A/N: well, it took me long enough. Thank you to HopeNeverDies for being the sole reviewer of the last chapter. If you want to get mentioned, please review then.

And as far as track has been going, I've done the 1600m in 5'51".

Chapter 10

By the time we reached District 12, I finally 'reunited' myself with Peeta. He gave me a pained look, as if what I did to him on the way home was pain fuller than anything that happened in the arena. The train stops at the station and there's a crowd. I'm sure it's bigger than the one that awaited us when we returned from the Games. We look out, seeing who's there to welcome us when I see a very familiar face near the front.

Gale Hawthorn is at the front of the crowd, and he's smiling. I glance at Peeta, worriedly. He shrugs his shoulders and then the door opens. The people start to scream and cheer, trying to storm past the Peacekeepers and get to us.

They lead us out, and I wave at them, smiling. My other hand is securely in one of Peeta's and it seems to make the crowd crazier; I spot a number of familiar faces. The Peacekeepers start to lead us towards the Mayor's house, a place I've been a few times. I take in the old architecture style, something I've heard others refer to as "Victorian". Looking around at the building, I spot Madge's face smiling up on the highest floor. She suddenly leaves the window and I'm guessing she's racing down the stairs to meet us at the door.

The Peacekeepers stop right at the bottom of the porch while Peeta and myself continue up. I'm not sure where Haymitch, Effie, and our stylists are, but right now that's not important to me. I'm just worrying about Peeta, myself, and whatever future that may be in store for us. The door springs open right as we reach it and Madge is there, smiling.

"It's great to see you two back in town. Gale arrived just last night. According to Thread he was on way to a Peacekeeper training camp, but the train crashed and he was sent home after spending time in the hospital." Her face drops, the smiling disappearing. "I was really worried when he went missing; I was beginning to think I was just breaking through to him when he disappeared." She goes quiet.

"Well, at least we're all back home." Peeta remarks. Neither of us comments as silence falls over us. It doesn't break until the mayor arrives, seeing us he starts to smile.

"Well, there's our victors. I've been wondering when you'd arrive. My wife…hasn't been doing well recently." He looks away, trying not to glance at any of us. "It's hard, but enough about me." His gaze falls onto Peeta and myself, and now I feel uncomfortable. "How about you two come inside?" Nodding, we follow the Undersee's in. Their house has a musky smell to it, one similar to houses in the Seam, but it's more…refined, I'd say.

"Well, I suggest you two make yourselves at home. Haymitch and Effie should be here soon to begin preparations for the banquet tonight." The mayor turns away and walks up the stairs, leaving us all alone. Once again.

I stare at Madge, she stares at Peeta, and Peeta is staring at me. And we're waiting for another to talk. Our 'host' breaks the silence. "Well, I was actually planning on visiting Gale before you two arrived, but you were early." I hold my hand up as she starts to walk away.

"We need to talk with Gale. Could you bring him here, unless you know somewhere…safer." She just nods and heads out the door, and now I'm alone with Peeta, once again.

"Well, it looks like we're in another mess, Katniss." Peeta begins. "I don't know what we're going to do, now that President Snow believes that a rebellion is inevitable. We could hope that it'll defuse itself, we could try to put it down, or we could just set it off and send all of Panem into a war for the future." I try not to look at him; those possibilities have been floating in my mind for a while now.

"We could run away, Peeta." I watch his face.

"Are you sure you could do that, Katniss? Just run away from this problem we've created?" He looks away, almost angry. "I couldn't do that, Katniss. I just couldn't."

"So, if I decided to run, would you come with me?" I know it's useless asking him again, but I need to be sure.

"I'll run away with you then." He doesn't look at me. Instead, he starts to walk towards a painting on the wall. I stare at him, waiting for when he turns back around and actually looks at me. Minutes pass before I walk away, not alerting Peeta, who's too busy looking at paintings.

Wandering around, I move through the house. Although I soon find myself 'lost', I continue to press forward, my instincts built from years of hunting coming through. Soon I find myself in some sort of office, probably Mayor Undersee's. I look over to find him slouched back in his leather chair, snoring. I start to look around, gazing at the heads of dead animals when his TV comes on.

At the bottom of the screen, text is moving slowly. It reads 'Districts 8,11 in rebellion', and I gasp. The rebellion Peeta and I had worked hard to prevent was beginning. And in the Districts that worried me the most. Pausing for a moment, I watch as a number of rioters get shot by the Peacekeepers. They don't show any mercy except for those who are dead. Seeing this, I take off. Running hard, I head for Peeta.

It takes less time to get back to where Peeta is than how long it took to get to that office. When I arrive he's talking with Gale, who obviously arrived after I left. They look up and see me. And the exact thing is on their faces: worry.

"Katniss, where have you been?" Peeta asks first. Trying not to think about the few things I saw on the TV, I walk down to where they are.

"I was just wandering around, Peeta." Continuing to try and hold back the truth, I continue. "You were busy looking at paintings, so I decided to look around for other paintings in the house." That's partially a lie.

"You're a terrible liar, Catnip." The glare that I give Gale reveals the truth. "What were you really doing?"

Huffing in defeat, I reply. "I was wandering around when I ended up in the mayor's office. He was asleep, but his TV turned on. The screen displayed scenes of Districts 8 and 11 in revolt." I pause, not sure whom to look at. "It's beginning and sooner or later it'll reach 12."

"So what can we do?" I'm surprised to hear Madge's voice. She walks up to the three of us and stops right at Gale's side.

"I'm not sure," I mumble out. Right now, I feel like how I did in the arena: afraid and alone. I trust them, but I don't know if my actions now will doom them in the future.

And that includes Peeta.

Jackson cursed his luck as more of the rioters in District 11 fell to Peacekeeper fire. He wasn't sure if he and Doug could get their stupid asses out of this god-forsaken district, but they could die trying. And maybe give whatever rebels that were in 11 already a chance. Working hard at unarming his rifle, he eventually was able to pull out the stubborn casing.

Quickly loading in another round, he looked up and scanned the area near the abandoned storage unit he had deserted his post to reach. Nobody was there, waiting for him. He cursed his luck and said a few ungrateful things about Doug. Taking another look, he ran over to the unit and put in the security codes he had broken a month after arriving in the district. As he entered, a familiar face appeared.

"'Bout time you got here, Jackson. I've been waiting for about seven minutes and this area was just swarming with our…brethren just moments ago." Rolling his eyes, Jackson led the other deserter into the unit. Closing the door behind them, he pulled off the tarp. Beneath it was an old war machine, referred to as 'humvees' by troops back when it was in operation.

"You sure this old pile of scrap will get us out of this hellhole? It looks like hell opened up her big, fat mouth and is trying to swallow us all." Doug said, voicing his concern.

"Of course it will, Doug. Now get your foolish self in the turret; I'm hoping that gun can still fire at its original speed."

"And that'd be…"

"Faster than anything the Capitol has in any District, maybe except Two. We've overstayed our welcome." Grinning, he turned the vehicle on as Doug climbed into the turret. "Lets leave."

The Peacekeepers were slowly gaining control of District 11 when Jackson and Doug tore past, tearing apart their line. The humvee raced for the fence, eliminating those in its way. A few moments passed by before Jackson handed Doug a bazooka, another old war weapon. Firing it, they watched a rocket take out one of the guard towers and they flew through the opening, heading towards freedom.

Towards District 13.

A/N: well, I have to say that this story keeps getting interestinger and interestinger every day. And those are now words, so shut up. And review.