped keep each other alive for so long. She couldn't imagine not trusting Peeta either, but she had already planned not to team up with him. She nodded to put his mind at ease. "Okay, I won't trust him."

He sighed in relief and the Peacekeepers came in, not bothering to tell Gale to leave. They just came up and began to lead him away. He struggled at first, saying he had one last thing to say, but they ignored him. Just before he reached the door, Gale shouted.

"Katniss, I-" The door slammed on the rest of his words, leaving Katniss bewildered.

On the train, Effie Trinket led her to her set of rooms and told her to be ready in an hour for dinner, then left her alone. She explored the rooms, wondering if Peeta's were similar and where he was. Maybe she should search for him? The thought left her mind as she wandered into the bathroom and saw the extravagant shower. She'd never had a shower before. She quickly locked the door behind her and turned the water on, marveling that there was a tap for hot water. It took some adjusting to get the temperature right, but when she did, she stripped down and stepped inside. A sigh of pleasure escaped her lips as the warm water cascaded down her shoulders. It was the best feeling in the world.

She found it surprisingly easy to let her mind wander under the water's pressure. She thought about her strategy for the games, what angle she should play. Perhaps she should come in with all she's got or play a meek, defenseless little girl like the tribute from District 7 did years ago. What would Peeta's strategy be? She let her mind race and found that Peeta came up in her thoughts more often than not. The way he'd comforted her that morning. The way his arms felt around her. The dream she'd had about him, especially the kiss. The need. She felt her face heat and a pleasant shiver ran down her spine despite the warmth of the water. She decided that was enough thinking about Peeta. In a few days, one or both of them would be dead.

Katniss shut off the water and toweled herself off with a surprisingly warm towel. She entered the dressing room and riffled through the drawers, finally picking out a dark green shirt and black pants. She took Madge's pin and pinned it to her shirt, admiring the craftsmanship of her father's favorite bird. Effie knocked on her door, announcing dinner and Katniss followed her to the dining car. Peeta was already there, sitting at the long table. When they came in, he flashed her an uncertain smile.

Don't trust him, Gale's voice said to her. She returned the smile, but sat across from him instead of the seat beside him. If it bothered him, he didn't show it. She felt herself becoming awkward as the meal went on, fidgeting with her utensils and napkin between courses. Their mentor, Haymitch, hadn't bothered to show up for dinner, and any conversation Effie attempted was met with one word answers from both of them. Halfway through the third course, Effie made a comment on their manners and it made Katniss' blood boil. She made a point to eat with her hands for the rest of the meal, and every time she caught Peeta's eye, she could tell he was struggling to keep from laughing.

After dinner, Effie motioned them to a different car to watch a recap of the Reapings. The entertainment car was full of plush, velvet couches and chairs. A bar stood off to one side and was attended by a Capitol man in a white uniform. A giant television was the focus of the room and Effie quickly steered them to the couch directly in front of it while she took a chair off to the side. Katniss took a seat on one side and felt her heartbeat quicken when Peeta took the sat next to her.

The other tributes' faces went by in a blur. Katniss was preoccupied by Peeta's leg, close enough to occasionally brush against hers. When the on-screen announcers introduced District 12, Katniss focused her attention on the screen. She saw Prim on the screen, walking toward the stage fearfully. Then she saw herself stumble into the open space dividing the girls and boys. She heard herself call Prim's name, saw herself push Prim away as she volunteered. The announcers commented on how sweet the moment was and Katniss resisted the urge to throw something at the screen. They were silent when her people gave her the salute, unsure of what to say. Then Haymitch Abernathy made his drunken debut and the announcers laughed.

She looked at Peeta when Effie announced his name on the screen. He watched intently and glanced sideways at her before offering a small, reassuring smile. Katniss turned back to the television, watching as Effie introduced them. She watched them hug and she was shocked at how intimate it looked. Of course the announcers picked up on it.

"Could there be a romance blossoming between the tributes of District 12?" The blue haired announcer asked.

"Looks like it, Venire!" His co-host replied excitedly.

"Thas actually a- great an-gle." A slurred voice said from the bar behind them. Katniss and Peeta turned to see Haymitch leaning unstably against the bar. "We should go for it."

Katniss was about to tell him exactly where he can stick his ideas, but he promptly swayed on his feet and hit the floor. She rolled her eyes and stood, following after Peeta who was already trying to haul their mentor to his feet. Katniss ignored Effie's comments of dignified behavior and helped Peeta get the man to his feet. He smelled like white liquor and vomit and she fought her own bile rising in her throat.

They half-carried, half-dragged Haymitch to his room, where he sunk to his knees and vomited on the carpet. Katniss let out a disgusted groan. How was she going to keep her dinner down now?

"It's okay, Katniss, I can get it from here." Peeta told her quietly. "Go get some sleep."

"Thanks, Peeta." She whispered gratefully, trying to breathe through her mouth to keep her from smelling the acidic aroma filling the room. She didn't have to be told twice. She exited the room and quickly found her own. Katniss stripped to her underwear and slipped into bed, sighing contently at the plushness. She was asleep before she had time to analyze any part of the day.