A/N: I would like to say I am most delighted by the many alerts and reviews I'm getting-thanks for your support =) lol, well here's a chapter that's been requested by some of my reviewers for a while.

Enjoy and review at your own will~

-smyle-

"WHERE IS THE DAMN DISTRICT?" I send a fist onto the wooden table, causing it to rattle beneath my hand. The Peacekeeper standing beside me glances down at his hands, frightened of my sudden outburst.

"Sir, maybe we can send out search crews."

I scan the radar with no satisfaction. Everything was shrub or bare grounds. The district literally disappeared off of our maps.

"No. You all are as worthless as the "new" conditioner I requested." I quickly touch my slightly damaged hair. " It has to be here somewhere and I don't need another day to find the stupid place."

"But sir, we don't even know if it exists."

I stare at the scrawny Peacekeeper in a deadly manner. Who is he to decide what's real and nonreal.

"Get. Out." My threats are the only things that can instigate someone to move so fast. The Peacekeeper scurries out of the room like a bullet, another Peacekeeper instantly taking his place. Sometimes the Peacekeepers were as annoying and stupid as the prisoners themselves.

"What do you suggest I do, Miss Loo?" I question the slender woman who had taken his place. Her smile is razor-sharp as she casually seats herself beside me. I raise my eyebrows, interested by her abilities.

Loo leans in closer to my face and her small eyes stare at me.

"Wouldn't any of the prisoners know?"

A stifled sob startles me awake from my nightmare. The air is cold and my legs are cramped from being held under me for so long. I stretch each one out slowly and in silence, each leg reaching the other end of the room as they do so. I draw my legs back in and instinctually shake my head to the side, moving the blonde strands of hair out of my eyes.

I blink a few times as I stare outside the bars of the prison, trying to see through the thickening darkness. The quietness is eerie, telling me that everyone is probably asleep.

Another cry.

"Who is it?" I whisper into the darkness. The sobbing ceases for a few slow seconds until a wavering voice replies.

"Peeta is that you? I'm so sorry if I woke you." I recognize the voice immediately as Johanna's.

"Yeah it's me. What's wrong? Are you alright?" My questions sound stupid but I can't help but wonder. The bold, uncaring Johanna who never shows a tear…is crying.

"I'm—I'm fine," she insists. I stay quiet, our conversation probably seems deathly awkward to her. Better to leave her then have her bite my head off sometime.

After a few seconds, the kindest words escape her mouth.

"Peeta? Are you still there?" I grin to myself and place the side of my head against the cold bars. Maybe she isn't all stone on the outside after all.

"Yeah," I reply.

"I dreamt about the Hunger Games," she states.

"Me too." Flashbacks of Katniss running through the dense jungle as the jabberjays mimic familiar voices create a sinking feeling in my heart. I pull my legs up and place my forehead against my knees, beginning to wonder for the thousandth time if she's safe. Gale hasn't spoken a word about her yet, and I feel like that just might mean something.

"What are you thinking about?" Johanna abruptly asks. I keep silent for a moment, not wanting to tell her Katniss is continually and will always be on my mind.

"Nothing," I say.

"Or Katniss?" I feel my cheeks turn slightly red, warming the bar pressing against my skin. I lift my head off just as a sudden shuffling in another jail cell catches my attention. I swallow a ball of dread, hoping no one heard our conversation.

"I'm sorry," Johanna whispers. I smile, imagining her sprawled in the cell beside mine with her arms tightly crossed over her cold self. She always had that permanent scowl on her face, making her her cold, angry self.

"So what do you think about all the time?" I ask her, trying to break the forming silence. She shuffles in her cell for a while, probably trying to formulate anything that won't make her look weak or helpless.

"Just stuff."

I laugh quietly, but Johanna catches it.

"What?" she stammers.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just thinking about how you're always hiding your feelings, as if you're embarrassed to ever show anything."

"Well because I have nothing to show that's anyone's business."

"Oh really?" I question sarcastically. She grumbles something unintelligent before falling silent.

I begin to tap my fingers together as I start to wander off.

"I know this is a stupid question but Peeta, when do you think about Katniss?" Johanna suddenly asks in a quieter voice. I blink, surprised by her sudden curiosity. What's the harm if I say the truth?

"All the time."

Suddenly the iron doors to the prison chambers crash open as two shielded guards stomp inside in unison. Light from the other room floods into the chambers, blinding me for a second. I keep my head against the bars, squinting my eyes at them while pretending to act depressed and tired, something I've been pulling off for a while.

They stop at the gate right before mine, quietly shoving the barred doorframe to the side and pulling Johanna out with such brutality. I clench my teeth as she struggles against their grip, groaning as the guards pull at her limbs. She bares her teeth as they force her outside, clamping chains on her arms. She glances back at me with sadness in her eyes right before the guards slam the door behind them, leaving the room once again in pure darkness. The look in Johanna's eyes right before she left is now etched into my memories, another remembered yet forgotten sorrow.

The fumbling among some of the prisoners stop as each one of them resumes their restless sleep. I place my head against my knees again, wishing for Katniss' safety like I do every night.

The sickening feeling I felt those last minutes of the Hunger Games flood my mind. I remember vividly searching through the tangling trees and brush, calling out for Katniss.

And I remember seeing her from a far distance as she took the hilt of a knife out of Beetee's hand, flinging it towards the force field, being her brave, Katniss self. Explosions sounded out throughout the arena as the force field dissimilated into nothingness and Katniss fell to the ground, her eyes wide in fear but determination. I had run towards her but a nearby explosion flung me to the ground. I felt for the rough ground and between the rubble, I had found her pearl…

I reach into my pocket and feel the slippery surface of the pearl I gave her running through my fingers. I wrap my hand around it for a second, pretending I'm holding Katniss' hand instead.

I drop the pearl back into my pocket with trembling hands. I clench my hand to my side, forcing myself to not live on the past.

"Haven't you done enough to her?"

I straighten my back at the words that had formulated in the mute room.

"What?" I ask, my heart pumping rapidly.

Gale doesn't say another word. I lie down on my side on the icy ground and try to sleep. My eyes are wide awake though and the only thing I can do is think about the venom that hung in those words. And even worse, what those words were trying to imply—did something happen to Katniss?